The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Earth & Sky Chapter 1- Titus Forest

(5) Lands of Ralosia: Earth & Sky (10.5k Words)

Training begins in Titus Forest!

Jirro, Aero, and Nout begin rigorous training to strengthen their mind and bodies, all under the watchful eye of the Phantine Chief, Theo. While the boys train, Corri takes a trip to the sky lands and learns from the Sky-Riders that live there. Ruben learns new abilities from the Densius people on Titus Mountain. Jirro and Nout test their limits using the ability known as Focus, learning of its great power, as well as the danger that comes with it.

(7/9/23) Self edited, audio edited, and peer edited.

Peer edit by mikrokosmostae0303@gmail.com

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~Chapter 1- Titus Forest~

~Age 988 B~

Five youths entered an apple orchard among the lush green plains of the Lands of Ralosia. Among them was a young Phantine named Nout, a being with large ears, circular feet, small tusks, and a trunk. He was short, had a pink tint to his skin, and wore orange garbs. He shook a tree and caught apples as they fell with his trunk.

The blonde-haired Jirro punched the air, and dim bursts of blue light emerged from his hand that struck the apples, knocking them down. He'd been practicing with Focus often lately. He moved with confidence, something Nout wished he had more of. The thirteen-year-old boy wore loose-fitting clothes, suitable for the traveling they've been doing.

The red-haired girl, Corri, climbed trees and began plucking apples from them one by one. Her extroverted brother, Aero, kicked the trees, knocking the fruits to the ground. Twigs fell into his rough black hair. Ruben laid his rocky body against a tree and watched. As a Densius, a being composed entirely of rock and earth, it didn't need to eat.

The youths ate a few of the apples and packed extras into their bags before turning east. The children had been traveling through the plains towards Titus Forest, the largest forest in the land.

The kids climbed a tall hill, and the forest came into view. The area was populated with thick trees and shrubbery. At the center was a great mountain that emerged from the forest, high into the sky. Titus Mountain. The top of the mountain appeared to have a sort of platform where sky riders could fly to and from.

"We're here!" Nout uttered as he looked at the forest, curling his trunk in excitement. Aero and Jirro were anxious to begin their training there. Ruben could see the mountain showing through the forest and wondered if any other Densius lived up there. Corri was anxious to see the sky riders; she'd always been interested in meeting some of them, maybe even going to the Sky Lands herself.

Nout led them into the forest, his birthplace. When he was young, several factions of the Phantine people decided to migrate around the world. Nout and his father ended up moving to the Bog Woods, south of Platt Mountain.

They traveled down a path made for tourists. The forest was brimming with wildlife and fauna. Parts of the forest were like a swampy bayou, others like a dense jungle. Trees yielding various fruits populated the area.

Other Phantines roamed around the forest, sharing Nout's anatomy. Large open ears, tusks, a trunk, large circular feet, and bulky bodies. At twelve years old, Nout was fairly small though, standing at Jirro's shoulders.

A Phantine was dulling his tusks against a tree. They would blunt them to avoid accidents. The Phantine must've outweighed the kids a few times over. He turned and saw the five youths. He gave them a friendly smile and waved as they continued.