Tag: Mystery Series for Kids

On a blazing red March night, 12 year old Austin Candor made his way fast out of Daylustar. He hurriedly got in his boat docked at the Caras Dayermore docks near the alien school entrance. Reflections of bright golden star lights danced across the creamy blue pool. Austin drove his boat fast down the channel through the gloomy city. Green ghostly faces stared at him with completely blank faces through dusty dark blue crystal windows. Austin glanced at them with a half-curious, half-anxious expression before shaking his head sharply and looking away with a wave as if to make them disappear. He soon pushed his boat into the fast moving current down the massively wide river.

Sleek blue triangular alien ships blazed across the sky in various directions over Caras Dayermore leaving trails of fire across the night. Austin kept glancing back seeing bright alien lights roaming, searching the city, as he moved fast out of Marcaydas. He tried to process what had happened. The aliens hyped up the concert so much, inviting citizens from every country to attend, saying they would see the greatest concert the world has ever seen with unbelievable talent. But the aliens had something much more sinister in mind with this concert. When Austin found his way out of his dark dream, using his intense observation skills to figure it out, he discovered the real reason for the concert. They were looking for something, something they were missing…

Before we continue with this intriguing kid from Dascade Iris, it’s time to reveal the mystery challenge from the last post. The question was which city in the dark dream should Austin go to? The clues were there, were you able to pick up on them? Did you figure it out? Here is the answer:

The second city

Austin is all about speed. He hates it when he has to slow down to check things out, like making sure a bridge is going to hold, or making sure he kept certain doors open or closed, or checking to make sure he has a good escape plan if the place he’s inside of should collapse. But otherwise, he’s a kid on the move, and he moves fast. Sometimes he will just fly past you appearing like a lightning streak shooting by. He never really walks, even when he’s walking it’s pretty much a jog. Good luck keeping up with him because he will break into a run at any moment and just sprint up the path or up the steps. In fact, he’ll run up anything no matter how steep.

He also has great parkour skills even though parkour hasn’t been invented yet where he’s from. He likes to find the craziest and most fun way to get from one place to the next; jumping from table to table, running along the railing going up the staircase, climbing up shelves and jumping to his desk in school. Sometimes, he takes it too far, like trying to scale the school wall by stacking up boxes and trash cans thinking he could climb up those to get to the second floor window and enter his class that way. It didn’t end so well…the first time anyway…but by his seventh try he managed to find sturdy enough trash cans and boxes to stack so he could make it, and it only took three hours. There may be a time in the future when he will need his speed skills and parkour skills to get away from dark spirits.

Austin is also a really fast talker. He transitions from one topic to another to another amazingly fast. It can be quite difficult to follow if you’re not used to it. Funny thing is, if you ask him to repeat himself, he’ll look shocked like he can’t believe you couldn’t understand it. If you tell him to talk slower he’ll look even more confused. Many times he gets upset at his friends for supposedly forgetting something important he told them when most likely they just missed it since he says so much.

Austin also thinks fast and reacts faster. This is what makes him so fun to watch in the plays. At some point he will probably change the lines and the actions in the play and do something crazy. He has a way of showing the others how to respond to it. Sometimes they just keep saying the lines as they were and he finds a way to make that work too. In the future, he might find himself in a crazy play, a play designed by the aliens.

Austin has quite a strong fear of getting trapped, either by getting surrounded by some enemy or a place he’s in just collapsing and getting buried under the rubble. In fact, whatever you do, don’t say the words collapse, fall, trap, or bury around him or he will get really agitated. He’ll stare at you with a gaze like his eyes are on fire until you look away. When he enters a new place, he will check for where the doors are, or windows, and figure out the fastest ways he can leave if necessary. He’ll stare up at the ceiling and structure making sure it’s going to hold up well. He hates lights that are held up by some kind of rope because seriously those could fall at any moment.

Sometimes kids give him a hard time or even make fun of his anxieties and constantly checking things, but when they tell him he’s crazy for acting like that, he just tells them they’re right. He jokes about his need to check the structures and exits, and just has fun with it. Then he lets his cool and fun ideas like entering through windows show kids he really is kind of crazy, but cool at the same time. There’s more to Austin’s speed than just running and thinking fast. His speed means he’s always thinking ahead, and seeing important things before anyone else does, like the aliens’ dark secret.

When Austin was in his dark dream, he heard music playing, but it sounded different. He had never heard music like that before. It had a bright energy that kept rising higher and higher. It was this music that helped him figure out how to escape his dark dream. Ever since then, he’s been watching the aliens closely, and he’s discovered that in one of their towers they’re holding something incredibly valuable to them, and he’s planning on stealing it…

As Austin Candor made his way down the massive river toward Marcaydas, the dome of the Concert Hall of the Alien School of Daylustar was lit up in bright neon green lights flashing to the rhythm of the heavy driving music. Austin stopped cold. Brilliant lights from the dome shot out on him. The dancing lights lit him up in a fiery shine. He pushed ahead, holding his hand out to shield his eyes from the blinding lights shooting directly at him. In a daze, he made his way through the murky, dark City of Caras Dayermore, with ghostly faces staring at him from gloomy windows. In a blurry haze, he made his way to Daylustar and entered the Concert Hall where he was directed to his seat. A teenage singer took the stage and began singing a strong, energetic song with a band playing powerful instruments behind him. Neon green lights from the Daylustar Statue of the teenage singer hovering high above the stage started flashing out to the fast-paced booming rhythm. Austin gazed up at the statue, no doubt concerned about it crashing down since it didn’t seem to be held up by anything. Then the powerful musical lights hit him directly and the dark illness took over his mind. As the concert raged on, he became paralyzed and entered the dark dream stage of the illness.

This is the final mystery challenge for Book One of the Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers mystery series. You can find out more about this first story and you can find out how to buy it now by clicking the link below. Check it out:

https://dadestarmysteries.com/cades-revolution-against-the-aliens-is-about-to-begin/

In this mystery challenge, Austin Candor is in a dark dream, the final stage of the dark illness caused by the crystal crown on top of the aliens’ statue of Daylustar. He cannot move. He’s in a dream where he can move around in a dream that feels quite real, yet physically he can’t move. The only way to be healed is if he goes to the right destination in the dream. Then he will wake up and be able to move again. He’ll be free. But if he makes the wrong move and heads to the wrong destination, then he’ll die. The aliens have designed these dreams to mislead students into thinking they are seeing clear clues to the wrong destination. Check out the Camdace Prophecy below for clues to where Austin should go in the dark dream. The answer for this mystery challenge will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts Feature. Get ready, because we’re about to turn to the next chapter of this mystery series as the stakes get higher. Can you figure it out?

It will begin with our students haunted by bright dreams for each
The key secret for defeating the enemy from the skies is in reach
The dark illness almost has them when they’re hurt by the light
When their eyes light up green in heavy dark, they’re in the fight
Our students move down the school steps in a procession of dread
If they make the wrong move in their dark dream, they will be dead
There’s a secret power driving them to desire the talents of any
They have a desperate wish to be on stage: praised by many
You must figure out how to reach and touch the statue and crown
This crown must be destroyed to heal the illness taking them down
The keys to destroying it are bright, helpful, yet intense in the night
You must be determined, go higher and higher, over and over to light
There’s one path they can’t see every corner when it goes bright
It’ll be the only path that has candles in the windows at night
There’s one way, one path, one hall, that can get to the concert side
This music and determination together is the key to the door to hide
In the Concert Hall the Student will become still
The Intense Rebel must fight through the chill
He must shine, lighting up the dark corner glow
If he fails to see the light, he’ll die in the show

Heavy murky darkness surrounded Austin. He looked around frantically seeing nothing but emptiness. “What’s going on? IS ANYONE HERE? Where am I?” Austin slid his feet along the slick grass. He started feeling around in the darkness, slowly moving up the field. After a long time of feeling around in the heavy darkness, Austin began singing a bright, energetic song. Murky shadows appeared, stretching out further and further away from him as five cities slowly appeared in the distance. Austin stared with a deep curiosity blended with a bright intensity giving a half shrug. “Okay?! Here goes nothing.” He started jogging down the neon green grass field toward the five murky glowing cities.

Austin looked around and said, “Does anyone here have a map? Is anyone here at all? Am I talking to myself? Why yes, Austin, you appear to be talking to yourself. Wow, I think I’m losing it.” Austin gave another half shrug, then with a smile he said, “Whatever, whatever. I guess I’ll see if anyone lives in one of these cities.” The five cities grew more vivid as he jogged up the wide flat field.

The first city was a circular shaped city with three layers of rounded towers made of dark gray stone looking like a castle. Each layer was stacked on top of each other like a cake lit by candles at the top. Brilliant lights flashed to the rhythm of deep booming music set along high poles at the tops of the top stack of towers. The lights stretched down, flickering across the rough surfaces of the towers and dark empty windows. A long curving street wound its way through the towers made of rough gray stones.

The second city was built with shimmering neon green towers in a massive cluster. The towers were shaped like spears shooting high into the sky. Vibrations from the music playing from every tall, grand window. The green shimmering streets lit up the city in a bright glowing shine.

The third city was built with several massive broad complexes made with red bricks. Two merged into one in the center with slick red bridges lit up in bright golden lights connecting to various levels over a dark shimmering pool reflecting the bright candle lights in the grand blue crystal windows. On the balconies citizens sang bright, energetic dream-like songs.

The fourth city was built throughout hills winding around in a dark maze of slick, black massively high towers. Dark orange lanterns throughout the winding stone streets lit up the city in a gloomy shine. Deep booming music rocked the dark towers as they swayed back and forth.

The fifth city was built in a spiral up a massive mountain. The towers stood high with arched roofs connecting all of them. They were made with shimmering blue glass. Flickering bright lights flashed rhythmically to the grand music playing from within the tall white crystal windows made with circular designs. Powerful waterfalls rushed down through the city.

Austin’s bright gaze flashed from city to city trying to figure out which city to go for. Will he make the right choice? Austin was trying to make his decision, when he heard music playing, music that didn’t sound like any music he had ever heard before…

They waited for the swift darkness of evening to fall over the serene valley. Cade stared intensely at the ghost-like evergreens dancing in the splintered moonlight. Blake glanced up at the raging skies. Neon green lights on massive alien towers danced to the rhythm of an epic song. Dark shadows crept across the lower forest floor. The three kids waited for the signal in the distance. The white marble castle glowed softly in the falling dark. The signal lit up in the distance, shooting up high into the sky. Cade shot up the winding steps. He faked left, then jumped across to another staircase. Blake powered up the narrow steps, skipping as many as he could, counting quietly to himself. Drew flew up the steps almost dancing. Then two distant bright lights shot out in their direction. The three kids hid down at the top of a platform with a circular wall around them. The two fiery gold lights blazed across the night sky, searching, searching for them…

The mountain range that runs along the western coast of DarkCorner Land is called the Blackstone Mountains simply because they are made of black stone, but they hold many mysteries. They run past both Cashes Dade and Marcaydas. Cade and Blake explore and climb these mountains a lot, despite many warnings from the aliens. They are medium-sized mountains, like the Rocky Mountains in America. They are larger than the Appalachian mountains, but smaller than the Himalayas. They have mostly rocky, long slopes that aren’t that steep until closer to the top, then they get rockier and steeper. This is the part Cade and Blake like the best. Most of the blackstone is really smooth.

Most times Cade and Blake have gone exploring and climbing in the mountains, they come across some kind of alien activity. They don’t exactly try to avoid it, but they do try to remain unseen by alien eyes. Sometimes you can see alien lights flashing, reflecting in the smooth black stone faces of the mountains, especially the steep parts. What’s really bizarre is they reflect alien lights that are really far away. One time Cade and Blake were climbing up a relatively long, steep slope that was completely smooth like glass, with only some cracks here and there. That’s how they moved up, by putting their feet in the cracks and working their way up from there. Aliens had warned BlackStar Students not to ever try to climb this mountain, claiming it was too dangerous and took too much skill for BlackStar Students to climb it. After this lecture, Cade and Blake looked at each other and smiled. They knew they had to climb it now and prove that these two BlackStar Students could get it done. But they would soon discover the real reason the aliens didn’t want them climbing there.

This was a really tough mountain. The first long slopes were made of gravel like stones. Cade and Blake realized you had to really dig in to move up without sliding back. Blake figured out the best path to the top was up the grooves. Cade figured out how to move up the glass-like slope leading to the final rocky slope to the top by climbing in and near the cracks where the glass was rougher, and you could get a foothold. As they made their way close to the top, they saw flashing alien lights. Then they began to see dead, ghostly faces appear in the smooth stone. They appeared to be in a circle, talking like they were having a meeting. Then the kids heard one of them whisper something. Cade and Blake raced their way to the top with Cade jumping dramatically over the last stone to reach the top just before Blake who just rolled his eyes at Cade’s unnecessary jump which was followed by rolling over ten times. The kids celebrated, then took a good look around, seeing the lower mountains spread out for miles, but they couldn’t see where the alien lights were coming from. They couldn’t figure out where the ghostly meeting was taking place.

There’s something mysterious happening in the deep mines west of Marcaydas. People see aliens leading lines of BlackStar Students into the mountain going somewhere secret deep in the mines. If you are ranked BlackStar for a long enough time without doing better and moving up to a higher ranking, then you start to receive punishments. These students have to work long hours in the mines with no breaks and no pay. They’ve been strictly warned not to report where they are mining or what’s going on or there will be severe punishments for them as well as their families and friends. There’s something the aliens are hiding in these mines, and the Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers are determined to find out what it is.

The aliens made a crystal crown that is fueling a deadly, dark illness spreading among the students in Daylustar. Soon they will light up the crystal crown which will cause this dark illness to reach all the kingdoms. All the students, especially BlackStar Students like Cade, Blake, and Drew will be in danger of coming down this fatal, mysterious illness if they don’t destroy it before it’s too late. Cade, Blake, and Drew are determined to find a way. They don’t care what they have to do to sneak past the defenses and destroy it. But the problem is it’s set on top of a massive statue, floating in mid-air. How can they reach it? Can they throw something up there to knock it down? Is there an invisible staircase to reach it? Is it an illusion and the crown is really somewhere else they can reach? Is there a way they can knock the entire statue down to bring the crown down as well? How did they make it? Where did they get the gold stone to build it? What are they trying to hide in the mines? Leave a comment below if you have a guess. Do you know how they can destroy the deadly crystal crown? Check out the link below to find out more about the story and see the prophecy that gives clues to how they can destroy it. Can you figure it out?

https://dadestarmysteries.com/mystery-of-the-aliens-daylustar-statue/

When Cade and Blake reached the top of the mountain, they couldn’t see the alien lights or the ghostly faces, but they could still hear the whispering, and some of it was clear. They heard one ghostly voice whisper this:
“What if they see us here? What if they figure out who we really are?”

Damian hurried down the dazzling spiral staircase in Daylustar. He and Brandon whispered about their plan to capture the three BlackStar Students mysteriously entering Daylustar from the other side. They entered a dark underground hall dimly lit by dingy golden candle light clusters hanging on the black marble walls on both sides. Deep booming shook the walls. Brandon started singing a fast-paced energetic song. Damian nodded rhythmically to the soaring music around them. They emerged from the tunnel and entered the massive dark entry hall to the Music Arena and Music Classrooms Hall where candle clusters floated around on the slick black walls. Damian and Brandon hid down in the shadows waiting for the three students to enter. Brandon stood quietly tapping the floor in a complicated rhythm to the distant sonic chords playing. He made several wide sweeping motions with his hands, then appeared to draw something in the air. Damian just flashed him a confused look with his arms out wide.

“What was that?” he asked.

“I was signaling.”

“Yeah, I could see that. What was that supposed to mean?”

“Just be ready.”

“You could not have just told me that?”

“I just did.” Damian sighed heavily burying his face in his hands. The three kids entered. Damian stood up slowly, holding an alien weapon in hand.

Soon we will learn more about Damian Caldannon who is from Devonmay. We will soon find out what Cade, Blake, and Drew are up against. But first, it’s time to reveal the answer to the last mystery challenge. Are you ready? Do you think you know it? The mystery challenge was what is the light that offers a key clue for the answer to the mystery in the story: MYSTERY OF THE ALIENS’ DAYLUSTAR STATUE

The answer is this:

It was the shimmering green chandelier lights hanging from the glass ceiling lighting the tops of the Daycrest Evergreens. Did you get it right? Leave a comment below telling us what your guess was and why. Tell us what you think of Damian. Next we will look at random facts about this intense kid from the tropical Kingdom of Devonmay with the City of Heyvas Ivydames. What kind of kid are the ghost strikers about to clash with? Do they know who’s watching them right now?

Damian is a big fan of soccer. He can get really intense when he’s playing. Every match is the most important match of the century to him. It’s been said then when he’s playing he shuts out the entire world around him. They say he does not have a clue what else is going on, that the world could be on fire and he would still be focused on the soccer game. In fact, Brandon decided to test this theory. One time, during one of Damian’s soccer games, Brandon dressed up like a crazy clown and did flips and handstands and some crazy dancing on the sideline. Damian did not notice him at all. Hard to believe, but he really didn’t. In fact, to this day Damian refuses to believe Brandon actually did this.

Damian is really agile and lightning fast. He can turn faster than anyone on the planet. In soccer games he will move right up to you and in a half-second he will make a single move past you in a flash. Dark spirits have been frustrated in the past trying to catch this kid. He will run straight at them, then right when they are about to get him he makes a single cut, flying past them.

Damian hates school. He is really smart and strategic. He knows how to solve problems by visualizing it, then breaking it down and finding a way to solve it. The thing is, he likes learning and figuring things out if he can see the point in learning it and how he can use what he learned in an important way. The problem is, his school began enforcing a new system which was very much like the system the aliens have now put in place. You have to sit still and only learn by hearing the teaching and taking notes. Damian hates trying to sit still. He likes to be active. He can study well, as long as he can take frequent breaks to play soccer in his room using a mini-soccer goal. If he’s into it, he can learn anything, and solve pretty much any problem. Thing is, Damian probably wouldn’t hate school if it was run the right way.

Damian does the same thing every morning at school. He slowly walks to his desk, looking like a zombie, then finally slumps into his chair. He leans back, his eyes half-closed, then lets out this long, dramatic sigh. He says in a really tragic voice, “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Why didn’t he get much sleep? Was he studying all night? No. It’s always for the same reason: He was trying to set a new record of shots made in his mini-soccer goal in his room. Sometimes it’s because he’s trying some crazy shot and refuses to go to sleep until he hits it, and even then sometimes he feels compelled to try and hit it again! He always says the same thing, “Tonight I’m going to sleep right away. I am not even going to look at my soccer goal.” But he never learns.

Damian can be annoying to go to lunch with. He and Brandon often go to a restaurant by the coast that has a buffet. Damian is really, and I mean really, indecisive when it comes to what he wants for lunch or dinner. He’ll stand there staring for what feels like hours trying to decide as if his life depends on whether or not he has the fish sticks. Then he’ll pick something, then later put it back, then just when he gets to the end of the line he’ll shake his head again and pick it back up. Other times he and Brandon will go through the line pretending to fight over every item. You don’t want to be the one who has to go through the line after they have been through it.

Damian and Brandon often play mini soccer matches in his room. Most times he and Brandon try to hit crazy trick shots seeing who can hit it first. Damian has an amazing ability to see just how to hit the craziest shots. He can visualize great plans. He wants to be a great war general someday. He has a great ability to visualize a battlefield and figure out the best strategies, like how to capture the enemy…

The sky looked like an upside down ocean in the chilling October night. A pale light appeared within the rolling dark blue clouds. The light slowly burned brighter in the form of a blazing triangle. Deep, rhythmic booming shot out across the sky. Bright white beams of light shot out in a slow spiral across the sky. A dark, blank face stared out of every dirty blue stained glass window. Drew stared transfixed by the ghostly faces just staring directly at them. Blake turned back, scanning the empty street curving back down into the dark maze of Caras Dayermore. They approached a wide complex with five massive high set windows lit under flashing gold light inside. A bench was set just ahead of them. Cade dove underneath, rolled over several times, then jumped up, turning back with a dramatic expression.

“What was the point of that?” asked Blake as he easily stepped up on the bench then stepped back down throwing his arms out wide while shaking his head. Drew easily stepped around it.

“We need to be stealthy,” said Cade. Alien ships raced across the sky. The glowing forest of massive Cashdes Evergreens came sharply into focus on the slopes below leading up to the green flashing alien school of Daylustar. Turning to them with eyes lit Cade said, “This time, we’re finding the way to the statue, and that crystal crown is about to come crashing down.”

It’s time for another mystery challenge as we get a closer look at Chapter Seven in the story: MYSTERY OF THE ALIENS’ DAYLUSTAR STATUE which kicks off the new mystery series called The Cashes Dade Ghost Strikers. To learn more about the new story which is now available on Amazon click on the link below:

https://dadestarmysteries.com/cades-revolution-against-the-aliens-is-about-to-begin/

In this mystery challenge there will be a key clue that reveals which path the kids can take through Daylustar. One of the paths has a weakness in the aliens’ defense where the kids can sneak past and get to the Concert Hall where the aliens’ mysterious weapon is set. One of the lights is a key clue, can you figure out which one? The answer will be revealed in the next Character Fun Facts Feature. Pay close attention to what is missing. If you have a guess for the answer or what will happen next in the story when the ghost strikers enter Daylustar, leave a comment below. Here is a list of the paths through the school of Daylustar. Can you figure out which path it is?

SCHOOL OF DAYLUSTAR HALLS:

1. POOL AND GARDEN HALL
   INSTRUMENTAL PATH
   SOFT PATH
   DREAMY PATH
2. STUDY CENTER AND LIBRARY HALL
   SYMPHONIC PATH
   RHYTHMIC PATH
   POLITICAL PATH
3. MEETING CENTER AND DINING HALL
   POETIC PATH
   BALLAD PATH
   TRAGIC PATH
4. MUSIC ARENA AND MUSIC CLASSROOMS HALL
   DANCE PATH
   MOODY PATH
   SONIC PATH
5. AUDITORIUM AND INSTRUMENTS HALL
   EPIC PATH
   ROMANTIC PATH
   CLASSICAL PATH
6. GHOSTS CITY AND STATUES HALL
   CAROL PATH
   HOPEFUL PATH
   ENERGETIC PATH

At the same time Cade, Blake, and Drew were making their way to the Music Arena and Music Classrooms Hall in Daylustar, Brandon and Damian, two top students in the school, were entering the same hall from the other side. How did these two kids from Devonmay end up here? It all started in a secret meeting they had with the aliens a year ago.

Brandon and Damian were directed to the School Leader’s Office. They sat down in the half-circular marble white room with several blue and red stained-glass windows overlooking the lush valleys far below. Brandon squinted up at the bright shimmering chandelier light spilling out across the room. The two alien leaders of the school sat down in front of the windows on two sparkling white marble chairs. They had white crystal suits on, staring down at the two students with their half-moon white glowing eyes. Brandon adjusted his chair, sliding it across the marble floor making a loud screeching sound. Damian flinched during the high piercing sound. A teenage boy in a bright white suit stood between them and began speaking in a solemn, elevated voice:

“We are developing a new, elite school for music. We are looking for the best and brightest students who can excel in this school.”

“Looks like you found them,” said Brandon, moving his chair further back with a higher piercing sound. Damian punched him in the arm.

“You are in fact the first students we are inviting to the school,” the messenger continued. “We are building the school now, with majestic structures and brilliant, bright shimmering crystal lights. You proved the corrupt elite teachers wrong, those who used to run this school. We are looking for students with creativity to develop great music. This school will be a great opportunity and critical in our fight to defeat the dark spirits.”

“Count us in,” said Brandon. “We are totally focused…” He began to slide his chair, but turning to an annoyed Damian, he picked up his chair and moved it a few inches from the wall. “That should work now,” he said leaning back. Then he sighed dramatically, picking it up again. Damian turned to him with a half-annoyed, half-perplexed look while he then tried measuring the distance from the chair to the wall.

“Will you cut that out?” Brandon sighed and sat down.

“We are not just choosing you to enroll in this school because of your musical skills,” the alien messenger continued. “We watched you in the Caymisdorm when you used your stealth to get past the dark spirits. There are people out there, students and adults who are a cancer to our world, led by the dark spirits who will try to destroy our school. We need you to look out for those who may try to sneak past our defenses and destroy the power we are building to overcome the dark powers in this land.”

Brandon and Damian entered the bright green flashing Music Classrooms. Bright shimmering green chandelier lights flashed rhythmically scattered across the slick black walls rising high toward the triangular ceiling. Brandon kind of danced as they moved down the path lit by small bright shimmering gold lights moving around in rapid circles across the glass floor. They quickly passed various classrooms separated by curtains of green bright shimmering lights flashing to the rhythm of the fast-paced booming music. Damian tapped his sides rhythmically as they entered the garden of Daycrest Evergreens rising high toward the distant ceiling lit up near the top by the shimmering green chandelier lights hanging from the glass ceiling. They raced up the long winding staircase to the top loft overlooking the roof of the Music Arena. Damian pushed hard but Brandon dove across the platform ahead of him.

“AAAAaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhh,” said Brandon holding his head.

“You never learn,” said Damian shaking his head. Then the two kids stared out at the field at the entrance to the Music Arena and Music Classrooms Hall. They saw shadows moving. The two kids took out their telescopes to see closer and spotted Cade, Blake, and Drew getting ready to enter the school. Then, Brandon and Damian got in position to track them down, with their weapons at hand…

Three aliens with their messenger, a 16 year old girl, led Brandon and Damian down the gray stone path along the flowing blue channel on the top street of Heyvas Ivydames to the end where a massive wide triangular alien ship set on a field. It was lit with rhythmic flashing blue and gold lights. A deep hum came from the ship. They felt a soft vibration under their shoes as they approached the brilliant crystal door. Brandon and Damian exchanged half nervous, half curious looks. Slowly the aliens led them into the ship. The kids looked around in awe at the bizarre crystal flashing walls and slanted ceilings. The aliens directed them to an white couch with elaborate designs all over it. The door slid shut. Inside went dark. Dim gold and blue lights in rows around the inside turned on, flashing in fast rhythms. The hum grew loud with a high whining sound as the ship lifted and smoothly flew off into the green flowing sky.

One of the aliens disappeared in the front of the ship while the other two sat on high chairs staring down at the two kids with their soft glowing white half-moon eyes. Brandon flashed Damian a wide-eyed, almost crazed expression. “We commend you for finding the answer to the dark illness threatening your kingdom,” said the messenger in a solemn, elevated voice. “You showed great intelligence and courage in solving the mystery as well as taking on the dark spirits.”
“Thank you,” said Brandon with an awkward bow. Damian looked at him questioningly, then turned away shaking his head.
“We saw how you defied the elite teachers in your kingdom.”

“They were working with the dark spirits,” said Damian.
“They will be punished,” the messenger continued, “they were wrong about you. They did not believe you could succeed with your creative and unusual methods of learning.”
“She’s talking about those bizarre pictures you draw,” whispered Damian.
“Maybe she’s talking about how you cannot study without taking a break every ten minutes to score soccer goals in your room.”
“We will be placing new leaders in every school,” the messenger continued. “We have been watching your kingdoms for years. We know your lands have been haunted by dark spirits. This is why we’re here, to overpower them and save you from their dark illnesses.” The window shades drew back. The kids stared out at the passing green clouds with eyes wide.
“Where are you taking us?” asked Brandon.
“We have a place to show you, but first, we have questions for you, and we expect answers.”

Brandon and Damian come from the Kingdom of Devonmay with the City of Heyvas Ivydames. Check out the page DARKCORNER LAND to see it on the map. The kingdom is called the land of the star gazers, because many people there are astronomers, they study the stars and planets with telescopes. They like everything to be bright and shiny in their designs, things they make, and the kind of people they try to be. They love music, bright and loud. Brandon is exactly the type of kid you will find in Devonmay. He is bright and loud. He constantly smiles and tries to have fun. You can hear him from far away either talking loud or singing loud. Are you like Brandon? What would you do if you were Brandon or Damian and about to be led onto an alien ship? Leave a comment below.

The City of Heyvas Ivydames is built along a mountain on seven levels, each rising higher. Their towers are really tall, looking like spears rising into the sky. They are laced with a kind of gold dust that glows at night so the entire city shines at night. They don’t have streets, but water channels so you have to use a boat to get places fast. Brandon constantly has to be reminded to sit down when he rides in one of the boats. One of his favorite things to do with his friends his race model boats along the channel. He starts yelling at his boat if it gets behind believing if he yells loud enough, his boat will go faster. Brandon and Damian like going to the high towers to look into the stars, but they never dreamed they would be high up in the sky one day.

“How did you find the answers in the Caymisdorm?” asked the alien messenger.
“We followed the clues in the Canday Prophecy,” answered Brandon.
“Did you see the opera singer up close in the Caymisdorm?”
“No, we could never get close to her,” answered Damian.

“Did you ever learn anything about her?” Brandon and Damian shot the messenger confused looks. Just then the messenger directed them to look out the windows. From high up they saw a mass of spiraling mountains under a glowing blue haze. Brandon stretched out trying to see closer, nearly falling off the couch. “This is where we will establish our kingdom and city which will rule over all the kingdoms and cities of this land. We will take down the dark spirits, but we will need the best and brightest students to complete this mission. It will begin with you.” Brandon nodded emphatically while slipping further off the couch. Damian pulled him back, saying, “Stay cool, this is not a carnival ride.”
“But you must answer this question which is key to winning the victory over the dark powers of this land.”

“What’s that?” asked Brandon. The two aliens leaned in closer, their eyes burning brighter in the murky darkness of the ship.
“How did you overcome the power of the opera singer in the Caymisdorm?”