To my dear sister, and to all who read this book!

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The sky was a perfect painting of orange, pink, and blue. The beautiful colors swirled into a canvas of nature, and the wind blew softly, making Journey Rosevale's hair wave around her face. Her hair was pastel pink and pale orange, in honor of the pretty sky.

She looked down at the beach down the hill, where a few people were splashing in the faint morning light. Tears slid down her face as she looked at a mom and a dad with their child, hugging him as they got ready for a very early day at the beach.

Journey felt her heart ache, and her green-blue eyes widened as more tears poured down her face.

She reached out beside her, imagining she had parents of her own who could hug her and kiss her and be her friends. She had none. She didn't have anything, really.

But it was a dream that was unlikely to happen. She remembered the one thing she had seen of her parents, big eyes similar to hers in color, and purple hair. Sky blue eyes and pale brown hair.

Her one memory was the closest thing she had to a mom and dad.

She slid to the grass, and she watched the sun rise in rays of gold.

Her purple blouse was loose, and it rippled in the windy morning.

Journey sighed, and she hurried down the hill, wiping her tears away as she did so.

She walked down to the village, and the few people that were out started at her as she made her way down the familiar cobblestone path.

She heard one of them whisper the name that the village people called her whenever they caught sight of her. She was 'The Girl of Dreams'.

Her essence was pure magic to everyone who met her. She looked as if she had been painted into existence by delicate, beautiful strokes of color.

With peachy skin softer than feathers, and long locks of hair that turned different colors at her will. She had wide green-blue eyes that reflected the beauty of the sky, and the few outfits she had that fit even when it seemed unlikely.

Journey straightened the lavender colored bow in her hair, her soft sigh echoing through the quiet streets.

Children peeked out their windows, pointing at the ethereal girl who made their way down their street.

There were even rumors that if you saw The Girl of Dreams, you would get good luck for a week! But Journey didn't find herself very lucky.

She was an orphaned girl, with no one to care for her, alone except for the people that whispered things about her that she doubted were true.

Journey usually wandered the village by herself all day, but when the time came for her to rest, she sought refuge under a weeping willow tree that hung over the river just outside the village.

She sat under the willow tree, her pastel hair hanging over her face as she listened to the ancient words the trees whispered to her.

Journey sat, smiling at the two young children playing in the river. One gaped and started whispering to her friend.

"That's The Girl of Dreams! If you see her, you'll get good luck for a week!"

A giggling girl mumbled to her friend, a little boy.

"Really?" He said, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of her. "She's pretty! Should we say hi?"

The girl pondered it. "I've never met anyone who's talked to The Girl of Dreams! Maybe we should. She seems nice. Good idea, Emrys!"

The little boy's energy peaked. "I'm gonna go get Emmett!" He hurried off into the trees of the surrounding forest.

He came back a minute later pulling another, older boy, along with him.

The older boy, Emmett, seemed quite surprised.

Emmett had disheveled brown hair and vivid green eyes. He had a white shirt and overalls, and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

Journey's face immediately warmed, and she only just was able to keep a big grin off her face.

"Hello!" She called, her soft, beguiling voice seeming to surprise the boy even more.

"Hi," he said, giving a shy wave.

Are we going to get extra luck?" The little boy, Emrys, wondered aloud.

"Emrys!" Emmett scolded, glaring at him.

Journey stood up, the willow leaves blowing perfectly around her.

"How do you do?" Journey said with a polite smile.

"We're good! Do you live under that willow tree?" Emmett's face went pink at the little girl's question.

Journey laughed and bent down to the small girl. "Yes, I do. It's a beautiful place to live."

The girl beamed. "I'm Violet. Do you have a name, or is it just The Girl of Dreams?"

"Nice to meet you, Violet," Journey said, shaking Violet's small hand. "And yes, my name's Journey."

"Ooh, Journey!" Violet said, skipping back over to Emrys.

"VIOLET! EMRYS! EMMETT!" Came a shout from the nearby houses.

A woman with messy brown hair was waving from one of the nearest cottages.

"Time to come home!" She called.

Bye, Miss Journey!" Emrys waved.

Journey waved as well, and the three siblings made their way back to the village.

Meanwhile...

The king of Sylvoraenia, Oberon Merlin, sat on his jewel encrusted throne in the elegant throne room of the Sylvoraenia Palace.

He was young, only in his thirties, and he had white hair like white snow. His eyes were a piercing gold, and he wore a robe of a rich shade of gold to match his eyes.

"Your highness!" A guard came into the room.

"Do you have a list of names?" The king asked.

The guard nodded, bowing. "I do, sire."

King Oberon smiled. "Wonderful."

"But I have a suggestion!" The guard said.

King Oberon raised his eyebrows.

"There is this girl, from the village of Willowbrooke. Travelers tell tales of her beauty, and the occasional time she speaks, they claim it sounds like the wind rushing through the new leaves of spring. Some say she can control nature," the guard finished.

"Really?" The king said. The guard nodded. After a moment, King Oberon said. "She lives in Wiloowbrooke, correct?"

Back to Journey!

Journey couldn't think much about anything except the handsome boy that had come by the river with the other two siblings.

But then, something else took over her thoughts.

She had been walking through the village, whispering following her as she walked.

She heard a bit of what a girl nearby was talking about with her friends.

"The ball's tonight!" The girl exclaimed. "The whole of Willowbrook is

I don't have a dress or anything! Journey thought nervously.

She hurried into a dress shop, which was quite crowded with kids and adults all clambering for a fancy dress.

The crowd froze when they saw Journey, her pink skirt swishing as she made her way up to the front counter.

"Hello, Ms. Helena," Journey said. She had come here once before, for the blouse and skirt she had worn for years. Yet it didn't look dirty or old, and it fit her perfectly still.

"The Girl of Dreams! How can I help you, miss?" Ms. Helena asked.

Ms. Helen was a woman with wavy auburn hair and often wore long, single color dresses that nearly touched the floor.

"I need a dress. For the ball," Journey said.

Ms. Helena nodded. "As you wish." She stepped into the rows of clothes.

After a moment, she came out, carrying a gown that made Journey gasp.

It had a thick skirt with many layers of plush purple dress. The dress was the colors of twilight, with purple and blue and pale pink mixed together into a masterpiece of sewn together art.

There were glimmering little dots of white that peppered the dress, like stars. The sleeves were puffed, and it came with a dark purple headband.

Out of joy, she clamped her eyes shut and imagined hair colors that matched the dress.

Everyone in the crowd gasped as Journey's pastel hair was replaced, with a swirl of color, with purples and blues and pale pinks.

"There!" She said. "Thank you so much, Ms. Helena!" Journey stuffed her hand in her pocket and brought out her life savings from the few jobs she'd had when she was younger.

"Oh, thank you," Ms. Helena said, taking the money. Journey hurried out of the shop, and back to her willow tree.

She glanced at the water, and the thick trees around her.

She probably should have tried on the dress as Ms. Helena's.

"It doesn't matter." Journey mumbled. "I have a dress, and that's all I need right now."

She decided to go explore the forest. It was not an activity that she did often, and she wanted to do something more new.

So she entered the forest, the leaves in the trees rustling as the wind blew through them.

The birds chirped their cheerful melodies, and the critters of the forest made little noises.

The late morning sun filtered through the trees, making a dance of spotted golden light shining onto the forest floor.

The wind blew my sunrise-colored tresses around my face, and the perfectly spring green leaves blew around me in a dance.

It was so pretty. So unbelievably magical. Journey found it hard to believe that her, an orphan girl with rumors spread about her, was able to find such an amazing part of the world.

Suddenly, a growling brought Journey out of her trance.

She looked around, her gaze settling on a large bush nearby.

From beneath the shrubbery, a pair of slitted golden eyes watched her every movement.

Journey felt pulled to the creature watching her, and she took a few hesitant steps towards the bush.

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"Echoes Beneath Wandering Skies"

Name: Echoes Beneath Wandering Skies
Author: TheMageofbooks

TheMageofbooks

Journey Rosevale is an orphan girl with unbelievable beauty and hidden powers. When the announcement of a ball at the Palace comes to her village, Journey doesn't know that the ball is just the beginning of her adventures.

(27 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

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