What
Reviewers Say:
“I loved this sci fi story.”
“This
was an excellent story about love across the galaxy and the love of
exploration. A fun quick and whimsical read!!!”
“An excellent story of how two societies can live together
for the betterment of all.”
A Tale of Two Colonies: Available at Amazon iBooks Kobo B&N
Fight for freedom.
Fight to survive. - For refugees from an overcrowded Earth, dreams of a better
life on an alien planet transform into a terrifying battle for survival.
Nothing will stand in
the way of Tiger Lily's dream of escaping the subterranean slums of Terra and visiting the stars. She enters the fierce
competition for a place in the scout team on the next spaceship to the remote
planet of Delta, where an earlier colony disappeared. Before the ship departs,
the arrival of a mysterious message from Delta
suggests that the descendants of the first colonists may have survived.
A dangerous mission
to seek the lost colony exposes the team to unexpected dangers, and they
encounter a grim warrior in the isolated valley. Has Tiger Lily met her match
in the tortured man? Where is he leading them? And who are the real rulers of
this strange world?
Do you enjoy exciting adventures with alien
encounters? Do you like your science fiction with a dash of romance? Read “A
Tale of Two Colonies”, a story of betrayal, survival and hope by indie author,
Aurora Springer.
Chapter 1
In the
isolated peninsula beyond the great mountain range, a tall man stood on a rock
staring out across the ocean. Waves flicked foam onto his heavy black boots,
and swirled over the stony beach. A warrior in appearance, the man wore
close-fitting black armor and a long sword hung from his belt. He swung his
gaze from side to side, seeing nothing move except for the crashing waves. No
other sound interrupted the surge and splash of waves on the stones. He jumped
off the rock and strode into the sea, testing the waters.
When he was
knee deep, a monstrous grey head with curved teeth rose out of the deep water
beyond the rocks. Its huge eyes swiveled to regard him, and then, its enormous
body looped out of the water, plunged back and sank, vanishing beneath the
surface.
The man
paused, scanning his surroundings for danger. He did not go further into the
sea. Instead, he splashed through the shallows, moving parallel to the narrow
stretch of beach.
A long
tentacle coiled out of the ocean and wound around his ankle, tugging him off
balance. He staggered and quickly recovered, putting his weight on his free leg
and shaking the tethered foot. In the next instant, he slipped his sword from
the sheath and slashed off the end of the tentacle, freeing his leg.
He leaped out
of the frothing waves onto the beach. Two more tentacles snaked from the sea
toward him, and were rapidly sliced apart by his blade. More tentacles shot
toward him, and a bulbous orange body emerged from the sea. A hard beak snapped
open as it slithered into shallow water.
Backing away, the
man aimed for the safety of higher ground. The tentacled beast crept after him,
soundless and inexorable.
Abruptly, it emitted
a frightful screech. The first, larger monster broke the surface and grabbed
the tentacles in its scimitar-like fangs. The huge grey beast clamped its jaws
and drew its orange tentacled prey deep into the ocean.
The warrior
stepped back onto dry land. There was no escape here. No safe passage through
the ocean, teeming with such deadly monsters. Shouldering his heavy pack, which
he had left well out of reach of the incoming waves, he strode north along the
coastline toward the distant peaks.
Three days
later, he stood beside a vertical cliff, rising a hundred feet above him. He
slid the pack to the ground and stared up at the precipitous rock face,
searching for footholds. He placed his booted toe onto a small projection, and pulled
his body up using his fingers to grip into a tiny crevice. In this slow manner,
he climbed perhaps thirty feet up the cliff. Suddenly, the jutting piece of
rock he clung to snapped, and his foot slipped. He fell, skidding awkwardly to
the ground, clutching at rough edges to slow his decent, and landing on his
feet unharmed. His armor and gloves protected him.
The warrior
gazed up once more, and found no better hand or foot holds leading to the top. Shaking
his head, he leaned against the cliff and bowed his head in despair. Finally,
he was sure there was no safe way out of the valley.
He had made a
complete circuit of the land. The perilous seas bordered the territory in three
directions, and this vertical rock blocked the fourth edge. He had discovered
no escape routes along the coast or the mountain range bordering the valley.
What was left? In his mood of bitter despondency, he imagined climbing high
into the mountains, as he had done earlier in his search, and leaping from the
top of the tallest peak. The sheer vertical drop on the far side would kill him,
ending his miserable life.
Raising his
head to stare into the blue-green sky, he sighed in resignation. The top of the
tremendous cliff was invisible, hidden by rolling grey clouds. He was not yet
desperate. But, he had no choice except to return to the princesses. Else, they
would track him down and kill him, or worse, for his betrayal. He collected his
belongings and set out, inland and away from the coast.
Five days
later, he strode into the colorful camp in the fading light of evening. Tents
with bright banners flying were arranged in a circle around the bonfire. Men
bustled about, preparing the meal, collecting fuel for the fire, or checking
their weapons. He passed by them, tall and stern, steeling himself for the
certainty of insults.
His usual
nemesis, Princess Verona, strode away from the fire and accosted him. “Guard
Conley, where have you strayed from this time?”
He froze his
face into a blank expression with eyes lowered respectfully, and answered
bluntly, “Patrol borders by permission of Princess Priscilla.” He was well
aware of her distrust. It seemed nothing he did could alter the hatred of the
princesses.
“Travel alone
is forbidden,” she admonished.
He bowed his
head in patient obedience, thrusting rebellious thoughts to the recesses of his
mind for fear she would sense them and punish him.
She swung
around, scanning the nearest faces and pronounced decisively, “Take one of the
Guards-in-training. They need combat and survival skills.”
He followed
her gaze to the group of young men lounging quietly beside the fire, their pale
faces gleaming in the flames. Their softness and lax manners appalled him. It
was another subtle punishment, saddling him with one of these pathetic youths.
He assumed the princess desired to restrict his travels. It was a pity there
were no worthy companions among the men. Still, the Guards-in-training were not
capable of hindering his explorations.
No comments:
Post a Comment