Quest for Cydonia
Prologue, Part 1
“Come back here!” shouted Gerard, sprinting after his brother. Mikey ran as fast as he could, but his short legs wouldn’t allow him to gain any speed, especially since he had already been running for some time. He reached the stables in a few seconds and hurriedly crawled under the gate of one horse’s stall, breathing heavily. He scrambled through the straw to the far corner and remained completely still as he heard his brother’s footsteps echo on the stone floor.
A small, ochre brown horse walked over to him and whinnied softly. Mikey giggled, thinking the horse was laughing at him, but quickly stifled it as Gerard’s footsteps grew closer. The horse lay down in front of Mikey, spreading one of its soft, feathery wings over his small body. He heard the footsteps come to a halt.
“Hey, Modus,” called his older brother’s voice. Gerard jumped up to see over the wooden half door. He frowned in frustration. “C’mere!” he said impatiently. The horse refused to move.
Gerard pouted. “Fine. I like Giorgio better, anyway.” He ran down to his favorite horse’s stall, and the jet black colt immediately trotted over to him. Mikey sighed in relief when Gerard finally left a few minutes later.
“Thanks, Momo,” he said to the horse, using its nickname. It neighed happily in response, and Mikey laughed again. He opened the stall door and left, brushing straw off of himself.
“Gerard! Michael!” called his mother. Mikey ran from the stables, kicking up soft trails of cloud vapor with every step. Gerard passed him easily, turning his head back and smirking. Mikey knew better than to start a fight between them, though; he could see their father standing at the castle gates, and the man demanded that they act dignified in his presence. Gerard would have won anyways. Gerard always won.
Mikey slowed to a walk and halted next to his brother. Gerard quickly knelt and looked to the ground, and Mikey followed his lead. They waited to stand until their father told them to do so.
“I need both of you to be ready in your most formal attire within ten minutes,” he said curtly. Mikey looked up, directly into his father’s eyes.
“Why?” he asked. He felt an elbow jab him in the ribs, and abruptly looked at Gerard. The black-haired boy shook his head with a dark look in his eyes. Mikey frowned at his older brother, then realized he still hadn’t received an answer. He looked back at his father, but the man was gone.
“Come on, Michael,” said his mother, picking him up and spinning him around. He broke into a fit of giggles. Gerard rolled his eyes and walked off to his tower.
“Why did Gee-gee get so upset?” Mikey asked his mother. She set him back on the ground, encasing his hand in her own, and began to walk towards his tower.
“He knows you’re not supposed to question the king,” she replied gently. A few faint, cool breezes blew her scent towards Mikey, and he inhaled deeply. His mother spent much time in the castle gardens; she always smelled of roses and violets. It brought a smile to his face.
“Why?”
“That’s just the way things are,” she said with a faint sigh. She suddenly smiled and let go of his hand. “I’ll race you!”
Mikey laughed and began to run up the stairs to his room. He reached the door a good five strides ahead of his mother. She arrived soon after, both of them laughing.
He suddenly stopped when he saw his father standing nearby. The man had his arms crossed in front of him, and glared at the young boy menacingly. Mikey took the hint and scampered into his room, using all of his strength to close the heavy wooden door behind him. He flattened one ear against it, listening to his parents’ conversation.
“You spoil him far too much,” said his father.
“It was just a bit of fun,” replied his mother. “Let him be a child for once.”
“He is no peasant’s child. He is royalty and should act as such.”
“You’re too harsh,” she said calmly. “Gerard acts too much like you already. Seven years old and thinks he’s a grown man!”
“He knows his place,” the king said darkly. “Both of you would be wise to learn yours.” Mikey heard footsteps leading away and sighed sadly. He hurriedly dressed, still wondering what the occasion could be. He couldn’t think of something special enough to merit his finest attire. He took a quick glance out the window, staring out across the vast silver cloud that was their home. Looking down, he saw a carriage in front of the castle.
‘I wonder what’s going on?’ he thought, leaving his room and walking down the stairs. He couldn’t run if he wanted to.
When he reached the front of the castle, he saw Gerard climbing into the carriage. Mikey instead walked up to the horse that would be leading it. The massive, winged chestnut towered over him, and lowered its head to see him better. It sniffed his hair, and he reached up to pet its nose, laughing at the feeling.
“Michael!” his father scolded sharply. He reluctantly walked over to the carriage. His mother gently picked him up and set him inside, next to Gerard as usual. He noticed his mother was wearing an elegant dress of light purple, something he had only ever seen once. The event had to be special indeed.
A small, ochre brown horse walked over to him and whinnied softly. Mikey giggled, thinking the horse was laughing at him, but quickly stifled it as Gerard’s footsteps grew closer. The horse lay down in front of Mikey, spreading one of its soft, feathery wings over his small body. He heard the footsteps come to a halt.
“Hey, Modus,” called his older brother’s voice. Gerard jumped up to see over the wooden half door. He frowned in frustration. “C’mere!” he said impatiently. The horse refused to move.
Gerard pouted. “Fine. I like Giorgio better, anyway.” He ran down to his favorite horse’s stall, and the jet black colt immediately trotted over to him. Mikey sighed in relief when Gerard finally left a few minutes later.
“Thanks, Momo,” he said to the horse, using its nickname. It neighed happily in response, and Mikey laughed again. He opened the stall door and left, brushing straw off of himself.
“Gerard! Michael!” called his mother. Mikey ran from the stables, kicking up soft trails of cloud vapor with every step. Gerard passed him easily, turning his head back and smirking. Mikey knew better than to start a fight between them, though; he could see their father standing at the castle gates, and the man demanded that they act dignified in his presence. Gerard would have won anyways. Gerard always won.
Mikey slowed to a walk and halted next to his brother. Gerard quickly knelt and looked to the ground, and Mikey followed his lead. They waited to stand until their father told them to do so.
“I need both of you to be ready in your most formal attire within ten minutes,” he said curtly. Mikey looked up, directly into his father’s eyes.
“Why?” he asked. He felt an elbow jab him in the ribs, and abruptly looked at Gerard. The black-haired boy shook his head with a dark look in his eyes. Mikey frowned at his older brother, then realized he still hadn’t received an answer. He looked back at his father, but the man was gone.
“Come on, Michael,” said his mother, picking him up and spinning him around. He broke into a fit of giggles. Gerard rolled his eyes and walked off to his tower.
“Why did Gee-gee get so upset?” Mikey asked his mother. She set him back on the ground, encasing his hand in her own, and began to walk towards his tower.
“He knows you’re not supposed to question the king,” she replied gently. A few faint, cool breezes blew her scent towards Mikey, and he inhaled deeply. His mother spent much time in the castle gardens; she always smelled of roses and violets. It brought a smile to his face.
“Why?”
“That’s just the way things are,” she said with a faint sigh. She suddenly smiled and let go of his hand. “I’ll race you!”
Mikey laughed and began to run up the stairs to his room. He reached the door a good five strides ahead of his mother. She arrived soon after, both of them laughing.
He suddenly stopped when he saw his father standing nearby. The man had his arms crossed in front of him, and glared at the young boy menacingly. Mikey took the hint and scampered into his room, using all of his strength to close the heavy wooden door behind him. He flattened one ear against it, listening to his parents’ conversation.
“You spoil him far too much,” said his father.
“It was just a bit of fun,” replied his mother. “Let him be a child for once.”
“He is no peasant’s child. He is royalty and should act as such.”
“You’re too harsh,” she said calmly. “Gerard acts too much like you already. Seven years old and thinks he’s a grown man!”
“He knows his place,” the king said darkly. “Both of you would be wise to learn yours.” Mikey heard footsteps leading away and sighed sadly. He hurriedly dressed, still wondering what the occasion could be. He couldn’t think of something special enough to merit his finest attire. He took a quick glance out the window, staring out across the vast silver cloud that was their home. Looking down, he saw a carriage in front of the castle.
‘I wonder what’s going on?’ he thought, leaving his room and walking down the stairs. He couldn’t run if he wanted to.
When he reached the front of the castle, he saw Gerard climbing into the carriage. Mikey instead walked up to the horse that would be leading it. The massive, winged chestnut towered over him, and lowered its head to see him better. It sniffed his hair, and he reached up to pet its nose, laughing at the feeling.
“Michael!” his father scolded sharply. He reluctantly walked over to the carriage. His mother gently picked him up and set him inside, next to Gerard as usual. He noticed his mother was wearing an elegant dress of light purple, something he had only ever seen once. The event had to be special indeed.