2289 A.D. - Arcane Darkness: A Paranormal Fantasy Adventure Saga (The Ashlyn Chronicles - Book 3)
Page 1
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2289 A.D.
Copyright © 2016
Renee Van Dyke
and Glenn Van Dyke
Cover by Claudio Aboy
Exclusively made for
2289 A.D.
Thanks Claudio,
you brought our vision to life!”
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors’ imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
We would like to thank:
Zechariah Sitchin
George Noory
The Ancient Aliens Show
Erich von Daniken
Richard C. Hoagland
Linda Moulton Howe
George A Tsoukalos
Gerald Clark …
and so many others for your dedication
Thank you for brightening the darkness .
For Ann …
CHAPTER SELECTION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
AND COMING IN
2017
the dramatic conclusion …
2290 A.D.
Ashlyn’s Defiance
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein
A quick note from the authors …
Sensuality and sex—are subjective. Some watch it, some read it, nearly all live it. And yet, … some disdain it, saying it doesn’t add to the storyline and has no place in literary fiction—as though it should suddenly disappear and not be part of the human experience.
We’ve had more than a few reviewers say that such thoughts, banter and actions show that such content must come from the mind of a fourteen or sixteen-year-old with raging hormones.
We respectfully disagree. Sexuality in its various forms is inexorably part of us. It may start when we are young, but it doesn’t stop with our teenage years—we merely become quieter and more internalized as we transition into the latter years of our adult life. For most, it will be a natural part of our daily thoughts and longings throughout the entirety of our lives.
In literature, we seek honesty and a bit of escapism through the lives of others. And if we truly want to feel what the characters feel, then how can something so integral be ignored? It can give us a rare insight to who they are. We learn if they are tender, playful, uninhibited—or are they serious, harsh, restrained. It is honesty in its purest form, at a moment when they are most vulnerable. Such moments can endear the characters to us. The simplicity of an ‘I love you,’ and a stolen breath from the touch of a hand—can mean so much more than another laser blast and fiery explosion.
Subsequently, many of the people writing us each day, wish they could be the characters in the story. In their words, “I wish I had my own Ashlyn,” or “I wish I had my own Steven.”
Because of this, we believe that to omit such personal events would be a travesty, it would be a pandering to the few who are offended—hiding who and what we are as a species. It would be a denial of history and human reality, robbing us of the richness of their expressed feelings and internal emotions. It would leave us with a deceptive shell—and a dishonest depiction of who the people in the story truly are. This is especially true in a story such as this one, where the central focus is on the struggle of two people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
As such, this series will embrace the expressions of their love—their banter, their playfulness and moments of mild intimacy. It is our strongest, most lasting emotion—and we believe, humanities greatest gift.
With this in mind, we wrote this series of novels the way we wanted our characters to be seen. Through them, we may even learn to understand the longings of our own human heart.
This novel contains sensual banter and mildly adult content. See preceding pages for full details and author notes...
Book 3
of
The Ashlyn Chronicles
Chapter 1
Destiny
Not wanting to wake Steven, Ash gently peeled back the sheet covering her and rose quietly from the bed. A smile creased her lips as she saw him turn restlessly—a soft moan escaping him as he missed the warmth of her body lying beside him. Recalling all he had suffered, her heart melted. He’d endured millennia of unfathomable anguish, watching her die again and again. My noble knight. You never gave up on me.
Ashlyn’s hand went to her chest, her fingers brushing the spot above her left breast where Enlil’s sword had run her through. Though the wound was healed, the memory of having killed her own son in battle would forever haunt her. In the dying light of his eyes, she’d witnessed the grief-stricken sadness of her betrayal. She’d done far more than shatter his physical heart. Her actions confirmed his belief—that he wasn’t worthy of her love. The felling blow of her sword paled against the mortal wound she had inflicted upon his soul.
Ashlyn’s heart felt heavy, her eyes tearing up under the weight of her sorrowful thoughts. Seeking answers that might provide some solace, Ash headed for the bridge—anxious to speak with the Keeper privately.
“Welcome, Lady Ashlyn. I am glad that you have come, though I sense you are deeply troubled.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” admitted Ashlyn. “Lower the lights to level one, please.” Walking to the forward window, bathed in the soft glow of Earth’s light, she gazed at the large tropical storm brewing in the Atlantic. The eastern coastline of North America was hidden beneath a sheet of heavy clouds—lightning flickering within them. The plains’ states were clear all the way to the Rockies, their snowcapped peaks gleaming in the sunlight. Beyond—the western coastline was just coming into view. The skies were peaceful and calm.
Taking her seat on the bridge, Ash reclined her chair in preparation for the meld. Seeing Earth’s moon, high above, through a soft grin she thought, It’s nice to see you again, old friend. Though it had saved their lives, Ash remembered the sadness she’d felt when Earth’s moon was destroyed in the other timeline. It also reminded her of Jackson, her wingman—and his sacrifice when he’d accompanied her through the moon’s debris in defense of Earth.
“Keeper, we have a lot to discuss. I have questions that need answering, but they won’t make m
uch sense to you if you don’t know what I experienced after entering the nexus. I’m hoping you can shed some light on everything.”
“Admittedly, I too am curious to see what was revealed to you.”
“Keeper, while we’re linked—I want you to give me all the pertinent information you have on the Draconians. I want the details on their war with the Anunnaki.”
“That would be wise, Lady Ashlyn. If you are ready, I will initiate the link.”
“I am.” Instantly, Ashlyn felt herself relaxing as the field encapsulated her. Her eyes grew heavy—her thoughts of self disappearing as she lapsed into a state of semi-consciousness.
The Keeper began sifting, cutting through the chaff of Ashlyn’s memories, searching for the moment when she had first stepped into the nexus.
In a matter of seconds, he began to experience Ashlyn’s pain, sadness, and despair—all the heartbreaking moments she had lived through. To the Keeper, it was as if he was there, living every moment, feeling each emotion.
He saw her fight with the scorpions and how she had tapped into her Transor powers to defeat them. He saw the moment she’d succumbed to the darkness in her battle against the Urquay—and her rage upon finding out that the darkness had moved into her unborn child. He saw everything, including the moment when she had thrust her sword into Enlil’s heart, killing him. And he felt her soul-crushing sorrow as she held his lifeless body in her arms.
The Keeper witnessed her discussion with Steven, who was in the form of Anu, and how they wanted to change the timeline, erasing Earth’s future destruction, saving billions of lives.
Having completed the exchange of information, the Keeper awakened Ashlyn to the sound of a soft chime. “It is complete.”
Ashlyn’s eyes fluttered open, her mind trying to bring cohesion to the vast array of knowledge the Keeper had imparted. As the information came together, Ash saw unexpected gaps in obvious correlations that left important questions unanswered. She shook her head in disbelief, not wanting to believe that the Keeper had deliberately kept it from her. And yet, she saw no other explanation. “Keeper?”
“Yes, Lady Ashlyn.”
“Now that you know of the darkness that resides in Ja’kal, I need to know if it correlates to something that Enki referenced. He’d spoken of a time when the galaxy was almost torn apart by a war between the darkness and the light. Was my son, Enlil, any part of that?”
The Keeper’s answer came slowly, hesitantly. “Yes.”
“Is that why you hid details of the war from me?”
“No. I felt the events were not pertinent to the current timeline.”
“Not pertinent? That’s a large assumption, Keeper. It’s a mistake to assume that we can’t learn from all the events in the prior timeline. Knowing the outcome of a choice may well help us to avoid repeating the mistake. In the game of chess, knowing all the possible outcomes following each move is what helps you make the right choice. There is always something to be learned. Never hide anything from us again—is that understood?” Ashlyn knew that the Keeper hadn’t hidden the information to be malicious. It was just his way of protecting her.
“I ask again, Keeper. What part did my son play in the war? What is it that you didn’t want me to know?”
“I apologize, Lady Ashlyn. It was a mistake in judgement to not have told you.”
“Regardless of the impetus behind what you did, Steven and I must always be told everything.”
“You have my word—I will not hide information again. I believe Enki’s reference to a war between the dark and the light was likely attributable to your son. The Draconian attack was the start of a dark time in Anunnaki history. Only thirteen years had passed since you and Lord Steven had begun building the Anunnaki empire on Heaven. It was a time of great enthusiasm and hope. The people were excited to have found a new home. Your vision was to build a world without war, without despair. It was going to be a place that nurtured tranquility and peace. A place of beauty.
“When the Draconian attack came, it came without warning. Tryskellyon, the capital city on Heaven, was destroyed within minutes. The Draconian ground forces were merciless, indiscriminately killing the few that survived the aerial bombardment. They showed no compassion for those who were injured or the children.
“The reptilians have a chameleon-like ability to blend in to their surroundings as they move, making them near invisible. We were unprepared for such an assault. By the time, I arrived at Heaven, I was only able to save a few Anunnaki.
“During the six years that followed, while I moved from star system to star system evading the searching scout ships, you and Lord Steven trained Enlil. You showed him how to use his inherited Transor and Magori abilities. The things he could do were godlike. And in your greatest moment of need, when all seemed lost—it was he who destroyed the Draconians.
“Until now—I had thought all Draconians extinct. Apparently, some must have survived.”
“So, you believe what the nexus showed me?” asked Ashlyn.
“Yes. Based upon what Siri showed you in the Akashic library, the reptilians will someday return to destroy the Anunnaki. After which, they will seek out the homeworld from which you came, eradicating your species.”
“Keeper, from what you just told me, am I correct that Enlil was nineteen when he destroyed the Draconians?”
“Yes. He was nineteen.”
Ashlyn swallowed. It was a heavy burden for one so young. “Keeper—what was he like afterwards? Could that have been the starting point of what changed him?”
“Yes. He was not the same afterwards. He retreated into himself, becoming increasingly quiet and withdrawn. He spent much of his time in seclusion, meditating. He sought solitude. He grew fearful of sleep because of the dreams that would haunt him.”
“Dreams?” asked Ashlyn, repeating the word. Involuntarily, her heart pounded in her chest, the ache powerful. “Dreams of what?”
The Keeper was again slow to answer. “He would awaken each night—screaming for the voices to go away.”
The Keeper’s words stabbed at Ashlyn. Could he have heard the voices? The same voices I heard? But how—it doesn’t make sense.
“It was the reason he requested to go to Earth. He had hoped that a distant world might bring him the solace he was looking for. A place away from the fearful eyes of the Anunnaki people.”
“Fearful? Why? Why did they fear him?”
“It was because of the distant look in his eyes. It scared them. It was as though the Draconian deaths had ripped away the humanity within him. Behind his back, he could hear the whispers of those he had once called friends. He became known to the Anunnaki people as, The Destroyer of Worlds.”
Ashlyn’s breath stilled, her hands went to her belly, her stomach churning with nausea. “The Destroyer of Worlds,” repeated Ashlyn. “Keeper, you saw my time in the nexus and the voices of the darkness in the netherworld. You heard them say the words, ‘The Destroyer of Worlds has come’—and yet—you kept it from me?” Anger rippled through Ashlyn, her voice rising. “You saw that I was incorrectly applying those words to myself. Why would you keep such a thing from me? Why?”
“Again, I apologize. Being part of the prior time line, I’d thought it not pertinent to our current situation.”
“That’s a lie, Keeper—a blatant lie. I didn’t think you capable of doing such a thing. I trusted you.” Ashlyn’s fingers clenched into fists.
“I’m sorry—”
“That’s enough, Keeper. You’ve broken the trust between us. If you ever lie to me again, our relationship will come to an end.”
“I understand, and I beg forgiveness.”
“I ask again, I demand you answer the question. Your hiding something and I want to know what it is.” Ashlyn’s mind sharpened, her thoughts coming into focus. It seemed impossible, and though she feared hearing the answer, she was compelled to ask. “Keeper—how did Enlil kill the Draconians?”
“Their worlds, near a hundr
ed of them, many with billions of inhabitants, simply blinked out of existence. It was as though they had never existed.
“After what you have shown me—I believe he sent the Draconians into the nexus.”
Ashlyn gasped, her body shuddering, her mind ablaze. His words had confirmed her worst fears. She’d wanted nothing more than to be wrong.
Only now did it all make sense. The ethereal voices in the nexus belonged to the billions of trapped Draconian people. Empowered by the energy of so many minds, it was their collective consciousness that had created the darkness. Their immense strength had enabled them to break through the walls of their prison, seeking out the one who had imprisoned them—Enlil.
Ashlyn now understood why Enlil had sought meditation and quiet—for he was inwardly locked in a battle against them. It took all his focus and concentration to keep them at bay. She could only imagine the struggle it must have been for him. It was why he hated sleep—for in that moment, when he was forced to relinquish control, he knew that he could not defend himself against them.
It also explained why he’d wanted to go to Earth. It was more than wanting to escape the fearful eyes and whispers of his friends, it was an attempt to physically distance himself from the haunting voices. It was an act of desperation.
No one could have withstood such a relentless assault. You weren’t to blame, my son. I’m sorry for what you had to endure. Only Ashlyn, who had experienced it herself, could fathom the cold touch the darkness left upon his soul. If not for Steven, she too would’ve fallen victim to the emptiness.