Prologue

I stared up at the leaves high above. No stars. Never stars. Unless you live in the high canopy, chances are you'll never see them. But a girl can dream. I heard stories all my life about stars. Twinkling, shining, staying hidden.

But stars aren't needed down here. Torches eluminate the forest floor, casting eire shadows. They burn all night and day, because sunlight never makes it's way down here.

The entire surface of Kalanade is like this. Nothing but trees. They tower into the sky, blocking out the world above. But enough about the depressing circumstances of my home, let me tell you a bit about me.

My names Karma. Strange. Karma never seems to be on my side, but I'm named after it. You see, I'm an orphan. A poor, lonely, orphan. Not even a spirit of the forest, a fancy term for someone who can make plants grow at their will. Nope. I'm just me. Karma.

I get up and head back to the orphanage. Ms. Baumic is probably planning my punishment right now. Shes a spirit, an ignorant one too. Thinks she's better than all us non-spirits. I always wonder why she only allows my kind into her orphanage.

Anyway I have to get back soon, or I won't get supper. Just in case i grab a few bananas off a low tree, then continue on the trail. It's not a very well worn trail, because it's my trail. No one else's. I made by myself, I walk by myself and if anyone were to touch it I would murder them. No joke. For some reason I'm super protective over this trail. I feel like it's the only thing I will ever accomplish in my entire life. I ain't gonna let anybody ruin it.

After a few minutes of walking I reach the orphanage. It's a thick tree that towers hundred of feet in the air. Not much to look at around here. I'm about to step in when my foot gets stuck in a root, like it does every time I try to enter. When I look down, ready to ripe the vine to smitherines, it's gone. As always. Wiping the dirt off my hands I look up to see Raven staring down at me with her beady, dark eyes. She mrs. Baumic's daughter, a spirit. Not a very good one though. Making small vines is just about all she can do.But it's awfully annoying.

She turns and runs along the branch she's perched on and disappears, her black hair wiping around. I hate her. I have my entire life. But everyone does so I'm not alone. Sometimes it seems like she dedicates her time just to make all our lives miserable, as they aren't bad enough.

Before mrs. Baumic even gets a good look at me, I'm sent to my room. No surprise there. Head low I walk up the spiraling staircase that twists up the sides of the hallow tree, as I do everyday. Good thing about Mrs. Baumic is she is a pretty experienced spirit. This tree looks like any other tree in the forest but the inside is anything but.

As I just told you I ws making my way up a staircase. Bellow me was a kitchen( where the other children were be served dinner ) and next to it was the area Mrs. Baumic used to talk to potential parents, which is collecting dust. Every few steps doors block off extra rooms. No one ever want the bottom rooms. Except me.

My room isn't at the very bottom of the tree. But it's not even halfway up. I never saw any point of going up to the top rooms. I have no friends up there and it's just a longer walk. So before I know it I'm sitting in my bed nibbling on a banana. Once I'm done I decide it's time to go to bed. No point in going back outside, because I'm sure to be caught. So I lay down, pull up my mossy blanket and close my tear filled eyes.

Part1

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I felt as if someone was holding a torch directly above my head. I tried to see the sorce of the warmth but I was blinded by bright, white light. Under my feet a thin branch begins to crack. Then I'm falling. I take one final look at the bright light, then fall to my death.

Heart pounding I sit up. What an awful dream! Not the gratest way to start your day, ya know? After my heart stops beating at 1000 beats per second, I get out of bed and get dressed in tan leather pants and a dark green button down shirt. I grab my dagger and attach it to my belt. I look ou my small window to find it's still dark out. Perfect.

This is the only time I feel I can ever be alone. When I hunt. I gess it's not real hunting but I love it. Basically looking for spirits to annoy. Like raven's alter ego, if she had one. Anyway I grabbed the long vine I've hid under my bed, tie it to the edge of my window and start climbing down. Once my feet touch the mossy ground, I tie up my long dirty blond hair into a pony tail and take off running.

Once the torches off Jamilin city are in view, I skillfuly climb up a tree. It's the same tree I always climb so it takes no time. It's also the only tree I've ever learned to climb. When I reach the lowest branch I hurry across it, almost slipping when the lace of my combat boot gets stuck on a twig. I hop across from tree to tree until I'm perched above the entrance archway to the city. Then I take out my old black cloak from the leather pack strapped to my back.

The next thing I know I'm running for my life. I didn't know that the vine I just cut had been connected to an elevator system! And that it was carrieing the leaded of the Jamilin town army! But the police were still chasing me and I was loving it. I geuss my life isn't that bad, as long as there are rules for me to break. In my fourteen years that's all I've enjoyed. There just something exilerating about running from the law, don't ya think? Well I really don't care what you think.

The shouts of he police grow fainted and fainter until there nothing but a wisper. Panting I sit down on a log and take in my surroundings. I have absalutely no idea were I am. It looks like any other opening in the forest but smells different. Like something's burning. I get up and look around, praying I'm not caught Ina forest fire. But the tower trees are unharmed, still a bit wet from a storm a few days ago. But I do notice a glowing ember hiding in the dirt. Freshly buried. I walk over cautiiosly and find a well worn sachel laying next to it. I pick I up and look inside. Gold! So much gold! I never imagined this much even existed! But there it was, glittering in my hands. Without a second thought I tuck the sachel and it's precious contents in to my pack and start trying to find my way home.

"And where have you been?" asked Mrs Baumic with a look of rage on here face.

After hours of hiking through the woods I arrived back at the orphanage, covered in sweat from the tropical humidity, the only kind of humidity I know of.

"Uhh.."

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" she screamed so I went to my room, I had defied enough rules for one day.

The moment I close my door my face breaks into a huge grin. Not only because I'm am now the riches person on all of Kalanade, but I also can finally put down my pack. I never would have guessed gold weighed so much. It's like carrying a hippo on your back. But it was worth it. I pull out the sachel and once again look inside. It was amazing. Now as I fingered through the gold tokens, jewelry and nuggets I found diamonds, rubies, emeralds and all sorts of gems. Before I hurt my eyes looking at them shine, I put them in the loose pach of wall. My whole room is woven out of branches but I found a sort of pocket behind a thick branch and I've been hiding things there ever since.

I lock my door, grab my dagger, and go looking for lunch because the chances of me getting and here are slim. Very, very slim.

Part 2 >>

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.11.2011

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