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This is a science fantasy I’ve been writing since November 15th, 2012, so it’s been around 11.5 years! After many times of putting it on hold, either because of school, tangled plot lines and missing links, or concentrating on a different tale, The Sun Kingdom is on its final rewrite.
Below is an old prologue combined with the current synopsis:
A flash of burning flame as shadows of light and darkness raised in turmoil over the surface of an icy turquoise planet. Myn’ smote the Demon of Darkness and threw the laughing creature back into the abyss as it cursed the world.
Darkness, and a brother and sister fought over the self-same battle-ground a century later. The woman called out to the angels as her brother cut her down, and she was saved as her brother cried out in rage.
An elvish princess with a handful of glowing crystals as she wed a king.
A tribe of guardians.
Demons -
Dark Shadows -
And FIRE!
The day Star-Sickness returns to Solaria, Earthiana’s secrets begin to beat against the wall formed by her amnesia. As her family begins to disappear, the princess finds herself cut off from the world she knew and everyone she trusts.
A clock is ticking, not only for her family, but for her, and for the fate of the galaxy. Something lurks behind the veil. Only in the secrets she’s lost and in the star-path of the Sword of Myn’ can Earthiana find hope.
The Lost Princess is a working title - despite being fitting, it also feels below the mark, as it was created for the previous iteration of the story (which, I don’t watch superhero movies, but it’s something like Ironman’s suits - Mach 20-something.)
I finally took the time to world and character-build in detail this time around, using tips I found on ye olde internet. I’ve chosen to separate the Planetary Profiles from the text, so that the story doesn’t get hung up on explanations, however necessary they are to the story. This way readers can refer, or not, to the profile at will whenever they need an explanation, or a better idea of what something like clothing or architecture might look like. I’ll be able to test this out on my readers to see how well that works, so I’m looking forward to it!
Here is a look at our first planetary world’s mythos:
No one is quite sure of the beginnings of Solaria and her people, and numerous legends have cropped up. According to the most prevalent tradition, and widely accepted belief, Ra-Zë birthed the world out of a desire to give his love to others. His only daughter, Solaria, was only a little one playing in the heavenly gardens when she was caused to fall by a rebellious rosebush (for all things had a spirit then) and plummeted through the glassy mist into space.
Ra-Zë’s acolytes were at work building the universe through song, light and dance. When the father saw his beloved falling, he ordered the acolytes to cease and catch her before she could be injured by the flames of Achird. The acolytes dropped their instruments and with a long, rolling note, high-pitched and sweet, a planet spun into being, and by their hands she was gently lowered to its surface.
However, it had long been ruled that anyone who fell from heaven must be exiled for seven days and seven nights, so the child Solaria was abandoned with much pain. Ra-Zë wept, and by his tears came the rain which watered the planet’s surface, and gave forth rich and varied vegetation worthy of Solaria’s divinity, perfuming the air and softening the ground beneath her feet to ease the pain a little.
Everywhere she went, springs bubbled to the surface to comfort her with their sound, and luminous flowers bloomed at her tread. But the rose-bush was cursed with thorns, and was never to be seen on land there. It could only drown in the waters and weep for its rebellion.
Solaria was lonely, so children of each kind were fashioned to be her companions, whom she taught to speak, to love and to know; and animals of all kinds filled the land for her pleasure. But whenever she looked up, she wept bitterly, for the days were long and she could not see the roof of heaven or her father, only the bright, glaring light of Achird.
For, in leaving heaven, her divinity was fading, dimming all that she was; and if there was even a moment of delay that seventh day, she would be lost, exiled forever. So Ra-Zë removed a piece of his own heart and placed it in her, giving her one of his gifts to own, even if her divinity was lost. Together, they used that power to hang the stars from heaven’s sky, marking where it lay, to give her hope and peace.
But the spirit of the rosebush had not taken kindly to its punishment, and had passed itself into the children of Solaria. Some strove to keep this child-mother with them forever, and some plotted to attack her and never permit her to return, neither to remain. The acolytes were on their way to scoop Solaria up to heaven when the first stone was thrown, and the girl, tumbling into the river, drowned.
With the piece of her father’s heart still beating, the acolytes, after some nearly unwrote mankind’s presence, returned her to her father. He revived her, and would have ordered the acolytes to continue with their plan, had Solaria herself not intervened for those she loved, insisting that the divine lights could banish the dark spirit. So it was that Solaria became the Queen of the Heavens, mother of Solarians.
I don’t expect this fantasy to be split into a trilogy as Ransom unexpectedly was during publishing; that said, I’m not entirely certain how long it will be. The old versions were 300 or so pages, without the ending; some of that material is being removed, and many other events have taken place within the story. I would estimate at least thirty chapters, so a minimum of 250 pages or so.
Do I fully know where it’s going yet? Like all the other times, I’m not, but I’m sure Someone Else does, so I’m buckling up with my friends, Brendan, Earthiana, and Mira in the Altair, and I expect to be exploring ancient ruins and unraveling mysteries and memories before long!
I’ll leave you with a little of the story itself:
“I almost regret breaking the legend, but Star-Sickness doesn’t belong only to Solaria.” Bran leaned his elbows on his knees and paused.
There was something in his eyes that echoed the look in the King’s that day in the hall, Earthiana noted to herself, and waited silently.
Bran looked up once more.
“Cases have been noted throughout the galaxy, Eya. Cases in which it’s struck down royalty. In some cases, warriors. But never the average citizen. That’s not how it worked ages ago when it struck Solaria. Something’s wrong. There’s a greater malevolence here than there was then.”
“Do you think – the Dark Spirit is coming back?”
Bran met his sister’s gaze. The legends of Solaria had always frightened her, but that was to be expected.
“I don’t know, Eya, how far the Dark Spirit could, or would, come back. I do know something of this, I think, which I must discuss with our father. But first, please take me to Aura. We need to know for sure if this is the curse. . . I pray it’s not.”
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