Daggers of Darkness, Book #5: "The First Ones" - Prologue
#1 of Daggers of Darkness book #5, "The First Ones"
Here's the Prologue for the fifth book of my sci-fi adventure series, Daggers of Darkness, Book 5, "The First Ones". This story is set 500 years into the future with some of the descendants of the characters in my novel, "Family Tails". This book continues the physical journey that will ultimately tie together the story lines of "The Sacrifice for Peace", "Family Tails", "Daggers of Darkness", and "Tangled Vines".
The posting of this story on here may not be a fully polished product -- that will come later when I have the story fully edited and published. However, I will try to keep the typos, etc., to a minimum. The main things I would like from those reading this are comments, questions, and suggestions. I only ask that you please keep criticisms constructive and polite.
Story, characters, and related art © 2013-2022 Ronald J. Lebeck (that's me).
Prologu** e**
The Journey of the heart to_The Heart continues for the crews of _Nightwing and Se'nika.
It has been two years since the crews left Terra and they have had plenty of things happen along the way. They discovered some clues to what may have happened to Cameron Eriksson, Sy'k'rell Hauvri'ahn, and Arlan Schneider. They made new friends, met and visited with no less than three of the surviving Elder Races still in the galaxy, fought minions of the Dark Bloods and even some of the Dark Bloods themselves.
They had been called to The Heart through a strange dream. The version Lilly experienced terrified her, and Miss Ja'f'darwe was at a loss to explain why The Heart had done that to her. Lilly was given a very special birthday gift by the Great Lupin known as Char'ena--a ride. Char'ena had promised Lilly, "give ride now, carry later."
They finally met the First One who had been following them. It was the first time in a very long time that a First One had openly met members of the Younger Races. While the crews were getting to know Naoia Anensu'ena, the First One who was their guide on their Journey, James felt a sudden pain along the link formed between him and Erlanna through her crystallized tears. Naoia quickly figured out what was going on and whisked James and his mates and Frer-Sha'an, too, back to Dra'ka to rescue Erlanna from Kh'nar's plot. The leader of the Dra'kan Council was in turn given the ultimate punishment which Naoia had warned him she would do if he ever did anything to Erlanna again. She made him the subject of The Hunt.
The two Fansq girls, Elí and Meyleh, during the fight with Dark Bloods on the surface of Chenau-Ri, did the unthinkable--they fought back. It was the first time in the history of the Fansq that any of their kind had ever done so. They had good reason, though, after Lilly was gravely wounded by a Dark Blood who would have killed James, if she had not knocked him down, and thereby taking the hit herself.
By giving of herself, Naoia "caught" Lilly in time right at the razor's edge between life and death. Char'ena then kept the second part of her promise to Lilly by carrying her. Leaving Chenau-Ri with the three ships flying between her and Rha'ena, they pass into the nebula known as Thor's Helmet where the other members of their pack were waiting.
Where they were being taken to, however, was beyond the limits of the multiverse; beyond all other realms of existence. They were being taken to the "The Great Foundation", as the Thabbani called it--the mythical home of the First Ones.
Ayoo-t'ahna nal-Zhidôr.