PLANET CHIMERA
BOOK 1
By Brian Nyaude
All rights Reserved. The characters, events, and settings of the story are all a work of fiction and a product of the writer’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead is entirely coincidental. This book is for your personal use only. No part of this book may be reproduced, introduced or stored into retrieval system, without proper permission from the author.
Copyright © 2016 by Bryan Nyaude
ISBN-13: 978-1523601424
ISBN-10: 1523601426
Image Design by breakermaximus
Table of Contents
Author’s Summary
Chapters
Acknowledgements
Other Books by Author
To the Reader:
I never intended to write this book in the first place, but I realized how vital his role was in the final saga. This book is not for the faint hearted, or for those with a weak stomach. If you are any or those, I urge you to put the book down and find another, but if are ready to read something new, then, prepare for the ride of a lifetime. You are about to embark into an alternate reality, where the lines between reality and fiction do not exist, through the eyes of the most wanted super villain, Rave. Witness chaos and mayhem on an epic level, and watch how this monster’s path brings him into the hands of Justice.
Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
1
A young night it was, a dreary wind wailing through the dark forest. I stood in the snow, my whole body cold, only wearing my boxers, and in my left hand, a long sword. The blazing fire behind me was the result of my flag ship crashing onto this savage planet, and the reason why I was almost naked was complicated. Well, basically, my clothes had burned in the crash, but I wasn’t hurt because I was immortal.
“I should get going, I guess,” I muttered, brushing my hair back, my eyes fixed on the forest in front of me.
I heard a howling noise, the sound rather close, coming from the west. Looking back, I observed my burning ship for a second, before looking away, trudging in the opposite direction. The snow on the ground was about five inches tall, covering the grass completely, and all I could see was the white color of the snow, being reflected through the moonlight. Tightening my grip on my sword, I felt the presence of something malicious stalking me, its presence lingering somewhere behind me. It followed me slowly, masking its steps with the sound of my own, as it drew closer. I think it was a chimera beast, a creature that had human genes combined with animal genes. And the fact that I had stumbled on this planet was my misfortune indeed, since this was their colony planet, and there was nothing they hated more than trespassers. Unable to take the pressure any longer, I pivoted my whole body back, my sword extended outwards, as I waited for my pursuer to come out of hiding.
“Show yourself, already,” I roared, turning my head left and right, my left foot placed in front of me. “I will kill you, if you attack me.”
As expected, nothing stirred in the darkness; it was too quiet, even for my taste. Snow flurries kept falling onto the ground, as the wind picked up speed. I think a blizzard was coming, and in my condition, I wasn’t ready to fight off any adversary. I turned around, taking off with haste, headed for any signs of civilization in the area. I stepped on a sharp twig, hidden beneath the snow, and winced in pain, but I didn’t stop moving. The trees, tall and short, were scattered in every direction, the whole terrain completed uneven. I came to the edge of the forest, a great depression separating the forest from the other side, which had numerous hills and valleys. To get to the other side, I had to somehow jump over the depression, a fit requiring a lot of physical power—although, it wasn’t that deep, so it was possible I could go through it. Suddenly, another twig snapped, causing me to look back, my sword in both of my hands. I found myself looking directly as these great, grey eyes, the face of the beast hidden in the shadow of darkness. It let off a faint growl, its front claws dug deep in the snow. I faced off against the creature, the pointy tip of my sword facing it, as I curled my back a little. It would have been nice if I was wearing some sort of garment, but, unfortunately, that wasn’t my choice to make.
“I just couldn’t go a week without killing, could I?” I chuckled, my bloodlust taking over, as I moved in closer. “This is a very bad day for you, vicious beast.”
Roaring, it leaped into the air, darting on all four legs towards me, its jaw wide open. The creature appeared to be a big, white bear, with some sort of silver armor embedded into it. This was no ordinary chimera, that’s for sure. Swinging from the left, in a horizontal motion, I struck the creature in the stomach with my sword, but without any success. My blade was repelled back with an equal force, almost knocked out of my hand. The bear chimera shoved me to the side, proceeding to stand up on its hind legs, its claws extended out. There were incision markings all over the creature, as if someone had done some sort of surgical procedure on it. What sort of madness was this? I rolled out of the way, taking refuge behind a tall tree, waiting for the creature to lose interest. It shrieked with rage, its eyes glowing red, as it swung against the bark of the tree, felling it against me. I moved out of the way, the tree landing a few inches from my feet—in a loud thud.
“So, my sword won’t against you, huh,” I concluded, grazing away a few drops of blood from my chest. “In that case, I should run.”
I shifted away, spinning my whole body as I ran into the depression in the ground, planning on losing the disturbed creature alone. It was my belief that bears were terrible at running downhill, so I had the advantage; plus, I could hide in the thick snow beneath until it was gone. Pecks of being immortal!
“Darn it,” I cursed beneath my breath; the creature was following, and gaining speed on me. “I should kill whoever lied to me about bears.”
Jumping down, I landed in the thick snow, my legs sinking into the hailstone, the feeling in my body gone. I looked up, observing the creature do the same thing, as it landed in the snow on its hind legs. It was about ten feet in height, when standing on two legs, and it acted like it could actually understand me.
“What are you doing here?” it roared, plodding towards me, its claws extended outwards. “This planet is for chimeras only—no one else is allowed here.”
“So you can speak?” I replied, attempting to dig out my legs from the snow. “My ship crash- landed here, and if you don’t believe me, look over there.”
“Oh, I believe you alright,” It sniffed, its claws a few inches from me. “I believe you are a spy, and you were sent here to destroy us.”
“If that was true, don’t you think I would have killed you by now?” I asked it, laughing after. “On second thought, I should kill you.”
“Puny human,” it boomed, taking a swipe at my head with its right claw. “I will end your life, right now.”
My blade clashed with its claws, the weight of its paw pressing down against me, and my legs sinking further into the snow. It pulled back its arm, attacking again with its other hand, as the attack came from the opposite direction. I cocked my head down, tracking the creature’s arm, hoping to find some weakness in its defense. I was so cold, so numb, that I could barely think straight. Wait—I still had my magic abilities. But in my current dilemma, I doubt I could focus enough to conjure up something powerfu
l.
“Ow,” I yelled, my chest bleeding from a deep wound the bear chimera had inflicted upon me. “That actually hurt, you know.”
“Must kill you,” it hissed, pressing on with its vicious attacks, not letting me even rest.
“Sheruven,” I muttered, throwing a telekinetic incantation upon myself.
My body was shot into the air, like a bullet, and I landed on the other side, behind a few rocks. Were it not for my immortality, this fall could have killed me. There was blood on the back of my head, and I think my left leg was sprained. I stood up, noticing that I had lost my sword, and walked towards the hole, to look down.
“Oh, come on,” I screamed with rage, my left hand clenching into a fist. “What sort of beast are you?”
My attempt to elude the creature had failed—it was darting up towards me without any discomfort at all. Seconds later, we were facing each other again, fists against claws, surrounded by rocks and trees. The winds ravaged everything in their wake, the snow falling heavily than before. Spreading my feet, grinning, I took a defensive position, waiting for the monstrous abomination of a chimera to attack first. I had always bested my foes in single combat because they didn’t know about my immortality; however, against this chimera, I wasn’t sure of what to do. And I could only use one magic spell per day, meaning I was in trouble.
“Do you want to die that badly?” I asked, laughing in an evil way, my whole body shivering. “I would be happy to accommodate your request.”
“The only one to die here is you,” it roared, swinging its powerful claws at me, its jaw spread apart, displaying its powerful, sharp teeth.
I rolled to the left, picking up a large rock, and tossing it at the monster. The rock hit the chimera in its snout, only agitating the creature even further. I threw another rock, hitting its left knee, before turning around and climbing up a large rock. To my left, a few miles beneath the mountain, I saw what looked like lights. It was a village of some sort, with about a hundred or so people in it. And from where I was, it would take me at least half an hour to venture towards it, assuming I could best this beast. As I stood on top of the large rock, I looked down, making taunts at the chimera that was lingering beneath the rock. I could see anger in its eyes, the snow falling on top of it making it looking somewhat intimidating. It attacked the rock, and to my delight, its claws could not penetrate through it. The bear chimera swiped at the rock for a few more minutes, before giving up, turning around and plodding towards the forest.
“I will not fall for that,” I yelled, staying on top of the rock, shivering, as I looked down at the small town.
The chimera bear might have retreated back into the forest, or it could have pretended to leave—either way, I wasn’t taking any chances. I sat on the rock, my arms wrapped around my chest, scouting the area for the chimera. Sighing, I closed my eyes, my mind in a daze of discomforting thoughts. A few hours ago, I had been on my way to the Felten Galaxy, on an assassination mission; it was what I would call a vacation trip for me. I remembered passing by the side of this planet, and my ship’s scanners blinking rapidly, before I was shot down by some unknown projectile. And here I am—trapped on this savage planet, and being stalked by who knows what.
After a good half hour, I jumped down from the rock, my feet landing roughly against the smaller rocks, as I stormed off into the blizzard, trying to make it to the town. I could barely see anything around me; it was so windy and dark. The snow in the ground made my journey difficult. I stumbled against the trees, coughing, as I fell to one knee. I could see the lights, the shadow of the town was within my eyesight, and yet it was so far away. My strength was failing me, and I could barely feel any part of my body. The only thing keeping me alive was my curse—my immortality. I stood back up again, determined, hoping to make it to the town before my whole body froze into a block of ice.
“Come on, Rave, you can make it,” I encouraged myself, trudging through the snow, my mind detached from the rest of my body.
Thanks to the horrible blizzard, the bear chimera never appeared before me again, but what awaited me was a task far worse than facing off against it. I descended down the hill, the trees growing fewer in numbers, and the snow thick as ever. I could no longer feel anything beneath my thighs, and my hands had also grown numb. Darkness camouflaged everything; the wind whirling uncontrollably in every direction. At last, I managed to reach the small town, but it was not how I imagined it to be. Small houses, with second story floors above, were lined perfectly on one side; and on the other side, the shopping center, the pub, and local precinct were stacked, side by side, in the same manner. A double paved road awaited me, with ancient auto mobile crafts parked on the side. I had heard that chimeras preferred this sort of steam-punk like environment, but I had never guessed it to be true. This was definitely going to throw a tinge into my plans. Wiping the snow off my right shoulder, I strolled towards the pub, hoping to warm myself with some good ale. The fact that the streets were missing pedestrians crossed my mind, but I didn’t think too much into it.
“Here goes nothing,” I muttered, opening the wooden door, my eyes tracking the light coming from beneath the door.
I was greeted by curious eyes, the smell of fine wine and food making my stomach hurt. The pub was very small, with a window on each corner, a dozen marble tables, a large shelve with different bottles of wine and spirits, all stacked neatly behind the bartender’s large table.
“Goodness, son, are you alright?” a man approached me, a look of concern of his face.
He placed his right hand on my scarred chest, as he took a handkerchief, placed some alcohol upon it, and rubbed against my chest. The man, in his early 50s, wore a fine hat of leather, a brown suit, a black bowtie to match his black vest, and black, leather shoes. He had a sporty mustache, a solid jaw, and a monocle glass on his right eye.
“Are you alright, son? Where are your robes?” he asked, examining my body for any more fatal injuries. “Someone fetch this young man a fine, hot beverage, and some clean clothes.”
“Yes, my good sir,” I replied, taking a seat by the fire, my fingers still numb and shaking. “It was not my intention to intrude on this beautiful planet of yours, but I was shot down by some unknown projectile, and I ended up crash-landing here, in the forest.”
“Oh, you poor child,” he commented, handing me what looked like tea, as he took a sit next to me. “It a miracle that you survived the crash, and even more so that you were not harmed by the beasts that lurk within those dangerous woods.”
“It is indeed,” I nodded, placing the cup on the floor, to take the clothes someone had placed on the floor next to me. “I am grateful for your hospitality, and if it is not any trouble—I would like a ship to continue on my journey.”
“It would be our pleasure to offer you a lift home, but I am afraid we are all stranded in this fearsome weather, cut off from the world. Our troubles lie in the dark plague that haunts us, when the sun goes down.”
Man, talking to these idiots in such a manner was irritating me to the core. The way they dressed, the way they smiled, and the way they spoke to me, as if I were some sort of child, irritated me greatly. Beating and robbing them would have been far much easier of a choice for me, but I was under orders to practice restraint.
“What sort of darkness haunts your great town?” I asked, putting on the trousers and shirt, my back a few feet from the fire. “If I catch this monster for you, would you let me borrow one of your ships? I have an important task, and I would like to get back to it as soon as possible.”
“Are you mad?” the bartender, a middle aged woman, spat, her hair wrapped inside a red crochet hat. “What can you do against such creatures, that even our greatest warriors dare not. You are better off staying here until winter ends, it’s easier that way.”
“No, I have to leave within the next three days,” I growled, my right hand forming into a fist, and my gaze on the squeaky floor. “I have a very important mission I must
partake, and time is of the essence.”
“And what exactly is so important about this mission of yours?” a girl, roughly my age if I was mortal, asked, her arms crossed, sitting next to the window. “Why are you so determined to go?”
The girl had long, red hair, dark, curious eyes, high cheekbones, thin pink lips, and a very slender physique. She wore a bright, white blouse, with a golden scarf around her neck, a black dress with stripes on the edges. Some sort of mechanical contraption with gears was belted on her waist, and a small gun strapped behind her left boot. She reached for her cup, took a small gulp of the liquid, and placed it down, her eyes still fixated on me.
“My mission is not of your concern, my dear lady,” I replied, taking a bow, as I stood up. “But it is important that I make a hasty return to it as soon as possible.”
“Listen here, buddy,” she interrupted, standing up, her arms on her waist. “I don’t know what your mission is nor do I care to know. But you can’t leave this planet without a ship—and in this blizzard, no one would dare risk their life to aid you in your quest. And you don’t even have any money, too.”
“True, but I can repay you with my skills,” I added, walking towards the bartender, and ordering their finest and strongest beverage. “I have skills that might help you fight off whatever is troubling you.”
“Listen, you, I don’t…” she rattled, pacing towards me, her left index finger pointed at my head.
“Oh, come now, Salyanna,” the man, with the monocle glass, stopped her, his right hand in her path. “There is no need for name calling. I am sure it sure just a coincidence that this man has shown up on our doorstep. If he say he can help, I say we should give him a chance—perhaps, there is something even can do, even if it’s a little.”
“Yes, I shall not fail you,” I replied, my anger swirling out of control. “I will destroy what plagues this town of yours, and then I shall take my leave.”
“Well, now that’s settled, we should find you a place to sleep,” the man continued, his hand reaching out for his pocket watch. “I think Baron Smith shall be able to offer you a place to lodge for the night. And tomorrow, you can have a chat with the constable about your departure plans, and as you know, not all of us take kindly to outsiders.”
“Yes, I understand,” I bowed, putting on a jacket, my mind drawn somewhere else.
“Good, then,” he grinned, walking towards the door, “follow me, stranger.”
Saying goodbye to all of the remaining people, all seven of them, I took my leave, following after the strange man, whose name I had forgotten to ask. All of them were chimeras, but unlike the other savages in the forest, they were well-mannered and could control their human sides with ease. Not sure why they were acted like they belonged in a different century, but I didn’t bother asking; it seemed rude to do so.
“So, what is your name, young one?” the man asked, gesturing me to enter his road vehicle, a smile on his face.
“I am Rave Fireheart, sir,” I replied, entering the passenger side, sitting on the comfortable, leather sit. “And who might you be, sir, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Oh, where are my manners?” he replied, cranking the dial-up engine in his mobile contraption. “You may call me Mr. Dupon—I am the mayor of the lovely, little town.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, sir, I am just a simple space traveler,” I lied, my whole body vibrating from the rumbling engine of the road locomotive.
“Likewise, son,” he nodded, shifting gears, exhaling slowly.
We left the side of the snow riddled road, the weather taking a toll for the worst, moving east towards the outskirt houses. I shifted my gaze, breathing softly, my hands placed upon my lap, as I felt rather uncomfortable. Something powerful and evil lurked around here, and it was watching me. It seemed my goal not to kill anyone for a week was going to get postponed.
“So, what ails you, my good sir? What seems to be troubling your great town, if I may ask?”
“Oh, rubbish! It is nothing to concern yourself with, young traveler. Just get some good night’s rest and we can continue tomorrow.”
As he finished speaking, he turned the vehicle left, taking a small detour, as he drove to the last house on the outskirt of town. It was a mansion of grand manner, about four stories tall, with two separate towers on the sides. There was a barn, a few yards from the house, the whole manor covering a vast area in size. Since it was covered in snow, it was hard to make a clear, vivid description of the color of the house and what was around the yard. The mayor stopped his vehicle by the golden, barred gate, and a guard walked over to us, leaning over to take a peek. He wore a green suit, with black stripes on the cuffs, a pair of golden buttons on his blazer, and a black hat. What caught my attention were his pointy fingers, like that of a lion. He also had an awful lot of facial hair for a human, plus his eyes looked like those of an eagle.
“Always a pleasure to see you, mayor,” he commented, leaning over the open window, hot air coming out of his mouth. “And who might you be, sir?”
“This is our guest for the time being, Nelson, I trust you will keep him safe?” the mayor added, his mustache shifting slightly, a shady look on his face. “He will be staying at the manor until this bad weather ceases.”
“Of course, Mayor, anything you say,” he nodded, his eyes upon me, a smirk on his face. “I hope you have informed him about the rules too, sir.”
“Oh, I intend to, Nelson, I intend to,” he replied, closing the window back up, as the gate opened up wide.
We passed through it, the vehicle shaking from the snow trapped on the tire groves, and the engine roaring in a deafening sound. The mayor stopped the vehicle by the stairs, close to the main entrance, and we both exited the vehicle, scurrying quickly out of the snow. The mayor, shivering in the snow, knocked against the door using the hard end of this cane, glancing back to smile at me. His nose had turned blue, and a few specks of snow were trapped on the hair stands of his mustache. I heard the door unlock, and a man dressed in a butler’s costume came to greet us. He was a polite fellow, dressed in black attire, a white bowtie, and white gloves on his hands. With a graceful bow, he waved us inside, another annoying smile on his face, too. The mayor glided inside with haste, and I followed after, but before the door closed, I took a quick look back at the snow covered ground. What a day this was turning out to be! One moment I was in my space ship, travelling to my mission objective, and the next moment—I was shot down, and here I am.
“Before we go any further, I would like to explain a few ground rules, my dear boy,” the mayor gestured, holstering his pocket watch up, a timid look on his aging face. “You will get your own room, just like everyone else residing here, and at night, no one must wander the corridors at any cost. There are things around here that cannot be explained by the naked eyes, things best left avoided. If you hear any screams, you better stay in your room and keep your door locked.”
“I see,” I nodded, my hands in my pockets, my eyes locked at the stairs. “I understand, sir, and I will obey all rules.”
“Good, good,” he quivered, forcing a fake grin on his face, turning around to lead me though the mansion. “All the accommodations have been arranged for you.”
Looking left, I spotted a small boy, roughly eight years old, peeking at me from the corner of the door, a look of fear on his face. There were small holes around his lips, like someone had tried to sow them shut, his poking fingers also scarred horribly. If this was not a red flag, I don’t know what was. He had black, shabby hair, thin cheekbones, a pointy, thin nose, and tanned skin. Not exactly sure if he was a chimera or not, but I could tell by the look on his face that he was frightened out of his mind. What was I walking into? It would have been easier to beat up half the town with my bare hands, kill them if necessary, however, these new developments were peaking my disturbed mind with curiosity. I want to see what horrors await me, I thought.
“So, will I be able to take my leave tomorrow
?” I asked, watching the butler, who was walking next to me, his arms in front of him, looking like walking mannequin.
“In this blizzard, you will be lucky if you can even walk to the gate,” he replied, his feet stomping through the red carpet, as he lifted up his cane.
“This is a exquisite mansion, if I many say so,” I commented, admiring the chandelier above me, the lighting making the whole living room look absolutely perfect. “Who owns this fine house? I have to congratulate them for their fine taste.”
“That would be me,” a gentleman, holding a gold cane in his right hand, walked out a hidden room, on the left, smiling at me. “It is not every day I get to talk to people who see share my taste.”
“Well, it is a splendid work of art, sir, and I am honored to be staying here for the night,” I added, extending my right hand out to shake his hand.
“Ah! Mayor, it is always a pleasure to see you,” he shifted away from me, shaking the mayor’s hand, the tip of this golden cane inches from the ground.
He wore fine robes, made of red silk, a white shirt with a golden collar, his loose pajama pants draping over his black slippers. The owner of the mansion was also a man in his early 40s or so, from my perspective, and he looked like the scholar type because of the books on his many shelves. And like the mayor, he bore a rather awful looking brown mustache, with a small goatee on his square jaw, and devious looking eyes. I felt a sinister energy out of him, the kind of presence I knew to be wary of, but I didn’t do anything that could warrant any suspicions I was harboring. My foolhardiness decision to waltz into this town was definitely noted.
Taking a few steps in front me, my hands out of my pockets, I took notice of the amazing library inside the mansion. Thousands of the thick, ancient books were shelved neatly in the next compartment of the large mansion, the carpet on the floor ending at the edge of the library.
“Oh, so you like books, too?” the owner asked, turning his attention towards me, something moving behind his robes. “Who is your favorite author?”
“I like the work of Neal Collener, not sure if you have heard of him, but he was a fine author back in the day,” I responded, taking notice of everything around me, in case a situation I didn’t like arose, forcing me to take drastic action. “He was the inspiration for the advancements of the chimera and cyborg revolution.”
“Of course, he was,” he laughed, patting me on the right shoulder, as he led us through the library. “He is one of my favorite authors as well, but I have always been a fan of Morbide Fancy, a splendid fellow indeed.”
Suddenly, a long, bushy tail sprouted from underneath his robes, reaching out into the air, and grabbing a book that was shelved on the wall. It curled down, handing the book to the owner, as he took it with his hands. He turned around, acting as if nothing had happened, opening the book to the first chapter, and grinned at me.
“I have the first book Neal ever published and autographed, isn’t that amazing?” he boasted, the smile on his face starting to infuriate me, his eyes a bit teary.
“Why, yes, sir, I can only imagine the excitement you have for such a rare find,” I lied, growing weary of this small talk.
“If it pleases you, Baron Smith, I will be taking my leave now,” the mayor interrupted, shaking the owner’s hand, before turning around to shake my hand. “I leave this young man in your capable hands, and hopefully, we can all meet tomorrow to chat over a cup of almond tea.”
“Tomorrow, then, old friend,” Baron Smith said, nodding with respect, as he watched the mayor dawdle away, his cane tucked underneath his right armpit.
Turning my head around, sniffing something pleasant, I noticed that the butler had disappeared without notice, leaving me alone with the egotistical Baron. Soft winds howled outside, the window on the left wall covered halfway with snow, as the silence around me was maddening. For such a big house, it was awfully too quiet; everything in this manor was sort of inexplicable for me.
“You must be tired from your long journey, child,” he continued, placing the book on the large, wooden table, next to a contraption with moving gears. “You can go and leave your belongings in your quarters and I will send my butler to your room with some tasty pastries, if you like.”
“Thank you, Baron,” I smiled, taking another bow in respect, before turning around to walk away. “I am very tired from my long journey, and I haven’t slept for a while. I bid thee good night, and I will see you at the crack of dawn.”
“Tomorrow, then,” he added, proceeding to sit down, as he took a smoking pipe and placed on his lips.