“Jask!” he heard Shasa shriek.
A mental ripple ripped through him.
He’s falling! I can’t help him!
Shasa’s telepathic scream. She knew it was bad. Her call for help would reach everyone in the camp below. His powers had to return—and fast—or I’ll end up like … The image of the broken copper-skinned woman breached his mind again. Mother. He didn’t have time to think about that, not if he wanted to survive this. I won’t die. I won’t die!
A rocky ledge quickly approached.
Use your power phrase! Shasa commanded with telepathy.
Power phrase? Kids used those. He was eight now. Then again, if he wanted to see nine, perhaps he needed to stop resisting and just take her direction.
He closed his eyes and screamed, “Sutā umare pawā!”
Seconds passed.
Nothing.
He shouted again. “Sutā … umare … pawā!”
Still nothing.
The sinking feeling of defeat set in. Soon it wouldn’t matter anyway.
The snarl of his mentor, Yezen, echoed in his mind. You arrogant little Gaki. Someday you’re going to get yourself, or one of us, killed.
He knew he pushed boundaries and took risks, but all he wanted was to be like Yezen, that, and make him proud. When he saw Yezen’s mighty green glow, the tide of any struggle turned in their favor.
What would Ishara think of his failing? She always believed in him, encouraged him. She even stood up for him when others doubted the value of a “tan-skinned Gaki.”
And Shasa … he hadn’t meant for this to happen.
The three were like family to him, especially after the passing of his mother. Why didn’t he just listen to them? Suddenly he felt foolish, and undeserving of their love. He truly was a Gaki.
A memory of Ishara’s gentle voice overtook Yezen’s. She coaxed him with, “Try one more time. We are more than what people think of us. I believe in you.…”
Her words echoed as he soaked in the message. Such unconditional love—it warmed his heart. The feeling spread, turning into a tingle across his body. The sensation became short bursts of energy, which pulsed from head to toe.
One more time, Ishara’s voice echoed again.
With eyes opened, he shouted, “Sutā … umare … pawā!”
A ripple of power exploded around him. Thought still in a freefall, the very stone of the mountain turned molten as he passed. A golden glow around his body radiated as gravity lost its mastery over him.
The ledge still approached quickly.
Pull up … pull up!
Inch by inch, the angle of descent grew. A sigh escaped as the ledge narrowly whooshed past. He could do this. He just needed to pull up, and now he had a little more time to do it.
Below him, their camp was getting bigger by the moment. It looked like everyone was outside gawking and pointing at him. So much for flying in style; now the challenge was to avoid a legendary fail in front of them.
A brilliant pink glow flashed next to a powerful green one. The two streaked into the sky, headed directly for him. Ishara and Yezen. No! He wanted to do this by himself—wanted least of all to be saved in front of everyone. He got himself into this; he could fix it.
The two glowing colors approached. He had to do something fast, or there’d be no saving face. He mentally chanted his power phrase. His golden light flared around him, along with a burst of speed. Ishara gasped as he shot past. A moment of smugness turned to regret as the ground approached even faster, and his control further strained.
A warm presence trailed him. He didn’t need to look to know it was Yezen and Ishara in close pursuit. No matter the circumstance, he could always sense them like beacons in the night. I can do this alone, he thought, knowing Ishara could hear it.
Little by little his death dive leveled out. Sweat burst from his pores as he pushed his rudimentary control to the limit. He yelped, narrowly missing the encampment’s taller rooftops. A quick bit of dodging allowed him to avoid being snagged in a power cable strung between the structures.
Still too fast to land. He needed to go upward to erode his momentum. At least he avoided cratering in the ground, so far anyway. Dodging grew easier as he weaved and bobbed through the buildings of the camp.
He nearly had it. Things suddenly didn’t seem so bad.
Okay, maybe next time he’d listen to Shasa. Maybe. He still needed to go back up.
Focusing his power, a sonic boom accompanied another burst of speed. No, not faster, higher! Ishara and Yezen had made soaring look so easy.
To his delight, he began to ascend. Good, now how to stop?
No sooner had he started to slow, Yezen and Ishara caught up. Ishara reached around and grappled him. As they slowed together, he noticed Yezen scowling, his furious gaze piercing.
“What were you thinking?” Yezen snarled.
It was a fair question, one that made him feel stupid.
“Now’s not the time for that,” Ishara calmly retorted, descending, her arms tight around him. “Where’s Shasa?”
He hesitated then pointed up to the mountaintop, feeling the first pangs of embarrassment.
Yezen growled and flew off toward the mountain. Once the green glow was far enough away, Ishara leaned in and said softly, “Jask, you shouldn’t have left her. She must be so worried right now.”
“I just wanted to show everyone I could do it.”
“And you did. But you’re still inexperienced—and lucky.”
He slumped in her arms. Ishara had this way of letting you know you messed up, while still feeling loved. She whispered playfully in his ear, “That was quite a show you put on. I’m very impressed. Just listen to Shasa—she will always tell you what’s best for you.”
With a sheepish expression, he looked to Ishara and nodded.
“And welcome back,” she added.
As they gently touched down, angry steps approached from behind them. He didn’t have to turn to know exactly who was approaching—and why.
“Jask!” Despite being next to him, her shrill voice yelled as if he were across the encampment. Everyone would be within earshot of this lecture.
He swallowed hard and turned to face his persecutor. Her short-cropped, jagged, blood-orange locks flared angrily in the wind. How appropriate. She wasn’t a created beast like them, she was a native Nukari. Though, her lip rings connected by silver strands to gaudy earrings sure looked monstrous. Sometimes it looked like her teeth protruded when she screamed at them.
“Explain yourself!”
Despite being their leader, she was never very nice to anyone. Always screaming and commanding. No one thought highly of her, yet they all feared her. At least that device she carried.
This time, he’d given her a good reason to yell.
“Master Kajlit’ga. Please forgive me.”
“That’s all you have to say? You grovel?”
He hesitated, trying to find the right words to quell her anger.
“I only want to excel for you—to be useful and effective for our missions.”
She lorded over him, arms crossed tightly. Enraged eyes looked him over like rotten meat. Her nose wrinkled. “For breaking protocol with your trainer you will spend three nights in the pen.”
He gasped. Three nights? The cold of the metal structure was bad enough. But the blunt metal spikes along the floor were torture. They didn’t have to cut skin; he knew from experience he’d be moving around every night, all night, unable to find a spot that didn’t hurt somehow.
“But, since you’re back,” she said, “advanced maneuvers are about to begin. Put on your encounter suit and meet me in seven minutes in the Siege Box.”
Weun Academy: Boy with the Green Eyes
(Work in-progress) Prologue
The following prologue is for the first spin-off series, Weun Academy. Unlike D'mok Revial, which followed Rhysus Mencari, this story follows Eisah, the boy with the green eyes. For those familiar with the se
ries (or if you just read the anthology), you know who this child is, and why there's an entire side arc about him.
******
“Hurry. There isn’t much time.” Cerna wrung her hands, trying to give them something more to do than shake. Despite the crystal affliction of her stony friend, she knew Seigie was entering the start-up sequence as fast as she could. She had to stay strong, even if it felt like at any moment the growing panic would break her resolve. Everything hinged on this next battle. Either they were going to stop the Nukari invasion, or die trying. There weren't other likely outcomes.
She hesitated as the ancient machine before her roared to life. A vibration filled the air, as if the Cosmic Temple itself wanted her back. Her body trembled while she contemplated the wisdom of her actions. The last thing she wanted was to step back into the crystal chamber that was her tomb for centuries.
“Is this a good idea?” Seigie Weun said, her gravelly voice alarmed.
Cerna glanced back, her mind wanting to dwell on anything but the task before her. Seigie’s beauty struck her for the first time. Unnaturally thick locks of dark amethyst pushed out of a hooded robe. Her marbled skin looked statuesque, even with the sickly blue-green staining that ran across half her face. Her hunched posture gave the impression that Seigie was in her twilight years, in contradiction to the better half of her youthful complexion. Seigie was a matriarch of great wisdom, and someone she’d come to rely on in a short time. Perhaps she knew another way out of this? “If you have a better one, please tell me.”
For a moment she hoped Seigie would. The thought of relying on the tool of her world’s destruction to now protect it felt treasonous. Her gut ached with guilt. She looked to Seigie’s ruby-red eyes for wisdom. Instead, the ancient matriarch stood stone-cold.
“Releasing that thing just doesn’t seem … wise.”
Wise? Of course it wasn’t wise. “The Janux Nebula is compromised. The Nukari jumped right into the middle of it and struck our allied fleet.… I can’t leave this temple, or what’s left of my home unguarded.”
“If our coming attack against them is successful, this won’t be an issue.” Seigie’s tone was heavy, almost doubting.
If was the operative word. The odds were not in their favor, and they both knew it. Though, the Nukari rampaged their entire quadrant of space. If enough of the mighty Nukari armada was away conquering, and not defending their central command, they had a chance—a good one.
But how many will die? she thought.
“And if we fall, and the Nukari return here, they’ll grow even more powerful,” she said.
Seigie shook her head. “All they know is we assembled the allied fleet here. Nothing else—not why it’s important.”
“At some point, someone will wonder why we gathered here. They’ll poke around and they’ll find my world, the Cosmic Temple, and ... Sabereth.”
A lifetime of memories invaded her mind. The nebula was their natural fortress. She ruled as queen over a people touched by the ancient D’mar and tasked with shepherding infant worlds. Though treachery plagued her court. The Dark Lords, enforcers of their ways, violated their charter. In a coup d’état they summoned the cosmic entity, the monstrous beast known as Sabereth. They thought its fearsome power would counter the Cosmic Temple and end her reign.
Instead, the beast ran amuck and turned its rage against their world. Its merciless attacks brought instant devastation and total annihilation. Desperate, she merged with the Cosmic Temple. Despite wielding its immense power, should could only create a tomb of ice and force it into a frozen slumber. But the damage was done. Her people were finished, and she had been left trapped until Rhysus Mencari rescued her.
High-pitched ringing filled the air, drawing her from her thoughts. Feet away, a dazzling light spun inside the crystal chamber. It was ready, but was she? Her body would shatter into pure energy, and she’d become one with the Cosmic Temple again.
What if Seigie couldn’t reverse the process? Mencari pulled her from it the first time. If there was a need, Seigie could easily get him from the Be’Inaxi command ship floating inside the nebula...
If all went well, no one but Seigie and Cerna would know Sabereth was free. His tomb wouldn’t open until their fleet jumped to attack the Nukari Central Command.
“How do you know the beast just won’t go somewhere else?” Seigie asked.
“The Dark Lords used their abilities to portal Sabereth into the nebula. The breaks in the energy storm around the Nebula are too small for the beast to escape. Only another portal would allow it get away. Sabereth will still be contained. The only difference is being awake and trapped instead of asleep and entombed.”
“That’s not going to help its attitude at all.” Seigie’s stony face looked grim.
“All the better to defend this place.”
“And you’re sure about this?”
“Of course not. We don’t have time to be sure. We only have time to do—one shot, right now.”
“It’s the story of my life.... So be it. The others will be expecting us soon, to finish attack plans.”
“Then let’s begin.” Cerna stepped up to the opening. “As soon as the last ship jumps from the nebula, the temple will free Sabereth. May the gods be with anyone who dares to return here.”
She gestured, and a section of the crystal melted away, revealing a way in. The air that wafted out smelled stale and dusty. Ducking her head, she stepped into the warm light, which bathed her skin. An intense ticking sensation grew, along with a glow which radiated from her imposing form. Her mind became unsettled, accompanied by a gentle tugging sensation. She gasped and felt her consciousness lift into the air. With ethereal eyes, she watched as her regal body broke down into light.
Author Bio
Michael Zummo was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1974. Some know him as a software developer, others as a usability expert, still others as a board and video game designer. One little boy calls him father.
From his earliest days he was enthralled by computer games, specifically the Sierra On-line adventure games. They inspired his sense of exploration in strange lands, and interactive storytelling.
In 1996, he graduated from Caroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin with a double degree in computer science and communications.
Throughout his winding career in interactive marketing, video game design, and creating user interfaces, each adventure held the same root. What motivated him wasn’t just understanding people and crafting digital interactions, but rather, taking people through an experience—on a journey—to be his true passion in life.
Writing has become his ultimate vehicle for this passion.
Final Note
Thank you very much for reading D’mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology. I hope you’ve enjoyed this epic adventure.
Two expansions in the D'mok literary universe are coming your way. The first, D'mok Revival: New Eden, is the first of three books in the New Eden Saga which picks up a year after the first trilogy. Already complete, this book will be out before the end of 2016.
The second, Weun Academy, is the first official spin-off, focusing on the school established to train a new crop of D'mok enabled youths. Expect this book in early summer, 2017.
In the meantime, I love getting feedback. Hearing what you liked and didn’t like helps me refine the story and become a better writer. If you’re interested, you can email me directly at [email protected]. You can also post comments or send me messages on the D’mok Revival Series Facebook page.
Lastly, my goal is to share this story with as many people as I can. I truly love the characters and believe many people will be able to identify with their experiences and personal struggles. If you could, I would deeply appreciate if you would post your review of D’mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology on Amazon.com. Regardless of how good or bad you felt the story was, feedback is important not only for me as a writer, but also for the community of science fiction fans. We will all be
nefit from your honest opinion. Please be sure to be as specific as possible about what you did or did not enjoy.
Thank you again for your time and support.
Sincerely,
Michael Zummo
Table of Contents
Dedication Copyright
Author's Note
Table of Contents
D'mok Revival: Awakening Awakening Cover
Prologue
1: Legacies
2: At Square One
3: Crystal Power
4: Creatures of Stone
5: The Living Legend
6: Engineering XoXo Style
7: A Friend in Need
8: Grave Opportunities
9: The Little Thief
10: Ancient Underground
11: On the Prowl
12: Search for Jerin
13: Inked Honors
14: Allia’s Detour
15: Crystal Legacies
16: The Favor
Epilogue
D'mok Revival: Retribution Retribution Cover
Prologue
1: Conflict of Heart
2: Auras of Blue
3: Sky city and the Smog Sea
4: Dancer and the Dock Worker
5: The Agran Menace
6: The Power Of Three
7: Knot of Leads
8: The Forgotten
9: Plagued No More
10: Turf War
11: The Janux Nebula
12: The Gateway
13: Warrior Down
14: The Cosmic Link
15: The Wanderers
16: Fowl 359
17: Into the Rift
Epilogue
D'mok Revial: Descension Descension Cover
Prologue
1: The Pocket World
2: The Museum
D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology Page 104
