The Gauntlet of Possession (The Teracian Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  The Teracian Chronicles:

  The Gauntlet of Possession

  Christopher Lambert

  Edited by Heather Dewey

  Map Illustrated by Tim Lambert

  Special Thanks to:

  Rachel Diver

  Kassie Myers

  Nicole Williams

  Dr. Steve Amidon

  The dedicated students of Amidonia

  Carole Raftree

  My parents, Tim and Kathy Lambert

  Nathan Fawley and Aaron Ostermeyer

  Sandra Redden, Associate Professor at IFPW

  Dr. Mary Ann Cain, Professor at IPFW

  Everyone who inspired me to keep moving forward, listened to my ideas, and never let anything go unimagined

  Copyright © 2017 Christopher Lambert

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9781973378839

  Independently Published

  Contents

  Chapter 1:

  Forest of Shadows

  1

  Chapter 2:

  Wings of Silver

  20

  Chapter 3:

  Shrouds of Chaos

  37

  Chapter 4:

  Rays of Light Amid the Helpless

  47

  Chapter 5:

  The Blind Eyes of Truth

  60

  Chapter 6:

  Colors of the Silhouettes

  79

  Chapter 7:

  A World Unknown

  94

  Chapter 8:

  The Feeling of Despair

  118

  Chapter 9:

  Static Inquietude

  139

  Chapter 10:

  The Shining Light of Sorrow

  161

  Chapter 11:

  Lives Forgotten in Time

  183

  Chapter 12:

  Trepidations of a Fallen King

  208

  Chapter 13:

  Nightfall of the Awakened

  222

  Chapter 14:

  Chronological Equilibrium

  238

  Chapter 15:

  The Primordial Crystal

  258

  Chapter 16:

  The Screams Amongst the Dark Matter

  282

  Chapter 17:

  Usurpation of the Dark

  306

  Chapter 18:

  Sunset off the Forlorn Coast

  326

  Chapter 19:

  Corruption of the Mind

  348

  Chapter 20:

  Hope in the Next Life

  369

  Epilogue:

  Omega Revival

  392

  The Teracian Chronicles:

  The Gauntlet of Possession

  One

  Forest of Shadows

  Allen Schraider felt a tremendous force jolt through his right shoulder as he impacted the dirt, causing him to cry out against the torrential storm. His eyes strained for clarity as his brown-rimmed glasses flew away from his face and landed on the ground.

  The heavy raindrops grew larger and began to saturate his clothing. His attention was immediately diverted onto his swelling shoulder. He shuddered from the pain as he gripped it, feeling the blood consume his hand. Allen patted the area around him for his glasses and found them lying on top of a patch of smooth leaves. To his dismay, all he could see was darkness save for the brief glow from the strikes of lightning. Several trees became noticeable as his eyes adjusted; the sweat stung them as he blinked. The raw intensity of the wind crept up behind him and chilled him to the core as if a silent shadow had taken shelter near him. Allen gazed into the night sky and saw clouds and a few stars that twinkled with brilliance. His eyes squinted for a brief moment as he thought he saw something in the atmosphere. More thick clouds rolled in, preventing him from investigating further.

  As he attempted to get up, he found himself dizzy and light-headed. An occasional ringing in his head like a hissing serpent. Everything around him was beginning to rotate, and he felt an urge to vomit. Allen closed his eyes to quell the feelings of nausea, and after several minutes felt the sensation subside. Seconds went by as he stood there waiting for the pain to go away; various cloudy visions collided in his mind: a bright light, a rotating whirlpool, and terrible screams. He shook his head as a migraine set in. None of what he saw made sense, and he didn’t have time to decipher.

  Allen surveyed the area for clues to see if he could recognize any landmarks. Just moments ago, he had been in the car with his friends from campus, and now he was battered and covered in mud in an unfamiliar forest. His hands started shaking as his thoughts veered towards the possibility of an accident.

  Don’t let this be like before.

  The idea loomed in his head for several minutes, and he felt his mind swirling with emotions. His movements became rash and hectic as he attempted to gain control of the situation and find his friends. The feeling in the pit of his stomach only grew larger as time went on.

  With sharp and uncalculated movements, Allen looked in every direction for anything that would help him understand. It didn’t take him long to notice a small pulsing light in the distance. An idea struck him as he flipped his wrist around and swiped his finger across his arm. A dim screen came to life, presenting several forms of data and colorful icons. Allen fidgeted with the overlay for several seconds until a curse left his lips. The Smart Wrist Phone (S-Wrist for short) was brand new, and his experience with it was minimal. Each and every program had no connection. He flipped it off after his screen erupted in static. With defeat, he wiped his rain-soaked hair away from his eyes. Reaching up to his dark brown locks, he felt mud and various debris. With a few furious swipes, he cleared it out and stared back at his wrist. The date and time on his phone were October 12, 2025, at 12:30 A.M. He flipped the screen on again and saw that he had enough power for the flashlight. Within seconds, the dark area around him became brightened with light.

  At least this is working.

  He closed his puffy eyes and took a deep breath, tilting his head back. Upon opening his eyes, Allen saw a bright full moon directly above him; several ominous clouds gathered together. The air was fresh and clean, almost as if there was no pollution. He stared in the direction of the unrelenting glow of light in the distance; the frequency of the flashes seeming to accelerate. A sudden intense chorus of thunder rolled through the sky, leaving a harsh echo in his ears. With a crack, a few wild deer scurried off deeper into the forest. Allen blinked rapidly as he watched them leave with disbelief; his ears picked up a faint voice in the distance between the thunder

  “He’s watching you.”

  Slapping his face, Allen tried to stay awake. I must be losing it.

  Two more veins of electricity illuminated the forest, allowing him to witness several sparkles reminiscent of fireflies in front of him. He walked over to a nearby tree and focused the light from his phone on the trunk. Extending his right arm caused him to feel a familiar spark of pain. Able to move it somewhat, he tried to raise it but felt pressure when he flexed. With his left hand, he examined the tree in front of him. It felt smooth in some areas and in others rough, like tree trunks ought to feel. He brought the light closer and saw what seemed to be metallic patches throughout.

  Allen proceeded to shine his flashlight on everything around him. The dirt and rocks looked familiar enough, but the leaves, grass, and other plants seemed strange. They each carried a color reminiscent of the royal blue in his school’s flag and on his house. The grass and foliage were a dull t
eal. He picked up a leaf and put it against his nose. The smell was oddly aromatic. He let it fall to the ground. Allen walked to another set of trees and found similar metallic surfaces on all of them.

  The rain felt odd as well. It was smooth to the touch and tasted strangely sweet. It didn’t burn his eyes like the rain he was used to, and it felt rather soothing as it skirted along his eyelashes. He broke the storm’s hypnosis and stared at the ground. His heart pounded in his chest. To his disbelief, a faraway animal skirted through the forest and two more followed. A realization hit him as he attempted to collect his composure.

  “There were no wooded areas near the road we were on,” he said out loud.

  Up until now, everything felt as if he were dreaming or out of touch with reality, but the pain throughout his body ruled out that theory. “Is any of this real?”

  Allen raced towards the flashing pulse as fast as he could muster; his flashlight dancing chaotically in the night. Each of his movements was hindered by the mud-soaked earth beneath him, and he felt as though he were walking in a shallow river. Thoughts loomed in and out of his head as he paced ahead. Another lightning strike burst off into the distance followed by thunder that rattled his teeth. The clouds had cleared slightly, and the vast ocean of stars finally became visible. His breath was lost in the night as he gazed up at the starry sky. Everything was pristine and clear. Formations of distant galaxies and nebulas were looming above him, and only a small amount of light pollution could be seen on the distant horizon.

  In an attempt to calm himself, Allen pushed his hands through his hair and down to his neck. He turned around to witness what was behind him and found a giant object orbiting close to the planet. His mouth widened at the sight of a structure more massive than anything he had ever seen. The monolith seemed bigger than the moon, and Allen felt small in its wake as he cleared his dry throat. With scattered awareness, his attention jumped to each corner like a ricocheting bullet. It appeared to be the size and shape of a small moon or satellite. Numerous lights, both pulsing and stationary, covered the object like a Christmas tree. The sky around it was alive, and he could see many lesser objects flying in different directions. Without much time to think, Allen heard a voice that made him turn away from the glorious sight.

  “Allen…Allen, is that you? What’s going on? Is everyone okay?”

  Allen stared blankly into the darkness and closed his eyes for a brief second. Time seemed to slow and pause. A raindrop dispersed in a puddle below his feet. A solemn thought repeated itself over and over in his mind like a broken record.

  Where are we and why is there something hovering in the sky?

  “Allen, is that you?”

  The voice sounded groggy, but he knew it well. He flipped the hair off of his face and moved his flashlight in William’s direction.

  “William, I’m so glad you’re alright. I’m…I’m having a hard time with all of this. Do you see that thing in the sky and the trees—the trees are metallic with blue leaves…Where the hell are we?”

  “I don’t know, Allen. We need to stay calm. And I see it too. Can you help me up? My foot is caught in the mud.”

  “Don’t move.”

  Allen reached over and grabbed William Dante’s hand and pulled him out of the mud. His towering stature emerged a foot over Allen’s shorter height. William stood up and brushed off his black-collared shirt and jeans. He removed a few twigs from his charcoal hair and stared at Allen with a calculating expression. His pale white skin was slick with rain, and no betrayal of panic was evident in his eyes, but Allen knew he was hiding it.

  “Have you gathered any sense of where we’re at? Where are the others?” said William.

  Allen took a deep breath and cleared his throat, “Well there are blue leaves and metallic trees all around us. The rain tastes like sugar and…you don’t seem to be hurt in any way?”

  A smile stretched across William’s face, “Guess I got lucky. Is your shoulder okay? You haven’t let go of it this whole time.”

  “It’s okay, just a little bruised. I don’t think it’s broken,” Allen said as he took another deep breath. “I haven’t found the others, but before I found you, I was heading for the light in the distance.”

  William’s eyebrows crumpled a little. “It looks like a strobe light or firework. If it’s near the car we had better get there quickly.”

  It took every ounce of strength for Allen to keep up with William’s stride. He had always been the faster one when they ran on the track team, and Allen felt the same feeling of jealousy as he was slowly left behind. Allen kept his attention on his feet as they both sprinted through the mud and tree roots. He felt that at any minute he would trip and smack his head on one of the many silver trunks. As he got closer, Allen noticed a few voices near the strange light. The sounds squeaked and shuddered in-between the pitter patter of raindrops.

  “What are you saying…that the car is going to explode? Come on, Brenda. Half of it isn’t even here. I don’t smell any gas,” said Trevor.

  “Well yea, Trevor, I think we should. God, did you hit your head or something? We need to put this out now. We shouldn’t even be near whatever this light is,” said Brenda Harrison as her voice cracked. She started to back away. Allen saw her wave her hands in frustration at her twin brother. Both of the London-born students flinched at the sight of William as he stepped through the bushes.

  “Guys, we need to get away now. I don’t want to find out what the hell that is,” William said as he brushed past one of the turquoise bushes.

  “William! Thank God, you’re okay. Where are we, and how did all of this happen?” said Brenda.

  “We will talk later. Come on, follow me. You too, Trevor.”

  “But what about that thing in the-”

  “Trevor, I know, okay? Do you want to talk about this now or explode with the car?” said Brenda.

  “I’m not gonna deal with your crap, Brenda. This is serious,” said Trevor.

  “Hey! Both of you need to stop. This isn’t the time. Where’s Anya?” said William.

  “Anya won’t budge from the tree over there. She’s having another panic attack. You need to get to her, William, before she passes out like last time,” said Trevor as he flattened out the creases on his orange coat and pointed past the car.

  Allen had been watching his friends talk. The strobing ball of energy in the car danced in a wave of colors in front of them; the rain not affecting it. The old sedan had a few dents, and the trunk was nowhere to be seen. The engine and front seats were engulfed with the mysterious glowing object, now growing brighter. He kept his distance as he circled around the car and headed towards a cluttered group of trees. The small frame of Anya Rose was slouching against one of the thick trunks with her head in her hoodie as it absorbed every speck of rain. The wood imprinted into her hands from her tight grip. Long red hair was draped over her shoulders in an unorganized mess with several tangles and curls visible. Allen approached her and started to rub her back.

  “Anya. Hey, everything’s gonna be alright. Come on, we need to get out of this rain. William is here.”

  Several footsteps approached as William hunched over beside her. “Allen’s right. We need to get you dry. I promise everything is okay.”

  “No, everything is not okay. I left my anxiety medicine in the car. William, I need it. Please,” Anya said as drops of rain slid down her blushed cheeks. Allen noticed that even in the rain she was still beautiful.

  The car began to squeal as Allen and the group cowered near Anya. He saw William slowly approach the back seat and reach his hand into the car. The pulsing light suddenly hissed and sparked, light showering like a firework; it instantly calmed down to a dim glow after several seconds. Allen held his breath, envisioning the worst. Seeing his friend unscathed, he let out the trapped air.

  “Here you go. Sorry, I don’t have any water. Allen said the rain here is sweet,” William said with an earnest tone.

  Moments passed before
anything was said.

  A trembling voice left Brenda’s lips, “William, I don’t know what just happened, but it’s fair to say that you’re still alive, and whatever that was didn’t blow us to bits?”

  “Whatever that thing is I don’t think it will harm us. It felt calming and familiar. We should get moving,” William said as he unscrewed the cracked bottle and handed his girlfriend two white capsules.

  Anya took the medicine and let the rain wash it down. Minutes passed, and her ironclad grip on the tree subsided. Her body shivered as another lighting strike circled the sky.

  “Let’s try to find someplace dry. I don’t know when this rain is gonna let up,” said William as he put his arms around her, leading her away.

  Allen activated his S-Wrist and turned on the screen. The icon in the top right corner was blinking, and he tapped it with his finger. A white box appeared with a red X. He checked the connection and found it pointless to troubleshoot.

  “I don’t have a signal on my phone. Does anyone else?”

  “Nope. Figures,” said Trevor as he let his arm fall to his side.

  “Me neither. Let’s worry about this later. There’s got to be a building somewhere,” said Brenda.

  They all dismissed the notion of any help from the Internet and began to wait for William to start walking. Allen took the back of the line and followed everyone else. Endless minutes passed, and the rain had only let up slightly. He recognized the blue leaves and metallic trees everywhere and found no deviation.

  “The trees here are thicker, making it harder for the rain to drip through. You guys wanna rest?” said William.

  “Yea, let’s take a break,” Allen said as he found a place to sit where the ground was only moderately wet. He let his mind wander as everyone else sat down near him. The twins, Brenda and Trevor, sat to his left. Trevor began to fidget with his drenched cargo pants, trying not to make the holes on them bigger. To his right were William and Anya. Allen saw her rest her head on William’s shoulder. A dull ache in his chest appeared as he watched how supportive they were with each other. He felt alone in this unknown land and wished he could talk to his parents again.