The autopsy revealed nothing, no chemicals, no trauma to any vital organ, the coroner was as confused as he was. She simply died with no explanation. How does a healthy twenty-eight year old woman just die? He opened the background file, shivers crawling down his spine, and suddenly being in a darkened office building alone at two in the morning didn’t seem like a good idea. Outside, sirens blared then faded to the sounds of cars passing below. The city was alive and thriving despite the death that stalked its streets.
She was the third victim. The only two links were their inexplicable deaths, and the fact that each of them belonged to an obscure cult, albeit different ones. Three healthy victims, each were found in their beds, as if they had died in their sleep, but the twisted features, the clawing hands, wide eyes and screaming mouth were testament that something had happened. What could have scared them to ‘death’?
He ran his hand through tawny hair, ending in rubbing his eyes and picking up a well-stained cup. The smell of half-burned coffee lead him to the breakroom.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rise of the Fomir (Beyond the Veil Part 1)
Here is a glimpse of one of the novels I'm putting in to first draft, bear in mind this is a far cry from the final edit. ;-)
Beyond the veil is a world in turmoil, a place where the forces of good are in constant battle over the fate of the universe against the forces of evil and destruction. There are few who can see beyond the veil that separates our world from this battleground, and even fewer who can enter that world and change it forever for good, or evil.
The classroom was the same, dull books, boring teachers and the same mishmash of students stuck on mundane interests. Susan wondered if her hair looked right, and Billy voiced his concerns about who he was going to ask to the prom. Their whispered conversations were not enough to turn his attention from the thought of his latest mental creation. Someday he would change the world, his spherical wheeled cars raced along pristine highways in his mind, unfettered by the needs of human intervention. The droning of the teacher continued in the background, and he almost missed the dark, the sensation of cold ‘wrongness’ that passed outside his classroom.
Preternatural instincts awoke and a velvety nose twitched in urgent attention. The veil parted around him and he sensed the ‘other’, the predator of souls. It was dark beyond the veil, a darkness that was not night, but an absence of light. The creature stopped. Its head, akin to a three-eyed dog, moved from side to side, but its body, the shape of a rotting bear carcass, stood still. Jowls unable to close yawned in unnatural rigor displaying a complete row of sharp rending fangs, teeth that were designed to tear through flesh and bone, but never chew. Absolute cold surrounded the death-dog, the vegetation of that spirit world melted around it, shriveling and falling to ice crystals beneath its heavy tread. Unseeing putrid yellow orbs stared out of the three sockets on its head that cast first to the left then the right, then settled exactly on him in a knowing awareness. His hackles rose as the fear raced through his veins. That was no ordinary hunter!
“Baylor!”
Without knowing why or how his mind screamed the name through the dark as the earth sprang away from his feet. Wind rushed beneath his wings, carrying his body just out of reach of those fangs that leapt towards him with surprising agility. He could smell its stench, feel its hunger, and its whisper called him by name.
“Feralthar…Feralthar.” The hideous breath washed over him almost gagging him with the odor of all the corpses that ever decayed beneath a sweltering sun.
In the distance he heard the roar and raced faster towards it through the swirling sky. Behind him the creature followed as if the air were solid ground. Above, the black sky moved in familiar patterns, glimmering lights fell into regular patterns as if a million sable diamonds were set in regular rows all reflecting the pale rays of the sliver of a moon. He could just make out the massive triangular head as it swung his way, the beat of its wings a hurricane that swirled back towards his pursuer. The sky opened in two orange-red orbs spilling fiery light into the darkness and lancing out to rest on his form. A rumble of thunder echoed through the universe as jet lips pulled back from massive ivory fangs and jaws that have crushed worlds. A flash like lightning slid past him, so precise, so close, that it brushed his fur as the reptilian scales covered him with a scent of brimstone. Behind him the air rushed out, momentarily upsetting his balance and lift as the crushing explosion of forced air contained the unmistakable sound of snapping bones. A yelping bark echoed through the darkness and was gone.
A disgusted rumble and long moments later something hit the vegetation far below, and he heard the dragon swear under its breath and spit several times. “Nasty tasting creatures…. Bleh! Couldn’t you bring me something more palatable?”
A relieved nervous laugh bubbled from his throat, and he was sure he did not like the way the massive creature sniffed at him with half-lidded eyes. He shuddered as the dragon yawned, fully aware that two of him could have easily fit inside its mouth.
“What was it?” The gaze illuminated him against the sky, bathing him in blood red light.
“A death-dog, hunters of the gray lords. They know you now. You have been foolish.” The light vanished for a moment as the dragon closed its eyes. “Fortunately they do not consider you a threat, yet… We will discuss this later. Your attention needs to be back at school.”
“But-“ A flash of ivory teeth convinced him that arguing was out of the question.
“I will ensure nothing else happens you need to be concerned about, and you need to stop allowing them to sense you when you can not concentrate on fighting. Now go.” It was not a request, but he knew better than to voice his frustrations.
How could he think about school after that!? The veil parted below showing him in his seat, a human boy bored out of his wits and staring off into nothing.
“I never get to have any fun.” He whispered to himself as he settled back in to that form, the veil closing behind him.
Beyond the veil is a world in turmoil, a place where the forces of good are in constant battle over the fate of the universe against the forces of evil and destruction. There are few who can see beyond the veil that separates our world from this battleground, and even fewer who can enter that world and change it forever for good, or evil.
The classroom was the same, dull books, boring teachers and the same mishmash of students stuck on mundane interests. Susan wondered if her hair looked right, and Billy voiced his concerns about who he was going to ask to the prom. Their whispered conversations were not enough to turn his attention from the thought of his latest mental creation. Someday he would change the world, his spherical wheeled cars raced along pristine highways in his mind, unfettered by the needs of human intervention. The droning of the teacher continued in the background, and he almost missed the dark, the sensation of cold ‘wrongness’ that passed outside his classroom.
Preternatural instincts awoke and a velvety nose twitched in urgent attention. The veil parted around him and he sensed the ‘other’, the predator of souls. It was dark beyond the veil, a darkness that was not night, but an absence of light. The creature stopped. Its head, akin to a three-eyed dog, moved from side to side, but its body, the shape of a rotting bear carcass, stood still. Jowls unable to close yawned in unnatural rigor displaying a complete row of sharp rending fangs, teeth that were designed to tear through flesh and bone, but never chew. Absolute cold surrounded the death-dog, the vegetation of that spirit world melted around it, shriveling and falling to ice crystals beneath its heavy tread. Unseeing putrid yellow orbs stared out of the three sockets on its head that cast first to the left then the right, then settled exactly on him in a knowing awareness. His hackles rose as the fear raced through his veins. That was no ordinary hunter!
“Baylor!”
Without knowing why or how his mind screamed the name through the dark as the earth sprang away from his feet. Wind rushed beneath his wings, carrying his body just out of reach of those fangs that leapt towards him with surprising agility. He could smell its stench, feel its hunger, and its whisper called him by name.
“Feralthar…Feralthar.” The hideous breath washed over him almost gagging him with the odor of all the corpses that ever decayed beneath a sweltering sun.
In the distance he heard the roar and raced faster towards it through the swirling sky. Behind him the creature followed as if the air were solid ground. Above, the black sky moved in familiar patterns, glimmering lights fell into regular patterns as if a million sable diamonds were set in regular rows all reflecting the pale rays of the sliver of a moon. He could just make out the massive triangular head as it swung his way, the beat of its wings a hurricane that swirled back towards his pursuer. The sky opened in two orange-red orbs spilling fiery light into the darkness and lancing out to rest on his form. A rumble of thunder echoed through the universe as jet lips pulled back from massive ivory fangs and jaws that have crushed worlds. A flash like lightning slid past him, so precise, so close, that it brushed his fur as the reptilian scales covered him with a scent of brimstone. Behind him the air rushed out, momentarily upsetting his balance and lift as the crushing explosion of forced air contained the unmistakable sound of snapping bones. A yelping bark echoed through the darkness and was gone.
A disgusted rumble and long moments later something hit the vegetation far below, and he heard the dragon swear under its breath and spit several times. “Nasty tasting creatures…. Bleh! Couldn’t you bring me something more palatable?”
A relieved nervous laugh bubbled from his throat, and he was sure he did not like the way the massive creature sniffed at him with half-lidded eyes. He shuddered as the dragon yawned, fully aware that two of him could have easily fit inside its mouth.
“What was it?” The gaze illuminated him against the sky, bathing him in blood red light.
“A death-dog, hunters of the gray lords. They know you now. You have been foolish.” The light vanished for a moment as the dragon closed its eyes. “Fortunately they do not consider you a threat, yet… We will discuss this later. Your attention needs to be back at school.”
“But-“ A flash of ivory teeth convinced him that arguing was out of the question.
“I will ensure nothing else happens you need to be concerned about, and you need to stop allowing them to sense you when you can not concentrate on fighting. Now go.” It was not a request, but he knew better than to voice his frustrations.
How could he think about school after that!? The veil parted below showing him in his seat, a human boy bored out of his wits and staring off into nothing.
“I never get to have any fun.” He whispered to himself as he settled back in to that form, the veil closing behind him.
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