The Chronicles Of New Havens

It was dusk by now in the town of New Havens and the festivities were fully underway. By the waterside and underneath the massive Asaparagon Tree, braziers and tables were setup as people drank, ate, and partied. For this once in a year occasion, everyone would come together and celebrate the prosperity of New Havens. Looking at the crowd, it was hard to realize that there was only a couple hundred people living here. Everyone knew each other and partied without restraint. It was like one big family.

On the stage, Edward and his fiancée just finished announcing their marriage in front of everyone and the crowd was loudly applauding. Edward had changed into a sharper outfit and combed his hair back. Combined with his flawless posture and gentlemanlike behavior, the single girls could only lament that he was taken. Even Elizabeth had to say that his big brother looked very different from his usual laidback self. She humored the thought that if the girls knew how her brother acted in the house, they would be slightly disgusted. The couple on stage exchanged a kiss which brought another round of applause.

Aisa and her parents were closer to the front, exchanging pleasantries with the bride's family. The fathers talked about when and where to build the new house. Obviously, they wanted the best of the best for their children so there was much planning that needed to be done. But with autumn's descent, Roan wanted to focus on his harvest first, before working out the details. In the new year, they would get a few helping hands and work in the springtime to get it done. The mothers were fervently discussing about when their first grandchild would be born and what gender it would be. Depending on how fast the child was due, they would need to work overtime to sew new clothes.

Everyone else was dancing and singing, except for Elizabeth who was comfortably sat around the edge of the party by herself. Of course, she could join her parents, but she felt completely overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The loud noises and the dense crowds made her feel nauseous and drained. Not to mention, no one would want to talk to her anyways. From time to time, people would shoot her dirty looks and sneer at her loneliness. Even if she was dressed gorgeously, she was forever bound to be a lonely island in this sea of society. This was why she hated coming to parties. There was no fun in it for her.

As time went by, Edward and his fiancée left the stage and an older man took the helm. As he did so, the party quietened down and even Elizabeth's attention was drawn over. This man was none other than the town's elder, the foremost authority amongst them. He was a warm man who treated with everyone with kindness, like a loving grandfather. Though Elizabeth had scarcely interacted with the elder, he never treated her with contempt. Everyone had fond memories of him.

Hm? she wondered. She blinked her eyes a few more times and even rubbed on them. Was her vision playing tricks on her? Why did the stage suddenly turn foggy? It was fine a moment ago. Elizabeth was confused but it did not seem like typical mist or fog. It was more like a faint pressure, but it was difficult to describe. It was like noticing a bad smell, but as soon as one tried to pinpoint what it was, it would suddenly turn normal again. Elizabeth could tell something was different but what was it? Is it from the elder? she pondered as she mounted a frown and fixed her gaze. What did the elder do? She never felt anything like this before. Am I sick or something?

A few people noticed her clear disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and started venting, "Hey, witch girl, if you're going to make such a sour face in front of the elder's speech, then get lost. No one wants to see you anyway."

"What is that girl thinking?" another one whispered. "Does she not respect the elder?"

"The elder is like a grandfather to us all. To show such disrespect is to disrespect everyone else!"

Elizabeth's anger immediately peaked. "What did you say?" she shouted to the first boy who spoke up. "I dare you to say that again. Don't complain if I get violent!"

"Oh? You want a fight? You might be a girl but don't think I'll go easy. I'll make sure you know your place," he grinned.

"What's going on? A fight?" the other farther people murmured as the mood drifted away from the elder's speech. More and more people were interested to hear who had the audacity to start a fight during the town's anniversary.

"It's that witch girl again… You know, that Silvera girl."

"That red headed witch, huh? I really feel bad for Roan and Victoria. How could they raise such a thing when her other siblings came out so well?"

Word eventually reached Elizabeth's family and they hurried over. Aisa was the first to reach Elizabeth's side. Upon seeing her little sister, Elizabeth began to calm down. As much as she wanted to pummel the boy's face into a pulp, she realized the little satisfaction she would gain. In the end, she would still be labelled a villain, and he the victim. There was no need to play in such a farce, she thought. Elizabeth looked away in disgust and patted her sister.

"Thank you, Aisa. I'll be headed into the forest to cool off. Could you let our parents know?" The girl nodded and watched as Elizabeth took off.

Around ten minutes of walking later, in the cool breeze of the night, she felt much better. Gone were the bright lights and loud noises. They were replaced with a tranquil silence, and the serene beauty of nature. Here, as she walked by herself, she felt fully unrestrained and gave a short twirl of her dress before skipping her way to the woodlands. Whenever she was upset or sad, she would always come here to relax. She had memorized the layout of the forest like the back of her hand. Thankfully, there was no risk of danger here as any carnivorous animal was killed frequently so Elizabeth had no worry. But where she was headed was the edge of the forest and New Havens.

As she stepped out of the forest, her view opened to the vastness of the open sky. Before her feet was nothing but clouds stretching until the orange horizon in the distance. There was nothing but air for as far as the eye could see like the world ended at the edge of the forest. This was the truth behind New Havens, the massive floating island in the sky. Elizabeth sat down on the precarious edge, letting her feet dangle into the clouds. What might normally give someone a fright, she was doing so carefreely. She simply loved the view. From here, she could see from one corner of the world to the other. She could see everything.

But at the same time, she could see nothing. New Havens had over five hundred years of history and today was its five hundredth and fourteenth anniversary. For as long as the history books would detail, there was zero contact between New Havens and the world below. Legend says that mankind was involved in a titanic war and was brought to the brink of extinction. The last few survivors rounded up and started the town of New Havens. Besides this, there was no information about the outside world. Nothing at all. All Elizabeth could do was marvel at the distant mountains or oceans, but never see them firsthand. She would live and die here. She would be forever bound on this tiny rock in the sky.

Elizabeth felt both an immeasurable peacefulness but also restlessness. Looking at everything was a humbling experience, but also a painful one. In truth, she wanted to explore beyond this small little island in the sky. She wanted to see the vast green forests, the towering snow tipped mountains, the boundless expanse of blue waters, and the shifting dunes of deserts. She wanted to experience so much more! Of course, she was grateful for all the things her family had done to raise her up. Her sixteen years on the farm was filled with heartwarming moments. She treasured her family deeply, but how could anyone resist the temptation for adventure when admiring this infinite scene? No one could! Her imagination was as boundless as the sky. Her aspiration was as high as the suns.

However, that was as far as her dreams went. Never a step further. The world below was far enough to see the trees as thin as hairs. Even if she longed for it with all her being, the world was so close yet so far! Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked up at the setting twin suns in the far horizon. The skyline slowly transformed from an orange to red before purple to black. Unknowingly, the girl was here for already an hour, just watching the distant clouds flow across the sky. When the first stars began to twinkle, she knew she had to head home, back to reality. Her family was probably getting worried.

The girl stood up, looked once more with a longing gaze, before retracting her eyes. She started on her way back when a large figure suddenly barreled past the girl at explosive speeds. It slammed its way into the dirt, drudging up an outline of its devastation. The sudden changes scared Elizabeth to her wits and she nearly fell backwards off the island. Thankfully, she caught her balance in time. Such a journey to the lands below would not be a happy trip and certainly not the type she anticipated.

As the dust began to settle, Elizabeth's curiosity shot over to see a mangled mess of sticks, leather, and a body? What is this thing? Is this some sort of bird? she reasoned. There was something akin to wings in that mess though they were terribly decrepit. Birds crash landing into the island was not a strange occurrence. After all, what kind of bird could ever imagine hitting land while flying through the sky? Elizabeth had seen her own fair share since coming here so she could believe that story. But the thing before her was clearly larger than any bird she has seen…

She cautiously walked over and using the last glimpses of sunlight, she began to make out the shape of a human body! This… This is a person! she internally shouted. A person from the outside world! She was so shocked that her breathing had stopped. What should be her first reaction? She knew nothing about people from the outside world after all. Were they hostile or friendly? What if they were cannibals and ate people? Did they even speak the same language? Elizabeth felt uneasy and hesitated. I should run to town and get help. This is big news!

A cry for help dispelled all her thoughts as they were clearly agonizing in pain. She dashed over and knelt to take a closer look. A large winged metal structure strapped onto their back was crumbled and bent in awkward places. From the looks of it, it seemed like the people below did not grow wings like she thought! The girl went to work, carefully pulling this mess off the person, before heaving the person onto their back. The person was a young blond-haired boy, around the same age as Elizabeth. He was covered from head to toe in blood and wounds, but remarkably enough, nothing that looked fatal. Still, to crash land into the island with such force must have at least broken something internally. She had to get help from the town physician as soon as possible. He had already fainted, so she had no concerns about leaving him here for the time being. Having made up her mind, she sprinted off toward the town.

When the forest returned to its eerie quiet, several more winged figures burst through the cloud layer. They ominously glided around for a moment's notice longer before disappearing back into the clouds. The forest quieted once more…