Before the Legend

Day 1: Before the Fall

A\N: Book 1 to the series, making it my first debut published story. Thanks to everyone who have read and helped support me in this journey of self-publishing.  Hope you enjoy the first chapter: "Before the Fall."

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“Long ago before our time,

When mere mortals were not of thought.

The greatest forces of nature came together

To create the seas and islands of the earth.

But one stood alone in the isles

Waiting to be tamed.

It would remain peaceful for its time

Then on the day when Artemis cries

Then the ashes come falling down.”

The voice was melodic, almost hypnotic. The low hum from her lips lured Troy’s attention away from the soaked herbs that shivered under the cool drops in the garden. He knew that song. His brothers often recited it as they ran around the garden in their childish romps. But she sang the song in such a melodic way. How would his four year old mind describe this feeling? If only he could hold onto the sensation it brought. For him, it appeared that he could freeze the moment in a memory; only for it to slip through his hands like water. He turned to face his mother. A look of serenity had graced the woman’s face before her arched brows scrunched into a frown. The song stopped. He looked back at his eldest brother Barbarius, who was chasing Apollus around the garden before coming to a halt. What was wrong?

A low rumble penetrated the silence. His legs wobbled as the earth began to quiver. One by one, the clay vessels sitting on the garden benches began rattling towards the edges.—

Crash!

Shards of debris flew in all directions.

“Run for cover!” she shouted. Screams filled the air. Their shouts became indistinguishable, swallowing his mother’s voice in a mass of noise. Troy and his siblings ran to the side of the portico bordering the garden to find the entrance crumbling around them. Just as the tiled roof came crashing down, his mother raced to push him out of harm’s way.

 Boom.

 Troy swung around to see what happened to his mother. A pillar pinned her against the cold tiles. He wanted to help, but Barbarius grabbed the sleeve of his tunic and pulled him to the outer edge of the courtyard. Their father rushed into the garden from another side entrance to move the pillar. The ground splintered around the father, making a loud cracking sound.

“Hold on!” his father shouted as he struggled to lift the fallen pillar. Troy’s brothers scurried underneath a wooden bench where they shouted for help. As their father pried the pillar from the mother’s chest, the ground disintegrated beneath their feet. There was no time to run. No time to even scream.