Novel Preview

This is the first portion of the novel, of Chapter, or as I call it “Episode”, 1: “Calm Before The Storm: Part 1”. I am releasing this portion as its own chapter first to act as a preview of “Opening Stage” and to acquire early feedback. I hope you all enjoy it.

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“Ever looked out the window and thought, “What if someone were watching me?””

The young girl ran, her breath catching in her ears as she sprinted, panting hard.

“Ever seen a visitor and wondered, “What might he be willing to share?””

Heartbeat ringing in her head, her limbs began to ache as she raced ahead. The ache caused her to begin decelerating, until a heaving growl echoed in her ear. Fear gripped at her, causing her to move even faster.

“Every visitor has their surprises. Some pleasant, some not. And you can never tell which it will be…until it’s too late.”

The growling intensified, the girl’s fear thrusting her further still, heedless of obstacles. She hurriedly knocked branches and leaves out of her way, her leg catching scratches on a bush. Wincing briefly, she continued to run.

“Whatever surprises they give you then, you’ll have to face. Face and accept. But, what if said surprise…could be countered? What if you had something to stand against it?”

Emerging from the trees, the girl came into a large clearing. Large forest foliage filled the entire perimeter around her. Her strength now exhausted, the girl at last halted. Sweating from all over, she hugged around herself as her body felt simultaneously fried and frozen. A familiar growling came to accompany her panting, and she slowly turned around to face it.

The source was a purple, quadrupedal creature. Its skin shimmered, like a coat of stars upon the inky fabric of space. Spines ran down its back, circular markings on either side of them. It bore a long tail, sharp claws, and opened its mouth to reveal savage teeth.

Gritting its teeth and growling, the creature’s eyes glowed purple. Its whole body shone the same color, the light shedding away to its right. The light then became a copy of it. The copy repeated the original’s action, producing its own copy.

And so on, and so forth, the young girl, frozen with fright, watching the creatures’ numbers expand until they hit 10. She silently whimpered as her legs shook, her small glasses feeling like they’d adhered to her face.

Hearing their snarls and breaths, the youngster felt her heart sink like a rock. Nowhere to run, her thoughts drifted towards her home. To her parents, to her friends at school, gazing at the stars, eating sushi for the first time.

She felt like falling, but didn’t. Didn’t matter, though. All the pleasures she’d recalled were about to be wiped away, permanently. The young girl became deathly silent as tears welled in her eyes.

But just then, in front of her, a blue glow began appearing. The glow began strengthening, electricity beginning to crackle around it. The creatures, who moments ago were ready to charge, became cautious of the new light, and held back.

A good move, for within moments, the shining blue turned into a burst. The burst formed a hole, and from it, a spire of blue light erupted free. Every being present froze as the blue radiance rose into the heavens, wind rushing around it as the sound of thunder welled up from it.

The girl, sparing a last bit of resolve, looked up into the spire. Her eyes squinted as they adjusted to the overwhelming light. As she focused closer, she could make out an eye inside of that light. An eye that shone a bright blue.

The column and blue hole then contracted, the powerful glow giving way to the usual light of the sun. In its place, hovering in the air, was a new creature.

Standing at four feet tall, the creature seemed to be a bipedal dinosaur, with a stance like a man. His scales were colored a deep purple, his chest curved like a blade, and his limbs were very muscular and wide.

The creature’s head, large and box-like, bore blue eyes, one on each side, and twin horizontal horns. Twin fangs protruded up from his lower lip. Armor plates decorated his brawny limbs - over his forearms, shoulders and knees.

The newcomer’s right eye then focused on the human girl. His scaly lips then curled up into a smile. The girl, transfixed by this new visitor, somehow felt her fears ease as she laid eyes on him.

Then, in one moment, she found herself in the purple one’s arms. In the next, she was standing away from her aggressors. The new creature plucked her from the circle, a good distance away. She looked down, the reptile raising his head to meet her gaze. Keeping his smile, he nodded lightly towards her.

Growling then emanated behind the two, as the other beasts now fixed their attention on the newcomer. His smile faded, and his eyes narrowed as he looked back towards them.

Roaring, the 10 threats opened their mouths, launching violet beams of light at the two. Right as the girl gasped in shock, the dinosaur raised his tail to intercept them. A blue spark came at the tip of it, expanding as the beams made contact.

As electricity frenzied about from the tail, the spark expanded, drawing the light from the purple beams into itself. The quadrupeds halted, transfixed as the grown blue light was drawn into the newcomer’s tail, his eyes briefly flashing.

“Big mistake.”

As these words passed from his lips, the armored alien instanced himself to the center of his enemies’ circle. Smashing his hand on the ground, a blue blast shot forth, knocking the other beasts right into the air.

Faster than the girl could track, her new protector went skyward, his tail, fists, and feet flying as he knocked their attackers about, arranging them into a diagonal line in the sky.

Then, hovering behind them, the creature spread his legs, leaning downward, his head further leaning right. Raising his left arm before himself, he raised his right arm high behind himself. In his fist, a shining blue sword, one even wider than his strong arm, materialized.

In an instant, he dashed forward, his arm cleaving down in one smooth stroke. Standing before the girl again, he closed his eyes. Right as he did, the 10 enemies above them exploded in bursts of violet light.

The reptile raised his left arm up behind himself, a cone of blue light emerging. It engulfed the purple sparks, drawing them into itself before retreating into its owner’s hand.

Speechless, the girl turned her head down to her rescuer. Her mind was currently blanked by awe, and so her eyes tried to get her to focus, by turning to the sword in the reptile’s hand.

It consisted of a gray handle and hexagonal sword guard. 2 small gray plates emerging from either side of the guard, the long blade extending from the front piece.

The creature then quickly spread his right arm outward. The weapon in his hand dematerialized, turning to blue particles that flowed into his hand. He then stood fully upright, arms at his sides.

Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath and let it go, relaxing his hands. He then turned his head up to the girl’s, her looking down and catching his smile returning to his visage.

“Are you alright?”

“I am now.”