For everyone who wanted to take a glimpse into the book, here is the first chapter for your enjoyment and comments! Chapter 1: The Boy Who Had No Name Mr. Kyle was a selfish, proud, and disgusting man, who even the crudest kinds of people cared to avoid. A fantastically proud and pompous sort, his single skill was discovering at least two if not three faults in everyone he met, save himself. Being far too fat, Mr. Kyle’s face rolled with chins like layers bobbling down a turkey’s neck. His hooked nose hung offset right below his dirty white hair covering baggy eyes which lay sunken under a forehead blurred with hundreds of wrinkles. Chasing after any bottle, Mr. Kyle consistently abused a hefty part of his modest but otherwise stable income. Managing a small yet mildly successful farm situated between the foothills of several sharp snowy mountains, Mr. Kyle was fortunate enough or perhaps was lucky enough to own a single good bit of property, his young slave boy. This slave boy had no proper name, only all the ugly names Mr. Kyle preferred to call him. He was tall and skinny with strong lean muscles and many handsome features, especially his bright ruddy face, brown wavy hair, and a striking pair of hazelnut colored eyes. Each and every morning, moments before daybreak, Mr. Kyle would scream at his slave boy in the same manner, waking him from his heavy slumber. “Get up and get on with ‘urself! Get a movin’ before I box those filthy ‘ittle rat ears right off! See ‘ur get that workin’ done, AN’ NOW!” Unfortunately this was the slave boy’s life, working all day on Mr. Kyle’s land, planting and harvesting mountain potatoes, while also shepherding Mr. Kyle’s herds of goats and sheep. Not allowed to venture near or even look inside Mr. Kyle’s cabin, the boy slept inside a very old, grey, nearly broken-down barn with the animals who were the only company he had to entertain. Talking, laughing, and sleeping closely to each of them every night, he loved the animals and particularly his loyal sheep dog, Toby, who endured every hardship and danger by his side. For not being older than twelve, the boy was incredibly brave and bold, fiercely protecting the sheep and goats from the dangerous mountain wolves, with only his shepherd’s staff. Situated right below Mr. Kyle’s barn and estate was a remote sleepy town of the mountains called Cebreiro. Consisting of no more than fifty stone thatched homes and one small public square of a few inns and taverns, Cebreiro frequented unruly and toughened mountain travelers. And it was here Mr. Kyle spent a good measure of his time with the other town drunkards, dousing his addiction while not bothering to feed or care for his animals let alone his slave boy. Hence the slave boy learned quickly to fend for himself, being especially cautious enough to keep away from his master’s sudden outbursts and drunken fury. “Wouldn’t go bother looking for no mum or dad! ‘Cause nobody wants a bit of trash like ‘urself is!” Mr. Kyle jeered maliciously to his slave boy, day after day. Insisting on reminding him that he was alone and orphaned, Mr. Kyle explained he bought the boy from a local auction after his parents decided to abandon him rather than to love him. Certainly these taunts were the most painful part of this slave boy’s life, as terribly painful as only orphans can really know. But despite all the hatred and cruelness of Mr. Kyle, something inside the boy could not be defeated... Nearly every night when he slept, he would have a recurring dream of a beautiful lady who smiled and sang wonderfully to him. Her song was not even in a language he understood, but was the loveliest and most beautiful melody imaginable. After every dream, he would rack his brains to remember the maiden’s face, spending hours thinking about her, while playing her song over and over in his mind. And for years the boy lived like this, but as the days, weeks, and months dragged by, his condition fell steadily for the worse. “Don’t bother a lookin’ or askin’ for nothing more to eat— I won’t be wasting no more time feeding ‘ur ugly filthy face!” Mr. Kyle spat, waking the slave boy up early for his morning chores. Mr. Kyle’s anger passed from malicious to downright dangerous, as his health and mind began to worsen and deteriorate. Knowing he would possibly seek to do him harm, the boy began to keep well away from his master, hiding on far hilltops whilst surviving on whatever animal feed he could stomach. Sometimes, only when extremely hungry, would he dare to take portions of food from Mr. Kyle’s own pantry, while he slept through the day utterly incapacitated. But as the summer and fall seasons flew by in the mountains, the dreaded long winter quickly approached. With winter there came a great deal of snow and icy temperatures, to which the drafty old barn was no real protection against. But hunger was the worst problem of all, a problem the boy knew he could not well avoid. With no crops to harvest and only a few travelers to purchase goats or sheep, there would be no money for animal feed, and the boy’s poor life would become altogether desperate. But it was at this time, perhaps the darkest hour of his life, when all had seemed completely hopeless that something wonderful was about to begin. A change so amazing and miraculous, it seemed now to this slave boy like a wonderful and enchanted dream. And his story begins on the first night of the first winter’s snow, a night this slave boy would not ever forget… “Ur cursed filthy runt—‘ur is! Didn’t I told ‘ur to get this barn clean!? AND LOOK! It is still an infested worm hole! Ur a ‘ittle worm, is that it!? A ‘ittle worm, inside ‘ur wormy ‘ittle hole? I’ll ring that filthy wormy neck, if ur don’t clean this barn, AN’ RIGHT NOW!” Mr. Kyle spat out his words, like an angry dog barking. “Ye- yes, yes, sir, I’m sorry sir! I’ll get it done, right now sir!” The terrified boy sputtered. “If I ever step into this barn and sees it a mess again, ‘ur can starve to death for all I care! And I’ll get me a real working slave, not some ‘ittle worm filth! And if I see ‘ur take summathing else from them sheep to eat, ur’d better be wishing ur hadn’t never been born. Mr. Kyle dropped his voice to a deathly growl, as he balled up his fists and neared the boy. “No, no! I won’t do it, sir! I won’t touch nothing— I mean, I won’t touch anything, sir!” The boy said, running behind his sheep dog Toby as Mr. Kyle slowly approached him, then suddenly turned and hurried away. Storming off in his usual evil fiery mood, Mr. Kyle stomped back inside his cabin, which of course was a complete disaster compared to battered barn. The boy knew he had been drinking all day and would continue to do so long into the night. Already feeling completely famished, he rubbed his brow and his sharp headache. He had to clean and organize the barn as quickly as possible, and immediately set out to stack some of the meal bags on top of each other. Working vigorously, he suddenly noticed a tiny snowflake fall flat on his nose. The snow was coming and if he was to keep warm, he would have to sleep very close to the animals for their warmth, lest he freeze to death in the night. He worked, as his faithful sheep dog Toby brushed past his legs, the snow falling harder and faster until a great blizzard had begun. The wind easily swept the snow to each corner of the barn, as the boy immediately set out to gather all his animals together and put them in their pins. Rushing through the snow, he gathered the stray sheep and goats, finally securing them inside as tightly as he could. Toby came in quite handy for this, chasing the sheep and goats towards the slave boy as he whistled for him. Oddly enough, the boy had never actually discovered how Toby came to be upon Mr. Kyle’s estate, and had a funny feeling Mr. Kyle never really cared for the dog. Toby was very large dog, with long grey coat and massive head bearing a great slobbering tongue that could easily reach the boy’s chin. Incredibly protective and strong, Toby rapidly chased the last of the strangling sheep into the barn, before jumping on the boy and knocking him to ground expecting to be fed. “No- no, get off me, boy! I’m sorry, but you know I don’t have anything for either of us to eat tonight!” He said, as Toby slobbered over his face with his hot tongue. “Yea, I know… And I’m hungry too, but we’re stuck unless he decides to give us something…” Toby looked at the boy with a sad and disappointed expression, before barking suddenly aloud. “I know… But don’t look at me like that! You know as well as I do, he’d rip our heads off if we open another sack of feed. We only just got away last time because—” The boy words ran off, as his stomach lurched. He absolutely hated being so hungry, and having nothing at all to eat. He knew Mr. Kyle would probably not brother issuing out any rations for the night. But the real misery and torture was knowing Mr. Kyle was probably stuffing his face like a pig beside his nice warm fire. He ate whatever he pleased, giving all the feed to the animals, and whatever else still edible to Toby and his slave boy. But now even the animals were starting to look underfed and skinny, as Mr. Kyle had begun neglecting everything. The blizzard kept coming, and the boy started to lose feeling in his face, fingers, and toes. With dusk falling, he attempted to wedge his body between the flock of sheep for their warmth. “OW!” He let a small shout; shuddering as he felt the snow from the sheep’s wool freeze his pale bare skin. It was no use. All the animals were covered with snow and were just as freezing as he was. The only place that could possibly save him from freezing death was Mr. Kyle’s own cabin. But just the thought of asking him to share his fire was completely absurd. “He could be sleeping… or probably passed drunk out by now…” The boy thought. He knew sneaking into his master’s cabin would be more than a little bit tricky. He had to open and close the door without making a sound, then sneak back out again. The door to the cabin was a rather old and heavy one, which creaked with an awful noise. The cabin had wooden planks running across the floor which cracked and creaked. He would have to properly guess every dangerous spot to quietly navigate himself to the chimney fire. But if he could do it, he might even have a chance to gather some food from the pantry, where it was usually kept under a lock and key. If Mr. Kyle was really passed out, he probably wouldn’t remember just how much food was actually in the pantry. The boy looked thoughtfully at Toby, somehow knowing if the dog could speak, he would have told him to go for it… “Well… You better wish me luck then, Toby. You might not see me tomorrow morning!” The boy said timidly to the dog, as he whined back to him. “But you stay here and wait for me until I get back, alright?” The boy tried to sound firm, as he opened the barn door to a mighty gust of wind and snow, setting off quickly towards the cabin. The snow was already over his ankles and piling up quickly, as the wind blew big fat flurries in all directions. It was so cold that whatever part of his body with the slightest bit of feeling left was immediately frozen. He sprinted towards the house, and gathered himself to a dirty little window to peer inside. The cabin looked quiet, peaceful, and cozy with a large fire blazing in the chimney. Edging his way to the door, the boy noticed it was already slightly left opened. With one eye, he squinted through the crack to see his master snoring in a drunken slumber inside his old armchair. Several bottles and bits of food were scattered on the messy floor, but the fire still burned nicely sending a warm air even through the crack of the door. After a moment of hesitation, the nervous boy pushed opened the door ever so carefully and quietly. Without a sound he slipped inside, and stood in a tiny kitchen full of dirty pots and dishes piled up everywhere. Leaving the door only a tiny bit open, the boy’s frozen body felt instantly revived, as the warm fire drew him closer. He had to walk carefully across the floor boards to avoid any noisy creaks or sounds. To his great relief, he did so perfectly, finally standing right next to his drunken master in front of the fire. It was such a marvelous feeling, absorbing the precious heat of the fire, as it brought life back into him. Regaining the feeling in his feet, legs, then slowly his hands, shoulders, and face, the boy sighed to himself. The fire crackled and sparked, the large flames licking the brick mantle. He wanted to stand there forever, listening and feeling the warmth of the fire, but there was no telling when his master would awake. The boy heard his stomach grumble terribly, as he searched his eyes for whatever food he could find. “There it is!” He said to himself, as his hungry eyes saw the loaded pantry, incredibly still left open! He spotted sacks of corn meal, beard, and some oats on the shelves. After a few more precious moments by the fire, he tip-toed back into the kitchen. Moving a little more recklessly this time, the boy heard a floor board noisily creak. He froze, as Mr. Kyle grunted and shifted his ugly head. He was still asleep, and without making another sound the boy glided over to the pantry door. To his excitement, he saw a great deal of food inside. Quickly grabbing a few biscuits and some salted beef, he rapidly devoured the food like a ravenous wolf. The boy loaded his pockets with everything they could carry, meats, bread, and even a block of cheese. He couldn’t remember the last time he had tasted cheese, and decided to nimble a bit to discover its wonderful taste. He finished eating what he could devour quickly, as his stomach rejoiced with every mouthful. Between the food and the fire, the poor slave boy couldn’t remember the last time he felt so happy. Smiling and feeling proud about his successfully thievery, the boy was momentarily happy that Mr. Kyle was completely drunk. At only an arm-length away from the door, he crept back over to it and carefully pulled it open without a sound. Then suddenly to his terrible shock and horror, the boy saw his dog Toby pushing his large nose through the crack. “Toby! No-no-no! Go back! Go back!” The boy wanted to yell, but kept his voice down to a loud whisper. Toby could the smell the food and upon seeing the boy, at once he leapt into the house with a great noise. Jumping and barking in great expectation of being fed, he toppled over the kitchen dishes making a terrible noise. In an instant Mr. Kyle awoke, and like lighting flew from his chair straight towards the boy. “Ur filthy dirty theft! Tryin’ a stealing from me, aren’t ‘ur—AREN’T ‘UR?!” Mr. Kyle’s face turned as red as a tomato as he screamed, swinging his large fists at the terrified boy. “I’ll teach ‘ur! I’ll show ‘ur, I’ll show ‘ur what happens to slave filths who steals from ME!” He screamed, in fury. The boy couldn’t speak a word, and utterly terrified he darted for the door, only to trip over Toby. He tried to get up, but Mr. Kyle grabbed him in a choking grip. Shutting his eyes, he knew how terrible his punishment was going to be… “Don’t! Don’t hit me! Pleaseee!” He cried. To his amazement, the boy found himself crashing again to the floor, as he heard Mr. Kyle scream. “GET OFF- GET ‘EM OFF ME! GET ‘UR FILTHY DOG OFF ME!” Mr. Kyle yelled in terror. The boy opened his eyes to see Toby biting Mr. Kyle’s heavy coat, with his powerful sharp teeth. Toby had pinned the tyrant to the floor, sinking his teeth into him. Mr. Kyle howled in pain, swinging violently at the dog. Toby was fast enough to avoid the drunken swings, and strong enough to prevail in the fight. Everything in the house was turned over or completely destroyed, as the boy jetted again for the door. He opened it immediately, and ran with all his might for the barn. The snow now was knee deep and much more difficult to run in. Alas he stumbled inside the barn, which was nearly all covered with snow, collapsing to the ground in total exhaustion. “Toby…” The boy looked back to Mr. Kyle’s cabin, hearing continuous shouts and screams. Suddenly like a flash, Toby broke out of the cabin and ran back into the arms of the boy, affectionately slobbering all over him. Surprisingly, he was not even slightly injured, and was otherwise unscathed from the fight. “Toby! You’re alright—you’re alright!” The boy began to cry with such a feeling of love for his dog in his heart. Mr. Kyle did not attempt to come out to the barn, perhaps in fear of Toby or perhaps he was too badly injured. The boy’s face was stinging from smacking the floor, and his legs felt a little battered and bruised. He knew inside the barn, the falling snow and temperature would eventually freeze him to death. The warmth of the fire now felt like a tiny memory, as his body started to grow immediately cold. He lay there beside his beloved dog on the flat of his back, looking straight up through the holes in the thatched roof, watching the snowflakes fall from the sky. Falling softly over his frozen body, the snow touched the boy’s closed eyes, as he began to drift into a dream. Thinking of the beautiful maiden he had so often seen, the boy began to hum her heavenly song. Everything felt completely peaceful, as he lay comatose, imagining what death might be like… Death had really never scared him before, as he imagined it would be like a long and wonderful sleep. Laying there and pondering his thoughts, the boy felt his body go numb, while hearing a very faint, gentle, and sweet whisper inside his head. “Wake up... Open your eyes...” The boy clearly heard the whisper, but decided it was his own imagination and ignored it. Trying to hum the maiden’s melody once more, the still small voice spoke again. “Wake up… Get up!” He wanted to argue, but this little voice, though quiet, still was very determined. At length, he opened his heavy eyes, looking straight up to notice the snow had stopped falling. The night sky had become very strangely clear and perfectly bright with every star in the sky shining and the full moon rising. “Toby!?” The boy’s mind raced wildly, as he looked around the barn for his dog. Toby was gone, with not even a trace of his paw prints left in the fresh fallen snow. The wind had completely stopped, and the nasty chill in the air had disappeared. The boy felt a great deal warmer, as his body ceased from shivering. He looked around the barn, quite dumbfounded, till suddenly he noticed a rather remarkable sight. Directly outside the barn was a single brilliant star, unusually large in size and appearance. This star immediately captured his eyes, as the boy gazed upon it, watching it grow larger and brighter. It ensnared all of his senses, moving closer to him, growing more and more beautiful at each passing moment. A wondrous array of different colors dazzled around it, many of which the boy had not seen before. And somehow a deep penetrating warmth touched him, just from moments of staring. “Don’t be afraid, Come towards me!” It was the star. The star had clearly spoken inside his mind. “I will show you the way. Just follow me…” The boy felt like he really had no choice. Somehow, he couldn’t resist the star’s calling, desiring to be nearer to its’ light. Forgetting everything, the barn, the animals, and certainly Mr. Kyle, he moved his frozen body from the barn towards the star. The star kept growing, as it moved closer to him. It projected more than just heat and light, it filled the boy with a joyous warmth he had not felt before. As he hurried towards it, a single golden celestial beam emitted from the star to the boy. The celestial beam became a pathway of light, drawing itself from the small hilltop directly in front of him. The hilltop the star rested was not one the boy recalled, nor was it covered with snow! It was a green hilltop filled with tall grasses, full green trees, and many splendid flowers. The boy began to run, amazed to see even the earth beneath his feet had become a trail of green grass. The wonderful star had seemed to melt away all the pain and ugliness the boy had just felt. He ran up the hilltop, till the Star’s light had blinded the night’s sky and everything below the hilltop completely away. Even the boy’s memory of Mr. Kyle, the ugly barn, and the little town of Cebreiro were distant now. A warm sweet breeze swept around the hilltop, as each flower and leaf danced for the boy. It was like living a dream, the happiest dream the boy had ever known. Alas on the top, the boy stood agape at what he would have not ever imagined. “But where am I…?” Inside an open sanctuary, the boy stood in a small coliseum of several stone columns and pillars, with a great many stone statues of men and women inside. These statues looked like proud warriors, rulers, kings, queens, or else even angels. Each statue had a distinctive glow and though they didn’t move or speak, they all appeared to be smiling at the boy. Everywhere the boy stepped, the eyes of the statues appeared to follow him. He examined each one closely, suddenly noticing two very large statues of a king and queen near the center of the sanctuary. These particular seemed to beam brightly at the boy, as he couldn’t help but return a smile happily back at them. The king had long wavy hair, a solid Roman nose, with big shoulders and arms. The queen was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen, with a perfect oval face, a small chin, and very kind eyes. The boy gazed deeply at them, loving everything about their appearances. “Come closer my son, come closer to me…” The boy gasped, audibly hearing the star speaking right before him. He turned from the king and queen and fixed his eyes in the middle of the sanctuary to see, directly below the star, a shining sword floating in midair before him. Beneath the remarkable sword was a small round altar with a circle of curious symbols upon it. Slowly the boy approached, examining the sword and then the altar, as the star projected all its’ glory down upon them. In the star’s light, the sword sparkled like a thousand diamonds, truly the most amazing sight the boy had seen. “Feel the stone... Touch my words…” “But I can’t read it…” The boy said shamefully inside his head. “Touch them…” With a shaking hand the boy obeyed, running his fingers across the symbols on the stone. He had never learned to read or write anything before, and felt utterly embarrassed to try to understand what the symbols meant. But the moment his fingers touched, the symbols spoke their meanings inside his mind: “David, I am the King and Lord Trevion, your deliver, your comfort, and your salvation… ” The boy stood awestruck, feeling uncontrollable tears run down his face. The star knew his name, David! “But what do you want from me?” “I have called you David, and have come to release you from your bond of slavery. I have destined you to be my son, and my joy... Will you take my sword?” David’s heart was in his throat, as his mind was trying to comprehend what was happening. All his life he had wanted to be free and to have a real father. “Ye- Yes! Yes I will!” “Then you must take my sword David, only with your faith. Believe in me, and it shall be yours.” David knew what to do, he had to believe and trust what the star was telling him to do. This was his chance; he could finally be set free. He knew everything would change, his life and the whole world he had always known. He didn’t want to go back to the barn, to ever see Mr. Kyle again, or feel empty and broken inside. This was his only hope now. Looking directly up at the Star, David felt an overwhelming burning desire to reach for the sword. With nothing to fear and everything to gain, David climbed upon the altar. Standing inside the radiance of the Star, David could no longer see anything, not even his own hands, save only the shining sword before him. “Take my sword David, and you will become my son!” King Trevion’s voice echoed like thunder, sending a shiver down David’s spine. He placed both of his hands firmly on the hilt, feeling a rushing wind beneath him erupt suddenly. He had entered into another world of wind and light. Closing his eyes, David felt the intensity of the star, as he pulled the sword quickly to his chest. At once the star’s radiance and glory engulfed him, and David felt himself hurl away from the earth. He went soaring with wind and light over mountains, forests, and rivers. Everything in that moment was perfect. He was finally free...
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 01:54:22 +0000
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