The Spirit's Promise | Book 3 of the Auranos Stories

Chapter 1

Some people panic when confronted with the vastness of our reality. The infinite expanse of the universe as we know it. These people do have a point- our universe so unimaginably massive that humans, by comparison, are essentially nothing. Nothing any person could do will ever change that. We are insignificant, we are temporary, and our existence is futile.

Eh, not really.

I've never preferred the cosmic perspective. Okay, I concede that we can't change the universe on a scale that big. But we can do a whole heck of a lot on a smaller scale. What good does it do anyone if you're staring out the window in the thick of an existential crisis when you could be, I dunno, achieving something? I had a lot of time to think about that during my nights wandering on Auranos. And I've come to the conclusion that the universe, as an infinite concept, is worthless. I'll never be able to change the universe, but maybe I could change the world. And if not the world, then maybe just a country. Even just a city, a neighborhood- it doesn't really matter. I can't spend my life being scared of things that are bigger than me- I play piano.

Besides, cowering at of the vastness of the universe is kind of a waste of fear when you've got a government to overthrow.

Speaking of which, I had a government to overthrow.

Winter was showing no signs of loosening its grip on the plateaus of the Domain, and though we hadn't had much snow that season, the bitter chill was certainly putting up a fight. Frost stuck to the fronds of tall grass, dark, icy clouds filled the sky, and the Sunfall River flowed on through sheer force of power alone, with thick swatches of ice on either bank.

But the cold didn't hinder us much. Our rebellious city grew every day underground- the city, built into a cavernous space beneath one of the region's many plateaus, was being swarmed with young and old alike. People came from all corners of the world, all walks of life, just to fight. The Domain was going to come down, or we'd die trying.

Our growing numbers aside, we couldn't ignore Shadow, whom you may remember as the vicious spirit in charge of the Domain government. A spirit that ancient and powerful could wipe out armies with a glance. No human stood a chance against him, and no spirit we had in our ranks could even touch his power.

The only way we'd ever be able to beat him would be with a spirit who could rival Shadow... and there was only one of those. That spirit was Lyte. Lyte lived on a remote island in the bay just south of the Domain jungle plateau known colloquially as the Snarl. So we'd just have to find our way through.

God, I'm getting sick of writing like this. All cinematic and stuff. It does sound pretty dramatic, though, right? Everything sounds more dramatic when you're telling a story.

Well, let's get to the story, then.