The Finding... The Gateway Series - Book One.

[Kryso]

Here’s THE FINDING – The first book in the Gateway Series. Book One of Seven… Hope you enjoy… Kryso…

THE FINDING

Long ago, entities with god like powers brought together seven worlds, joined by means of conduits, Gateways. Each supplied the next with what it lacked, from a surplus of what that world produced. Making life on all seven worlds possible. Then they disappeared. Each world became an individual.

Two brothers stumble on the Gateway and pass from our world to the next, and are endowed with powers beyond comprehension, vital for their survival in this hostile and intelligent world. Where nightmarish creatures feed on the weak. Titanic battles rage; good against evil, magic against machinery, mortal against immortal. A civil war between spirit creatures and a powerful self proclaimed God. Why is the American Government sending an army of mass destruction, with the latest military technology, through? Time is short, the armies are amassing. And what’s the prophecy about, scratched on a wall of a prison cell by dying hands?

CHAPTER 1

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

The darkness was doing nothing to improve his mood, he could barely see his hand held in front of his face. The low-lying cloud was blocking out the small amount of light that the waxy moon was giving off.

But the lack of light didn't worry him, if anything he preferred the darkness, the comfort and protection that it gave. It was reassuring to him. He didn't want anyone to see what he was doing anyway. Not that there would be anyone this far out. But you could never be too careful, not in this place. If he had learned one thing with his time spent here, it was never to take anything for granted. Never to relax. Not that this place ever gave you the chance to. But for now it was quiet, too quiet.

He worked fast, swiftly. He knew what he had to do, knew it had to be done. He had gone over it in his mind, over and over. This was the only way he knew how to stop it, stop it from happening again to someone else. Someone who wouldn’t be as strong as he was. Wouldn’t live as long as him. Not that you could call this living, this wasn't a life; life had meaning.

His fingers were numb, but it wasn’t from the cold, because it wasn’t cold. The low-lying cloud was holding all the heat in, making it stuffy, clammy. It was because of the task that lay ahead that made him numb. The size of the task he was undertaking, he knew the risks, knew he wouldn’t be around to see the sun rise in the morning. Not that you could see the sun here, there was always a blanket of clouds over the sky. It was never completely light, never completely dark. It was like a kind of dull colorless light, as if the light had to pass through a cloth. But tonight was different as if it knew what he was about to do, and was teasing him to try.

He could see it in front of him now, in the clearing. There were no trees; bushes, nothing around it not even grass. Nothing would grow near it. It gave off a strange light. A light that seemed to seep out of the very ground itself. It glowed with confidence if that didn’t sound to strange. He would swear it was watching him. Waiting.

He knew even with the task ahead he could do it if he had hope. But then this place always had hope; it put it there before you, just before it snatched it away.

He took a quick look behind him but saw nothing, but then again you never did, not before it was to late. Slowly he made his way towards it. Trying not to make any noise. He’d learned how to tread silently when he first arrived in this place. If you made a noise any noise it would be your last. He had been lucky the first time he had only attracted a small predator. It took him days to heal and in all that time he had been vulnerable, an easy target. He had learned his lesson then, and he didn't want to repeat that same mistake now.

Crawling now at a snails pace, he made his way to the edge of the clearing and stopped still. Dead still.

Fearing that even the sound of his breath would give him away, he held it. The sound of his heart beating was deafening in his ears, he would swear they could hear it. He had to calm down take control. He knew if he panicked he would die. Logic saved him; he knew that if they had seen him they would have been making their way towards him by now.

He also knew he had called them to protect it. Brought them from somewhere else to stand guard. They stood almost as tall as him. But they were built for speed. They had powerful legs, with which they could run faster than him. You could only hope they would tire before you. They could run fast but only for a short burst. Their arms were longer than seemed practical, but they could drop down and run on all fours as well. The main thing that drew your attention was the tail. Long and sleek. Powerful. They could break a person back in one sweep. If that didn't work then the claw on the end would. They never killed outright; they feed on your fear, your pain. They would let you heal yourself and then they would come back to where you lay and start over again. They don't kill for food, not many things in this place do. But do it for pleasure and because they can.

The mist rolled over their sleek bodies, taught skin, clawed hands. They looked around the clearing with their small but sharp eyes. With a strange orange glow that seemed to make your legs want to give out from under your own weight. It was rare to see so many in one place. They had their own family groups, which hunted together, but never in this number, because even these creatures are in the food chain here. Another strange thing was they were all male. Normally any two would fight among themselves. But here coming in from the forest directly ahead was maybe eight or nine, possibly more still hidden behind the trees.

They carried weapons in their hands. Some had the long spears that they could throw with uncanny precision. Never a death throw, always hitting their victims in the calf on the back of the legs making them fall, so they could slowly finish them off. Others carried weapons of their choice. They used the skin of other animals to cover themselves. In the scheme of things in this place they were above average intelligence. He didn't want them to cleaver, he needed to control them, use them like he uses everything else.

That’s why he hates our kind, can't stand us being here. We think for ourselves and that is one thing he will not allow, cannot allow. Because in the moment things start thinking for themselves, he loses all control over them. If only he would let us leave, stop others from coming in. But no they still come, will always come not knowing what awaits them. Not being able to stop themselves. Coming in search of something. For everyone it's something different. He can’t remember his reasons many don't, after they have been here for sometime. That's if they live that long.

That's why he's trying to stop this evil. Stop it before more arrive. It's been many weeks now since some came through. Which is longer than normal. That’s why he is here now to see, to try and change the course of things. Not that many haven't tried before him, many have. None have returned. If he doesn’t succeed then at least it will be over for him. It's those he leaves behind that he feels sorry for.

Movement to his left catches his attention. Maybe it was the wind? Maybe it was just a small animal? Another movement. He then realizes that they weren't hiding in the trees behind the others, but rather they were circling around to where he was. It's to late for him now. In one swift movement he's knocked to the ground. A flash of skin. A spray of blood. It’s all over.

The others like him stay well in the background. He was the one who wanted to try. It had been his idea. Wasn't it?

Now quietly they start to move back into the cover of the darkness. Try to get as far away from this place as possible. Not just because of the fear it leaks, but because they could hear his screaming. Even though it was getting weak it would go on for sometime, until he could scream no more. Then they would let him heal and start again. If he were lucky they would bore of their game and kill him quickly. That’s if he is lucky.

He had known he was coming, he always knows when they are about to try. Always offering them hope. This one had failed they always do. He enjoys seeing them try. Letting them get so far, then taking that hope away. Fear; fear is what makes him so powerful.

But he knows there’s one thing he has no control over, and that is love. Yes they banded together but that was out of need. The more of you there are, the less chance it would be you who was next. There was no love between them here. They are afraid to love because the moment you start loving someone, something, is the moment that it gets taken away from you. Love was just another word. What's in a word? They have many words here. Like friend, friend is used in the same context as the word death. It came as a friend because it gave you release.

But he knew that the one thing he could not fight against was about to come through. Enter into his world. It was the one thing that he had no control over.

And now that thing was about to enter through the Gateway, into his World.

Copyrighted 2003/Under American Copyright Laws

[Kira]

is that it..... me want more!!!

[*MoG*]

Please Sir, can I have some more?