Since I haven’t blogged in a while… here’s what I’ve got so far of book 2, which I’m thinking of calling The King of Flames (going for a trilogy with a name theme: Children of Fire, King of Flames, and maybe Brimstone Dawn).
Yeah, Shadow Chaser – some might have known it as Elemental, which I wasn’t exactly wedded to – was going to be the next one, probably in a twin pack with Storm Scion. Now I think I’ve got something better, and by that I mean longer and more trilogy-suited. I might post the outlines in the next post.
Chapter 1
The beat-up white van rattled along a circuitous path, the long way around the city, with a troll on board. Xavier Brock drove, while his seer Collin Skye rode shotgun. Modok, half-troll leader of the deceased Rocksmasher goblin clan, sat chained in the very back row of seats. Two guards, decked out in gunmetal powered armour, sat on either side, the chains clipped onto their suits’ gauntlets.
The vehicle couldn’t go fast enough to really justify seat belts; the only ones wearing any were the two guards.
“We’re coming up on Creek Street now,” Xavier called back to the half-troll.
Modok grunted.
Xavier managed to steer the van through several gaps between obstructions—other cars, buses, trucks—and over anything small enough. At last they saw Central Station on the crest of the hill.
“Better yet,” Collin said, “isn’t it dark enough for you now? So you don’t have to fear petrification?”
The only thing in the way was a large gang of bandits partying along Ann Street in the dusk light, metal fuel drums throwing up flickering flames that showed their kills lying around unceremoniously.
“Bandits!” Xavier called out. The two guards armed their weapons, a shotgun and a laser rifle. It was a token force, but no one knew their exact plans. The bandits were just another obstacle to negotiate. Hopefully.
There was only one way through.
The van came to a halt as the bandits became aware of it. One, likely their leader based on the fact that she was wearing the most bling over her spike-studded leather armour, came forward and inspected the van. Her head was shaved bare except for a bright pink Mohawk. She carried an assault rifle slung over one shoulder, and a lawnmower blade, welded to a piece of construction lattice to make an impromptu sword, dangled at her tiny hip. Spikes pierced her skin everywhere that wasn’t tattooed, and some places that were.
“Looky here boys,” she said. “Why, it’s the second most powerful man in the city!”
The bandits began to edge closer with their weapons grasped tightly.
Xavier leaned out the window. “Excuse me. We need to pass through.”
“There’s a toll,” the woman said.
“That’s great,” Xavier said sarcastically. “Because we’ve got a troll.”
At a signal two large bandits opened the side door—to find a pair of weapon barrels pointed at their faces. They smartly backed away, as the two guards and Modok stepped out of the van.
The two bandits fled back to the protection of the group.
“A troll for a toll,” the bandit leader mused. “But you can’t just stroll, or we’ll… CRUSH YOUR SKULL!” With that the woman opened fire on the van. Howling with glee, the other bandits joined in, joined in turn by several other bandits in the vicinity. In seconds it was an orgy of gunfire and screeching as all the bandits filled the van with holes.
Xavier and Collin activated their shield amulets just in time. They also had sense to duck beneath the dashboard. The guards weren’t as lucky. Caught out in the open, they could only fire back, and they were outnumbered two to one. There was screaming and panic in the darkness as Xavier drove the van through the bandit group, ramming into and running over any unfortunate enough and slow enough to get in the way.
Then he hit the land mine.
