Rising Power (#1 of the Canton Chronicles Series)

Edward's Story (Prologue I)

You are awake at last... Edward Canton, you've wandered long enough. Your travel could end now, right at this moment. Do you wish for that to happen?

What? How was this even possible? And why would this strange woman wish to save them? To save him?

I must be going insane.

A soft, sweet chuckling sound filled his ears, as the woman had clearly read his thoughts and found them amusing.

I am a kindred spirit, Edward. Sort of an ether, if you will. I don't want to trick or hurt you, and you are not insane. I want to save your people because of your extraordinary strength and will. You are all special, gifted.

Edward felt his heart warming up. He wanted to believe the woman's words so badly. He felt lonely, desperate. It didn't, couldn't get any worse than his current situation.

The woman read his thoughts again, her voice turning suddenly cold. Besides, what is the worst thing that can happen to you? You are on a journey gone horribly wrong, with no means of turning back. There is no other option for you, really. Answer my question, Edward. Do you want for all this to end? If you say yes, I will save you. If you say no, then you can continue your journey. To oblivion.

There was no strength for arguing left in him anymore. Only a void caused by the cold, the hunger and his wife's irrevocable disease. The voice of the woman was mesmerizing and took him away to happy places with tall trees, soft sand, and a secure future. He didn't want to be on this ship any longer. Every little bit of his mental strength and sanity, every bit of his common sense, was gone in this black, motionless sea. He just wanted to go with the woman who promised him paradise.

"Yes," he said joylessly, defeated. "I will join you, whoever you might be."

Very well. You made the right choice.

For a while, nothing happened. The voice was gone and the sea was as silent as ever, the night unmoving. As Edward began thinking that the voice was a fictional fragment of his broken mind, the ship shook. Lightly at first, and then harder as the wind picked up speed. Waves started forming all around, and Edward had to grasp the wooden bench so as to not lose himself in the dark depths. He could hear motion sounds from below the deck, people who felt the trembling and were already shouting, terrified. And then, the most amazing thing Edward had ever witnessed happened.

The sea, twisting and twirling under the sudden motion, was divided into two different sides. The Argo stopped shaking and Edward's eyes focused on the miracle standing in front of him.

A curtain made of light. An energy wave was extended to Edward's left and right side, dividing the two parts of the sea, covering his view of the other side of the world. The barrier itself looked like a swarm of faceless bodies turned into liquid and melted together, ever-moving for all eternity. It was bright and warm and Edward wanted to touch it, to feel it with all his senses, his doubts disappearing.

His wish quickly came true when the light curtain started pulling the ship towards it. Slowly at first, but picking up speed the closer Argo got to it. As they were ready to be engulfed inside the blue wonder, Edward closed his eyes and let all his conscious thoughts go. He was going to a better place. He knew that now. Wherever that may be. The last thing he heard was his wife screaming his name.

Don't worry, darling, he thought. We have reached the dream.

***

You are here, Edward... Wake up...

A woman's voice again, a different one this time, sweeter, milder, with a playful, teasing undertone. Edward realized he had fallen asleep, again, and felt like an idiot. Not only was he sleeping in the most wondrous moment of his life, he had been lying face down on the sand, dirty and wet, his back being beaten by the powerless waves.

Somehow, he found the strength to get back up. He looked around, mesmerized by the scenery. He stood in a small creek and before his eyes laid an amazing shore with golden sand and tall green trees growing at its edge, exactly the place he'd wished for just before being engulfed in the blue light. He turned his eyes and, on his left, was an enormous, majestic mountain, with brown soil and black, sharp peaks. On his right, a path sporadic bushes and small-trees led to a fully-fledged forest, with many little paths towards, what he thought to be, the strange land's centre.

Edward's train of thoughts was interrupted by sounds behind his back. The ship, he thought. Feeling guilty, he turned around, watching as the people slowly came out of the Argo's belly.

Jonathan was one of the first to exit. He saw Edward and ran to meet him, a cry of joy coming out of his mouth.

We are saved, brought into paradise.

The passengers were progressively coming out of the ship, screaming with pleasure, cheering, applauding.

The last person to descend was the most important person in his life, his wife. She looked as beautiful as the day he'd first met her, as though this place gave her back the life the long sea journey had stolen. She smiled sweetly at him, tiny tears in her eyes.

And at this very moment, Edward knew he was the happiest man alive.

A/N: The song in the beginning of this chapter is titled Starfall and is composed by the amazing Thomas Bergersen.