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

  “So, is anyone gonna mention anything about how fricking strange this place is? I-I don’t feel like we’re on the same planet,” said Trevor as the wind pulsed past him.

  “There are a lot of differences. You could be right, or we’re all dense from the crash,” said Brenda as she rolled her sleeves of her t-shirt up, exposing her toned arms. The multicolored British flag on the front flashed with the glow from the lightning strikes.

  “Well, we sure as hell aren’t in Indianapolis. You ever see blue leaves in Indiana? How about light pole trees huh? I swore when I had opened my eyes I thought I had woken up from a bad trip or something. Honestly, I’m way too tired to care right now.”

  “I don’t think any of us have a clue where we are.”

  Allen suddenly felt himself drifting off to sleep. The image of his friends became blurry in the cold forest around them. In mere moments his breathing had slowed, letting his mind craft what was missing in the darkness. He often tried meditating, but this time it felt different. Most of the time he couldn’t block out his busy mind, but he soon found himself void of thought; his body relaxed, and his aching muscles stop hurting. The entire environment around him changed, and he was suddenly alone in the middle of a vast white room. He gazed up at the sky and noticed the planet-sized object hovering above him like a bright star ready to burn out. He looked in all directions and noticed the forest had suddenly reappeared and was set ablaze.

  Allen jumped up and started to run. The shuffling of his feet in the thick mud made it difficult to find a way out, but no solace was in site. The vines on the ground caused him to trip and fall over a tree root, knocking his face into the metal floor. He got up, seemingly unharmed, and saw William close by. Allen attempted to reach out to him, but his hand phased right through his body. Several scars painted a pattern on William’s head, chest, and arms as if he were a canvas. Blood slowly dripped out from his wounds and twisted metal wings formed along his back.

  “Allen, why didn’t you save me? You let me jump into the ocean! Why did you let me go! You have to stop it from falling. You have to stop it from falling on us, Allen!”

  The whole area around them suddenly ceased to exist, and the orbiting sphere burst into an inferno. It began to descend down onto the planet with bits and pieces ripping away from its cold, metal carcass. Allen saw the structure gravitate closer and closer, and instantly a pain burst in the side of his neck like an arrow had struck him, causing his body to collapse. William appeared next to him, lifting his hands to try and stop it from crashing. Like a fragile glass doll, the massive vessel crushed him; Allen laid on the ground, watching in horror as his friend’s body vanished. Tiny winged silhouettes appeared all around, screaming with closed mouths. Among them, a woman enveloped in gold, whose entire body pristine, approached him. Allen felt her soothing warmth and everything returned to darkness.

  Jerking his head off of his hand, Allen came back to reality with sweat drenching his face and neck. He inhaled deeply and could smell the slight scent of smoke and realized it was all a dream. He quickly looked for the object in the sky and saw that it had not moved since he had fallen asleep. All of his friends were still talking. He caught bits and pieces of the conversation as he rubbed his eyes. A small yawn escaped his lips.

  It was just a dream. A very messed up one at that.

  He shook his head and found the fatigue push harder and harder for relief. As his pulse lowered, he took a second to close his eyes once more; the vision only a blur in his mind. He brushed it off as an effect of exhaustion, but a small part of him worried it could really happen. He glanced at the structure again with a newfound anxiety of large orbiting objects.

  Brenda grabbed her shoes and shook them free of the rain before putting them back on her green socks. “We should probably get out of here and find some lodging. Maybe we can find someone who can help us.”

  “You’re right. We need to find proper shelter and dry off. Does anyone have any food or water?”

  “All of our backpacks were gone when we woke up,” said Brenda as she pulled out a pink lip balm

  “What exactly happened to the car?” said Allen.

  “I don’t know. When all of us woke up, the front seat had that glowing thing, and none of our belongings were inside besides Anya’s purse. No backpacks or—” said Brenda.

  “Shit, I just remembered. I put the backpacks in the trunk,” Trevor interrupted.

  “You what! Why didn’t you mention that before we left? We can’t go back now.”

  “Give me a break. It isn’t every day that you wake up on an alien planet,” said Trevor with a smirk as he rubbed the back of his head, “and besides, the trunk is probably in another dimension or something.”

  “This is serious! This isn’t something to joke about, Trevor.”

  “Guys. We will double back there when we get a chance. We better get going. We don’t know what is out here, and if this is another “planet,” then I’m sure it won’t be too welcoming of us,” said William.

  “Yea let’s go. I’m freezing,” said Anya as she gathered her hands into the pockets of her dark hoodie.

  **********

  An hour had passed, and Allen couldn’t stop himself from staring at the sky. The dream had felt so real, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom. He wondered how much energy the space station took for it to stay afloat and if it actually could collide with the planet. He pondered for a while and remembered bits and pieces from his high school science project.

  The structure would require a significant amount of generated energy unless the rotation of the planet took longer. The gravity here is no different than it is on Earth.

  Darkness loomed over them more and more as he and his friends trekked on in the quiet forest of metal and sapphire. Every step he took felt like a challenge as his exhaustion weighted down his entire body. The forest canopy was thick and allowed for very little moonlight to guide their path. He stopped in his place and coughed loudly. “We’ve been walking for miles now. This forest doesn’t seem to end anywhere.”

  William halted his progress and glanced at his phone, “It has been a while. Does anyone have any ideas? Wait, do you guys hear that? Something is co –”

  A sudden current of electricity blasted in front of William, causing his balance to shift. A singular dark form spun around and landed right in the middle of the group. It was outfitted in armor and tattered cloth with dark green eyes staring with malice. It stood next to William at eye level. Its face was masked, save for a clear visor; it resembled a human male from the broad shoulders and physique. In his hand was a gun with red lights flashing on the sides. Allen could only stare silently as if his feet were permanently planted into the ground. He couldn’t tell what kind of gun it was, but it appeared to be alien. The shadowed specter swiftly dissolved from view and a small quake shook the ground beneath.

  “What was that? William, are you okay?” said Allen as he began to shake.

  “It looked at me like it wanted me dead. We better get as far away from here as possible.”

  “William, we have to find shelter. There could be more of them, or he could come back,” Anya said.

  A sudden energy burst collided with Trevor and smashed him against the dirt. William took out a knife from his back pocket and moved in front of Anya. The air shimmered as two humanoid creatures were suddenly in front of them. They were distinctly different from the individual they had just encountered and had urgent looks in their eyes. Both were silver in color, and their armor resembled the metal on the trees. Both wore thick plates on their chests. On each of their right hands was a gauntlet-like glove stretching down to their wrists, and each contained a dim blue light on the palm. Allen saw a lightning strike erupt in the sky and the light reflected on the surface of their backs. Both creatures had a unique pair of wings that laid vertically, reflecting a pristine light. His pupils dilated as the glare hit him.

  “Who are you!?” William said as he stared at t
he creatures. Their irises were dark brown, and their mouths were covered by a flat plate of silver. “I won’t hesitate to use this if you threaten us.”

  The silver men said nothing and glanced in several directions until they were satisfied. They motioned their heads in the direction of the menacing rogue and started to run.

  “Ar-are they wanting us to follow them?” Brenda said.

  “If they really wanted us dead, we’d be gone by now. I say we follow,” said William.

  “Are we seriously going to follow them? What if they are with the other guy?” said Anya with rushed words.

  “What choice do we have? Are you with me, Allen?”

  Hesitant and shaking from the cold rain, “Trusting you on this one, man.”

  Allen and William took off in the direction of the two mysterious men, and the rest followed. Allen grabbed his aching right shoulder as he followed as fast as he could after the new arrivals. It was only moments before they had all caught up with them. The rain picked up again and retained its silky feel. Allen gazed up at the sky at the revolving orbs and noticed several ships becoming bigger as if they were entering the atmosphere. An intense feeling spawned in the pit of his stomach at the sight of these unknown vessels and the dream he had hours prior. The light from one of the gauntlets was bright enough for Allen to make out a stone structure in front of them. He could see small traces of metal in between the crevices as if it was repaired once before. Chunks of rock littered the surrounding patches of teal grass.

  “Are they taking us inside? We can dry off and figure out what we’re going to do,” said Allen.

  “They might be able to help us, but I doubt they speak English. How are we going to communicate with them?” said Anya. She played with the strings on her hoodie with nervous motions.

  “I have a feeling we’ll soon find out. If we run into that thing again, we have to be ready. I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” said William.

  A similar spark of energy reappeared and traveled ahead. The dark figure appeared in front of them only momentarily before it vanished. Allen could see the cold, calculating look in its eyes as it disappeared back into the abyss. The energy grew larger and shook the ground beneath them before dissipating into the sealed-off entrance to the structure. Allen felt an immense heat on his arm and covered it, grimacing. Everything was silent, save for his breath and something stirring inside the humanoid figures as they faced the damaged stone walls in the cold and unknown land.

  Two

  Wings of Silver

  The metallic humanoids stood vigilant as the torrential downpour assaulted their armor like a volley of arrows. Radiating with a brilliant glow, the crimson light on their chest plate pulsated rapidly. The gauntlets on their wrists clamped down tightly as the material molded around their arms. Apart from the additions of wings, their bodies were muscular and human-like. Allen and William were several feet away from the structure, watching with apprehension. Traces of the red energy gravitated through small tubes extending up their arms and across their shoulders. It ran freely like blood as it reached their breastplates.

  Allen looked back at the rest of the group and motioned for them to step back; his leg began to shake. Several bruises and scrapes on his body ached, and the muscles in his right shoulder needed attention. The long silence was broken as Anya rubbed the dirt with her boot, rooting up the gravel and revealing a small metal surface beneath her.

  “How can we trust these creatures when they don’t even talk. I mean look at them,” said Anya as she wiped away the rain from her forehead. Ginger in hue, her hair draped down her face as it straightened, reaching down to her cross arms.

  “I’m sick of this place, and I’m tired of all this rain. We were almost attacked by that guy, and now there are silver aliens here too.”

  William stood there a moment as if analyzing her tone, “We were almost attacked, but we’re still here. You have to look at the positives.”

  “What positives are you referring to? We don’t even know where the hell we are or how we got here,” said Anya as she waved her arms in the air.

  William only stared, expecting her to continue, but she just let her head fall in defeat. With a loving embrace, William comforted her and rubbed his hand through her hair, “I know you’re upset, but if we don’t investigate we aren’t going to get back home.”

  “This is just too much all at once. How are you so calm right now?” she said with her face planted on his chest.

  “I think we all do, honey. None of us have an advantage right now, so just relax.”

  She raised her head and brushed her eyes with the damp sleeve of her sweater. Light freckles dotted along and above her nose. “I understand that, but how are we going to get back home?”

  “We either get the answers from them or wander this forest until we collapse,” said Allen as he got everyone’s attention, “I don’t like trusting these aliens either. They could be plotting to take us prisoner, and they could be allied with that other thing, but this is the only choice we have. There is surely someone who can give us the answers we need.”

  “Allen’s right. There has to be a reason why we’re here, and we’ll figure it out,” said Trevor as he raised the wet hood to his head. He attempted a smile, but it fell off seconds later.

  Anya took a deep breath, “William, what do you propose we do? Whatever it is, we have to be able to defend ourselves if it comes back.”

  “I’ll do everything to protect you, all of you. We’ll get through this together and make it back home. Don’t lose faith,” said William as he grabbed hold of Anya’s hand.

  Allen could hear the sincerity in William’s voice, and for a moment he let his body relax. The serenity of the rain splashing on the trees and their metal surfaces lulled him into a careless state. If they really were stuck here, they had better make the best of it. Maybe this isn’t such a bad place. Could be a new beginning. Allen opened his eyes and licked his chapped lips. A spark of determination gleamed in his eyes. Turning to address the silent strangers, Allen took a step forward and said, “Can you understand us?”

  No response came from either.

  “Where are we, and do you know where we can find shelter?”

  Allen saw them begin to shift, the armor on their legs braced as they walked closer to the stone wall. Their expressionless faces showed no signs of recognition. Allen flinched back as their crystalline wings sprang to life and locked into place. They then jolted forward and slammed their palms into the stone wall. The collision sent a shock wave that reverberated, breaking apart the seemingly indestructible surface. Rocks and bits of metal soared into the air and splashed in the puddles around them. Allen and William jumped back and prepared for the worst, but nothing happened. After the dust cleared, the humanoids lowered their hands and turned to look at the group.

  “Let’s follow them,” said William.

  “William, I think I’ll stay out here. This medicine is making me a little tired. Slowing you guys down is not my intention.”

  Allen saw the frown on William’s face; running ahead, he yelled for their guides to turn back. They stopped in their tracks and turned to face him. “Is it safe for one of our friends to stay behind?” he said, making hand motions and repeating them slowly. The silver aliens returned outside and pointed to a pile of rocks. They nodded their heads in unison and placed several small objects onto the ground. Standing back, they activated a switch and a transparent blue forcefield expanded outward. One of them walked over and moved his arm back and force through the material. The other tossed a rock only to have it bounce back to him.

  “Amazing, well now we know that they can understand us. I think you’ll be safe in there, Anya.”

  Anya smiled and entered the doom, sitting on the rock and taking her shoes off, “If you find a better shelter in that building let me know, and I’ll be right here.”

  She stood up and gave William a kiss as they started down the path.

  William adjusted
his shirt and started to walk near the corridor, the warriors already several paces ahead of them. Allen trailed behind the group and slowly approached the entrance. Looking back, he saw Anya anxiously watching them with her hands on her knees.

  “Alright guys, let’s see where they’re leading us,” William said as he checked his phone, “It’ll hopefully be getting light soon…Allen, are you okay man?”

  “It’s probably just exhaustion,” said Trevor as he patted Allen’s back. “Hey, you alright, buddy?”

  Allen’s vision was suddenly getting blurry as the piercing sound assaulted his ears. He saw bits and pieces of his friends, watching them slowly transform into blurs. The noise of the ringing grew louder and louder as their voices ceased to exist. He gripped his head with his hands and clenched his jaw as if a searing hot sun was being pushed into his skull. All at once, everything turned to black, and he felt the water splash upon his blazing skull as he collided with the ground.

  “Allen, are you okay? Guys, what’s wrong with him? William! William, what's the matter?” said Anya.

  “I don’t know. Could be exhaustion, or could be hunger or dehydration. It could be anything. The aliens, maybe they can help. Help!” William said as he stood up, running towards the stone keep.

  A sudden burst of energy rocked the pass as the two warriors soared towards the group, their wings outstretched, piercing the night. They vanished from sight and instantaneously appeared near Allen. His face was soaked with sweat, and he gasped for air. One of them took its hand and placed in on Allen’s forehead, leaving a blue glow that spread throughout his body. Its chest plate began to glow dark purple for several seconds and faded as it stood up and pointed to its head.