by Brett Vonsik
In the storm of the battle, Rogaan stood unflinching as the hypersonic projectile streaked at them. Then, the ocean between the ships turned to vapor several hundred meters astern of the Wind Runner, right in the path of the projectile. A reddish-orange beam of energy blasted its way skyward from the roiling waters. The speeding projectile from the Watchman instantly vaporized as it passed through the energy beam. Nikki’s jaw dropped, seemingly to the ship’s deck as her hopes rose.
“Watch,” Aren told Nikki. He was excited with anticipation. “Feel the Wind.”
The energy beam disappeared, but the ocean continued to roil, and it was now illuminated in a multitude of colors from below. An object appeared in the center of the swirling and bubbling waters. A pointed tip-shaped object of gleaming metal rose. No . . . a pyramid, as big as or bigger than the Great Pyramid of Giza rose. It appeared made of gleaming blue, red and black metals with large red semispherical crystalline structures adorning its side faces. The pyramid rose out of the water to hover a hundred meters above the waves, water pouring off the massive structure. A strong wind blew out from its underside and into the faces of those on the tail of the Wind Runner. Black swirls of vapor surrounded the underside and lower sides of the pyramid . . . the Wind. That’s what it’s called and what Aren has been trying to tell me. Nikki felt a surge of pride at that realization and her new understanding. It was then she fully felt its presence, its intelligence, and its power . . . ancient power . . . so much ancient power. It threatened to overwhelm her. She slumped a little on trembling legs before Anders caught her. He exchanged silent looks with Nikki, too afraid to speak and draw any attention to themselves.
Rogaan pointed at the Watchman with his bow and spoke with a determined calmness, “Burn.”
Multiple-colored beams of energy emitted from the pyramid’s crystalline structures striking the Watchman simultaneously. The ship disappeared in a cloud of vapors. It was gone in mere seconds. It was over. No more shooting. Nikki felt shocked, stunned, and relieved, all at the same time. Then she took in this flying pyramid hovering not far away. She swallowed hard.
Rogaan lowered his bow and looked up to the sky and the pyramid. An odd silence fell over everything. Only the blowing wind made a noise, a rumbling in Nikki’s ears. She realized the pyramid made no sound otherwise. Its propulsion system silent. The disc Rogaan stood on rose until it was level with the helipad, then tucked in close to the ship. Rogaan jumped from it onto to the Wind Runner next to Aren. The white glowing disc, with its vaporous tendrils beneath, then accelerated away at high speed toward the pyramid. It flew directly into the pyramid without slowing down. Nikki didn’t see a door or anything like an access portal open for it to enter. It was simply gone. A deep, resounding hum started, then grew louder, vibrating Nikki, the ship beneath her, the water, and the very air around her as the wind picked up to almost hurricane strength, forcing Nikki to rely on Anders to hold her upright as they both braced themselves while leaning into the powerful wind gusts.
Awesome and majestic, the pyramid started rising, then accelerated vertically through the aloft clouds of the dusk sky. The sun’s rays high above gleaming from its metallic exterior before it disappeared to places beyond earth in several handfuls of seconds. The wind gusts in Nikki’s face now settled to a light breeze.
They all silently stared at the sky for a time. “Wow” was all Nikki could think or say. She found it difficult to grasp all that just happened and struggled to think all of this was anything but a dream. Less than two weeks ago, she never could have imagined anything like this in her life. A calmness then filled her. It wasn’t her, she realized. The feeling came from Rogaan and Aren. They shared similar emotions . . . calmness and . . . satisfaction. The two started bantering with each other in Antaalin. Nikki understood their every word as if she spoke Antaalin her entire life.
“How is it . . . that Wind finds us at the time it was needed?” Aren asked, still looking after the vaporous contrail left by the ship.
“Unknown, but I am pleased for it.” Looking skyward still, Rogaan commented as if talking about his favorite possession or an event. “And I enjoy those gufas.”
“You promised to instruct me to fly them . . .” Aren bantered with Rogaan as they started walking toward Nikki and Anders and the Wind Runner’s damaged island superstructure.
“It always seems a bad time when they appear,” Rogaan offered rational for his tardiness in teaching his friend. “It is difficult to give instruction while others try to kill us.”
“What did you do to goad these United Nations people?” Aren asked suspiciously.
“They attacked the ship before I woke,” Rogaan answered. “The woman, Nikki, to be broken by one of the dark-armored warriors when I opened my eyes.”
“You ended his life?” Aren asked knowingly, almost making more of a statement than a question.
“A tyrant is not difficult to see in his servants.” Rogaan sounded like he quoted someone who gave him guidance in the ways of wisdom. “These servants showed their high-proud and oppressive ways. They were on the hunt to kill these people of this ship.”
“I ponder these United Nations people wanted to capture us.” Aren commented as if in a scholarly discussion.
“Then they wanted us without our Lights . . . when we acted not following their plan,” Rogaan added.
“When you acted not following their plan to submit,” Aren verbally jabbed at Rogaan, clarifying his statement. He did so with a half-smile. “Again you catch me in your acts of righteousness.”
“I will not accept them murdering innocent ones,” Rogaan countered with a wounded, indignant tone as he glanced Nikki’s way. He then changed his tone to boastful. “Like . . . me . . . to submit?”
“Not since the backstreet quarreling in Padusan.” Aren recalled a moment in their past that in part shaped Rogaan into who he is now. Rogaan momentarily put a regretful look on his face as he remembered a painful lesson. Aren continued, “You carry your righteousness in a manner that attracts trouble. It aids you well much of the time, but when it does not . . . affairs go badly.”
“Talking of affairs . . . Are we on earth or have the gods taken us up to one of their worlds?” Rogaan asked Aren in a serious tone. “. . . if on earth, when are we?”
“I judge we continue on earth, old friend. As to when . . . the future.” Aren fell silent for a few moments considering things he wasn’t sharing. “If my judgments are perfection, an acquaintance from long ago may tell us that, and more.”
Rogaan let the “acquaintance from long ago” hint pass without comment as he rubbed his stomach. “I’m starved. I’d like to know where there is something favorable to eat.”
“Always the stomach leads your life after a battle,” Aren bantered.
“Destroying evil and wickedness grows a voracious hunger,” Rogaan boastfully bantered.
“Let us look for something to eat near where they held us on those painful beds.” Aren set out a plan of action as they walked away, forgetting Anders and Nikki.
Nikki stood looking dumbfounded at the two, walking and talking like what they just went through was an everyday occurrence . . . “all in a day’s work” or something like that.
“What in the name of all the gods and hells just happened?” Anders asked Nikki with an overwhelmed and disbelieving tone.
“I think we got a lot more than a set of bones on this dig.” Nikki tried to make light of their situation. “I think we’re smack-dab in the middle of some serious trouble.”
“Biblical.” Anders clarified. Nikki nodded in agreement.
“Help me catch up with them, Shawn,” Nikki asked of Anders as she clung to him for support. Her foot remained at that odd angle, making her ill when she looked at it, and her right leg was starting to hurt again.
“Why?” Anders asked. “You need to lie down. Those two aren’t going anywhere.”
“How so?” He sounded as if he didn’t believe her.
“When the captain handed Aren that gemstone of jade and pearl and spoke of a ‘mutual acquaintance’ to prove to Aren he could be trusted . . .” Nikki explained with a seriousness born of unquenchable curiosity and a terrible trepidation. “. . . strong emotions ran through Aren. Enormous amounts of respect, but an even greater sense of fear. Aren thinks he knows what’s behind all of this and is determined to find and confront it.”
And the story continues . . .
Book 3 of the Primeval Origins Epic Saga
is anticipated for release in the winter of 2016/2017.
Follow the adventures of Nikki, Rogaan, Pax, Aren, and others
Beyond the Light of Honor.
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ALSO BY Brett Vonsik
Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish
Book One of the Primeval Origins Epic Saga
A routine paleontological dig takes an unexpected turn when Nikki, a talented graduate student, raises difficult questions about a mysterious weapon and creature that baffle the experts. Nikki suffers an accident…and finds herself living a vivid and terrifying episode of mankind’s ancient past: a civilization where gods, alien intelligences, and horrific dangers seek to subjugate mankind. Seeing through the eyes of the young aspiring warrior Rogaan, Nikki is plunged headlong into a world she could never have imagined—a society simultaneously primitive and advanced, familiar and profoundly strange. As Rogaan and his best friend Pax face the injustices and challenges of their world, deep questions are raised about the true origins of mankind, and the nature of good and evil. Astonishing in its scope and detail, taking you into a fully created world beyond your wildest dreams, Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish skillfully weaves together humanity’s oldest creation myths, religious beliefs, and political landscapes to create a thrilling, fascinating epic with rich characters and compelling plot. Join the world of Primeval Origins now as it reveals the secrets of Creation’s guiding hand: petulant godlings, noisy mortals, and ancient evils confronted by good in the ultimate test of the human soul.
Learn more at: www.outskirtspress.com/primevalorigins
