Ch19: Homesick

This is the conclusion of part 1 to my short story. I will be continuing my work on part 2 as well as my other larger book series, but I will be taking a break from posting a chapter every week as things are getting busy at my end. Enjoy! 

Copyright © 2013 by P.A. Lackey

All rights reserved.

No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. 

Chapter Nineteen: Homesick 

Thunderous clouds rolled in over the trees which sparsely canopied the ground. The weather seemed calm however as the storm’s winds had not yet started, and Arius watched the family preparing the ranch for the coming storm. He had followed the father and two children back to the ranch hours earlier after they were done playing at the shore. He was curious about them. They were aliens to him, or more he was an alien to them. This was their world, and he was merely a visitor stranded where he did not want to be. He wondered if this family posed a threat to him or not, and thus he stayed hidden until he could discern a conclusion.

Arius remained in the shadows along the edge of the ranch. He felt weary, and hopelessness began to set in. He felt alone in the world, and found himself longing for people he could call friends. Furthermore he longed to be home again with his once to be future wife, but the realization that this world could very well be his new home set in. There was no way to go back now.

Thunder crackled in the distance, and he watched as the father put away a set of lawn chairs where they would not be carried off by the wind. A woman called to the children demanding that they come in soon, and Arius guessed it to be their mother. The children were reluctant to do so as they climbed upon the wooden fence next to the barn, but a rising gust of wind encouraged them to listen to their mother. The trees began to swirl as the wind passed through them, and the family hurried inside as cold rain began to pelt the earth.

Arius looked to the mean sky where lightning licked it furiously. Already it was a downpour, and his eyes were soaked in the cold rain spilling down his face. Looking to the barn he decided to intrude upon the family’s estate and find shelter.

He hurried to the barn door which the wind slammed shut behind him, and he found a dark foyer full of hay and various kinds of tools. A small burden pulling machine sat in the center of it, and his eyes looked to the upper deck where a shuttered window beat violently.

Making his way to a stack of hay he bedded down where he could feel most comfortable. The sound of rain pelting the wooden roof and barn walls eased him into the comfort of his own mind. The hopelessness he felt before seemed to melt away, and now he felt a temporary relief. He felt neither happy nor anxious, but the kind of sadness that would carry one to slumber.

A harsh scream shattered through, and Arius shuddered as if waking from a nightmare. He glanced around the barn but found no intruder but himself, and wondered if the scream had come from the house. Another scream splintered through the storm however, and he felt it far off away from the property. It was something else in the forest at least a couple miles away.

He didn’t know what it was, but it didn’t sound human. Suddenly he felt vulnerable as if something horrific would break through the barn at any moment flashing its sharp teeth, but the screams ceased leaving nothing but the pattering rain and wind which creaked through the barn.

His nerves were tight, but soon he began to fall back into a slumber where his dreams took him back home. He was with his wife-to-be upon a lime balcony overlooking a blue forest canopy. Red and gold cliffs spired above the canopy, and a mountain range swelled up past the far lakes sparkling beneath the sun. It was his future father in law’s palace which overlooked the countryside below. He had come up in the late afternoon to spend time with his future wife, and had been discussing the conflict between the several clans vying for power at the time. Not the most romantic conversation, but it was the world they were enveloped in. Of course their entire courtship was in the midst of political conflict. His to be father in law had arranged for his daughter to marry into one of the more prestigious clans, but had absolved the contract to make her marriage to Arius possible. The man had been like a father to Arius, and he was thankful for all the kindness he had showed him, but absolving a marriage contract was not a well appreciated thing in those days. Especially when it involved some of the most powerful people at the time. His to be father in law had sacrificed much to make his marriage to his daughter possible, but the consequences were huge.

“Hey, wake up,” a voice broke through his dream.

Arius jumped as someone prodded his shoulder, and he found himself back in the barn with two men standing over him.

“What are you doing in my barn?” the man with a rifle asked.

Thanks for reading part 1 of my short story. Hopefully I will soon have part 2 running. In the meantime check out my book, "Ground of Oam" here. 

Ch7: Ghosted

Copyright © 2013 by P.A. Lackey

All rights reserved.

No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. 

Chapter Seven: Ghosted 

Arius took a step back. A shelf full of canned goods was to his right, and blocked his view of the staircase. A stone wall was to his left, and the room was no more than twelve square yards. The unknown being made its way down the stairs, and stepped into view. The small basement window cast light upon the being’s face revealing a trail of dust before it. A leather mask covered the face, two holes were cut into it where the eyes were, and leather layered body armor clad the being’s form.

A snarl came from within the mask which had four buckles running down its front side. It turned toward Arius’ position; a fully automated firearm was clutched within its hands, and wavered around his position.

The being clicked on a light mounted upon the rifle to pierce the darkness which loomed at the back of the room. Arius faltered, and the light caught upon his face exposing him to the being. His shadow was cast against the back wall which he used to teleport himself away from the weapon’s fire which left a deafening ring in the room.

Arius hit the back wall and stepped to the side where the shelf covered him. The hostile turned to cut him off on the other side, but he swept around the shelf to catch the being from the back side. The muzzle of Arius’ double barreled gun aimed low, and blew through the hostile’s back. The being slammed into the wall where it fell lifeless to the floor, and Arius dropped his now empty gun for the automated rifle.

He felt something else coming down the steps behind him, and spun around to find another leather clad warrior storming down. Squeezing the trigger, Arius loaded several rounds into the figures chest. The armor held strong, but the shock would do enough damage to keep it down. The figure slid down the steps with several thuds before rolling off the side and hitting the floor. Already, Arius was cloaked within the shadows, and he hurried up the stairs to enter the hall.

“Engage!” Thorim had ordered through stealth speak.

Another leather warrior was coming down the hall toward Arius, but was brought to a halt as an invisible force plunged a dagger into its gut under the armor. The light through the window revealed it to be Dueson as he removed the knife and quickly took a kill strike at the being’s neck.

Gunfire sounded elsewhere in the building though it was probably due to panic as the leather warriors were being taken out by ghosts. Arius followed Dueson down the hall before they made it back to the main lobby where a warrior already lay dead. Something moved at the top of the stairs as a hostile backed away from the upper hall. It waved its rifle back and forth as if to guard itself from the invisible assailants, but Jayvolni moved past its defense, plunging a dagger into its gut. Within seconds the figure was disarmed and Jayvolni continued to assail it with his dagger before tipping it over the rail where it fell to the bottom floor behind the counter.

The building fell silent as only the shadowed ghosts stirred. Arius glanced out the front window where he found a cruiser parked outside. It was the only one around the premise as far as he could tell so that was all they had to deal with for now. The others came into the lobby where they exchanged curious glances.

“What happened?” asked Thorim, looking across all his men.

“One of them caught me with its light, sir,” Arius said. “I had no choice but to take him out.”

“Very well,” Thorim replied with a nod. “But now they’re going to know we’re here. Let’s figure out what we’re dealing with.”

“Do you think they were looking for us?” Grem asked, as Thorim turned the leather clad body before him onto its back.

“Probably,” Thorim replied. “I’m not sure what else would bring them to this island unless they picked up our ship on sensors.”

The group stared down at the body. The mask continued to cover its face and they did not know what lay behind it.

“Let’s take a look shall we,” Thorim said, before undoing the mask.
Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out my book, Ground of Oam.
Buy on Kindle here. 

 

Ch4: Family for a Lifetime

Copyright © 2013 by P.A. Lackey

All rights reserved.

No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.

Chapter Four: Family for a Lifetime 

Dueson had his kill skinned and gutted, and already shared his meat with the group. It wasn’t much, but it was better than the dry survival bars they had for food. Brockumus showed his disdain for foreign meat, and contributed his portion to Arius. Rie ate his share skeptically but gave little complaint, while Jayvolni finished his without a word. The others including Thorim were willing enough to let Dueson and his brother finish off the rest.

“My fellows,” Thorim said. “We must search for higher ground if we are to find our destination. I have located the west this morning which means we must head eastward. I believe the island is small so navigation should be simple.

“Where are we now?” Jayvolni asked, speaking his first words that morning.

“If we’re anywhere near our landing coordinates then we should be on the appropriate island,” replied Thorim. “But it is hard to say whether the ship guided us to the appropriate location. We will have to hope for the best.”

“Our contact is said to reside in a gray tower,” Dueson said. “I don’t suppose a tower would be hard to find.”

“Once we get to higher ground, we will be able to gain the lay of the land,” said Thorim. “We shall plan our course from there. For now, I suggest we go over what we know.”

“What do we know?” Rie said with a laugh. “We’re stranded on foreign rock hunting a myth. Am I the only one who doubts the mission?”

“The intelligence we received is reliable,” Thorim replied. “As hard as it may seem, we are here to kill Archaies. More information will be provided as soon as we find our contact.”

The name rang clear in all their heads as it was a name passed down through their histories and stories. Archaies was a legend speculated on by many. To some he was a hero, to others he was an enemy. Archaies had won his place in history several centuries before, which made his still being alive peculiar. How could one live so long, Arius wondered. As a child he had grown up studying the histories and legends of Archaies, so to find that he was still alive was unbelievable.

“We must be careful, for our circumstances are unknown,” Thorim continued. “As we have heard it, the inhabitants of this world are at war with a biological entity. The origin of which is unknown. Do not make contact until we are more familiar with the situation.”

“Are we really planning to go on with this,” Grem asked, a quick buddy to Rie. “We just crashed into the ocean, and for all we know someone here is a traitor.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Thorim said. “We’re not going anywhere until our people send for us, so meanwhile we should plan on proceeding.”

“If they send for us,” Ruekrow said. “We mustn’t forget that this is an unauthorized mission. Even the Supreme Council doesn’t know about this, and those who do are nothing more than stingy bureaucrats looking for opportunity. Do we really expect them to send a ship for us?”

“There’s no good in worrying about it now,” replied Dueson. “We’re either here for life, or a few months. Let’s focus on not leaving empty handed if possible.”

“I know there’s not much going for us right now,” said Thorim. “But we are all each other’s got. Stick together and we can make it through this.”

Arius wondered how often the mercenaries had worked in a team. Most of them were known for going solo, and it seemed that Thorim was perhaps the only one who knew a bit about team play. He came from a prestigious ranking within the galactic fleet back home, but everyone else had darker, less glorious backgrounds.

“Let’s pack up,” Thorim said.

The group climbed to their feet and began to hide any trace of their small camp. The air felt cool that morning, but Arius expected a warm day as the sun climbed higher into the sky. Looking around at the others he felt uncertain. These men were going to be perhaps his family for a lifetime, and if not that long, then until they could find a way off of that world. 

Thanks for reading chapter four, and come back next week for chapter five, "Desolation." In the meantime please leave a comment, or check out my book here. 

Ch3: No Mementos

Sorry for the late post, but here is chapter three of my short story. A prequel to book 1 of the Oam's Cry series. 

Copyright © 2013 by P.A. Lackey

All rights reserved.

No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. 

Chapter Three: No Mementos 

A peaceful silence overwhelmed the forest. The smell of dew was strong, and critters roamed among the brush. Birds chirped of the previous night’s storm, and small fury mammals played in the berry bushes. Arius could even feel the ants coming forth from their havens seeking food for their homes.

His eyes opened to find rich green foliage crowding around the rocks, while pink and purple flowers peeked through the underbrush. His eyes turned upward to find a tall pine standing tall atop the cliff overlooking its fellow trees and native streams.

Ahead of him hopped out a gray fur mammal with two tall ears. Its nose wrinkled in the air for the scent of something curious, and without a warning the creature was lifted from the ground by a mysterious force. It kicked and struggled but soon its neck was wrung, and out stepped Dueson from the shadows beyond. His figure was made clear from the light through the trees.

“I have breakfast,” he declared, coming to the camp.

He vanished under the shade before being revealed by the sunlight, but soon he uncloaked himself so that even the shade could not hide him.

Arius sat up finding his clothes still damp. The rest of the mercenaries were up and attending the small fire which the heat sticks still fueled. He felt awkward being the last one up, and wondered what the others thought of him for doing so. Why hadn’t they woke him?

“That’s hardly enough for the ten of us,” Ruekrow criticized, Dueson’s younger brother. “Maybe two to three at most.”

“We don’t even know if it’s safe to eat,” Rie said, from his end of the fire.

“Then don’t eat it,” Dueson said, sitting down with his kill. He removed a knife from his belt. “I don’t care to share my game with a bunch of gripers anyway.”

Arius moved closer to the fire next to Brockumus who sat silently staring into the small fire. Glancing toward all the men, he found them carrying stern faces. They knew not what to think of their circumstances, and it seemed that Dueson had been the only one out and about.

“What is that Ruekrow,” Thorim asked, spotting a hard image in his hands. “We can’t carry anything personal. You know that.”

Ruekrow began to hide it, but it was too late. His brother, Dueson, snatched it from his hands and tossed it into the fire after a brief look. Ruekrow began to protest, but had nothing to say.

“I would hope my brother would have more sense,” Dueson said, “but his naïve experience wins out in the end.”

“Sorry,” Ruekrow said. “I’ll be more careful next time.”

Arius synched up the collar of his jacket in order to hide the necklace around his neck. He was already unappreciated, and he didn’t need the others getting on to him about his personal assets. The necklace was all he had from home, and he couldn’t afford to lose it.

It had been given to him by his soon to be wife as a memento to remember her by. She told him not to forget her on his journey which was ridiculous indeed. He would never be able to shake her from his mind, and the only thing that would keep him away was death itself.

He felt regret as it was she who cautioned him against such a journey, but he ignored her pleas thinking that it would mend relationships he had long broken. He had done it for her, and them, for he thought that it would make things right, but what he thought would be a simple honor mission turned into a manhunt for one whom only legends knew of. It would be months before he would return home, and now that their ship had been destroyed he wasn’t sure if returning was possible.

How could he have been so stupid, he wondered. Looking back he could see the trap for what it was. His future father-in-law had convinced him to take the mission. He told him that it would be simple for pure diplomatic reasons, but now here he was surrounded by killers on a mission no one thought possible. This was an attempt to do away with him by his future father-in-law, and now Arius couldn’t be too careful.

Thanks for stopping by, and check out next week's chapter, "Family for a Lifetime," which will be here next Thursday. In the meantime please let me know what you think by leaving a comment, and check out my book.
Buy on Kindle here.

Ch2: Histories' Legends

Copyright © 2013 by P.A. Lackey

All rights reserved.

No part of this story may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. 

Chapter Two: Histories' Legends  

Arius moved across the wet beach sand as the others pulled out any more luggage that washed ashore. He had on him his private bag which he managed to pull from the ship before it incinerated itself in the water. His other supplies were gone which left him woefully unprepared for their venture. Dread crept up his stomach as he speculated on the future. What was next? How would they proceed?

“Are you alright?” Arius asked, approaching Jayvolni.  

The man sat upon a black rock sticking out of the sand, and wrapped his right arm with a bandage. Arius could see blood running down his rain soaked sleeve. Jayvolni glanced up at him, his two colored eyes glistened in the moonlight.

“I’ll be fine,” he replied coldly. “Caught my arm on the wreckage somehow.”

Arius nodded before he turned back to the others who were now approaching. They were all mercenaries; they killed for a living which left Arius as the odd man. He didn’t know how he got himself into this situation. His allies were cold killers, while he had only known combat for a time shorter than most. Of course, he knew how he got there. His own stupidity was to blame, and he had been tricked into signing up for the expedition. He had no clue what he was getting himself into, but now he realized the treachery that had been done to him.

“It’s time to go!” Thorim ordered, approaching his position. “If anyone picked up the crash, this beach will be swarming with possible hostiles.”

Thorim was their commander, and perhaps the most sensible of them all. The man was often times stern and distant, but at least he didn’t act like a savage like the others did at times. Arius trusted him as a leader, though he distrusted the others. Brockumus, the medic, was his most trusted ally while Jayvolni was just cold.

The group hurried into the surrounding forest which quickly grew dense. Stretches of beach sand fingered its way into the botany, but soon it was choked out by the trees. The rain pounded the tops of the pines and oaks leaving an abundance of water to drizzle off of the branches and onto the ground. The group traveled hard uphill before they reached a worthy shelter.

A rock leaned up against the side of a cliff, surrounded by many other boulders and stones. It sheltered them from the rain, but the claps of thunder roared across the island. The trees trembled under its fury, shaking the water from their burdened leaves. Fire could be seen erupting in the distant clouds whenever lightning struck. It was as if the clouds themselves were fuel for the fire, and whenever lightning sparked the cloud burned hot to heat the falling rain. What kind of world was this, Arius wondered.

Dueson, Arius’ antagonist, cracked the heat sticks over a bed of dry kindling. They gave off a distinct crack before flames consumed the kindling and Dueson fueled it more with some sticks. Everything was wet, but the flames from the heat sticks made easy work of the sticks. The fire was kept small in order to avoid attention and the mercenaries huddled together around its small flames.

Brockumus was beside Arius holding out his palms to the heat. They shivered in their soaked clothing, teeth chattering from the wind which blew through the rock shelter. Arius could no longer think too far ahead as his attention was on keeping warm. He struggled to pay attention to Thorim who spoke to them as a group.

“Remember the call, my brothers,” he said. “Our mission is noble, and hinges upon legend. Do not lose heart, for tomorrow we make history.”

“Our ship was sabotaged,” Rie replied. “How can we proceed?”

“We are not dead,” returned Thorim. “And we do not know the details. Stick together and we will prevail. Any traitor, if there may be one, will be found out soon enough.”

“I say we keep two at watch,” Dueson said. “Just to be safe.”

The men agreed, and they all found rest under the rock. Arius clasped his arms and fought back the chills. His thoughts turned inward, and soon he was drifting to sleep where he explored old memories. Thunder roared overhead. 

Thank you for reading chapter two of my short story. Stop by next Thursday for the third chapter, "Not Mementos," and please leave a comment below to let me know what you think. Also, check out my book.
Buy on Kindle here.

  

New Book, "Ground of Oam". An Epic Adventure Unfolds.

After seven months of silence, a new book dawns upon the world to change the very nature of science fiction and fantasy. (Warning, this is a sales pitch.) Ground of Oam is now available here on Amazon kindle; buy it now, or borrow it for free on amazon prime. A free sample also awaits on amazon if you wish to test it before purchase. Just click the picture as you would any other book to read the sample.

Ground of Oam is the first installment out of a new, but long anticipated, series called "Oam's Cry". Created by two brothers, my brother and myself, Oam's Cry spans several hundred years. This first installment takes place in the year 2060 upon a series of islands that formed in the pacific around the year 2015. A foul creature known as the Rebirtha now rule the islands, while mankind has been pushed into hiding. The condition of the outside world is unknown.
Meet the three characters of the novel, Levi who has forgotten his past and must search for the one thing that might reveal to him his forgotten memories. Matthew, whose father went missing at the age of fifteen, now must decide whether he should pursue his dreams of adventure like his father, or defend his hometown from a new threat. Isaac Kierken, a bio-engineered super-soldier who previously worked for the now fallen international powers, seeks to join the ranks of the Rebirtha. In order to prove his new found loyalty to them he must steal something from the humans whom he once swore to protect. However, what begins as a simple retrieval mission brings him to the brink of a new war, and it is he that must decide its declaration.
I am excited to finally see this book published, and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I did writing it. As mentioned before, Ground of Oam, is only the first installment out of a three book series. However, what my brother and I have created is much bigger than that. While I will be covering the early era of Oam's Cry, my brother will be covering the future era taking place over a hundred years later. He still has yet to finish it, but I am excited to see our project unfolding at last. Check out the book on amazon and please leave a review. Now that it is out there I must begin the process of promoting it, and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to post more on this topic soon.