Sword of Kings

The Story So Far

The work you hold in your hands is the second volume in The Talisman War trilogy.
The first volume, entitled The Talisman of Faerie, tells the story of Alec Mason, a young baker’s apprentice who discovers a magic amulet known as the Talisman of Unity. The Talisman was created in ancient times by the Fairies, and it enabled the King of Faerie to unify his people and forge them into a mighty race. In a time of war, the Talisman was lost, and it remains lost until Alec runs across it seemingly by chance. At the same time, Alec discovers a gold ring and a circular gold headpiece. His friend Sarah takes the ring, and her mother Ara takes the circlet.

Alec does not suspect that his amulet is a talisman of powerful magic, nor does he
suspect there are men who might covet it. One such man is Salin Urdrokk, a powerful
sorcerer who desires to use the Talisman to enslave the Fairies. To discover its whereabouts, Salin visits his master Vorik Seth, an evil being of godlike power who lives in the desert wasteland of Mul Kytuer. Salin bargains with his master for information regarding the Talisman, and the Seth sends him to the far-away kingdom of Tyridan, where Alec resides.

In the guise of a collector of art, Salin approaches Alec and offers to buy the
Talisman from him. Alec agrees, but before he can deliver the Talisman, a hermit named Michael confronts him and warns him against the sorcerer. Alec does not believe Michael’s warning, but nevertheless delays in taking the Talisman to Salin. The sorcerer is infuriated, thinking Alec has changed his mind, and goes on a rampage through the town in search of Alec and the Talisman. Salin slays Alec’s guardians, and threatens to kill other people Alec cares about unless he gets what he wants.

Alec, learning of Salin’s threat, decides to flee the town with his two friends, Sarah and Kraig. Sarah is devastated, for she believes her mother Ara has been killed in Salin’s attack. Alec leads his friends into the Northwood, deciding to look for Michael’s hut. They find the hermit and beg for his help. Michael reluctantly agrees to help them flee to the city of Bordonhold, where they might find safety.

Along the way, Michael tells them Salin’s history. Centuries ago, Salin was a noble
knight, the champion of the High King of Eglak. But Vorik Seth promised Salin power
and immortality if he would betray his King. Salin was seduced by Vorik’s promises, and he led the King’s army into an ambush. The entire army would have been slaughtered if not for the intervention of the great magicians known as the Three. Vor, the First of the Three, known as the Magus, was the leader, and the most powerful in magic. Nul, the Second of the Three, called the Wizard, was the wisest. Siv, the Third of the Three, named the Enchanter, was the most dedicated in the fight against evil. Together, they foiled Salin’s ambush and saved the greater part of the King’s army.

Salin escaped to Vorik’s tower and learned the ways of sorcery. In time, he became
Vorik’s greatest general, and he conquered many kingdoms in his master’s name. He
became virtually immortal, and he grew in power until even the Three dared not
challenge him.

After finishing his story, Michael leads Alec and the others deeper into the woods
where they are attacked by wolves. The wolves surround them, but somehow Sarah generates a burst of fire that consumes the animals. Michael is stunned, believing her to be what he calls a Shaper, someone who can wield magic. But in reality the fire came from the gold ring she wears, the ring Alec found along with the Talisman. Michael explains it is a Rage Ring, a Faerie artifact that can create fire when the wearer experiences strong emotions. Sarah has the power to use it, but since she does not have the skill or wisdom to control it, it is very dangerous.

Michael takes them to his friend Horren’s home, where he believes they can rest safely for the night. Horren is an Addin, a twelve-foot tall giant who guards the
woodlands. Horren grants them sanctuary and gives them each a gift when they depart.
To Alec he grants a silver chest, which casts light when opened. To Sarah he grants a small glass vial, which Horren claims contains a woodland spirit that will help her in her time of greatest need. To Kraig he gives a battle-axe so that the muscular youth can better defend his companions. And to Michael he gives a mysterious book, which he hopes will restore Michael’s faith and his desire to fight evil.

Nearly a week later, they reach the banks of the Fourpoints River, which they must
cross to get to Bordonhold. There are no bridges nearby, but Michael finds a place where the water is only waist-deep. While crossing, they are attacked by a band of goblins. They defend themselves, but it seems hopeless until a tall warrior comes to their aid. He is Tor, an expert swordsman and bowman, who finishes off their attackers. He offers to escort them to Bordonhold, and they accept.

Tor, however, is not what he seems. He is an agent of Salin, and when they camp for
the night, he tries to take the Talisman. He uses a mind control spell called the Charin-ta to make the group more trusting, and they sleep peacefully. But Alec awakens and opens Horren’s silver chest, releasing its light and blinding Tor. Tor escapes into the night, without the Talisman.

After seven days of traveling through the forest, they arrive at Bordonhold. Michael
leaves his young companions at an inn and goes to visit a former acquaintance, Shad
Flynt. He hopes Shad will be able to escort the group to Faerie, where they will be safe from Salin. But when he finds Shad, he realizes the old man has become feeble, not fit for travel. Shad recommends they contact Lorn, a warrior he has befriended, whom he claims is a great swordsman and guide. There is one problem, however: Lorn is a drunk who has fallen into despair and self-pity.

Reluctantly, the travelers accept Lorn as their guide. Soon after leaving town, they
walk into a second goblin ambush. At first, Lorn is afraid to fight, but when Sarah calls him a coward, he overcomes his fear and slays the leader of the goblin band. Together, the group manages to kill the rest of them.

Elsewhere, Sarah’s mother, Ara, has survived Salin’s assault. She was wearing the
gold circlet Alec discovered with the Talisman, and the circlet protected her from Salin’s fire. She has enlisted the aid of Landyn, a worldly minstrel, and two trackers, Kari du Sharrel and Jinn Alyndra. Her intention is to track Sarah and make sure the girl is alive and well, and to find the means to protect her, if need be.

Kari and Jinn pick up Sarah’s trail, which leads through the woods to Horren’s home.
Horren greets them, and immediately recognizes Kari and Jinn for what they truly are: Fairies. He bows before them, for in olden times, the Addins served the Fair Folk. He joins their group, and together, the five of them continue to track Sarah, Alec, and the others.

 
Meanwhile, Alec’s group enters a desolate region known as the Plains of Naar. A
rainstorm falls across the plain, and they find shelter in an abandoned village. An old man named Druga enters their shelter, and they question him. He explains that an evil spirit known as the Ravager has been attacking the villages of Naar, slaughtering everyone. He alone survived the assault on this village. He does not know why he was allowed to live,
but Michael has an idea. Michael says that such spirits as the Ravager need to use a host body, and that Druga was probably the Ravager’s last host.

It turns out that Michael is right. The Ravager, still residing within Druga, takes
control of the old man’s body and attacks. He crates a ball of fire and launches it at Alec. But Lorn steps in front of Alec and takes the full brunt of the attack. Miraculously, he does not burn. In fact, to Alec’s surprise, the magical flame does not hurt Lorn at all!

The battle continues until the door bursts open and a new threat appears. Salin has
finally caught up to them. Caught between the Ravager and Salin himself, things look
hopeless. But the Ravager, coveting Salin’s power, tries to possess him. The two fight each other, forgetting their former prey. Alec and the others take the opportunity to flee.

But Salin is not alone. He is accompanied by Tor, a group of ogres, and two sisters—
an assassin named Stiletta, and an ice sorceress called Gwendolyn. When Salin manages to cast the Ravager from his mind and burn the host body, he and his company resume their pursuit.

Michael and Lorn hope to lose Salin in the Gravescorn Mountains to the north.
However, as they near the Gravescorn, they see a horde of Salin’s ogres leaping down the mountain face. The only escape is to enter the ancient Tomb of Faryn-Gehnah, where the Fairies once buried their dead. They reach the tomb just ahead of Salin, and, once inside, engage its ancient locks. Salin is locked out, but they are locked in. Their only escape is to travel through the tomb, under the Gravescorn, and emerge through the northern gates.

The tomb is cursed. Long ago the power of Vorik Seth infected the tomb, and now its
dead walk. In a large burial chamber, undead creatures rise from their coffins and assault the group. They flee, but in the chaos of battle they become separated. Alec, Sarah, and Lorn run down one corridor, while Kraig and Michael escape down another. The leader of the undead, a powerful mummified corpse, attacks Lorn, and while he fights it, Alec and Sarah flee. They become surrounded, and are once again saved by Sarah’s ring. However, she loses control of her fire, nearly killing herself and Alec. Alec, thinking quickly, dives into the fire and pulls the ring from Sarah’s finger. He resolves to keep the ring in his pocket, deeming it too dangerous to use again.

Meanwhile, Michael and Kraig meet a slumbering Fairy, a woman called Landrya. Though asleep, she can mentally communicate with them. They learn she is the last of the Tomb-Keepers, an order of Shapers sent to fight the curse. When the last of her kind fell, she entered a magical slumber. When the time comes that the curse can be broken, she will awaken. She warns Michael and Kraig that their friends are in danger, and gives them directions to the tomb’s exit.

The group is reunited, but the undead still pursue them. In the last burial chamber
before the exit, the mummy and its minions surround them again. They press forward, but when the mummy sees the Talisman of Unity, he stops the attack and bows before Alec. He explains that he is Azdoch shah’Gozoth, the lord of the tomb’s undead. He has been waiting centuries for one to come bearing the Talisman, for that person, he claims, is the Cursebreaker. When Alec says he cannot break the curse, shah’Gozoth makes him take an oath to return one day when he gains the power to do so. As a symbol of good faith, the mummy gives Alec the magic sword Flame. Then he begs the group to flee, for he cannot hold the dead back any longer. With undead at their heels, they escape the tomb.

Lorn leads them into Ogrynwood, the forest home of the ogres. Eventually, they reach a bridge that crosses a great ravine. They are dismayed to discover the bridge is too damaged to cross. The only other bridge is in the center of an ogre village. Lorn reveals that he and his father once traveled through Ogrynwood and helped the ogres in a dispute with Faerie, so he might be able to convince the ogres to let the travelers pass unharmed.

In the village of Farch, Lorn bargains with the ogre chieftain. The chieftain initially agrees to let them cross his bridge, but when he notices Alec’s Talisman, he demands it. Word has reached him that Salin is after it, and Salin holds more sway with the ogres than Lorn does. A battle ensues, and Lorn and the others narrowly escape over the bridge, which collapses under the weight of the pursuing ogres.

Several days later, they arrive in Faerie. They are greeted by Vyrdan, who serves
Lady Devra, governor of the village of Lehnwood. Vyrdan escorts them to Devra. She is a “reader,” someone with the talent to read one’s thoughts and intentions. She reads the companions, and realizes there is something strange about Alec. She is disturbed by what she sees, but she will not share her vision.

The following day, Devra escorts the group to Fairhaven, where reside Elyahdyn and
Mahv, the King and Queen of Faerie. At the palace, Alec offers the Talisman to the King, whom he believes is its rightful owner. But the Talisman burns the King’s hand, rejecting him. It has bonded with Alec, and now only Alec can wield it. The King is furious, and he sends everyone away, save Alec and the Queen.

In a guarded room, Michael broods. He knows the Talisman can only bond with
Fairies. He asks Devra what she saw in Alec. She tells him Alec has a vast, dark soul, full of a power she has never seen before. Alec is neither fully Fairy nor fully human. Michael, realizing what Alec is, demands to be taken to the King.

Michael reveals to King Elyahdyn that Alec is a hybrid of Fairy and human. This is
unheard of, for the Fair Folk are forbidden to mate with humans. The offspring of such a union, it is said, would be evil, and have the ability to wield an unstoppable power called the Magic of Death. The King holds a council to decide what to do with Alec, and one of his chief advisors, Father Sang, insists that Alec be put to death. Michael argues that Alec should be trained in the ways of Shaping, saying that Alec’s power can be used to make Faerie stronger. His argument wins out, and Alec is adopted by the King, who accepts
Alec as a citizen of Faerie.

In the weeks that follow, Lorn trains Alec in swordplay, and Michael trains him in the ways of Shaping. Michael is revealed to be Nul, the Second of the Three, whom the Fairies name Elsendarin. Long ago, he lost his faith in the One, the living spirit of the world, and thus lost his ability to Shape. But he can still teach, and he imparts his knowledge to Alec.

One night, Michael meets with his friend Elder Toros, and they discuss the book
Horren gave him, The Book of the One. Michael lost his faith because he once had a
vision in which Vorik Seth causes the end of the world. He always believed it was the purpose of the Three to stand against the Seth, and realizing they could not caused Michael to despair. The book states that “the One provides for all eventualities.” Michael wonders what the One has provided to be set against the Seth. Toros tells him that it if it is not the Three, there must be something else. Skeptical, Michael ponders his friend’s words.

Soon, there is a betrayal in Fairhaven. Salin has sent Lady Devra false visions of her King’s weakness, visions that prove Faerie will fall if the King is allowed to stay in power. Deluded, Devra organizes a revolt. She joins with Lord Shaper Shynogoth, leader of the dark Fairies who reside in the north, and his minion Gothra l’Uarach. Led by Shynogoth and Gothra, the dark Fairies attack Fairhaven, paving the way for Salin’s arrival.

With Tor, Stileta, and Gwendolyn, Salin invades Fairhaven. Tor teams with
Shynogoth and attacks Michael, while Salin goes after Alec and the Talisman. Michael is nearly killed, but in a moment of revelation he is reborn in faith. He realizes it is Alec that the One has provided to stand against Vorik Seth, and with the realization his power returns. Using magic, he chases Tor away and slays Shynogoth.

Meanwhile, Devra realizes she has been tricked. She rushes to the palace to help the
King and Queen reach safety, and is joined by Father Sang. But when they reach the King and Queen’s quarters, Sang attacks them with magic, revealing himself as a traitor. Lorn arrives, and, protected by his unique immunity to magic, slays Sang.

Salin finds Alec and takes the Talisman from him. He is about to slay Alec, when
help arrives in the form of the Addin, Horren, who has come with Ara, Landyn, Kari, and Jinn. Salin and his minions flee Fairhaven, but they escape with the Talisman.

Sarah is overjoyed at being reunited with her mother. The invasion seems to be over,
but with the Talisman in Salin’s hands, there is tension in Fairhaven. Salin is so powerful in sorcery that he can break the bond between Alec and the Talisman, and then use the Talisman to exert mind control over all the Fair Folk. It must be recaptured before he is able to master its magic and bend the Fairies to his will.

Michael, Lorn, Horren, and Kraig are selected to pursue Salin. Alec must go with
them, for he can track the Talisman through his connection to it. King Elyahdyn
sacrifices a portion of his spirit to conjure the Lyll Una, or Word of the One, a magic rod that can channel the power of the One. Only a Faerie King can create the Lyll Una, and doing so inflicts the King with a weakness from which, it is said, he will never fully recover.

During the journey, through magic, Alec experiences a vision about his past. His
mother, Karlyn, once had a love affair with a Fairy named Martyn, and from this
forbidden love Alec was born. Martyn was the brother of Kari du Sharrel, the tracker.

Martyn, having broken the laws of Faerie, was condemned to death. While imprisoned,
Martyn discovered Father Sang’s treachery. Sang had captured a sorcerer named Razzyn
Kane, from whom he intended to gain information regarding the Talisman of Unity.
Before Martyn could reveal his knowledge to the King, he was executed. Alec awakens
from his dream of the past, knowing that Sang has paid for his crimes, but wondering
what has become of Razzyn Kane.

While camping, Lorn reveals his true identity to his companions. He is Prince David
Lorn du Carren, the second son of Breyden Mala du Carren, High King of Eglak. This
explains Lorn’s immunity to magic, for that power is unique to the royal bloodline. Four years ago, Lorn was framed for treason by his older brother Thorne, and was exiled from Eglak for his supposed crimes. His exile crushed his spirit, but it was not until he heard that Thorne had married his love, the Lady Hannah, that he turned to drinking to numb
his grief.

Meanwhile, Salin senses his enemies approaching. Using a mysterious tool known as
a Sorcerer’s Chain, he conjures a deadly red storm, the Blood Mist. Salin uses the Chain with trepidation, for it is said that when the last link is expended, the soul of its wielder is delivered into the hands of Vorik Seth.

The Blood Mist descends upon Alec’s group, and within it red wraiths form and
attack them. They do not have the power to fight the Mist, so Michael is forced to expend the energy of the Lyll Una to disburse it. They survive, but with the Lyll Una gone, they no longer have a weapon powerful enough to defeat Salin.

Back in Fairhaven, the dark Fairy Gothra l’Uarach, in hiding with her minions, plots
another attack. Salin has commanded her to kill the King and Queen, for he knows if they fall, the other Fairies will be easier to control. With the sisters Gwendolyn and Stiletta and a force of dark Fairies, Gothra launches a second attack on the city. Gwendolyn creates an ice storm to keep the defenders at bay, while Stiletta enters the palace to assassinate the King and Queen. Sarah, with her Rage Ring, goes after Gwendolyn. Sarah engages the sorceress in a battle of fire and ice, and though she is badly wounded, she emerges victorious. With the ice storm gone, Fairhaven’s defenders regain their hope.

Alec and his group reach Salin’s stronghold, an ancient temple of Vorik Seth. They
fight their way through a group of ogres to gain entry, but become separated. Horren
stays behind to fight the ogres, and Lorn is intercepted by Tor. Kraig is badly wounded by a group of gray, mindless creatures. Only Alec and Michael are left to confront Salin in his inner sanctum.

Michael engages Salin in a contest of magic. Alec tries to help, but Salin’s power
holds him back. Soon, both Salin and Michael’s magical energy is expended, and
Michael passes out, exhausted. With no time to allow his magic to regenerate, Salin
draws his sword and attacks Alec. Alec has had some training, but he is no match for
someone who was once First Bladeknight of Eglak.

In Fairhaven, Stiletta fights through the palace defenders to attack the King and
Queen. She is stopped by Ara and Landyn, who manage to slay her. Yet all over
Fairhaven, the weaker-willed of the Fairies fall to Salin’s influence and turn against their people. Sarah is attacked by a group of mind-controlled Fairies, and only survives by releasing the woodland spirit Horren gave her. Elsewhere, Kari leads a group of defenders, saving what people she can from Salin’s attack. Her partner, Jinn, arrives with reinforcements in time to turn the tide of battle.

Back at the temple, Lorn kills Tor and rushes to help Horren against the ogres. In
Salin’s chambers, Alec and Salin continue to fight. Salin disarms Alec and backs him into a corner. Knowing he will die if he cannot find his inner strength, Alec manages to Shape for the first time. He changes Salin’s sword into water, recovers his blade, and slays the sorcerer.

Alec and his party return to Fairhaven as heroes. Although the battle in Fairhaven has been won, Gothra l’Uarach and several of her minions have managed to escape. In a day of celebration dedicated to Nom, the Crafter of the Universe, the Fairies rejoice in their victory. Salin is dead, but they know their struggles against Vorik Seth have just begun.

In his tower, the Seth is not disturbed by Salin’s death. He has captured Siv, the Third of the Three, whose will he is trying to break. He shows Siv a vision of Vor, the First of the Three, who has apparently descended into madness. Siv is disturbed by the vision, and as he screams in impotent anger and frustration, volume one draws to a close. Several months have passed, good reader, and now begins part two of our story….

last post

Due to lack of interest from Kindle users, this will be my last post.

I'll remove the blog from kindle on Jan 2.

I'll still review the books of authors at my Daily Space blog)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Regular blog postings begin on DECEMBER 26, Monday.

The Red Poppy

Available from Kindle, Nook and Smashwords

Here's the Kindle link:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Red-Poppy-ebook/dp/B00652M1G8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1324054906&sr=1-1

Man has speculated about the possibility of beings visiting Earth for centuries. As early as the mid 11th century sightings of vehicles in the sky were recorded, and with most came the suggestion of some evil lurking from just over the horizon.
Could it be that maybe people from alien civilizations discover remote planets without malice, and just maybe it is not their objective to dominate with imperialistic ambition. What if these visitors are peaceful and wish to welcome the people of a new planet to a neighborhood of star systems. Star systems teeming with peaceful civilizations. Possibly they view the sharing of knowledge and technology as a commodity that strengthens planetary civilizations rather than committing to dominance through violence and fear.

First contact between alien civilizations is a difficult balancing act. There are so many unknowns and expectations, and the challenge is for both to find a common reason for making contact successful. Such is the ambition of Canar Nu Isso as she leads a delegation of emissary's on a mission to a new civilization, located in a new star system far from her home on Valdi. Although Canar is the daughter of a seasoned ambassador, this is her first mission since graduating from the INSAT academy. Little does she know that there are those who employ deception with the intention of preventing the Local Group from becoming acquainted with this new civilization. They will stop at nothing to disrupt the success of Canar's mission to further their ambitions. For them, everything is on the table, even murder.

The Talisman of Faerie, by Jason Beil

Available in both Paperback and Kindle

Paperback edition: http://www.amazon.com/Talisman-Faerie-Jason-Beil/dp/0595323200/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322633909&sr=1-1

Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Talisman-Faerie-War-ebook/dp/B005SIY3CK/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1322633909&sr=1-1


The Talisman of Faerie, by Jason Biel

Alec Mason is a humble baker's apprentice from a simple farming village on the outskirts of Tyridan. But when he discovers an ancient artifact of immense mystical power, he becomes the target of Salin Urdrokk, the dark sorcerer who desires it. With his friends Sarah and Kraig, Alec is forced to leave the life he knows and enter a world of danger and intrigue.

Joined by a mysterious hermit and a warrior they cannot entirely trust, Alec and his companions flee Salin's agents, braving the uncharted wilderness north of Tyridan. Beyond deadly forests, plains, and mountains lies the realm of Faerie, the one place Alec might find sanctuary.

For in this magical realm live the Fair Folk, a long-lived, pure-hearted race of great power and wisdom. Yet even the pure of heart can be corrupted, and a dark betrayal awaits Alec in Faerie. Weakened and divided by treachery, can the Fair Folk protect Alec from Salin's terrifying wrath?

Out of Here, edited by Patty Jansen

This collection contains fantasy and Science Fiction short stories that have all been published previously in venues like the Edge of Propinquity, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Byzarium, M-Brane SF, Realms, and many others.

http://www.amazon.com/Out-of-Here-ebook/dp/B004WF38RQ/ref=sr_1_89?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320614133&sr=1-89

Table of Contents:
Highway - Infinitas Newsletter
Bigger Fish - Fantastic Wonder Stories Anthology
Black Dragon - The Edge of Propinquity
Mass Extinction - Antipodean SF
Legal Aliens - Semaphore
Little Boy Lost - Midnight Echo
The Ten Days of Madness - Antipodean SF
From the Parrot's Mouth - Beyond Centauri
Metal Dragon - Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
Never on a Birthday - Byzarium
Out of Here - M-Brane SF
Raven's Call - Realms
Taking back the Words - Ticonderoga Online
The Only One He Ever Feared - Fly in Amber
The Weed Eaters - The Fat Man At The End of the World Anthology
Straight through the Heart - ZineWest
To Look at the Sky - Semaphore SF
The Invisible Fleas of the Galaxy - M-Brane SF


___________________
Science Fiction Showcase is not a review site. I share the book cover and the book description. My ultimate goal, when authors find out about this blog, is for them to share sample excerpts from their book - anything up to a chapter.So, authors, if you want your ebook to be showcased here, email me at Nocturne_CVS@Yahoo.comI would like to help promote Indie Authors, so contact me!

Breathing Space, by Ian Fydell

Ian is a New York-based writer. Breathing Space is his first book.

Born and raised in Queens NY, creative fiction has always drawn Fydell. He had a varied career as a stockbroker, a caretaker for special-needs children, and a Post Office employee before becoming a full-time writer. While Fydell is not a scientist, his wide and varied interests keep him informed about science and contribute to the convincing details in his writing.

http://www.ianfydellexodustrilogy.com/index.php

About Breathing Space
The year is 2095. It has been decades since World War III has ended. The Earth is in severe ecological decline, the result of several centuries of mistreatment by its human progeny. Within a few decades, a century at most, Earth will no longer be habitable. Pollutants, wars, deep mantle mining, and everyday disregard for our planet have finally taken their toll, and now earthquakes, droughts, volcanic eruptions, and plagues are regular occurrences. Colonies have been established on all the larger bodies of the solar system, but these are small and hardly self-sufficient; it is widely recognized that, in order to save the majority of the species, humanity must find a new homeworld, ready-made for its existence.
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From Inside Breathing Space
The minutes crawled by. At one point, a young computer operator turned to Warrick. “Sir, the XTF-4000 is at T-minus nine minutes . . . final launch preparations are being made.” The roof of the hangar slowly opened, flooding the hangar with bright, UV-rich sunlight. Time continued to crawl.

The anxiety in the control room escalated as the count reached T-minus thirty-one seconds. The ground computer network enabled the onboard automatic launch sequence. Another computer operator turned to the NASA Director. “We are now at T-minus six seconds.” Just as the young man finished his sentence, the XTF-4000 rose slowly and hovered a few feet above its launch cradle. Warrick counted under his breath.

“Lift-off,” said the Capcom officer.

The craft eased up to the top of the hangar; once it cleared the hangar’s opening, it darted upward, faster than the eye could follow. Warrick turned his attention from the glass window that overlooked the hangar back to the control room and struggled for air as he whispered. “God be with you.”

As he turned to Katie, the grass swirled a few hundred yards away on the other side of her. A tawny form rose out of it with bared saber teeth glinting white in the suns. A felinoid! John ran with all of his might toward Katie, screaming at her to get away from Max and draw her weapon. The felinoid watched him run for a moment, almost as if taunting him, then sprang toward the biologist: the race to Katie O’Hara had begun. She saw the captain rushing toward her and heard his frantic shouts. She turned, hand at her waist, just as the predator closed within striking distance and took a giant leap toward her. John dropped to one knee, drew his C-10, and took close aim at the beast.