The Ageless One: Beginnings by The Ageless Author (early reader chapter books TXT) 📖

gold piece for every time he thought something like that...
That his parents could explain things…
“Doelan!” cried the same voice again.
“Sorry Liri, I need to go.”
“Wait, hold on,” said Liri, putting the chess pieces in a wooden box that was behind him. “We can talk some on the way.”
After a second the pieces were put up, Liri took the box, Doelan took the board, and they were off, walking toward the buildings.
“Well,” said Liri. “I don’t care how much time we get. I’m going to help you improve your game. I think it’s a skill everyone should learn. That’s what my father says.”
“It more than anyone else has ever done for me. Thanks.”
They smiled, and Liri said, “you’re wel...”
“Oh look!” shouted another boy; Liri and Doelan looked and saw him in the distance, nearer to the village. “It’s the gisler who doesn’t want to grow up! He wants’ to grow old with wrinkles and a beard!”
Even from that distance, Doelan could tell the boy was imitating an old man, hunched over and walking with a cane. Doelan couldn’t see anyone else, but he heard the faint sound of mocking laughter from other boys.
Doelan glared him. So Doelan didn’t get that the elders were older. So what? This Neron didn’t have to be so...
“Neron, you stop that this instant and get inside!” came the voice of Erid. Neron stopped hunching and ran off. Doelan continued to glare at him for a few seconds.
“Just ignore him Doelan,” said Liri. “You know he’s just a jerk.”
“Yes, I know.”
Doelan relaxed his gaze and sighed. They were getting closer to the village now. In fact Doelan could see the giant Polophor flowers clearly. Red flowers the size of birdbaths with their faces pointed straight upwards, and there was a flower in front of every house. He could see them clearly now, though normally he didn’t notice them. Since he was close enough to see them, he knew it was almost time for him to part with Liri for the night.
But speaking of time, Doelan asked, “how long will it be before your family goes on their trip to see more of the world?”
“This year Doelan, after my…well…both of our birthdays. This year it will be my first time going, now that I’m old enough.” He grinned for a moment at that. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, you’ve told me about the other trips your family went on. They saw the human capital of Linicai, the nest palace of the eagle men, and other places. I’m just saying, you could just do what you’ve been doing and stay here, learn about it when they get back. It’ll be pretty boring if you aren’t around.”
Liri sighed. “I know Doelan,” he said. “I know. But it’s a family tradition, and I do want to spend time with them.”
Doelan figured he would say that, but still thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Part of him envied that Liri had a family, so he couldn’t really blame him for going.
“Alright,” Doelan said. “But listen, you tell me everything you see when you get back.”
“Of course,” said Liri, grinning. “That’s what friends are for.”
They shook on it before Doelan heard his name being called again.
“I’ve got to go,” said Doelan.
“Alright,” said Liri, starting to go off in another direction after Doelan handed him the chess board. “But remember, my parents say you’re old enough too. You could come with us.”
“I remember,” said Doelan as they went their separate ways. Doelan walked towards the orphanage slowly. Yes he had been invited to go with Liri on their trip, but Doelan wasn’t sure about that. He would definitely miss Liri, but there was something else holding him back.
He wondered if his parents would ever come for him, and didn’t want to be gone if they did.
He sighed as he neared the stone building that was his home. He picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the wall. As it clattered, Doelan stopped. There was something eerily familiar about that action, throwing a rock at a stone wall. It was almost as if he had done it before, though he couldn’t remember when. As he stared at that wall, he also got the feeling that something wasn’t right. It was as if this time should have been like that time he couldn’t remember, as if what he was seeing right now wasn’t real. It was similar enough to something that had happened, something he couldn’t remember, but it wasn’t real. However, he couldn’t explain it, and these thoughts were so confusing that they threatened to drive him mad, so he passed by, looking over his shoulder at the wall one more time.
“Hey Doelan,” said Neron, leaning against another wall as Doelan walked by. “I think I know why you’re parents left you here. They knew you’d want to grow old, and couldn’t stand the idea of their child becoming so wrinkled and ugly…so they abandoned you.”
Doelan walked past, trying to ignore him and the annoyingly sniggering boys surrounding him. However, Neron was not so easily ignored, and he followed Doelan.
“I know I’d abandon a child if I knew he’d turn all old and gross,” said another gisler boy.
Ignore them, Doelan thought. Just ignore them.
“Why I’ll bet that’s exactly what went through their minds,” said Neron. “They’re never coming back. Doelan They’re never…”
Doelan’s fist found Neron’s face before he realized what had happened, but he wasn’t sorry. Neron groaned on the grass, and Doelan stood over him. Very angry. The other boys backed away nervously.
“Doelan!” cried Erid.
Doelan looked up and his heart sank. Erid was coming, and Doelan was in big trouble.
…
Doelan sat huddled up under the large, sheltering oak tree outside the city of marble cottages. It was still an early morning sunrise as Doelan sat there, surrounded by dew covered grass. There were tear marks on his face. He wasn’t crying on the outside anymore, but on the inside he still felt empty.
“Doelan?”
Liri came from behind the tree with a concerned look on his face.
“Doelan?” he repeated.
“They were teasing me again,” said Doelan. “Neron and the others. Same stuff. I’m weird, I don’t belong in Halhor, you know.”
Liri sat down next to Doelan. “Doelan they’re just mean and dumb. So what if you find eternal youth strange? I don’t understand you either sometimes but I don’t call you names.”
“I know. That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
Doelan took a second to answer. “Erid.”
“The head of the orphanage? I can’t imagine him calling you names.”
“He didn’t, but he said he doesn’t understand me either. He also said I fight and hit the other boys a lot. More than anyone else.”
“Well you get teased the most.”
“I know, but he still noticed I’m different.”
Doelan huddled up some more and Liri looked at him with pity.
“They’re not right about you,” said Liri.
Doelan sighed. “Sometimes I think you’re right.” he said. “But sometimes I’m not sure. Having no parents and all, I sometimes just can’t help but wonder how different I really am.”
Liri didn’t respond, but stood back awkwardly. Doelan would have liked Liri to say something. Anything, though he Knew Liri couldn’t help. He huddled up some more, when…
“Oh look!” said an all too familiar boy’s voice. “Doelan’s taking his old person nap!”
“I’m not asleep!” said Doelan angrily.
He looked up to see Neron approaching with a stupid smile, and a black eye. Doelan wished he could hit that grin off his face, but that would get him in trouble with Erid for sure. Then Doelan noticed the curious gisler girl behind him, about Neron’s age. So Neron brought an audience again, Though Doelan. Wonderful.
“Leave him alone Neron,” said Liri. “We’ll tell Erid.”
“I’ll just say Doelan hit me again,” said Neron. Doelan looked away. He knew that was true. Neron went on, “Though I’m surprised he likes hitting people. If he doesn’t stop ageing like normal gislers, he’ll grow old and break his hand hitting people. You want to break your hand with frail old bones?”
“That isn’t funny,” said the gisler girl.
Neron looked back at her confused. “What?” he asked.
“You said you’d show me something funny. This isn’t funny.”
Doelan was as confused as Neron, and so was Liri.
“Well sure it is,” said Neron. “He thinks it’s weird that we don’t grow old like other things. That Erid or the mayor are still young. He’d rather not be a gisler. He’d rather grow old. That’s funny.”
“Oh,” said the gisler Girl, who thought about it a moment, and then replied, “No. It’s still not funny.
With that she turned and walked away.
“Wait,” said Neron, walking after her. “Ailean wait.”
He followed her as she left, leaving Doelan and Liri, both open mouthed and speechless.
“Liri,” said Doelan, standing up. “What just happened?”
Liri stared ahead at the two departing figures. “I think you’ve been saved by a girl.”
“Weird,” said Doelan. “I wonder if she can save me from being beaten at chess.”
A second passed, and then the two of them burst out laughing!
“I doubt anyone can save you from that Doelan,” said Liri. “Come on, let’s go skip rocks or something.”
“Good idea,” he said, and followed Liri. However, he stepped on a rock, which he picked up. Struck with a sudden idea, he threw the rock at the tree. As the rock thumped against the tree he once again he felt he had done this before, though he couldn’t remember when, and again he felt like this time was wrong. This time he felt that the rock should have clattered as if against stone, not thumped against wood, which he knew was silly.
“Doelan!” cried Liri, which made Doelan follow.
From somewhere unseen a mind watched him, thinking, he’s figuring it out again. Extraordinary! But she did not like it. And of course, Doelan had no idea he was being watched.
Doelan caught up with Liri and said, “Remember, after our birthdays my family’s trip is coming up. You’re still free to join us.”
“Oh,” he said. “I remember.” But the truth was, he wasn’t looking forward to that day.
…
Doelan and Liri’s birthdays each came and went. For Liri’s birthday Doelan got to spend time with Liri and his other friends. They seemed to think Doelan was weird like everyone else, though at least they didn’t make fun of him. For Doelan’s birthday he just spent the day with Liri, feeling no need to invite anyone else. During this time, he noticed that Neron spent less time harassing him, and more time with that girl, Ailean, and that made him relieved. After that Doelan starting waiting for Liri to leave on his trip. He wasn’t looking forward to it, and there was something else going on with him, something he couldn't explain. It started when he threw a rock at that wall. All of it led up to this day.
Doelan and Liri, now thirteen and fourteen, each a year older, were playing chess underneath an oak tree yet again. The early morning sun shone under