Dire Prophecy Read online

  Dire Prophecy

  Book One of Dire Prophecy

  By Zack Finley

  Copyright 2018 by Zack Finley. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ◆◆◆

  Contents

  Cover

  Chapter One

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Author’s Notes:

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Was I dead? It was too chilly for hell and way too uncomfortable for heaven. My last coherent memory was “this is it” as the masonry wall exploded beside me. The explosion was big, and I was too close.

  Sand grated under my cheek and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't raise my head or shift my arms or legs. The pounding in my head made it hard to think. I could feel the chill of the gritty floor on my naked skin from my feet to my face.

  My eyelids were too heavy to open. A drip, drip echoed nearby.

  What happened? Where was I? Why couldn't I move?

  Except for an excruciating headache, I felt no pain, and blood wasn’t leaking out. My brain was scrambled and filled with static. And, I was glued to the floor.

  Sheer will forced one eyelid open. I was in a large dimly lit chamber. Having my cheek stuck to the floor limited my vantage point. All I saw was an irregular dark stone wall. Likely a cave or mine; certainly not a building.

  The light source was just out of view. It was the wrong color for sunlight and too steady for a candle or torch.

  The moisture in the air enhanced the earthy scent of the floor with a hint of spice.

  The steady drip, drip reminded me my throat was parched and dry. It was the only sound I could discern in the chamber other than my shallow breathing.

  One thing was different, the sense of direction I was born with was gone. I always knew where north was. Until now.

  Definitely hell. Spending eternity with a raging thirst while listening to water dripping nearby was not heavenly. Throw in an unchanging, eternal view of a stone wall, and it definitely qualified for hell. Not what I imagined especially when I was hoping for something like Valhalla.

  What if I wasn’t dead?

  The first time this question popped into my head, I dismissed it promptly. But if you were going to spend eternity staring at a small section of wall even ridiculous thoughts like that come up. Over and over again.

  If by some miracle I survived that massive explosion, I knew my buddies were looking for me. They'd also expect me to escape if humanly possible. There had to be an exit. Even naked I knew I could handle myself in a fight. I could be stealthy, too. Six years on the teams ensured I came out on top.

  I set aside worries about heaven and hell and focused on getting out of here.

  To go on offense, all I needed was an opening and a body that could move.

  Suddenly, my body shifted to full alert. There had been no sound, no flicker of light or shadow but I knew I was no longer alone. The scent of spice strengthened.

  "Ah, you are awake," a soft feminine voice echoed as she shuffled into view. She didn't look like any terrorist warrior I ever saw. "We have much to discuss."

  "My name is Steve Finley; Petty Officer First Class; US Navy," I mumbled through clenched teeth into the stillness of the room. I tried to shout it, but a muffled croak was all I managed.

  Something was off about her appearance. I sensed it might be a disguise, though I couldn't see how that could be. Her lips did not synch with her words. I stared at her looking for any opening,

  A silky black toga wrapped the woman’s voluptuous frame. It left little to the imagination. Her ebony hair coiled around her head in a tight braid. Her skin tone was either well-tanned or naturally dark. Her Mediterranean features, including toffee eyes, a classic nose, and full moist lips suggested it was a natural hue.

  "Why don't we make you more comfortable," she said waving one hand. Two chairs appeared from nowhere, though I sensed we were still the only ones in the chamber. I was still coping with the impossible arrival of the chairs when she sat daintily and motioned towards me.

  My paralysis lifted with her gesture. I launched myself toward her with speed honed through years of training.

  I smashed against an unseen barrier and crashed to the floor in a heap. The paralysis returned.

  "Well I did seek a warrior mage," she laughed, straightening her toga while continuing to study me.

  I barely had time to assess my new situation when an unseen force lifted me gently and settled me into the chair. Paralysis held me firmly against the chair, but I now could move my arms and upper torso.

  "I mean you no harm. I have gone through a lot to offer you a chance to live," she said. "If you choose life, you will save many on this world from death."

  "Steve Finley; Petty Officer First Class; US Navy," my parched voice still croaked, but my jaw moved freely.

  Her eyes narrowed, and she cocked her head to the side, before nodding. "Your enemy cannot question you; they have already killed you in an explosion on your world. I do not need to ask anything about that," she said. "Instead, I offer you a chance for a new life on this world."

  She frowned. "I used a lot of my power to give you a new life here on Jaloa. I am Shala a god of this world, and I summoned you to be my champion."

  "And I'm the tooth fairy," I echoed mentally, testing my paralysis, ready to take advantage of any opening.

  "What is a tooth fairy?" she asked. "You have the essence of a warrior-mage not that of any fairy."

  She was messing with my mind, I thought; furiously trying to think about nothing at all.

  "I can read your mind, especially those thoughts you fling at me," she voiced sharply in my head. "But, I have no interest in controlling you. I need a committed champion, not a reluctant one."

  I sat in stunned disbelief as the alien words echoed intimately through my brain. There was no way to deny the impact of this type of communication. Logically it had to be a hallucination yet I was reluctant to accept that explanation.

  I tested my bindings and still couldn't get out of my chair. The chair remained firmly attached to the floor. To make a break for it, I waited for the woman to come closer.

  "I have no intention of coming close to you," Shala thundered in my mind. "I thought you would appreciate refreshments. I can sense your thirst and hunger."

  She gestured again; a small table loaded with fruit and a clear container of water materialized beside me. I grabbed the water and drank deeply. I needed to hydrate to live. Even drugged water was better than no water in the desert. A rumbling stomach made me look at the fruit again.

  A surge of adrenaline brought me to complete attention when I realized the fruit was bizarre, totally weird.

  Until now, my captor had commanded my full attention. I finally looked at my own body. It took all the mental discipline acquired over a lifetime not to fre
ak out about what I saw.

  I was no longer human.

  My skin was dark leather. My hands had three fingers and a thumb on each. The nails were more like claws. I practiced retracting and extending the claws on my feet and hands for a few moments until I glanced down at my junk. There was nothing there. I reached down in a panic to see what had happened to Happy and the Boys.

  "Steve Finley, do not be concerned for your manhood," Shala laughed. "The Jaloans just tuck theirs away when not needed. Your new body is similar to your old one. I was fortunate to locate a champion from a compatible world."

  My new teeth were sharper, my nose was flatter, and my ears were pointy. The hair on my head felt more like fur.

  Shala seemed amused at my exploration.

  "Your old body was in prime condition for your species. It allowed me to provide you with a prime Jaloan body in similar condition. However, your lovely new body is just a bonus. I recruited you for your magical strength. You may be the most powerful mage on Jaloa."

  Shala added, "Of course you are also the least trained mage on Jaloa. I’m betting you survive long enough to learn how to use your magic. If we are lucky, your native warrior skills will keep you alive until then."

  I grabbed another swig from the water pitcher that had magically refilled while I was distracted. I was starting to feel like Alice in Wonderland at the tea party.

  "You have only a short time to decide whether you die from that ambush on your home world or you make a new life as a Jaloan on this one," Shala said, dragging my attention away from my altered body.

  "You believe your enemies captured and ensorcelled you. I fear you will not make an informed choice until you work your way through this."

  My hands trembled from even the small exertion of lifting the water pitcher, reminding me I needed to maintain my strength to survive. I sampled the fruits on the table while she spoke. The first had violet bumpy skin but was sweet and delicious with a hint of cinnamon. I tried a bunch of pink grapes and set them aside. They tasted too much like Brussels sprouts, not one of my favorites. A bright red fruit had a thick, easily removed peel. It was sweet and tasted like a mix of chocolate and pecans.

  I couldn't fix whatever had happened to my body unless I survived. BUD/S and too many deployments had taught me to eat when I could and stay hydrated; you never knew when you would need those reserves. Foraging was mostly on autopilot, the woman in black remained the focus of my attention.

  "You must declare you want to stay here on Jaloa before the sun sets today. If you do not, you will automatically return to your world and die in that explosion," Shala paused. "Please indicate if you understand?"

  As if such a thing was possible, I thought, trying to clear my head.

  "It is not only possible, but I have gone through much to give you this choice," Shala responded with a flash of irritation. "I expected this to be an easy decision for you, but you are refusing to trust your senses."

  Images flooded my mind despite my efforts to keep it blank. I was going to watch this show whether I wanted to or not. Shala's voice filled my mind, narrating each image.

  The first was a view of Jaloa from space. It definitely wasn't Earth. No moon in sight. The planet had one huge continent, surrounded by water. A long mountain range formed a spine that split the continent into east and west for its entire length. My sense of direction returned with an audible pop. Suddenly I knew we were in the mountains near the middle of the continent.

  The series of images that followed depicted Jaloans in cities and towns. Most showed a pre-industrial lifestyle. No electricity, no steam, and no combustion engines. Jaloans came in a variety of skin and fur colors. Some were female, some male. There were images of grizzled elders and newborn babies.

  The images showed Jaloans going about their lives in a variety of ways. They used odd-looking animals to plow the fields, wood fires for heat, and candles for light. The pictures flashed too quickly to linger on the details.

  I learned Jaloa was not an idyllic paradise, as the pictures switched to a bloody battle between two groups of Jaloans.

  Shala’s visual show moved on.

  Shala’s images shifted to a family gathered around a table for a meal. A mother, father, and four sets of twin children ranging from about 10 years old to a pair of babies. If you didn't look closely, it could just as easily have been a human family, but with pointy ears. After the kaleidoscope of images, I just experienced, I no longer saw them as strange beings but as people.

  Shala released my mind and the images faded. The scenes she showed me felt so real that I was surprised to discover we had never left the cave. If it was a hallucination, it was very convincing. My imagination was not good enough to have created such a world.

  Shala seemed satisfied. "I can tell you still need convincing this situation is real. But at least now you will be open to what you see and experience. I will release you to explore the region surrounding this complex with my acolyte Argon as your guide." She considered this for a moment and added, "When I release you, you cannot harm either myself or Argon. Should you try, you will be bound and returned here."

  Shala disappeared, leaving me alone in the cave. With her gone, I could now study the chamber around me. I still had no clue how she had popped in and out of the area. The chamber was circular, with a small spring trickling into a basin in one corner. The illumination came from an unearthly light suspended from the high ceiling of the cave. While the room’s edges were still in shadow, I saw enough to alarm me. There was no visible exit.

  I drank more water and polished off the rest of the fruits, including the Brussels sprout flavored ones. I tested my restraints and waited for something to happen.

  ◆◆◆

  Chapter 2

  A Jaloan appeared beside me in the chamber. It wasn't there one second and the next it was standing by the second chair. I perceived no door opening and should have detected its entry into the chamber. I mentally kicked myself for lacking situational awareness.

  My visitor was female and clad in studded leather armor with a crossbow and quiver of bolts on her back. I knew she was female, likely by the graceful way she moved. She had a mace tucked into a holster on her belt. She was muscular and tall enough I had to look up to see her face. She moved forward to look closer at me sitting in the chair before her.

  Her face had refined features; her eyes were dark and expressionless. She had a dainty nose, flatter than a human's but it looked normal on her face. She did not look pleased. Tufts of blonde fur peeked out from beneath her helmet, and her ears had furry points.

  Her leathery skin was the color of light maple furniture. She had the same four-digit hands I now had, the claws on her fingers remained retracted. She wore a gaudy necklace and snug fitting metal bracers. No shoes and the claws on her feet were shiny black, sturdy, extended, and very sharp.

  "I am Argon," she announced. "You are Steve Finley." With that, she gestured, and I was free.

  I launched up toward her, intending to capture her weapons and escape. I slammed into a wall and woke up seconds later paralyzed on the floor of the chamber, again.

  "Shala warned you about trying to harm me," she sounded irritated. "She told me you would try anyway. Can we start again?" she asked, releasing me from the paralysis.

  I rose cautiously; deciding my best chance at escape involved getting out of this room first. Especially since there was no visible exit.

  "I have a set of clothes and armor for you," Argon pointed to a pile on the floor. "If you dress we can leave."

  I complied, suspecting clothing and armor would benefit my escape.

  Just as I finished dressing, Argon clasped my shoulder. In a blink, we arrived in a small idyllic meadow before I could even react to her touch.

  I was disoriented. My directional sense confirmed we had moved a substantial distance north of our old location. The transfer seemed instantaneous without any beam-me-up-Scotty special effects. If this was how Jaloans traveled, it expla
ined how Argon arrived in the chamber originally. “How did we get here?” I asked my captive.

  “Teleport,” Argon responded.

  “Do you use magic for that? Can you go any place you want? Are you limited to this planet?”

  “Yes, no, yes,” she responded.

  I needed to recast my questions if I was going to get any useful information.

  “This magical teleport spell, is it hard to learn or use?”

  Argon sighed before answering, but I sensed she wouldn’t brush off my questions again

  “It is a spell we teach younglings as soon as they can access enough force magic. Nearly all adult mages can teleport anyplace they have been before. A more complicated spell allows us to travel to a location we learn from others. I have never heard of a teleport working between planets, except possibly at the guardian gates between worlds.”

  Now we were making progress. “Can you teach me the teleport spell?”

  “Not today, the teleport spell can misfire and kill you. How soon you can learn this or any other spell depends on a lot of factors, including your talent level.”

  My interest in the spell had distracted me from the beauty of the meadow we teleported into. The vegetation was jade green and wiry, forming a solid mat of green. The air was warm and smelled clean and fresh.

  "My elemental magics are air and water," Argon stated aloud as we walked along a faint path into the trees. "This gives me a strong affinity for the plant kingdom, birds and fish." Mental images of soaring raptors and darting schools of fish accompanied her words.

  "Shala says you have lava magic, strong in earth and fire. She thinks we will make a very strong combat team, able to counter any other mage attacks.” She stopped and turned to look at me. “Steve Finley, raw talent is only part of the equation in combat."

  "Call me Steve," I said, deciding to learn more and attack less. Argon was visibly irritated with me, and right now she was my sole source of information.

  "Can you show me some air and water magic?" I asked.