Yes, I am guilty... Unfortunately, Prism has not had any time to write this month due to her very annoying cold. The Regular fiction fix will return soon, though. Promise. Next month.
(an amazing gal I met from the DioM forum) and I have been writing together! I'll post it in addition to my regular fiction fix.
So I am posting the prolougue and the first chapter, but you can go to the DioM forum under "Co-Authored Stories" and look up Cloudlyre to read more
Welcome to the land of Cloudlyre with creatures such as merfolk, elves, humarks (human sharks), Gwendolfs and many others. These people have been brainwashed by the evil one they call Manipulator.
Manipulator is much taller, and he has normal hair on his head. He also has red eyes, and is very strong. He wears a lot of armor. His armor is always crimson red with a black serpent on it. He has a voice that can make walls tremble in fear. He always carries a whip as long as he is tall that is poisoned with the venom of the screeant, comparable to earth's scorpion, except it is much bigger and can also bit with it's two razor sharp teeth.
Meanwhile, four teenagers visit two of their grandfather's house, and discover a book called, Cloudlyre. They read about the lands glorious past. They discover that their grandfather has a special connection to Cloudlyre.
They go to the spot where Grandfather Mark remembers first entering our world, an old house with red vines surrounding it. They are transported into Cloudlyre and discover that the creatures have forgotten their glorious past. This story will mostly be from the creatures of Cloudlyre. We call this concept "Narnia Reverse"
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Chapter One
“Quiet!” someone shouted.
The noise dimmed down. A small band of creatures circled around a tree stump were holding a meeting. A meeting, they hoped, would reformtheir world.
“Unless you want us to be heard and caught, then we have to keep quiet!” a voice called. It came from a mermaid sitting on a craggy rock in a lake near the clearing. She splashed her tail in the water, annoyed. Everyone knew that this mermaid, Corinna, was not to be crossed.
Another beautiful mermaid-like creature chimed in, “Graem, we must be able to fend for ourselves! I say we gather an army together to defeat Manipulator once and for all!”
The two mermaids dove back into the cool water to resume their duty as the meeting's lookouts.
Graem shook his small head. “We Gwendorfs pick fights easily, unless we know there is no way to win. Should we all perish in Manipulator's victory?”
“We won't have to!” an elf shouted passionately.
He sat on a log, fingering the dagger he held in his hand as if he would be ready to use it at any time, without fear. If the few remaining citizens who remembered and were loyal to the one true King staged a rebellion, this would be a big move for the people of Cloudlyre.
The days where every creature in Cloudlyre rejoiced under the rule of their King were long gone. When life wasn't tough. The time before the King's youngest son took over the throne. When the King and his oldest son died without a warning, a new world was born. The laws changed, slaves were made and people lost happiness. The youngest son of their previous King was given a new name. The rule of Manipulator was born.
The people gradually forgot of the old days. They lived in turmoil to serve their new and merciless ruler every day.
Manipulator thought he had everything going perfectly. No one would dare overthrow him and his armies of new creatures. The ones he created with his own hands.
He was wrong. A few lived to remember the old times. Those people longed to be back and living in those them. In this new world, their lives were becoming shorter and shorter. Without happiness and pure joy, their life was being sucked away fast.
Tonight, these people were secretly gathered. They were planning something they hoped dearly would come true. A decision was going to have to be made.
“What happens if we lose?” Graem asked.
Everyone fell quiet.
“Who will be the new King if we win?” a new voice asked.
Every head turned. A petite figure walked from the trees, her golden hair flowing in the small breeze that kicked up around her. She was clearly from a race known only as Heigle's.
These people ran generally six-feet tall on average. They had crisp blue eyes and either red or golden hair; that came down in wavy locks on the women. Their ears slightly pointed, six fingers instead of the normal five and beautiful tan colored skin were some of their distinct features. The strangest thing about them was their ability to collect light particles. The light drew to them, sticking on their skin and lighting them up some. They could push the light away though, which helped in certain circumstances.
This Heigle was one of the two who believed in the old days. She was a warrior. People called her Yeila.
“Yeila, I was wondering if you would ever come,” Drake commented.
She snapped her gaze to the elf who sat on the log. He had put his dagger away and was staring up at her.
“You would do well to hold your tongue, Drake.” She sat down on the grass near the water. “I was late only because I ran into trouble.”
“What kind of trouble might I ask?”
“Tiffon scouts. They were circling a path I was taking to get here.”
Graem growled. “Will they find us?”
“If they wake up, the headaches they will have from me knocking them unconscious will be too much for them to bare.” She smiled. “Tiffon's have to be the stupidest of all the creatures Manipulator made. Those white-skinned bony-headed buffoons do no good in fighting.”
The mermaids had resurfaced to give their update and had heard what Yeila had said.
“I think there is something lethal to them,” Xylina, the mermaid, said. “I just can't put my finger on it.”
“Can we possibly veer back to our previous conversation?” Graem asked."If only Xyant were here. He'd keep you on subject."
Xyant was one of the small group's leaders, a noble elf, but he had mysteriously dissapeared. Many suspected it was the Manipulator's work.
Everyone nodded their heads. As Graem filled Yeila in on what was going on, his gray beard bobbed on his chest.
Small creatures the Gwendolf's were, but they had large egos. They were stubborn little things and they looked remarkably like Dwarfs, though they denied that they look anything like them. Everyone think of Dwarfs as mining people, so they say the same of Gwendolf's. Gwendolf's don't mine. They are known for their speed and swordsmanship, and though they look too fat to handle a sword,they can master one like a seasoned warrior.
“I think we should gather an army together,” Yeila concluded.
Graem's face grew fiery red. It looked like they were going to be gathering an army and fighting anyways.
“If we are to gather an army, when should we do it?”
“Another good question,” Drake said, “would be what if we can't find anybody who knows how to fight well?”
“There are many people out there who know intense combat skills, Drake.” Yeila glared at him.
“Fine, then who will be the leader of our army?” he asked.
Everyone looked at one another. Who would be good as a leader? Certainly not Drake, he had too much of a bad attitude and was more likely to slip a bad move.
“How about Yeila?” Xylina suggested.
Yeila cocked her head. She was a woman. Who would want her to lead them? Sure, maybe she was good at planning the right moves, but she didn't think she could do it.
“I don't think I'm worthy enough for that—“
“Then, obviously, you don’t have to be. I think a Gwendorf should lead our army. We are dependable and true, noble and magnificent-” Yes, Gwendorfs had their pride.
Drake chucked and pointed his dagger unthreateningly at the small creature. “By ‘A Gwendorf’ you mean yourself, right?”
“Well, now that you suggest it-”
“Enough!” A voice shouted commandingly.
Everyone looked at Corinna.
“Obviously, we will not reach a decision by the end of this very ‘productive’ meeting,” she said sarcastically.
“I still think Yeila should lead us,” Xylina said softly.
Yeila had a far away look. “I think we shall be sent a leader soon.”
Corinna nodded and combed her fingers through her bright red hair. “I think so too. We shall just have to wait and have faith.”
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