Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Cloudsea Chapter One Preview

Hello everyone!

So I have been reworking, revising, and rethinking the prologue and first chapter of my book project (now dubbed Cloudsea). Have a look and see what you think of my work in progress (of six years).

Thanks for reading!


P.S. Have a picture of a train.




Cloudsea
By Daniel J. Pool


Prologue
Kydonian Wasteland
1764 AC

A lone elf stood at the peak of a mountain. Clouds washed over the rocky crags. An airship made a wide circle around him. A dwarf paced the ship’s deck watching the haze.

“Where did it go Captain?” the dwarf called out.

The elf silenced him and stared into the fog. The mountains trembled. A howl echoed off the cliffs. Then it was quiet.(This opening section is bothering me but I don't know why)

Balloon cables creaked. Wind whistled through deck boards. The engines hummed.

From below, claws raked on stone. The smell of rot filled the air. An ocean of teeth breached the clouds. Its hide was jet black and its eyes glowed purple. The beast was double the size of the warship. It snapped its teeth at the captain.

“Fire!” he howled.

Cannons thundered. Plumes of fire struck the leviathan’s flank. The creature swatted at the ship. Its claws grazed the hull making the ship bounce by its balloon chains.

“Pull out,” cried the dwarf.

The ship dove away from the creature. Twisting, it rolled higher into the sky. The crew braced themselves on the railing.

Leaping from the mountain’s crest, the captain plunged toward the beast. The sound of steel clashed against rock. Sailing through the air the captain threw bolts of green flame from his palms.

“The captain is a demon,” whispered a crew member.

“Lord Gray could run the plague from our borders,” said another.

“A pirate king could unite the clans,” said a third.

From atop the snout of the creature the captain hacked at the beast. The creature shook its head and slashed at him with it claws. The captain drove his blade into the dragon’s head. Green fire engulfed his body.

“He is the Chosen One,” said the cabin boy.

Lord Gray shot into the air. Hovering over the peak he bowed to his crew.

“He is magnificent.”

“He is glorious.”

“He is invincible.”

Out of the fog the beast’s jaws snapped around the captain.

“He’s dead meat…”

“No! He’ll survive.”

The creature mashed the King of Pirates between his fangs crushing bone and gore.

“He could still pull through.”

Turning toward the mountain’s face the creature shot a jet of purple fire onto the rocks glazing them; pieces of the captain melting onto the boulders.

A crewmen tugged at the dwarf’s arm, “Mr. Ellery… Umm, I mean captain, sir… I think we need to leave. We need a new Gray…”

Chapter One
Skycastle
1764 AC

The sun peeked over the eastern highlands. Morning mist hung like curtains over Skycastle. The cliffs of the mountain looked like polished glass.

Covered in heavy quilts, a young man stretched his legs. Reaching out he touched the iron bars over his window. He watched the city folk prepare for the day.

A street vendor and his son packed their cart for the day. A man wrapped in a wool coat extinguished street lamps with a pole snuffer. A baker tossed burned scraps into the street.

He turned over. Uneven rows of bunk beds stacked three high were crammed into the dormitory. Snoring echoed off the stone walls.

The young man rubbed his eyes and pushed shaggy brown hair out of eyes. He pulled the quilt higher.

“Hey Jonathan!”

“Aaaahgh!” he replied knocking his head into the bunk above himself.

Wild eyes stared at the boy. A young girl held to the side of his bedpost. Her curly yellow-blonde hair was pulled tight into a wad behind her head.

“Scoot over,” Felicia said pulling up.

“Shut up,” said a husky voice below them.

Jon whispered, “Sorry Barton. Felicia, why do you sneak in here?”

“Because the girl’s dorm doesn’t have a window that faces the shipyards. I like airship spotting before breakfast.”

“I can still hear you, dorkers,” Barton said.

“Oh hush,” she said and crossed her legs.

“Morning,” said an elf peeking over edge of his bunk. His pointed ears poked out of his straight black hair.

“What are you doing up, Jim?” Felicia asked.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he replied and dropped down between us.

Felicia said, “Did you have nightmares again?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said.

We watched as airships glided through the sky to the port. Their wooden hulls were dark against the desert floor. It made a patchwork of balloons and flags from across the entire world.

Jon caught a glimpse of Felicia watching him. Moving her arm around the elf she slugged him in the shoulder.

“Ow, what was that for?” Jon said.

“You deserved it,” Felicia said. “Didn’t he, Jim?”

The elf nodded.

Jon rubbed his shoulder. Looking back to the window he saw a gray airship that was just starting its descent to the earthdock. It had a black balloon with a gray skull painted across the side.

“Hey, what kind of ship is that?” Jon said.

“Maybe it’s like a trader,” Felicia said.

“No, it’s got three gun decks. Traders fly armed, but that’s just a bit on the extreme side don’t you think?” Jon asked.

“It’s so big. Maybe it’s an Imperial ship,” she said.

“Nah, the Empire doesn’t come out this far west,” he said.

“Hey Jim what do you think… Jim?” Felicia asked.

“Jim?” Jon said.

He watched the ship.

“Jim?” I asked. “Hey that has to be a pirate. Look at the balloon’s marking. A merchant wouldn’t use a skull as their trade stamp.”

“Gray…” Jim said releasing a short breath and biting his lip.

“What did you say?” the boy asked.

From downstairs tea kettles began whistling. Pots and pans banged together and the smell of biscuits snaked into the room.

“Oh nothing, hey it’s time for breakfast. Let’s go cadets,” Jim said with a laugh.

“Wake up you lazy lot of free loaders,” boomed a voice from the entryway.

They slid to the yellow stone ground and walked to the arched doorway of the dormitory. Felicia pulled a handkerchief up to her nose till they passed their handler guarding the hall between the boys and girls dorm rooms. After the halls converged, she slid into the girls’ line and pulled the bandana to her neck.

“You know that won’t work anymore in another year,” Jon stated.

“Oh yeah why’s that, I’ll be too aged and give myself away by using a cane?” Felicia smirked.

“No, your breast might finally grow!” he laughed. She stopped. “What? Cause, cause you’re a girl.”

Felicia stood in the hall. The crowd of girls walked around her like water around rocks. Other boys paused and shoved Jon as he waited. She was quiet. Pulling her handkerchief back over her face, she pushed back into the girl’s line.

Jon asked, “Jim, why are girls so weird?”

The elf rolled his eyes, “Women? Women are not weird. You are.”

He paused again at the entrance on the main floor. Over a heavy iron door hung a sign ‘Abe’s Home for Unfortunate Orphans.’ Jim grabbed his arm and towed him forward.

The cafeteria was a large open room made of creamy orange stone. Wooden benches lined the hall in neat long rows. Overweight cooks, with their hair tied back and pale smocks, hustled back and forth through a passage into the kitchens. A stairwell next to the entrance curved to a small round top door with a sign that read ‘Headmaster’s Quarters.’

Jim pushed Jon in to the breakfast line. Younglings yelled and threw food scraps at each other. Bowls of oatmeal slop and biscuits were shoved into their hands.

Finding an empty bench, the pair took seats. Jim began to scoop oatmeal with his biscuit while Jon stirred his food into shapes.

“So what do you think about that pirate ship this morning?” Jon asked.

The elf stopped mid-chew and starred at the table for a moment.

Jon gently shook the elf, “Hey. Kydonia to Jim. What did you think about that weird black airship?”

“Oh, that gray one. It was probably nothing.”

Jon said, “Yeah the gray one. What do you think they do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they pirate stuff. Why are you asking me?” he said.

“Sorry, I was just making conversation,” Jonathan replied. “Gods, between you and Felicia I feel like I can’t say anything right.”

Jim coughed and said, “You really need to learn to just agree with her you know?”

“Yeah? Well you know what I think? I think that Felicia is just too emotional. She is always doing stuff like that,” he said.

“Well I don’t blame her. You know I think she is…”

Jim’s words stuck in his mouth.

“What? That she is a vampire beast or some old hag sent to torment us... What’s so funny Jim? Jim?”

A swift smack to the back of my head answered my question. As I turned Felicia was halfway to the other side of the cafeteria.

“Oww,” I looked back to Jim while half-heartedly nursing my head, “you were saying sir?”

Jim leaned in close, “I was saying, I think she has a thing for you.”

He looked up from the oatmeal slop. A thick glob slowly collected on the end of his biscuit, waited, and made a watery smack as it returned to its bowl.

“What thing, like a rag doll or a book? She knows I don’t really like playing dolls anymore,” I said.

“No, more like… What happens in spring?” he replied.

“Oh! I got this. We have to clean the factory out,” I stated.

“And?”

“And… uh? The carnival comes to town?” I added.

“No, like what do adults do?” he said.

“Oh, I got it,” I said.

“Thank the gods,” Jim let out a sigh.

“Go swimming?” I said.

Jim repeatedly smacked his head on the table.

“No stupid—it’s when adults get together…” Jim was cut off by the steam whistle for the morning shifters to go to work.

The boy mouthed, ‘Tell me later,’ to Jim and stood to leave.

They left the hall through a pair of large wooden doors into the courtyard. A creek ran through the yard with a small bridge over it. Sparse trees littered the lawn. A tall yellow stone building with heavy metal doors faced the orphanage.

A short man with broad shoulders and a square jaw stood on a crate just outside. His graying brown hair blew in the wind. He peeked over a pair of bifocals at a list of names before looking back up. Counting on his hand he then counted the assembled children.

“You know standing up there in front of the factory doors makes Abe look like a demon straight from Nain,” Jim joked.

Jon laughed. “Don’t say that. The old man might hex us.”

Abe cleared his throat and said, “Hobart and Mr. Keller, you are on coal cart duty. Jamie, Lorain, and Ginny are on looms. Jim… Where are you lad?”

The elf raised his hand half-heartedly. The dwarf looked down his nose at the elf standing in front of him.

“Right here sir,” he said.

“Oh yes, you and… let’s see, Barton and Hanson are on coal room, ummm… Number 3.”

He scratched his head and shuffled through his list.

“Lillian, Felicia, Gela—y’all are on water detail. And Jonathan, you get to learn the crane today.”

Jim and Jon joined the other children through the double doors. Warm air blew over them. Rows of looms and stamp presses filled the stone room. A paddlewheel cut into one wall lapping water onto the floor. Along the far wall, rows of smelting pots bubbled liquid metal.

“Hey, why do you get off easy now? I wish I got to learn the crane,” Jim said.

“Oh you wouldn’t like. It involves thinking.”

“Whatever, you’re a dorker,” he said slapping Jon on his back.   

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