Title: Longevity: The Awakening
Author: Caleb Smith
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Book Blurb
Alastair Ramsden was barely twelve years old when he witnessed the brutal death of his father. Growing up orphaned during the Scottish War of Independence, Alastair struggled to survive. The only place he knew to save him was an old oak tree in the middle of an upland field where he gained the ability to cross over into the 4th-dimensional elemental kingdom of Akasha. It was there he first connected with elementals of the sun, who helped him on his way to self-discovery. The Divine Queen Mother, great fire spirit of the earth ruled the elemental kingdom. When she came to Alastair’s aid by opening a portal into the grand oak tree leading him into Akasha, so he might escape a group of chasing English assailants, the journey begins as he must find the key to his escape and survival. His spiritual journey takes him through the woods, across Loch Lomond, and up into the highlands of Scotland in pursuit of a Ranger Elf who governs the appointed lands from the peak of the tallest mountain. Alastair and his gnome friend set out around the clock in a perilous quest, leading them to find that the night belongs to lunar fiends of the moon, who hunt those that walk by day beyond dusk. After being separated, it’s up to Alastair to last each night alone as he crosses paths with a cast of elemental creatures. In order to survive, Alastair must sacrifice everything to make it to the top of Ben Nevis in this multi-layered, Braveheart meets Phantastes inspired tale.
Excerpt
Alastair would never forget the ride into the burgh that night, holding on tight, riding in front, tucked into his father’s torso as they cut their way through the layers of nightfall. They carried a torch which jutted upright from a holster on the horse’s bridle. Like a hidden match in a body of darkness waiting for exposure, it waved on by man, boy and horse. This fire; a burning element that defeated anything in its path. Alastair lost his senses while his eyes became captivated by the flame that trailed just above his head. It dragged and kicked in the air, taking shape against the force that pulled it along the wind fed path. The fire’s duty was guidance in the night, but Alastair saw it different, alive and glowing with spirit. As he continued to watch its every move, unfamiliar shapes took place within and around it. A serpent with legs shifted and danced in the pubescent boy’s eyes. It was now more than just fire. It was a creature of sorts, alive and glowing orange, slithering through the pitch like tar of night, circling and hissing with its fork tongue as it acknowledged Alastair's open mind. The salamander danced around its burning core as the horse pounded down the beaten path that the Ramsdens would come to call a highway home.
“It’s just ahead, Son!”
Donnans words dragged him away from an outreached mind and back to a fast reality of the gathering to come. The boy was nervous, not only for himself but mostly for his father. There was no holding back; the decision for survival and the longevity of Cornish would land on the night of his seventh birthday. Alastair’s impressions became heightened that night, and it started with the visions from the torch. He felt more alive, and it wasn't just the fresh air blowing in his face. It was the world around him. He sensed greater things to come through hardships and strife. He could not help but allow this new found magnetic elation to whisk through and shake his inner core. As they entered the hall, groups of locals were gabbing about; some clustered around with clouded looks of worry while others powered moving mouths. Donnan’s only words before they entered chewed into his delicate mind.
“Stay close. Stay quiet and listen. Listen to every word shed and make your own assumption of what you think is right and wrong. I want you to think for yourself now; your life will one day come to depend on it. Okay, son?”
“Yes, Da.”
It was the only answer he could conjure. There was nothing else.
Donnan leaned forward and kissed his boy on the head. “It’s time then.”
Buy Link:
Author Biography:
Caleb Smith, an author from Bangor, Maine, holds a passion for nature, spiritual study, reading, family, poetry, art, and golf. Honesty, simplicity, and a hard work ethic are the things that best shape his day.
"I think it was in the summer of 2001 while painting a house on West Broadway in Bangor. In the sweltering heat, up on staging, I worked with two high school buddies when he drove by in a classic convertible. He looked our way and as we watched him cruise by, I told myself then that I wanted to tell stories like that guy........"
Social Media Links:
Facebook:@calebsmithauthor
Twitter@calebsmith79