No one knows how kings came to be, was it greed, lust for power, or just plain coincidence? It was nature that decided it. It was the crystal crown, one of the ancient artifacts from the time before man, supposedly there are four of these artifacts, hidden throughout the word waiting to be found. Deep in the mountains, where the streams begin, past the forests, beyond the lakes there lies a snowcapped mountain that towers above all others. The stories and folklore have passed down tales of mystical beings and mysterious happenings occurring within the ominous grasp of the mountains reach. As mankind grew and the first signs of civilization started to appear, man needed a leader. They traveled far and wide in search of who was to lead. They had tests and ways to find who was to be a fit ruler.The ones who were meant to rule were of an ancient bloodline, for it was prophesied.The prophecy was written on the mountainside upon which the crown lay, Kingsbury was what it read. It was a long and perilous journey the adventurers dared travel that no man had ever traveled before, but if the Kingsbury bloodline was to prove its worth to the world then it needed what was in the mountains, the heart of the mountains, the crystal crown. He may not know it yet, but Garlan Kingsbury was about to have the journey of his life.


Chapter 1
Garlan


“Garlan get over here and help me get this out of the basement!” Screamed Hilda, a gaunt shell of what my cheerful hazel eyed mother used to be like. I could almost fall back into the springs when I would sit on her lap and stare at the stars, admiring the way they shined, as I reached up barely able to grasp them. Mom used to stroke my brown hair back then, slowly twining her fingers through it, just as her mother did to hers as a child. But those days were over, as hard times had come upon our small village, The village of Nibut Falls, named after the waterfall right next to our village where all life thrived and prospered. “Coming Mom!” I yelled over the distant crash of the waterfall. I slowly walked through the kitchen as I walked past its stone hearth, the ashes barely alive. “What do you need mom?” I said. “Can you help me get this chest out of here?” She said. I had a flashback to a stormy night, It was thundering outside in the distance and you could smell the oncoming rain. My mother had me wrapped in a small bundle tucked in her arms as she said goodbye for the last time to my father. I saw the way his blue eyes shined when he looked at me. “Goodbye Garlan, I love you son.” I fell to the ground... “Wake up Garlan wake up!” Yelled a stranger as my ears rung to the sound of his voice. “What happened, oh god my head.” I said as I groggily woke up. It felt as if I had been hit in the head with a pan. “I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up, how could you do this to me after I lost your father!” My mother screamed. She was hyperventilating as the stranger tried to soothe her with calming words. “Ma'am it was not his fault, please calm down.” The stranger said. He started gathering up his tools, and handed my mother a scroll of parchment. He looked like a doctor. “Hey what's that for, you can’t do that, nothing happened, I just fainted or something.” I stated. “I’m sorry but I still need to charge your mother.” The doctor replied. “Please sir is there anything I can do to make you not charge her, please we can’t afford this with all the famine we already have enough debt.” I begged. Lately the food has become as scarce as luck is these days. After the last two harvests were swept away by storm the only food the village had was livestock and that which was bought from the traders and merchants who came monthly with new goods and spices for trade. “Well my brother Ron has an expedition he has been planning to go on for a while, and a few extra strong arms are always welcome. He pays good coin too, depending on how hard you work.” Offered the doctor. The prospect of any way of making money would have enticed anyone in the village, for there was little and less to have. But one question remained. “Why has no one else accepted this offer if it has been here so long?” Asked Garlan. The doctors face darkened. “Because the journey that lies ahead has been dismissed as myth and a madmans dream. What my brother seeks to find is the crystal crown.” Me and my mother froze at the mention of those two words. I flashed back again, But this time we were in the kitchen and my parents were yelling at eachother, my mom begging and crying about something. I could barely make out anything except for one sentence that my father said. “I’m leaving for the crystal crown.”





Chapter Two
Aria
I woke up with a bitter taste in my mouth as I remembered the events of the previous night. My father stumbled through the door at midnight throwing up everywhere. My mother and I prayed that he would go to sleep right when he got home, but most nights our prayers didn’t work. Last night was an example of one of those nights. My mother and I hid in the crook under the birch wood stairs as my father yelled our names and trashed the house, throwing dishes and furniture everywhere. I looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes as we sat unmoving under a blanket, looking at the glowing hearth nearby. The walls were still crusted with blood from fathers previous vicious tantrum. That was my blood on the wall. “Sharna and Aria get out here immediately!” My father yelled. We heard him slam the door to the room we were in. I saw his shadow looming several feet away. “Stay strong my little princess.” My mother whispered. My father grabbed her. “No!” I yelled desperately clinging to her. The kick to my ribs was like nothing I had ever felt before. As my father drove his steel boot into my chest I heard a crack, right before I crumpled in a heap to the cobblestone floor. I watched helplessly, almost as if in slow motion as my mother was beaten ferociously, her head being smashed on the table repeatedly as I sobbed, the last spark of strength in me going out, I slowly faded into unconsciousness... Praying that the previous night had been a dream, I slowly opened my eyes. Here I was, bloody, lying down on the floor near the staircase. Last night wasn’t a dream. It was more of a real life nightmare. I slowly crawled to get a better look at the room. I stopped immediately due to searing pain in my chest, a vicious reminder of what had happened to my ribs last night. I looked around slowly scanning the room but still could not see my mom. I did not want to say her name out loud for fear of waking father, but I was deeply afraid of what had happened when I was out cold. After several attempts of propping myself up to no avail I decided to try to drag myself across the room. Although it was excruciatingly painful I managed, inch by inch. I was at the doorway almost out of the house. I dragged myself out of the door but stopped suddenly. I stared in disbelief at what was in front of me, never had I expected this. I was staring at my mothers dead body.


To be continued...