INTERSTELLAR RUSE
Book Four of the Oracle of Light
Cil Gregoire
Alaska Si-Fi Queen
PO Box 221974 Anchorage, Alaska 99522-1974
[email protected], www.publicationconsultants.com
ISBN Number: 978-1-59433-892-2
eBook ISBN Number: 978-1-59433-893-9
Copyright 2019 Cil Gregoire
—First Edition—
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in any form, or by any mechanical or electronic means including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, in whole or in part in any form, and in any case not without the written permission of the author and publisher.
The events, people, and incidents in this story are the sole product of the author’s imagination. The story is fictional; any semblance to individuals living or dead is purely coincidental.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Dedication
To my brother Dudley
Who knows Louisiana’s beautiful
Swamp lands
By heart.
BOOKS BY CIL GREGOIRE
ORACLE OF LIGHT SERIES:
CRYSTALLINE AURA
BOOK ONE OF THE ORACLE OF LIGHT
ANTHYA’S WORLD
BOOK TWO OF THE ORACLE OF LIGHT
ELEMENTAL FORCES
BOOK THREE OF THE ORACLE OF LIGHT
INTERSTELLAR RUSE
BOOK FOUR OF THE ORACLE OF LIGHT
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much Renamary Rauchenstein for your editing and guiding hand. Also Herman Thompson, Becky Smith, and Dawn Rinehart. I couldn’t do it without you.
I express sincere thanks to my fellow authors at Author Masterminds for their help and support. They are: Evan Swensen our great leader and publisher, Carl Douglass, Gordon Parker, James Y. Qeqe, Irene Petteice, Lyle O’Connor, Magdel Roets, Mary Ann Poll, Mary Flint, Nancy Shaffer-Perez, Rich Ritter, Robin Barefield, Steve Levi, T. Martin O’Neil, Valerie Winans, Victoria Hardesty, Rebecca Wetzler, and Walter Grant. These authors span the genres and I highly recommend that readers check out their great works.
Characters
Earth
Alice
–A high school student in South Louisiana; Seth’s twin sister.
Angela
–Works at the gift shop owned by Elaine and Ilene.
Adele
–Melinda’s widowed aunt; she has four sons and lives in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Crystal
–Daughter of Vince and Maggie Bradley. Rock’s twin sister.
Elaine
–Ilene’s mother. Owns a gift shop that sells locally made items.
Greg
–Adele’s son, Melinda’s cousin; owns his own fishing boat.
Grumpy George
–A recluse; Rahlys’ nearest neighbor in the woods to the south.
Ilene
–Daughter of Theon and Elaine.
Jack Faulkner
–A widowed, retired Bristol Bay fisherman; long-time friend of Vince Bradley.
Justin
–A high school student in South Louisiana; friends with Seth and Alice.
Leaf
–Son of Vince and Maggie Bradley. Rock and Crystal’s older brother. Melinda’s little brother.
Maggie
–Vince Bradley’s wife; mother of Leaf, Rock, Crystal and Melinda. Rahlys’ closest friend and closest neighbor in the woods to the north.
Melinda
–Vince and Maggie’s adopted daughter. Big sister to Leaf, Rock, and Crystal.
Officer Gerald LeBlanc
–Retired Louisiana police officer; once investigated mysteriously disappearing items.
Rahlys
–A free-lance artist living in a remote cabin in the Alaska woods; possesses the Oracle of Light.
Raven
–Once an ordinary raven; Raven became Rahlys’ familiar after plucking the Oracle of Light from the Susitna River and taking it to her. Enhanced by the Oracle, Raven can communicate mentally through pictures.
Rock
–Maggie and Vince’s younger son; Crystal’s twin brother.
Seth
–A high school student in South Louisiana; Alice’s twin brother.
Aaia
Brakalar
–Former Head of the Academy and Councilor of the Runes of the Crystal Table. Escaped the Devastated Continent through an energy field in the Crystalline Landscape bringing the deadly Rod of Destruction to Earth.
Caleeza
–Second in command of the lost expedition to the Devastated Continent. Once transported to Alaska’s North Slope by forces in the Crystalline Landscape; now a founding colonist of the secret valley hidden in the Crescent Mountains.
Captain Setas
–The only resident of Limitation Island; ferries expeditions sanctioned by the High Council to and from the Devastated Continent.
Clova
–High Councilor of the Runes of the Crystal Table.
Councilor Anthya
–A councilor of the Runes of the Crystal Table, Anthya was named after Sorceress Anthya who nurtured her after her mother’s death during the Dark Devastation. Anthya was present during the great sorceress’ forging of the Oracle of Light and is connected to the crystal in Rahlys’ possession.
Cremyn
–A member of the lost expedition; The Cremyn valley is named for her.
Drak
–An independent historian not recognized by the High Council; Drak inspired Kiril’s interest in history and gave him a map of a hidden valley in the Crescent Mountains.
Droclum
–An evil sorcerer who invoked the forbidden spell that led to the Dark Devastation that nearly destroyed the planet Aaia.
Edty
–Once a member of the Band of Rogues; now a founding colonist of the secret valley hidden in the Crescent Mountains.
Inventor Sulyan
–A recluse living and working in a hut behind the Academy in the Community of the High Council. He invents gadgets of convenience for those weak in the ability to draw energy from the elemental forces.
Kaylya
–A rogue explorer of the Devastated Continent; Rojaire’s love of his heart. She disappeared in the Crystalline Landscape shortly after she and Rojaire discovered the vast expanse of crystals arriving on Earth; years later Councilor Anthya brought her back to Aaia.
Kiril
–An aspiring explorer and student of the Academy; Kiril’s interest in history was honed by Drak who gave him the map of the hidden valley in the Crescent Mountains.
Ollen
–A member of the lost expedition; now a founding colonist in the secret valley hidden in the Crescent Mountains.
Quaylyn
–A councilor of the Runes of the Crystal Table; trained Rahlys in using the powers imparted to her through the Oracle of Light to defeat Droclum. Rahlys’ love of her heart.
Rojaire
–An independent rogue explorer of the Devastated Continent; led the mapping expedition that rediscovered the hidden valley in the Crescent Mountains.
Sarus
–Leader of the lost expedition. Through metamorphosis, Sarus’ mind is absorbed by the Crystalline Landscape.
Sorceress Anthya
–The great and powerful sorceress who fought Droclum on Aaia until his escape from death that led to the Dark Devastation. Anthya died creating the Oracle of Light to protect Earth from Droclum’s evil.
Tassyn
–Once a member of the Band of Rogues; now a founding colonist in the secret valley hidden in the Crescent Mountains.
Thayla
–
A warrior princess from the planet Twaka.
Theon
–Once a follower of Droclum; went to Earth seeking the Dark Orb; has a daughter, Ilene on Earth; now a founding colonist in the secret valley hidden in the Crescent Mountains.
Traevus
–A member of the lost expedition found by the expedition sent to find them; was on the mapping expedition that rediscovered the hidden valley in the Crescent Mountains.
Vestan
–Drak’s great grandfather.
Wessid
–Kiril’s chosen father, a provider by trade.
Zaloka
–Kiril’s chosen mother, a ceramist by trade.
Zayla
–A councilor of the Runes of the Crystal Table; second in command of the expedition that searched for the lost expedition; killed by Brakalar with the Rod of Destruction in the Ruins of the Temple of Tranquility.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1Earth
Chapter 2Aaia
Chapter 3Earth
Chapter 4Aaia
Chapter 5Earth
Chapter 6Aaia
Chapter 7Earth
Chapter 8Aaia
Chapter 9Earth
Chapter 10Aaia
Chapter 11Aaia
Chapter 12Earth
Chapter 13Aaia
Chapter 14Earth
Chapter 15Aaia
Chapter 16Earth
Chapter 17Aaia
Chapter 18Earth
Chapter 19Aaia
Chapter 20Earth
Chapter 21Aaia
Chapter 22Earth
CHAPTER 1
Earth
A red fox scampered lightly over crusty snow through boreal forest of spruce, winter-bare birch, and alder. The fox cast a sharp shadow under the full moon unveiled by fast-moving broken clouds. Seeking cover from the moon’s watchful eye, it paused in the shadow of a spruce tree, sat on its haunches, and sniffed the air testing for a whiff of the subtle but alluring scent that led him here.
At first the fox picked up only the ubiquitous aroma of spruce needles and sticky resin, oxygen-rich ice crystals and pungent crusty leaf mulch newly exposed in broadening circles around trees, tiny islands of bare ground exposed by spring snow melt and the heat of rising tree sap. Another chilly breeze rustled through the trees, ruffling the fox’s reddish-brown fur fluffed out against the late night chill.
And there it was again, the alluring aroma of living flesh and the fetid scent of manure and ammoniated urine. The fox’s nose pointed out the direction as overhead scudding clouds chased by the wind once again momentarily obstructed the moon’s view from its actions.
The frantic hectic cackling in the hen house was heard first by Keiluk, sleeping protectively by her young master, her canine senses instantly alert. In nearly the same instant, five-year-old Leaf bolted upright in his bed, his tousled carrot-orange hair and emerald green eyes as charged with energy as the intensely focused expression on his youthful face.
“The chickens are in trouble,” he whispered to Keiluk. Leaf loved the chickens; the big black hen that ruled the coop, the little white one that was her closest follower, the two red hens who were somewhat down in the pecking order, but so clever and spunky, and the ten hens covered in little black and white jagged stripes that filled out the flock. Every day he helped feed and water the hens and sometimes he was even trusted to collect their eggs.
The cacophony of cackling and fluttering hens reached manic proportions, spurring Leaf into action. Without another thought, Leaf teleported to the hen yard barefoot and dressed only in his super hero PJ’s. Left behind and unable to follow her master, Keiluk barked alarmingly in protest, rousing Vince and Maggie to wakefulness.
The fox continued scratching purposefully at the hen house door unaware of Leaf’s sudden appearance. Leaf also loved the red fox. The cunning, beautifully cloaked red fox with his fluffy white-tipped tail was a favorite character in his story books. But it was obvious from the hens’ cackling, they did not share his sentiments. He had to do something fast, before Keiluk woke Mom and Dad.
Raising his hand, Leaf extended it toward the fox still intently clawing at the wood of the chicken coop door. At that moment, Vince rushed out the door with a shotgun in hand …just in time to see the red fox vanish and his little son, barefoot and dressed for bed, standing boldly triumphant in a rush of moonbeams newly freed from the obscuring cloud that had scudded on.
Vince dropped his gun on the porch and rushed out to the hen yard to his son, plucking him up into his arms and hugging him tight. Leaf’s body was warm to the touch despite the cold night air and crusty ground.
A mile and a half away, the red fox yelped sharply–startled and disoriented by the sudden change in its surroundings. It stood in boreal forest much like before with dark patchy clouds still scuttling raggedly across the moonlit sky, but there was no sign of the anticipated dinner that had been so close at hand. The scent of wood smoke, usually associated with humans, drifted in the breeze. Although all was quiet, the fox quickly distanced itself from the small, squat, dark log cabin it spotted quietly nestled in the trees.
Another chilly breeze ruffled the fox’s fur and sent the bare tree branches clacking overhead. Then the fleeting scent of a ground squirrel alerted the fox’s senses. Still intent on dinner, the red fox scampered off into the forest after new prey.
“Leaf…!” Maggie cried out in alarm, following her husband out onto the porch into the frigid moonlit night. Her left hand clutched close her unzipped coat, while her right hand maintained a firm grasp of Keiluk’s collar. The somewhat large four-legged bundle of white fur and muscle quietly strained to reach Leaf even though he was in her line of sight and she could see that he was all right.
“Leaf, you can’t go rushing out into the night at the first sign of danger,” Vince lectured, his concern momentarily outweighing his relief.
“I had to protect the chickens,” Leaf explained.
Holding his son, Vince could feel the aura of warmth Leaf projected around them. “Where did you send the fox?” he couldn’t help asking.
“I sent him all the way to Grumpy George. Grumpy George doesn’t have any chickens.”
Not a permanent solution Vince reasoned, but it would probably do for tonight. Keiluk eased her tugging as the chickens quieted down and Vince approached carrying Leaf. Seeing no further reason to control him, Maggie released her hold on Keiluk’s collar and the dog darted down the steps to meet them. Jumping up and down in joy, Keiluk licked Leaf’s bare feet.
“Don’t you ever dash out into the night, barely dressed, like that…ever again,” Maggie cried out, her disheveled red hair and glaring green eyes only a tone subtler than Leaf’s. In contrast, Vince’s homogenously brown hair and brown eyes were a quiet background to his family’s stunning color. “You’re grounded,” she added shivering in the chilly breeze, her heart chilled with fear despite the rushing warmth of overwhelming relief over her son’s safety.
“I’m sorry,” Leaf said as contritely as he could. He wasn’t sure what being grounded meant, but he understood he had upset her. For that he was indeed truly sorry. Vince wondered how she expected to ground a child who could teleport.
What’s going on out here? Melinda asked telepathically, hugging a blanket around her while stifling a yawn. Why were the chickens upset? Melinda’s warm brown skin, straight black hair and almond eyes contrasted sharply with the rest of the pale-skinned family. A native of Southeast Alaska, Melinda lived with her father on their fishing boat until he was killed and she was taken captive by Droclum. Terror had stolen her ability to speak, but under Droclum’s dominance she acquired the ability to communicate telepathically. Eventually she was rescued by Rahlys and adopted by Vince and Maggie into their growing family.
“A fox was trying to get in the hen house. It’s gone now; everything is all right; back to bed everyone,” Vince explained herding them back inside.
Good night, then. A young woman of nin
eteen, Melinda didn’t hesitate in heading for her room. She had been involved in enough of Leaf’s escapades over the years, sometimes willingly, most of the time out of necessity, to know when to take an easy exit if it was offered. She felt for Maggie and Vince, how they worried over Leaf; Maggie struggled even more than Vince at accepting their son’s unusual abilities. But Melinda knew that if Maggie and Vince were aware of everything Leaf did that they didn’t know about, they would go ballistic with fear.
Hoping to escape from further reprimand, Leaf also dashed off to bed with Keiluk following at his heels. Incredibly the twins had slept soundly through it all.
“The incident is over; let it go,” Vince whispered to his wife. He unloaded the gun and locked it up. “It’s one a.m. and all is well. Leaf thought only to save the chickens.”
“I know,” Maggie said taking a deep breath. “It just scares me so.”
Vince took his wife gently into his arms and when she dropped her head onto his shoulder, rubbed her back soothingly. Maggie responded gradually, allowing the tension to flow out of her body.
“Everything is going to be all right,” Vince reassured her. “We both know that Leaf is an incredible little fellow. He did what he felt was right. Despite how much we fear for his safety, we have to at least be thankful for that.”
By the time Melinda returned to her room, the chill morning air had ushered her to full wakefulness. The house was quiet again with everyone back in bed. Outside a mighty gust of wind brushed against the log wall, playing the chimes hanging outside her window.
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