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Just fun facts and updates about the Max and the Gatekeeper series.
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Here is a first look at the cover for The Reign of Hudich Part I.
My first book, Max and the Gatekeeper, is on audiobook. I have no control over the price but noticed that the people at Audible/Amazon have slashed its price. It usually runs for $17.99 and is now available for $1.99. I just thought I would pass along this information.
James
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Max+and+the+Gatekeeper&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0
http://www.amazon.com/Max-and-the-Gatekeeper/dp/B00C20O66U/ref=sr_1_1_twi_audd_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443020875&sr=8-1&keywords=Max+and+the+Gatekeeper
Here is chapter one to book V in the Max and the Gatekeeper series. I hope you enjoy it.
1
Camps
Boom! Boom! Boom! A loud bass drum vibrated through the air.
“Do you think they have a chance?” asked Sundance, a tall average built man, his reddish hair pulled back with a leather tie. He was dressed in black clothing.
“Not without our help,” responded Sam, a twenty-something male. Thin, of medium-height, and freckled-faced with straight brown hair, he stared through his binoculars. Sam spied a make-shift fort, roughly the size of two football fields, surrounded by a wall of piled debris consisting of trees, bricks, old cars, and barbed wire piled approximately twenty feet high. The two men lay nestled among a cluster of tall weeds at the top of a small hill.
“I sometimes think there aren’t enough of us to win this war,” Sundance lamented. “Look at the sheer numbers we’re up against. It’s like a million to one. Granted, we have the technological advantage but, magically, we are behind the curve. They are destroying camps, towns, and cities left and right, or assimilating them.”
“Don’t worry. We are bringing in more every day. We have some powerful allies on our side fighting the same fight all over the universe. We will take Hudich’s empire one piece at a time,” Sam replied.
“I hope you’re right. I, for one, would like to know more. Don’t get me wrong. I love the weapons, but I would like my magical skills to be up to snuff,” Sundance said. “And those drums mean we aren’t in for a good night. The enemy is coming.”
“Your talents will improve, just give it time. You can’t run a marathon without proper training,” Sam continued. “It was only two years ago, I could only do a few things and they kept me and my friend, Linda, alive until help arrived.” He handed the binoculars to Sundance.
“Let’s hope we can keep these people alive a little longer too,” Sundance muttered.
“We need to get them word to keep all the lights on. Trying to hide in the dark only puts them at greater risk,” Sam noted.
“You and I know that, but you know how fond these groups are of strangers. It’s hard to trust anyone now-a-days, but you can’t blame them. Not only are there evil things roaming the lands, but clans fighting over food, land, and other supplies.” Sundance focused on a section of the wall. “I think I found the front gate.”
“Where?” Sam tried to spot the area with his naked eyes.
“The center of the left wall. There are an awful lot of guards at that location. Most of the other sections only have a handful of watchmen,” Sundance indicated. “So, how do you want to do this?”
Boom! Boom! Boom! The drums pounded out again.
“Have we tried to establish radio contact?” Sam questioned, studying the section of wall his friend had pointed out.
“I put Jim on it.” Sundance passed the binoculars back to Sam.
“Let’s move back and see if he’s had any luck.” Sam slid down the small hill, with Sundance right behind him.
They wove their way back into a small stand of trees at the bottom of a gully and out of sight of the camp. A man named Jim sat in the shade with an old radio, trying to make contact on each frequency. Another dozen men occupied positions to watch the perimeter of the small base, each carrying a small arsenal of advanced Olik-type weapons.
“What’s the word?” Sam asked Jim as he continued to fiddle with the radio.
“Well, I’ve had a couple of nice conversations with a few folks who are either in hiding or trying to lure victims out into the open. As far as the complex, nada.” Jim frowned. “I’ve been warning them about the coming attack. If they are listening, they should know.”
“Keep trying.” Sam patted him on the shoulder.
“So, what do you want to do?” Sundance asked.
“I guess I’m going to have to go knock on their front door.” Sam started handing his weapons to Sundance. “I’ll keep my radio, although they will probably confiscate it. Take my communicator. If you think this is going to get ugly, call for backup.”
“Will backup be able to respond in time?” Sundance questioned, accepting all of Sam’s equipment.
“I hope so.” Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Because there is no guarantee these people will believe me or let me go after I get in. You will have a hard time reaching me in that situation.”
“Are you sure you want to go in?” Sundance questioned with raised eyebrows.
“Yeah.” Sam checked his watch. “We only have about five hours until sunset. We better hurry. I want to give them as much time as possible, so at least they can release me before dark.”
“Five hours isn’t a lot of time to convince them to head west,” Sundance observed.
“First things first, I’m just going to try to convince them to let us help them andkeep the lights on. I’ll worry about getting them to head to the Rocky Mountains later.”
“Good thinking.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“You better follow me up to a safe distance. I don’t want to be caught out there by something we haven’t seen,” Sam said.
The two men found a dry riverbed which allowed them to move without being seen from the makeshift fort. The wind rustled the leaves and the weeds, creating the only sound in what seemed like a lifeless world. No birds or other wildlife stirred or made noises of any kind. An occasional disturbance would reach them from the direction of the camp, but it was obvious they were trying to be as quiet as possible.
Sam brought them to a halt when they were almost in a direct line with the entrance. They waited in the trees, studying the layout and listening for the unknown.
Sam’s heart rate increased and his palms turned sweaty. “Well.” He swallowed.
“Good luck. I’ll cover you as far as I can without being spotted,” Sundance promised. “Be extra careful. You know how crazy these drums make people.”
Sam climbed out of the riverbed and up a small hill towards the fort. When he reached full view of the structure, he raised his hands above his head and started forward slowly.
It wasn’t until he was within fifty yards that he could make out all the weapons pointed at him. There were at least a dozen assault rifles trained on him as he continued to take one slow step at a time. “I come in peace,” he shouted when he was within thirty yards of the gate.
“That’s far enough,” a voice commanded through a megaphone. “Either turn around now or lay down on the ground. If you attempt to come any closer, you will be shot.”
Sam kept his hands in the air while getting into a kneeling position and then brought them down to lie on the ground.
The instant he was flat the gate flew open and several four wheelers zipped out of the gate, along with about a dozen armed men. The vehicles created a dust cloud as they circled him, their engines breaking the tense silence.
“Hands behind your back,” a man screamed when the group reached his location and everyone pointed weapons at him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sam placed his hands behind his back and a man tied them together while driving his knee painfully into Sam’s spine. Once he was secured, a couple men stepped forward and lifted Sam off the ground.
“I come in peace,” Sam repeated.
“Shut up.” One of the men punched him hard in the gut, causing Sam to double over in pain and gasp for air. “We’ll ask the questions. You wanted to come inside, well that will be under our conditions. If we don’t like your answers, we will either expel you or kill you.”
“Aren’t you glad you approached the gate,” another said and chuckled in his ear before a hood was pulled over his head and the world went dark. “If your friends want to see you again, they better stop pounding on those drums.”
Sam felt like a sack of potatoes. His captors didn’t seem too concerned with how well they treated their prisoner. He was bumped, kicked, and shoved. With his hands bound behind his back, he had no way to break his fall. Every time he stumbled he hit the ground hard. Then someone would immediately yank him back to his feet.
They made him march blindly for what seemed like several hundred yards before they removed his hood. He stood in an otherwise darkened room, with extremely bright lights blinding his vision. Sam couldn’t tell how many people were in the room. Only shadowy outlines danced occasionally at the periphery of his vision between the lights.
“Who are you? What reason do you have for approaching our walls?” a deep voice roared at him. “And what’s with the war drums?”
“My name is Sam. I am here to help you,” Sam stated boldly. “I am not connected to those drums.”
“Here…to help us.”
A roar of laughter told Sam there was a large crowd gathered in the room.
“What makes you think we need your help?” the same deep voice asked. “We are well protected and well informed. We know about your group of men down in the riverbed. And I’m sure your army is nearby. What is your real purpose here?”
“We came to help you. You are in extremely great danger,” Sam stated. “If you last the night, you will need to head west. There is a well-organized society in the Rocky Mountains. You will be safe with them.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Really? We just up and leave with twenty-five hundred people and supplies. That sounds like a ploy to get us out in the open so you and your people can slaughter us and steal our property.” A female voice spoke this time.
“I guarantee you. We are here to help. We only stand a real chance if we join forces,” Sam urged. “You are vastly outnumbered and you are not as well informed as you think you are. You have been cut off from the real news.”
“We have our sources,” a different man interjected.
“What sources? Those news broadcasts? They are lies and propaganda meant to trick you into thinking you are safe. I’ve been out there. I’ve seen what’s coming tonight and it isn’t anything you can defend against.” Sam spoke more confidently than before.
“This is just another con artist trying to trick us into losing our possessions or worse,” another bellowed. “Toss him over the wall or slay him, but I don’t want to hear any more lies.”
The crowd volume in the room continued to grow with everyone trying to speak on top of each other.
“Give me a chance to prove myself,” Sam shouted above the din, bringing silence.
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“By fighting with you tonight. My men and I can keep you alive if you listen to me,” Sam informed them.
“We don’t need this fool. We have already withstood several assaults in the past and against great odds,” one argued.
The roar of the crowd started to build again. The tone and the comments were not in Sam’s favor. Slowly and steadily a chant began and continued to grow. “Throw him out! Throw him out!”
“This battle will not be like any other,” Sam yelled as loud as he could.
“How?” The crowd roared together.
“What do you know?”
“Throw him out!”
“The things you are about to fight will not be only human!” Sam shouted again. “They will not spare women or children.”
The chant changed to laughter and calls of “You’re mad! You’re crazy!”
“You won’t be dealing with conventional weapons,” Sam continued to holler above the mocking throng.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“QUIET!” a loud deep voice shouted above the crowd and the roar disappeared. “What sort of weapons are we facing?”
“Magical weapons,” Sam spoke in a normal voice.
“He’s out of his mind!” The roars and chants returned, more raucous than before. “Throw him out.”
“He’s wasting our time. This is some kind of ploy.”
“I can prove it,” Sam shouted again.
“He’s trying to trick us. He’s a devil. Toss him out.”
“QUIET!” the same deep voice shouted again. “Before I came to you, I was in a battle that matches his description. Creatures stormed out of the dark and slaughtered us. We managed to kill a few but we were outnumbered and outmatched. The battle was over quickly. It was only blind luck that I survived. The other few survivors were carried away.”
“I and my men can help you. It will not be easy but if you want to survive you must do as I say,” Sam affirmed.
“You said you can prove they will fight with magical weapons. How?” another questioned.
“Like this. Izginim se.” Sam disappeared right in front of them.
“Where did he go?” Several gasped.
“I told you he’s a devil,” others exclaimed.
“Do you really think I’m your prisoner?” Sam spoke from a new section of the room, turning the heads of the crowd. A few seconds later he spoke again, “I am here to help. Otherwise, I could leave at will on my own power.”
He used a spell to untie his bindings and slipped into the bleachers until he was standing by the man who supported his story. “Prikazim se!” He reappeared.
Most of the people in the immediate area where Sam showed himself, scrambled away from him in fear. The man who had supported Sam’s claims jumped a little but remained where he was.
“How did you do that?” the man asked.
“Magic. It’s real and I can teach you how to use it. My name is Sam and I am really here to help.” Sam extended his hand.
The man eyed it for a moment, then accepted it. “I’m John.”
Boom! Boom! Boom! The drum beats grew louder and stronger.
“Don’t trust him. It is the power of the devil that is going to fight devils,” a woman shouted in a shaky voice.
“Have you not heard a house divided cannot stand? How could the kingdom of the devil stand if I destroy his followers with his power?” Sam reasoned. “Those drums will continue to increase as the enemy approaches. If you want my help, we need to start preparing now. Otherwise, my men and I will leave you to your fate.”
“Why would you help us?” one questioned. “Don’t get me wrong. I want your help, but why?”
“Because you are needed. There is a bigger war being waged. We can’t win without the help of people standing for good.”
John rose to his feet and waved his arms, silencing the crowd. “All in favor of accepting help from Sam and his men, say ‘aye.’”
There was a loud chorus of “ayes.”
“Those against?” John asked.
A small spattering of “nays” returned.
“The ayes have it,” John pronounced. “Now, Sam, what’s first?”
“Send someone to retrieve my men from the riverbed. We also need to gather all the lights you can find. We need to make this place look like a tree on Christmas morning,” Sam ordered.
“Won’t that give away our position?” a man questioned.
“Yes, but what chases away darkness better than light?” Sam smiled.
“What else do we need to do?” John asked.
“Do you have maps of the surrounding areas, and what kind of supplies do you have, especially weapons? We need to set up a planning area. I may be able to bring in additional help,” Sam responded.
“How? More magic?” the people questioned curiously.
“Not exactly, but it may seem that way.” Sam smiled, trying to ease people’s fear of the unknown.
“What do you need maps for? Offense?” a short stalky man asked.
“Anyone who tries to go on the attack tonight will be lost, but we might be able to lay down some traps.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Do your people make regular runs outside the camp on four wheelers?” Sam questioned.
“Yes,” John responded.
“Start sending people out on regular patrols and mock errands. We need to create a lot of dust. That should allow us to set some surprises.”
###
<
I am happy to announce that Centalpha 6 Part IX is now available everywhere.
My next project should be out in May. This one will be a lot different. Over the last 4 months, I have corrected my vision doing eye exercises(one I invented myself) This short book will detail what I did to correct my vision naturally. I went from a prescription of a -7.5 in my right eye and a -7 in my left and now no longer need glasses.
James Todd Cochrane
Here is the new cover for Centalpha 6 Part IX. I hope to have it out earl March as it is being edited right now. I am now going all out on Max 5.
My new book, The Prophecy of Sky which is based on Sky from the Max and the Gatekeeper series, will be available in ebook formats towards the end of next week. I will post again when it is available.
So, I'm a little behind schedule. The Prophecy of Sky my new novel based on Sky from the Max and the Gatekeeper Series should be out in ebook around the first of he year with paper back later in that month. Centalpha 6 Part IX should be out towards the end of January. Here is the cover for 
The Prophecy of Sky.
I finally decided on a title for the new book about the character Sky from Max and the Gatekeeper.
The Prophecy of Sky.
This is the Prologue to my new book which I hope will be out before Christmas. It is a spin off about Sky from the Max and the Gatekeeper Series. This Prologue will be the only thing tying this book to the other series, otherwise it will stand alone. Enjoy!
Prologue
“I gave you very specific orders to protect my
palace!” Gree shouted at the top of his lungs, turning his normally green skin almost black.
His heavy fat body hovered over a blond woman dressed in black garb, bowing before him on the floor.
“And now, I’ve found there have been intruders in my kingdom.
Within these walls.
How is this happening?” His voice echoed off the stone walls of the high chamber, vibrating the massive crystal chandelier hanging over his throne.
“Magic,” the woman stated, her face still on the ground. “Powerful magic.
Unlike anything I have ever sensed before.”
She chanced a glance at Gree to see he was visibly shaken by this bit of information.
“They must be after something.”
Gree paced around the circular chamber, muttering to himself.
“I found it.
It’s mine.
How did they find out?
How did they find…” He climbed the steps to his throne and plopped himself down.
A scowl spread across his fat round wrinkled face.
“Do you know what they are after, Master?” the woman rose slightly, revealing a beautiful pale white face with dark red lips and blue eyes that sparkled. Even with her striking features, her face wore a slight expression of distain for Gree.
“Perhaps, but it isn’t something you need to concern yourself about, Slave One.
You need to stop these intruders from entering my palace,” Gree ordered.
“It isn’t my…” Her body started trembling as an uncontrollable fear crept over her.
“No,” Gree barked.
“They are not after your dar.
You need not fear.
You will be mine…
forever.” A wicked fire burned in his circular eyes.
“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better,” she mumbled under her breath.
“What was that?” Gree shot her an angry look.
“Nothing.
May I at least see it… please?
It has been so long,” she pleaded, as an uncontrollable urge crawled up the back of her spine.
She couldn’t remember ever wanting something so much in her entire life.
Her heart rate increased and she took a few tentative steps forward.
Standing below the raised platform, she barely reached to Gree’s knees.
“You bring me these intruders and I will let you see it again, Slave One,” Gree commanded.
The woman’s heart dropped, followed by a sinking sensation, and she stepped back and lowered her head.
“Will you at least tell me what they are after?
It may aid me in thwarting the thieves.”
“You need only know it is kept within the vault and they will try to steal it.” Gree leaned back and glanced at a door to the right of his throne.
“What if I’m not powerful enough to protect it?
The creature or creatures are very strong,” Slave One commented.
“Indeed, they are powerful.
They are obviously not from this world, slave,” Gree snarled.
“Not from this world?” The slave took another step back.
She glanced toward the ceiling as if doing so would help her see beyond heavens.
“I’ve always wondered.”
“Wondered about what?”
“If there was life in other parts of the universe,” the slave answered.
“You may yet find out.
I may need answers,” Gree said.
“You know…how to travel to other worlds?” The slave’s face shone with curiosity.
“No, but you do.
I just haven’t allowed you to do it yet.” Gree rested on his elbows with his hand clasped in front of him, eyeing her.
“You are unaware of your full potential.
I will show you in time.
I will need your powers to achieve my place in history.
For now, stop wondering and do as you’re told,” Gree barked, his voice growing in strength once more.
“I don’t want any more intruders.
Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” The slave bowed low and turned to leave.
Gree clapped his hands and several servants of varying species rushed into the room, carrying trays of food and drink for Gree.
They wore what looked like burlap sacks for clothing and had loose brown skin hanging from their thin frames.
The slave girl marched out of the chamber at a brisk pace.
When she reached the hall beyond, she walked to a large window overlooking a lush green valley.
There is life elsewhere in the universe. A place we could have escaped to. “What did he want?” enquired a handsome pale man with short blond hair, standing only a few inches taller than she.
“Tighter security, Slave Two.” She continued to stare out the window.
“Did you know we have the power to travel to other worlds?”
“We what?” The man’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
“Gree told me himself.
You, I, and the others have the power to leave this place.” She glanced up at the partly cloudy sky.
“He said these intruders came from another world and I’m assuming they used magic to do so.”
“If that’s true, we could have escaped this fate.” The man waved at the castle around them.
“I know.”
She frowned and patted the man on the shoulder.
“We may never have fallen under the power of the dar.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“Send out scouts.
I don’t know how these beings are coming and going.
We need to catch them when they are unaware, to avoid a fight.
If they are strong enough to get here, they must have a greater mastery of magic than we do,” the slave girl stated.
The man swallowed nervously.
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to find out what they are after,” the slave girl responded.
“You know you can’t disobey him. The dar won’t let you,” the man stated.
“I know, but he told me to watch his vault.
If there have been intruders, I’m sure he will want to check on his possessions.” The slave girl smiled a dazzling expression.
“Don’t let him catch you spying.
Otherwise, he may get more specific in his orders and make our world smaller than it already is.”
“Send out the scouts,” she ordered.
She waited for the man to exit the door at the end of the hall.
“This looks like a job for my little snitch,” she muttered to herself as the formation of a plan began to work in the corners of her mind.
Slave One went to the kitchen and grabbed a loaf of bread then headed out onto the grounds.
It took a half-hour hike to reach her destination.
She sent out a wave of magic to test the area and verify that she and her target were the only ones in the area.
Entering a dense forest on the border of the master’s kingdom, she walked until she could no longer see the valley behind her.
“I knew it was you.
I felt your magic.” A small young blond girl with pale skin emerged from behind a tree.
The slave girl squatted to be eye level with the girl and held out the bread.
“I have a job for you, youngling.”
The girl stepped forward and accepted the bread, then began devouring it.
“What do you need me to do?” Her voice was muffled by the mouthful of food.
“I want you to follow someone for me.” The slave girl rose to her feet.
“And you can’t be seen.”
The girl twisted her face up into a that-doesn’t-sound-too-exciting look.
“Is that all?
That’s easy.”
“It’s not and it will be very dangerous.
I wouldn’t even ask, but it could help you to avoid my fate and the fate of our people.
But…if you are discovered, I may be ordered to kill you.” A flood of guilt rushed through the slave girl’s body at what she was asking of
this youngling, a girl whose life was just beginning.
I can’t do this to her. I can’t ask her to do this. “Now, that sounds more fun.” The youngling’s eyes shone with excitement.
“I…” the slave girl stepped back.
The horrible image of her slaughtering the youngling flashed through her mind, causing her to feel sick.
“I shouldn’t have asked.
I was greedy.
Forget about it.”
She hung her head and turned to leave.
“Wait?” the youngling shouted.
“I can’t ask you this favor,” the slave girl said, not looking at the young girl.
“If it will really help us, I accept the possible outcomes,” the youngling stated.
“Even if the outcome is
death?”
“Is a lifetime of slavery really living?”
“No,” the slave girl muttered so quietly the young girl didn’t hear her.
“What?”
“You have to promise me.
If you are discovered you will run and never come back.
You will never make friends or set up regular patterns,” the slave girl stated.
“I promise.
Now, who do you want me to follow?”
“My master.
I want you to tail him wherever he goes and remember everything he does.
You must remember what he looks at or holds, every possible detail,” the slave girl stated.
“I can do that.
When would you like me to start?” The youngling licked her lips with excitement.
“Immediately.
Now comes the hard part.
You will need to do it without me or anyone else knowing about it.
I have been ordered to stop any intruders from entering his kingdom.
You fall under that category.
I
cannotknow you are there or I will be forced to catch you.
Do you understand?” the slave girl questioned.
“You’re right.
It sounds too risky.
I don’t think I want to take that challenge,” the young girl said and frowned.
“Smart choice.” The slave girl marched back to the castle.
A couple hours later the slave girl bowed before her master.
“As part of the new security measures, I am going to put a spell around your vault that will alert me whenever anyone enters.”
“And why are you telling me this?
I gave you permission to protect my property.”
“This spell won’t distinguish between you or an intruder.
Do you want me to enter into your vault when it is you who are inside it?” the slave girl asked.
“You know you aren’t allowed in my vault when I
amin there.”
“I know, sir.
But, if I can put a spell on the vault I can protect it more effectively.”
“How easy is it to remove this magic when I want to enter?” Gree seemed to be mulling over the option.
“Just as quickly as you can snap your fingers.” The slave girl performed the action.
“Leave me.
I will call for you when I am ready for this extra measure.”
###
The slave girl sat in her favorite window in a tower overlooking the entire valley.
The sun moved closer to sunset.
Although dark clouds threatened to hide its descent, it remained visible through a large gap in the storm.
Her mind wandered with thoughts of freedom and exploring the universe.
How do I travel to other worlds? Not while you’re a slave you won’t. “Hey, we have visitors and I don’t think they are from this planet.” The slave boy from earlier snapped her out of her thoughts as he appeared behind her.
“I didn’t sense anything.” She hopped out of the raised window.
“They’re not in our territory.
Or at least not yet.
And I don’t think they used magic like we’ve ever encountered,” the slave boy reported and spun around to lead the way.
“What do you mean?” She found herself almost running to keep up with the taller man’s gait.
“I don’t know how to explain it.
They just dropped out of nowhere.
Or at least a few of them did.
I spotted two of them on our border and then three more appeared.
Like I said, they aren’t from here and they appear to be different life forms.”
“Really?”
“You’ll know what I mean when you see them.”
They proceeded out of the palace and turned towards the setting sun.
Slave Two led her down the hill and through an orchard toward a hill at the edge of their master’s kingdom.
They climbed to the top of the hill where more slaves lay in the tall grass, observing the valley beyond.
The slave girl and boy lowered themselves to lying positions as they reached the others.
“So where did they first appear?” she asked, spotting the small group huddled in the shade of a tree, conversing about something.
“About twenty minutes ago, close to that small opening by the tree,” said another slave girl, who was a little shorter and older.
Slave One peered down and noticed the differences Slave Two hinted at.
Three of the strangers, males, appeared to be a taller darker version of her race. One had short brown hair, while another had wavy gray hair with a mustache, and the third kept his hood up, making it difficult to see his face.
There was a woman, shorter than Sky, with golden tan skin, and the last resembled something she had never seen.
She didn’t know if it was male or female.
It had grayish greenish skin with large round black eyes.
“What do you think they want?” the other slave girl asked.
“Do you think it has to do with whatever’s in the master’s vault?”
Slave One shot Slave Two a dirty look.
“You didn’t tell me not to tell anyone,” Slave Two responded.
“They don’t look like that big of a threat.
Although the one with the hood looks like he knows how to handle himself,” she stated.
“You didn’t see them arrive.
They have some serious magical talent to get here.
Don’t forget that,” Slave Two responded.
“Maybe one of us should go down there and just ask them?” the other slave girl asked.
“Be my guest.” Slave One motioned with her hand toward the visitors.
“All right then.” The other slave girl sprang to her feet and bounded down the hill.
They all watched her march across the field towards the strangers.
When she was within fifty yards she hailed them and waved her arm in the air.
Before they got a chance to watch the encounter, Slave One sat up with a bolt.
“Oh no!”
The others around her rose up as well.
“What?”
She shot a glance back at the castle.
“My spell.
Something just entered the master’s vault.
Come!”
She sprinted back towards the castle with the others on her tail.
Her speed created a wide gap between her and the other slaves.
It was her special skills and magical talents that made her the master’s #1.
Most slaves took years to reach her status, but the master chose her only a few months after her capture.
It was an event that only caused her pain and regret.
The master forced her to fight the old #1 to the death.
In the end, she killed him at the master’s command.
All the others avoided her for several years, but in the end she managed to develop something close to what could be called friendships.
She arrived at the entrance to the throne room to an all-out battle raging inside.
Gree cowered behind the side of the door, roaring in his deep guttural voice about something stealing his property.
Several slaves from Slave One’s race battled an unknown assailant just inside the vault.
Fire, sparks, and rays of intense heat flashed through the room—exploding against walls, furniture, and slaves.
She noticed several of her people had fallen and lay motionless on the floor, their clothes and flesh bloodied and burned.
The remaining resistance fought from positions of relative safety, the throne and other furniture.
Slave One became a blur, zipping from the door to join another slave behind the throne.
The sight that met her eyes caused her to gasp. A creature unlike any other she had witnessed rummaged through her master’s possessions, tossing things everywhere with one arm and sending out spells with the other.
A tall muscular creature with a black skull-like head and red-rat eyes blocked and attacked as if he didn’t face a serious threat out of the vault.
“Where is it, Gree,” the stranger barked in a deep voice.
“I know you found it in the ancient ruins.
The dark ones left it behind and you recovered it.”
“Send a volley so I can get closer,” slave girl one ordered the slave crouching in front of her.
The slave behind the throne sent a powerful shockwave into the vault.
Before the spell reached its target, the slave girl zipped to the wall beside the vault door.
She barely ducked out of the way as the intruder deflected the spell and returned it to the sender.
The force cracked the throne free of its bindings and dropped it onto the slave, who let out a cry of pain.
She drew her sword strapped across her back and rushed the attacker.
She managed to get only a few feet into the vault when an invisible vice-like force lifted her off the floor.
It pressed her from all sides and held her suspended in the open doorway.
“You must be Gree’s #1,” the intruder mocked.
“Not really all that dangerous are you?”
He held out his hand and made a fist.
The force squeezing the slave girl tightened like a coiling python.
She gasped and the force strengthened making it difficult for her to breathe.
Her vision darkened and little lights popped in front of her face.
Just when she thought she was about to die, she was free.
She fell to the floor and strange flashes of light zipped over her head, forcing the dark creature to turn his attention towards the open doors.
She heard strange voices calling through the doors and a name.
Hudich.
The thief roared with rage and swung his arms in a wide circle over his head, creating a tornado which pulled in all of her master’s possessions.
Things began to spin faster and faster in a rush of loud wind.
“Ahhhhh.” The stranger’s voice seemed to take delight, and while continuing to control the circling objects with one hand, he snatched an old scroll out of the funnel.
Then with one final thrust, he threw his hands forward and everything flew out of the vault.
Slave One covered her head as the deadly speeding projectiles flew over her.
She managed one last glimpse of the stranger standing in the center of the vault with an evil smile, before he vanished in a bright light.
She hurt and struggled to move.
Everything seemed like she watched it from a great distance.
The other intruders were there.
Two of them, the woman and the one with the greenish skin and black eyes, examined her and gave her something she assumed would help her.
Why would they be here unless the master allowed it? As soon as they left, a warming calm crept over her and she felt a strong desire to sleep.
It was as if there was nothing as important in the world as sleep.
She struggled to keep her eyes open but gradually drifted off to sleep.
###
She awoke with a jolt.
Gree was shouting for her and he seemed angry.
“#1!”
She winced as she sat up.
She hurt everywhere but everything still worked.
“That was one powerful creature,” she muttered to herself.
She hurried to the restored throne room where two slaves held the youngling between them.
Her blond hair was disheveled and there were cuts and bruises on her face.
The sight hit the slave girl one with enough force to expel all the air from her lungs and almost doubling her over.
Her heart dropped and more fear than she could ever remember feeling spread through her limbs, causing her to tremble and her pace to slow.
“They caught this youngling snooping around my thrown room.
I ordered you to keep all
intruders out.
We have had more unwanted guest than necessary today.
I will not tolerate this.
I want this one made an example of.”
“Has she stolen anything?” the slave girl asked, her voice cracking slightly with fear, hoping that was the case in order to plead for leniency.
“She denied taking anything at first but we were able to get it out of her.
So, not only has she trespassed, but she thought she could take
my property,” Gree screamed, his green face growing darker.
“What’s more, she claims to be operating under your orders,” Slave Girl Two stated with a smile.
Slave One felt like she was back in the grip of the powerful intruder.
Her world grew small and dark, while her insides contracted in an uncomfortable knot.
“Is that true?” Gree’s sheer volume shook the chandelier above him.
Slave One’s eyes dropped and she nodded slowly.
She felt ill, her head spun with a dizzying nauseating sensation and beads of cold sweat formed along her brow.
“As your reward for this betrayal, you will retrieve what’s been stolen from me and then you will kill her.
You thought my rules were strict before.
You haven’t seen anything yet,” Gree spat.
“I gave you some freedoms, but no more.”
Tears formed in Slave One’s eyes and she drew a dagger from her belt. Her feet felt like they had sprouted roots as she struggled to take the steps towards her small friend.
“What did you take?” Her voice shook.
A smile spread across the youngling’s bruised face.
“Your dar.”
The statement rolled through the throne room like a giant hand had slapped everyone and they gasped.
“Impossible,” Gree stammered, almost stumbling backwards before dashing into the vault.
A single word issued loudly from the vault.
“
No!”
Slave One struck quickly.
Spinning the dagger around she hammered the hilt downward onto the forehead of one of the youngling’s captors and blasted the other with a spell that sent him flying.
Then, blowing out the window with another spell, she snatched up the youngling and sprang out the window.
They finally rested when they were deep inside the forest.
Slave One’s heart raced with the thought of holding her dar or possessing it, so no one would have power over her ever again.
To go by my real name again instead of the insult Gree had forced me to accept. “Will they come after us?” the youngling questioned between mouthfuls of air, glancing back in the direction of the castle.
“Where’s
my dar?” The slave girl could think of nothing else.
She had to have it.
To hold it.
Nothing in the universe mattered but her dar.
It took all her restraint to not start frisking the youngling for it.
The youngling’s expression changed to a look of suspicion and the color drained from her already pale face.
“Do you need it that bad?” she stammered, taking a step away and glancing around.
“Why are you keeping it
from me?” The slave girl stepped closer, blood starting to pound inside her ears, causing them to ring.
“I
must have it.”
“I don’t have it.” The youngling shook her head nervously retreating a little more.
“WHAT? YOU SAID YOU TOOK IT?” The slave girl snatched her off the ground by the arms and rattled her back and forth.
“I did. I did,” the youngling responded, with tears leaking from her eyes.
“Then where is it?” The slave girl growled with venom.
“I didn’t want to be caught with it so I hid it in the pack of that man,” she cried.
“Please, you’re hurting my arms.”
It felt like being doused with ice water.
The intense uncontrollable desire and rage dissipated as quickly as it had come on.
Her fingers snapped away from the youngling almost as if she had received a nasty shock.
“I’m sorry.
I’m so sorry.” The slave girl stepped back, her own tears starting to flow.
“I am grateful but…”
“Is that what it’s like?
Is it that uncontrollable?” The youngling’s eyes grew wide with fear.
“Yes.
It is all you can think of once it takes hold of you.” The slave girl wiped her eyes and glanced at the darkening evening sky.
“But you’re free now, aren’t you?
That man took it far away,” the youngling questioned with curiosity.
“No!” The slave girl shook her head.
“Even still I can feel my dar’s pull.
I belong to him now.
In whose pack did you place it?”
“The older one with the graying hair.
He seemed like such a nice life form.
I figured it would be safe with him.
How will you find him? He could be anywhere out there in the universe.”
“Magic.
My attachment to my dar is already pulling me.
Somehow, I know where it is and how to get there.”
“Do you have to go?”
The slave girl put her hands on the shorter girl’s shoulders and bent so they were eye to eye.
“I must and you need to go into hiding.
Don’t ever go back to the castle.
If I can come back and help you, I will.”
She pulled the youngling into a tight hug.
“I appreciate what you did for me.
I only hope my situation has improved.”
She rose and in a flash of light disappeared.
###
The slave girl landed on shaking knees in front of a strange home.
It resembled cottages from her world but was much larger.
It was white and appeared to have three levels and an iron barred fence surrounded it.
That fence can’t… She started to ponder the weakness of the fence when she sensed an extremely powerful magic surrounding the premises.
How did I get in? She felt exhausted but didn’t know how to proceed.
She climbed the steps and took a seat on the strange bench hanging from some chains.
The device swayed, giving a relaxing sensation when she plopped down into it.
###
She snapped to attention, feeling a gentle nudge which had awoken her.
The seat started to sway again and her eyes grew wide as she noticed the older man with wavy gray hair, mustache, and slight beard was staring at her.
She didn’t know how long she had slept but she didn’t feel rested.
Her body was sluggish and sore, which she attributed to yesterday’s battle.
“If you don’t mind my asking, who are you?” he asked with a kindly smile.
“I belong to you.” She sprang out of the bench and assumed a kneeling position with her head bowed.
“You what?” He chuckled putting a hand behind her upper arm, lifting her gently to her feet and setting her back on the bench, where he sat beside her.
“I belong to you, keeper of my dar.” Her head remained bent slightly to indicate his superiority.
“Hold it for a second.
What?
Why do you think you belong to me?
I don’t understand.”
“You are in possession of my dar.
A youngling put it in your backpack in my world.
I belong to whoever controls it.
I belong to whoever owns it.
I must do your bidding.”
Her eyes finally met his but there was something strange in the way he looked at her.
There was not the usual greed she noticed in most master’s eyes, but pity and kindness.
“I see.” He rubbed his scruffy chin as if in thought.
“I wondered what that was in my pack and where it came from.”
He smiled, patted her leg and rose to his feet.
“Wait here.”
Her heart beat faster inside her chest at the thought of at least seeing her dar again.
Somehow she felt better about this new master.
He didn’t seem cruel or domineering.
He actually seemed kind.
He returned with a small wooden box and sat next to her.
“I don’t think anyone anywhere should belong to another.”
He held out the box for her to take.
“Y—you’re…giving it to…me?” Tears stung her eyes and her hands shook as she accepted the box.
For the first time, something odd had happened.
She no longer had the irresistible desire to see or hold it.
Now that it was hers and in her hand, it had no power over her.
She wept for joy.
“Freedom is a grand thing,” the old man said, and patted her back.
She could never remember feeling so happy.
“Thank you.
Thank you.” Tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
“You are most welcome, Ms.?”
“Ms.?” she questioned through sobs.
“Let me be more specific.” He chuckled.
“I am Joseph, Joseph Rigdon.
And you are?” He raised his eyebrows.
“I am…”
“Your name?” He smiled.
“My name is Slave…Sk—Sky.”
Hi,
I haven’t posted in a while as I moved to a new state. I have been very busy writing and hope to have two new projects out in time for Christmas. No, sorry, one will not be Max 5. I’m hoping to release that in the spring. One project is related to Max and the Gatekeeper though. It will be a full length novel about Sky. I will post the prologue here in the next couple of days. The second project will be Centalpha 6 Part IX. I’m really excited for these two releases and hope you will enjoy them.
James
Gee no one pointed out that I used pedals instead of petals lol. :) You can all poke fun at me. I can take it. lol
I can't resist putting these up. lol
4
The demon’s mount howled again. With each new cry the demon drew nearer to Flit’s position. Flit glanced at the fallen pedal lying at his feet and marched as fast as his back would allow away from it.
He struggled to keep silent, wincing with each step. He hurried up a small slope with a stand of trees. He managed to reach the top and duck into the trees when the demon and its hideous companion emerged out of the forest right where the pedal remained.
The demon’s head swiveled back and forth its flaming red eyes scanning the surrounding forest while its mount sniffed the ground all around the wilted pedal. Small dust clouds floated around the beasts head as it huffed with its nose stuck to the ground.
A small group of armed malos emerged from the village, drawn by the unexplained disturbance. The held their spears and swords at the read and acted as if they could sense something was amiss but didn’t know what it was.
They can’t see him. He took out the flower to make sure it was safe. The four remaining pedals gave off the soft white light.
The demon and his ride turned towards to group of malos approaching from the city. The scaly beast snapped its jaws in their direction.
“I know you are near,” the demon’s deep voice rumbled and the flame danced excitedly across its skin. “Are these your people? I know you won’t show yourself, but perhaps I can tempt you out.” The Demon’s voice took on an almost delighted tone. “I will give you a demonstration of my destructive powers. Prove to me you are not a coward and show yourself to save your friends. It’s time I revealed myself to the world.”
The demon leaned low to the side of his mount and slammed the butt of his axe handle against the ground. There was a flash of red light like a shockwave the race through the forest in all directions away from the spot where his axe handle struck the ground.
The group of malos screamed with fright as they caught sight of the demon and his beast only twenty yards from their position. What courage they possessed vanished and they turned tail, fleeing back towards the village.
The demon spurred his ride with his heels and the beast exploded forwards with a terrifying roar. The demon overtook the small group of malos and chopped them in pieces with his massive double-sided axe. The beast managed to snap up those who avoided the demon’s weapon with his sharp teeth.
Frightened malos cried and hollered as the Demon turned his wrath onto the camp’s occupants, slicing them up with his axe or letting his beast devour them. Malos attempted to flee in all direction, but this only excited the demon more. He ran them down in all directions.
Flit felt as if someone had grabbed the lower half of his stomach and started to squeeze the contents inside upward into his throat. His heart ached at the horrific sight. “Noooooooo,” he screamed with tears welling in his eyes.
The demon and his ride stopped dead at the sound of Flit’s cry.
“So you do care,” the demon’s deep voice rumbled. “But that will not save them. Show yourself or they will all die.”
Tears ran down Flit’s cheeks and he glanced down at the flower. “What good are you, if I can’t save others?”
“But it can save them,” several female voices spoke inside his ear at once. “Tear off a live pedal near the demon. Yes tear off a pedal,” They spoke with a sense of urgency.
Flit shook his head, wondering if he had imagined the voices.
“Hurry Flit!”
Adrenaline flooded through his body, blocking out they pain in his back. “I’m coming,” he shouted, bolting towards the demon.
The demon tugged the reins of his mount, spinning him in Flit’s direction. “Where are you? Show yourself!”
“I’m c—coming,” Flit stuttered. With each new stride his fear returned in greater measure and his feet grew heavier. “I—I’m…”
The demon’s beast reared up on its hind legs and then began bouncing on its front legs with excitement. Every time its massive weight hit the ground vibrated from the impact.
Flit’s heart threw itself against his ribcage.
“Closer!”the female voices whispered to him when he drew within a dozen yards.
Flit’s sprint turned to tiptoeing. He cautiously put each foot down, trying to avoid making any sound.
“I grow tired of this game. I know you are near, but I will resume killing your people down to the last child if you don’t come out of hiding now!”
When?Flit thought. His whole body trembled as he inched his way closer to the beast. He couldn’t bring himself to look directly at the demon or its pet. He averted his eyes, using his peripheral vision to guide him.
When Flit was within ten feet of the demon the females spoke into his ear. “Now!”
With shaking hands Flit held the flower out in front of him like a shield separating him from his foe. He tore off one the live pedals from the main part of the flower.
A ball of bright warm light grew from the separated pedal. It rapidly increased in size and intensity. The demon and its mount wailed as if the light caused them physical pain and flinched away from the rapidly spreading orb. As the growing light touched the demon and his mount, they started to smoke as it burned their skin. The demon spurred his ride hard and they sped away from the chasing brilliant rays, howling with rage.
The light fanned out as far as Flit could see for several minutes and then vanished, leaving him with the live flower and a blackened pedal. He thought about dropping the dead portion on the ground but decided to put it and the live flower in his pocket.
If the demon can track the dead flower, I don’t want him to come back here. I better find the other pedal and move it as well. The pain in Flit’s back returned with the absence of danger to command his attention. He winced when he started walking back towards the spot where he had dropped the first pedal. The lash marks forced him to move at a somewhat sideways angle to lessen the stinging sensation.
Malos started to gather around the area of slaughter. Several began weeping for the loss of their loved ones while many eyed Flit asking what had driven the demon away.
“Where did that light come from?” some asked.
“Did Flit have something to do with it?” others questioned.
“Did he create the light?” a malo queried causing the others to look and marvel at Flit in a curious manner.
“Why are we driving him away if he has the power to protect us?” another called as Flit reached to boarder of the camp.
Flit glanced back at the gathering crowd and then turned to search for the lost pedal. Hurry! Find it! You can’t stay here! He spun back and forth and made several circles in awkward positions while scanning the ground for the dead portion of the flower.
A small group of malos headed in Flit’s direction while the rest watched him.
“Flit, wait?” the head malo called while waving a hand through the air.
“Finally,” Flit muttered under his breath upon locating the dead pedal. He gasped as a sharp pain shot through his back while he bent to pick up the object. When he managed to finally straighten back up, the small group had reached him. He slipped the pedal into his pocket before anyone could notice it.
“Flit, how did you dispose of those monsters?” The head malo’s eyes were wide with wonder. He looked Flit up and down as if seeing him for the first time.
“I didn’t dispose of them. He is still out there. And he may be back,” Flit stated. He took a deep breath and spun on his heel to leave.
“WAIT!” the head malo almost shouted. “Still you chased it off with that…light. How did you create it? Maybe we were a little hasty. We,” he motioned towards the group, which consisted of many on the council, “made a mistake.”
“You whipped me,” Flit said more out of sorrow than anger.
“We are very sorry. We were wrong,” another council member stepped forward.
Flit peered at all the expectant faces. He longed to stay with his people, but something deep down told him he needed to go. He actually found the prospect of leaving as a form of relief, like there was something much more for him waiting out there. Maybe the creator is right. There is something I can do.
“Please stay,” a female councilor said.
“I know you can’t understand this now, but I can help you more by leaving,” Flit said. “I must go.” His own words surprised him. He actually wanted to leave. Even living with the malos he had been on his own, no one liked him. After Haddar’s minions rounded up his parents for sport in the arena, no one really wanted to take him in. It was a struggle to survive and take care of your immediate family, let alone add another mouth to feed.
“Stay. We will make your life better,” the head malo stated.
“I can’t protect you from everything out there. I’m sorry, but I must go.” Flit ignored their requests and promises, heading in the direction of the forest.
Several malos followed him until he was almost a quarter mile into the hunted forest before giving up and watching him disappear into the trees. When Flit noticed he was alone, he angled back towards the edge of the trees away from his camp. The forest was a dangerous place and the memory of Jett was still fresh in his mind.
Flit returned to the usual practice of scampering between one group of trees or bushes to the next until he drew within sight of the end of the trees. Beyond the edge of the forest rolling hills with high grasses extended as far as the eye could see. Flit knew the area well. Groups of farmers lived, tucked within the hills trying to raise grain and livestock. They defended their farms ferociously. They had to in order to discourage anyone trying to target their goods.
Flit found a nice grouping of trees and took a rest, trying to decide what he should do. He sat cross-legged with his back against a tree. “What am I to do?” he muttered to himself and then the memory of the voices of the female ghosts coming from the flower gave him an idea.
He took out the flower. He held it in his hands and stared at its beauty. What do I ask it? Will they answer again? How long do I have with only three pedals left?
“Who are you?” a female voice asked.
Flit jumped clamping his hands down over the flower. He turned to see the point of a sword only a foot away from his back.
“A malo!” An astonishingly pretty xenska stated at the sight of Flit. “Are you part of a raid,” she demanded stepping so the point of her sword poked Flit.
“N—no.” Flit couldn’t stop staring at her smooth pail white face with her violet eyes.
She had long dark wavy hair and stood maybe an inch or two taller than Flit with a thin frame. She appeared to be close to his age. Her eyes jumped from Flit to various clumps of trees along the edge of the forest. “Malos only come into our lands when they want to steal our property. So what are you doing here?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Flit lowered his head.
“You’re a liar…and a thief. Malos never travel alone and they aren’t good for anything but sport in Haddar’s areans.” She jabbed him.
“Hey!” Flit swatted the tip of her blade so it was no longer pointing at him and then rubbed the spot. He already had enough injuries. He lifted his shirt to see a small cut with blood trickling down his side. “You broke the skin.” Flit slide the flower into his pocket with his other hand and then got to his feet.
The xenska stepped back with a surprised expression. She kept the sword pointed at Flit. “What happened to your back?”
“Nothing, and I’m not here to steal anything. I’m looking for something. I’ll just move on.” Flit yanked down his shirt and walked past her, heading back into the forest.
“Wait!” she chased after him. “I didn’t give you permission to leave,” she barked, trying to cut off his place of retreat. “I’m not alone. You can’t just walk away.”
Flit didn’t know where he found this new disregard for anyone with a weapon, but it seemed to be growing. “Look. I’m alone and I mean you no harm, so I’m going.”
“If you don’t stop, I will call for help,” the xenska demanded raising her voice, causing Flit to stop.
Before Flit could vent his increasing frustration, a strange whistle rang out from two different locations.
The xenska glanced around and then poked Flit in the ribs with the sword while an angry expression painted itself on her face. “I knew you were a liar.” Keeping the sword on him, she seized his arm and spun him around. She forced Flit into a nearby group of trees.
Flit gasped. “I’m…” Flit started but a harder poke silenced him.
“Shut your mouth,” the xenska ordered, trying to spot any signs of a danger over Flit’s shoulder.
The whistles started again but they took on a different sound. The pitch was higher and the call longer.
“Oh no,” the xenska gasped.
“What?” Flit glanced over his shoulder to see the fear in the xenska’s eyes as they jumped around.
“Catchers,” she whispered.
The hair all over Flit’s body rose to attention and a great fear spread through him. Catchers scoured the land searching for the weak and the helpless to sell into slavery or to the arenas. To be caught by a catcher was an almost certain death sentence.
“They will probably have kaps with them.” Flit joined the search for a place to hide.
“Kaps? Where can we hide from them?” the xenska hissed.
“Where is the nearest water source?” Flit demanded. “Where do you get your water?”
“Why?” The xenska’s eyes reflected fear and panic.
“Kaps can’t smell you in the water,” Flit stated. He knew from previous encounters with catchers that the only options would be to find a river or lake and hope you could find a reed or hold your breath long enough when the catchers drew near.
“There is a river almost a mile away.” The xenska pointed to the south of them when the grunting and howls of the kaps reached their ears coming from the same direction.
Several new whistles rang out and then went silent.
“My people are fleeing.” The xenska made like she was going to leave when the voices of the catchers combined with the kaps, stopped her. “I left my safety to come after you. Now, I won’t make it back,” she cried.
“We can make it. I will help you. We are going to have to make a wide circle.” Flit bolted deeper into the haunted forest. He didn’t know why he offered to aid the xenska. Usually, races didn’t intermingle unless it was in cites or the arena, but somehow the thought of anyone suffering in the arena pained him.
“Wait,” the xenska cried running after him. “We can’t go that way.”
Flit had to slow his pace to let her stay with him. Once again, his need helped him block the wounds on his back. “Circling around them is our best chance. We would never out run the kaps once they pick up our scent. If we try to circle through the fields we run the chance of being spotted causing them to give chase before we have time to reach the water or we make them go where no one wants to go.”
“But aren’t their worse…things…in here?” She panted.
“There are, but right now our biggest threat is the catchers. I have traveled the forest many times and not encountered anything.” The memory of Jett caused his insides to squirm at his last statement. And the demon is still out there. “Just keep your eyes open and your sword ready.”
Flit continued deeper into the forest until he could no longer hear the kaps above his heart pounding in his ears and his heavy breathing. He slowed to get his bearings and rest a bit. “We should be able to angle back towards the river from here.”
“You don’t think we could wait it out here?” the xenska glanced around. “Find a good spot to hide and…”
“Remember what forest this is. We don’t want to stay and there is no guarantee the catchers won’t follow us in. They have the kaps and weapons for protection.” Flit glanced at the sky and the xenska followed his lead.
“Wow. You can actually make out the position of the sun today,” the xenska exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Flit realized it had been that way since he had left the garden. He chose his line and started marching towards the river.
“Is it always like that?” the xenska questioned, trying to follow and look at the sun at the same time.
“Like what?”
“Can you always see the sun in the forest?” the xenska asked.
“Just lately.” Flit remembered the clear skies in the garden.
“I don’t think I’ve seen it that well in well over five or more years, and that was on a very windy day,” she commented. “How often…”
Flit spun and thrust a finger to his lips. “Remember where we are. Hold the questions for later,” he whispered while glancing around to make his point.
“Sorry,” she mouthed and pulled a concerned face while following his eyes.
Flit walked at a brisk pace always using trees and bushes to shield them from as much of the open spaces as possible. He fought the constant urge to sprint for the river, knowing to do so might expose them to some hidden danger in the forest. Several times, a strange animal call forced them to take cover and wait. The only positive was they hadn’t heard any sign of the catchers.
“I think it’s safe,” Flit whispered after an unusually long wait.
“What’s your name?” the xenska whispered before Flit could take off.
“Ah, Flit.” He felt surprised by the question. Never had anyone ever asked him that question before. “What’s yours?”
“Kerra,” she responded. “Thank you, Flit. Thanks for not leaving me.”
“You’re welcome.” Flit smiled at her and then started forward once more. With the temporary lack of a threat to their safety, the pain in his back returned, forcing him to walk funny.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
It took them almost an hour until they reached the edge of the forest where they could see the river several hundred yards across the open grasslands. The closer they drew to the edge of the trees the slower Flit walked. They used some high bushes to search for danger.
“I think it’s safe,” Kerra said in a hushed voice.
“Something doesn’t seem right.” Flit couldn’t see anything but years of trying to move about unseen had taught him valuable lessons. “Why is there no sound at all?”
“What?” Kerra shot him a confused look.
“Usually, no sound at all means something bad is waiting close by. Birds and small animals are avoiding the area for some reason,” Flit pointed out.
“Oh. So what do you want to do?” Kerra questioned.
Behind them several kaps howled and the shouts of their masters followed.
“Run!” Flit ordered.
He and Kerra sprinted out into the high grasses. They only made it twenty yards when a hidden net controlled by concealed catchers and hinged poles, scooped them up off the ground. They bumped heads hard and their arms and legs popped out of the holes in the net.
3
Flit stood motionless with his mouth agape for several minutes. His eyes jumped to the empty air, where the pillar of fire had been, to the while flower in his hands. How am I supposed to keep this thing safe? Won’t smashing it in a pocket kill it faster? He pulled out his shirt to peek inside and then looked in his pocket, trying to decide what to do with the flower.
“It is beautiful,” he mumbled to himself. He had never seen anything so white in all his life. It gave off its own light and it actually felt warm in his hand.
He walked mindlessly around the garden, the short conversation with the pillar of fire playing over and over again in his mind. What am I to learn? Patience!
“Why do you marvel, Flit,” the blond’s voice spoke.
“How can I hide this without destroying it? And how is it supposed to protect me from that horrible demon? How do I get out of this place?” Flit struggled to control his fear and hold back the tears trying to make an appearance.
“Only a few things besides time will harm that flower,” the redhead spoke out of nowhere.
“Like what?”
“Any acts of evil by you will hasten its demise,” the blond stated.
“I don’t understand?” Flit shook his head. “How am I to know what is evil and what isn’t?”
“The flower can teach you. Pay attention to it. You’re actions can cause the pedals to discolor and wilt.” The blond in her white gown flashed in his vision and then vanished.
“What types of things should I avoid?” Flit pleaded.
“Lying, cheating, stealing, murdering…” several female voices almost sang.
“These things are evil,” the redhead’s voice added. “But your heart has already told you these things. All life knew these things at one time or another. They have just put them off so long that their hearts are corrupted.”
“But then how am I, a malo, supposed to survive? We must steal to eat,” Flit stated, eyeing the flower.
“You must find other ways to live,” the blond said. “You have collected berries.”
“Like that’s going to be easy.” Flit exhaled and rolled his eyes.
“It is time for you to leave Flit. You must return to this garden before the last pedal falls,” the redhead stated.
“How am I to know when that will happen and how do I get out of here?”
“Watch the flower. Learn the color of the pedals right before they drop. That will tell you how much time you have,” the redhead continued.
“As for how to get out of here, the flower has the power to open the gate,” the blond said.
“The gate?”
“The gate,” several voices repeated.
“Where is the gate?”
“It is wherever the holder of a flower chooses to enter the wall,” the blond informed him. “Remember to return before the flower dies or the demon will come for you.”
“Whereis the gate?” Flit questioned but no one answered.
He stood listening for several moments. “Hello?”
Again, no one answered.
“The gate is wherever one with a flower chooses?” he muttered to himself. He glanced at the flower and then at the wall of thorns.
Deciding he would be lost if he didn’t leave on the same side as he entered, he went in search of the opening he had created. It took him a lot longer than he had anticipated as the hole must have sealed itself. He used his memory of what he had seen upon first entering the garden to determine his location.
“I think this is it.” He eyed the spot for a few moments. After taking a deep breath, he walked towards the wall.
Flit jumped when the thorns dissolved and a beautiful golden archway with golden gates appeared in their stead. “Wow.” Flit’s jaw dropped. He half expected his hand to pass through the golden doors when his skin touched the actual metal.
He slid his hand along the smooth metal surface, admiring its beauty. He had only ever seen small coins of gold and their value was incredibly great. For a brief moment he wondered how much he could trade for such an amount of gold. I would be killed for one of those small coins and probably much worse for this much gold.
He peered through the bars of the gate at the dark forest beyond and then pushed his way through. After taking several steps into the trees, he glanced back to see the gate had turned back into the wall of thorns. The sky changed to the dim smoky haze it always was, except today there was a slight difference. Instead of the smoke totally hiding the sun from view, Flit could pinpoint its location through the haze as if it were slightly thinner than usual.
Turning back towards the thorns, he held out the flower and the gate returned. “Wow.” He marveled at the magic of the flower.
Not wanting to lose his precious gift, he tucked the flower very gently into his pocket. He started retracing the path that brought him to this part of the forest. He was no more than fifty yards away from the wall when the thudding of heavy feet shook the ground. The demon! Flit hopped behind the nearest tree. Fear spread over him as if he had been dipped in icy waters.
He poked his head out for a quick peek. The demon with fire dancing over his skin rode his reptilian mount along the perimeter of the wall. When it reached the spot where Flit had exited, it came to a halt. The mount’s nostrils flared as it sniffed the area around the wall.
A high-pitched cry echoed through the forest so terrifying it almost stopped Flit’s heart. He covered his ears against the intensity and length of the wail, curling into a crouch on the forest floor. When the noise stopped a deep silence followed as if the cry had chased all the life out of the forest.
“I know you left the gardens,” a deep growl-like voice rumbled through the forest. “I will find you and torment you. Your death will not be swift. You will endure more pain than you can imagine. You cannot hide from me.”
Flit started to blubber silently in his little bubble of fear. Why? Why did you leave the gardens?
The sniffing of the beast grew nearer and nearer until it was within a couple dozen yards of Flit’s position. Flit trembled so violently he couldn’t control his limbs. It will find me. He will kill me. Tears rolled down Flit’s cheeks and his bottom lip quivered at a great speed.
Just when Flit thought the demon was about to seal his fate, the beast it rode turned and moved off in another direction. Flit dared not even budge as the rider and its mount zigzagged in a wide circle around Flit’s position but never managed to get closer than a stones cast.
After remaining in his paranoid state, shacking from head to toe, waiting for the demon to feed him to his mount, Flit found the courage to stand. It took all the strength he had to remain up right while his knees knocked together.
The demon and its ride continued their search about a hundred yards off to his left. The beast would sniff the ground and the air trying to locate what it knew was somewhere out there.
Flit took the flower out of his pocket and cupped it in his hands to protect it. He peered at it through a small opening. It works! Still the demon knew he was out and seemed to be able to track him enough to remain a lot closer than Flit would have liked. Maybe it will fall behind and wander away. He carefully slid the flower back into his pocket.
Keeping the Demon in view, Flit took a tentative step forward. The dry leaves crackled under his feet, causing his heart to jump into his throat.
The demon and the thing it rode didn’t appear to have heard the sound, continuing their search in a confused manner. The beast would appear to have found a scent one moment and then lose it again a few seconds later.
Flit moved again. Still the demon didn’t notice. He advanced several paces and the demon didn’t respond. Flit continued attempting greater and greater distances until after no response from the demon, he made his break.
He finally turned his back on the demon and hurried to the cliff he had tumbled over the day before. From there, he tracked his way back to the tree where he covered his eyes and spun away. Dried blood covered the leaves beneath the tree Jett had climbed.
“I’m sorry, Jett,” he muttered to himself. Even though Jett had hated him, Flit felt empty and sad inside. He struggled to hold back his emotions. “No one deserves that.”
Hanging his head in sorrow, Flit made his way back to the malo’s camp. The closer he go to its boarders, the greater the anxiety he felt. He knew he would have to tell them about Jett’s death and something about his escape. They will not believe I got away when Jett, who was the stronger and faster, did not.
“Where have you been?” a deep voice surprised Flit, causing him to jump. The guard, Mish, appeared from behind a tree. “And where’s Jett?” A scowl creating deep lines of disapproval creased Mish’s face. “You were supposed to bring back some food.”
“Jett’s dead,” Flit said, hoping the horrible news would ease some of Mish’s tension and desire for food. “I barely escaped with my life.”
“What? How?” Mish’s expression changed to one of fear as he cast a wayward glance at the forest.
“A black bird alerted some other creatures,” Flit explained about the monsters that chased them and how Jett managed to get in the tree while he had to flee on foot. He told him about the horrible scream he had heard after fallen over the cliff. “When I found the spot today…blood…everywhere.” Flit hung his head at the horrible memory.
Mish’s eyes moved up and down with a curious expression. “We should go and report to the council,” Mish nodded in the direction of the village and started marching towards the camp.
Mish’s questioning glance, gave Flit the impression Mish didn’t believe his story. Flit followed Mish into the camp, which consisted of make-shift tents constructed from branches and worn out fabric. Small fires, giving off little smoke, burned here and there to hide their presence. The enter camp was one of poverty and isolation.
Mish signaled two young malos. The boys hurried toward him. “Go and summon the council. Flit has returned and Jett is dead.”
The two small malos hurried off to fulfill their charge.
Flit and Mish headed towards the largest tent in the camp. By the time they arrived others started to gather in response to the boys summons. Flit followed Mish in through an opened flap of cloth. Log benches formed a circle around the tent walls and torches burned on wooden polls, making it possible to see.
“Stand in the center.” Mish waved Flit into the middle of the room.
Flit’s legs felt like they had sprouted roots each time he put a foot down. He found it difficult to meet the eyes of the council members, who continued to file in the opening. The malos both men and women crowded onto the benches. With each new member, Flit found it more difficult to breath as if the room grew smaller and smaller.
The head malo, an elder male with a grey mop of hair and wrinkled tan face spoke quietly with Mish for several moments. All the other crosstalk in the room left Flit wondering what Mish was saying. Flit tried to read the elder malo’s expressions but they remained unchanged.
The tension made Flit want to flee and when he didn’t think he could stand no more, the elder malo rose to his feet. He raised his hands high in the air so that he was almost touching the top of the tent. This gesture brought instant silence to the council.
“Jett is dead,” the head malo stated loudly and a wave of gasps and a few cries broke out among the council. “Flit is here to tell us what happened. Flit.” The chief took his seat.
Once more, Flit told the tale about what had happened to Jett and how he had escaped. Again, he stopped the tale at the point of falling over the cliff, letting the council assume it was how he had escaped. He knew he couldn’t tell them about the gardens, for no one would believe him, plus the ghost had informed him to keep it a secret.
“Are you sure the blood was Jett’s?” a council member questioned.
“Ah…I couldn’t find another explanation,” Flit stated. “But, it is possible it wasn’t his.”
Flit noticed the head malo nod towards Mish.
“I have a question,” Mish bellowed and all eyes turned towards him. “If you fell over a cliff and landed in bush as you say, where are your injuries? You don’t have so much as a scratch on your skin. Your clothing looks ripped and shredded, but you have no marks.”
This question sent a wave of murmurs and head nodding around the room.
Flit remembered the fruit and held up his arm to see his smooth tan skin which was whole and undamaged.
“What are you saying?” another council member asked.
“I think Flit had some hand in Jett’s death. Whether he pushed Jett out of the tree to satisfy the beasts or outright murdered him,” Mish exclaimed. “Then he shredded his clothes and made up his escape.”
“Let us see your back,” another member demanded.
“Yes, show us your back.” They all started to chant.
“M—murder…M—my back?” Flit’s body started to tremble and his head began to spin. What was happening?
Mish rushed Flit and knocked him to the floor. After ripping Flits shirt off, he yanked him to his feet and spun him around for all to see the smooth undamaged skin.
“I did not murder Jett,” Flit wailed and tears formed along the bottom of his eyes.
“Then where are the marks,” Many demanded.
“I used a salve,” Flit lied and felt and his front thigh grew icy cold. The flower floated at the front of his mind, but he didn’t respond to it.
“Liar! Liar!” Everyone started to chant.
“Kill him.” others shouted.
Once more, the head malo stood and held up his arms to silence the crowd. “We have no proof Flit murdered Jett, but…” His eyes locked on to Flits. “His story does not ring true. We cannot trust him.”
“Banish him,” a woman shouted.
“Yes, banish him,” another agreed.
“Flog him and banish him,” they all started chanting.
“NO! I swear. I did nothing wrong,” Flit cried.
“It shall be so,” the head malo shouted and the group rose to their feet.
They dragged a scream Flit out of the tent and tied him to a tree. By this time everyone in the camp had turned up to see what the disturbance was.
“Flit, I hear by sentence you to receive twenty lashes and you are banished from out presence,” the head malo shouted.
Pain, erupted across Flit’s back as if he had fallen backwards into a fire. He screamed with each crack of the whip. He could barely make out the crowds faces through his tears. They were cheering his anguish. Their faces appeared distorted and twisted as they spit towards him. A spark ignited somewhere in the back of his mind, causing the tears and his voice to stop. He teeth clenched and he took the last few lashes without showing any response.
Mish cut the rope holding Flit against the tree and Flit dropped to the ground.
“If I ever see you again, I will kill you,” Mish whispered in his ear.
The crowd started chanting in unison, “Leave. Leave. Leave.”
Flit struggled to hide his pain while he struggled to his feet. He leaned against the tree for several moments to regain his composure. Blood ran down his back and he wished he had some of the garden’s fruit to stop the pain. The garden. The flower. The cold. He slowly slid his hand up and down his thigh as if the movement made him feel better.
“Someone bring him a cloak,” the head malo shouted and a man tossed a tattered leather garment made from a fruit collecting sack at Flit’s feet.
Flit eased his way to the ground by kneeling on one knee. Any attempt to bend or twist his back created a sharp shot of pain that would take his breath away. He struggled to maintain a passive face not wanting to give the malos the satisfaction of seeing him punished. They never even liked you. Even while they rejected him, he couldn’t find it in his heart to hate them as his eyes jumped around the shabby camp.
He snagged the garment and gritted his teeth in order to regain his feet.
“Flit, you are no longer welcome in our camp. If you return, you will be treated as a criminal and executed,” the head malo shouted and then turned his back to Flit, then the entire camp showed Flit their backs as well.
Flit glanced at the people he knew and then swallowed the lump pushing its way into his throat at the prospect of being alone. “I didn’t do anything to Jett.” Flit walked gingerly away from the camp, each step was a new experience in pain. He tried to maintain a statuesque-like posture to his gate in order to decrease the pain from his wounds.
When he reached the edge of the camp, he leaned against a tree to gain his composure. He didn’t know if it was his injured back or fear of the unknown that halted his departure. He slowly checked the area for any unwanted eyes before checking the flower.
The sight that met his eyes caused him greater distress one of the pedals had wilted brown and fallen away from the main flower. How? I thought I had several weeks. He remembered the cold feeling and noticed the dead pedal felt like ice while the main flower remained warm to the touch.
He tried to remember what was happening the moment he noticed the cold. I had told a lie. I lied about how my injuries were healed, but surely I had a reason to do it?
Flit eyed the dead pedal for a moment and then dropped it to the forest floor. The second the pedal hit the ground, the beast the demon rode, let out a roar from somewhere inside the forest. Flit froze. He strained his ears wondering if he had imagined it when the roar came again, closer.
He’s heading this way!
Centalpha 6 Part VIII is now available. It may take a day or two to appear on itunes and Sony but is currently on Amazon and B&N.
I will post the third chapter to the new story here on Monday. Not sure how many chapters I will put up here at this point but I am having fun with it.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Okay, I know I mentioned posting two chapters from another story. I do have one of them ready to go, but I discovered I need help with that story. The main character will be a fifteen year old girl and I don't understand how they think to make it believable. :)
So, I could post the first chapter to that story or I could post a few more chapters to the two I already added.
If you want more of the current story and chapter one of the other story, I would be willing to do that as well.
Please let me know.
Okay, here is chapter 2 as promised. Again, it is very very unedited. :) Let me know what you think.
2
Flit screamed as the demon howled with rage. Both of them scrambled back away from the wall of fire at the same time. As soon as the Demon retreated far enough from the flames into the forest, the wall of thorns returned.
The demon’s eyes burned red with a flame of their own, staring Flit down. The beast it rode roared, snapping its jaws at him. Then the demon spurred its mount and road away. The monster’s massive body, causing the ground to shake with each bound.
Flit’s heart continued to pound for several minutes after the demon disappeared. He remained on the ground starring at the opening in the thorns. How am I to get home? Am I trapped here? A prisoner?
It wasn’t until after the sun had set and darkness began to settle in that Flit realized he had sat motionless for quite some time. He rose to his feet and the crying started again. The ghosts! His anxiety returned. He glanced around searching for any hint of the white specters but nothing moved except the water in the fountains.
Flit decided to find a spot to wait out the night. I just wish the sobbing would stop. How am I to sleep with that crying? Please let those spirits stay way. He found a spot under one of the fountains where it would protect him on three sides. He crawled into the opening and curled into a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs.
The darker it grew the louder the wailing grew. Every now and then Flit made out a word or two.
“Why?” the voice would ask. “I loved you,” it bemoaned. “You betrayed me,” it lamented.
Flit started to tremble. The constant crying began to wear on his nerves. He wondered if the man was a ghost or something else.
As night continued to take over, the gardens grew increasingly darker and darker. The gardens had a strange glow Flit had never seen before. He could make out the shapes of trees and shrubs better than he had ever done before. He couldn’t distinguish colors but definitely trees and bushes. Every now and then a small flash of light would blink, traveling across the gardens. They appeared to be floating slowly in all directions. There was also an abundance of the usual night time insects making their normal racket.
What are they? A trick of some kind to lure me out of hiding?
He adjusted his position to relieve some discomfort and gain a better view of the area. The wailing continued to come and go, but seemed distant with this new development to hold his attention. He checked for anything else moving about the gardens, with no results.
The strange silvery light that covered everything in the gardens seemed to be shifting at a very slow pace. It had originally been about three feet or more away from him but was now only a foot or so. With each passing moment it inched closer.
Flit’s heart started to race and his mouth grew dry as he looked for anything waiting out in the darkness. After not spotting anything, he nervously extended his hand out towards the strange sliver light. He paused a moment before finally pushing his hand out into the glow. He didn’t feel anything unusual on his skin. There was no warmth or coolness to the light’s touch. He noticed his hand created a shadow on the ground telling him it was a type of light source.
“It’s moonlight,” a female voice spoke in his ear causing Flit to jump and smack his head on the stone above him.
He wrapped his hands around his head and gritted his teeth. Tears formed in his eyes and it took several moments for the pain to subside. He fought the urge to vent his pain with any noise, hoping to avoid any more interaction with the unseen.
He tried to wet his lips with his tongue while his eyes danced around. “Please leave me alone,” he whimpered.
“You will need us if you want to get past the demon,” another voice spoke and the ghostly form of a blond woman in a white dress swirled around in front of his hidings spot before disappearing.
“T—the d—demon?” Flit stuttered and the image of the black creature flashed across the front of his mind.
“He controls the boarder of these gardens.” A redheaded apparition materialized for a brief moment and then dissipated. “You won’t escape him without our help.”
“Y—you want to help me?” Flit’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Yes,” several female voices spoke at once and two different female ghosts glided in and out of his view. “You are very special, Flit.”
“Me?” Flit started to gain a little courage, speaking a little louder. “I’m nothing. Not even for a malo. I don’t even have any real friends.”
“You have a good heart, Flit,” the original blond spoke, appearing and then fading. “You can come out, we will not harm you.”
“I’m scared,” Flit acknowledged. “What if you are just tricking me? Luring me to my death?”
There were several giggles.
“We have been waiting for you for centuries. We need you,” the redhead stated. “Our father needs you, Flit.”
“Your father?” Flit questioned, thinking he hadn’t seen any male ghosts.
“Yes, he is the creator,” another female specter appeared and zipped by his hiding place.
“Creator?” Flit poked his head out a little farther to follow her until she vanished.
“He created this world,” another female mist appeared right in front of Flit’s face and then floated backwards away from him.
Flit flinched but recovered quickly. Curiosity tugged at his mind and he wanted to know more. “Of this garden, you mean?” He slipped out of his hiding spot to sit cross-legged on the ground in front of the fountain. The strange silvery light descended on him from a strange beautiful white orb in the sky. “What is that?”
“It is one of the moons of Eilisor. It is only seen from these gardens anymore,” the redhead materialized for a few moments.
“The pollutions of Hadder, hide many beautiful things from the eyes of Eilisor,” a different spirit flew by.
“Haddar!” Flit shivered. Everyone living in the world of Eilisor feared the name. He controlled Eilisor with blood and dark magic. The malos told terrifeing tells how their people where used as entertainment in Haddar’s arenas. Hundreds of malos ripped to pieces and gobbled up by horrifying creatures.
“Yes, Haddar’s evil covers all the lands. Only this garden is safe from his influence,” the blond spoke. “He is not strong enough to enter here, but he guards our borders with the demon you saw.”
“To keep you in or to keep others out?” Flit swallowed, realizing he was now part of the first equation.
“Both, but more to keep anyone from leaving,” several ghosts responded at the same time.
“Then how am I to get home? How am I to get back to my people?” Flit felt panic starting to spread through his body. “Why didn’t he stop me from coming in?”
“He didn’t see you as a threat. But he does now,” the redhead spoke. “You have eaten the fruit. Your eyes are open a little.”
“What?” Flit shook his head. “Why would that matter?”
“All the fruit of these gardens have magical properties. We were trying to talk to you before you tasted it, but your eyes were shut and you couldn’t see. It wasn’t until after you had eaten the fruit that we could appear to you. The same with the demon. He knows you know and will hunt you wherever you go,” the blond stated.
“So, I’m trapped here…forever!”
“No, we can aid you. Besides our father has a great work for you to do,” the redhead said.
“But I don’t want a demon hunting me. Why would anyone want me, a malo, to help them? I’m a nobody,” Flit protested. Goose pimples spread across his body at the thought of that terrifying demon running him down.
“You heard the father’s voice and you see the gardens. You are the first,” a brunette ghost swirled around him.
“I…I what? I didn’t hear any man’s voice and how could anyone miss this beautiful garden’s. That is if they get through the thorns.” Flit held out his arms in the moonlight, searching for scratches and puncture wounds, but his skin was smooth without any marks.
“You heard him crying,” a couple of ghosts stated together.
“T—that was your father? And why is he crying?” Flit questioned.
“Because all of his creations are corrupted and evil,” another spoke, doing a pirouette in front of him and then dancing away.
Flit now marveled at the beauty in these strange misty creatures. He noticed how he felt a strange joy being in their presence. “His creations?”
“Yes, he is the father of all. Even you Flit,” the blond stated rolling over and over as she zipped by.
“But his son rebelled against him and uses his powers to control and conquer life everywhere,” another woman appeared right in front of his face and then dissipated.
“Who is his son?”
“Haddar!” they all hissed.
“Hadder is the father’s son?” Flit tilted his head to the side.
“Yes, he was destined to rule Eilisor in peace and justice, but he is evil. He abused and twisted his powers,” still another spirit spoke.
There were so many flying around, Flit had trouble tracking them all.
“And what does the father need me for?” Flit questioned.
“To kill Haddar,” they all spoke at once.
It felt like a huge weight had dropped onto Flit’s shoulders and he struggled for air. “Y—you w—want me to k—kill Haddar. He will have me drawn and quartered and then let things start to eat me alive before I die. How can I, a single malo, take on not only Haddar the most powerful being on Eilisor but his vast armies which are as great as the sands on the sea.”
“You already showed great promise. Others have entered these gardens but have failed to see them. Only the pure in heart can do so. If your heart wasn’t pure, you would have only seen a decaying overgrown garden with no fruit or working fountains,” the redhead told him.
“Did any of them leave?” Flit swallowed.
“None survived,” a couple of spirits stated.
“What happened t—to them?”
“The demon killed them. The demon killed them. The demon killed them,” the all repeated.
“And you want me to k—kill Haddar. I’m not going to make it out of these thorns.” Flit rose to his feet and waved his arms at the thorny walls. His fear of these spirts vanished faster than the ghosts themselves and he paced around the area. The pressure of being trapped or slaughtered by a demon squeezing his thoughts. “And poor Jett. The camp must be wondering what happened to us.”
“I will help you,” a deep calming voice spoke, stopping Flit in his tracks.
Flit glance all around but could only see the gardens and the swirling female specters. “Who was that?”
“The creator,” the soft female voices spoke.
Fear of being asked to do something he didn’t want to do, forced Flit to stop asking questions. He slunk back to his hole and crawled inside, wrapping himself into a ball. He lay on his side watching the female ghosts come and go until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.
###
Flit awoke to birds chirping. He was rather annoyed at the chatterers as he was having one of the best night’s sleeps he could ever remember. Their song carried a happy tune which seemed strange to Flit. “Where did those buggers come from?” he grumbled and then his eyes snapped open. The Gardens.
His heart started to thump inside his chest. He lay motionless, using his eyes to search for the ghost or anything else. He stayed still until the pain in his hip and shoulder became unbearable, so he slowly crawled out of his hiding place. He took a long drink from the fountain after verifying he was alone.
The hunger pangs in his stomach led him to the fruit trees where he ate his fill once more. He discovered he still had one of the sacks he and Jet were to use for gathering berries and loaded it full.
“It will not survive beyond the borders of the thorns,” a female voice spoke in his ear, causing him to drop the bag, spilling fruit all over the ground.
“It will rot,” another stated from a different location.
Flit glanced around after regaining his composure. He recognized the voices from the night before. In the daylight, he couldn’t see any ghosts or spirits. A sudden knot in his stomach replaced the light feeling he had after convincing himself that last night had been a dream. It wasn’t the fact the ghosts were real that bothered him, but if they were there and the demon would be too. This also meant the desire they had for him to kill Haddar remained.
“I just want to go home,” Flit pleaded after a few minutes of silence. His chest heaved as if he struggled for breath.
“And so you shall,” the deep male voice responded. “You will need help. I do not expect you to defeat Haddar on your own.” I brilliant flame appeared, burning in the air. It hovered above the ground about two feet and rose up in a pillar of fire. It consumed no fuel to feed its flames.
“But I’m a nobody. Friendless. Even my own people don’t like me,” Flit stated, trying to make a case for avoiding this responsibility. “I can’t even defend myself, let alone win some battle. I won’t make it past the demon.”
A brisk wind whipped through the trees, causing Flit to turn his head to keep loose flying debris from getting in his eyes. The wind flew around him and then disappeared. When Flit opened his eyes a beautiful white flower with five large pedals spun around as it floated down from the air above him. Flit caught it out of the air and then noticed it belonged to the tree the wind had started from.
“Take this flower and keep it safe. It will hide you from the eyes of the demon,” the deep soothing voice stated. “You must never let it out of your possession. If you should lose it, the demon will know where you are and come for you.”
“How can a flo…”
“It is a special flower. It will stay alive for several weeks. You must return before the last pedal falls. For a dead flower will have the same results as losing it,” the creator spoke.
“Why do I need to come back?” Flit asked.
“To stay alive and to learn,” the voice stated and the pillar of fire started to die.
“What am I to learn?” Flit asked.
“Patience. First you must learn patience and to follow instructions. Return before the last pedal falls,” the voice grew fainter and the flames were almost gone.
“WAIT!” Flit stretched forth his hand toward the disappearing fire.
“Show the flower to no one. Thieves will be drawn to its beauty.” The pillar vanished.
This chapter has NOT been edited and is subject to change. You will notice I make a lot of errors when I write. Homophones being a big one. :)
Please let me know what you think. I will post the second chapter in this story next week. Then I will post 2 chapters of a different story. I am letting you decide which one you would want to read first. I will finish that story first.
1
A twig snapped under Flit’s foot causing him to recoil before Jett shot him an angry look. Flit hated having to go into the haunted forest and his company made it even worse. Flit knew Jett didn’t like him and would do everything to make his day miserable.
Maybe if the forest was thick he could stay close but out of Jett’s sight, but the tall trees grew yards apart. Only the new growth grew tightly together until one tree eventually dominated the spot and the others would die off. The best cover seemed to be wherever large bushy shrubs gathered around the base of a tree. Still they had to be careful these locations weren’t the home of some unseen beast.
At only fourteen years of age, Flit was small, even for a malo, at four and a half feet tall and a skinny build. Jett stood at least a foot taller and outweighed him by about forty pounds. Jett had reached his full height and already had facial hair and tuffs of hair covering his ears while Flit’s skin was smooth and golden brown. A mop of untidy black hair sat upon his head just like all the other malos with deep blue eyes. They both wore ratted ragged attire and Flit barely had what could be called shoes.
“If you give away our position again, I’ll gut you and leave you for the monsters of the forest,” Jett hissed angrily. “It’s bad enough I have to come into this dangerous place, but I have to bring you with me.”
“I’m sorry, Jett,” Flit tried to apologize.
“Shut up. If I want to hear from you, I’ll say so. Otherwise, keep your trap shut.” Jett left their place of cover hurrying across the open space between one set of trees for another in a hunched over run.
Flit waited until Jett arrived at the new spot, looked for any sign of danger, and then bolted after Jett. Flit, like all the races, feared the haunted forest. He hated when their leader would move their camp next to its boarders, because that would mean he would have to venture in to find food. Most who stepped within its borders were never heard from again.
As dangerous as the forest was, the malos used it for protection and food. Being one of the smaller races made them easy targets as slaves or prey. Camping near the forest gave them a little peace. The need for food drove them into the woods whenever they couldn’t steal what they needed in their nightly raids.
Flit wished life was different. He seemed to always be stuck with whoever was assigned forest duty. It wasn’t that he liked stealing for a living either, but there were usually more malos involved and it felt safer. They never let him carry a weapon and he didn’t think Jett’s short sword would protect them from any serious danger. Instead of a knife or his sling with some stones, Jett forced him to carry all the empty sacks.
The farther they went into the forest, the longer they paused before moving out into the open. It had been quite some time since a malo disappeared in the forest. Only partial remains were found along with their shredded clothing. Everyone knew some monster had eaten them.
“There’s our target.” Jett pointed to large patch of berries growing on a slight slope about a half mile away.
“It’s a little out in the open?” Flit stated, pointing out the scarcity of trees and shrubs.
“Just stay low in the berry bushes. The sun rarely makes an appearance.” Jett cast a look at the smoke filled sky which gave the land an endless dim hazy light. “And what did I say about speaking!”
They continued their darting from one large tree to another always pausing to make sure nothing had spotted them. Nothing moved. No small animals or birds in the sky. They crossed the distance in a matter of minutes and then crept out into the berry patch. Flit passed a couple of sacks to Jett and they began filling them with berries.
A gust of wind swept through the area, causing the trees to creek and leaves to rustle. Flit and Jett froze, listening while sinking a little lower into the bushes. A strange cry from over head grabbed their attention and an uneasy feeling spread through Flit.
“Stay still,” Jett whispered. “If you move, it might spot us.”
The call came again, closer this time.
Flit’s heart started to race and he wished he could crawl inside one of the empty sacks. Sweat started to form along his brow and annoying biting insects initiated an assault on his ears. The urge to swat the pests became unbearable and he used his mouth to angle breaths of air to keep the little devils out of his eyes and nose.
A loud slap indicated Jett gave into the desire to rid himself of the insects.
The strange call took on a higher pitch, volume and repetition as a massive black bird with beady red eyes landed on a branch of the nearest tree. The bird continued with its non-stop chatter, rotating its head to stare at them with both eyes.
“That thing is going to give us away,” Flit whispered.
“Shut up,” Jett hissed.
“It knows we are here. We need to get out of here before it attracts the attention of something larger and more dangerous,” Flit warned.
“Shut…”
A hair rising roar off to their right scared them out of the bushes. They raced away from the roar but another closer to their left stopped them in their tracks. The black bird appeared to be following them yammering away, as if it was calling the beasts to them. Before they had a chance to head back towards their camp, a third call drove them deeper into the forest.
They ran wildly dodging trees all the while the howls of the beasts continued to grow louder.
“There!” Flit pointed towards a massive tree about a quarter mile a head. “Maybe we can climb higher than these things can grab.”
They arrived at the tree only to discover the lowest branches were just out of their reach. Flashes of black beasts appeared through the trees rushing in their direction.
“Quick give me a boost,” Jett ordered and Flit clasped his hands between his knees.
Flit almost buckled with Jett’s weight but managed to hold him as he stepped from Flit’s hand to his shoulders. Jett snagged the lowest branches and swung himself up. Then no matter what Flit tried he couldn’t grasp Jett’s outstretched hand.
“RUN!” Jett screamed as the beasts roared with delight on finally spotting their prey.
The bird continued to caw excitedly. It landed a couple of branches above Jett.
Flit sprinted through the forest, adrenaline and fear pushing him on. His heart pounded in his ears and his lungs burned inside his chest. The grunts and growls of his pursuers grew closer and closer until the thudding of their feet hitting the ground joined the other noises.
He reached the top of a hill and risked a peek over his shoulder. His change of focus caused him to trip and fall down the steep slope on the other side. He rolled at an accelerated rate, bouncing off rocks and bushes until finally falling off a twelve foot drop into a group of thick bushes which helped break his fall.
Flit groaned against the aches and pains in his body. Two hideous black hairy heads with red eyes and long sharp yellow teeth peered down at him from on top of the cliff. They swung back and forth as if searching for a way down.
Flit eyes jumped both ways to see another way down wasn’t too far off. He scrambled out of the center of the bush while broken branches and thick structure scratched and snagged his clothes and skin, making him use a lot of time and energy.
The beasts’ call told him they were heading towards the path he had spotted while lying in the bush.
Ignoring the pain in his back and legs, he started running once more. He searched for a possible place to hide when a horrible scream momentary stopped him. He turned back towards the hill. Jett! Oh No, They got Jett!
He exploded forward once more at full speed but his energy started to wane fast. The calls of the creatures began again and steadily grew closer and closer. Fear threatened to consume him and tears began pooling along his lower eyelids. He didn’t see any way out of the situation. These monsters would ripe him to pieces and devoured his flesh.
The louder their terrifying calls sounded, the harder Flit’s heart beat inside his chest. He began blubbering in his desperate search for a solution. Tears rolled down his face and his legs became heavier and heavier.
Hopefully they will kill you quick, Flit. I don’t want a lot of pain. Through the trees ahead a strange gray wall like structure appeared. A building? The image sparked in him hope at the chance to escape. He sprinted as fast as his tired legs would work. What he thought was a wall of stone that was part of a larger building turned out to be a wall of gray thorns about twenty feet high. The dried bushes were knitted so tightly together they looked impregnable.
The thudding of the monsters’ large paws told Flit he was out of time. He dove straight into the dense wall of spikes, which punctured his skin and clothing. Gritting his teeth, he dug deeper into the painful thorns. He managed to get several feet into the thick structure when the ravenous creatures slammed into the wall.
They whimpered and wailed after attempting to snatch Flit in their snapping jaws as the thorns jabbed their faces with each attempt. The thorns seemed to drive the hideous beasts mad. The howled with pain but would dive into the thorns again and again. With each try, they got closer and closer to their prey.
Flit had no choice but to continue to endure the painful bushes and force his way deeper into the stabbing plants. Bloor ran from every part of his body. His fingers hurt so badly, that he turned his back in the direction he wanted to go and pushed his way through. Flit screamed from the pain. For every inch of progress he made, the beasts gained the same amount of ground.
He closed his eyes and drove his backside into the wall until he broke through the other side and fell on his back, driving in some of the broken off thorns. He cried out but sprang to his feet so he could flee again, when something odd happened.
The enraged monsters stopped their assault all together and acted as if an even more terrifying monster had shown up. The lowered to the ground with their tails between their legs and acted as if they didn’t know what to do. The shot lofty looks at Flit and then at their air all around them before yelping and darting away.
Their reaction caused the hair on the back of Flit’s neck to stand on end. He didn’t dare move. It felt like he was incased in ice and the world around him grew completely silent. A cold chill brushed across his cheek like ice had touched his face.
He cocked his head slightly to the side and strained his ears listening for anything noise at all. A very soft sound reached his ears. He couldn’t tell if a breeze blowing through the thorns created the noise of if it was something else. The noise was there one moment and then gone the next.
Taking a deep breath, Flit forced his muscles to move. The effort shot pain all through his body as the thorns still stuck in his body made their presence known. “Ahh,” the sharp protrusions took his focus away from his surroundings and he began plucking the dagger-like objects out of his skin.
He had just cleared all the objects from his backside and was trying to reach some in the center of his back when the sound came again. He held his breath to hear more. A soft moan or something like it traveled with the wind. Is that someone…crying? Or a wounded animal.
The sight that met Flit’s eyes filled him with wonder. While the beasts and the thorns held his attention, he failed to see the spectacular gardens in which he now stood. There were beautiful flowers of all colors, fruit trees and bushes, marble fountains with running water and immaculately trimmed hedges and lawns. Bees and butterflies busied themselves about the flowers and tree blossoms.
“Wow,” he whispered to himself. He took a step which caused more thorns to reveal their presence in his skin. He paused to pluck out the last of the sharp devils before returning his attention to the beautiful gardens.
He took a couple of steps forward and the eerie soft crying returned, stopping him. How could this be in the middle of the evil dark forest? Wait a minute. His eyes darted around the strange world inside the forest and realized the sun was shining. It was moving toward sunset quickly but it was still giving off more light than he was used to. He put a hand over his eyes to deflect the glare and took in how blue the sky appeared inside this place.
Swallowing the lump that had pushed its way up into his throat, he called, “Hello!”
His voice carried a little louder than he would have liked and a colorful array of birds took flight, chattering with fright from the disturbance. They circled the gardens and then Flit before returning to their hidden perches within the trees.
The moment the birds calmed back down and their chirps died away, the crying sounded again. More prominent.
“Hello!” Flit called a little louder with the same response from the birds and few deer materialized out of the bushes and hoped away, deeper into the gardens.
It took a little longer for the birds to calm down, but once more the crying started. The sobs were deep like it was a man wailing.
Flit waited, not knowing how to proceed. The moaning and sobbing continued to float around on the breeze but Flit could not determine from which direction they came. Soon the allure of the fruits and water overpowered what fear he had felt.
He limped to the nearest tree. Without any adrenaline to drive him, his body hurt everywhere. Blood oozed from all the cuts created by the thorns and his back ached from the fall. When he reached the tree, he pulled a few pieces of the lower hanging fruit and began devouring them. They were unlike anything he had ever tasted. They were sweet and juicy. A deep calm spread through him and all his aches and pains seemed to disappear.
He continued to eat until he was satisfied and then went to a fountain and drank his fill. He used the water to wash of all the dried blood from his face and hands. The crying continued. It ate at his mind, speaking of great pain and loss. Whoever it was could find no comfort. A deep sorrow started to creep into Flit’s mind as he browsed the gardens sampling other fruits. The place seemed to go forever. How is it now one has found this place? It is a paradise in a dangerous world. What do I tell my people?
Flit checked for a bag to take some fruit back with him for proof.
“You will tell no one,” a soft female voice whispered in his ear and a white wisp-like mist passed at the edges of his vision.
Flit felt like ice had touched his ear and he flinched then stopped dead. His heart started pounding in his chest and ears and his mouth turned dry once more. Ghosts! Goose pimples spread up his back and over his arms and it felt like he was incased in led. Fear replaced his will to move. Ever since he was a small malo, the elders of his camp had told horror stories about the evil spirits who lived in the woods with powers to deceive the mind. And lead people to their doom. What if this is all a trick. The sun. It wasn’t shinning on the other side of thorns. It’s an illusion.
The image of the frightened monsters flashed through his mind. What did they see that I didn’t? He closed his eyes tight and opened them again in an effort to clear his vision but the garden remained. There must have seen something to scare them off. Some evil more terrifying then themselves. What did they see? He shut his eyes once more and shook his head this time, but he didn’t notice anything different.
His stomach started to tie itself into knots and an uneasy feeling crept over him. He tried to remember how he had reached this point. It took all the effort he had to make his muscles respond. He kept glancing in every direction, looking for whatever lay hidden within this vision. You need to get out of here.
He started to retrace his steps in order to find the whole he had created to get in.
“Where are you going?” the soft voice spoke into his other ear, freezing it with its icy touch and another white mist danced at the corner of his sight. “You can’t leave. It is getting dark. The demon will catch you?”
This time Flit’s terror launched him forward at full speed. He raced back the way he had come.
“Where are you going? It is not safe outside the wall. You have eaten the fruit. You will see him and he will see you,” a different female voice spoke and the transparent mist floated across the front of his vision in the form of a beautiful woman.
“Leave me alone,” Flit screamed while swatting at the mist by waving his arms wildly through the air.
“You can’t escape him. He will peel the flesh off your bones while you still live,” a third female voice stated and another ghost zipped in front of him.
Flit closed his eyes and raced blindly forward with his hands extended to make sure he didn’t run into anything. He cried out as he smashed into the wall of thorns cutting his arms and hands again.
His eyes snapped open and he searched for his exit. He didn’t want to squeeze back through the thorns but he had to escape before these evil spirits led him to some horrible fate. He located the spot he had entered and started to ease his way out.
“You cannot leave,” yet another voice spoke as if it were right on top of him in a distressed tone. “Watch out. He is coming!”
Heavy thuds shook the ground, dropping loose thorns and branches down on Flit’s head. On the other side of the thorns, a giant black demon with curved horns and fire dancing all over its muscular body, road a giant monster with scales and spikes all over its body.
The scaly monster roared a deep guttural sound they almost caused Flit to lose control of his bodily functions. The demon’s eyes locked with Flit’s and an expression of rage took hold of its face. It swung a massive double axe at Flit, who just managed to jump out of the way before it cut a gash in the thorns.
Flit scrambled backwards in fear and stumbled to the ground. The demon coaxed its mount forward but the second it crossed into the thorns, the thorns disappeared and a wall of fire took their place.
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The Secret is Loose
Sam and Linda huddled close together under an old green tarp as the pouring rain seeped through several areas of torn fabric, penetrated their clothing, and chilled them to the bone. The rain and the steam from their breath obscured their view of the old motel across the street from the park, where they waited in a thicket of trees.
Sam—a thin, medium-height, freckled-faced male in his mid-twenties with straight brown hair had been on the run with Linda—a short, pleasant-faced black woman in her early thirties.
For almost three months now, their existence had been a miserable one of eking by on barely enough food.
Their tattered clothes matched their worn-out appearance.
“Are you sure they’re coming?” Linda’s voice chattered with the cold and she pressed closer to Sam’s back for warmth.
“Yes,” Sam responded, his eyes locked on the motel.
“How long can we keep this up?”
“As long as we want to stay alive.”
Sam cupped his hands and blew into them to revive them from their frozen state.
“Is Tanner with them?” Linda’s voice cracked with fear.
“Most definitely,” Sam spat as memories of his former coworkers flashed through his mind.
They didn’t know his full name, only that he went by Tanner and he had been their handler.
He never let them out of his sight or his thugs’ sight for almost two years.
They didn’t realize how ruthless he was until the day they and the others decided to run.
Now they were the last two left.
He had destroyed all the others.
They knew if he caught them they would be tortured for information—and then eliminated.
“We’re going to have to kill him,” Sam stated, his sharp blue eyes stared straight ahead,
“If we ever want to be free.”
“I know,” Linda acknowledged as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m not sure that he’s even human.”
“Me either.
You set everything up?” Sam asked for what seemed at least the fourteenth time.
“Yes, the back window is open.
The map indicates we are heading west.” Linda yawned, fighting her exhaustion.
The steady rain turned into a downpour as lightning zipped across the sky, shaking Linda’s nerves.
The rain dampened her mood even more as they continued to wait for their tireless pursuers.
“Do you wonder if there are others out there?
I mean people who have our talents or tricks or whatever?” Linda asked.
“Yes, I’m sure of it.
That information had to come from somewhere.
Where did they get it?” Sam answered.
“As a whole, it has to be a lot more powerful than the individual pieces we worked on.
Who would have thought it could fool an entire nation.”
“Yeah, great change you can believe in.
When it really meant misery and destruction.
I think they would be ticked to learn they are giving up their freedoms for Lies of Comfort.”
“Yes.”
Sam squinted to keep the rain out of his eyes.
“Although their lies and deception run very deep now, and if we don’t find a way to expose them they will maintain their control of the White House.
The election is close.
We don’t have much time.
Freedom and prosperity are at their greatest risk ever.”
“It will be difficult to expose them.
They control the media and the schools.
They don’t teach true American history in the schools anymore.
If the youth really understood our past, they wouldn’t buy these lies of social justice and redistribution of wealth,” Linda added.
“They are converting people by the millions from productive self-sustaining individuals with a sense of unity and freedom to lazy entitled sheep, full of hate for anyone not like them,” Sam snarled.
“Listen, I was thinking…” Linda inhaled a deep breath.
“We should share our talents with each other.”
“Didn’t we agree that was a bad idea?
If we know each other’s tricks we don’t need each other anymore.
I think we have a better chance of survival if we stick together.”
“Then we will have to make an agreement that we remain together no matter what, but I feel the more we know—the better chance we have of staying alive!
I mean, look, we are both exhausted.
It would be easier if we shared our responsibilities.”
“I can’t argue with you there.
Okay, next time we get a break, we’ll teach each other what we know,” Sam agreed.
“Okay, get ready.
Here they come!”
Several dark figures converged on the motel from multiple directions.
They wore black clothing and kept in the semi-darkness of the stormy day.
A few of the figures held guns at the ready as they made their way towards a door in the center of the building.
“They have men watching the street in both directions,” Sam stated, prompting
Linda to look both ways down the street.
Two dark SUVs waited on opposite ends of the street.
Linda’s heartbeat kicked into overdrive and pounded in her ears.
She would have to use her special ability soon.
It was a skill she learned while translating sections of photographed papers.
She didn’t know where the paper came from, but it was written in an unknown language, and it appeared to be very old.
The work she did had given a secret society the power to gain the White House and steal people’s freedom.
She had received her Ph. D. from Columbia in linguistics and had received honors for her translations of ancient scrolls when a small unknown firm approached her with a lot of cash.
The offer was too good to be true in a field where one had to constantly apply for grants and donations to stay employed.
It was almost two years ago when she joined the team of ten other translators, working on different sections of what she had been told was from an extremely old book.
Their contracts forbade them from sharing what they worked on with the others, so none of them had the entire picture.
They sent their interpretations on to a main supervisor who always had an armed escort.
“It’s a matter of national security,” the supervisor said.
No one seemed worried after the first worker’s mysterious death a few days before he was to leave for a new job.
The company replaced him with a woman from Germany, and work continued as usual.
Then Steve, an older gentleman from Texas, grew paranoid about the company watching him after he discovered several hidden cameras in his apartment and work area.
He started passing notes to the others, asking them if they had found any such devices or anything else out of the ordinary.
After his accidental death a few weeks later, and several secretive communications with the others, they all came to the terrifying conclusion they had signed on to their last job.
“I don’t think this is about national security,” said Lou, a grad student from Berkley.
“I just finished a new translation.
I think this whole thing is a grasp for power—through magic!”
The word “magic” surprised everyone, but somehow they all knew he was right.
It just took someone vocalizing the word for it to sink in.
Several translators demonstrated skills they thought no real human possessed.
They had been playing with the things they discovered.
A few days later the company rounded them up and sent them on a little bus ride into the forest.
The revolt happened before they reached their destination, as the translators used their newly acquired talents to crash the bus and make their escape.
They agreed to travel in different directions in groups of two.
Without knowing a destination, they became easy targets for Tanner and his hit squad.
Sam and Linda didn’t know if it was carelessness or the fact that Tanner wanted the others to know he was coming for them, because the victims had horrible deaths that always made the national news.
They read about two in the newspaper, while seeing the other six on the national news.
They all met with a grisly fate.
Sam figured they were tortured first for information.
It wasn’t until Sam and Linda had time to really chat that they realized the plans of the organization they had worked for.
Their goals included the takeover of the United States from within.
The secrets unlocked in the translations gave them power over the weak minded.
The organization lulled people into believing they didn’t want freedom and they couldn’t take care of themselves.
Slowly, through lies and deceit, they convinced the American people to give up their freedoms.
The promise of free things without having to work for them and the turning of Americans against each other through race and social status seemed to be working to perfection.
These people were powerful and dangerous before, but with the assistance of what had been discovered they were entrenched, and it would take a miracle to root them out.
The fact they spent so much time and effort in tracking down and eliminating everyone who had worked on the project proved their resolve.
“Get ready.” Sam inhaled a deep breath as if steadying his nerves.
Linda glanced at her trembling hands as if somehow she could make them stop.
Fear her magic might let them down and lead to their deaths constantly flooded her mind; she had been taught all her life that there was no such thing as magic.
“The minute they go in, you’ll need to keep us hidden.” Sam stated the obvious.
He stretched out his hand and Linda took hold of it.
He gave her a quick smile and squeezed her hand.
The dark figures arrived at the hotel.
They hustled along in silence until they reached a certain room.
After exchanging several hand signals, one drew his gun and took up a position in front of the door.
“You can’t hide from me,” a cold voice from behind Sam and Linda caused them to whirl around just as the man in front of the door kicked it in.
A few feet away stood Tanner, the man who had been hunting them since their escape.
He stood well over six feet four inches tall.
A dark felt hat covered his features in shadow.
He waited with his hands deep in the pockets of his rain drenched trench coat.
“Did you really think you could beat me?”
Sam took a quick look at their surroundings and he stepped to the side, pulling Linda with him.
“I wouldn’t!” Tanner spat, and in a flash he had drawn a gun from his pocket and leveled it at the two of them.
“The game is over.
You’re coming with me!”
“
Wind,” Sam muttered under his breath, and a blast of air slammed into Tanner.
The impact of rain and air current turned his head as the gust threw his hat in the air.
“
Invisible.” Linda cast her spell and then pulled Sam down into a crouch.
Her heart raced as Tanner whipped around and his eyes floated over them but didn’t lock on.
“*@#$@,” Tanner swore under his breath.
His head rotated in all directions as he moved towards his hat, keeping his eyes in their general area.
“We need to move.” Linda chanced a whisper, feeling the downpour would cover her voice.
“
Wind,” Sam said again, sending Tanner’s hat flying farther away from him.
Tanner rose to his feet, his hair already soaked and plastered to his head.
“I know you haven’t moved!”
Tanner stated as he rose to his feet.
He extracted a silencer out of his coat and twisted it on to the end of his gun.
“What do you say I fire my gun several times in your general area to test my theory?”
“Drop it!” a police officer called off to their left, his gun drawn and pointed at Tanner.
“I have a permit,” Tanner spat as he lowered it to the ground and set his gun on the grass.
As he rose up he drew another gun from his other pocket and fired several shots into the unsuspecting officer.
Sam and Linda didn’t hesitate and bolted from the trees.
Bullets trailed their splashing feet, barely missing them.
Tanner whistled to the men coming out of the hotel and signaled them his way.
“They’re heading for the street,” he yelled as he retrieved his other gun and his hat.
“They’re invisible.
Watch for splashing water.”
“Where should we go?” Linda asked in a hushed voice as they raced onto the sidewalk.
“I won’t be able to hide us much longer.”
“The hotel!
We stick to the plan,” Sam said as he pulled her across the street.
The search party had spread out along the street, leaving the hotel room door wide open.
“DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!” Tanner shouted angrily.
Linda and Sam rushed through the open doorway as Linda’s spell failed.
They quickly dove out of the open doorway and crawled along the floor to hide behind the bed.
“What are we going to do?” Linda asked, her voice full of panic.
“I have an idea.”
Sam reached up and pulled the phone off the nightstand.
He punched out 911.
“911,” the operator on the other end answered.
“I want to report a shooting of a police officer in the park across from Motel 6,” Sam spoke into the receiver.
Sam relayed the address, a description of Tanner, and some details about the shooting.
A few minutes after the call police sirens wailed above the storm, heading in their direction.
“We need to get out of here before the police arrive,” Sam whispered.
“I’m sure someone in this hotel heard the door being kicked in and they probably traced the 911 call to this room.”
“You don’t think we would be safe with the police?”
“No.
This Tanner is too well connected and has too much power.
If we are captured by the police it would be a death sentence.
Are you strong enough to make us invisible?”
“I’m not sure.” Linda trembled from head to toe.
They had been running for several months, but this was their first real encounter with Tanner.
The sense they were losing ground grew in her mind, weakening her resolve.
“Out the back window.
Follow me.”
Sam crawled towards a window at the back of the room, with Linda right behind him.
“Keep an eye on the door,” Sam ordered, as he poked his head up high enough to peek out the back window.
“Do you see anything?”
“No.
I think it’s safe.
There’s quite a drop off in the back below the window.
I’ll go first and then help you down.
I’m just going to take a better look first.”
Sam rose to his feet and leaned out the window.
“We need to hurry,” Linda warned as the police sirens filled the air, their flashing lights bounced around the room.
Sam crawled out the window and jumped.
He landed with a thud.
“Linda, come on.”
Linda stuck her head out the window to see what she had to do.
“YOU!
FREEZE,” a police officer said as he rushed towards Sam, his hand resting on his holstered pistol.
“You in the hotel room, stay where you are,” he ordered as his eyes made contact with Linda’s.
He pressed the radio button fastened to his shoulder to relay what he had found.
“Linda, hide!” Sam ordered out of the side of his mouth as he raised his hands above his head.
“
Invisible,” Linda muttered just as two officers stormed into the room.
She quietly crawled into the open closet and sat on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest.
Inhaling a calming breath, she forced herself to relax and conserve her energy so she could hold on to the magic.
The officers checked the room for occupants.
When one passed in front of the window a voice called from outside, “Did you get her?”
The cop in the room poked his head out the opening. “Get who?
The room is empty.”
“There was a girl.
Did you check the room thoroughly?
She was just there.”
“Yes, there’s no one here and we didn’t see anyone exit the room either.”
“Set up a perimeter, she can’t have gone far.
We are looking for a black girl.
I’m guessing in her late 20’s early 30’s,” the voice from outside ordered.
Linda breathed a sigh of relief as the policeman exited the room.
“Sam,” she muttered to herself as her mind locked on the fact the police had captured Sam.
She forced herself to leave her hiding place and crawled to the window.
While still under the power of her spell, she cautiously looked out the window.
The officer had Sam standing with his legs spread and both hands touching the hood of the car.
“I’m the one who called in the shooting,” Sam stated.
“Check with the hotel.
I’m the one who rented the room for the night.
I was heading back to my room when I saw what happened.”
“We have reports of several strange men in the area.
And why did they kick in your door?” the officer asked as he frisked Sam, checking for weapons.
“I don’t know,” Sam answered.
“Somehow I think you do,” the officer pulled Sam’s hands behind his back, slapped
handcuffs on him, and spun him around.
“That was my friend who was shot, so I want answers,” he barked, his nose an inch from Sam’s.
“I don’t know anything.”
“Well, I believe you do.
So you’re coming down to the station.
If you’re lying to me, I’ll personally make your life a living hell.”
The officer yanked Sam away from the car and escorted him into the back seat.
With the cop’s attention on Sam, Linda lowered herself out the window and slipped behind some cars in a parking lot on the street opposite of the hotel.
The rain continued to pound the area, and without the tarp for protection the water soaked into her clothing.
She found a spot between two trucks and made herself visible again, wanting to remain fresh.
An uneasy feeling spread through her like poison, turning her spirits dark, stealing her will.
What should I do? She hoped the officer would leave his car so she could attempt a rescue.
She didn’t want to have to spring Sam from jail.
Now would be her best chance, if only the police would leave her an opening.
Her mind spun as she hunted for ideas.
You could knock out the cop. You could sneak a ride. You could… Suddenly another police car arrived, stopping next to the one that held Sam.
Linda could feel her options fluttering away with the arrival of the second car.
She listened to the officers discuss the situation.
“Dan’s alive but it’s serious,” the second said.
“Do you think the prisoner is the shooter?”
“No, I don’t, but I think he knows who the shooter is.
He’s not talking at the moment.
What about the girl?”
“So far there’s no sign of her.
We also have a report of four men who forced their way into the hotel and a fifth seen running from the park.”
Suddenly a distorted voice rang from the officers’ radios.
“Come again,” the first officer spoke into the radio on his shoulder.
“The area is clear.
The suspects are gone.
We’ve put out an APB for the men and four black SUVs.”
“Roger that, I’m bringing in a possible suspect for questioning.”
Do something! Linda’s brain screamed inside her head.
Why didn’t we share our tricks sooner? I could use some of your talents right now, Sam. “Where’re you heading?” the first officer asked the other.
“I’m going to swing by the hospital, check on Dan,” the second said as he opened the door to his car.
“Let me know the minute you have any information,” the first said as he got into his car.
“
Invisible,” Linda muttered as she rushed forward.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do.
Hang onto the top of a police car?
The second police car started to pull away.
The instant the first officer closed his door a dark SUV flew down the street at a high rate of speed and slammed into the driver’s side of the first car.
The squealing of tires joined the sound of crunching metal and breaking glass as a second and third SUV blocked the path of the second squad car.
Linda lost control of her spell at the shock of the sudden violence and retreated back to her hiding spot.
Fear that she’d been spotted gripped her and increased her heart’s pounding
as six men dressed in long black trench coats leapt out of the vehicles, armed with machine guns.
They riddled the second police car with bullets, destroying the vehicle, as another two men yanked Sam from the backseat of the first car.
Steam rose from the damaged cars as the men dragged the struggling Sam towards the SUV which had crushed the driver’s side of the first police car.
“Sam, how nice to see you.” Tanner smiled as he stepped out of the car to greet their new prisoner.
“We have so much to talk about.”
“Sam,” Linda cried uncontrollably.
Her chest heaving with sobs of terror at being alone, as her only link to the world was carried away by the very people who sought to destroy them.
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