E-Book, Englisch, 208 Seiten
Castro Rebel Moon Part Two - The Scargiver: The Official Novelization
1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-1-80336-734-7
Verlag: Titan Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
E-Book, Englisch, 208 Seiten
ISBN: 978-1-80336-734-7
Verlag: Titan Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
V. Castro is a Mexican American writer from San Antonio, Texas now residing in the UK. As a full-time mother she dedicates her time to her family and writing Latinx narratives in horror, speculative fiction, and science fiction. Her most recent releases include The Queen of the Cicadas from Flame Tree Press and Goddess of Filth from Creature Publishing. Connect with Violet via Instagram and Twitter @vlatinalondon or www.vcastrostories.com.
Autoren/Hrsg.
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2
KORA AND THE BAND OF WEARY BUT UNSCATHED WARRIORS MADE THE EASY journey from the lush forested mountains and into the tucked-away valley towards the village. Kora and Gunnar glanced at each other when they reached the edge of the dirt road leading into the outskirts of the village. They expected it to be bustling in activity, but it was the opposite. The village was quiet, seemingly desolate. No one worked in the fields or outside. All the uraki had to be in the stables because they too were absent. Kora turned to Gunnar with one hand on her hip, close to her weapon. Her body and face straightened with tension upon this odd sight. She shifted from calm and relief from making it back in one piece after fighting Noble to high alert. In a way, she was more comfortable in this tense state. “No one is in the fields.”
Gunnar shook his head and scanned the village, paying attention to every detail. “Look. Smoke from the longhouse. The hearths are lit. Let’s find out what’s going on.”
Gunnar and Kora picked up their pace towards the stone bridge as they approached the longhouse, hoping to find out where everyone was. As they got closer, Den and Hagen stood next to the village bell. Den had his eyes only on Kora, giving her a welcoming smile while Hagen waved them over. Gunnar glanced over to Kora, who seemed to relax upon seeing familiar faces. Hagen had a wide grin as he studied the warriors individually. They stopped at the posts to dismount and tie up the uraki.
“We watched your descent down the eastern slope. I am Hagen.” His eyes softened as he said this and looked at Kora with genuine joy. Hagen approached the warriors with Den next to him. “This is Den. We welcome you to our humble village. You must be tired and hungry.”
Titus held up his flask. “And thirsty.”
Hagen nodded and clapped his hands together. “We have prepared food and drink for you in the longhouse.” Gunnar slapped Hagen on the shoulder with a large smile then turned to the warriors. “Come on, you’ll see what great hosts my people can be.”
Hagen, Gunnar, and Den turned to walk into the longhouse. The rest of the warriors followed, with Kora staying behind the crowd. “Kora!” a voice shouted.
Kora saw Sam and smiled. She appeared well. The young woman waved to her then turned to run in the direction of the granary. Kora’s gaze moved to the towering mountains. It was nice to feel rooted to the ground again in a place of such beauty. She inhaled deeply before turning to join the rest in the longhouse.
* * *
Sam ran into the granary, out of breath and rosy cheeked. “They’ve come back!” She stood in front of him, smiling and buzzing with excitement.
Aris rose from the barrel he sat on, fixing and cleaning weapons. This news made him equally excited. “How do they look?”
“Strong. I guess how warriors should look. I knew Kora would make it back. We have real fighters joining us.”
Aris’s initial excitement died down when he thought about the practical. “How many of them?”
“Six… with Kora and Gunnar.”
He shook his head, appearing crushed by the number, and looked around the granary that still stored Imperium equipment. “Six? Then it won’t matter how strong they look.”
Sam’s face dropped. “Oh.”
Aris walked towards Sam and reached for both her hands when a series of loud beeps rang out. It was his superiors reaching out via the comms link. His eyes darted around frantically. “Hide! You can’t be seen.”
Sam nodded and ducked behind stacked crates. Satisfied she was out of sight, he rushed to the hologram. Before answering, he ran his fingers through his hair and made sure his uniform appeared tidy. He swiped the plate to receive the transmission. A familiar face appeared. “Commander Cassius,” said Aris as he saluted.
“Soldier. All is as it should be, I trust?”
“Yes, sir. All is on target.”
Cassius never surprised Aris with how difficult he was to read. The man was a master at never betraying his thoughts or emotions. He stared at Aris with a short pause. “Nothing out of the ordinary?”
Aris matched his stoic expression. “No, sir.”
“Very well. Ensure the harvest is brought in as planned and ready for our arrival in five days’ time.” Cassius ended the transmission abruptly after saying this.
Aris stared at the space which Cassius just inhabited then slowly turned towards Sam’s hiding space. “You can come out now.”
Sam rose to her feet with caution. Her face no longer showed disappointment. There was worry mixed with terror at the memory of the violence they had experienced at the hands of the soldiers. Her voice warbled. “Five days?”
Aris nodded, looking just as somber. “We need to go to the longhouse now.”
* * *
The longhouse was empty when the group of warriors entered. Only a single hearth had been lit, but there were loaves of bread, hard cheeses, dried fruit, fresh vegetables, and meat. Apples in a basket sat next to jugs of water and ale. Tarak turned to Titus after not seeing the villagers. “Not much of a first impression… or welcome,” he said in a low voice.
Hagen cleared his throat and clasped his hands in front the warriors. “Our villagers have prepared a bounty of food and drink to demonstrate their fealty and gratitude at your arrival.”
Kora looked around the longhouse in confusion. “But where are they? Are they hiding?”
Hagen shook his head. “Not hiding themselves… To show their deference they hide their shame.”
“Shame? Of what?” said Kora.
Den looked at Kora then back to the warriors. “How would you feel, the lot of you, if you could not stand for yourselves to protect your own home? If you had to ask others to lay down their lives for you? This has never happened in our history.”
“Give them time. It’s a difficult thing these people have done. To swallow their pride enough to even ask for help. That is bravery itself,” said Milius, who then turned to Hagen. “They should see there is no shame in our being here.”
Kora smiled at Milius then glanced back to Den and Hagen. “And as it happens, nobody need lay down their lives. A defense is no longer needed. Admiral Noble is dead. We killed him.”
“You killed him, Kora,” said Gunnar with eyes shining brightly as he looked at her.
Hagen appeared shocked upon hearing this news. He exchanged an excited look with Den. Both men beamed with large smiles. “You do not believe they will return?” asked Hagen.
“I don’t. It’s Imperial protocol, in the event of an admiral’s death, to return to the Motherworld at once,” said Kora, matching Hagen’s joy. The room lightened as she delivered this news. Hagen stepped closer to her. “Then I owe you an even deeper debt than I…”
“You’re wrong.” Everyone turned towards the voice coming from the entrance of the longhouse. It was Aris with Sam by his side. He continued, “I’ve just heard word they will be here in five days.”
Den’s head snapped towards Kora. “I thought you said you’d killed Admiral Noble.”
Kora’s eyes searched the floor as she thought back to those final moments looking at his crushed body. The blood surrounding him like a red aura of death. “I did kill him. His body was smashed on the rocks. He is dead. It’s against protocol to come without an admiral to command the ship.”
Titus took a step forward. “We all saw him, but believe me when I say death is not always a deterrent for the designs of the Motherworld. They must be in more need of this grain than we could have known.” He turned to Hagen. “Call your villagers.”
Hagen gave him a nod before rushing out the door. Moments later, the loud clear tone of the bell rang through the village for all to hear. The group of warriors followed Kora walking out of the longhouse to join Hagen. The villagers began to emerge from their houses, knowing the bell was not a sound to ignore. They glanced at Hagen, then kept their eyes on the foreign warriors while keeping a respectful distance. When everyone seemed to be gathered, he addressed the crowd like the natural leader he was, standing tall with confidence. His deep voice boomed and carried.
“Dark days lie ahead of us all. When the time comes we may all have to stand together. In battle, as brothers, where no one life is more valuable than the other. To succeed, there must be trust between us. But trust is a river that must flow both ways. In time we will show you how to fight. First, we must see your strength and the way of the land. If we do not act quickly, the destruction of your village is all but assured.” He paused to scan the crowd’s reaction then turned to Hagen. “How long does it take to bring in your crop?”
“Half a cycle around Mara.”
Titus shook his head. “It must be done in three days’ time.” Den and Hagen exchanged glances. There was a murmur amongst the villagers after he said this. Titus continued. “We need every man and woman who is able. The grain is the most powerful weapon. Without it they are liable to blow us out of existence from orbit. If we bring it in fast, we can use it as a bartering tool and shield.”
Den turned to Kora. “I thought you said they wouldn’t negotiate.”
“Admiral Noble wouldn’t have. The fact they are coming without him… Whoever is his second in command just might be willing to do a trade.”
The villagers looked at each other with worry and...
