I've had this one floating around a while. I think I need to so something with it.
Chance Foster and the Sword of Saint George
Synopsis
Chance Foster is a young 13 year old boy who lives in Salem, Massachusetts along with his parents, Ben (short for Bensvelk) & Trini Foster. They live in an old Georgian Colonial home on Essex Street. Upon his graduation from Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, Chance spies a tall bald man in dark clothing staring at him intently during the outdoor ceremony. Chance and his parents go to dinner that evening to celebrate, during which time Chance inadvertently causes a major commotion at the restaurant. Unbeknown to him, this is caused by a use of magical energy Chance is able to summon without intention when he is confronted by a local group of bullies who were also at the restaurant. While Chance is unaware of how this occurred, his parents seem quite concerned, and appear to be hiding something.
As they return to their home that evening, Chance and his parents are set upon in their home by a large two headed dog like creature covered with scales. Chances parents are killed as they set themselves between the creature and Chance, but not before they push him through an old coal chute which slides him outside the home. Still reeling from their death, Chance sees the tall dark man rushing quickly towards him. In a panic, he flees.
Chance eventually makes it down to the warf, and hides in The Scale House. Alone, scared, and still in shock from his parents death, he hears the approaching footsteps of the creature that killed his parents. In his fear, he makes a noise that attracts the creatures attention. The creature rips off the door of the Scale House, and prepares to make a lunge at Chance. Just as it leaps, it is encased in a swirling globe of water that then levitates in the air. The creature, encased in the globe, is then frozen as the sphere of water turns to ice, and is rapidly thrown across the road into the brick wall of another building, shattering both the frozen globe of water and the creature. Into the doorway walks the tall dark man, who extends his hand, and says ‘Chance, you must come with me before all is lost.’
Chance immediately feels a bit more calm, without knowing why, and follows they tall man as they rush down towards the Derby Warf. As they approach the warf, Chance sees a large three masted Salem East Indiaman trading ship berthed next to the Friendship. As they approach, 3 figures in armor descend the gangway and meet them. They are introduced as Paladins, and are there to protect them. A large fireball interrupts them, cast from a previously unseen figure standing at the head of the warf. Even from a distance, Chance can see the figure clearly, as he has impeccable vision. He can see the man’s eyes, which appear to be solid, glowing rubies. The man raises his hands and moves them about in a quick fashion, and another large fireball appears in his hands, which is then hurled at the five on the docks. One of the Paladins grabs a large tower shield from his back and steps between Chance and the incoming firebolt. The bolt envelops the paladin, tossing him into the bay as it consumes him. The dark man mutters a few words, holding one arm high in the air and aiming the other at the figure on the docks. Lightning comes down from the sky and channels through the dark mans arms towards the standing figure. While it misses it’s target, it does strike a fuel station behind him, and creates a large explosion. The dark man rushes Chance up onto the boat, along with the two remaining paladins. The sails unfurl themselves, as the dark man seems to channel the winds to move them forward. The boat leaps rapidly ahead from the warf. The enemy on the shore watches the ship shimmer, and then disappear. Visibly angry, he tosses another fireball at the Friendship, a replica museum ship also berthed at the warf. The resulting explosion consuming the ship completely.
The tall dark man introduces himself as Chances uncle he never knew, Maelorn Foster. He promises that he will explain everything in the morning, but things must be attended too, and Chance is brought below.
Once beneath the main decks, Chance is amazed at what appears to be a much larger interior than conceivable possible from an outside observer. Oppulent trappings encase the subdeck, which seems to be more expected to be found in an old luxurious ocean liner than an colonial Tall Ship. Still in wonder at his surroundings, he is lead to a room that he is informed is his, a comfortable accommodation that is adorned with images and artwork in ancient European tradition. The predominant theme is Dragons. His escort, a kindly woman named Nafeene Dask, mixes together a tonic that Chance, once he sips it, revels that it tastes of butterscotch and marshmellows. He rapidly falls asleep.
That evening, Chance has a very vivid dream of a Man who appears to be a paladin, standing along on the side of a large lake, using a glowing sword made of the purest of metals and surrounded by a radiant green glow, beheading a large, fierce dragon that was threatening a beautiful Arabian woman.
Awakening from the dream the next morning, Chance is brought to a majestic eating hall (again, he marvels at how all of this can be inside such a small three masted ship) where he finds Maelorn with 2 of the paladins from the day before, Martin Lumos and Dante D’oro. They no longer are wearing their armor from the day before, and are each wearing luxurious robes of green and gold that seems to be made of some exquisite scale. Maelorn explains that the Paladin order has been around since before the Dark Ages, and is the warrior faction of the L'umanità. Chance asks what that is, but before Maelorn can answer, 2 young children run into the room. Maelorn brightens as he gets the opportunity to introduce Chance to his cousin, Maelorns son Deevin, and Deevin’s studymate, a young girl of amazing blond hair and green eyes called Lauren Vorel. Time is spent as Deevin and Chance instantly bond, as if they have been of a fellowship of some time instead of just meeting. Chance, however, stumbles badly over his own tounge speaking to Lauren.
Maelorn informs the three he has urgent business to attend too, and asks Deevin and Lauren to show Chance around the ship, which is called the Estinzione.
Deevin and Lauren tell Chance that the ‘Esti’, as they call the ship, is their home, traveling the world under a shroud of stealth. It is part home, part school, where they are taught the ways of Irthos Idoli, the ‘Secret Way’. Many of them aboard are magic enabled, and the Irthos Idoli is the method of how they wield it. There are about 50 children on board, all actively learning various schools of the Irthos. Those schools are Sorcery, Divine Arts, Arcane Arts, and standard skills of blade and steel. Modern weapons are shunned as a tool of the ungifted. Deevin informs Chance that he cannot tell him what enables them to do so, as Maelorn has specifically informed them that Chance will be informed of the history of the Irthos Idoli later in a secret session. The tour includes the Great Hall, the Classrooms, the Battle Rooms, and various other quarters. The final stop is the upper deck, which still appears very much as an old three masted east Indian bark. At the front of the Esti sits a massively ornate figurehead of a dragon with very large eyes.
Suddenly, the events of the past day hit Chance heavily, and he falls to the deck in tears as he mourns the loss of his parents.