From Earth to Eternity: Shattered - Volume Two

Chapter One: A Lot to Tell You:

Welcome to Volume Two!

This story continues directly from the end of Volume One. If you haven't read Volume One yet, start there first.

Recap:

In an instant the world flipped.

Cassandra and Belinda blinked hard as blinding sunlight slammed into them. Their free hands flew up in unison, palms shielding their eyes from the sudden, glaring brightness. For a heartbeat everything was white and overwhelming.

Then the glare softened.

They stood on a wide wooden dock, planks warm beneath their boots, the gentle lap of clear water beneath them and the salty tang of sea air filling their lungs. Tall ships with blue-and-gold sails bobbed gently at their moorings, masts creaking softly in the breeze. Beyond the docks rose the sturdy white stone walls and blue-tiled roofs of a fortified island city, its central tower gleaming proudly against a bright, cloudless sky.

Phoenix stood a few feet ahead of them, back turned, her fitted black leather shifting slightly as the portal's magic faded from her skin.

She turned slowly, a confident, satisfied smile curving her lips.

"Welcome, my sisters," Phoenix declared, voice warm and just a touch dramatic as she spread her arms to encompass the sunlit harbor, the ships, and the proud city beyond.

"To Theramore."

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Both Cassandra and Belinda blinked, still adjusting to the bright Theramore sunlight.

They looked around, drinking in the scene. Cobblestone paths branched off the dock and wound between sturdy white stone walls reinforced with blue-trimmed battlements. Wooden crates stamped with the Alliance lion sat stacked neatly beside fishmongers' stalls, while the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer rang out from somewhere deeper in the city. Gulls wheeled overhead, their cries mixing with the low murmur of merchants and the rhythmic creak of ship rigging. The air smelled of salt, fresh-baked bread, and sun-warmed wood, and beyond the fortified walls rose the proud blue-roofed keep that anchored the entire island settlement.

They turned to Phoenix, faces a perfect mix of surprise, awe, and utter confusion.

Phoenix spun around on her heel, the motion sharp and decisive. She waved them forward with one casual flick of her hand, then started walking confidently off the dock, boots ringing against the weathered planks as she headed toward the mainland streets without a backward glance.

Cassandra and Belinda followed right after her, hurrying to catch up to Phoenix's long, confident strides. They fell into easy sync beside her — Cassandra on her left, Belinda on her right — the three sisters moving as one through the sunlit streets of Theramore.

The city opened around them in a lively hum of activity: cobblestone paths wound between sturdy white stone walls topped with blue-trimmed battlements, while merchants called out their wares from wooden stalls piled high with fresh fish, salt, and brightly colored bolts of cloth. Soldiers in blue-and-gold armor patrolled the ramparts. The Foothold Citadel rose ahead of them, its proud blue-roofed tower and fortified walls standing tall against the bright sky.

Phoenix kept her pace steady and purposeful, never slowing as she led them forward.

They came upon the Foothold Citadel and the sparring square, the open training yard alive with the sharp ring of practice blades and the rhythmic grunts of soldiers drilling under the bright midday sun. Two men circled each other in the center, wooden swords clacking in quick succession while a handful of others watched from the sidelines, sweat glistening on their brows.