Ch8: Leather Clad Soldiers

Chapter Eight: Leather Clad Soldiers

Everyone moved in as Thorim undid the mask from the figures head. Four buckles traversed down the front side of the mask which he had to undo individually before pulling away the leather flap. A lifeless face starred at them, but it lacked the familiarity of the planets traditional inhabitants. Or at least it failed to match the description of what they had been lead to believe the inhabitants looked like.

The figures face carried a resemblance to the planet’s inhabitants, but it looked mutilated and deformed. It wasn’t necessarily due to deformity at birth, but rather due to battle. This creature carried battle scars which would have left most beings Arius knew of incapable of combat. An incorrectly healed jaw, butchered nose, and plenty of scars added detail to the face.

“He’s been through a lot,” Brockumus commented.

“Is it a native?” asked Ruekrow. “Or is it the biological entity that our intel mentioned?”

“I’m going to take a guess,” replied Thorim. “It’s probably not the original inhabitants of this world. Rather, it’s the thing responsible for throwing this world into a dystopian age.”

“What do you think they are?” asked Dueson. “Where did they come from?”

“All I know is what our intel gave us,” Thorim replied. “We should find our contact. He will be able to give us more answers.”

“We’ll have to move fast,” Jayvolni said. “This place will be brimming with these things as soon as they discover them dead.”

“Then we head for Gray Tower now,” Thorim said. “Take their weapons and any ammunition you can carry.”

The group broke off and began to strip the bodies. Arius grabbed several more clips for his newly obtained rifle and placed them into his bag. Moving back to one of the bodies down the hall he grabbed a handgun from its side as well as its leg holster. He had lost all his supplies except for his bag during the crash, so he found a certain kind of relief once he was armed again.

They left through the front door and past the cruiser with only a moment’s glance. Cruiser would provide fast transportation, but it would also be easier to spot. They would continue on foot as they had been; keeping to the shadows where they could easily hide.

By noon they were following the forest line across the hills which swell up from the earth east of the building. The map they had seen earlier depicted Gray Tower toward the southeastern corner of the island which couldn't be more than a couple miles away. The island was small; the building being at its highest point had revealed the entirety of it. As soon as these unknown entities discovered their dead team, there would be hardly a place to hide. Arius realized the seriousness of the situation, and knew they would have to find a way off of the island soon.

“Sir,” Grem called, from ahead. He pointed to the building which lay far behind them.

They looked to the west where the sun now bore straight upon the house. Shadows would be short at this time of day. A distant hum began to roar across the distant hill where the building sat as a large aircraft settled past the house. Arius could see the grass under it dispersing outward as the gust from the double rotor machine neared the ground. It looked heavily armored, a rotor disk was to either side of it, and a door slid open upon its side. A dozen leather clad soldiers hit the ground and hurried to the building. It would only be a matter of time before the island was overrun by them.

Across the next hill the group found themselves in a shallow ravine. The building could no longer be seen, but over the next ridge the tip of a Gray Tower emerged from the distant trees.

“There it is,” someone announced.

“Make haste,” Thorim returned.

They started over the ridge before descending back into the trees, and only Arius halted at its edge. He peered toward the Gray Tower which was now visible. Could their contact really be there?

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Dueson said, coming up from behind him.

Arius glanced toward him before returning, “As do I.” 

Thanks for reading this weeks chapter, and be sure to stop by next Saturday for Chapter Nine. Also, check my book, Ground of Oam.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ch1: Stranded

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 One: Stranded

Salt water sucked up into Arius’ nose causing his sinuses and lungs to burn. He opened his mouth to spew out the water, but only managed to take more in as he struggled to breath. He felt weightless as his body sunk; kicking his feet he vainly tried to find ground. His body bobbed back up to the surface where he gasped for air, only to sink back under the icy surface of the ocean.

Arius’ heart raced as he struggled against the motion of the waves. He knew how to swim, but his skill seemed to have left him for the cruel will of the ocean. His head was under again; he knew not where he faced. Bubbles swirled around his face within the dark depth of the ocean. A blue light radiated deep within the water growing brighter as it sunk. Arius knew what it was and tried to propel himself away from it, but it was too late. The light flashed before him, illuminating the dark depths for only an instance. He felt the water surge toward him, and he found himself propelled away from the blast. He surfaced for only a moment as the wave carried him skyward before he crashed back into the ocean.

More salt water breached his lungs, but now he felt a sandy surface beneath him. Kicking his feet he managed to stand up right where the cold wind now stung his skin. A small wave pushed him forward, and he stumbled farther toward the beach coughing along the way.

Shouting could be heard all around him as more figures slopped their way to the beach. Arius glanced around the perimeter to find miles of ocean behind them, and a small island ahead of them. The moon in that place was full but small compared to his home moon. Dark clouds hazed the sky, and lightning flashed miles across the ocean.

Arius stumbled back into the water which was now only a foot high. His fingers sunk into the sand which felt soft. He coughed water from his lungs before someone grabbed him from behind. Arius had little time to react as he was drug farther inland. His assailant threw him onto the dry sand before turning him around to face him.

“Are you all right Arius?” Brockumus asked, slapping him on the back two times.

It caused him to cough up more water before he waved the man off.

“It’s freezing,” he chocked out.  

“Keep moving,” Brockumus said. “We have to find shelter.”

With that the man moved on to assist the others whom were pulling out adrift luggage. They would have to take what they could and destroy the rest lest anyone discover it. The explosion would have incinerated most of their things, but there was sure to be equipment floating around the area.

Arius pushed himself to his feet and fought the weakening in his legs. The place was foreign to him, and now the only way off of the planet was destroyed. He felt a tremor in the sky as lighting streaked across it. Soon the atmosphere came crashing back together to cause a loud bang over the island. Arius’s arm hairs stood on end as he felt it vibrate through the air and sink into the ground. He could feel the entire beach beneath him. The wind through the trees, the waves against the beach. He could feel it all as his senses picked up on the slightest movement.

Turning to face the vast ocean Arius stared into the moon which was slowly disappearing behind the clouds. Its white light caressed the surface of the ocean while lightning flashed around it. A downpour opened up across the ocean, silhouetted by the moonlight. The cold rain roared toward them before the entire beach was assailed by its fury. Arius put his hand over his eyes in order shield them from the rain; his commander barked orders to them. It was time to retreat deeper inland where they could find shelter. They were on a foreign world, and they had no way off of it.

Thanks for reading my pilot chapter, and more will be presented next Thursday. Please leave a comment if you will, and let me know what you think. Also, check out my book.
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