The First Chapter of: The Evernight Chronicles

Saturday, July 3Rd, 3:53 P.M.
Mood: Creative, Poetic
Music: Remains of the Day, by Danny Elfman

My dear readers, I have decided to write a book. I will be posting it one chapter at a time for the forseable future, so enjoy.
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My book is the first of what I call The Evernight Chronicles.
The Evernight Chronicles follow the life of Mr. Victor Evernight.

But who is this Evernight?

I will tell you.

This is an excerpt from the early notes I took while writing the concept for the character.

"Magician, Inventor, Alchemist and Steamborg, Victor Evernight represents the quintessential steampunk inventor in the early Victorian age. "



And so now, without further ado, I present the first chapter.
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The Evernight Chronicles,

Book One:

Nightfall.

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Chapter 1

A Rather Gloomy Morning

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October 21, 1736,

London, England

It was a cold morning. The chill October winds had whisked a blanket of fog from the Thames over the sleepy London streets. The lamps were still lit, as it was so early in the morning, and most of the respectable citizens of London were still asleep. Lewisham, on the other hand, was already bustling with activity as the peddlers set up their wares for the early morning market.

A door on one of the side streets opened, and a tall gentlemen stepped out. He was an unusual sight for this part of London. Nearly 6 feet tall and elegantly dressed, he looked the picture of the upper class, and yet here he was in the industrial districts of the Thames.

He strode out of the shop and began to walk down the foggy street, black ebony cane by his side. He was oddly dressed, wearing a long black coat, black leather gloves, a scarf that covered most of his face, and a tall top hat sat atop his head.

The most unusual feature of the man though, was the large circular goggles he wore, which covered his eyes. The round lenses were almost perfectly reflective, and looked like those that one might expect to see on a worker in the shipyards, almost as if they were intended for metal working.

He strode down the street, past the stalls with the shouting vendors, over the Thames on the central bridge, and into the mist, almost disappearing into the early morning fog.

He returned home, and opened a heavy oak door in the front, next to which there was a plaque that read "Dr. Victor Evernight", and strode in.

He placed his hat, scarf and cane in the front hall, and made his way to the kitchen, where he picked up a kettle and some tea, then headed for the basement. He stopped at yet another door, this time with a note scrawled in spidery script that read "Lab, Do Not Enter." Smiling to himself, he opened the door and stepped in. A large switch lay near the door and he proceeded to turn it up, thus lighting the gas lamps in the lab, and illuminating it's contents. A sigh escaped his lips, he never tired of his workshop.

The room he entered was any inventor's dream. Huge tables and bookshelves crammed the walls, bending under the weight of all kinds of mechanical odds and ends. One of the bookcases was covered with various skulls, bottles of liquids and herbs, crystals and lenses, and a large intricately inlaid sphere that sat on a stand carved to look like the claw of some mythical creature. Objects that appeared to be of ancient origin lay strewn across the room, many carved with runes and delicately rendered writing. Tools were everywhere, any type one could imagine. Wrenches, gauges, measuring devices, flasks, tongs, and some that defied classification sat in various positions around the workshop. Designs and schematics covered the walls, and the desks were laden with yet more. Half finished inventions littered the room and in the center, suspended by chains, lay a great airship.

It was a magnificent sight, huge and ominous. It's black hull looked ready to cut through the air and it's massive rotors looked imposing and powerful upon their mountings. A massive balloon was folded and lay atop the mast, as if ready for use.

Victor made his way to the corner of the room, where a small stove lay. He lit the fire in the grate, and placed the pot on to boil. He then strode over to one of the desks and sat down. He removed his right glove, revealing a thin and dexterous hand, then he removed his left glove, but what lay beneath it could hardly be called a hand, at least not by human standards.

It was entirely mechanical, made from the finest copper and was intricately laced with gears that whirred and clicked as it moved, providing it with full dexterity. Victor sighed again, out of all his inventions, this was still one of his favorites. He flexed it in the light, marveling at how it glinted off the metal, then he balled it into a fist and absentmindedly began to rub it with his right hand.

The pot began to whistle, so he walked to the stove and poured himself a cup of tea. Sitting back down he blew gently on the swirling liquid, watching with fascination at how the steam whirled and billowed forth from the cup.

"Steam", he thought to himself, "such an inane thing, and yet look at all it has done." He looked again at his left hand, which now held his teacup, and in doing so his gaze fell upon a note on his desk. It was written on clean, starched white paper, and was bound with a red ribbon.

A seal rested on the front, closing the note.

It bore a strange symbol, and one word in the center.

"Illuminati"

Picking it up, Victor thought back to memories he had not considered for a long time. Then he thought of more recent events, those that could tie in with the letter he had just received. He patted the object that rested in the inner pocket of his long black coat and smiled to himself. This mornings venture had turned out to be profitable, despite his doubts of the old shopkeeper's claims.

He then looked back at the letter resting on the table.

"It looks as if things are about to get more interesting.", he said.

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End of Chapter One

Stay Posted for more chapters of :The Evernight Chronicles