Atlantis (A Waterfire Saga Fanfiction)

Prologue

As Alma tiptoed down the marble stairs, she remembered the old village that she and her family had lived in. The island of Crete gave her a sense of comfort. But now, she was living in an unfamiliar place where people of all ages and cultures came to build new lives. She was not used to her new house, nor the new atmosphere.

Her family arrived late at night on a ship and had walked from the port to a lovely walled city. Most of its' buildings were made of red, black and white stone, while others were made out of simple sandstone.

Alma stopped and looked out the window. If she stood on her toes, she could catch a glimpse of the mountains beyond the walls of the city. It was dark outside and the moon was full. She was afraid to admit it, but sometimes the darkness scared her.

Her parents were speaking quietly in order to make sure that they would not disturb her and her 1 year old sister, Idra, from their slumber.

By then, the young girl was so lost in her thoughts that she had not noticed her parents looking at her curiously.

"Alma, what are you doing up so late?" asked her father.

Alma simply shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how to put her feelings into words.

Meanwhile, Idra started wailing from her bedchamber.

"Oh goodness!" said her mother out of exhaustion due to their long journey. "I will go and try to calm her down Aeneas." she said to her husband.

"Come along now Alma, you need your beauty sleep." said her father while leading her up the stairs.

Alma tried to get comfortable in her bed, but her feelings still kept her awake.

"You still can't fall asleep, can you?" asked her father.

Aeneas was sitting on a chair next to Alma's bed gently playing with her golden-blonde hair.

"No I can't, father." she replied.

"You're afraid of change aren't you daughter?"

Alma nodded.

"Let me promise you one thing, things won't seem so frightening and strange in the morning." he said.

The young girl now felt very confused. "But father, why did we come here? I mean, what is so special about this island?" she asked.

"There are stories, but some people just dismiss them as rumours.... about magic."

"Do you believe in magic?" Alma asked trying not to sound too excited.

"Now daughter, don't let your imagination get carried away with you. These are just stories, and not all stories are real."

Her shoulders slumped.

After having taken a moment to think, Aeneas asked his daughter: "What do you say that in the morning, we go to explore the island?"

Alma grinned from ear to ear. "I would love to explore Atlantis with you." she replied.

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FYI... I will be posting a new chapter for this story every 2-3 weeks. Stay tuned!