The
ENDËRLAND
Chronicles
Volume I
‘BOOK OF DANIEL’
Ed Marishta
London 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
The Endërland Chronicles: Book of Daniel – 2nd edition.
Copyright © 2015 Ed Marishta
CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
THE REAL WORLD
I HAVE A DREAM
MY QUEEN
INTRODUCTIONS & REUNIONS
INTRODUCTIONS & REUNIONS - PART 2
BEHOLD
THE COUNCIL
A QUEST FOR FIVE
LIGHTNING & THUNDER
FALLING…
ON THE RUN
DARD’H
REVELATIONS & RESOLUTIONS
IN THE VALLEY OF DESTINY
BATTLE
WIND OF CHANGE
A NEW WORLD
BOOK 2 PREVIEW
Dedicated to:
My parents, to whom I owe so much more than my love and respect. They laid the foundation and started the work for me to become the man I am today.
Thank you guys!
Author’s Note
The drawing of a lone wolf (or a horse, I can’t remember now) staring at the moonlight, was the cause and start of the tale in these pages. It was intended as a gift to someone who was obsessed with the moon and its beauty. I challenged it and offered to do one better, to create a whole story about it, though I never intended to turn it into a book, much less publish it.
I’ve never thought of myself as a writer and once you’ve read the first few pages of “Book of Daniel”, you might be inclined to agree with me. Yet, as this work born of love and dreams grew bigger and took the shape and volume it has now achieved, I decided to put it out there and share it with others who enjoy a bit of fantasy.
I would not have reached at this point however, without the help and support of a few people close to me, who have constantly supported and encouraged me to finish this project, believing in me, even when my own faith held me back. Thank you guys; you know who you are.
Special thanks go to Erika Giselle Santiago for the amazing cover, which I’m very proud of. You are absolutely brilliant Erika. Looking forward to working with you on the second and third books.
I am also immeasurably grateful to my family and closest friends for being a constant source of love and joy in my life.
Above all, I thank God for inspiring and leading me to develop and complete this story, taking it to the point where it is now ready for you dear reader to enjoy.
The Real World
“All that we see or seem
is but a dream within a dream.”
Edgar Allan Poe
The big day was only hours away. September 15th would find Daniel officially nineteen, not that it really mattered to him. Sure, turning into adulthood was a welcome event, but he wasn’t overly fond of the “graduating ceremony” that came before it.
It had been years since he’d last felt excited about his birthdays, even though his dad always found a way to make the day extra special. He had great memories from them all, but of course, as with everything, there were favorites.
He could still vividly remember his tenth birthday. His dad had thrown quite the party for him, inviting not only his classmates, but also all of their neighbors and his own work colleagues from the police station. They, in turn, had brought along their own spouses and children. It had turned out a very crowded affair, and Daniel had received literally over a hundred presents. Some of those he still had, tucked away somewhere with his old toys and belongings in the attic.
His 13th birthday had also been quite memorable. His dad took him to Disneyland that year and practically got all the characters there to sing him Happy Birthday and pose with him for pictures and pecks on the cheek.
Daniel had never been too fond of pecks on the cheek, from adults or furry fake or real animals. This might have had something to do with one of his dad’s friends, whom he used to call uncle Timmy. Whenever they met, uncle Timmy would lean over to kiss little Daniel on the cheek, but at the very last moment would give him e little bite instead. That always made Daniel angry, especially since his father laughed about it every time it happened. Eventually, Daniel learned to keep away from the nibbling policeman, but could never go far enough. His dad and Timmy had grown up together and were like brothers, hence the nickname uncle.
It was uncle Timmy, however, who was responsible for his most favorite birthday, so he’d managed to at least gain back some of the trust he’d lost from Daniel. Last year he had arranged a holiday trip for him and his dad; they’d spent an entire week sunbathing and scuba diving in a beautiful coral reef in Corfu, Greece. With a little help from the people at the resort, his dad had practically recruited all the fish in the reef to play a part in wishing Daniel a very under-watery happy birthday.
It was then that Daniel discovered his new love in life, the sea. He loved to swim and dive. They would go seaside together as often as they could with his dad, but David did not feel comfortable letting him go alone. He felt very protective of his only boy, even though he wasn’t little anymore. So Daniel had to be satisfied with a swimming pool the rest of the time. He didn’t mind, he loved swimming and was very good at it. There was a sense of freedom he felt in the water, and even in a limited space such as a pool, he always felt he could swim forever and go far.
Those were the fondest memories of his birthdays, though they had all been special. No matter how great the birthday treat was though, Daniel would never feel entirely happy. He loved his dad and appreciated everything he did for him, but try as he might, Daniel could not help but feel a little sad on that day. He learned to hide this from David and got better at pretending as the years went by, but deep inside he’d come to wish they would completely scratch the whole thing and pretend it was just another day. This way he would maybe forget about the first ever birthday he could remember.
He had just turned five the morning his father had walked into his room, sat down on the floor with him and held him tight for a very long time. Daniel could still remember his dad’s hot tears running down his spine, soaking the little t-shirt wet, and his sobs while telling him that mommy would not be there for his birthday that day. He remembered asking where she was and why she had left all day long, but he had never seen her again. David had made sure he’d still had the party and the cake, the friends and the presents, but nothing had felt right. His mommy wasn’t there, and his daddy had been so sad.
That memory haunted Daniel every year. Here he was about to be nineteen, and he knew there would be presents, and cake, and whatever else his dad had planned for the event. But he also knew that his mother would not be there. And, despite all the good time and the fun, he knew his dad would be sad. He would be sad.