Rising to Fall

Prologue

I forgot to put this in the last chapter, so I'll do it here:

This book is technically not a Minecraft book. It's set in the real world in the Medieval Age..... but with electricity, earmuffs and spray cans.... and probably one or two other things as well. Let's just move on to the story.

The sea rushes past, crashing waves creating white foam that washes away. A massive flat expanse of blue that glitters under the sun, high above in the cloudless sky. A shore: sandy beaches fading into rocky outcrops that rise up, standing firm as the sea rises and crashes against it only to fall back. However, near the beginning of time, the shore relented to the crashing of the waves and part of the sea floods into the land, becoming a river that runs deep and long, heading south, splitting into smaller streams until finally coming to a stop at the base of the massive Great Dividing Range that is far inland. At the mouth of this river, the white sandy beaches give way to rocks that open up to the stream. Beyond the rise of the rocks, set a little back from the sea and the river mouth, sits a massive walled city named the Capital.

The Capital. Situated on a large plain, the Capital is bordered on one side by the sea and the other side by the river with high banks. To the south of the Capital, hills rise and fall, but the west is flat and full of grass, slowly becoming a small forest. Built of stone and wood, the windows of the houses within the tall, solid stone walls of the Capital catch the light of the sun high above. The wall is smooth on the outside, with a yellow finish over the grey stone that it was built with. Being several metres thick, the tops of the wall are patrolled by warriors, keeping those within safe from any possible attack. The warriors themselves, clad in iron, stand stiff and tall in the hot sun, their skin bearing a strange blue tinge.

Banners fly from the large castle-like building at the centre of the circle formed by the walls, the turrets stretching up high and offering a spectacular view of the surrounding land and the forest set several kilometres away to the north-west. As the centre of the Capitol, the castle is by far the most impressive and expensive building. Built with the same smooth stone as the walls, the castle is the centre of operations for those who are in charge, who rule the land.

Those who rule, as with all who rule in this present time, are a strong army unit, with a vast number of warriors that are united under a single General. These warriors are strong fighters and also strong swimmers, able to fight with ease on both land and water. Their skin, tinged a permanent blue, allows them to seemingly fade into the water, however, they look out of place on the land. They call themselves 'Squids' after the elusive creature that dwells underneath the surface of the blue. They take care of a large section of land, one of the largest this side of the Great Dividing Range.

The Squids rule the land well and fairly. They distribute the food produced by the many villages in their territory evenly so that no one goes hungry. Poverty is practically eradicated in villages and the Capital. Everyone is equal with their neighbour, with the same pay, rights, status in society and access to education. The Squids own all the businesses in their territory, making sure that everyone over the age of 17 is employed so that they can earn a living, survive and thrive.

From the outside of the territory of the Squids, and even from the inside, everything seems perfect and well functioning. But, like with all rules and ruling systems, there are those who struggle more than ever.

Those who were poor are now paid and working, and live with the same living standards as their neighbour. But those who were poor and have no chance at a job, either from being too old; too weak; too hurt; too disabled; they are poorer than ever, with no one to care for them. They are forced, with no place to go, into the outskirts of the villages and the Capital, or even out to the forests and plains to try and survive. Needless to say, many do not.

Being blind to the suffering of those who had no way of helping themselves, the world continues moving, the Squids ruling and the people living their lives, all working and all surviving.

Whelp, here it is. I present to you Rising to Fall. Grab your popcorn, grab your friend and buckle your seatbelt because this ride starts slow, but it soon goes like a rollercoaster.

I mean, it's called Rising to Fall for a reason.

P.S If anyone has any suggestions for the cover, I am wide open.

P.P.S The Great Dividing Range is the name of a range of mountains in Australia which start in the north of Queensland and run all the way down to western Victoria. I needed a name, and that's what I thought of.