The Peacock Angel
BY
G.D. BRIDGES
.
Copyright 2013 Glenn Dale Bridges
Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
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
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
PROLOGUE
5799 BC
Eastern Turkey
Run. Run. Fast. Fast.
Only the one camel kept pace.
So far. Farther than anyone ever.
But it didn't matter. He could not outrun the water.
For five days Armaros tried, racing across the land without a moments rest, but the swollen gulf would not waiver. Eventually the sea claimed him—chased him down from behind like a great cat. Each of his lengthy strides now ended in a splash of ankle deep runoff.
Still, he ran.
The mountains must be close.
If only he could reach them . . .
He didn't know where else to go. Instinct alone urged him to push for higher ground. He hoped the peaks to his north would offer refuge from the flood. They must. He had run out of any other options.
The river he followed overwhelmed its banks; its current reversed from all the water forced upstream. Soon, it would merge with the rising waters from the lakes and seas surrounding him, along with the gulf expanding behind him, and blanket all the dry land he had ever walked upon. And even some he hadn't.
Still, he ran.
Much, much higher ground.
Above him, the skies began a sudden and ominous change. Terrible storm clouds rolled in with unnatural speed, blocking out the sun and darkening the land. Cold air awoke his exposed skin. A bolt of lightning, as thick as a tree, struck the earth ahead of him with deafening force. He stumbled, but he did not break his stride.
And then it began to rain.
Droplets, frigid and heavy, forced his head down and his eyes closed. His back and shoulders went numb quickly. The sky had broken, and the assault from above proved unforgiving.
To his right, the camel dropped. It had kept pace with him for half a day. The big bull's eye went white as its heart burst from exhaustion. Soon the water would take it away. It had purged the land of every other living creature trying to escape the deluge.
Except for him.
But wasn't he supposed to survive?
He continued to run.
All alone now. Higher ground. The mountains must be close.
"Leave these lands," his teachers had told him. "Leave now and live. You will walk with man."
He didn't hesitate. He took his sword and the parchment given to him by the scribe. They were the only two things he would ever need. Judgment was coming. Once they let him leave, he never looked back.
Not even when the screaming started.
His brothers received no clemency. Retribution was swift and chaotic. The cries for mercy, the shouts of hate, and the sounds of battle still rang in his ears. The memory would haunt him for as long as they allowed him to remain.
The water continued to gain on him from behind; to his east and west, it advanced even quicker. Through his half closed eyes, the area of dry land ahead narrowed.
Another massive lightning strike shook the earth. This one was closer than the last. A bit of the surge traveled up the flesh of his leg. He continued to run.
And then the mountains.
They were beautiful. Two massive white peaks erupted from the plain, and both reached thousands of feet into the heavens. Their volcano like shapes made them easy for him to climb. They were taller than he remembered.
They would need to be.
Still, he ran.
The water reached mid calf. He picked his knees up higher as he ran in order to make any progress. But he would not lessen his effort.
So close. Almost.
And then he stopped running.
He began to climb at once. The rock, strong and cold in his hands, seemed to welcome his touch. This mountain would be his protector, his home, and his sanctuary. There was comfort in the knowing. He continued to climb.
I will live brothers. Beyond that, I know nothing. But I will live.
The Peacock Angel: Rise of the Decarchs Page 1
