Experimental

Lo’rel and Darkhorse

We first meet Darkhorse in Book 5 of my Crow series. We also meet Lo’rel in Books 2, 4, and 5 of my Crow series. They both have extensive backstories that warrant their own series. I’m not sure where this scene will pop up. Darkhorse had just left an encounter with Steven Crow in Book 5 of my Crow series, but this scene does not fit into the overall plot of that story. It deserves its own plot. It could be in a series dedicated to Darkhorse and her vengeful journey. Or it could end up in Lo’rel’s series. Time and more experimental writing will tell…

“What is an Elf?”

Darkhorse looked up as she fiddled with her robes. She could tell Jason was distraught. But she didn’t have an immediate answer for him.

“He is like you. That Steven Crow fella. Fur and everything.”

“Yes. But, no. He is something…” Darkhorse hesitated. “…very different. What I saw in his mind.” She shuddered. “Worlds dying.”

“But he said you are an Elf.”

Darkhorse nodded. “Apparently that is what I am.”

Becky giggled. “Where are the cookies?”

Darkhorse grinned. “My dear, I do not even have a tree within which to prepare them.”

“Darkhorse, he said you are not from here,” Jason persisted.

“I am from here,” Darkhorse stated resolutely. “My grandparents came here three thousand years ago…” She trailed off. She didn’t know them. She only knew of her mother from the memory of the medicine-woman who witnessed her death and rescued the unborn child from within her.

“But, you are not alone anymore,” Jason said carefully.

Darkhorse looked at him sharply. “If you have a question, ask it.”

Jason fidgeted and looked down. “You are going to leave us. You’re going to your home.”

Softening, Darkhorse lifted his chin. “I am home. You are my children. My family. Why would I ever leave this?” She waved at the forest village around them and the thousands of people who lived there.

Becky leaned against her and caressed the fur on her leg. “We don’t want you to go either. You’re our family too. The only Mommy that I know.”

Darkhorse grinned and put an arm around her. “You’re just trying to get out of cleanup detail, aren’t you?”

Becky elbowed her. “No. Yes. No…” She giggled, then wiped her face. “Please don’t go. We need you.”

“And I need you too.” Darkhorse kissed her forehead. “Syagria will just have to make do without me…” She stopped, frozen, her eyes widening. “You.”

Jason and Becky looked at what had captured Darkhorse’s attention. A dark figure stood in the clearing, like a living shadow. Both of them stood up and took defensive postures.

“You cannot be here!” Darkhorse jumped to her feet. Roots erupted from the ground, entangling the figure. However, unlike all the times before, the intruder simply vanished, and re-appeared, standing right in front of her.

Darkhorse jumped back then kicked the intruder. Pain shot up her leg and she cried out, falling back.

Jason and Becky descended on the intruder as one, explosions of fire and lightning blending as they unleashed their abilities upon their adversary. However, both simultaneously vanished, reappearing on the far side of the clearing.

The figure reached out with inhuman speed and grabbed Darkhorse around the waist, pulling her to him and trapping her. She tried in vain to escape the bronze-like grip. More roots shot from the ground and wrapped around him, trying to extricate her.

Without warning, she was blinded by a sudden explosion of light. They were no longer in the forest. Darkhorse’s eyes teared up as she squinted in the brilliant sun and looked around. She only saw sand dunes. In a panic, she began thrashing, hitting and kicking him with everything she had. Then abruptly, all resistance mysteriously left her and she drooped.

“No more of that silliness, young lady,” The figure said sternly. He released her, letting her fall to the sand.

“Please. Please don’t kill me,” Darkhorse begged groggily. “My children. Please. My children need me.” She wiped her face, crying furiously. The angry god had finally found her, and she was powerless before him.

He knelt down in front of her, lifting her chin as he glared at her sternly. “My children. Not yours.”

She gasped when she saw his face under his dark cloak. He was brilliantly white. Even his hair was like strands of the finest glass fibers. “You’re… you’re… “ She stopped, unwilling to say it.

“Not a vampire. You have been on Terra far too long.” He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close, sniffing her hair. “You smell like her.” He sighed. “Your grandmother.”

Darkhorse tried to pull away, but his grip was like steel. “Please, you’re hurting me.”

“Not even a hint of curiosity?” He cocked his head. “Look past your fear, Elf.”

She stopped trying to pull away and squinted. The stranger smiled. “That’s it. The answers are there.”

“Lo’rel?”

“That’s a start,” Lo’rel said patiently.

Darkhorse put a hand on his as he continued to grip the back of her neck. “You knew my grandmother? Before she came…here?”

Lo’rel smiled sadly. “She was a fine commander. Many golems fell thanks to her leadership.”

“The War.”

“Yes,” Lo’rel said.

“You were injured. They saved you.” Darkhorse covered her mouth. “Children.”

“Slave children found me at my weakest. They did not fear me. They tended my injuries,” Lo’rel said quietly. “It has been three thousand years, and I have cared for their descendants ever since.”

Darkhorse sat back hard when Lo’rel released her. “My children….”

“Their descendants,” Lo’rel finished her thought. He glared at her. “Who you have turned into your private army.”

“I did.” Darkhorse looked down. “But it was all for nothing. The enemy is not Earth.”

Lo’rel looked at her thoughtfully. “You saw your mother killed by a woman. Through the memory of the one who delivered you from her corpse.”

Darkhorse nodded slightly.

“That was no woman. A golem killed your mother. Rachel is its current name. I trust Steven clarified that for you? Rachel is a living machine.”

Darkhorse blinked away tears. “Mother was different. I am different. I thought she was killed because of it and, we were… and my children, we are all different. Earth is intolerant of different. I wanted to fix it.”

“You wanted revenge, and would have waged war against an innocent bystander.”

Darkhorse looked down at the sand. Lo’rel lifted her chin and glared at her. “You taught my children to hate Terrans.”

“Earth helped,” Darkhorse whispered, daring to argue. “They were all outcasts because of their eccentricities. Because of their gifts.”

“Their gifts were to benefit Terra. Not harm it.” Lo’rel snarled. “For three thousand years they served humanity. Until you intervened and taught them to fear.”

Darkhorse turned away from his accusing look. She had no response. “They should be kings. Not servants.”

“What they are humanity was long ago. I only woke up what was already there,” Lo’rel said, calming down. “Your anger should be directed to the one who failed to eradicate the golems here. Not those who were powerless against them.”

“You?” Darkhorse looked back at Lo’rel.

“My children were to help Terra resist, should I fail. And fail it appears I did.” Lo’rel said sadly. “I destroyed all the golems I could locate. But some eluded my search. Including Rachel.” He looked down, lost for a moment in ancient memories. “You’re mother’s death is my responsibility. Not Terra.”

“Your enemy killed my mother.” Darkhorse squinted at Lo’rel, leaving the implied question hanging.

“Our enemy. We have been at war with them for a very long time.” Lo’rel said. “Terra only got a small taste of that war.” He looked up at the newly coalescing ring of battle debris and asteroids forming in space from the recent conflict. Terra would never be the same again.

Darkhorse followed his gaze. “Small taste? Many of Earth’s cities have been…” She caught her breath. They both looked at a distant alien behemoth of a ship hovering over the desert dozens of miles away. The occupiers. There were countless hundreds of them globally. “You worried about what I would do to Earth. What of your own people?”

“We have a dead world back home. What has happened here does not remotely compare. It is from that end that we have saved this planet.” Lo’rel said solemnly.

“Dead world?”

“My greatest failure, the reason I no longer live with my brethren…” He reached out and touched Darkhorse’s arm, then gripped it gently.

Her eyes opened wide as she saw his memory. A world laid to waste in an explosive instant, millions dead with no warning. No life. Just an endless black landscape and black oceans.

“It was my report that got your grandmother re-assigned to the golem cleanup on Endard.” He waved at the alien ship in the distance. “She commanded a large fleet that could have finished the job on Rholling.”

“You knew they were still there,” Darkhorse said, dumbstruck. “The…golems. You knew.”

Lo’rel nodded. “There was no other way to save the Nistar. If I gated them from Rholling, the Sadari would have known. I snuck them onto your grandmother’s ships. I hoped… I…” He sighed. “I had hoped Lohet and Orin would have found the remaining golems. After I relocated the Nistar to Terra.” He let go of her arm. “I was supposed to have been a Sadari sympathizer. It was the only way to open a gate to the Forbidden World from Endard, and ensure they closed it behind me forever.”

He stopped briefly, lost for a moment in his memory. “It was supposed to have been enough to create doubt of my report. To inspire a continued search for the golems on Rholling.” He pulled his hood back. “It was not.”

“They are here? These… Nistar?” Darkhorse asked quietly.

“All of them,” Lo’rel said. “You cannot see them unless they will it. But the Sadari…the Sadari could not know of them. The Malakim was insistent.”

Darkhorse looked at him blankly.

“A god who gave me no choice,” Lo’rel said flippantly. “We were to be safe here. But the Sadari found Terra anyway. I have protected the Nistar since then.” Lo’rel paused for a long moment, then frowned at Darkhorse. “I have protected my children for a very long time as well. Until you decided you were better at it.”

“What are you going to do to me? My children?” Darkhorse asked hesitantly. She withered under his sharp look. “I have cared for them like they were my own for over two centuries.”

Lo’rel pursed his lips, gazing at her for a long, uncomfortable moment. “You are correct that Terra is intolerant to different. But that does not make them the enemy.” He sat down next to her. “My children need to be involved in the Reconstruction. They above all others are uniquely capable to restore Terra from the ravages of the conflict.”

Darkhorse looked down. “What of me?”

Lo’rel raised a brow. “You appear to have inserted yourself into their lives. You will continue as my surrogate.” He grinned at her crestfallen expression. “That is not the demotion that you may think.”

“I have cared for them by myself for so long,” Darkhorse said carefully.

“And you shall continue to do so,” Lo’rel said. “I expect you to cooperate with Nate.”

“He was one of mine.” Darkhorse started, stopping at his glare.

“He continued your mission on a more benevolent path.” Lo’rel took a breath and looked up at the sky. “Your children and his are one and the same. They will, therefore, be reunited and share in a common goal.”

“Why?”

“My time here is coming to an end.” Lo’rel looked at her. “In time, they will indeed be your children after all.”

Experimental

Lisa’s Assignment

Lisa Williams is Brandon’s younger sister. Brandon is Steven Crow’s best friend. In my Crow series, Lisa was a minor, supporting character. However things happened to her in that series that warranted a closer look. This experimental scene allows me to make her role more central, even amongst some pretty impressive characters. It could roll into its own post Crow series.

The mud squishing between her toes actually felt good. Lisa wiggled them while she selected and shoved another cluster of grass down through the shallow water into the mud. She tried hard not to call it rice. On Endard, it was something entirely different. They harvested little nuts from the roots. Their analog for rice grows on trees instead.

She glanced up and took in a deep breath. Her new eyes afforded her a view that she would never have been able to see with her birth-eyes. Courtesy their enemy, the Sadari. Now she saw as most of the citizens of the Cooperative saw. Far beyond both sides of the normal visual spectrum she had grown up with, plus a bit of the magnetic spectrum. However, back home, even pigeons could see a lot of that already. Humans…Terrans, they were all but blind and didn’t even know it.

Months had passed since she was rebuilt from a dying body, but she still wasn’t used to what she saw. It was early morning. The sun was just kissing the horizon. It was during that hour she could see UV radiation dancing in the upper atmosphere, generating almost fluorescent hues in the sky. Soon that would be gone, drowned out by the overall brilliance of Endard’s sun.

She turned and smiled at another welcome sight. Telestra, Endard’s ringed sister planet looked spectacular in the sky. The rings seemed to take on similar hues to the fluorescing sky.

“Hey dork, this rice isn’t going to plant itself.”

Brandon. Her brother. She glared at him, but he looked so silly standing there grinning in the mud that she couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s kyperose, pea-brain. Not rice.”

“What are you looking at anyway?” Brandon turned around and looked at the largely cloudless sky. To him, it was still a dark blue, with a few twinkling stars still visible in the waning pre-dawn twilight. Telestra simply looked like the love-child of Earth and Saturn. Pretty, but not spectacular.

“I could show you, but you’d mess your pants,” Lisa said as she bent down and shoved another kyperose seedling cluster into the mud.

“Pfft, look at you. Princess can gate and share thoughts now.” Brandon smirked as he followed suit, shoving a clump into the mud.

“Break that in half, Brandon.” Lisa pointed. “Spread it out more.”

Brandon sighed and split the clump up. “There. Happy?”

“Thrilled.”

“You two are falling behind.” A colorful man stepped nimbly through the mud towards them. The goop he waded through didn’t seem to even cling to his feet. His skin was covered with colorful patterns one would expect of reef creatures. A Selkie, indigenous to Endard.

Lisa gazed at him for a long moment, then looked away, embarrassed. The regular colorful patterns on his skin she had once seen with her birth-eyes seemed to have come alive in brilliance and animation with her new eyes. It was hard not to stare. Besides, the Selkie was an eyeful to begin with. But all of them were.

“Staring again?”

“Sorry, Ker’nal,” Lisa said, blushing furiously.

“It’s okay. You’ll get used to it eventually.” Ker’nal grinned. He hip bumped her as he walked by to hand Brandon another large clump of kyperose.

“You two need to get a motel,” Brandon grumbled as he fumbled and tried not to drop the seedlings.

“I’m not familiar with that word. Motel.”

Brandon looked at him, thinking. The language Craolin didn’t have a word for motel. Travelers became guests in homes. Brandon couldn’t even think of an adequate alternative in Elvish or Common. “A place where you sleep while traveling. Specifically for travelers. Or something.” Brandon waved his hand flippantly, annoyed at his inability to find a suitable analog. “But you pay. With money. Not that you’d know what that is.”

Ker’nal grinned. “I think we shall indeed get a…. motel.”

“Dude. I’m her brother.” Brandon made a face as he shoved another clump into the mud.

“Not too deep.”

“I know, I know. Professor over there has been nitpicking me all morning.” Brandon adjusted the last seedling he planted.

Lisa snorted.

“You know, there are robots that could do this.” Brandon sighed. “We even have them back on Terra. Just load them up, push a button and step back.”

“You know our history with robots, Brandon.” Ker’nal stepped back as Brandon moved forward. “We only use them for the most basic tasks now.”

“Yeah, that’s right, you had real-life Terminators.” Brandon stood up, looking at Ker’nal thoughtfully. “Actual Terminators.”

“They didn’t time travel, you dit,” Lisa snorted.

“Terminator?” Ker’nal looked at Lisa, curious.

“Terran drama. Future robots find a way to travel back in time to kill the person who was defeating them. Over, and over, and over again.”

“Heh, like Groundhog Day. With killer robots. How many movies did they make?” Brandon laughed.

“You Terrans are so peculiar.” Ker’nal gave both of them a bemused look.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Brandon waggled his brows at Lisa. “Just wait until you’re life-mates.”

Ker’nal started to ask why when he noticed Lisa staring at the sky. He followed her gaze as she stood up and squinted.

“What? Another shuttle?” Ker’nal looked.

“Feels bigger.” Lisa closed her eyes briefly. “Gunship. Coming from Terra.”

“Think she’s on it?”

“If they didn’t destroy her.” Lisa chewed her cheek.

“Gate to it. If it’s not moving too fast.” Brandon stuffed another seedling into the mud.

“Every planet I gate onto is already traveling many thousands of miles an hour, Brandon. I thought you knew this.”

“Copernicus,” Brandon mumbled.

“Plate.” Lisa snorted as she returned her attention to the sky. “I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude.”

The glittering glint seemed frozen in place as it approached them. Only when it got closer did it become apparent that it was moving extremely rapidly. As it approached, Lisa could make out the clear outline of a gunship, flying low. Suddenly it zipped overhead silently. Had Lisa blinked, she would have missed it. Several moments later, a sonic shockwave hit them, scaring teles’trike dragons into the sky. Several of the workers in the field looked up and grumbled. Even the ground-hugging fog was disturbed by the shockwave.

“They buzzed us.” Brandon squinted as the gunship disappeared in the distance.

“They buzzed her,” Ker’nal said quietly, nodding at Lisa.

Lisa glanced at both of them then returned her attention to the horizon. “They have her.”

“Lisa…” Ker’nal started. But she vanished without another word.

“Hey!” Brandon fumbled as another pile of kyperose appeared on his existing stack. He couldn’t help but drop several clusters. “Great, just great.”

~ ~ ~

As the gunship slowed, it approached what looked like a large mesa covered with massive trees. Only when it got closer did the mesa reveal itself to actually be gigantic trees that towered thousands of feet over the landscape. The huge trunks of the trees were melded together, forming a unified structure. The large vessel ducked in among immense branches, finally settling down on a cluster of branches that formed a flat landing platform.

Lisa appeared on the edge of the platform, walking toward the hovering gunship. It never powered down, nor did it actually ever land. From a mechanical perspective, the ship was alive. A technician guided a feeder tube toward the hull as Lisa stopped a short distance away. The hull formed a nipple to receive the tube, then latched onto it firmly. Other tubes were similarly connected to the gunship, all coming from deep within the living platform. Lisa could only guess what flowed through them.

The hull closest to her shimmered and she took a step back as a dark, cloaked figure emerged from the metallic skin. The figure stopped beside her, turning to wait expectantly. She watched as the cloak melted away into a vapor that seemed to pull back into startlingly white skin. He only gave her the briefest of glances. “Lisa.”

“Lohet.” Lisa nodded. She returned her attention to the gunship as other figures emerged from the hull. “Sirel?”

A diminutive girl had floated out of the skin as if emerging from water. Her long, red hair seemed to defy gravity and float around her. She barely landed, her feet just slightly touching the woven deck as she approached Lisa. “My dear, have you completed your training?”

“Yes, Sirel.” Lisa nodded, a little awed. Sirel looked like a little girl, perhaps just passing her tween years. But she was impossibly ancient, even for a Faerie. “I’m a working Gatekeeper now.” She neglected to mention that part of her job included helping her host village plant crops. Everyone wore many hats in the Cooperative.

“I am so glad you survived the Awakening.” Sirel smiled sweetly. She looked over her shoulder. “When you see her, you are not seeing the one you knew.”

“What?” Lisa blinked, startled by the sudden change in topic.

Sirel gave her a knowing look and stood beside her, holding her hand.

The next figure to emerge from the hull was one Lisa had spent a lot of time with, during a period when she was vulnerable and misled. Lisa gripped Sirel’s hand tighter as she watched the figure approach.

“Rachel.” Lisa grit her teeth.

“Lisa, Aliya is not in her.” Rachel said guardedly. “It is me, Asherah.”

Lisa opened her mouth, then closed it, not sure how to respond. She knew Steven had controlled Aliya’s golems before. Still controlled many of them, actually. But his life-mate? “How?”

“Aliya connected me to Rachel when she had me.” Rachel looked at her hands. “It was easy to find her on the network and regain control.”

“You are wearing the body of…” Lisa stopped and took a breath. “Asherah, she had fooled me. Made a fool of me. Used me.”

“Aliya was actually very fond of you,” Rachel said. “That is why you are the Gatekeeper chosen for this assignment.”

“Assignment?” Lisa raised her brows.

“In order to discover Aliya’s plans for my daughter, I must release Rachel. Let Aliya back in.” She smiled at Lisa. “She would never kill the girl she had come to love.”

“She never…”

“I’m in here. I can sense it. She connects with a very few, and you are one of them.”

“She saved you on Legracia. And rebuilt your body.” Lohet said.

Lisa shivered, remembering being digested alive by a plant.

“And, we are confident your disgust with her will keep your perspective from being swayed.”

Rachel grinned. “She is extremely seductive.”

“She couldn’t turn Steven. She’s not going to turn me.” Lisa grumbled.

“Then it’s time to introduce her to the Elder’s planet.”

“I can’t gate there.” Lisa started. She looked down, realizing she spoke without thinking.

“I can, my dear.” Rachel grabbed Lisa’s free hand. “I just needed your acceptance before we moved forward.”

The light around them changed to late evening and Lisa looked around as the platform seemed to melt away to reveal a beach she had grown to love. The parties they’d had there were still fresh on her mind. They were on an exotic, tropical planet so remote only gods could travel there.

One such god stood waiting patiently.

“Steven.” Lisa beamed.​

Experimental

Nate’s Recruitment

Eyes Open is a group of special people called Evos (short for evolved) who watch over the Earth. They’re mostly non-interfering, behind-the-scenes players, but they end up playing a major role in the Crow series. Their backstory begins with a Naval officer with secret abilities who seeks out and eventually meets with a mysterious woman called Darkhorse. Incidentally, Steven Crow meets Darkhorse in Book 5 of my Crow series, and exposes just what she is. A very interesting encounter. But I digress. Here’s a snippet exploring part of Nate’s journey…

Nate parked behind some trees on the side of a fire-road then just sat. Looking out at the forest, he scowled, wondering what he was doing there in the first place. The clues led him to that precise spot. There was a distinct fork in the road where he parked. He checked the map, just to make sure. But he knew already.

But what was out there? Taking a deep breath, Nate opened the door and put a foot out of the car. Nothing jumped out of the bushes to meet or attack him. “Hello?”

Silence.

Shaking his head, he stood up and closed the door behind him. The sound of the closing door seemed deafening to him and he flinched. The forest was almost silent. He scanned the forest with his eyes, looking for any other hints, any other clues. But it all looked the same. A homogeneous stand of conifers with nothing standing out, pointing the way.

Sighing, Nate looked back in the car at the map. That’s as far as the clues led him. He began to wonder if it was all some sort of prank. But whoever set those clues knew of his abilities, his most closely kept secrets. That alone warranted further investigation. Nevertheless, he felt handled. Like he had no choice in the matter.

Nate pursed his lips and started walking into the woods. He figured he would walk a circle around his car to see if anything became apparent. As he pushed through the underbrush, he couldn’t help but get the impression that some of it seemed to cling to him. Annoyed, he pulled the underbrush away as it seemed to wrap around his legs.

Finally, he stumbled into a clearing as he peeled a broken branch from his leg. “This was a mistake.”

“Why?”

Nate spun around, then looked around again. “Who said that?”

“What was the mistake?” The voice seemed to come from the very leaves of the forest.

“Okay, this is weird.” Nate crouched down and peered at a bush. “Plants are talking to me?”

“What is weird? You can start fires with but a touch.” The voice was from behind him. Nate looked around at a pine sapling.

“Did I breathe something? Someone burning some mushrooms or something?” Nate stood up.

“That you made it this far is remarkable.”

“You know what I can do. How?”

“You are so alone.”

Nate shook his head as he held up a piece of the clinging branch. It puffed into a sputtering blaze. “Wrong. This doesn’t define me. I have family. Friends.”

A path in the underbrush seemed to open up. “And yet you are here. Who else do you know that is like you? You don’t have to be alone.”

“I don’t have to be creeped out either.” Nate fidgeted, looking around nervously.

“You want answers. I can help you find them.”

“Yeah. I’ve heard that before.” Nate looked back where his car was. “I’m sensing a trap. I think I’ll be leaving now.”

“After coming all this way?”

“I’m talking to plants.” Nate held his arms out. “I have a ficus back at my apartment for that.”

“There is a face behind these plants.”

Nate pursed his lips. “You are hiding from me.”

“Do you blame me? You’ve seen a little of what I’ve had to deal with.”

“Yeah, about that…”

“Come to me.”

Nate looked at the beckoning path. He had obsessed with this mystery to the point that his position as a JAG officer was in question. He rubbed his brows. “This is wrong. What am I doing? I have responsibilities.”

“You do. Far more than you realize.”

“No. This…I have a career.”

“You’re on paid administrative leave. How does that bode for your career?”

“You did this. Didn’t you? I was going somewhere.”

“You were suffocating. I can give you purpose. Direction.”

Nate scowled as he flexed his hands.

“There are others like you, Nate. They need you. I need you.”

“And I get to live in the forest picking mushrooms?”

“Is that so bad?”

Nate threw his hands in the air.

“Your position in the Navy would be useful to us.”

“Ah. So that’s it. You want me to be an asset.”

“There are others who need you, Nate. We can help you get to a position to truly be helpful to them.”

Nate looked at his car again. “I should just leave.”

“What if you’re discovered?”

“I won’t be.” Nate looked around at the forest. “I better not be. Or this twig isn’t all that’ll burn.”

“You’re not in full control.”

“I’ve got a handle on it.”

“You sleep on a stone slab.”

“Well…I’m still working on it.” Nate rubbed his brows. It would be nice to sleep on something softer than his bed of firebricks.

“You’re almost there, Nate. Please come to me.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m your friend. You need never fear me, Nate.”

Nate rubbed his brows. “That doesn’t answer my question…”

“I’m the Forest Spirit called Darkhorse. You need to be with me to truly comprehend who I am, Nate. Please…”

Nate sensed a pause. He was about to ask when he felt a low rumble in the forest.

“Nate. You’re not alone.”

He looked over his shoulder back at his car. A tall figure in a black cloak stood beside it, staring at him. He squinted. “That’s not possible…that’s my nightmare.”

“Nate, you need to run. I can protect you.”

Nate shook his head. “This is real life. Not a dream. Here, I am in control…”

The figure abruptly vanished and reappeared standing just a few feet away. Nate flinched and took a few steps back. “Who are you?”

“Where is she?” The figure pulled its hood back, revealing a stern-looking man with a brilliant, white complexion and long, white hair.

“You don’t exist. You’re impossible.”

The figure appeared again, inches from him. Before Nate could react, the man grabbed his throat and pulled him close. Nate winced, startled at how cold and hard the man’s hand was. The man furrowed his eyebrows as he stared intently at Nate. “I cannot see her. She is blocking me. You will take me to her now.”

“Nate! Run!”

Nate blinked. Suddenly the figure released him as roots shot out of the ground and wrapped him up in a tight cocoon. Nate dropped to the ground and stumbled a few steps back, his eyes wide as the roots tried to drag the figure down into the ground.

“Run!”

An explosion of wood and roots was all the additional motivation he needed as the figure clawed his way back out of the ground like some b-movie undead. Nate sprinted down the path as fast as he could, while branches and roots shot out of the soil and trees as he passed to block his pursuer. He grit his teeth as he realized once again his mind had been made up for him. He was not in control.

Experimental

Helped with Bully

I first introduced the Nistar in Book 2 of my Crow series. My version of Big Foot. Steven Crow calls them Big Feet for plural. They have been on Terra for three thousand years, since the demise of their home-world, Rholling. And they have the ability to not be visible. A few Terrans, however, can still see them…

Sean moped as he kicked a rock down the sidewalk. With his mother working that evening, that left him alone with her nasty boyfriend. He kicked another rock and watched as it landed at the entrance of the cemetery he was walking past. He hated how tense things were at home. Taking the long way from school seemed to help.

The rock skipped down the sidewalk back towards him, stopping at his foot. Sean furrowed his brows as he looked at it, then looked up and gaped. A large, furry monster was standing at the entrance of the cemetery. Sean took a step back, then turned around, only to bump into a large chest. Strong hands grabbed his arms and Sean looked up into a mean face. “Anthony. Can we not do this today?”

“Oh, it has to be done, Limpy. There’s a tax you need to pay to walk this way.”

“Tomorrow? Please?”

Anthony grinned and dragged Sean towards the entrance of the cemetery. “Let’s just step into my office while we settle things.”

“C’mon, man. I’ve got two bucks.” Sean struggled as Anthony dragged him through the entrance.

“Are you afraid?” Anthony laughed. He made chicken sounds as they walked past headstones. “It’s creepy here. All these dead people.”

Sean looked around, but couldn’t see the monster. “Anthony, just let me go. I won’t say anything. I promise.”

“Of course you won’t, dork.” Anthony pushed Sean down onto the soil of a freshly buried grave. “That would be disrespectful.”

Sean looked around, growing more terrified by the moment.

“Running won’t help, Limpy. I can walk faster than you run.”

“I just want to go home. That’s all.”

“Then let’s talk about the tax.” Anthony grabbed Sean’s backpack and looked in it. “What a nerd.” He tossed it on the ground. “Where’s your wallet?”

Sean shifted in the dirt as he reached for his back pocket. He flinched and jumped back as a large stone marker tipped over, nearly hitting him. He heard a scream and saw Anthony pinned under the granite block. Behind the block stood the monster.

Screaming in terror, Sean kicked dirt as he tried to get his feet underneath him. He sprinted across the cemetery to the first large tree he could find and hid behind it, trying to control his racing heart. After a moment, he glanced back around the tree at Anthony who still struggled in vain under the heavy stone. The monster wasn’t there anymore.

He brushed at something that tickled his neck, then froze, feeling a puff of breath. Spinning around, Sean cried out when he came face-to-face with the monster. He backed up against the tree then closed his eyes tight when he realized there was nowhere to run to.

A finger touched his chest.

Sean opened an eye.

The monster pointed at a large, metal bar laying in the grass.

Gulping, Sean returned his attention to the monster. The creature leaned to the side to look around the tree and pointed at Anthony. “Help him.”

Sean gaped. “You…you speak?”

“Help him, and he will no longer bother you.”

“Um…he hates me.”

The monster smiled. “He hates himself.”

Sean shifted a little and looked over his shoulder, around the tree. Anthony was frantically pushing on the granite while trying to catch his breath. He looked back at the creature. “You were hiding in my closet last night. You’re not going to hurt me?”

“He will be your friend.” The monster pointed to the metal bar. “You get to keep your lunch money.”

Sean licked his lips as he squinted at the creature. “What are you?”

“Nistar.” The creature nodded. “Now, help him.”

Sean scooted nervously towards the bar and hefted it. “The granite is too heavy for me.”

“You know about leverage, Sean.” The Nistar smiled. “Quickly now.”

Sean nodded and walked back over to Anthony, glancing over his shoulder. The creature had vanished again. Sighing, he looked at the block.

Anthony noticed him and reached out. “Dude. Don’t leave me!”

“I’m not going anywhere, Anthony,” Sean said as he circled the block. “Okay, I’m going to put this bar under there. Move your foot.”

Anthony shifted a little. Sean scooted the bar into the little gap as far as it would go. Then he walked to the far end of the bar. “When this lifts, you need to crawl out fast. Okay?”

“Dude, this block is too heavy.”

“I’m a nerd. Remember?” Sean said, scowling. He rubbed his hands on his pants then squatted. “Okay, here goes.” He lifted with all his might. But the block barely budged.

Sean was about to give up when the bar abruptly lifted a lot more. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the creature adding his strength to the lift.

Anthony squirmed and rolled until he was free and Sean let the bar drop, taking a step back. He looked back, but the Nistar had vanished again. Shaking his head, he knelt down beside Anthony. “Are you hurt?”

“I don’t think so.” Anthony patted himself. “No.” He sighed and looked up as he wiped his eyes. “If you tell anyone, you’re drinking toilet water. Got it?”

“Dude…” Sean started, pointing at the block.

Anthony looked at the block and deflated a little. “Thanks.” He got to his feet and brushed his pants off. After looking at Sean for a long moment, he walked out of the cemetery without another word.

“He will no longer bother you.”

Sean jumped and looked around. The Nistar was standing beside him, smiling widely.

“You’re real?”

The Nistar looked at his hands. “That appears to be a fair assessment.”

“You’re not going to hurt me?”

“No.”

“But…in my bedroom. You scared me.”

“I did not mean to.”

“Why? Why are you…why me?”

“You can see me. I am most curious about that.” The Nistar grinned.

“No one else can see you?”

The Nistar shook his head.

Sighing, Sean wiped his face and looked at the entrance of the cemetery. “I’m going crazy. That has to be it.”

“Would you like to be tested?”

“Tested for what?” Sean looked back at the Nistar.

“If you are crazy or not?”

“Really?” Sean gave the creature a look.

The Nistar chortled and Sean grinned. “I would ace it. Like all the other tests.”

Experimental

Cessna Pilot Encounter

Near the end of Book 3 of the Crow series, First Contact happened. Here is a likely scenario that triggered that.

“Cessna Alpha 267, Tower 42. You need to divert to 96. Please copy. Over.”

“Tower 42, Cessna Alpha 267. Copy 96. We’re on our flight plan. Please clarify. Over.”

“Cessna Alpha 267, Tower 42. Military training has strayed into your flight path. Please divert to 96. Over.”

“I don’t see anything.” Josh leaned forward and squinted at the horizon. “Do you?”

“There. Going fast.” Keith pointed as he adjusted his camera. “And that thing is huge!”

“Tower 42, Cessna Alpha 267. We have journalist clearance. Please advise. Over.” Josh sat back as he watched two large vessels come into view. One of them suddenly exploded, and Josh had to bank the aircraft to avoid debris that narrowly missed him. “What was that?” Josh watched the rest of the wreckage plummet to the ground below. “Did you get that?”

“Yep,” Keith said. “And Josh, you’re not going to believe it. Streaming copy back to base now.”

“What was it?” Josh repeated as he restored his course towards the other aircraft that appeared to be damaged and sparking. “Tower 42, Cessna Alpha 267. I’d like to report an aircraft down. I repeat, aircraft down. The…” He looked at the navigational computer. “My nav is down. Read my location and bearing, about ten kilometers out. Over.”

“What?” Keith looked at the camera. “I know I changed the batteries.”

“You didn’t lose it, did you?” Josh looked at him as he fiddled with the navigational computer.

“I think it streamed back to base. But I’m done.” Keith looked at the viewfinder as he jiggled the replacement battery. “Nothing.”

“Tower 42, Cessna Alpha 267, do you read? Over.” Josh looked at the aircraft they were following. “Um, I think I’m going to turn to 96 now.”

Keith nodded as Josh banked the aircraft. Suddenly everything went quiet. “Tower 42, Cessna Alpha 267. I have lost power in both engines, and power to the console. Over.” Josh looked at Keith. “Get the satphone. Behind my seat.”

“Are we going down?”

“There’s a highway over there. I think I can…” The aircraft suddenly jolted, interrupting Josh. The horizon tilted sharply and spun around, then the aircraft seemed to accelerate. Keith was half out of his seat, reaching behind Josh when he froze, gaping. Josh followed his gaze then flinched. Something huge had grabbed the aircraft from above.

“Josh, what’s going on?” Keith sat back in his seat.

Josh shook his head, still staring at the underside of the aircraft that was now carrying them. “That’s not one of ours.” He looked down as they descended towards a small ranch. Before he could say anything, the ranch and landscape seemed to vanish, giving way to darkness. Keith screamed involuntarily and Josh flinched at a strong jolt that shook the aircraft. He felt the aircraft bump a few times and come to a rolling halt.

“Where are we?” Keith was frantic. He peered outside but it was dark.

Keith’s door opened and something yanked him out as he flailed in terror. Josh reached for the handle on his door to hold it closed, but it was ripped from his grasp and a set of impossibly strong hands bodily pulled him from the aircraft and he found himself sprawled on a grassy field looking up at the stars. Before he could formulate a thought or response, blackness enveloped him into unconsciousness.

~ ~ ~

“How much got through?” Lohet scowled as Sirel worked frantically on the data that hung in the air around her.

“Enough. They encrypted and obfuscated their stream,” the childlike Faerie grumbled. “It hit that node and split up.” She looked down at Lohet from her perch on the ceiling. “We’ve been discovered.”

“Let Eyes Open know. Perhaps they can do some damage control.” Lohet pointed.

“Look.” Sirel waved her hands in distress as more screens popped up around her. “Four news channels are already reporting it.”

“Eyes Open needs to be in the loop,” Lohet insisted.

“Incoming!” Migalo yelled. “We can’t shut the Gate down without Steven.” He glanced at Lohet. “Haven’t they found a way to get him out of the Maelstrom yet?”

The question was rhetorical.

Lohet looked out the window as a couple of F-22 Raptors buzzed the homestead, then promptly vanished through the invisible gate. He flinched when an image of his commanding officer appeared in front of him. “Have you lost control of the Gate?”

“We’re down two gunships, Aradia,” Lohet said quietly.

“The incursion has been dealt with. Replacement gunships should be coming through momentarily.”

Lohet sighed and looked at Migalo. He was heavily armed and ready for combat. “We’re not shooting at Terrans, Migalo.”

The enormous wolfman almost looked disappointed. “The Sadari are still in the area.”

“And our ground defenses are keeping them covered.” Lohet looked out the window. Ever since Steven had left, the Gate had been a massive liability, as useful as having a connection back to the Cooperative had been.

“Bob has contacted us,” Sirel piped up as she moved components of her computer interface around her. “He’s diverting any other jets away from the Homestead.” She looked at Lohet. “But he’s not happy at all.”

“Let us hope Mr. Esperanza can put a lid on this.” Lohet sighed, rubbing his temples. “Exploding golem-ships on the news is a bit over the top.”

“We need to implement First Contact policies.” Sirel crossed her arms. “It was going to happen sooner or later. We were lucky we got this far.”