Chapter 4 : Sacred Warriors The Carpati believe in myths. Their moon has an atmosphere with clouds and visible oceans. At night strange strings of light are visible, and sometimes they change place, or disappear all together. To the Carpati they are light-fairy nests.Some believe that in ancient times a warrior class of the Bitani were sacred warriors, with the light-fairies their bitter enemies. This is a story encouraged by the Bitani, even taught in school, but Andee resents it, until he meets the mysterious Brothers of the Bitani. Are they the true sacred warriors?Lightship Chronicles is a young adult adventure set on a mysterious world. Carpatia is a harsh desert land, but one with spectacular vistas and populated by two very different yet resilient people, the Carpati and the Bitani. Both believe in competing myths of their history. Myths of great ancient battles fought over by a clan of mysterious Sacred Warriors against magical Light-Fairies. Under the glowing warmth of their red-giant sun, it's easy for the Carpati to believe in their beautiful myths. They spend most of their long 36 hour days living a simple farming lifestyle in the Township built on the lower slopes of the mighty Table Mountain. The Bitani meanwhile rule over the Carpati from their futuristic city atop the massive pillar-like tabletop of a mountain, and have a very different, and quite mysterious perspective. For the Carpati the only respite from the drudgery of their simple days are the monthly lightship races. The hovering lightships speed at more than 700kph over a 600km course that runs up the sides of mesas, through the canyons of the Crags, over the 10m waves of the Great Salt sea, over the Long Straight, the Dunes, and through the Eastern Hills and its many giant Baobab threes. It's a spectacular race unlike anything else and the favorite pastime of Andee and his little brother Mykee. Both dream of being lightship pilots while watching the race from their favorite hangout, the 1000m high Outcrop overlooking The Crags. Join the adventure now, because this is growing into an epic tale years into the making. Visit LightshipChronicles.com for more in depth details of the race circuit, including images of the course, the outcrop, and the lightships.

Keith Marksman is stuck between a job he doesn't like and the threat of unemployment. He's one of the last six human workers in a factory that has been systemically automated. And things aren't great at home either. Keith soon finds himself spiraling down into a rebellious rage when his wife leaves him for a sexbot.33 year-old Rachel Payne is on her way to start a life new. Divorced, childless, and penniless, Rachel has nothing to show for her life, and nothing to lose. The life she has been living never felt right to her. She went to college, got a job, got married, had a house and cars, tried to have children but couldn't. While she tried to fit the mold of a “normal” woman in society, she always felt there was something else out there, waiting for her.The 51 hour train route from Chicago to San Francisco proves to be the most dangerous trip she’s ever taken. Plagued by nightmares and unable to eat or sleep, she begins to feel like she's losing her mind. Then, she and six other passengers become trapped in a train car by a sadistic, demon-possessed young man. Rachel is faced with betrayal and death as the demon exposes the passengers' deadly sins and threatens to murder them all. Armed with only an innate ability to identify the demon for what it is, Rachel endures the first of many horrors that will inevitably consume her life.

Who can save your world, when your gods have abandoned it?Aedlem is one of the few left in Panlithia who believes they are not really gone. In fact, the rising generation doesn't believe they ever really existed. When a cruel alien species invades and enslaves the population, can Aedlem's faith in the mysterious Ghosts of the Sky help him lead his people to freedom once again?Pel has a story to tell. There's the girl who grew up destitute, addicted, single mother to a son she can't protect; the father who left the family, then disappeared; the old family friend, angel and demon both; the Dandelion Knight. But why tell it tonight, before a crowded theater in a city under siege? A companion novella to THE DANDELION KNIGHT.

Short Story.A boy with fantastic ability is desperate to showcase himself, but will pride come before a fall? His simple trial to display an adolescent's grasp of the all powerful Potency should be straightforward. It isn't always.Short Story.A boy with fantastic ability is desperate to showcase himself, but will pride come before a fall? His simple trial to display an adolescent's grasp of the all powerful Potency should be straightforward. It isn't always. The three species graced with god-like abilities have finally reached a tentative symbiosis after millennia of war and destruction – giving their respective worlds a peaceful order. The Potent take pride in their new found self restraint, which goes against their natural want for all.Atmospheric, escapist, dark, mysterious, surreal science fiction/fantasy. Second part of a space opera series. (This part is ~3000 words).

It’s like nothing anyone has ever seen before. Utopia is the brand-new frontier of theme parks, a fantastic collection of Worlds each so authentic it takes the average visitor’s breath away. Teeming with cutting-edge holographic and robotic technology, it has captured the nation’s imagination. But it has also attracted a group of ruthless criminals. After infiltrating the park and its computer systems, their leader—calling himself John Doe—sets the parameters: If their shocking demands are met, none of the visitors to the park that day will be harmed; if not, then all hell will rain down. Dr. Andrew Warne, the brilliant engineer who designed much of the park’s robotics, suddenly finds himself in a role he never imagined—trying to save the lives of thousands of innocent people . . . one of whom just happens to be his daughter. Praise for *Lethal Velocity “A beautifully crafted scare-fest . . . heaven for techno-thriller fans.”—People *(Page-turner of the Week) “Terrific . . . a sensational piece of popular entertainment . . . [Lincoln] Child has created a fictional wonderland that is both high-tech and nostalgic. . . . If you are looking for intelligent fun, it doesn’t get much better than this.”—The Washington Post Book World  * “[A] whiz-bang plot . . . springs to life from the opening pages . . . Child does an outstanding job of depicting the workings of this fantastic playground.”—San Francisco Chronicle  * “A riveting read . . . part mystery, part science-fiction, and all page-turner.”—Roanoke Times *  Previously published as *Utopia

A mysterious space craft lands on Earth. A scientific and military team rush to determine how to deal with an unknown and changing situation.A mysterious space craft lands on the Utah Salt Flats. A top scientific and military team rush to determine how to deal with a rapidly changing and perplexing situation that could threaten the world.

Diana hears the voice of Moosevan, an entity who inhabits a distant planet, in her head. Her world is threatened and she wants Diana’s help. Yuri believes her, though he's usually drunk in charge of a ten inch reflector and has a bizarre theory about the movement of the asteroids.Then two cosmic intelligences decide to help. They may understand the Universe, but mere mortals are beyond them.A short, fun summer romance novella. Kaliyah Simon just broke up with her cheating boyfriend, and now that summer break is here, all she wants is a quiet, boy-free summer. To focus on work, reading, and her tan. But then she meets up with her old high school nemesis, Isaiah Winters, on the way home, and he seems more interested in being friends than enemies. Can Kaliyah lower her walls and get over seven years of pushing Isaiah away and find out what it would be like to actually be with him? With her best friend going boy-crazy, a twenty-first birthday looming on the horizon, Isaiah continually showing up on her doorstep, and an ex that seems to want her back, Kaliyah’s summer promises to be anything but quiet.

Alone in the world, the man enjoys life. He has no name, nor needs one. Every rock, tree, mountain, and sea: he knows it all in detail. He has no memory of how he arrived on the planet, only a blissful love of his surroundings. When the starship comes, his life makes a dramatic change.Alone in the world, the man enjoys life. He has no name, nor needs one. Every rock, tree, mountain, and sea: he knows it all in detail. He has no memory of how he arrived on the planet, only a blissful love of his surroundings. When the starship comes, his life makes a dramatic change.This short story from novelist Zachariah Wahrer offers an intriguing view of the future, one filled with wonder, fear, and fantastic locations.

The monthly Tin Universe free story series continues as old powers start to make moves into the future, new fighters appear, and in the vastness of space shit goes down.Enrich any bible study, youth group or sermon with this series of dramatic adaptations featuring the bad girls and bad boys of the Bible sure to promote discussion, thought and spiritual reflection. Using a creative mix of humor and very real emotions, these fresh retellings of familiar stories offer new perspectives, different settings and modern language making the stories easier to relate to for church audiences of all ages. Told through diary entries, the evening news, interviews, email exchanges and more! A few are even drama-ready for aspiring thespians to act out during services or youth groups. Discussion questions accompany each text to dive deep into the Scripture. Whether you’re looking to enliven your services or get your youth more involved or just foster a discussion, these adaptations have something for everyone! Includes: Delilah & Samson, Pilate, Jacob, Eve, Cain, Mary and Judas

Great short stories told in 1,000 words or less to fill those times between sleeping and working.Great short stories told in 1,000 words or less to fill those times between sleeping and working. In here you’ll learn that burying a body in the woods is difficult when you’re being haunted by a doll. You’ll discover a new underworld of humans upgrading their bodies with inexpensive electronics. And you’ll go on an adventure with Oake and discover that there is more to his meager existence than meets the eye and the path to truth is through a fruit. These and many more science fiction and fantasy stories await inside…Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Categories>> Science fiction> Short stories> Short stories collections> Short reads> Fantasy books> Fantasy romance> Urban fantasy> Fantasy kingdom> Suspense thrillers and mysteries> Dystopian fiction

The awakening of the Avatar has begun when each of John Fleuric's chakras are stimulated. The arcane secrets are unfolding and becoming known. But what is the ultimate question?A woman is kidnapped off the streets of NYC, a terrible thing on any day, but this is the beginning of the awakening of the Avatar. Or is he? John Fleuric, a software creator, becomes the center of attention of all involved when power, energy, sex, and death, weave their existence as they become joined in a vision of the Universal Plan and the fate of everyone.From Boca Raton, to New York City, to Roanoke, Virginia, this book is a metaphysical journey; an awakening awareness as the struggles of the universe are revealed through a diverse group of people who have been connected by fate.Energy and power abound in a battle to understand what the universe is trying to tell them and what the fate of mankind will be.With every vibration of energy upon one of the seven chakra the group slowly awakens to the building blocks of existence, laying out choices of paths they may or may not take.A young woman, Jackie, a Coast Guard Petty Officer draws the attention of street preachers in New York, who believes she is involved with the coming of a new Messiah.Bernie who had only met Jackie is intrigued but unsure why.Jamal the prophet of the coming black messiah.John a software creator becomes the center of attention of all involved when power, energy, sex, and death, weave their existence as they become joined in a vision of the Universal Plan and the fate of everyone.Sex, violence, and revelations into the mind of creation are keyed into the reader as their own Chakra's awaken. Everyone who reads this book will experience an awakening triggered by their life and their energy.

In the year 2054, functiomatons take over the jobs of many people. Baron Cortez, an intelligent teenager, forms a "functio-guerilla" in order to vandalize "Functiomatons" using a device that he invented, thinking that is "morally wrong" to allow "inanimate" objects be part of society.In the near future, the United States becomes a major producer of “Functiomatons,” which are computers that work with quantum components. The new computers take over the jobs of many people around the world, including teaching jobs. Baron Cortez, who is a non-libidinous, 16 year old boy with a genius IQ, does not like learning from “Functio-teachers”;Baron and his friends escape the restrictive environment in the city, and go to the Northern Valley of California to recruit “renegades” in order to form a group of “functio-guerilleros”; their objective is to vandalize all kinds of functiomatons; however, sightings of unidentified flying objects in the woods of Northern California make him and his group of “functio-vandals” have a night of fright. Ultimately, their encounter with the “strange flying objects” makes them find the meaning of their lives.

It’s been 297 days since David died–and came back. He may have survived the avalanche, but the aftermath has been far worse. His wife moved out, taking his son with her, and a devastated David hasn’t left his house since, terrified of the mysterious new power that followed him home from the ill-fated expedition. After months in seclusion, David’s ready for a fresh start, and ventures out, determined to keep his power in check. But David’s power isn’t the one he needs to worry about.

SOME LAWS YOU BREAK. SOME BREAK YOU. AND THEN THERE’S CAINE’S LAW.   From the moment Caine first appeared in the pages of Heroes Die, two things were clear. First, that Matthew Stover was one of the most gifted fantasy writers of his generation. And second, that Caine was a hero whose peers go by such names as Conan and Elric. Like them, Caine was something new: a civilized man who embraced savagery, an actor whose life was a lie, a force of destruction so potent that even gods thought twice about crossing him. Now Stover brings back his greatest creation for his most stunning performance yet. Caine is washed up and hung out to dry, a crippled husk kept isolated and restrained by the studio that exploited him. Now they have dragged him back for one last deal. But Caine has other plans. Those plans take him back to Overworld, the alternate reality where gods are real and magic is the ultimate weapon. There, in a violent odyssey through time and space, Caine will face the demons of his past, find true love, and just possibly destroy the universe. Hey, it’s a crappy job, but somebody’s got to do it. From the Trade Paperback edition.

TURNING OF THE TIDE Centuries ago, the human race fought its first great war against an alien race—and lost. A tiny population of human beings fled to distant Safehold. Centuries later, their descendants have forgotten their history; for them, life has been an eternal Middle Ages, ruled by the Church of God Awaiting, whose secret purpose is to prevent the reemergence of industrial civilization. But not all of Safehold's founders were on board with this plan. Those dissidents left behind their own secret legacies. One of those is Merlyn Athrawes, cybernetic avatar of one of Earth's longdead defenders, now reawakened after a thousand years to restart human progress and reclaim our place in the universe. Merlyn has intervened in the small Safeholdian realm of Charis, seeding it with ideas and innovations and helping it to rise to challenge the hegemony of the Church. It's been a long and bloody fight, but aided by a stream of inventions—breechloading rifles, signal rockets, claymore mines, new approaches to manufacturing and supply—Charis and its few allies seem to have finally gained the upper hand. Now major realms have begun to consider switching sides. To all these ends, Merlyn Athrawes has been everywhere, under multiple disguises and wielding hidden powers. The secret of who and what he is has been closely held. But a new player has arrived, one who knows many secrets—including Merlyn's own.