Chapter 1 - Maiden Voyage

PHASMA PHASE 1: In which We Embark on a Wondrous Journey

Preface: The Rebel

̶D̶̶e̶̶a̶̶r̶̶ ̶

scratch that...

Mother.

̶I̶̶ ̶̶h̶̶a̶̶v̶̶e̶̶ ̶̶b̶̶e̶̶e̶̶n̶̶ ̶̶a̶̶ ̶̶g̶̶o̶̶o̶̶d̶̶ ̶̶k̶̶i̶̶d̶̶ ̶̶a̶̶l̶̶l̶̶ ̶̶m̶̶y̶̶ ̶̶l̶̶i̶̶f̶̶e̶̶.̶̶ ̶

hmm... let's try that again...

In all my thirteen years, I have never asked much from you. I have always done what you ask of me. I never argued when you forbade me to go to the settlements – which are too far from our home anyway. You are usually away and we hardly have a handful of human neighbors, but I have never troubled you with my loneliness.

I have read all the books you've given me, studied all the materials and dissertations, put up with all the mentors. I even finished the last batch of experiments you told me to work on for the whole summer.

After finding a flyer from the book that YOU brought home, I saw for the first time, something that I, myself, wanted to learn. All I wanted was for you to buy me a camera. All I asked for was an instructional book to teach me how to use it. Instead, you snatched the flyer from my hands and tore it up right before my eyes, telling me 'it's just a useless hobby for slackers who have too much time in their hands'.

There are still a couple of weeks left before the leaves change color, thus, I am, as you might say, a slacker with too much time in my hands, and as such, I have decided to go to this ‘Summer Camp’.

̶P̶̶l̶̶e̶̶a̶̶s̶̶e̶̶ ̶̶d̶̶o̶̶ ̶̶n̶̶o̶̶t̶̶ ̶̶w̶̶o̶̶r̶̶r̶̶y̶̶.̶̶ ̶

cross that one out...

You need not worry. I am old enough to take care of myself. I have memorized the map by heart and am confident that I can find ‘University’ on my own.

̶L̶̶o̶̶v̶̶e̶̶,̶̶ ̶

or rather...

From your son

...

"Oh, scrap it all" said the boy after reading the latest letter he wrote.

He crumpled the paper and took a fresh one from his drawer, lifting his pen one last time.

"Mom," he mumbled as he wrote, "I'm going to Photography Camp to buy a camera and you can't stop me."

He looks at the short note, nods approvingly at it, and signs his name at the end.

"Dorin"

Thus, begins the adventure of a boy who has never set foot off the mountains where he and his mother have lived in for the past ten years.

Chapter 1 - Maiden Voyage

Dorin took what little treasures he had – a small notebook half full of questions he have yet to find answers to, a pocket watch engraved with a seal and a discernable name, his mother's ring that still won't fit his fingers, a silver knife, and what little money he found in the emergency bottle hidden at the back of the top pantry shelf.

He placed them all in a small bag he made from an old empty sack of flour and filled it with as much food as he could carry. Besides, who knows how far this 'University' could be? Who knows how long the trip might take?

It was fortunate that the weather was clear, and that his mother just left for gods know where. Also fortunate, is his ability to remember things he has seen at least once, such as the small map in the brochure which showed where 'Aubrianne Royal University' is.

"It couldn't be that hard to find." he thought to himself, "All I need to do is look for that same shape in the landscape!"

With that in mind, he stomped out of the door and looked around, making sure no one was there to stop him.

Not that he needed to. The nearest human neighbor lived about a mile away. There were only two persons living in the modest hut he calls home, and the other inhabitant, namely, his mother, is currently out. 

He walks to a laurel tree, breaking off a thick branch with a snap. He held the branch to his lips and whispered some words of magic, then blows three notes to the air in a sharp whistle.

A strong gust of wind suddenly comes up and blows the boy and laurel branch up into the sky!

Dorin steadied himself, as if he was merely walking in a straight line, and sits on the branch, making himself comfortable. He then whistles a different tune which sends the branch racing through the air.

It was a sunny day with only a couple of clouds lazily floating in the sky. He expertly zooms straight up, going higher and higher, until the ground beneath him looked like the drawing in the map that he has carefully tucked inside his head.

"Now, where is that patch of land... it must be somewhere to the North West..."

Dorin flies to the right and looks at the land beneath him.

"Found it!" he exclaimed after flying for some time, staring at an octagonal patch to the right, far in the distance which was part of an archipelago shaped like an eagle.

He starts to descend until his feet were able to touch the tips of the highest pines, then flew in a straight line towards the university grounds.

"About 500 leagues, huh..." he mumbled to himself, pulling out his pocket watch from under his thick tunic. "That's barely 2,000 miles, perhaps I could reach it around 4 hours if I hurry..." he puts the watch back and grins. "Just in time for lunch, and enough time to sign up for the Summer Camp!"

He planned to ride the wind all the way to the University, but he was a child who has never seen the world beyond the forest before, and thus, was prone to a lot of distractions.

The first was a tall tower made of wood connected to a wall that stretched out on both directions. There were two uniformed men on top, one much older than the other. They were not happy to see Dorin fly by.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" shouted the older one who had the most intriguing white patch of mustache covering his mouth.

"Show us your papers!" demanded the other. This one looked only a bit older than Dorin, about seventeen, perhaps, he was a skinny blond boy with a face full of freckles.

"Papers?" questioned Dorin, his head tilted to one side. "I'm afraid my mother tore it up. Can I give you some bread instead?" he held out one of the 2 loaves he was eating while he floated on his branch.

"That... branch you're riding... is that registered?" the younger one asked.

"Idiot, how can a branch be registered! It even has leaves left on it!" said the other.

"That's a clear violation of the traffic code!" the first one said again, to which the other person, more senior in his years, thumped him on the head.

"Let me handle this one, Private Fisher," he said. He squinted at Dorin floating on his branch.  "Look kid, it is against the law for minors to ride brooms, mops, spears, etcetera... and yes, even branches, without the supervision of a responsible adult. Can you tell us where your parents or guardians are?"

Dorin stared at the two men. "Why?" he asked.

"`Coz if you fall and break your neck, we would need someone to bring home your sorry ass," replied the older man.

"And to sign the papers too!" piped in Private Fisher.

"Oh, but I won't fall," said Dorin who pulled the branch from beneath him. Private Fisher gave a yelp as he did, but instead of falling 10 feet to the base of the tower, the wind grew stronger and kept the boy up.

"Cute," said the older one, not batting an eyelid. "You still can't fly on your own. Now, tell us your parent’s or guardian's name and number."

"Number?" Dorin asked.

"Their phone number," said the younger one.

"Phone?"

The elder officer sighed and looked at the kid before him from head to toe. The lad has light brown hair that floated around his head. Probably reached past his shoulders. The long-sleeved coat and tunic he wore looked handmade from rough woven wool, as well as the loose trousers tucked inside the tough-looking leather boots on his feet. What caught his attention, though, was the bag hanging on his back which was made from an old sack of flour tied up with a piece of rope.

"Okay kid, just tell me where you came from," asked the older one.

"From Monarch forest in the east," said Dorin, pointing left. "I'm on my way to ‘University Camp’"

"What University?" asked the younger one.

"Aubrianne University, the one with the Summer Camp..."

"What?" the 2 men said in unison, "That's more than 200 miles away!"

"Oh, I've gone that far?"

"Get down from there and tell us your guardian's name!" demanded the private.

"Why? Are you gonna send me back home?" Dorin asked defensively.

"Of course! A brat like you..."

"You say you're from Monarch Forest?" the older one interrupts, "Did you run away from home?"

The kid flinched.

"Get down from there or we'll be compelled to use force!" the private commanded him.

Dorin stared at him wide-eyed.

"Then I shall do the same!" was his reply.

Raising his hand, he brings it down at a sharp angle, sending a gust of wind towards the two men that passed through the tower's base. Nothing happened at first until the top half started to slide down. The tower tumbled to the ground with the 2 men still inside it!

When they got out of the rumble, the kid was already gone.

"That damn brat!" the older one howled. He had quickly enveloped himself and the young private in a protection spell and emerged from the rubble unscathed.

"Corporal Williams! I'm calling headquarters!" Private Fisher said pulling out his cellphone.

"Don't bother private," replied the corporal, "The kid said he came from Monarch Forest, and with that level of magic proficiency, I have a good guess who that brat is."

Corporal Williams took an old analog phone from the satchel around his waist and flipped it open.

"Who are you calling, sir?" Private Fisher asked.

"His mother."