Skybound Volume 1: The Girl Who Flew.

Chapter 1: Rite Of Passage.

"HEAVE!" a male's voice echoed across the sweeping clouds, "HO!" chains rattled and moved upward.

The chains extended high above the clouds, men pulled on the chains attempting to pull whatever was attached, "Come on now! I've seen babies pull harder than you! MOVE IT!" upon a floating island this man shouted.

The sun began to rise, and the people rose from their beds in the village nearby, they opened their windows and doors curiosity flowed through them.

But a single child was the one that bolted out her door, flowing golden hair, hastily putting on her black boots.

A smile was upon her face, her emerald eyes filled with wonder as she ran up to the men pulling on the chains.

The men made room for the young girl, weak as she was, their bounty was not to be won by tossing aside willing workers.

She wrapped her hands which were covered in leather gloves around the chains pulling with all her might, "HEAVE!" she shouted in unison with the other men, "HO!"

One of those very men who was giving the orders looked over the edge and a smirk appeared on his face, "AYE! KEEP PULLING OUR BOUNTY PIERCES THE CLOUDS!"

Energy surged through the hundreds of men and women pulling on the chains, "HEAVE!" the young girl was practically bouncing in excitement, her mother watched fondly from the window of her kitchen, "HO!" They shouted once more.

The man looked over the edge and held up a hand, "MAGES READY!" the men on the back of the chains nodded, letting go of the chains and holding up their hands. A gray glow surrounded their hands. "LOCK IT IN!"

Earth moved from the ground wrapping around the holes of the chains and pinning them in place, all the other men fell to the ground.

As did the women, but that child didn't. She ran forward to the edge, excitement flashing in her eyes, then she peered over the edge and saw what they achieved.

The man who looked over the edge howled with laughter, "Quite a sight ain't she Skylar?" he questioned the young girl dubbed Skylar.

Skylar smiled, nodding she was no more than twelve, but the spirit of adventure brushed her to life, "What is it?" she questioned tilting her head to the side.

The man smirked, putting a hand on his side, "That. Is our bounty the largest crystal chunk found yet!"

Skylar looked over the edge once more, it was indeed a sizable mountain of crystal, but to her, it almost looked like a tower.

The man then chuckled, walking up to the young child ruffling a hand in her hair, "Away from the edge child, wouldn't want the clouds to get in your lungs now wouldja?" He removed his hand from her hair.

And Skylar nodded before moving away from the edge, the man then smiled lightly, "How's your training going anyways?"

Skylar's eyes widened and she smiled holding out her hand, palm outstretched the muscles in her hand tensed and green energy surrounded it.

A pulse of wind shot out blasting the man in the face, yet he didn't flinch he smirked instead,

"Aye, you're getting better at that, at your age, it's incredible that you can even cast magic. Speaking of... Not many kids wanna do manual labor on their birthdays." The man commented, pulling a cigar from his pocket.

Skylar perked up and fostered to the crystal tower, "But if I didn't come out, I wouldn't have been a part of something as incredible as this." she declared, smiling brightly.