SDIV Chapter 10 Pt 2

Alana caught a flicker of movement in her scanner and switched the feed to thermal imaging. For one moment she clearly saw a figure outlined against the rocky background, and then it drained away.

“Does anyone else see anything?”

It was not normal protocol, but her dealings with Walters and then Viker, had taught her that normal came in various shapes and sizes.

“Hold!”

A man backed into view, dragging a body. As he straightened she gasped, she had seen backward-looking species, even mutated Tauran followers, but this was something out of an historical text. What she assumed was a corpse was covered in matted furs, which the now straightened newcomer disdainfully kicked.

She cautioned her people to wait and back-winged down, her jets cushioning her landing. In front of her was a smiling and well-dressed individual who held his open palms upwards, in what she assumed was a universal sign of peace. Her HUD continued to scan and she wondered whether the journey down here had caused some malfunction; there was no-one showing on her read-outs. Alana mentally slapped herself. Of course, she was still on thermal imaging... which meant his thing was not human.

“Hello, my name is Victor Espada,” said Mammon, taking one step forward, “sorry I didn’t greet you personally, but I found a minor distraction waiting for me.”

His eyes were cold, and they narrowed when Alana did not answer, nor shut off her jets.

“Is there something wrong?”

Now she knew there was something strange; a full scan showed only an outline. No heat radiated from the man, and her night imaging showed him in dull black, as tough he absorbed the surrounding light. Instinctively she slanted forward, her wings snapping out in fight reflex.

“What gave it away?” asked Mammon, studying the blood drying beneath his fingernails.

“You just did...” said Alana, powering forward, “whatever you are.”

Mammon chuckled and leapt aside. This would at least be more entertaining than the tribesman’s pathetic attempt at survival. He would...how had she done that? Black and viscous blood dripped from a slash across his stomach where Alana’s wing had ripped into his flesh. It was not possible. No human could have done this. Emerald eyes flashed from behind the visor of her suit and now it was Mammon’s turn to realise a bitter truth. He had underestimated who and what this woman was. There was an unexpected danger here and he needed to escape.

*

“Incoming!” screamed Alana’s wingman into his communicator.

She looked up, momentarily distracted and it was all Mammon needed. He wasted no time in sharing a parting riposte but sprang into the cover provided by the wiry underbrush. Alana glanced casually at his departing back and briefly considered flaming the local area into ash, but the energy weapon which slashed into the earth nearby changed her mind.

“Form on me,” she ordered, springing into the air with the aid of her jets, “it appears that there are more surprises waiting for us.”

A sleek shape flashed overhead; it was not human, the protruding beak gave testament to that. It revolved in mid-air, presenting the muzzle of a weapon back towards her and fired. The bolt from the energy weapon sizzled past, narrowly missing her.

“Screw this,” she growled, boosting the jets on her suit, and turning herself into a guided missile.

*

Mammon watched the aerial dogfight unfold and smiled at the irony of his situation. His plan had become turned around, and all because he decided to slide out of existence. It was a way of fooling his Brothers and giving himself respite from their constant internecine warfare. It seemed as though he had slept in.

The Ori had surpassed themselves, their universe-wide trawl-net had dredged up some new and exciting species. The Game would be just that bit more interesting. Mammon reached into his jacket pocket, extracting a strange device, whose twin prongs began to vibrate as he punched in a series of numbers. There were other zones where he was sure he would be more welcome, and he could prepare for his next meeting with the winged Amazon. Revenge would be the sweeter for a little time apart.

SDIV Chapter 10 Pt1

Chapter Ten

Cursed Hills
Zone IV


She felt the buffeting wind of entry, its familiarity awaking a visceral response. With swift and practiced movements she checked her pod, ignoring the incongruity of her recent dreams. Alana activated her suit’s microphone, receiving the satisfying green confirmation icons of her squad members. At least that was still working.
Now she allowed herself time to study her immediate environment more deeply; she was wedged into the pod. Of alien design, it nevertheless cocooned her from the blazing heat of atmosphere entry. Information scrolled across her HUD and she recognised the moment when the pod began its release. There was not the usual delayed and organised process; the pod blew free explosively, kick-starting the powered suits reaction. Armoured wings flicked free, her jets burning brightly to arrest her descent. One quick check showed her team members awake and signalling, their concern muted as they professionally absorbed their surroundings.

“Count off!” she ordered, green icons flicking on and off as they acknowledged her command.

“Flight pattern Delta.”

Again the icons flashed and she watched them move closer. All except one, which flashed a strange purple as it continued to fall. It was not one of hers.
External scans showed it to be a pod of similar design to that from which she had so recently exited. Alana watched as rockets fired on the pod’s exterior, slowing its descent enough to allow a controlled landing. Her sensors detected life-signs from within, and she split her squad; half would provide aerial cover whist she and the others investigated.

*

It did not wait for help, exiting from the pod with sure and rapid movements. Heightened senses detected the arrival of the armoured figures and it smiled, revealing a mouth full of jagged teeth. They must not see it yet, there would be time enough for introductions later. First impressions were important and it knew that right now they would not be good ones. Its hunched body and wizened face, along with its tattered coat and broken shoes portrayed a poor ancient. Mammon was ancient, poor in spirit but never in wealth, and liked his victims to be unprepared for his true manifestation. He sniffed the air, grinning as he recognised a familiar scent, and sprang into the nearby foliage. The Cursed Hills were one of his favourite places, full of hate and possibility.

A slight rustling drew his attention, the tribesman’s ragged cloak giving away his hiding place. Mammon’s wolf-like face sharpened into concentration, his hooked fingers arcing into claws as he leapt. The tribesman stood no chance. Bow and arrow clattered to the floor as Mammon fed, drawing out the man’s essence quickly, the only disappointment that he could not savour the soul wailing as it fled its empty shell.

The air shimmered around Mammon’s frame. He used a little of the newly-gained power to reshape his bowed frame. There was a man he had admired, who had once been great. Mammon had met him on the flagship as he struggled to redeem himself in the eyes of the Church. It still caused Mammon pleasure as he cut short the human’s life, redemption had been promised but never achieved. Instead, he had drained his victim dry, relishing each mouthful as Victor Espada died. Memories always accompanied such a process, and in Espada he had found a treasure trove of experience. The man had fallen low, the Inspectorate finding and indoctrinating him in the Prelate’s Grace and then he raised himself up again. Such a shame that Mammon found him.

As Tauran demons went, Mammon was of the lesser kind. Not due to his abilities, rather to his lack of ambition and his own proclivities. Avarice was his true calling and drove his every waking moment. He never had enough, was always coveting that which others had, and bored easily.

Others of his brethren found him a simple target, taking what he had gained and throwing him down. Mammon had fled their domains, looking for and finding an ever-changing world where he could fulfil his every desire. His senses had tasted something different with those within the pods, and he was looking forward to taming them and forcing them to his will. Afterwards he would kill them, but they seemed strong and full of fight. He hoped so.

Saligia - Free on Smashwords

Just a very quick note for those interested.

SALIGIA is now free on Smashwords.

You can find it at:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71219

Cheers

ayo

SALIGIA Now Published On Amazon

AS promised, here is the notice of SALIGIA's publication on Amazon. There will be a later publication run on Smashwords later this week.

Thanks once again to those who have helped, listened and read. Opinions are always good and help to mould the finished product. A special thanks to my friend Manolo Guerrero who kindly gave me copies of some of his work a couple of years ago in Huelva, and permission to use them in future cover art. Gracias Manolo otra vez.

A Cold Dish will be published later this month.

Enjoy and Watch This Space...

SALIGIA - Publication in July

SALIGIA is a novella I wrote as an exercise in explanation. Many of the Tauran characters who would appear in the Sudden Dearth series needed fleshing out; descriptions both physical and motivational. Set well before SD it also helps to lay the ground for Urion's arrival, linking both SD and Urion's Belt.

I use seven short stories, woven in a plot-line to introduce and hopefully explain these characters further. Due to their inherent natures, each of the characters cameos in one of the Seven Deadly Sins, hence SALIGIA. One means of ingraining the concept of the SDS in Medieval times was the creation of the mnemonic "SALIGIA" based on the first letters in Latin of the seven deadly sins: superbia, avaritia, luxuria, invidia, gula, ira, acedia.

Two of these stories did appeared in my collection The Gift earlier this year, but here are set in their correct context. A soldier, Leftenant Geriond Devane is used as a common device, and truth be told he does not have a good time of it. I will annouce the actual publication date soon, hoping to have everything ready by the second week of July.

Watch this space...