The Song of Soleana - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Boarding

The ocean. A vast, beautiful canvas of water, it's blue colors given thanks to the sky. Down below was a whole other world to explore, and up above it was an adventurer's dream. With waters that waved, a yacht was sailing through it. It looked quite upper class, and was dubbed only with the W.S. logo on it's bow. It was painted a generous white with golden linings, though it was mere gold paint rather than the actual mineral. On board were only two people, the Captain, who was busy steering the wheel, and another individual.

This individual was a young man, probably looking somewhere in his mid to late 20's. He had short brown hair that blew in the ocean breeze, and a small bit of a chin beard on his face. Wearing a grey t-shirt and a brown leather jacket, he also sported jeans that looked a bit worn on the end of the pant legs, with beige shoes on his feet. He looked pretty average build-wise, though his shoulders were a little broad, possibly from some heavy lifting. This man stood there on the front of the ship, watching the seemingly endless ocean pass by, sometimes seeing maybe a dolphin or a whale come up for air every so often in the distance.

"Mr. Johnson!" the Captain called out from behind him, interrupting the man's thoughts and making him turn his head, "According to my navigations, we should be at the destination before sundown if nothing happens."

"Right. Thanks, Cap." he called back, giving him a wave and returning to his thoughts. Digging into his jean pocket, he pulled out a sheet of paper, looking it over. About a month ago, he had received this letter in his mailbox. To him, he probably thought it was a joke at first, but seeing the seal on the envelope, he knew it was the real deal. After all, William Silverwright was one of the most esteemed individuals on the planet, using his wealth and knowledge to try and help out rather than just hoard it all for himself.

But what was this all about? Something about a place that is not charted on any map, a place where one could live a good and honest life without the strife of government rule. It sounded too good to be true, and it likely was...Yet, this Mr. Johnson character decided to contact William Silverwright. And that was what changed it all...

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One month earlier...

"So you're Mr. Flint Johnson?" asked a middle-aged male voice over a desktop computer, likely using some form of video chat.

"Yes sir. And please, call me Flint."

"Hmhm, very well, Flint." the man nodded on the screen, "I see you got my letter and decided to contact me. Very good."

"Right...so what's this about anyways?" Flint asked, crossing his arms while sitting at his computer desk.

"Straight and to the point. I like that." the man on the screen replied, "Well, as you know, I am William Silverwright, but I'm sure I need no introduction. As for what this is about...it's an offer."

"Yeah, according to your letter, it's something about starting a new life or something or other." Flint replied, drumming his fingers lightly on his arms.

"In a way, yes, but only if you make it that way." William responded. The face of him couldn't be seen from this angle, as the camera was focused on Flint, thus only William's voice could be heard, "I will say this much, though...The offer I am giving is only on your own accord. I may be a resourceful man, but I am by no means forceful."

"I get that...but...what would a multi-billionaire want with a simple Herbalist like me?" Flint wondered.

"I'm glad you asked." William replied with a bit of glee in his tone, "You see, Flint...this world has many things to discover, many things to enjoy. In my time growing up with my family, I sadly did not get to witness a lot of what the world had to offer, mainly since I was spoon-fed all I could ever want with my family's riches. But now that I am head of my house's name, I wanted to not only enjoy life myself, but also give other people chances to do so as well, living how they have wished to."

There was a bit of a pause before William continued, Flint still not looking quite convinced yet. But soon, William's explanation resumed. "Therefore, in my spare time, I have been creating a place in the world that is free from the strife of the world...but I have also been careful to tell anyone of it. It's mainly for two reasons. The first is that this place I have found is, for the most part nowadays, untouched by human hands. One of the last undiscovered....well, perhaps re-discovered now...places in the world, and it is a beautiful place. I have always had a bit of a soft spot for nature, you see...so that is why I wanted to ensure this place is not tainted by greedy individuals who only wish to loot and plunder it's natural resources. Perhaps someday I will open it to the public, but those days are far off."

"And the second reason?" Flint asked.

"Good ear." William chuckled lightly, "The second reason...is my daughter."

This perked Flint's interest. "Your daughter? No news has ever informed you had family..."

"Ahaha. This is true...I am still a bachelor, but there was a time I did love a woman, and we had a secret marriage. During that time, she eventually bore a child...but alas, while the baby came out healthy, my wife couldn't handle the strain of childbirth...and passed away soon after my daughter was born." William went into silence again for a moment before continuing, "As for my daughter, she is living a life she could only dream of, and while she has coped with it, despite any...shall we say, 'disadvantages' her life has, she loves this location almost more than I do...and it would break her heart if anything happened to it."

"......" Flint was quiet, seeing the man's honest eyes on the computer, "...Well...that's all fine and wonderful sir, and I'm very glad you have a daughter who loves you...But what does this all have to do with me?"

"Hmm." William nodded, "This place is very rich in natural habitat, and being who you are, I assumed you would be interested in studying the local flora here. In fact, there is another who lives here who shares the same passion as you, so perhaps maybe you and her would get along."

"Yet you also said that I would pretty much have to put what I have behind here, right? That's a pretty big step to follow..." Flint remarked.

"That is also true." William responded, "Which is why I told you to think it over carefully. As I said, I am not a forceful man, and you can continue the life you currently have without any worry or resign. But I assure you..." The computer screen suddenly showed several real-time screens of a wonderful, beautiful community, not to mention a vast array of nature, "...if you do come here, you will not regret it in the slightest."

Looking at the real-time pictures, Flint was nearly deadlocked at seeing these, amazed at such a natural landscape, some of which he, and likely others, had not seen before. "...What is this place?" was the only question that could escape his lips.

William smiled, still on the video call. "This, my friend...is my home."

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Present Day

Flint put the letter back in his pocket. Apparently, he had made the choice to come and start over in this new land...this home of William Silverwright. All of his major belongings were packed away down in the cargo hold of the yacht, and many things had to be sorted out before leaving. Flint did feel a slight bond between him and William, in the fact that, aside from that William had a daughter, Flint had no family to go on, having lost them to terminal illnesses. "...Was the reason I became what I am." he muttered to himself, his thoughts pretty much on par with this narrative.

Knowing that it would nearly be the evening before he arrived, Flint walked back towards the inside of the yacht, deciding to take some time to just relax and enjoy the ride. Not like he wasn't, and he showed no signs of seasickness, but his thoughts were just glued on this whole matter. What if this was all a trick?  William Silverwright was an honest man, and even the lowest-class person has heard or even been on the good side of his deeds. Flint's thoughts trailed off into a bit of a day nap as the ocean breeze lulled him down...

Several hours had passed, and Flint had slept through it all, but was jostled awake by the Captain of the yacht. "Land ho, Mr. Johnson. We'll be docking in five." he smiled.

"Hunh? Oh...right, thanks." Flint nodded, rubbing his eyes a little as he saw that it was starting to be sunset, making the once blue ocean look almost a golden orange-yellow. And yet as he stepped out onto the deck...

...He was greeted by the sight of an island. A fairly large one at that, possibly about the size of the largest of the Hawaiian islands, maybe a little more. The first thing Flint noticed as a large mansion situated atop a large hill in the distance, spanning quite a large sum of land, even more on the fact that one part of the house was many times larger than most of the rest. Apparently, William Silverwright, being generous as he was, did like an exceptionally large home still.

The only thing that trailed Flint's eyes away from the monster of a house on the hill was the quaint little town at it's base. The tallest building was about only four stories, all of the others being single or two-story buildings. A set of houses was to the left of the small town, likely the homes for everyone that lived there. Other than that, the remainder of the island seemed quite untouched, save for the distant sight of wind-powered generators up on the higher cliffs, catching the sea wind to power the town.

And as he was observing all of this, Flint saw the docks that the yacht was about to weigh anchor at. This was it...the start of a new life for Flint Johnson. Or perhaps the worst mistake he ever made. But as the yacht docked up, Flint saw a sign posted there.

"Welcome to Soleana, The Natural Isle."