“What about souls, have you ever been hired to find those?” The look in his eyes broke my heart.
He was different than the last time I had seen him, then he was still Neal, still a mix of machine and magic. Now he moved with an uncertainty that was unlike him. His face was an open book, showing fear, hope and pain all at once. I knew without him telling me why he was in such dire need.
Neal had always been a machine at heart, he operated under strict programming and had an intelligence that was unnerving, but it was always kept in check by his parameters, parameters that focused his power into a single drive, to help me.
Now I saw something else, Neal was alive. I don’t know if he was human or Atlantean, but he was definitely biological. He no longer moved with the easy fluidity of a well-oiled machine, he now moved as though he was just learning to walk, unsure of his footing or his direction. Emotions flooded through him, making their presence known as his face became a movie screen on which his innermost feelings played out.
He was lost, thrust into a world he was unprepared to deal with. He was alive, had feelings and knew fear, knew joy and excitement and he still had all his intelligence and most likely strength. I didn’t know how much of his skills he had retained, but even if it was a fraction of what it had been it would be scary to wield, especially with all the new found issues being alive came with.
“I’ve never been asked to find someone’s soul, but I have also never said no to a client.” I opened my door wide, “Why don’t you come in, get settled and we can talk about it, over some dinner, perhaps?”
He looked in, optimistic hope sweeping through him. Kim came in and carried her puppy, a black lab, in her arms, it wiggled and wormed all over the place, trying to get free, wanting to run and pee and chew everything in sight.
“Hi. I’m Kim. Is he going to be staying with the others?” She asked, trying with everything she had to not lose her battle with her puppy, and failing mightily.
“Hi Kim, my name’s Neal, and I don’t know what I’ll be doing.” He said with trepidation.
She turned her head to the side, eyeballing him.
“I knew a Neal once, but he was shorter than you, and hairier.” The puppy finally won and escaped her grasp, only to go running down the hall and towards the back door, hoping for freedom.
“Hey, get back here!” Kim squealed and ran after him.
Neal watched her, a tear gathering in his eye.
“C’mon, let me show you your room, then we can sit down and eat, we have a lot to talk about.” I said, turning, waiting for him to follow.
He nodded his head in agreement, stepping inside.
“Yes we do.” He said.
Chapter twenty-two
“It’s been four weeks, how’s he doing?” Arendiol asked me, handing me a cold lemonade.
“It’s hard to tell. When we are born we come into the world ignorant and innocent, learning how to deal with our humanity a little at a time, Neal was thrust into it fully formed, with no way to handle it.” I watched him as he and Kim ran in the lush grass of the small park near our home, the black lab hopping at their heels.
“But I think he’ll be alright, I mean it is Neal after all.”
He turned towards us, as if he could hear us talking about him. He bowed his head slightly. His hair was cut short and his beard was kept in a neat and trimmed fashion. Everywhere we went, women turned and stared at him.
“I hope so, there’s so much at stake now.” She said, watching them.
“I know.” I answered.
“How many is it now? Ten?”
“That have come to us for help? Yeah, ten. I know there are more out there, afraid to come forward, afraid of me and of the humans.” I said, thinking about the refugees that had come ashore since the Rise.
We had done what we could, buying the space above us and using it to house the Atlanteans that had come to us, looking for help, the ones that fled, leaving the cramped city for the freedom of the mainland. There were six women and four men, two of the women already showing signs of being pregnant. The Atlanteans had wasted no time in bringing about the next generation. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I knew I would help them. I felt like I had an obligation to, my way of keeping a promise to an old man, I suppose.
Neal came walking over, sitting on my other side.
“Arie, come play!” Kim pleaded.
Arendiol laughed, kissing me on the head, before getting up and going to join in the fun.
“Were you guys talking about me?” Neal asked.
“Yes.” I said. I wasn’t going to lie to him, ever.
“And?”
“And you are a pain in the ass, you eat more than Kim, your room is a mess and you still aren’t paying me any rent.” I said, looking at him sideways. “But you are good with the kid and I think have earned the right to not contribute, for now anyways.”
I wasn’t going to stop giving him hell, I mean c’mon.
“Actually I was thinking about that last part, contributing I mean. I want to help you, I think I’m ready to get out there and start to make a difference again. I know we worked pretty well together before.” He looked at himself, indicating his current form. “I think we can do so again, if you are up for it?”
I don’t think I’d ever get used to Neal having a sense of humor.
I thought about it for a minute, wanting to be sure before I answered. Neal had come a long way in a short time. He seemed to be handling his new situation with Neal-like aplomb and had even been helping out at the “refugee camp”, even though I joked about him not contributing. I think it’s important to have a purpose, I think Neal was desperately searching for his now, especially since he had a choice.
“Okay, I actually have a client coming at five tonight, we can work the case together, maybe pull your weight around here.” I teased.
“Someone’s got to do the heavy lifting, your lazy ass sure isn’t.” He answered.
I smiled, I liked the new Neal.
After a few moments I said, “There’s something I have been meaning to talk to you about, something that happened when you shut the rift.”
I told him about the vision I had, about the creatures all awakening from some long sleep. I finished with the sea witch or sea man, or whatever, sea warlock maybe?
He went silent for a little while thinking. I let him contemplate my words.
“I think you know what it means; I just think you want to hear someone else say what you’ve been thinking.” He said, still able to seemingly see my thoughts.
I smiled, “Am I that obvious?”
“You are to me.” He answered.
“Okay, I think it was the Firsts, those who were first transformed by the energies released during the Fall, the most ancient and powerful troll, sea witch, giant, werewolf and vampire. When the sea witches came to the rooftop they were drawn there, drawn by the rift. I think the same energy woke the First, who are now walking the earth somewhere, doing something, something most likely very bad.” I finished.
“I think you are right. Now there is only one question that needs to be asked.” He said, still counseling, still guiding.
I turned to him and smiled, knowing he was right, but needing him to help me face it, help me realize what needed to be done.
“What am I going to do about it?” I said.
“What indeed.” He answered.
End.
Redemption
Volume One
The Alliance Series
John Adams is a wizard, a Special Forces combat wizard, trained to kill the things that go bump in the night by the very country that has betrayed him. Desperate for answers he seeks the one man he trusts the most. Hunted by Otherworld assassins and the U.S. military, John sets out on a journey that will lead him on a path for the truth. Only in the end, he may yet discover his REDEMPTION.
John Adams has trained since childhood to kill monsters. He’s good at what he does. Believing his life�
��s work has been spent making the world a better place, he feels betrayed when he discovers that his country may be kidnapping soldiers to create unthinking killing machines. With the help of his partner, Nathan Blackcrow, an engineer wizard, Peotr Stragnoff, a 500 year-old werebear, and Cynthia, an immortal Gryphon, John begins a journey that will give his life a new purpose. With the help of his friends, John learns that killing first, asking questions later may not be the best policy.
Available at Amazon.com
https://www.createspace.com/3955364
Gauntlet
Rite of Ascension
Eric is your typical American teenager. When his sister drives off without him he is forced to walk to school, taking a short cut through the woods. What he encounters in the shadows of a pine tree changes his life forever. Bitten by a wolf, Eric’s Beast is unchained and the battle for his very soul begins. Eric must fight a powerful and ancient creature with nothing more than his will. Success means having to live with the power of the Beast and failure means a fate worse than death.
Both books available at Amazon.com
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Read on for an exciting excerpt from Gauntlet Rite of Ascension.
Prologue
Somewhere in the cosmos, the Hunter stalks his prey. The place does not matter, the prey does not matter, all that matters is the struggle, life and death, one’s drive to bring about death only to ensure life, the cycle forever unchanging. The Hunter nears the prey, ready for the kill. The prey eats, unaware of its imminent doom. The Hunter crouches, anticipating the moment.
He stops; a call from the One comes to him. The One has not called on the Hunter for a long time. He began to believe the One no longer needed him. The Hunter turns his head as the One calls. The prey flees, aware of his presence. No matter, the One needs the Hunter. He forgets the chase and the kill, there are more important matters to deal with. When the One calls the Hunter answers, it has always been such. It will always be such.
He leaves the orb of rock on which he had been stalking his prey. Far away from where he is called. The Hunter knows he has a very long way to go, but he also knows the short cuts and every trail. With a force of will the Hunter leaves this plane and slips between realms where the distances are not so vast and time does not run like a river.
The Hunter runs. It has been a long time since the he has run like this. The freedom from the mortal coil is rejuvenating. The many forms the Hunter has taken over the eons have all been effective. As the Hunter wills himself back into the physical plane he takes on a familiar shape, one that pleases him. The Hunter stands on a vast and open stretch of land covered in hundreds of feet of frozen water. Howls from nearby hunters can be heard as his presence is announced, as it should be.
The Hunter breaths deeply, the cold wind sharp to his sensitive nose. The depth of smells this form can discern always surprises the Hunter. He easily finds the scent that gives him his heading. Wide paws dig in the frozen ground as the Hunter races off. The destination is known, the hunt is on. The Hunters white fur blends in with the surroundings and he flies over the ground, a cloud of power and purpose, determined to answer the call of the One and to set in motion the next step.
Over the land the Hunter runs, which gradually warms as he moves south, closer to his target.
Finally, after days of endless running the Hunter reaches the end, the end of the run, but the beginning of something else. The Hunter enters a well-worn path and quietly pads through a small wooded area. The animals all grow silent in respect to the Hunter. He wants his presence known and the animals understand the Hunter is not here for them.
He finds a spot under a small tree and circles the ground three times before lying down, knowing that soon the Hunter’s prey will come, the One has said so and so it shall be.
Lost Son Page 27