The Werewolf King, Ryan Matthew Harker [best novels to read in english TXT] 📗

have that effect.
“Well it’s no time like the present,” she said aloud.
Sefu took a dozen steps away from the edge to get a running start, cast one last look at the land she had known her entire life, ran and leapt sailing into space and the Harashna…
…to be roughly deposited in soft, dry, brown soil that sent up a small cloud of dust from her impact.
“Good afternoon assassin,” a male voice rumbled from above her.
Sefu squinted up through bright sunshine and made out the shape of a man standing next to her head, a man with a voice she was quick to recognize. “Hello yourself McAriicoys,” she muttered as she stood up and dusted herself off.
McAriicoys was the immortal Commander General of an elite group of mercenary soldiers that were contracted almost exclusively by the crown. They had been drawn together and lead by a man who had been McAriicoys closest friend for most of his long, long life, Jeshux DuTerriux Jules and he had been killed during the last moments of the war against the mad sorcerer Harmony. Jeshux had also been an immortal and had formed his army from men and women who shared this trait; this had earned them the nickname ‘Jeshux Immortals’ and it was a title that they still carried to this day. A strong, solid built, square bodied man of average height McAriicoys had red brown hair and a red beard, both of which were just becoming shot through with strands of white. At nearly a millennium old he was the veteran of over a dozen wars that made Earth’s world wars pale by comparison and countless major and minor skirmishes and battles, and after the death of Jeshux had considered it his obligation as second in command and to his friend to take charge of the Immortals. Numbering nearly forty thousand strong McAriicoys had requested, and been granted by the King, that his mercs be stationed at the Earth-side Harashna watch station, the Complex. And now he stood looking at the dimensionally displaced assassin.
“Enjoy the ride” he asked.
“Not in the least,” Sefu managed a smirk. “I take it you were expecting me.”
“We received a message from the King late last night,” McAriicoys confirmed.
Sefu looked at the activity of soldiers moving all around her and asked, “Shouldn’t you be watching the other side as well?” She arched an eyebrow with wicked delight, “In light of what we’ve learned I mean.”
“We are,” McAriicoys own eyes gleamed for a moment.
“I didn’t see anyone,” Sefu protested.
“You wouldn’t,” McAriicoys laughed. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” Sefu was surprised at how famished she suddenly felt.
“Follow me,” McAriicoys intoned, turned and strode off.
It’s in his nature to give orders, she thought as she watched his broad back retreat, then she gathered her wits, checked the sun to get her bearings, and followed after the mercenary commander.
The Complex was a sprawl of buildings, each of which was a bustle of activity, and looked pretty much how Sefu had envisioned it would. Being the one time home of the physicist Max Kimbal for more than sixty years she had been sure to probe the old man for a detailed description of the facility. From what Max had told her the main building housed the mess hall and was located directly in line with the Harashna. These facts coincided with what she was experiencing now because McAriicoys was leading her towards a large central building directly in front of her.
As she looked around Sefu was amazed by the preternatural tidiness of everything, even the dirt appeared to be clean and in its place. Although Max had explained to her about the temporal stasis effect generated by the Harashna’s presence she had been unable to fully appreciate it on the AnEerth side due, she supposed, to the Spartan construction of the tower and the sparse environment it was located in. Here on Earth however it was a different story for the Complex was located in the middle of a lush and beautiful forest that appeared to be almost like a large, well manicured garden. As for the facility itself every building had an immaculate paintjob, every window was spotless and streak free, and if the front doors to the main building were any indication were as perfectly oiled and squeak free as well.
“Nice place,” Sefu remarked casually.
“It’s pretty easy to keep up,” McAriicoys said as he led her through another set of double doors into a cafeteria style mess hall packed with people and tables. The ancient soldier briefly remembered his first time in this room with Jeshux while the two of them had chased Candlelite across the countryside; of course at the time the boy had been considered to be little more than an animal by either of them and the memory made him smile. He had other memories of this room as well but they were more painful and he quickly pushed them aside. McAriicoys directed Sefu to some food. Then he pleaded other matters to attend to and after leaving instructions with one of his men to lead her to the main control room when she was done eating he left.
After Sefu finished her meal she followed her guide to Whiskey Control, a nickname it earned from the permanently ingrained smell of alcohol apparently due to decades of Max’s incessant drinking in the room as he analyzed data streams on the Harashna after Harmony’s invasion of Earth. She almost felt a pang of sympathy for the scientist’s loneliness, cooped up in this room for sixty years, the only survivor of a horrific massacre by creatures that he had thought only to be myth. These were concepts the assassin could relate to.
Not long after her arrival McAriicoys stormed through the door. “I don’t have long to brief you,” he told Sefu as he unfolded a map of the planet on the table in front of her. “I’ve I’ve put some of our mages to the task of tracking some recent magical disturbances.” He pointed to six red X’s marked on various continents. “There’s magical residue in these five areas.” He stabbed a finger at five of the X’s. “With a large buildup concentrated here.” His finger moved to the remaining X located in the middle of the large southern continent. On AnEerth it was called Illisieon, here it was labeled Antarctica. “I’ve assigned a man to accompany you on your quest. He’s a skilled teleporter. He’s outside and will take you to the armory and the kitchen where you can gather any supplies you may think you need. I know you’re adept so I’ll leave you to it but before I do, do you have any questions?”
“This man of yours realizes I’m in charge?” Sefu growled.
“Completely,” McAriicoys assured her.
“Good. Then I’m ready.”
“Ok. I suggest you take some time to familiarize yourself with the map. You can take it with you but I wouldn’t rely on having it,” McAriicoys said and Sefu nodded in agreement.
McAriicoys turned and headed for the door but paused when he reached it, “Oh, and Sefu.” She looked up from the map and he said, “Good luck.” Then he left the room slamming the door behind him.
Sefu spent a few more minutes familiarizing herself with the map. It did not take her long for except for names the major landmasses and terrain features were basically the same as those of AnEerth. She noted that the inhabitants of this world had more of a tendency to stick together than those of her own for there were lass major cities spread across the continents and they seemed to be larger, indicating larger populations. At least this would have been true for pre-Harmony times, who knows what the state of the world was at this moment? Earth was just over a year without the stability of Harmony’s iron rule and was being left to pick up the pieces on its own. King Candlelite had decreed that except for the mercenaries stationed at the Harashna there would be no AnEerth influence in Earth’s domestic affairs, at least for the time being. When she was satisfied she had all the details memorized Sefu rolled up the map, tucked it under her arm, and gladly left the smell of Whiskey Control.
The teleporter that McAriicoys had mentioned stood leaning against the wall outside the door and jumped as it opened suddenly and Sefu strode passed.
“Hey!” he exclaimed. “Hey, wait up! Do you even know where you’re going?”
“Nope but you do,” she told him without stopping or looking at him when he came abreast of her. “Armory, kitchen.”
“Ok,” he said as they hit the double doors and walked in to the sunshine. “Armory’s this way.” And he turned to their left leading her around to the other side of the building.
“So you’re Sefu Atarle huh?” the teleporter asked and she gave a noncommittal grunt. “Yeah, of course you are,” he muttered. “My name’s Random, Random Rhaines.” Another noncommittal grunt emerged from Sefu. “Ok, not much for conversation,” he observed. “That’s fine, we don’t have to talk.”
“Good,” Sefu told him.
Random looked at the most notorious assassin in the history of AnEerth and had the impression she was messing with him.
Random stopped in front of a small shed that was only six feet by eight feet square and Sefu looked at him skeptically.
“What the hell is this?” she asked him.
“The armory.”
“You’re kidding?” Sefu hoped he was not for his sake.
The merc just looked at her and opened the door. He reached inside and flipped on a light switch. An incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling came to life and illuminated a narrow staircase leading down. Sefu glared at the merc and headed down. He did not know how close he had just come to getting a broken arm. At the bottom of the stairs was another door and she pushed through it into a darkened room. Random, close behind, followed her through and turned on another light switch. Rows and rows of weapons were revealed in a room the size of a small airplane hangar. Sefu let out a low whistle at the sight of all the armaments.
“You like it?” Random grinned.
“Yes,” Sefu said as she lightly ran her fingers down a rack of high discharge plasma rifles.
“I thought you might,” Random told her as he followed her down the aisle. “McAriicoys had it built right after we reclaimed the Complex from Harmony’s rearguard, had the mages unearth the initial cavern in one chunk. It was quite a sight to see.”
“Where are the swords?” Sefu asked stopping to turn towards the merc and look at him for the first time.
He was an attractive man she observed. A little on the short side though, Sefu guessed him to be no more than five foot three or four inches. He had dirty dishwater blonde hair with the striking and somewhat rare combination of brown eyes. He wore his hair longer than what was usually regulation for a military outfit and she thought that was refreshing in an enlisted man, it spoke of a hint of rebellion. He also wore his uniform a little baggy but she could tell by the way he carried himself that he was well built for his size. Probably not an ounce of body fat on him, she thought and then caught herself and looked away sharply. What was she thinking? She had never thought of men as anything more than tools, something to be used and thrown away. What was happening to her these days?
“They’re over here,” Random said as he suddenly felt uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze.
“Lead the way,” Sefu muttered as she hoped she was not blushing.
If she was Random did not notice and he led her