The Flying Coffin
The Flying Coffin — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
In the cloud-pierced city of Aethoria, where ships sailed on rivers of starlight, lived three souls bound by fate: Silas, a lonely coffin maker; Lyra, a celestial navigator; and Morwen, a sorceress cloaked in shadow. Silas longed for connection, crafting empty vessels for sky-burials that drifted into the endless blue. But a prophecy whispered of a flying coffin, a vessel of change, that would either save or doom Aethoria, testing the very foundations of their world. Only a hero's descent would lead them to their true destiny, guided by courage, tested by fear, rewarded by love.
Page 2
Silas ran a hand over the smooth cedar of his latest coffin. "Another journey begun, another soul departed," he murmured, his voice echoing in the workshop. He sold his crafted coffins to families of Aethoria. Each coffin was set afloat into the sky and represented their deceased loved ones to them.
Page 3
Lyra adjusted her astrolabe, her brow furrowed. "The celestial currents are shifting, Master Elmsworth," she said to her aged mentor. "I fear a storm unlike any we've seen." Master Elmsworth, leaning heavily on his silverwood staff, nodded gravely. "'Knowing is not enough; we must apply,' as Goethe said. See what you can before it hits us!"
Page 4
Morwen stood on the highest parapet, her raven perched on her shoulder. "The skies will weep," she rasped, her voice like dry leaves rustling. A cloaked figure approached. "The council seeks your... counsel, Morwen," he said hesitantly. "They fear the storm."
Page 5
A frantic messenger burst into Silas's workshop. "The council commands you!" he shouted. "Craft a coffin, large enough for a man, strong enough to fly! Immediately!" Silas stared, dumbfounded. He had only made regular size coffins and never tried to make one fly.
Page 6
Morwen visited Silas under the shroud of night. "I can help you make it fly," she hissed, her eyes gleaming in the darkness. "But you must promise me something in return." He asked what she wanted, and she replied, "A single tear." He swallowed hard.
Page 7
Silas, heart heavy, agreed. Morwen chanted, weaving a spell around the coffin. It shimmered and pulsed with arcane energy. One single tear fell. "It is ready," Morwen said quietly, a strange softness in her voice. Silas was now concerned for what this coffin would be used for.
Page 8
Lyra watched from the observatory as the flying coffin launched into the storm. "It's heading towards the Abyss," she cried, fear gripping her heart. "The prophecy! It speaks of a descent, but into what?" It was heading towards their inevitable doom.
Page 9
Silas, guided by Morwen's magic, found himself inside the flying coffin as it plunged into the Abyss. He closed his eyes, bracing for the end. Then, a voice echoed in his mind: "'We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be,' said Kurt Vonnegut." It was Morwen. "Open your eyes, Silas. See the truth."
Page 10
Silas opened his eyes and saw not destruction, but the roots of Aethoria, the hidden foundation upon which the city floated, now crumbling and weak. The coffin transformed, becoming a vessel of earth and light, mending the roots. Aethoria was saved. Silas had found not an end, but a beginning – a purpose, and a home. And in saving them, he found himself.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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