Our Journey Begins — Richard L. Cederberg

The only child of an influential Scottish family, Gabriel Baaldur Proudmoore had now secured his PhD in English literature, Scandinavian mythology, and the ancient Northern languages. He'd grown restless with his life, legalistic religion, and trying to please his family. One afternoon, after an explosive argument with his father, he stormed out and walked down to the Aberdeen docks. There, he chanced upon the schooner Heimdall and its crew talking excitedly about an e-mail from a man named Jonah. Thoroughly intrigued, he stood inconspicuously and listened. Jonah's words revealed that a young man would be standing there listening to them read his letter, and it would not be fortuitous. Shining their spotlight around the docks, to satisfy their curiosity, the crew found Gabriel listening in the shadows, and all chorused together, “Greetings, little brother, come aboard the Heimdall.” Gabriel gasped in amazement; it made no sense. How could this be? What was this strange connection between them?

One week later, embarking on a journey fraught with mystery and danger, Gabriel and his newfound friends were pushed beyond all their human capabilities through a changing world, an incomprehensible drought, and threatened by a malevolent ancient tribe reemerging from the Northern Territories.