YA
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Severe
weather patterns - storms, floods and strong winds - are sweeping across planet
Earth. Against this backdrop, three high school students, known and tormented
for their strange abilities, fight their own battles against school bullies.
The discovery of a strange key by their leader Chris Reynolds plunges all three
through a portal into a sister world, Cathora, in another dimension. In this
world, their behaviours, that labelled them as misfits on Earth, turn out to be
the seeds of extraordinary powers.
They soon
meet Batarr, the Guardian of the portal. He tells them they are not normal
children, but are part of a group of six entities called Mytar who are
periodically seeded throughout the dimensions to fight planetary invasions
across these portals. Cathora has been invaded by an alien army, led by a
creature known only as Zelnoff whose next target is Earth. The Mytar alone have
the power to stop him if the other Mytar on Earth can be found. There ensues
many struggles and battles as Chris, Susie and Joe seek to evade Zelnoff’s
forces long enough for their powers to develop so they can detect the remaining
Mytar back on Earth.
Excerpt
As
the first rays of sun filtered through the tree canopy, Batarr’s forces
assembled on the planet’s surface. They had emerged from a narrow,
moss-lined tunnel had been chiselled between two sandstone rock
outcrops. Compared to the underground complex, the surface was a cold
and windy place. A light dusting of frost clung to the ground and the
wind whistled and tore at the gathering company. To ward off the cold,
the Mytar had been fitted with garments that had been soaked in oil
derived from the boiled skins of warm-blooded fish. This oil was
renowned for its unique properties. In the cold weather it solidified,
sealing in the body’s warmth, while in hot weather it softened, allowing
the skin to breathe.
Chris
flexed his arms, twisted and crouched down into a squat. His clothes
seemed to flex and mould themselves to fit the changing shape of his
body. He pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and sniffed at the
strange oily smell of the fabric.
“They’re
made from the finest material in the land.” A deep, resonating voice
jerked Chris out of his preoccupation with his clothes.
Chris looked up at a man over twice his size with dark, intense eyes buried above high cheek-bones and a long tapering jaw.
“I’m Altac, Leader of the Guard,” the man said.
Altac smiled, and Chris noticed a pink scar running from the side of his mouth to the corner of his jaw.
“I’m Chris,” he replied, feeling rather small and insignificant.
Altac
brushed back some of the long curls of black hair that trailed down to
his shoulder and bowed in what Chris assumed was this world’s version of
a handshake.
“I believe you need no introduction,” he replied. “After all, aren’t you the reason we are embarking on this little errand?”
Chris
smiled uncertainly, trying with his new found talents to catch
something of Altac’s thoughts. He read admiration, mixed in with
surprise at how young and small the Mytar were. Like so many of Batarr’s
soldiers, Altac thought that the Mytar had volunteered to come and save
Cathora from Zelnoff. Chris swallowed back some of his guilt, thankful
that Altac hadn’t witnessed their behaviour when they first arrived.
Altac’s
smile slid away. “I suggest yourself and your fellow Mytar travel in
the centre of the company, where you will be best protected at all
times,” he said, in a more solemn tone.
Chris nodded. Mingled with Altac’s admiration, he picked up the concern for their vulnerability.
By
this time Susie and Joe had appeared. Chris noticed that both their eyes
widened at the sight of this man. He wore what appeared to be a chest
plate made of thick hide and metal, and a long dagger was strapped to
his hip. Slung over his shoulder was the same weapon Chris had seen
Zelnoff’s soldiers wearing in his vision. It looked a bit like a rifle,
Chris thought, except it was shorter and bulkier. Altac greeted Susie
and Joe with the same politeness he had shown Chris, bowing respectfully
at each of them.
Joe circled Altac, paying particular attention to the weapon that hung by his side.
creature was gone.
Chris
rolled onto his side. In front of him, the mountains towered into the
clouds like a series of giant, white coated, metal spikes. The wind had
dropped and the sun was beginning to break through the clouds. The
warmth was magical. He crawled on his hands and knees higher up the
beach, shivering uncontrollably in his wet clothes. Waves of exhaustion
swept through him as he collapsed on his back. The rays of sun on his
skin felt marvellous. He closed his eyes and thought he would sleep for
just a moment.
Robert Cole was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia. After
achieving a Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the Australian National University
he travelled extensively and returned to Sydney to complete a Doctor of
Philosophy in Molecular Biology. Following a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Sydney
University, he worked in a number of biotech companies and has numerous
scientific publications.
Robert has always had an interest in writing speculative
fiction, particularly with themes related to social and political issues.
Recently he has published an Apocalyptic novel called "Nuclear
Midnight," that reached number one on Amazon UK. His other areas of
interest lie in children and teenage fiction, generated while raising three
children.
Contact Information
Website: http://www.robertcole.com.au
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