Wrath of the Forgotten: Descendants of the Fall Book II, Hodges, Aaron [top 10 non fiction books of all time txt] 📗

Wrath of the Forgotten

Descendants of the Fall Book II

Aaron Hodges

Contents

About the Author

The Kingdoms of Humanity

Prologue

1. The Fallen

2. The Fugitive

3. The Soldier

4. The Fugitive

5. The Fallen

6. The Soldier

7. The Fallen

8. The Soldier

9. The Fugitive

10. The Soldier

11. The Fallen

12. The Soldier

13. The Fugitive

14. The Fallen

15. The Soldier

16. The Fugitive

17. The Tangata

18. The Fugitive

19. The Fallen

20. The Soldier

21. The Fallen

22. The Soldier

23. The Tangata

24. The Fugitive

25. The Soldier

26. The Fallen

27. The Tangata

28. The Soldier

29. The Fugitive

30. The Soldier

31. The Fallen

32. The Soldier

33. The Fugitive

Epilogue

Note from the Author

Oathbreaker

Prologue

Chapter One

The Evolution Gene

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Also by Aaron Hodges

Edited by Genevieve Lerner

Proofread by Sara Houston

Illustration by Eva Urbanikova

Map by Michael Hodges

Copyright © June 2020 Aaron Hodges.

First Edition. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-9951365-33

About the Author

Aaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he grew tired of office work and decided to quit his job in 2014 and see the world. One year later, he published his first novel - Stormwielder.

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Only in the darkest of times,

Can we see the light of heroes.

Thanks to all the essential workers.

You’re life savers.

THE KINGDOMS OF HUMANITY

Prologue The Soldier

Lukys stumbled through the night, his feet catching on unseen obstructions, eyes straining to pierce the gloom. His chest ached from the blow he’d taken just hours earlier and the chainmail vest weighed heavily on his shoulders, but he kept on. He had no choice. Cords bound his hands tight behind his back, and another was looped around his neck, constricting whenever he slowed, his captors urging him on. Grunts came from behind as his fellow captive, Dale, struggled to keep pace.

Briefly, light shone from overhead and Lukys’s eyes were drawn to a gap in the canopy. A sliver of the moon appeared between the branches. Then it was gone, the forest returning to darkness—but not before he glimpsed the movement all around them. Their captors. The Tangata.

Lukys shuddered at being surrounded by the creatures. Cruel and inhuman, they had no problem seeing in the dark. It was one of their many powers, stolen from the Gods in ages past and inherited down through the generations. For decades the Tangata had waged war against humanity, destroying all who came against them. And now he was their prisoner.

He still struggled to understand how it had come to pass. He’d arrived on the frontier with his fellow Perfugians, thinking he was to become a soldier. Reality had crushed those aspirations. Untrained and terrified, the Perfugian recruits had been ordered into battle that first day. Against the superhuman strength of the Tangata, they’d never stood a chance.

Yet Lukys had survived. Survived because of Romaine, the ferocious warrior of Calafe. Even amongst other soldiers, the man was an enigma. Wielding a great battle axe, he had stood alone against one of the creatures, and won. Lukys had never heard of such a feat—the professors of his academy learning asserted that just one Tangata possessed the strength of three human soldiers.

After the battle, Lukys had sought out the warrior and begged for his help. Reluctantly, Romaine had agreed to train him—and eventually over half the surviving Perfugian recruits had joined them. They’d fought together, learned together, had almost thought themselves true soldiers.

Until this disastrous expedition. Now his fellow Perfugians were dead, all except he and Dale. The two of them should have been slaughtered as well, cut down on the banks of the Illmoor River, but something had given the creatures pause. Something had changed their minds.

Something about Lukys.

A tremor slid down Lukys’s spine as his eyes fixed on the creature that led them. Long, curly brown hair suggested it was one of the females of the species, though they were just as strong as the males. Lukys had no doubt she could tear him in half should the desire take her. She had not said a word through the night. The Tangata did not speak. Or so they’d thought…

Move…further east…catch them…

Around him, the forest was silent, the movements of the Tangata abnormally quiet. But in Lukys’s mind…words whispered, mixing and churning against one another like the rumblings of a packed crowd. Unintelligible, yet unmistakable for what they were:

The thoughts of the Tangata.

Lukys didn’t know why he could hear them—he hadn’t even recognised the voices for what they were until that confrontation on the banks of Illmoor. Not until one of the creatures had spoken directly into his mind.

Who are you?

Ice filled Lukys’s belly at the memory. The Tangata had seemed as confused as Lukys about his ability. That alone had saved them. But how long could this deferment of their execution last? How long before the beasts grew tired of their human captors, and put them down? Lukys had no illusions as to what awaited them.

Unless they could escape. Cautiously, he glanced back, seeking out Dale in the darkness. Until recently the two had been rivals, but they’d formed a mutual respect during this fateful expedition. Fighting together, they had slain several of the Tangata, in itself a miracle. Perhaps they could—

A flicker of moonlight sliced through the night, momentarily revealing Dale’s face. Bruises purpled his cheek and had almost swollen his eyes closed, while a trail of blood ran from his mouth. The creatures had beaten them both before discovering Lukys’s talent, but Dale had received the worst of their anger.

A soft wheezing came from Dale’s throat and with his eyes on the ground, he didn’t notice the attention. Quickly, Lukys returned his gaze to the way ahead, all thoughts of escape fleeing his mind. Dale could barely walk, there was no way they could outrun the Tangata, even if