Akting Out

Oh, how my imagination has gotten out of hand. It’s been like trying to contain an explosion. What began as a simple idea blossomed into several hundred others that all somehow found their way into this story. Would you believe this began as Flash Fiction? It was supposed to be a simple story that served as backstory to the now-back-burnered Universal Warrior: Uprising [Redux]. Instead, it’s turned into its own standalone story…

After nearly killing myself a couple of weeks ago trying to get the novel done over a long weekend, I received a word of advice from my publisher (who I was terrified was going to drop me for not making the deadline); “Relax.”

So I did just that.
Bad news first.
I really, really wanted to get this book into your hands by the end of the year. With the publishing process, I’m not sure that’s going to happen anymore, but I haven’t given up trying.
The good news is that the FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF UNIVERSAL WARRIOR: ATHEREAN DEFENDERS ARE COMPLETELY READY TO GO. The book is home to a little more than 30k words at this point, and I’m at the point where I’ve started signing up beta readers for feedback (three and counting! And they’re not related to me!).

I would like to give you an ETA as to when the title will be finished, but the truth is, if I give you a date, I will hold myself to it. As it gets closer, I’ll panic and start churning out complete and utter crap. I’d rather avoid that. So what I will tell you is that I’m aiming for the book to be done sometime in August, but I’m not promising. I’ll post regular updates on my personal page and the fan page as to how things are coming.

Also, if you’re interested in beta reading Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders, drop me a line. All I ask is that you be completely, totally, unabashedly honest, and also realize that I may not use all of your suggestions. But I will listen to anything you have to say as long as it’s presented constructively.

In the meantime, go check out the updated Facebook Fan Page. It’s focused specifically on the book now, rather than the entire series.

Thanks for sticking around thus far!

Avery

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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The following is an excerpt from the upcoming novel “Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders”.
In the previous Chapter “Red Morning”, four children are murdered while playing in Heaven’s largest body of water. Seven days later, their hometown of Jordan is still trying to come to terms with everything. Jayden Zeneca, the brother of the victims, has been staying with the St. Morias family after his own family’s dark history has finally come to light. The morning of the funeral, Uriel St. Morias, Jayden’s longtime friend, enters his room to ensure that Jayden is okay. But Jayden is far from okay, and needs to get something off of his chest…

Read the first Chapter “Red Morning” to catch up on what’s been going on as the first war between Heaven and Hell begins.

From Chapter 2: The Wounded “Jayden’s Confession”

“Jayden?” Uriel said softly after knocking yielded no answer. He cracked the door open marginally, peering inside to see Jayden standing by the window, straightening the shoulder wrap on his vestment.
“Jayden?” Uriel persisted, stepping halfway inside, “Can I come in?”
Jayden chuckled, closing his eyes. “No, Uriel, but please feel free to stand there and continue letting the draft in.”
Uriel smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “At least you got your sense of humor. Maybe one day, you’ll even find someone who thinks you’re funny.” Uriel commented.
“Maybe one day you’ll find the intelligence to keep up with me.” Jayden retorted, bracing himself on his elbow and smiling. “Why don’t you make yourself useful; help me straighten this damned thing…”
Still smiling, Uriel strode up to Jayden and took the long, smooth cloth that extended from the shoulder of the robe. It was cool to the touch, like new, slightly electric silk. He tossed one end of the wrap around Jayden’s shoulder, catching it with his free hand. He repeated the process twice more before neatly creasing the wrap in three places, and then stepping away.
Jayden looked down, admiring, and nodded his head. “Not bad. You should think about being a seamstress.”
Uriel scowled. “You should learn how to dress yourself.”
Jayden laughed, but it only lasted a moment. He took a seat on the bed, bracing himself on his palms, lowering his head. He was silent, but had begun shaking.
After a moment, Uriel sat down, putting his arm around his friend’s shoulder and gripping firmly. “I’m sorry for what happened, Jayden. I’m sorry we weren’t out there–”
“No.” Jayden snapped, removing Uriel’s arm and rising. He whirled, looking down at Uriel and pointing sharply, “No, Uriel. Don’t you dare wish for that. If you had been out there your mom and dad would be burying you right alongside Bethany. Don’t wish that on them.”
Uriel leaned back, shaking his head. “That’s not…I mean, that’s not what I meant…”
Jayden had all but sequestered himself in the spare room Reginald and Dayna had afforded him; Uriel hadn’t seen much of him, and his father had convinced him to let Jayden deal with things on his own. Seeing Jayden now, quivering, eyes bloodshot, the rage threatening to burst from him, Uriel was no longer certain that his father had been right.
Jayden must’ve realized the look he had been giving Uriel, because he slowly lowered his finger, placed his hands on his hips, and turned away. “I’m…I’m sorry, Uriel. It’s just that…your mom and dad? They’re very good Angels. Nothing bad should ever happen to good Angels. Nothing bad should ever happen to anyone good.”
Uriel said nothing.
“That’s why we’re still alive.” Jayden whispered, more to himself than Uriel.
Uriel leaned forward. “What? What did you say?”
After a second, Jayden shook his head. “Nothing. But listen.” He whirled on Uriel, the fierceness back in his eyes, but the rage gone. He sat down beside Uriel and looked him square in the eye. “Uriel, listen, can I trust you?”
Unsure of what else to do, frightened of what might happen if he answered wrong, Uriel quickly nodded. “Yeah, sure, Jayden, of course.”
Jayden shook his head. “I’m not going to let this go unpunished, Uriel.” He grit his teeth. “I swear to Amen, Uriel, I don’t care what happens to me. I’m not going to let this go without fighting back.”
Slowly, hesitantly, Uriel frowned. “…what do you mean? What’re you talking about…?”
“Those things killed my brothers, my sister…if Yang wants to sit high on his throne and pretend that nothing’s wrong, that’s fine, that’s his right. But my family died out there, not his! And if he won’t do anything about this, then I will!”
Uriel didn’t know what to think or say. He had never seen this side of Jayden before.
Jayden looked away, visibly shaking.
“I’ve seen these things, Uriel.” Jayden whispered, his voice cracking.
Uriel raised his eyebrows. “You what?”
Jayden seemed to shrink into a ball, tucking his mouth to his fist.
“I’ve seen these things, Uriel.” He repeated surreptitiously. “I know what they look like.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head, losing a desperate battle to keep the tears at bay. “But I thought they’d be gone by now. It was years ago.”
Uriel realized that he had stopped breathing, and inhaled hard. If what Jayden was saying was true…
“I tried to say something.” Jayden continued, his voice rising, quivering, his mind no longer able to hold back the emotion, “but dad didn’t listen. He thought I was making things up and trying to get out of my chores.”
A cold darkness overtook Jayden as he looked straight ahead. “Things got bad that night.”
Uriel finally found his voice. “When did this happen?”
“Four years ago.” Jayden replied immediately.
He turned quickly, looking at Uriel with hope so desperate it bordered on madness.
“But Uriel, I’m gonna make them pay. Someone taught me how to–”
He was suddenly interrupted by the door opening; Dayna partially entered the room.
“Oh, didn’t realize you two were talking…” She stepped all the way inside. “Uriel, hurry up and get dressed. We have to be at the church soon.”
Uriel quickly nodded his head, bouncing from the bed. He seemed happy for the excuse to get away. “Okay, mom.” He sprinted from the room, flying past his mother, who was pleasantly surprised; Uriel usually balked at the idea of dressing up.
Dayna turned to Jayden. “Are you alright?”
Jayden nodded, forcing a smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Dayna cocked her head, smiling wryly. “Are you sure?”
Exhaling, Jayden rose. “I’m alright, Dayna, I promise. Alright as I can be, anyway.”
Dayna’s smile became genuine, and she nodded. “You know that Uriel, Reginald, and I will be there for you all today, right?” She chuckled. “I don’t know if you saw it, but it looks like half of Heaven is supporting you right now.”
Jayden smiled, and Dayna was pleased to see that he wasn’t feigning. “I know, Dayna. I’ll be okay.”
Dayna observed him for a moment more; he looked stronger now than he had all week. She then turned and headed for the door.
“Dayna?” Jayden called after her.
She turned, looking back at him from the door.
“I never did thank you and Reginald for letting me stay here…after everything. I really do appreciate it.”
Dayna grinned, re-entering the room. She strode up to Jayden and wrapped her arms around him, holding him as a mother protecting her child. After a second, Jayden reached up, holding her laying his head down on her shoulders. She wondered when anyone had shown Jayden any affection.
“You,” She began, her voice unshakably strong, “are always welcome in our home.”
Still keeping his head on her shoulder, Jayden quickly nodded. Dayna slowly pulled away; Jayden was too overcome by emotion to speak, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the floor.
“Come on,” She whispered, “We should get to church.”
“Okay.” Jayden replied.
With that, Dayna turned and exited the room.
Jayden collapsed to his knees, clutching his forearm. He struggled, fighting to control his breathing, regulate the heated oxygen that stretched and compressed his lungs. His heart beat like rapid drumming; it felt as though it would explode out of his throat.
He glowered at his right forearm, his fingers rebelling against him as he forced his fist open. He could feel it; raw power, like millions of flickering flames, coursing through his arm. They were already manifesting; he could hear the bandages that concealed his arm hissing as they burned, his power coming to life against his will.
He closed his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth, remembering what he had been taught….
Control, control…
He had nearly lost his temper, not at Uriel, but the idea that no formal action had been taken against those who’d slaughtered his family…
No. Why he was losing his temper didn’t matter; all that mattered was that he couldn’t. This power was intended for one very specific purpose, and if left unchecked, the destruction would only begin with the St. Morias home. They did not deserve that.
As though he was pulling his hand from cool water, the prickling sensation in his arm receded. Daring to breathe again, Jayden opened his eyes. His fingers loosened, blood began to flow freely again.
He rose. Yes, this power was intended for one very specific purpose, and very soon, those that deserved it would be visited upon. For now, it was time to say goodbye.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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I’ve always said that if I publish Atherean Defenders, it would be free, and I meant it. If I self-publish the title, you’ll never pay one red cent for it. Unfortunately, that also means that there won’t be a print edition when it’s initially released. To be honest, I can’t afford it on my own.
If I self- publish, I can make Atherean Defenders available as a PDF, for those of you who want to hold a copy in your hand. I was even thinking of a promotion where I could assist with printing costs for those of you who wanted a hard copy, although I hadn’t thought of anything yet. Also, if Atherean Defenders is self-published, it will be available on the Amazon Kindle, as well as other major online book retailers, such as Smashwords. Truthfully, I don’t know if Amazon will let me give away the title on their site. I doubt it, though.

My primary concern with publishing Atherean Defenders has always been retention of rights; I’m not giving anyone the rights to do anything with this story without my permission. Retaining creative control means more to me than making a ton of money (at this point), so I never even considered the idea of publishing the story. All the research I’ve done, and I doubted a publishing house would take a chance on me anyway. I’d rather write the story and let the readers decide if I was any good.

But a publisher approached me; retaining my rights is no longer a concern. Plus, I trust the publisher.

If I sign this contract, Atherean Defenders is realized in both online and offline formats. The book becomes available—in print—on Amazon, and God willing, every other retailer out there. I also gain some serious marketing muscle in addition to my own efforts. The trade-off is; the book will no longer be free.

So that’s what it comes down too. I self-publish, the book is free, but electronic only. I go with a publisher, the book becomes available in print, at a cost.

So the question I put to you is; do you like this story enough to pay for it?

Either comment or message me (keep it clean, please), and I promise I have thick skin, so any constructive advice would be welcome. Thanks for following along and replying, in advance.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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Hey all;

A lot has happened in and around the world of Atherean Defenders, so let’s get to it.

1. The First Draft Is DONE.

No more tossing out entire first drafts and starting over from scratch; the first draft of Atherean Defenders is done.

Throughout the month of February, the draft will be edited (and expanded upon). The goal is to hand the story off for professional editing by the end of February, and then get the book to the masses around the beginning of April.

1. We Have Some Covers To Choose From.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Jag Lall, there are now two versions of the book cover to choose from. I have to admit, I prefer the first one, but the second was modified taking into account the many suggestions that were received about the logo.

If everyone could please take two seconds and chime in on the fan page’s discussion board, let me know which cover you prefer more, and as always, suggestions are welcome.

1. Contests!

With things (finally) ramping up to release, there will be a chance to win some prizes from Akting Out LLC, including limited edition artwork and an iPod Touch, complete with the book (and a few extras) already installed!

1. An Excerpt!

No update on Atherean Defenders would be complete without an excerpt from the long-awaited story. Check out “Follow The Dead Orca” to see how Reginald, Angelica, Jayden, and Lihua’s adventure begins in the Atherean!

So that’s all for now, thank you for reading and see you next time!

Sincerely,

Avery K. Tingle

Author, Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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They found themselves floating at the end of the world; the sky was roiling crimson and orange, with reddened clouds rolling uncontrollably in every direction. The entire scene was peppered by tiny, popping sparks that gave the impression that the world would burst at any moment. Yet the entire display was muted; the world was completely devoid of sound, and after a moment, the ominousness receded, but Reginald still felt as though the world might detonate without warning at any moment.
Jayden either didn’t notice or didn’t care about his new surroundings; he was fiercely engaged with his captor, their arms quivering as Jayden slowly pulled his captor’s arm away from his face. “GET OFF OF ME!!” Jayden roared.
Reginald saw Jayden move in a way that caused his mouth to fall open; the boy brought up his arm up as high as he could get it, driving his elbow behind him, striking his captor cleanly in the stomach. Reginald wasn’t sure what surprised him more; the impact, which sounded as though it cracked a rib, the fact that Jayden had deliberately injured someone, or the fact that it sounded like a woman who had been struck.
Either way, Jayden got what he wanted; his captor was forced to let go, suddenly more concerned with her midsection than holding onto him, but much to Reginald’s surprise, Jayden didn’t appear to be finished with her. The boy turned, raising two closed hands just below his chin. The woman recovered from his elbow strike, raising two open hands that were slightly extended from her chest.

Did I just hit a woman?!
Stop! Don’t think about that right now! Focus, remember what Zeus taught you…
Jayden released a long, slow breath as he regained his composure. Although he wanted to show nothing to his opponent, as he had been taught, he scowled; the woman’s hands were open. He had never encountered an open-handed style before!
Plus, there was no ground to stand on, nothing for him to strike a balance on. It’s okay, I’ll bet I’m a better flyer than she is.
The woman–if it was a woman–was perfectly still, the hood of her cloak lowered to conceal her identity, her mouth parted slightly. Jayden could feel her quiet anticipation in his mind; she’s waiting for me.
Well, I won’t be rude.
Jayden heard Reginald yell something at him, probably telling him to stop, but he was already committed; he lowered his body and thrust himself at the girl, closing his right hand into a fist and swinging a wide, hooking shot aimed at her head; his most powerful move, as Zeus had taught him. Moments before the impact, Jayden smiled, assured that this attack would be the last one necessary–
The girl shifted, the outside of her open hand striking the inside of his wrist and sending a jolt through his arm–she blocked!
She continued shifting, stepping into him, lowering her head, as she clutched his arm. She drove her shoulders and the back of her neck into his body, stunning him as she effortlessly lifted him overhead. Jayden lost his bearing as she flipped him over her shoulders, still holding his arm. He landed on her outstretched foot, his head ringing an unpleasant symphony as the back of his head crashed into the top of her foot.
A boulder crashed into the side of his face, and for a moment, Jayden nearly lost consciousness. Oh, that wasn’t a boulder. She just hits real hard…
Keeping his training at the forefront of his mind, Jayden looked up, searching for an opportunity, and found it in the girl’s exposed ankle. He quickly reached behind him with his free hand, clutching her leg and yanking hard. She managed to get off an astonished “What the–” before Jayden jerked, forcing her from whatever balance she held, causing her to float helplessly in the air. Jayden willed himself to rise, stood over the girl, and clenched a fist–and after a moment’s thought, unclenched it. Just in case it is a girl.
Jayden opened his hand and raised it high above the girl’s body. Just as she began to recover, he brought his forearm crashing down on her midsection. She appeared to be folded in half, an OOMPH forced from her diaphragm as she was sent plummeting as if hurled from a cliff.
She fell nearly fiften feet before grunting audibly, flipping forward to right herself. She then rocketed upwards, ready to continue the confrontation. Jayden closed his fists and waited.
“Lihua.” A young, yet authoritative male voice spoke from behind Reginald. “That’s enough.”

Reginald had been so enthralled by the confrontation that he nearly forgot where he was. Watching Jayden move like that raised a thousand questions, most prevalent being a desire to know where Jayden had learned such skills. Or why he felt a need for them in the first place. Reginald had always known the boy was troubled, but to take to learning how to injure…he felt a pang of sympathy. Things at home must’ve been far worse than he had imagined.
He remembered when Bethany died; the violent exchange between father and son. He wondered how long that had been building up.
A hand reached up and gripped his shoulder reassuringly, and Reginald was startled, jarred from his thinking. He turned back to the owner of the hand, and for the first time observed his uniform; an unassuming, two-piece sleeveless, black robe, with a crimson eye encased in a triangle emblazoned over the right breast.
Reginald felt the breath torn from his body upon seeing the symbol. He now knew who’s custody he was in, just as he knew their chances of leaving had just dwindled to nothing.
“Oh!” The young man exclaimed, holding up a hand to ward off Reginald’s suspicions. He quickly removed his cloak, revealing a youthful face with brown eyes that had seen too much. Short, curly brown hair adorned his hea, his skin tanned from spending a lot of time in the sun. “I apologize! The uniforms are necessary, but I assure you; we have no intention of exiling you.”
Reginald turned to face the boy. “You open the sky and kidnap us. Forgive me if I have a hard time believing you.”
The young man opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Jayden, who suddenly appeared at Reginald’s left. “Who do you people think you are?” He demanded.
“They’re the Heimdall, Jayden.” Reginald replied, keeping his eyes on the young man. The disdain in his voice was unmistakable. “The all-seeing enforcement squad of Yang himself. They aren’t bothered by things like laws and commandments.”
“We are indeed the Heimdall, Jayden Zeneca.” The young man looked past Reginald and addressed Jayden directly, “But despite what you may have heard, we are, in fact, just as bound by the commandments as you are, if not more so, for the sake of our directives.”
He looked back at Reginald. “I’m sorry for alarming you, Reginald. But we are not here to exile you.”
The young man’s look softened. Authority and confidence were overshadowed by weariness, sadness…regret? Reginald wondered. He also took note of the two vertical lines on each side of the triangle on his uniform; the young man was some sort of commanding officer.
“We are here to ask for your help.”
Jayden’s opponent floated into view, hovering behind him on the left. The other hooded figure drifted up behind the young man. “Both of you.” He ordered, his tone soft, “Reveal yourselves.”
In unison, the two pulled down their hoods. Reginald was surprised; they were both female. Both were undeniably beautiful.
Jayden’s opponent was pale-skinned, long, jet-black hair running underneath her cloak, angry green eyes fixed on Jayden. She grunted quietly, massaging her battered midsection. She wanted to continue their match. The other woman was tanned skin with light brown hair that blossomed once the hood was removed. She smiled as thought it would illuminate Heaven, her bright brown eyes beaming; the calming presence she exuded was undeniable.
The young man, their commander, extended his hand towards Reginald. “Lucifer.” He smiled, “Of the Johab Saints.”
Reginald observed his hand for a moment and then accepted the gesture. “Reginald, of the Morias Saints.” He replied cautiously.
Lucifer nodded. “I know who you are, Reginald. You’re the most renowned Angel in three provinces.” He said proudly, “And I know your history with us. I wouldn’t have asked for your help if I had any other option.”
“And Jayden Zeneca.” Lucifer smiled broadly, exhaling, “The first Angel to be trained by Zeus himself. We most certainly could use your assistance. In fact, we may be able to help each other.”
“Help each other do what, exactly?” Jayden retorted. “Who are you people?”
Lucifer placed a hand on his chest. “I am Lucifer St. Johab, last Captain of the Heimdall. Behind me is Angelica St. Mihr of Isobella Flats, and well…you’ve met Lihua.”
Jayden turned to Lihua, who hadn’t stopped glaring at him since removing her hood.
“What’re the Heimdall?” Jayden inquired, “I’ve never heard of you.”
“You wouldn’t,” Lucifer replied, his tone slightly menacing, “Unless we had business with you.”
“What…” Jayden challenged, “Is that supposed to make me afraid of you…?”
Reginald blocked Jayden from advancing even as Lucifer raised his hands innocently, backing away. “Forgive me, Jayden. Pride has always been one of my weaknesses. I’m very proud of what we do, and the good we serve.”
“The good you serve?” Reginald shot back, glowering at Lucifer, “And how many innocents did you exile for the good you serve?”
Regret came over Lucifer’s face. “It wasn’t my decision to go forward with your family’s exile. We may have been mistaken, yes, but we cannot undo that now.”
Jayden looked at Reginald quizzically. “The Heimdall was assembled during the Great Divide,” Reginald explained, “they were tasked with discovering and exiling anyone suspected of collaborating with Yin.”
Jayden nodded as he understood. “As I recall,” Lucifer said humbly, “You were one of the Angels offered a position in the Heimdall.”
“I was.” Reginald agreed, “But I thought it was too much power for anyone to have. You made your decisions without investigation. You turned your mandate into a witchunt.”
Jayden frowned. “There were over a hundred thousand deportees when it was all said and done…”
“Yes.” Reginald growled, turning his glare back to Lucifer, “Do you think they all went by choice?”
Lucifer dashed, getting close to Reginald. “Listen to me. Do you want me to admit that we made mistakes? I admit it, and I apologize. But please don’t let your judgment be clouded now, too much is at stake. Work with me, and then have me charged if you like.” He exhaled, understanding the implication of his next statement. “I won’t contest it. Just hear what I have to say.”
For a moment, Reginald considered what Lucifer had just proposed. If they had really wanted to exile them, they’d be far south by now.
“Okay.” Reginald. “I’m listening.”

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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“Are you sure this is safe?” Bethany asked hesitantly, firmly gripping the outer rail of the bridge behind her. She dared to lean over, peering four miles down into the Atherean Ocean below. Vertigo set in quickly as the water challenged her; rising and receding quickly. She leaned back against the cold, iron railing, checking the multi-colored elastic rope fastened to her waist. Jayce, her older brother, was on her right. He looked into the clear blue ocean as though he couldn’t wait to dive–again. Shirtless, wings pinned at his back, he was nearly hyperventilating with excitement. “Yes, Beth.” He replied, trying not to show impatience. “Look, this was your idea. If you’re scared…”

“I’m not scared …” Beth objected, shaking her head. She jabbed a finger at the water below. “But you heard what Jayden said…”

Darryl, her other older brother, was flanking her. He looked to Jayce, and then nodded. “…about something in the water. Yeah, we heard him, Beth. But Jayden hit the water pretty hard. He probably imagined it.”

Beth whirled on her brother. “He didn’t imagine the teeth marks on his arms.”

Darryl reached down to Bethany, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Honey, listen. Jayden slipped off of the railing, he admitted that. Chances are he surprised some of the fish when he landed and they took a bite out of him in self-defense. Nothing wrong with that.”

Bethany didn’t look convinced.

Jayce stepped beside his brother, smiling down at her. “Look, Beth. Why don’t we try this again next year, when you’re a bit bigger? Maybe it won’t look so scary then…” His tone was blatantly condescending, and Beth scowled. “I said I’m not scared!” She lied, “Watch, I’ll prove it!”

Darryl and Jayce watched with astonished horror as Bethany threw herself from the bridge, plummeting headfirst towards the sea. They leapt after her, arms outstretched to catch her even as she placed her arms at her sides and began plummeting.

She closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the wind frapping against her face, the scent of fresh sea-salt, and the seagulls calling in the distance as though welcoming her…for a moment, she understood why her brothers did this for fun.

Then she nearly forgot what she was supposed to do.

She opened her eyes and outstretched her arms–the water was now yards away and closing fast–she had to focus, focus…thirty yards, twenty yards, ten yards…

Now she could feel her brother’s Reaching into her head, yelling at her in genuine terror, screaming at her to loose her wings; the water was so close that she could perceive life just below the surface…

Something burst from her shoulder blades; her descent leveled out and saved her from what would’ve been a disastrous belly flop–why didn’t the rope break?–and she quickly found her self arcing upwards, forcing her wings to flap, pushing the wind behind her, and rising to safety–

A deafeaning, bone-crunching impact was heard below as something hit the water with so much force that droplets shot several feet up. Instinctively, she Reached out to her brothers even as she turned…and could only feel Jayce. His attention was now entirely focused on Darryl, and Bethany realized with horror that she had been given the wrong rope; Darryl’s rope swung lifelessly in the breeze, hanging from the bridge.

Bethany heard Jayce use the knife he kept at his ankle to cut his own rope and fall freely into the water.

Then all was silent.

Not even the seagulls could be heard after a moment. The world went still.

Bethany Reached; nothing conscious came back; only wrenching, horrible agony from deep within the water. She stifled tears as she tried not to imagine how much pain the fall had caused Darryl. Strangely, she could no longer feel Jayce.

Suddenly exhausted as she realized she had not stopped flapping her new wings, Bethany hung in the air and dropped slowly towards the water. She frowned, certain that her eyes were playing tricks; the water appeared discolored as she drew closer, opaque and…

…by Yang, is that a leg…?!

Something exploded through the surface, something that stole the breath from her body. It was Jayce.

He was being swarmed by at least a dozen fish that clung to his body, hungrily wagging their tails as they burrowed into his him, tearing pieces of him away, oblivious to the blood darkening the water around him.

His face was pained desperation as he reached up towards Bethany, who couldn’t neither blink nor breathe as she slowly descended towards her brother, reaching for him, desperate to save him while not being consumed in the process…

She shuddered, tears forcing their way to the surface as she drew closer. They’re eating him alive!

“Jayce…” She sobbed, arm outstretched several feet above Jayce’s bloody arm. For a moment, he appeared to be stretching as he reached for her, and Bethany had dropped another inch before Jayce screamed.

“–STAY AWAY!!!” He forced.

One of the small fish leapt from the water and dove into his open mouth. Jayce first clamped a hand over his mouth, and then winced as he clutched his throat. He opened his mouth, expelling droplets of blood, gurgling and weakly coughing before finally falling beneath the surface.

Paralyzed by what she had just seen, Bethany hovered several feet above the water. “Jayce…?” She whispered.

Nothing. The water had become still again.

“Jayce? Darryl?”

They’re dead.

No, they can’t be dead. That doesn’t happen here!

You just saw it happen. They’re dead.

Bethany began to sob openly, unable to fly home and tell anyone, equally unable to abandon her brothers to the monsters in the sea.

Something burst from the water again; another fish, like the one that had leapt down Jayce’s throat. As it drew nearer, it opened its mouth, revealing dozens of finely sharpened teeth, all of which were coming for her.

Bethany began to ascend, holding onto the only thought that kept blind panic from setting in. It can’t stay out of the water, it can’t stay out of the water…

As the creature closed the distance to mere inches, it suddenly grew a pair of wings from each side of its body. With a sharp, downward motion, the wings flapped, rocketing the creature towards Bethany, who suddenly had no way out.

No no no no no…

Everything seemed to slow down for her as she frantically turned, opening her own wings, trying not to think about what she had just seen, and how badly she didn’t want it to happen to her–

Something bit into her wing, setting the right half of her body on fire as the wing was torn almost completely off. Screaming proved impossible as even opening her mouth was agonizing. She could no longer feel her right arm, although she could see it was still there, covered in her own blood. The fish, satisfied with the half-wing it clenched in its teeth, was satisfied enough to fall back to the water.

Bethany’s vision began to swim, her head pounding as she forced her good wing to flap. Her flight path was erratic as she exerted the last of her strength, commanding her one good wing to get her back to the bridge. Once there, she nearly lost consciousness as she pitched forward, reaching her good hand to the railing. Wincing, grunting, the world going gray, she hoisted herself over the railing and fell to the road on the other side. She could hear hooves clip-clopping against metal as horses moved towards her. She tried to see who was coming towards her, but the world was steadily going black. “Please, help me…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Reginald lowered his axe, exhaled, and looked back at Jayden. The boy held his axe in both hands and was starting to wear down, his breath coming quickly. Reginald smiled; the boy had worked hard that morning, but there was still much to do. He shook his head. “Afraid not, Jayden.” Reginald replied. He held out his axe and pointed to the one, two, three pine trees that had become the bane of Jayden’s existence. “All three of those need to come down.”

Jayden released an exasperated sigh as he glowered at the trees, and looked back Reginald. “Reginald,” Jayden began patiently, “They’re a town of six people. They couldn’t possibly need all that wood. You’re just trying to keep me busy.”

“They’re five hundred people, Jayden.” Reginald corrected, “And all that wood will get them through next year’s winter.”

“You mean all of this hard labor is for something that’s three hundred and sixty five days down the line?!”

Reginald smiled, returning his axe to the tree he’d been working on all morning. “Yes, it is. The longer the wood seasons…” He swung the axe into the tree, noting that he was at the halfway mark, “…the better it burns. But I’m not trying to keep you busy, Jayden. If you’d rather return home and continue that discussion with your father, you’re welcome too.”

“No, sir. Chopping the wood, sir.”

Reginald repressed a chuckle as he heard the resounding thunk of Jayden’s axe cutting into the tree.

“Think of it this way, Jayden.” Uriel said as he rose over the cliff face behind Jayden. “By the time you get finished with all of this wood, and your father finishes the addition to your house, you guys’ll be too tired to argue.”

“Thank you, Uriel. That makes me feel a lot better.”

Uriel smirked as he passed by Jayden, who glared at him in between swings. Reginald smiled at the two and returned to his own work, noting the height of the sun. It was still early, but half of the forest would have to be down by nightfall, and they were already behind.

Odd, the thought flashed through his mind as he took in the sky, it’s not usually this red out…

“Dad,” Uriel began, stepping through dry pine needles as he approached his father, “The boat to Briton is just about full. I think we should send it off.”

Jayden looked at Uriel knowingly. Reginald swung his axe one last time into the stubborn pine tree he had been working on all morning. He turned to his son, smiling, and wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “Really? You certain of that, Uriel?”

Uriel froze. “Yes.”

Reginald smiled. “Is that right? Because you don’t seem sure.”

“No, dad, trust me, I’m sure.”

“I tell you what. Let’s go take a look.”

Jayden chuckled, returning to work, taking downward swings into the trunk of his tree. Reginald glanced at him as he passed by; the boy was making good progress.

Uriel nearly stumbled over himself to keep up with his father. “No, dad, really, trust me, please. It’s fine. It’s full. I mean it’s really full.”

Reginald nodded quickly as he approached the edge of the cliff, rotating his right shoulder as he rubbed out an old ache earned from years of hard work. More than a hundred feet below, the water flowed audibly and powerfully towards the west, where it would open into the Atherean several miles away. Tied to the stone wall were three wooden rafts, each bearing the flag of the village they belonged too. Eudoras, the smallest of the three villages, ironically had the largest raft. Even from there, Reginald could see that the boat wasn’t even a third of the way full, but it wasn’t the first time that Uriel had tried to get out of the day’s chores.

“How about this, Uriel.” Reginald offered, spreading his wings, “Let’s go down there. If the boat isn’t completely filled up, you chop up the rest of the wood on your own, okay?”

Uriel blanched.

“No, it’ll be fine!” Reginald insisted, “You’ve been wanting to use an axe for a long time, right? Today can be that day! We just won’t tell your mom!”

Uriel pursed his lips. Reginald cocked his head, looking down at his son. “Unless you’d like to tell me something?”

“You’re mean, dad.”

“I know it’s hard work,” Reginald said, squatting to be closer to his son, “And I know you’d rather be doing anything else. But if we don’t do this, a lot of people are going to be cold throughout the winter. We don’t let people down once we’ve promised to do something, do we?”

After a moment, Uriel shook his head. Reginald smiled proudly, standing up and embracing his son. “Load one more cord,” Reginald said to Uriel, “and then you can go home. Jayden and I will take things from there.”

Reginald looked at Jayden, who had stopped working long enough to watch the exchange between father and son. Without saying anything, Jayden nodded in agreement. Reginald ushered his young son away, and Uriel dutifully took two of the triangular logs from the nearby pile and dove fearlessly from the cliff, spreading his wings as he took flight. Reginald stepped past Jayden, who had returned to work purposefully, and took his axe in hand. As he returned to the tree, he stole a glance at Jayden, who didn’t notice.

There had always been a longing in Jayden’s eyes when he observed Reginald with his children. Although Jayden would never admit it, Reginald knew that the boy hoped for the same type of relationship with his own father.

Reginald used to joke with his wife that Jayden’s first word must’ve been “no”, because it seemed that he and his father had been clashing since the day Jayden could speak. Jayden had made friends with Uriel, despite their age difference, so he had become welcome in the St. Morias home. Reginald had always wondered; conflicts between parents and children were rare before the Great Divide. In fact, everything had been different before Yin’s exile. Even the third dimension had begun to war with itself.

Not all of life’s changes were for the better, it seemed.

Someone can racing through the forest towards them, moving so fast that he nearly tripped on the uneven terrain.

“Jayden,” The young man forced between rapid breaths, “You…need to come home right now.”

Jayden dropped his axe almost at the same time Reginald did, and the two approached the young man, concerned. Behind them, Uriel alighted on the ground and jogged towards them.

The young man had braced himself by placing his hands on his knees; he been running for miles, obviously. The sole thought resonating through Reginald’s head as he approached the adolescent was wondering what could’ve been so urgent to come so far, so fast?

“What is it?” Jayden asked warily, stepping past Reginald.

“It’s your sister.”

The young man had been crying.

Jayden’s mouth fell open. “What about Bethany?”

“She’s…she’s hurt really badly, Jayden…I think she’s passing on.”

Jayden didn’t wait to hear the rest of the sentence. Spreading his wings, he bolted into the sky, followed closely by Reginald and Uriel.

It felt like the entire town of Jordan had crowded into the Zeneca family’s modest five-bedroom home. A throng of curious Angels was stacked outside the house, funneling their way into the front door. The young man who had brought the news quickly rejoined his family outside as they arrived, and Reginald led Jayden and Uriel through the crowd, which quickly parted when they realized who had arrived.

The front room of the Zeneca house was a testament to the patriarch’s hunting ability, as there were two eight-point bucks facing one another in a homemade mount that must’ve taken months to complete. Above them was an eagle with its wings spread, also mounted and equally dead. Reginald remembered John, Jayden’s father, being reprimanded for striking down an animal not intended for food. His own family had objected to the stuffing, but John had been proud of the shot. Reginald found it macabre, and tried to avoid looking at the display.

There were nearly thirty people jammed into the front room, all of them conversing, wanting to know what happened, and crying. They became silent as Jayden passed them, beelining for the staircase at the end of the room. “It’s her older brother,” one of the Angels said as Jayden took to the stairs. Reginald instructed his reluctant son to stay downstairs and find his mother; there was no telling what happened to Bethany.

The wide, wooden staircase was lined with Angels who had arrived to see what had happened; they parted as Reginald and Jayden approached. Their wings propelled them as they took the stairs six at a time, bounding to the top in two leaps.

Five bedrooms lined the long, rustic hallway; all of the doors were closed but the one at the end of the hallway, to the right; Bethany’s room. Reginald and Jayden pushed their way through a narrow crowd of Angels, who parted and pressed themselves against the wall to let them through. Jayden burst into the room first, scanning for Bethany first on her bed–and finding her on the floor.

The sight caused him to gasp, and Reginald brought a hand, immediately looking away. The girl had been butchered.

She was being cradled by their mother, Marcee, whose shoulder-length blond hair looked ratty and disheveled, as though she had spent many nights sleeping in the wild. Her face was patchy and red from so much crying, and she rocked her daughter gently, humming a lullaby she had sung to them when they were children.

Bethany lay motionless in her mother’s arms, hands at her sides, head listed to the side, eyes closed. She was sickly pale, and her breathing was rapid and shallow. A pool of blood had dried beneath her, and a pile of reddened towels had been haplessly piled in a corner. Jayden felt a rush of rage pass over him as he observed his sister’s badly damaged wing, more than half of it missing.

Both Reginald and Jayden stopped breathing as they realized what what was happening; no effort was being made to save Bethany. There was nothing else anyone could do.

Almost involuntarily, Jayden collapsed to his knees at Bethany’s feet. “Beth…?” He managed, forcing tears back down his throat, he took her hand; it was cold. “Beth…can you hear me…?”

His mother either ignored him or didn’t notice him at all.

Something came storming up the stairs with enough force to bring the entire house down. Jayden was too engrossed with his sister to notice. Reginald looked at the open doorway just in time to see John, their father, explode onto the scene.

A big Angel with full facial hair, Reginald was almost surprised to see his face crack with emotion at the sight of his daughter dying. “Bethany?” His voice was still deep and rumbling, “Bethany? What’s the matter with you?”

As his eyes drifted towards Jayden, they changed from shock to pure rage. “You…” He growled.

Jayden still hadn’t noticed him.

John began to charge him.

Reginald blocked his path, staring the larger Angel in the eyes. “John, what’re you doing?!” Reginald hissed.

“Get out of my way, Reginald.” John threatened, “Don’t stand between my daughter and I!”

“I’m not.” Reginald shook his head, “I’m standing between you and your son.”

“My SON?!” John bellowed, shaking the house, “Tell me, son!” John now looked over Reginald’s shoulder to address Jayden directly, “Where were you when this happened?! Why weren’t you looking out for your little sister?!”

Jayden slowly looked up, tears coming down his face. It was as though he was just then becoming aware of his father’s presence. “What…?” He replied, his voice ragged.

“WHY WEREN’T YOU OUT THERE WITH THEM–” John’s bellow was loud enough to shake the house, but an unspoken thought hit them all at once. Wide-eyed and terrified, Marcee looked up at John, who had suddenly frozen.

Reginald was the first to say it aloud. “Where are Darryl and Jayce?”

“No!!” The word exploded from Bethany, who suddenly sprung to life. She sprang from the floor, scrambling to Reginald and clutching his shirt with such ferocity that he was forced to his knees. Inches from the girl’s face, Reginald found it impossible to look away; the girl’s eyes were wide, bloodshot…and utterly horrified. Her entire body was quivering; it was taking everything she had to hold on.

Looking in her eyes, Reginald understood; it was taking the last of what she had.

“They’re gone, they’re gone…” She managed, her voice shaky and determined, “They got eaten, okay?” She shook her head. “Don’t…don’t go after them, please, please, please…they’re gone, nothing’s gonna save them, they’re gone, they’re just gone…”

Reginald couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. What did you see out there? He Reached, pushing his thought into her mind so she could save her strength.

Blood. Death. Death like they do in that other place, with all that blood.

Other place…you mean in the third dimension, Bethany?

She nodded, although she didn’t speak.

Yeah, yeah, like that. Reginald, they ate my brothers, they ate my brothers…please, please tell Jayden.

Her entire body began to quake, and Reginald wrapped his arm around her back, taking her hand and nodding. “It’s okay, Bethany.” He spoke aloud, lowering her gently to the floor. “It’s okay. Rest now, please…”

She closed her eyes, going limp in his arms as her listed to the side. “You rest now.” He whispered. “Rest–”

Her breathing had stopped, as all movement had. Reginald, stunned, looked her up and down before clutching her wrist. He then repressed tears.

“Rest.” He whispered one last time before standing up.

Marcee was the first to begin sobbing, quickly picking up her daughter and holding her close, rocking. Other cries broke out across the house.

Jayden, who hadn’t blinked in nearly two minutes, slowly stood up, unable to take his eyes away from Bethany as she was cradled in her mother’s arms. He staggered backwards before falling against the wall.

Reginald was in such shock that he didn’t see John move until it was too late. The large Angel had crossed a third of the room in a single step, raised his hand over the unexpecting Jayden, and struck him to the ground with an open-handed slap. The crack reverberated throughout the entire house, snapping everyone out of their shock.

“DAMN YOU, BOY!” John bellowed, “WHERE WERE YOU?! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTER WERE FOLLOWING YOUR LEAD?! WHERE WERE YOU THIS MORNING?”

Reginald pinned John’s arms behind his back and began to drag him away from Jayden, unaware that the boy was getting up. “John!” Reginald urged, “He’s still your son!”

“HE SHOULD’VE BEEN OUT THERE WITH THEM!!” John declared, loud enough to be heard two towns over.

From nowhere, Jayden barreled into his father, catching him at the midsection and knocking them all the ground. Pinned beneath them, Reginald had to struggle to get out from under John even as Jayden climbed atop him, and began throwing fist after fist into his face.

“Where was I, old man?!” Jayden seethed, “Where were you?! Or were you out looking for me again, looking for a way I had failed you yet again? Where were you when your children snuck away from your house?!”

Jayden was bloodying his father’s face and showed no signs of stopping, a dark red aura enveloping his body as he continued the assault. John was barely moving, although Reginald imagined that John was raising his hands in an attempt to fight Jayden off.

Jayden, now firmly pulsating a red aura, stopped beating his father and reached down, clutching him by the shirt and hoisting him upwards. “It should’ve been me?” He slammed his father back into the wooden floor with enough force to crack a rib, “It should have been both of us.”

Jayden seemed to become aware of his Luminescence only as he rose, and found all eyes on him. Reginald saw the emotions pass through the boy’s eyes; anguish, pain, shock, disbelief, and the color of his own aura; sheer, unadulterated rage.

Reginald wondered how long that had been building up.

“Reginald.” John was speaking, spitting up blood and teeth as he slowly rose from the floor. “I only have one son left. Get this thing out of my house.”

Jayden’s mouth fell open, but only for a moment. His father turned to the door and slowly plodded from the room, the bystanders making way for him.

As Jayden’s Luminescence faded, Reginald approached him, putting his arm around him. “Come.” he invited. “You can stay at my house until we get all of this worked out.”

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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I am proud to announce the upcoming publication of my very first book, Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders [Redux]. This upcoming e-novella tells of the very first battle in war between Heaven and Hell. The story occurs during the Alpha period, a few generations after Adam and Eve, as political tensions in Heaven finally escalate to violence.

One early spring morning, three Angels go stunt-diving over the Atherean Sea, Heaven’s largest body of water.  Only one comes home. Her final thoughts speak of unspeakable terrors that have overtaken the sea, and all of Heaven cries out for vengeance.

Reginald St. Morias, a small-town lumberjack, finds himself reluctantly pressed into service, leading a small force into the heart of the sea. Although his instructions conflict with his faith, Reginald, and those he leads, soon find themselves in battle with an impossible enemy, one who has no known weaknesses, feeds on fear, pain, and suffering, and originates from the worst place imaginable, a place that will become known in all languages as the final destination of the damned.

Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders [Redux] is a story about the loss of paradise, and the struggle to hold onto one’s faith in the face of senseless madness. It is about the struggle to accept who are, so you may become who you are meant to be. This is the very first battle in a war that will rage on for centuries.

Universal Warrior: Atherean Defenders [Redux] will be available for digital download on November 1, 2011, to coincide with the relaunch of http://universalwarrioronline.com.

The e-novella will be made available to anyone who wants it at absolutely no charge.

Stay tuned for more details as the release date draws nearer.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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As he passed over the lake of fire, Reginald locked eyes with one of the many damned. It howled, reaching up for him desperately. Another one leapt from the lake and pounced on it, pushing it back below the surface. Its hand was the last to go. The scream would stay with him forever.

“Nothing you can do now.” Angelica Reached into his mind, “We have to save Lihua and Jayden!”

“I know…” Reginald replied sadly. He hesitated a moment longer and then turned away, arms ahead of him as though flying as he streaked through the water. Jayden and Lihua were roughly fifty yards ahead, ferociously engaging Rahab. Jayden seemed to be doing most of the work; he would attack, get knocked several feet away, and re-engage. The closer they drew, the stronger Jayden’s thoughts became; the boy was weakening, and he knew he was no match for Poseidon’s killer, but it didn’t matter; no matter the cost, Jayden was determined to kill Rahab.

Surprisingly, Lihua appeared skilled at hand-to-hand combat, although her movements were awkward and Rahab was capitalizing; she wasn’t used to her new body yet, wasn’t familiar with how far she could push it. Still, she held her own; Rahab seemed intent on grabbing her, but Lihua would slip away and push him off-balance before he could do any damage. Which was good for her; Rahab seemed intent on eating her. Reginald felt Angelica’s mind and realized they were thinking the same thing; if Jayden and Lihua were to work together, Rahab may have had a problem. Now, all they could do was get there before it was too late; Reginald drew his axes and accelerated. They had closed the distance to mere feet. “Remember,” Reginald reached to everyone, “we want him alive. Don’t damn yourself for him.”

“I won’t.” Angelica’s was the only response. Reginald feared that his words would be lost on the young ones. Even as he entered the fray, he struggled to remember what it was that Rahab had called Lihua…lilen? What exactly was that?

Time for analytical thought was over. “Angelica.” Reginald ordered as Lihua wrenched away from Rahab, “Take his mind.”

Angelica smiled–coldly–at Rahab as she clenched her fists, and the demon arched backwards, hands raised to his ears as a forked tongue appeared to spasm its way out of his mouth. He screamed a terrible, piercing shriek as he appeared to convulse, slowly buckling under Angelica’s mental assault.

Jayden recovered from Rahab’s last assault and saw an opportunity; clutching his knife, he dove towards the demon, blade raised for the killing blow. At the last second, Reginald intercepted Jayden’s wrist and jerked the boy’s arm downwards, forcing Jayden to look him in the eye. “Li,” Angelica reached to Lihua, “Circle and grasp. I’ll hold him here.”

“Oh, is that what you’ll do…” Rahab began to overpower Angelica’s telepathy as Lihua began to circle around to his left side, reaching into his mind. “You know what I am,” her tone was menacing, “And you know you can’t stop one of my kind.”
“Shut up, damn you.”

“It’s time, Rahab.” Lihua’s tone was mocking comfort. “It’s time to go home.”

Reginald looked to Jayden. “Have you lost your mind?!” He bellowed into the boy’s mind, “Don’t you know what’ll happen to you if you kill him?!”

Jayden’s eyes were black as he merely looked back to Reginald, and that’s when the elder Angel knew.

The rock foundation ahead of them suddenly exploded outwards, sending all of them tumbling through the water, which had abruptly become hot. There was a horrifying, deafening roar that emerged from the gaping hole in the wall of the Atherean, overtaking the sea. It slowly, distinctly said Rahab’s name. Rahab began swimming for dear life, moving away from the vacuuming abyss that had suddenly become the most dominant thing in the ocean.

“This is our chance!” Angelica strained to Reach them, “Grab him now!”

“No!” Reginald shot back, trying to regain balance in the water, “Send him back! Drive him back into the hole!”

“He’s not leaving here alive.” That final thought came from Jayden.

Reginald realized that he could not let Jayden be damned…no matter what. The family had lost enough. But that meant that something terrible had to be done.

The suction from the screaming black hole had increased, as though the thing was becoming frustrated. The one it wanted was almost treading water, desperate to get away. Lihua descended upon him, dropping the heel of her foot squarely into the center of his spine. Rahab was splayed out, but recovered quicker than anyone imagined; he whipped around and caught Lihua’s ankle before she could pull away. As the two were drawn towards the abyss, Lihua’s eyes turned black, and talons began protruding from her nails.

“Lihua, no!” Angelica bulled her way into Lihua, knocking the girl free from Rahab’s grasp. Rahab, feral with terror at being pulled back into the hole, clutched Angelica and jerked her close. He sunk his teeth into her throat and ripped something free; she struggled momentarily before floating lifelessly away.

Reginald landed squarely on Rahab’s back and buried one of his axes into the demon’s shoulder. Rahab screamed, and as the two were drawn into the abyss, Reginald pulled the blade free and struck again, severing the demon’s arm.

The look Rahab gave to Reginald would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Reginald sprung from Rahab before they could both be taken. Jayden was approaching from underneath Rahab, prepared to eviscerate the demon from below. There was no time to dive and save the boy from himself. One way to ensure he wasn’t damned.

Closing his eyes, free from the pull of the abyss, Reginald raised his axe high overhead and hurled it towards Jayden.

He didn’t see what happened next. He heard the blade find its mark, felt the abyss cease, and knew it was over.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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“Your lair?” Reginald echoed cautiously. “Just who are you, again?”

“Me?” Rahab appeared cheerful, spreading his arms and raising his head. “I’m Rahab, the King of the Seas!”

“The king of the seas…” Reginald trailed off, attempting to gauge Rahab, “…so…what happened to Poseidon?”

Rahab suddenly lunged forward, grasping his trident as if leaning on it. The gesture caused the four to jerk back apprehensively. “Who?” As Rahab asked, he reared back in an exaggerated motion, looking up and tapping his chin. “Oh, that old bore. Well, he chose to retire…”

Rahab dug his index finger into his mouth, picking between his teeth. “…after dinner.”

Able to perceive Rahab’s thoughts, Angelica winced, “You monster…”

“Ahh, but enough boring chatter! Tell me; what have you brought me?” Rahab looked to the four expectantly. Reginald frowned. “What?”

Rahab snapped his fingers twice, causing the four to jump again. “Come on, Reginald, keep up! It may be polite to bring a gift when you’re invited to someone’s home, but trespassing and showing up empty-handed is just rude.”

For a moment, the Atherean was deathly silent.

“I mean, three kids broke in without bringing anything and my kids mistook them for h’ordeuvres–”

“I have something for you.” Jayden snarled. In a single, deft motion, Jayden drew a knife from his ankle and hurled it end-over-end towards Rahab. Even as Reginald reached out vainly to stop Jayden, Rahab merely knocked the knife away with a jerk of the trident, and it floated harmlessly away over his shoulder.

“Are you crazy?!” Reginald bellowed telepathically, glaring at Jayden. The thought was so fierce that Angelica winced, raising her hands to her ears protectively. “What if you had killed him?!”

Rahab’s mouth fell open. “Reginald. You can’t be serious.”

His ‘eyes’, large, empty black holes, drifted over towards Lihua, who suddenly unfolded her arms and held her breath. “Egads! Can it be?” Rahab exclaimed, “Reginald! Where did you ever find one of those?!”

“What…?” Reginald slowly turned from Rahab to Lihua as Angelica drifted towards her protectively. “Milady!” Rahab continued, extending a welcoming hand towards her, “You beautiful little Lilen delicacy! You are most welcome here!”

“Stay the hell away from me.” Lihua spat.

Reginald felt the breath ripped from his body. “How do you know about…?”

“Don’t speak of it.” Rahab’s words were quick and quiet. “It’s not a nice place.”

Reginald looked up to Angelica, who seemed to be observing everything at once. Her eyes shot from place to place, although the Atherean seemed to be vacant save for the five of them. “What is it?” Reginald asked.

“They look like the water,” Angelica replied, her thought hushed, “but we’re not alone. They’re everywhere.”

“Oh, they won’t hurt you.” Rahab’s tone had eerily switched from excited control to mild fear. “You brought a gift. Simply hand over the Lilen and you’re welcome to stay and have some–”

“Rahab.”

The voice was dark, deep, female, and omnipresent. As the Atherean shook with her presence, Reginald and Lihua locked eyes, and they knew who had suddenly arrived.

Yin.

“So this is where you’ve been. Tell me how you escaped.” Her voice was both soft and threatening, omnipresent as it shook the Atherean.

The ground exploded underneath them and a wall of steam hissed as it shot upwards, blocking the four from Rahab. Reginald tried to peer through the obtuse veil and could barely discern Rahab covering his face. He was no longer smiling, and his trident had dropped to the ground.

Angelica suddenly clasped her head and arched back sharply, opening her mouth in a muted scream. “You four.” That was Yin, and her tone was not pleasant, “Leave this place.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jayden declared. Horrified, Reginald turned back to the boy just in time to see him pull a second blade, concealed at the small of his back. His form was more fluid, the throw more precise–as though the first throw had been a feint–as he sent the blade hurtling towards Rahab. It passed through the steam and imbedded firmly into flesh with a sickening thunk.

Rahab screamed.

Lihua suddenly shot past Reginald’s right side, and he discerned blood in her eyes as she disappeared into the veil. He looked back to Angelica, who was nearly hyperventilating as she recovered from the Yin’s psychic assault. The look of loss she gave him mirrored his own.

Yin laughed. It was not kind laughter.

“No.” Reginald breathed. He glanced down to the Atherean floor, as the steam began disintegrating. His mouth fell open; his mind could barely process what he saw.

A gaping hole had been torn open in the stone foundation. Bright, orange magma flooded the hole, and the heat generated from the pool could probably be felt for miles. Reginald felt like he was trapped in a sauna.

In the hole were torched, humanoid beings who reached out of the liquid desperately, only to have a wave drown them. Their screams were pervasive and eternal; there were scores of them, so many of them that the magma could barely be perceived. And Reginald knew exactly what he was looking at.

In the distance, through the haze, Reginald could make out Jayden and Lihua, who were in hard pursuit of Rahab. Poseidon’s killer appeared to be swimming for his life.

“We have to stop them.” Angelica panted, worn down. Reginald nodded. “I know.” He shot off after the three, feeling Angelica’s urgency as she joined him. Too many things could go wrong–had gone wrong at this point. The least they could do was keep Jayden from killing Rahab.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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“Look…”

Angelica was the first to break the mental silence. An hour-long excursion into the Atherean had turned up nothing, literally; the Atherean was eerily, unnaturally silent. Not a single fish, dolphin, or even a shark had presented itself. Beyond that, even the plant life was oddly missing; no brightly-colored flora decorated the pale blue jagged formations that jutted up from the ocean floor.

Nothing was left; as though every life in the sea had been suddenly driven to extinction.

Yet, they were not alone, Reginald knew that. The ever-present tingle at the base of his spine reminded him of that. His eyes darted left and right across the expanse, his breath coming quickly, so as not to give away their position; something was watching them, waiting for them.

Hunting them.

Angelica, behind them, pointed to something that glinted, half-buried in the Atherean’s sandy floor. Reginald followed her eyes and his heart sank; now he understood why Zeus had been so angry.

Jayden, who had taken point, landed first, followed by Reginald, then the ever-apprehensive Lihua and Angelica. “Is that…?” Angelica Reached to all of them, pointing to the long, rusting object. Reginald nodded sadly, pulling the item from the sand. “It is…” He acknowledged. “Poseidon’s trident.”

The weapon had once belonged the king of the seas, Zeus’ cousin. Now, acquiring mold with two of its trines bent out of shape, a cold fear enveloped Reginald; whatever had slain the Poseidon now controlled the Atherean.

“We need to take this back to Zeus.” Reginald Reached, tucking the ruined weapon into his belt at his back.

“Why’re you crying?” Jayden’s tone was accusatory, and aimed at Lihua. She quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not…” Her Reach was meek, “I just…I…”

“The sea king is dead, Jayden.” Angelica chastised, “I think we’re all a little shaken.”

“She’s right.” Reginald confirmed, “The creature that did this is beyond all of us.”

“Poseidon was one being.” Jayden replied, “And my brothers and sisters were unprepared. We’re hunting it now; it’s not going to be able to take all four of us.” His last line was aimed distrustfully at Lihua.

Angelica suddenly looked off into the distance; something had caught her mental attention. The three of them whipped to her line of sight, reaching for their weapons. A school of twenty goldfish lingered, hovering in the distance some fifty yards away. They were in a diamond formation, bobbing in the water observantly.

“Finally, some answers.” Jayden growled. He Reached out to the fish. They didn’t respond.

Reginald felt Jayden’s attempt and reinforced it with his own. Again, nothing.

The fish slowly approached.

Angelica’s Reach was more powerful than all of their combined, and the question was simple enough; “What has happened here?”

Reginald saw horror descend onto Angelica’s face. Lihua’s fists clenched.

The thought was an alarm that blared to all of them. Those are not goldfish!

The fish accelerated.

“Everyone scatter!” Reginald ordered. Jayden went his own way, lunging towards the crimson fish, knife drawn. Reginald drew his axes, darting left, as Angelica began ascending and Lihua merely stepped back, raising open hands.

The fish were quick, and all teeth. Reginald quickly dodged to the right as two fish shot past his left arm, bringing one of his axes down on one of them, cleaving it in half. He could feel Jayden’s bloodlust as the boy engaged seven of them–wiping out five with quick, violent slashes. For a brief moment, Reginald and Jayden made eye contact as the last red-bellied fish fell in two-pieces. Jayden’s smile worried him.

Angelica hovered above all of another seven of them as they approached her mindlessly, baring hundreds of fangs that fit impossibly into tiny mouths. Before they could reach her, Angelica looked to them, blinking, putting her hand at her head–the fish seized in mid-swim, and then floated lifelessly to the floor. Reginald felt a mild twinge at the front of his head, and no longer wondered why Odin and Zeus had insisted upon her coming with them.

Lihua seemed to lose herself in the fray, but her movements were neither wild, nor violent. The water didn’t even react to her. One fish went for her ankle; she merely stepped out of the way. Another tried to eviscerate her, she simply pivoted. She clutched that fish and squeezed, and it was no longer a threat. An open-palm strike to the temple of another fish ended that threat as well. She then waited, exhaling, hands open, as the remaining fish continued to circle her. The peace she exuded belied the apprehension she had shown thus far.

A wave of stale air blasted past all of them, sending Jayden and Angelica tumbling through the water before they recovered. Reginald and Lihua shielded themselves, suddenly buffeted by a water-borne hurricane that came from nowhere. When it cleared, they were no longer under attack.

Instead, Reginald, Jayden, Angelica, and Lihua found themselves looking at a monster. The few fish that remained hovered obediently at its side.

It was pale, sickly, like a well-built corpse. It was muscular, blue veins protruding at various points from its body. Its fingers were thickly webbed, and in its left hand, it carried an off-white trident that matched its skin, and looked as though it could’ve been made of rubber.

It had no eyes, only black holes where eyes should’ve been. A flat, gill-like nose and sharpened yellow teeth. Large, webbed ears completed the creature. It looked like a bastardized version of Poseidon.

And Reginald knew he was looking at the creature that had slain the king of the sea.

“Who are you?” Reginald demanded, trying to mask his fear.

For a moment, the creature said nothing, slowly lowering its head. After a moment, it snapped up, as if suddenly becoming aware of their presence. “Who, me?” He pointed to himself in mock innocence. “I’m Rahab. Welcome to my seas.”

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC

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