All writings and characters are from my imagination and are original. Please be kind and and do not copy and paste or plagiarize, etc. I have been working very hard on this piece and I hope you enjoy it. I will have illustrations up very soon.

Chapter One

Rania stood against the cool posts of her four poster bed and gazed out the window where an unkindly cool breeze brushed along the dark, lace drapes. The ocean was rough and white caps could be seen from the cliffs of Dahlia which the Whilds and Lahrylli Manor sat. She sighed and let the breeze sweep her warm cheeks and fair, light hair. The day had been a long one. It had taken quite a bit of time for Rania to fall into routine of being a Royal Ambassador, let alone help to lead a new society with her father, the head Royal Official of her adored planet, Arimonde. It had been one century to the date that planet Earth, as well as one another humanly planet, Vistor, which had been colonizing for quite some time, had colonized on Arimonde. Korin, the Head Royal Official had been appointed this position ten years ago, and thus put into position to keep in operation the mining of the planet�s most valuable energy source, parma.

There was a large celebration for the very occasion that day in the vast green lawn that led to the Lahrylli Manor . Rania had given the miners the day off and put together the events for the celebration herself, including the cleaning afterwards. Now every young citizen of the booming Whilds was fast asleep within their high tech, parma-powered homes or wide awake continuing the celebration in their own ways.

Rania yawned, and pulled her nightgown nearer her body with a shiver. It was indeed time for sleep.

�Lady Rania,� a tired, low voice entered the room.

�Yes, Colonel,� Rania turned from the window to greet her very good friend and trusted servant, Colonel. His ghostly � and literally ghostly appearance comforted her. Colonel was none but a spirit, as well as the rest of the Lahrylli family. He was a black apparition floating about uncommonly and coolly.

�I have come to acquire the time in which you choose to sleep, my dear,� he answered softly, and a bit mumbly. It was his way. Rania imagined, if she could see his face, a crooked jaw that would set his dainty lips to stumble in speech.

�Oh, now,� she smiled with a stretch and climbed into the large bed. Comfortable, feathered down cushions and pillows awaited her slumber, �it�s been quite a day, and something strange is slinking on the horizon,� the last bit she added with a frown.

�Is that so?� Colonel inquired, his mass slowly floated in the direction of the bed. He pulled the heavy covers over Rania as if she was his own child and with one cold hand hovering over, put out the candle light, �whatever it is, will have to wait until the morning. Your sleep is truly important.� He finished, watching as she sweetly smiled and dazedly shut her eyes to drift into a warm sleep.

Colonel Lahrylli�s story is that of a sad one indeed. He reflected upon it as he passed through the shut door of Rania�s room. The Lahrylli family was cursed, by powers unknown, to a life of servitude and solitude to whomever should live within their manor. Colonel was once a young cultured man, brought up in the manor before the Whilds was established. He traveled all about Arimonde, learning of the different societies that had come from the gigantic Vistor System. While he was away, his family however, had taken part in not so cultured of an experienced. Their sins had ultimately led to a curse worse than death itself, subservience. Colonel frowned, or felt that he had frowned. Had he felt a frown? It must have been. No smile felt like a frown.

He drifted sleepily down the top floor corridor with no footsteps to the stairs, other spirits zipping through and about the walls now that the Lady had lain to sleep. The night called for whatever living they could find themselves to live.

When Colonel reached the complete bottom of the grand stair well, an unbearable screeching noise echoed through and with the wind. He winced and headed down the main corridor to the front doors. He knew that unbearable screech from long ago. �A Derabim,� he thought to himself, and for his own pleasure floated right on through the gallant entryway. Stepping out into the moons� light ,a small creature came sprinting towards the manor from the end of the sweet, green lawn, it�s pointed furry ears laid flat against its humanly shaped head. The creature held its large, furry tail against his clothed chest and stumbled to his knees at the appearance of Colonel.

�I have seen spirits like yourself on several of an occasion and am not at all frightened by the sight,� it heaved for breaths of air, �I wish to speak to the Lady Rania,� it finished, avoiding looking at what should have been Colonel�s face.

�Stand up, you fool. I�m no demon,� Colonel sighed and nudged the Derabim to stand on it�s pawed feet.

�My name is Arumb Dinnillium Arnest the fifth, and I come from the forested Derabim village,� he shivered at the touch of Colonel�s mass. He fumbled to stand and brushed back his unruly, curly black hair. Wide, blue eyes glanced up shyly beneathe dark brows, �but I�m most commonly known as Rum.�

�Master Rum, you�ve arrived at quite the timely hour. Lady Rania is now deep in slumber and the moons are out to waltz with the tides. But I see you�re in no condition to travel back across the lawn to the village to stay in an inn, so follow me,� Colonel explained frankly and turned, heading towards the manor.

Rum gulped and took a deep breath. He heaved his tiny traveling pack over his shoulder and headed behind this ghostly man, �I do apologize,� he went on, watching his feet to make sure they didn�t step in holes in the blackness of the lawn, �I have a very urgent message from my Lady the 1st of Derm.�

�And what would that be?� Colonel questioned, pulling open the large doors.

�It�s for the Lady Rania�s ears alone,� Rum answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.

�I see,� Colonel helped to shuffle the little fellow through the door way and led him to the Grand Stairwell.

�My, what a mighty palace this is,� Rum gazed about at the stone, candle lit walls and mighty corridor, ribbed with curling arches.

�Manor,� Colonel corrected, ascending the stairs.

�Indeed. I should be too excited to sleep,� he exclaimed, tripping up a step and loosening a button in his patch-work vest, �or too frightened,� he added with shock as a smaller apparition than Colonel flashed across the top of the stairwell, �I mean not frightened, intrigued really.�

�Here is your room, the guest quarters,� Colonel stopped at a well lit landing between the first floor and the top, �if you need anything find the bell near the washbasin and ring,� and with that, Colonel melted into the floor and left
Rum to his overflowing thoughts.

�What a kind man � ghost � spirit he was,� he thought to himself with a squeaky, screechy sigh and entered the enormous guest chambers to sleep for the evening.

Hours had passed and it was soon the darkest hour of the morning. Rania restlessly shifted about in bed. Her dreams had haunted her, dreams of the mines collapsing, dreams of the Whilds being pilfered, of pirates raiding the loading docks. She held a pillow and breathed the night air through her small nose. As she inhaled the air, she instantly became stiff � alarmed. The room smelt suddenly of salt and sea grass and fish. The room was no longer sheeted with moons� light, but was blanketed in blackness with a queer blue glow. Her lips trembled as she began to call for Colonel, but fright kept her from calling, kept her from moving. Her limbs were positively hopeless.

�Lithereal,� a dark whisper clouded and whirred within Rania�s ears, �Lithereal, at last, the day has come,� the whisper came nearer. She lifted her head and curls from the pillow and met a man without a shadow. Long, dark hair messy with sea grass entangled fell on his shoulders. He slouched at the head of Rania�s bed and leaned closer, into the waning blue glow, revealing a similar blue of eyes that gazed very sadly down a long nose. He put both hands on the two bed posts and grinned.

�Who are you?� Rania breathed, staring uncertainly at this tall stranger who had entered her chambers so early in the morning.

�My darling, Rora. Have you certainly forgotten such a love?� the man tilted his head to the side. Behind his scraggly body, and peering widely through the bedroom window was one gigantic eye. One, mellow blue eye, glassed with ocean ice. It blinked slowly and splashed the window with salt water. Rania scrambled from beneath her blankets and held herself against the wooden frame of the bed which seemed a poor sense of protection.

�I know no Rora. I know no Lithereal. I know no love,� she said brushing back her sleepy bangs slowly. The man took two large strides around the bed, ticking his tongue and gazed deeply into Rania�s eyes in the soft glow of the room. He leaned over the bed and with one slimy, grimy hand held Rania�s chin, she flinched and froze, and realized she could not feel his touch. She stared right through the man�s eyes and at the one gigantic peering through the window. Whoever he was was a spirit. She regained her composure and sat up.

�Spirit, whoever you are, I demand you leave at once,� Rania ordered, shaking off the strange hand. The soft blue glow burned into an angry red and the man�s face stiffened with stress. He harshly pushed back his messy hair to calm himself. Rania watched with wariness as the man paced the creaky floor boards without creaking.

He pointed at Rania, his thin, long arm outstretched from beneath a loose, holey sleeve, �You will learn to not speak so sweetly to the Drone,� he growled, �you are obviously not Lithereal. You will find her and bring her to me,� the man�s stature deteriorated, his silouette in the darkness turned into a thin film and disappeared completely, stepping into the gigantic eye outside the window. Rania stood from her bed in a frightened silence and tip toed to the window as the eye drew back, revealing the enormous ocean creature.

�They will follow you until you return. They are not of Arimonde. They are not human. What folly men are to seek such treasure,� an angry whisper mingled in her mind. Rania shivered and shouted for Colonel.

�Colonel!� Rania called out in the eerie quiet of her room, starring out at two vicious red eyes fixed on her own.