Temple of the moon, p.1
Temple of the Moon, page 1
Contents
Cover page
Dedication
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
contact
about
Mitch Mythic
Book 3:
Temple of the Moon
By
Paul Ormond
To my wife, Sonya and our next journey.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Paul Ormond
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright
owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: scarymonstermedia@gmail.com
FIRST EDITION
www.paulormondauthor.com
Cover art: Zack Drenski
CHAPTER ONE
AT THE BASE of the canyon, a river of lava sat cooling beneath the ash-strewn sky. Mixed in with the stench of sulfur, death hung heavy in the air. Piles of bodies lay amongst the carnage, strewn in every direction.
As the sun descended past the steep canyon walls, several silhouettes crept up from behind a broken rampart and assessed the scene before them. After a few moments of observation, the first of the figures clambered over the broken wall and dropped to the floor of the chasm.
“It’s fine,” the figure whispered back to her comrades. “Just step lightly. There are still hotspots, but it’s solid.”
Crawling down the broken wall, the others joined their companion on the smoldering lava field. They all wore metallic masks complete with small round breathing apparatuses positioned on either side of their cheeks.
The leader lifted off their mask to reveal a feminine face and long hair. The girl’s large eyes looked out over the wreckage, scanning for any further danger. She sniffed the air again and looked back at her companions.
“All clear. Let’s move before anything else shows up,” she said before she pulled her mask down over her face. “We only want weapons and supplies. Grab nothing that isn’t necessary.”
“What about survivors?” another asked.
“I doubt there are any survivors out here,” the girl replied. “If you find any, they aren’t friendly. So be careful.”
“Everything belongs to us now. If there are survivors, we bring them back,” said another masked figure. “The council will decide their fate.”
“Yeah, we all know what those old men get off on. It’s their ancient rules that got us all into this mess,” the girl replied.
“Do not speak scornfully about the council. Their rules have kept us alive,” a boy said, snapping up his mask.
“I’m just saying what everyone else knows,” the girl said as she looked out over the base of the chasm. “Let’s get moving. Something else might show up while we sit around and bicker about the old man’s rules.”
“I will bring this up with the council,” the younger boy said.
“You’ll bring it up with the council? Oh no, whatever shall I do?” The girl shot back. “You just keep your head about you, Jihok. We’ll worry about the council later.”
“Just cause you’re older doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do, Jakyi,” Jihok snapped.
“As a matter of fact it does,” Jakyi said. She was about to scold her little brother more, but a movement overhead caught their eyes and they scrambled for cover. Sitting silently among the wreckage, they waited while three large flying beasts passed over the canyon, immense wings flapping soundlessly in the evening light. One creature let out a great cry and circled above the carnage before passing out of view.
“Well, that was good timing,” Jihok said after he pulled himself out of his hiding place. “I didn’t feel like fighting off glawkers tonight.”
“There might be more of them so let’s hurry,” Jakyi said before she stood up. Holding out a long spear in her hand, she made her way across the uneven surface with quick, forceful strides. As she approached the body of a soldier lying prone across a slab of rock, she saw his large black eyes staring back at her. Prodding him with her spear, she bent down and checked his vital signs to make sure he was dead. After she was sure, she rummaged through his uniform. Tossing aside several useless trinkets, she felt along the spine of the soldier until she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a short blade from her sleeve and sliced into the soldier's flesh at the small of his back. Pulling out a flat disc, she glanced at it for a moment before shoving the item into the pack slung at her side. She took a few steps forward and did the same to another soldier. Several feet to her right, Jihok rifled through a pack he had found.
“Only the mutants, Jihok,” Jakyi whispered to her brother. “We’ve got no use for those off world units.”
“I know what we’re after. I just wanted to see if these freaks brought any of their fancy snuff. That stuff will knock you on your ass,” Jihok said while he kicked over one of the soldiers in black. “Man, these guys are ugly.”
“Just keep moving,” Jakyi seethed back at him. “If one of the glawkers come back, you’ll get more than knocked on your ass.”
Scanning her surroundings, she saw her other comrades moving across the battlefield. There were so many dead scattered amongst the rubble, they could never get to them all. Best just to grab what they can and get out while the coast was clear, she thought to herself. Who knows what else was in the mood for scavenging tonight. There were plenty of meals to go round.
A bit of commotion to the right caught her attention, and she looked over to see Jihok bent over a body.
“Jakyi, I don’t think this one is dead,” Jihok said.
“Don’t touch him,” she said while she climbed over several small rocks to join her brother. Jihok stepped back to let his sister get a look at the soldier.
“Whoa, who is this guy?” she said as she looked over a gangly body dressed in a strange metallic suit. “Help me out. Let’s turn him over and have a look.”
Grabbing the body, they flipped it over and Jakyi gasped as a dark-skinned face looked back at her. She looked him up and down for a second, puzzled by his odd features.
“Well, he sure is weird looking, but he doesn’t look alive,” Jakyi said before she bent down and began to check for any valuables.
“He was making noises like a second ago,” Jihok said, watching his sister. “If he’s dressed like this, he must be important.”
“Maybe, but he isn’t very important if he’s dead,” Jakyi said. “He’s been gouged open pretty bad. He must be dead.”
Dragging her hands along the body, she felt for any telltale marks.
“Hmm, can’t find anything, but this suit looks pretty amazing. Let’s get it off him. Come on help me out.”
She pulled out her blade and sliced into the suit, but a hand shot out and caught her by the wrist. Gasping in shock, she flicked her other wrist, and a small bar dropped into her hand. She shoved the bar into the man’s chest and a shock wave of blue energy sent convulsions spasming across his torso.
“I guess you were right about him being alive,” Jakyi said while she re-sheathed her device.
“I told you he was making noises,” Jihok said.
“You going to bring that up with the council too?”
“Shut up.”
“Just grab your collar and let’s string him up. I think it’s time to go. We got what we needed.”
Jihok muttered something under his breath and pulled up his spear. Twisting the shaft to the left, a long glowing string appeared at the opposite end. He reached out, and the lash wrapped itself around the unconscious body laying before them. Raising his arms, he elevated the body into the air.
“Come on, let’s get back to the raft,” Jakyi said before she made a loop of her own and strung it around the feet of the body. As they trudged over the rocks, she clicked a button on her spear, sending a silent beacon to their companions still scavenging the dead. Several heads popped up in the distance and they all saw the body raised in the air and took it as their cue to leave.
The evening light had passed, plunging the canyon into darkness, but the soft glow of the remaining lava cast a red hue across the wreckage, providing just enough light for Jakyi to see. She thought about activating her light, but she didn’t want to give anything a reason to come and check out what was happening down there in the darkness. They’d already made a bunch of noise, and if they stuck around any longer, it was only a matter of time before they ran into someone or something. Best just to make their way through the dark. The sled was only a few hundred feet away. Throw the stiff on and get out of there before anything noticed.
A flash of movement to her left caught her eye, and she turned to see a cloaked figure scrambling over a large piece of debris. Chubby legs and limbs must be Manki, she thought to herself as she returned her attention back to the path in front of her. Manki was always last in everything they did. Last to wake up, last to go to bed, last to be picked for any game and always the last one back to the sled when they went out scavenging. They always joked that you didn’t have to be fast; you just had to be faster than Manki if you wanted to outrun a bliesel.
A shriek called her attention back to Manki before a clacking sound reverberated through the canyon. Something had frightened Manki, and he was racing over the debris, fleeing an unseen threat. Behind him several bulbous forms climbed over the pile of rubble Manki had just descended. A swarm of companions joined the bulbous figures, flooding up from some unseen opening on the opposite wall of the canyon.
“What’s going on? Why did you stop?” Jihok asked, turning his head.
“Chompers, thousands of ’em,” Jakyi screeched. “Run.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” Jihok said, lifting his spear.
Jakyi reached into her cloak and pulled out a small device. Raising it to her lips, she let out a harsh whistle that caught the attention of her companions across the valley.
“Get to the sled,” she shouted while she and Jihok scrambled over the rocks. “We’re going to get swarmed.”
The sound of thousands of sharp, spiky feet hammering into rock filled the canyon. A few hundred feet ahead lay the sled, chrome railing gleaming in the dark. From her peripheral vision, Jakyi caught Manki’s form clawing over the rough mix of stone. Behind him a cloud of dust flew into the air as a wall of snarling mandibles closed in upon him.
Blowing into her whistle again, she saw another swarm of chompers barreling in from the far end of the canyon. They had closed the gap between themselves and the sled considerably, but the chompers were gaining ground fast. Jihok reached the sled first, and he leaped onto the deck before turning to help Jakyi with their find.
“Leave it! Get to the gun,” Jakyi said as she hoisted the limp body onto the deck. “Blast those bloodsuckers. We need to buy some time.”
Hopping over the railing and landing in the cockpit, Jihok didn’t waste any time firing up the front cannon of the sled. He hit a button and the swivel head came to life. Squeezing the trigger, he let loose a swathe of fire on the horde of charging chompers.
Manki had managed to avoid being consumed by the rampaging beasts, but they were gaining on him fast. Blowing the whistle again, Jakyi reached into her cloak and pulled out two small dark canisters. She twisted one with her right hand before lobbing it up into the air. An explosion occurred in the distance, sending several chompers flying backward. Behind her, Jihok continued to fire into the approaching mass. Launching another grenade in the air, she charged forward and found Manki climbing over a rock. She grabbed his hand, and they came down with a thud on a pile of rubble.
“Come on, Manki,” Jakyi shouted, getting back to her feet. “Do you want to be chomper food or what?”
Their companions had reached the sled and raised weapons of their own. Firing upon the attacking swarm, they were able to drive back the chompers, creating enough cover for Jakyi and Manki to scramble onto the ship. With their hearts pounding in their chests as they pulled themselves on to the deck, Jakyi looked back to see a wave of chompers closing in on them.
“Get us out of here, Jihok,” she shrieked.
Jihok slammed a few buttons on the console, and the sled jumped into the air as the horde swarmed their position. Pulling her piece out of her cloak, she blasted at the wall of chompers beneath the ship. A red flair filled the canyon while the ship ascended into the air. Below the ship, a flowing river of hungry beasts poured out of fresh openings in the earth.
Cresting the wall of the canyon, Jakyi slunk back against the wall of the sled and breathed a sigh of relief. Manki sat beside her, shaking in fear.
“Almost got you that time,” Jakyi said, elbowing him in the ribs. “What were you doing way over there by yourself?”
“I thought I saw an intact staff,” Manki said as he pulled a small bag from his cloak with shaking hands. Taking out a small black nut, he chomped down hard and sighed as he filled his face.
“You just be more careful next time,” Jakyi said.
“Got it. What’s with the stiff?” Manki said with his mouth full.
“He’s still alive. Wounded, but not dead yet. I think we’ll be able to patch him up,” Jakyi said while she looked over at her find groaning on the deck a few feet away. “Looks pretty strong, but I’ve never seen anyone that looked like him before. It‘ll be interesting to see how he does in the pit.”
“Maybe. Where do you think all those chompers came from? Never seen so many before,” Manki asked.
“Must be all the quakes and that battle. They probably smelled all those stiffs from way off. Get ‘em while they’re hot,” Jakyi said, stretching out. The last remnants of light disappeared over the horizon as the sled rocketed over the jungle strewn wasteland into the burgeoning darkness.
CHAPTER TWO
WITH LUNGS FULL of smoke and the stench of sulfur overwhelming his olfactory system, Mitch Mythic rolled over to his knees and retched on the chunk of stone beneath him.
Screams of agony reverberated over the clustered mass of debris, while violent tremors continued to upset the surface from below. His stomach, having let loose its remaining occupants, spasmed as Mitch struggled to his feet. Scanning his whereabouts, he was met by the pain-filled faces of several Jarkadian soldiers.
Frantic, fearful eyes and agonizing cries jarred Mitch out of his daze. Realizing he was uninjured, he scrambled across a slab of stone and used his remaining strength to roll a shattered column off the torso of a moaning soldier. A green liquid oozed from the soldier’s sputtering mouth before his black eyes locked onto Mitch.
“Go, there are others that need help,” the soldier buzzed before a violent cough sent more green blood up from his lungs.
A feeling of guilt came over Mitch as he comprehended what just occurred. These people had lost everything. Lives, homes, loved ones, all gone. Risking everything, the Jarkadians fought bravely against an enemy that had come for Mitch and his companions. They didn’t ask for this fight, but they had borne the brunt of the destruction. He pulled another soldier from a pile of rubble before he saw the crumbled stump constituting all that remained of the magnificent tower, smoking in the distance.
A wave of panic slammed into his guts as he recalled the final moments before the explosion. SoHee was gone, vanished through the wormhole. Collapsing to his knees, he pounded the earth with his fists before screaming at the heavens. Robert Chapman’s sneering face flashed in his mind. Remembering what his foe had said, he sprung to his feet. Drak was injured or dead, fallen somewhere on the battlefield. Vaulting over the scattered debris, Mitch searched in every direction for his friend, but all he came across were twisted remains and more injured soldiers attended to by their comrades. Cresting a rise, he stopped at the canyon’s edge. Thousands of feet below him lay a field of death and destruction. The river of lava had slowed to a trickle, veins of glowing orange amidst a sea of smoldering magma.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he attempted to launch into the air, but the aura around his suit sputtered and failed. He tried again, but there was no response from the suit. Despondent, he sat down on the stone and slumped his head over his knees. Hands shaking as he stared at the ground, he felt tears welling in his eyes. Unable to control himself any longer, he sobbed into his knees. The guilt he felt soon turned into blame as his brain scrambled to understand what happened. Knowing that the fault rested on his shoulders, he sighed and hung his head again.
