Stormulka blocked the sun with his palm for a better view. "What on earth happened? Whoever it is has long hair — can't tell if it's a man or woman yet."
As they approached, Thoruk stopped rowing to observe. What could have done this? Not a bear or cat — they wouldn't strip the skin like that. There would be missing chunks of flesh. He placed his hand over Mercivil's eyes. "I'm not sure you want to see this."
Pushing his arm away, she opened her eyes. "I've got to." After peeking, she sucked in a terrified breath. "Shivers! This is a demon's work!"
Stormulka's mouth gaped wide. "From what's left, it appears to be a woman. There's no way she's alive. Something has been chewing on the corpse. There's bloody water everywhere!"
Thoruk maneuvered nearer the lifeless body. "I've never seen anything like this. It looks like a thousand razor-sharp bite marks." Almost all the skin had been eaten off, and the wounds still appeared fresh, less than a couple of hours old at most. "What could have done this?"
He scanned the shoreline and pointed to a particular area. "See the big skid mark by that hyacinth cluster on the shore? That's probably where she fell. Let's check it out." He tossed a rope to Stormulka and gestured toward the victim. "Here, tie this around her arm."
Thoruk paddled closer. Is there something in this lake we haven't seen before? Rumors of a five-foot-long sturgeon were discounted several years ago. Is one actually lurking in these waters after all? It would be huge by now!
Pictures of prehistoric-looking sturgeons from a tattered encyclopedia in the village's library flashed across his mind. A faint motion caught the corner of his eye. "Did you see that swirl — by the hyacinth?"
"Yea, I saw it too." Stormulka brushed his shimmery, black hair from his face and squinted. "There, it's moving again."
The nearer they got to the buoyant mass of purple flowers, the greater the underwater commotion. Thoruk extended the paddle to the edge of the pads floating on the surface. "What is that? Be careful! Don't stick your hands over the edge of the boat until we know what this is!"
As soon as the oar touched one of the plants, three jaws erupted from the lake, attacking the wooden paddle. The sudden pounce startled Thoruk, causing him to fall backward. Vicious jaws with hundreds of tiny, sharp teeth gnashed at the oar. Each plum-sized chomper extruded from a pod at the top of a stem in the larger hyacinth cluster.
Getting antsy, Fluf crawled along the shoreline toward the commotion. One of her paws got too close, and a merciless chomper sprung from the lake and nipped her foot. She yelped, clutched the assailant with her huge, ivory teeth, crushed it and tossed the crumpled mass aside. She roared as blood stained her paw.
Mercivil pivoted. "Fluf, get back! Stay!"
The injured bear limped away to lie in the grass.
A strong breeze blew the rickety craft closer. As it neared the edge of the vegetation, another botanical jaw leapt from a pod and clenched the edge of the boat, fiercely chewing and grooving the oak with each bite.
Thoruk tried to tear it off, but another brutal muncher bit his finger. Unsheathing his knife, he sliced off the stem, pried the mandible from his finger, and chucked it in the lake. A small chunk of his flesh went with it. Blood streamed down his pinkie. He yanked his shirt off and wrapped it around his hand, exposing his lightly-tanned and muscular back.
The wind swung the vessel into the floating monster as hundreds of ferocious mouths emerged to gnaw at the bottom of the craft. Gripping the other paddle, Mercivil whacked and smashed the savage, snapping creatures as fast as possible with all the power she possessed.
The harder she swung the makeshift weapon, the more she bit her lip, until blood dripped down her chin. The wicked, purple-flowered beast thrashed about feverishly, churning and splashing the lake around them. Terror shrouded Mercivil's face as she screamed. "Get us out of here! Now!"
Thoruk glanced at her feet. Dozens of miniature, white teeth ripped at a splintered hole in the bottom of the boat. Where it had slowly leaked earlier, now the water gushed. "Storm, plug that hole with your shirt. Mercy, give me that oar." He took both paddles and rowed with all his might to get away from the bloodthirsty carnivores.
The contorted specter of a plant with flesh-gashing teeth confused him with a quirky mix of wonderment and horror. His heart pounded as if ready to explode.
As they cleared the tumultuous waves, Thoruk noticed the corpse drifting behind them and spotted a handful of jaws still clamped onto the shredded flesh hanging from the victim.
Stormulka stood, panting. "I can't believe what just happened — that was insane! The blazing plant tried to kill us! That was more vicious than anything we've seen before!" He pulled the vessel toward the dock and tied the line to the post.
Still trying to wrap his mind around the weird events that unfolded, Thoruk stepped out of the mangled craft. "We've got to get the body to the doctor to check it out. Let's pull the boat on shore first. It'll sink by evening otherwise."
After Thoruk secured the vessel on land, he grabbed two hideous jaws still hanging from the neck of the woman. "Let me get a couple of these chompers for Intellulka to study."
Using his knife, he checked to make sure they were inactive. He spread their mouths to detach the unearthly mutant clones, known in the New World as muclones. After loosening their grip, he wrapped them in his handkerchief and stuck the specimens in his pocket.
He turned toward Mercivil. "Is Fluf alright? Can she carry the corpse?"
"She's fine. She just acts like a big baby once in a while." Mercivil gently grabbed his hand. "How's your finger? Will you be able to help Storm get the dead woman on Fluf's back?"
"Yea, I'll be okay. It's just bleeding a little."
"Here, try some of this." She squeezed a little dab of gel from a small pouch in her belt. "I always carry some with me just for such an occasion. It's a salve my aunt makes from plants. Trust me, this will do the trick. Now go on and help Stormy boy."
After draping the mutilated victim across the bear, Thoruk placed his hands on his knees. "That was exhausting — give me a second." He took a couple of deep breaths, then grabbed a towel from a cedar storage bin by the dock and carefully placed it over the body, covering the face so villagers couldn't see what had happened. He knelt next to Fluf and put his hand on the corpse. "May God rest her soul."
His friends joined, bowing their heads. "Amen."
Still breathing heavily, Stormulka slouched over as sweat dripped from his bulging, bare-skinned chest.
Thoruk strode onto the dock and surveyed the lake. Thousands of floating bubbles surrounded the area of the skirmish with the tenacious snappers. What will Intellulka think about these creatures? The crotchety, scientific-minded scholar was always intrigued with such freakish curiosities.
Thoruk returned to his friends. "Let's get going. When we get to Doc's cabin, I'm going to run next door and get our old tutor to investigate the samples. Please explain to the doctor what happened. Come join me afterward. We'll stick to the main road and keep our eyes open." No telling what else might be out there.
The New World: Blue Moon Generation
Preview of the Second Book of the Series
CHAPTER ONE
Again, It Begins
October 3, 2075
From atop a protective wall, Thoruk, the leader of Ukkiville, tracked the arc of his arrow as it sliced through the air. Descending rapidly, the razor-sharp missile struck his nemesis on the battlefield.
Zolokt stumbled as he clenched the shaft protruding from his chest. He wobbled for a moment and fell backward, writhing in pain.
Without hesitation, Thoruk positioned another arrow against the bow and drew back on the string.
His friend, Stormulka, calmly grabbed the shaft and motioned in Zolokt's direction.
Two cloned mutants with sleek, black horse bodies and massive lion heads galloped toward the stricken Skalag ruler.
Stormulka peered into Thoruk's eyes. "Let his own monsters take care of him."
>
While Zolokt flailed on the ground, one of the unearthly predators reared then crashed its front hooves onto his abdomen. Gasping, the wounded clan leader shrieked in horror.
The vicious beast stepped back and opened its huge jaws. With long, ivory teeth exposed, it blasted a thunderous roar before chomping one of Zolokt's legs.
The creature's cloned brother clamped down on the other, and the brutal animals pulled and spread his lower limbs further apart.
Squirming in agony, he howled as a sickening crunch reverberated. A chill rippled down Thoruk's spine. He watched Zolokt's hideous inventions exact a just — but tortuous — retaliation for the suffering they'd endured at the end of his whip.
Attracted by the commotion, other freakish predators cautiously stalked their tormented master. A flying mutant circled above, then swooped to Zolokt and dug its talons into his neck.
The terrified ruler's bloodcurdling scream split the air. Spooked by the noise, the lion-horses jerked back and thrashed, while keeping a firm hold on his legs.
Yanking, the ferocious beasts ripped the limbs from his torso. Grisly cracking and splintering sounds accompanied the snapping of bones, tendons, and nerves.
A glistening, crimson river of blood trailed the mutilated remains as the gruesome creatures carried them away. Unable to bear the sight even from a distance, Zolokt's daughter, Angrokt, dropped to her knees and wept.
Thoruk scanned the disgusting scene and scowled. "Zolokt got what he deserved — being silenced forever by his wicked experiments. Rot in...!"
Present Time
July 7, 2093 at 10:00 am
Laughter in the distance shattered Thoruk's reminiscence of the fateful battle with the Skalags, which had occurred almost 18 years earlier. Sitting under a willow near the Lake of Dreams, his watchful eyes settled on his daughter, Caruk, and her closest friends, Protivil and Foxulka.
Born within the same month of June as she, both of her cousins spent most of their daylight hours hopping to her beck and call.
Those boys are like a couple of lovesick puppies. Thoruk stroked his beard. They can't be 15 years old already, can they?
An uneasy mood settled over him as another flashback of Zolokt's death struck. Why must this haunt me? It's getting worse!
He shook his head. While his hatred had softened over such a long time, the memory of his murdered father and the death of the prior master of arms, under Zolokt's revenge-filled rule, left little room for mercy.
Relishing the serene surroundings of the lake, less than two miles outside of Ukkiville's protective wall, he appreciated the reprieve from his regular duties.
I can't believe how peaceful it's been these past few years. Can Zolokt really be dead — for good?
While the question often troubled him, he quickly dismissed it. The shredding of Zolokt by the beasts seemed so real on the battlefield. But now, he regretted not having Intellulka inspect the few remaining body parts to make sure he hadn't cloned himself.
With a cane fishing pole in his grip and twin polar bears wrestling by his side, Thoruk leaned back against the tree on a warm, humid morning. Foxulka's white Great Pyrenees mountain dog, Ghost, joined the tussle with the adolescent bears, Chili and Ice. The three were like siblings, spending much of their time together from birth.
Thoruk cupped a palm over his brow to block the reflections dancing across the water's surface. Occasionally, a fluffy cloud broke the sun's bright glare as he squinted to locate the teenagers.
A gentle breeze wafted the fragrance of honeysuckle through the air. He drew a long breath and checked out the shoreline.
Along the closest edge, he found clumps of vines, dotted with the creamy, sweet-smelling blooms. A stand of orange and black-spotted tiger lilies swayed near the sandy beach of Ukkiville's community park.
Toward the middle of the lake, enjoying themselves in an old, refurbished boat, the three kids clucked like hens. Thoruk's headstrong daughter's wavy, bronze-red hair drifted with the light wind as she directed the retrieval of rigs set out earlier to catch bass.
A Few Minutes Later
Caruk turned toward Protovil, two weeks younger than her and brawnier than most boys his age. "Proto, get us closer — more to the left."
As the rickety, white vessel neared, Caruk grabbed the floating bottle, attached to a long, weighted string and a couple of hooks spaced a foot apart.
She lifted it. No wiggle.
"Nothing on this one." She extended the dangling contraption toward her wiry cousin, Foxulka. "Here, Fox, wrap the line and put it in the rear."
"Surely." The sometimes-stubborn lad, who used every imaginable shortcut and variation of the English language, snatched the makeshift bobber.
Whipping his head to flip long, jet-black hair from his eyes, he wound the string around the old wine bottle and gently placed it behind him. "Ow! Pricked my blasted finger! Shoulda bin careful."
He smeared the blood across his faded, purple shirt; the one he'd wear every day if only his ma would let him.
Caruk motioned toward another marker. "Over there, let's get the next one."
"Caru, watchit!" With eyes the size of walnuts, Fox pointed over her shoulder at the lake. A large dorsal fin plowed through the water directly at her.
The big, trailing wake suddenly became long, narrow snapping jaws with glimmering teeth. As the aquatic beast accelerated and continued its beeline toward Caru, she yanked her hand back, narrowly escaping its razor-sharp bite.
Wicked, what was that? Her heart pounded against her chest.
Standing next to her, Proto banged the oar against the side of the boat. The deafening booms echoed through the air.
The finned creature turned, glanced at him, and dove straight down, splashing its tail before it vanished. The bottle plunged underwater.
Sucking a quick breath, Caru jerked her head to one side, then the other. "Where did it go? Keep looking! Proto, get ready to chase it!"
A booming voice shot from the distance. "Caru, what's happening?"
She spotted her father on the shore. "I don't know — something big grabbed the bait. We're going after it!"
"No, don't...!"
Ignoring her father's shout, she pointed at the huge beast bursting the water's surface. "Over there! Go!"
CHAPTER TWO
From the Depths of the Lake of Dreams
Moments Later
Intensely curious, Caru disregarded her father's yells in the background. She squinted, searching through the bright reflections off the Lake of Dreams. The creature erupted above the surface 50 yards to the right.
Caru leaped to her feet and pointed. "Starboard! Two o'clock! Row, Proto, now!"
She waved her arm in a circular pattern toward the destination. "Let's get that blasted thing!"
Grabbing the oars, Proto rapidly pumped the paddles, and the boat jerked forward.
Caru wobbled and fell, almost tripping over the edge.
While the monster dove again, Fox's voice rang out from the rear. "Brutish, that sucker's huge!"
The aquatic predator submerged and popped to the surface time and time again as the chase ensued. Several minutes later, it slowed to a drift, sunken and invisible in the deeper water. The trailing bottle, anchored to the mysterious being, floated to the top.
As they neared, Caru hooked the cord with the handle of her knife. She wrapped the line around a cleat, securing the marker to the bow. Hand over fist, she and Proto pulled the weighty freak of nature from the depths.
Intrigued by small, white spikes appearing from the black abyss, Caru bent closer for a better look. Enormous, menacing jaws rushed toward her.
"Watch out!" Proto yanked her back. With one swift movement, he snatched the small battle-ax from his belt and gashed the beast's neck.
It spun toward the bow and dove, jolting the craft forward as Caru clung to the sideboards for dear life. The vessel streaked across the water for several yards, suddenly veering to the right.
She and h
er friends flew through the air as the boat flipped over. Splashing with arms and legs churning, she and her buddies scrambled toward shore.
Thoruk dove into the lake and feverishly swam toward the children. Ghost and the twin bears followed.
Once again, the dorsal fin sliced through the water in a direct line toward the kids. Thoruk hollered. "Fox, behind you!"
The teeth of the tenacious being shimmered in the sun as its jaws opened wide. Blood streamed from its slashed neck, staining the pool around it.
Suddenly the creature thrashed in place, halted by the stout line attached to the capsized vessel. The monster vigorously wagged its powerful tail.
As the terrifying fish dragged the boat closer in its relentless advance toward the teens, Caru turned toward Fox — fear shrouded his face.
She grabbed his shoulder and pulled. "Get to shore!"
Swimming in a frenzy beside her flailing cousins, she glanced to her rear during every other stroke. That thing's going to kill us! "Keep going!"
As the predator quickly closed, a loud splash broke her concentration. She stopped and whirled in a dog paddle.
On top of the beast, her father gripped a fin in one hand and with the other stabbed the creature's gills with a bowie knife. The gigantic fish dove while Thoruk held firm.
Caru screamed. "Father!"
Her eyes searched back and forth in desperation. Where is he? Please keep him safe, Lord!
Hundreds of bubbles popped the surface, turning bloody as a crimson film spread across the ripples. Tiny whirlpools faded where the struggle once churned. Twenty seconds passed, still nothing.
Caru yelled. "Where is he?" She swam toward the location and dove, thrusting her arms backward as she kicked.
Five seconds later, an explosion of air pockets rushed past her. Muffled gasps and her father's voice filtered down from above.
Caru closed her eyes. Thank you.
As she drifted higher, something grazed her leg. She gasped and sucked in a deep breath.
The New World: Crimson Winter Page 27