The Godshards

Chapter I

With such little information and no one to tell, I had to leave my childhood home. I was overwhelmed and nervous, but not nearly as pessimistic as I should have been...

                    - An excerpt from Vallena's journal

Vallena packed her meager bag and grabbed her armour and sword. Still in the early morning, she started to stroll to the edge of the floating island that she called home. It was large enough to hold the couple hundred elves and gnomes that lived on it, but none more. The neighbouring islands were larger, but this was a beautiful place, with trees and marble houses. She had only walked about a hundred metres before her friend, Traxem the gnome, fell alongside her, struggling to keep up with her longer strides.

"Hiya Vallena! How are you today? I am doing well! It's a beautiful morning isn't it..." He went on talking non-stop until they had reached the edge of the island. "Hey, what are you doing here? Are you going to visit one of the other islands?"

Vallena shrugged. 

"Ah, not very talkative today." Traxem nodded knowingly. "You know, the Master has been acting strange recently. I heard him muttering something about gods and the end of the world. I wonder if-"

He was cut off by the flourishing of Vallena's wings as she took off. "Oh. Alright." Traxem said. "You still coming for lunch? We're going to try some of the Master's Popped Corn. Apparently he rolled for it over and over, until he finally go it. I still don't know what he meant by rolling for it, but, hey what are you doing?"

Vallena had gone into a dive. She didn't look back to what she assumed was a shocked gnomish face. She was sorry that their separation had to be like this, as they had been friends for over fifty years. But there was more than one thing stopping her from telling him where she is going. Then she heard a scream. Not a scream of a concerned friend, but a scream of terror. She glanced back and was shocked to see Traxem jumping off the side of the island and plummeting toward her!

She knew that he didn't slip. He was not clumsy,  and he shouted something that sounded like "You're not going without me!" She was going to fast to stop her descent and catch him, much less bring him back the island.

Now, I don't know if you realize this, but gnomes have no wings and are quite heavy and aerodynamic. So, as Traxem fell, he tried to spread his body out as much as he could attempting to slow his fall. But, it isn't the fall that kills you, it's the splat at the end that does. And the end was a long way away. Vallena decided that if she didn't do anything, her friend would not make it to the Below-Land.

Slowly, Vallena slowed her fall with her wings and, although her wings were screaming with exertion, became level with the falling gnome. She glanced down and saw what looked like a grey mass speeding toward her. She reached out her arms and grabbed Traxem and tucked him under her arm, then spread her wings out wide to stop her descent. With three powerful strokes, her momentum was slowed enough that it wouldn't kill her, and she landed on a rocky hill. But, the impact jarred her and she fell, her eyes going dark.