Cosmic Twists 1 (Old Version)

Prologue

PLEASE NOTE: I WILL BE DOING A REWRITE OF THIS STORY IN ORDER TO CHANGE FROM PRESENT TENSE TO PAST TENSE. The prologue will remain the same in the new version, however I think I would prefer to have this story in the past tense as it would flow better and I have some ideas for books 2 & 3 in this series! Hope you guys would be willing to read it a second time! I'm hoping that the new version will be much better. :)

Prologue.

A bolt of lightning cracked the dark sky above the valley in which the cruel city of Furdock kept itself buried away, in the rocky shadows between two towering mountains, illuminated by the stormy flashes that stretched across the night sky. Unceasing plumes of smoke escaped from the depths of the darkest labyrinth of narrow buildings and winding roads, failing to disguise the city’s existence in what was once a bountiful river bank, surrounded by forested hills.

Furdock wasn’t always like this. In fact, it was once known for its magnificent surroundings and the natural abundance of fir trees that covered the foothills of the snow topped mountains. However, they weren’t ordinary fir trees. They were much taller and had a paler, almost silvery bark, or so they were described in legends.

In the land that once surrounded the meandering river, before it dried up, before the land was captured by its inhabitants, the area of Furdock rested above a large area of sedimentary rock; layers of sediment squeezed and squashed together in the movements of the compressed earth over the passing of time. The first discoverers of the land, known as the Migrants in the stories, were fascinated by what they found as they passed through the valley thousands of years ago. Intrigued by the rocky outcrops that dotted the grassy banks of the river, the Migrants delayed their travels and set up camp beside the river. Their curiosity led them to investigate the shallow earth with hammers, chisels and pickaxes – all handmade tools of primitive materials, such as wood and flint bound together with dried reeds – and they found that several layers down in this underlying rock was a particularly fascinating formation they’d never come across before, which had a desirable appearance. Coal from the deterioration of ancient fir trees that, as believed from the legends of the Migrants, once formed an enchanted forest had infused with the crystalline minerals in the earth. The process of nature had created a rare form of dark rock that sparkled ceaselessly under light and could not be used in the ways that copper or iron would be, for it was too beautiful. The Migrants named this new phenomenon Furnic Quartzite.

The Migrants became obsessed with the unusual sparkling quality of this dark rock, and sensed that there was something mysterious about it, something that was yet to be discovered, but they swore themselves to secrecy that they would keep their discovery to themselves for the meantime, and so, they settled in the quiet valley and began the development of a small town known as Furdock, using the Furnic quartzite to decorate every aspect of it that they possibly could, from architecture to clothing to utensils and more.

As time went by and they continued to erect larger buildings, pave out more winding streets and cut down the forests for materials, word of the glistening village spread from traveller to traveller in the land. It wasn’t long before word had reached right across the region of Denvernia, which inevitably led to swarms of people from the surrounding settlements pouring into the valley to see the town that glistened, for themselves.

Needless to say, the town’s population rocketed, for the curiosity of travellers caused them to extend their visit until they decided to stay, and so, Furdock was no longer a small town, but rather a city, thriving with energy and fortune. With the phenomenon of this magnificent rock, the rising city flourished with a reputation of power, glamour and wealth throughout the region, and traded with cities even from across the more distant regions of Greater Denvor, such as Veron and Malkash. It was the golden era of Furdock, or the ‘Silver Years’, as the people called it, for the silver bark of these fir trees was the distinction of Furdock. Everybody in all of Greater Denvor knew about this remarkable place, even the capital city of Denvor named it the Silver City and admired it in all its glory.