There exists a small village named Bloem, nestled on the eastern port of one of many floating islands in the sky. This village is sort of, if not secluded from the rest of the island, as there is a forest on the west of it known for its dangerous monsters. Sky-Forest Nercia's monsters prevent those who try to pass through as they have no remorse for human life, so the people of Bloem must remain in their village or use the airships to move to the interior of the island.
…
In the village of Bloem, nestled on the eastern port of a floating island in the sky, lived a 15 year old boy named Lysander who stood 5'8" tall. He has a youthful face with a slightly rounded jawline and a bright, engaging smile. His eyes are a striking sky blue, filled with unflinching determination. They often sparkle with mischief and stubbornness. He has a tousled chestnut-brown hair that falls just above his eyes, giving him a carefree and slightly wild appearance.
His family is made of simple sky-farmers, the people who dedicated themselves to farming so that they can provide for their family. But Lysander yearned for more than the predictable life his parents, especially the life his mother had mapped out for him.
His only solace was his best friend, Orion. Unlike the boisterous Lysander, Orion was calm and thoughtful, his sharp eyes always observing, always analyzing. He has a more angular face with a strong jawline and a determined expression. His eyes are a deep hazel, flecked with gold, radiating warmth and steadfastness. He has thick, dark black hair that he keeps cropped short on the sides, with a bit longer on top.
They were an unlikely pair, but their bond was unbreakable.
At fifteen, their friendship had already weathered many storms. They spent their days exploring the island, and their nights fixing an old, broken-down airship they had found in the forest when they were only 10. It was their secret project, their shared dream. In hopes that one day, they'll begin their very own adventure.
This world, in it's entirety consists of a lot of powerhouses. If you don't like something, but you lack the power to change it. Then it's better to just let it be.
One day, as Lysander & Orion were working on the airship, Lysander's father's voice could be heard in the distance. "Lys, you better go get rid of him before he finds out what we're doing here," Orion told Lysander. He just nodded and left.
"Lysander! Orion! Just where in this land are you boys!?" Lysander's father was yelling so much, he didn't hear his son responding five times in front of him. When he finally saw him, Lysander was oily. His father was always wondering and asking himself this question, how does Lysander get oily when he's only playing in the woods? But he never took it too seriously.
His face was a thunderstorm of worry. "You have been gone since breakfast, and now it's nearing dusk. Don't you boys ever get hungry?" he asked. But Lysander didn't answer the question, "We will be right there, father. And time moves super fast when you're enjoying huh?" They both broke down in laughter, "You'll never believe I was once your age," claimed Lysander's father.
He stood up, "Well let me get going kid, I must help your mother prepare for dinner." He then left for the house, which was approximately 2 kilometres from his current location. Lysander did not bother following his father, he just went back to his pal, Orion.
Orion saw Lysander coming from the corner of his eye, "So I take it your old man came here to tell you about food again?"
"Arg, why am I even asking, you know that's his everyday routine. Right?" Orion laughed at his friend, "Your family just does not believe you can survive without them." He continued laughing.
"No, it just shows that they care about me." Lysander's eyes wanted to turn watery, but Orion just wouldn't stop his teasing.
"Yeah, like they've been doing for the past 15 years of your life." He broke down in laughter again, Lysander couldn't take it anymore so he hurried to punch his friend. The two exchanged blows but none of them was fatal enough to change the way they looked.
After around 5 minutes of that, they were both laying down in their partially fixed airship. "Hey Lys," Lysander was wondering why his friend suddenly called his name. "Yeah, what's up?"
"Do you know that if you cut any bird's feathers, it will never fly?" Orion asked.
"Duh! Obviously, are you stupid or what?" And the two started going at it again, they were at each other's throats like this everyday since they knew each other. They spend quite a lot of time together for people who are way different.
As they were still fighting, Orion's Aetheric Vision Device (AVD) rang. AVDs are used for video communication and recording videos of course. At the heart of each AVD is a Crystal Projector that utilizes Aetheric Crystals to capture and transmit video. These crystals can record live footage and project it onto a spacial viewing screen or directly into the viewer's field of vision through a pair of goggles or visors.
Orion answered it, and there was a footage in mid air. "Orion, you have been keeping such a thing from me?"
"Hmph, what do you expect? It's not like we will never need it, every piece of information about the world is important you know?"
"Yeah yeah, that's your stuff Ori. Please spare me the boredom."
The video was showing a man who was smiling, even though he was about to, or was facing death head on. The man was still smiling, even though he was on his knees in one of the most dangerous places known to men. Once you go there, you'll never come back. This place is none other than Aetherium Colosseum.
The man who was on his kness, with the Skywardens' Aetheric Binding technique on could feel his life force being drained away. "Hahahaha, I finally did it. I got to taste defeat, and to all of you wondering where the Elysium's Crown is I'll tell you. I left it at the end of Celestial Archipelago, hahahaha."
People who were viewing this couldn't believe their ears, "Did he really just say Celestial Archipelago??"
"He must be crazy, nobody can sail there." Those were comments from people who have heard of this place.
"Hahahaha, crazy old man. Who's going to buy that crappy story of his? Hahaha." Orion laughed, then he suddenly stopped when he couldn't hear Lysander laughing alongside him. Lysander was lost in his thoughts, but he suddenly got his mouth to open up.
"What the hell is this Celestial Archipelago place? And what's it's deal?" Lysander asked interested. Orion was caught surprised by his friend's question, but he was even more surprised by the look he saw in his friend's eyes. He has never seen them like that before.
"Celestial Archipelago is a mystical region located high above the clouds, far removed from the typical routes of sky sailing." Orion explained hoping it would make his friend less interested, but it had the opposite effect on him.
"Wow, you mean way above us? I can find that crown?" Lysander asked, his voice trembling in excitement. "Yes above us, and do you know why people don't bother going there? It's because this archipelago is a collection of floating islands that are shrouded in aetheric mist, making them difficult to locate and access. You'll be lost and die before you even see the next island."
"Yes, I know. But if I got you here, we'll never get lost. Right, Ori?" Lysander asked with a big smile on his face, "And before you even think about it, I'm not taking no for an answer. We're leaving tomorrow, yay. Hehehehe, ouch." Orion hit Lysander at the back of the head, "We are way too young to be sailing these skies by ourselves, let's wait until we're at the very least 17. That should be a legal age around here, but setting sail alone before one is already 17 is like making a Skywardens' party."
Lysander was holding his chin as if he was in deep thoughts, "Hmmm, okay. We'll do it your way then. Let's make a promise, two years from now our airship should be complete so we can sail for the skies that are unheard of."
"And meet beautiful women I have never seen before, now you are talking Lys." Orion started to lick his lips, they then pumped their fists. "I promise you, I will make you a Crownbearer Lys."
The two started laughing uncontrollably, until it was time to depart and head home. Honestly, Lys' favourite time of the day was when he was with his friend.
That night, under a blanket of stars, they made a pact. They would sail the skies together, seek out the legendary Elysium's Crown, and live the adventure they had dreamed of. Little did they know, their journey was just beginning.