Moonbeams stabbed through cracks in the tunnel, filtering faint light. Sarah
stared straight ahead as she sprinted. Don't look back.. please... don't...
Her heart thumped with the urgent beat of a death drum.
Tripping on a half-eaten prisoner, the young woman stifled a scream. Her
strong hands trembled on the blood drenched ground as they caught her fall. The
tunnel smelled like a closet full of dead rats.
"Ssssaraaahh... Ssssaraaahh..."
The hissing voices of her captors filled the air. "There issss no
essscape.."
Shadows of a Ven'eelg and its prisoner danced on the floor ahead of her. The
pair obstructed her way out.
She glanced at the writhing reptilian tail. The Ven'eelg's sinewy arms looked
human. Its torso looked like that of a human with grey-green body paint. The
creature stood six feet tall. A thick chain linked its arm to its prey's neck.
As the dancing figures moved into the faint light, she recognized the face of
her cousin in its clutches. A lump formed in her throat. Joey!
"Go for it," whispered the man.
Her cousin yanked the chain that bound him to the Ven'eelg, driving his knee
into its chest. Doubling over, the reptilian creature hissed furiously.
Sarah dashed behind the Ven'eelg, right out of the tunnel, and into an
immense courtyard.
"Sssstupid human," it hissed. The Ven'eelg sank its fangs into
Joey's thigh.
Joey's body convulsed uncontrollably against the ground. His skin shriveled
up, black venom oozing out of his eyes, nose and mouth. No! Her eyes stung with tears.
Adrenaline pumping through her veins,Sarah charged as fast as her sinewy legs
could carry her, right into the path of a Ven'eelg. Her heart jolted as she slid
to an abrupt stop.
"Where are you going Ssssarah? The masssster wantsss you," it
hissed. Its yellow eyes pierced right through her. Without warning, it sprang at
her and spat a lethal black venom.
Her heart jumped. Spinning around, she dodged the poison. The venom landed on
a rock, swiftly dissolving it.
The Ven’eelg's tail coiled up like a spring. Its fangs dripped with black
venom.
She'd never forgotten their strength, having seen them rip off the arms of a
fellow captive hours ago as its leathery snake-like tail squeezed the life out
of a young child.
"Look at you. Your friendsss died in vain," said the Ven'eelg. Its
mouth curled into a smirk.
Something snapped inside her, awakening the warrior that slept within.
"Enough!"
An odd calm came upon her as she picked up a large shard of glass that lay on
the ground.
"Sssssilly Sssarah. Think you can essssscape? You'll fare no better than
your friend Lily."
Sarah turned on her attacker and stabbed the beast’s torso with the glass.
"For Lily!"
Black blood spurted out. The creature doubled over and shrieked.
A wicked satisfaction welled up within her. She lunged at the Ven'eelg again,
thrusting the glass into its back. "For Joey!"
"You vile human!" it screamed as it lashed its tail at her.
Sarah fled, straight into the path of two others.
"The massster isss not letting you go," one of them hissed at her.
"Don't let fear paralyze you. Keep your eyes on your goal and go for
it," her father used to say. I'll do you proud papa.
Ven'eelgs swarmed the entire courtyard, like ants over spilled honey. Every
possible route would lead her straight to these beasts.
Then it happened. An unseen force touched her head, making her entire body
tingle.
She stood there, momentarily shocked. A Ven'eelg sprang at her.
Instinctively, she leaped away. I'm flying!! What's going on?!
Liberated, she soared in the air, like a bird freed from its cage.
Grasping hands of the Ven'eelgs brushed against her as she flew over them.
One such hand grabbed her gown, pulling her down. "I got the human!"
it cried.
Her heart pounded as she ripped her dress, leaving behind a shred of
bloodstained silk.
Flying towards the clouds, she could see beneath her, a vast expanse of
rubble. Ven'eelgs slithered among stones, overflowing from the castle ruins. A
mountain range beckoned to her in the horizon.
"There's safety in the mountains," her father always said. That
was where she would go.
Then she faltered. Blood drained from her face. Her power of flight left as
suddenly as it came. Her flight power vanished. She screamed as she hurtled to
the ground.
Sarah landed smack in a cluster of Ven'eelgs. She picked herself up, made an
attempt to fly but fell flat on her face.
A Ven'eelg sprang up and coiled itself around her. "The massster isss
waiting for you!" it said. The stench of its breath nearly suffocated her
as it tightened its grip.
Sarah could not breathe. The world swirled around her until she lost
consciousness. The familiar smell of decay greeted her. Opening her eyes, she
found herself in chains again.
"You are coming with ussss, Sssarah."
A Ven’eelg dragged her to her feet. Her heart sank as the reptilian
monstrosity led her down the path towards the ruins. I flew. Maybe I can fly again.
In desperation, she leaped, wrenching her chains from the Ven'eelg. That
tingly feeling returned. Her heart throbbed with excitement as she flew off.
She raced towards the mountains, ecstatic. Flying... It seemed crazy.
Still, it didn't matter as long as she could get away from those beasts. They
were everywhere.
"Sssssarah'ssss esssscaped! Get her!"
Beads of sweat trickled down her temples as the temperature around her
soared. The putrid smell of burning sulfur seeped into her nostrils. Glancing
back, she saw a dragon, exhaling fumes of black fire, emerging from a tower
several yards behind her.
"Come to me, Sarah," it said, in a thunderous voice. "You
belong with us."
In the mountain right in front of her lay a cave. She felt it beckoning.
Sarah dashed towards it, suddenly bursting with strength. Her power of flight
failed again and she fell, inches from the mountain ledge. Now panicking, she
reached for the ledge.
She missed.
"Got you," it said as it swooped beneath her.
Chapter 2 – Creatures Of The Night
Leaping off the dragon's back, Sarah lunged for the ledge. Her sweaty palms
were slippery, but the ledge's rough surface gave her the grip she needed.
Lying on her stomach at the mountain's edge, her skin chapped by the rocky
ground, she noted not one, but two dragons hovering above her. Eyes closed, she
braced herself for her inevitable appointment with death.
A dazzling burst of light seeped past her closed eye lids. I just died, she thought.
Her chest raised and fell with her breath while her heart pounded like pestle
against mortar. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
The dragons were gone. First thing's first. Sarah removed a pin from her hair and picked the
locks with it, releasing her arms from those long, heavy chains. That cave. So much like our secret hideout. She staggered through its
welcoming mouth. Her limbs were raw with scratches. Slumped in a muddy corner of
the musty cave, tears streamed down her cheeks as she mourned the deaths of her
loved ones.
Her thoughts drifted back to the secret cave near her home.
"Ready?" asked Lily.
"When you are," said Sarah, crouching with wary eyes.
With the smoothness of fine silk, Lily tossed Sarah to the ground.
"You're fast," groaned Sarah, rubbing her butt.
"You're too slow, granny," laughed Lily.
A turncoat. That's what she really was. Lily counted on her but in her
cowardice, she had let her best friend down.
"The Massssster isssss waiting for you," said the creature as it
unlocked the chains that held Lily to her cell.
"Follow my lead," whispered Lily as she brushed past Sarah.
In a single motion, Lily elbowed a Ven'eelg's abdomen, and kicked the shin of
the quasi-human guard that held Sarah's chains. Sarah was free. Instead of
aiding Lily, she backed away paralyzed by fear.
"Lily!" cried Sarah as the Ven’eelg hit her friend’s head,
hurling her to the ground. Lily’s mouth bled profusely, yet there were no
tears in her eyes. Just a steely stare.
Lily turned slowly and faced the creature. She always strapped a small steel
knife to her thigh. A habit she had since her late teens.
Feigning submission, with her head down, hands clutched together, she walked
up to her captor.
"Now, that issssss more like it," said the Ven’eelg.
Without warning, Lily stabbed at the Ven’eelg’s leathery tail just below
its torso. The knife blade broke.
"You sssssstupid human!" it cried. "If the Massssssssster were
not sssso interesssssted in you, I would ssssssskin you alive!"
Images of Lily faded away. Memories of Joey took over. Hatred welled up
within her. The Ven'eelgs. If only I had the power...
Sarah stared deep into the cave.
The dense darkness made it impossible for her to gauge the potential of this
shelter. Fire. Saw some flint out there... Need to stay alive if I'm to be of any
help.
Returning to the cave with an armful of dry branches, straw and a piece of
flint, Sarah perched near the center of the cave.
Sparks flew from Lily’s broken knife as Sarah struck it with the flint,
setting the tinder aflame. Sarah blew on the tiny flames, nurturing them into a
blazing fire.
Munching some nuts she had gathered, Sarah huddled by the fire, mesmerized as
she watched the flames dance before her. I actually flew. What happened to me in there? Joey used to tell me
incredible tales of flying warriors that hunt down those beasts. What if the
stories were true?
Studying the fiery waltz, her eyelids felt as heavy as barbells. Keeping her
eyes open was impossible. Losing hold of her consciousness, she fell through a
dark hole into a deep slumber.
Dreams. Sweet reprieve from the traumas of the real world. That's usually the
case, but not this time. Not for Sarah.
Images of the chanting Ven’eelgs flashed past her. The dragons flew past,
clutching humans in their claws... probably for consumption. Humans were either
food or lab rats in that sick world.
Her stomach churned as she watched a Ven'eelg inject a glowing liquid into a
human prisoner.
The young man's scream pierced her ears. His face contorted in a wolfish
grimace as his torso split his clothes apart, sprouting thick black fur all over
his body.
He had become a werewolf.
Sarah screamed. Her eyes flew open. Tears of sweat flowed down her neck. She
realized that she was drenched.
Something tickled her cheek. She brushed it aside. It was a tiny spider.
Turning over, she closed her eyes, hoping this time for a mercifully
dreamless sleep. Bristles as spiky as a porcupine's back brushed against her
arm.
"Go away. Let me sleep," she mumbled as she peeked through the slit
of her half open eye.
Her eyes jumped open. A spindly insect's leg, impossibly long, stretched
beside her. Swallowing a dry gulp of air, Sarah looked up. Towering over her
stood a spider. It was taller than most of the guys she knew.
Rolling away from the spider, she grabbed to branches from the fire.
"Get lost!" she cried, thrusting the burning branch into the
spider's face.
A black flame shimmied hypnotically around the spider's head. That head split
in two.
Sarah stood rooted to the ground. Her mouth opened wide enough for a chicken
to jump in.
The two headed spider winked at her. It sneered as it split into two new
monstrosities. The two giant spiders became four, the four divided into eight.
Soon the cave brimmed with these creatures.
Her heartbeat accelerated.
Waving her torches as she faced the beasts, she backed out of the cave.
Like a fog over a forest, a dark fire enshrouded these giant spiders. The
heads of the spiders elongated like dough in invisible hands. A human torso with
human arms and a human head formed on each giant spider.
These quasi-human creatures were twice the height of the original giant
spiders. One of them curled its lips as its gaze fell on Sarah. Fangs jutted
out.
"Now, where were we, my dear?" it said.
Sarah's heart dropped to her stomach. She screamed. Vampire spiders. I thought the Spidr'acs were from stories Joey cooked up to
frighten Lily and me.
Drool slobbered out of the beast's mouth. It leaped forward, aiming at her
neck.
Her veins bursting with adrenaline,Sarah ducked as she thrust a torch into
the monster's torso, setting it on fire.
"Kill her!"
Like a sure-footed gazelle, she dashed down the rocky path, swirling her
blazing sticks at the beasts that approached her.
A spindly leg grasped her shoulder.
"Come with me, my dear."
Sarah's heart jolted. Her hair bristled at the hairy touch of that beast.
Spinning around, brandishing her torches, she set the creature on fire. As it
shrieked, Sarah fled.
She gasped for breath. Her lungs were on fire; her heart was about to
explode, but she plodded on.
A flock of bats rose from the bushes ahead. Like an eerie mist, black fire
engulfed them. Within these flames, the bats shot up to the size of burly men.
They had human torsos, legs and arms, though their bodies were covered by thick
grey fur. Their faces were like human males with beards that had gone amok.
"Skree.. Sarah... There is no escape," said one of the creatures as
it bared the ominous weapons within his mouth.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins once again as she slashed at the
Bate'evon ahead with a flaming branch and the approaching Spidr'ac with the
other. Vampires in the form of bats... Those legends are true.
Both species fell away, terrified of fire.
With her torches, Sarah cleared her way through the Bate'evon in her path.
Sprinting ahead of both species, she headed toward the dense forest ahead.
With the suddenness of acid reflux, lightning flashed across the heavens. The
sky groaned with thunder. With impeccable timing, the clouds vomited like a
child with stomach flu.
Sarah's torches were extinguished. The blood drained from her face. Panic. Fire's the only thing that keeps them away... unless...
Slipping behind the long dense grass that flanked the path, Sarah tried to
make herself invisible.
"She's somewhere around here," said a Spidr'ac.
A careless movement rustled the grass.
"Skree.. Found her," said a Bate'evon as it flew towards Sarah.
Like a javelin thrower, Sarah hurled her dead torches, one after another
towards the bushes on the right of the Bate'evon.
"That way," said the Bate'evon, leading its cronies after the
makeshift javelins. They're gone..
Sarah lay on the ground motionless, drained. Tiny fingers tickled the length
of her back. A sickening feeling gripped her gut. A millipede poked its head
from behind her ear.
Her stomach churned when she realized she was covered.
Repressing her scream, she brushed off the millipedes. There were too many of
them still clinging, like flies to flypaper.
Gritting her teeth, Sarah plunged into a lake behind her. The water was cold,
and it cut through her like glass.
When she emerged, she was free from millipedes but miserable. Her teeth
chattered and she shook uncontrollably. What is this place?
Three giant millipedes stood on the ground where she had rested. Each as long
as an alligator, as tall as a horse.
Leaning with her back against the side of the mountain, Sarah stilled her
shaking hands as she waited for them to leave.
With the millipedes gone, she slunk down and rested her tired butt on the
ground.
A scorpion slipped out from a crevice in the mountain. When it touched the
ground, that sickeningly familiar black flame engulfed it.
Sarah stopped breathing as she watched it change. In a hideous yet
mesmerizing manner, that scorpion morphed into a quasi-human with a scorpion’s
sting and legs but a man's head and torso. Its human arms ended in scorpion
claws.
Its glowing red eyes shot through her like a pair of darts. Its claws gripped
her arm.
It spoke with a gravelly voice.
"The Master will not let you go."
Chapter 3 - The Stranger
Sarah struggled like a fattened pig aware of its impending doom.
The creature gripped her arm and chained her wrists together. Releasing her
arms, it reached for her feet.
Adrenaline shot through her like a drug pulsating in a junkie's veins.
Her foot flew into the creature's face.
The beast fell back – shocked.
Her sinewy limbs propelled her away from her captor. Those legs had won her
gold trophies in past athletic meets. Now, they had to win her freedom. It's gone...
Relief washed over the shaking woman.
Sarah's sides throbbed with pain and her lungs threatened to burst. Her
trembling legs gave way as she fell on the soft grass beneath her.
Sleep embraced her, transporting her back to the dragon's lair.
"Massster..... Masssster...." chanted scores of Ven'eelgs in a dark
ritual.
Her eyes followed the spiral staircase that led to a rack, just below the
domed ceiling. Lily!
Her courageous friend was bound to that rack. A Ven'eelg in gaudy robes
pricked Lily's neck with a black dagger as the chanting crescendoed.
Black flames darted across the ceiling, gathering in a swirling ball of black
fire, growing and flattening into a giant black portal.
A dragon lord burst through the portal.
Lily screamed.
The dragon exhaled, cloaking Lily in black flames. The flames died out. In
Lily's place stood a pile of dry bones.
The dragon and its lair faded away, only to be replaced by swarms of
Ven'eelgs.
A warrior, one of those heroes in Joey's stories, hovered over her. He was an
imposing young man with green fire in his eyes and skin enshrouded by a golden
flame.
He looked terrifying, yet Sarah felt strangely drawn towards him. An unusual
yet comforting warmth emanated from him.
"I'll help you," he said as he offered her an open palm. She took
his hand and he pulled her away from her tormentors.
She woke up abruptly.
Her eyes caught the gaze of a Herculean man who would have towered over
everyone she knew. Flecks of green light sparkled in his amber eyes as he bent
over her. He resembled the warrior in her dreams, though he seemed like a normal
guy, unlike the terrifying warriors Joey had once described.
Sarah tried to still her palpitating heart.
The scent of musk and burning wood wafted up her nose.
"Who are you?" she asked as blood rushed to her cheeks.
"A friend," he said in a voice as gentle as a breeze.
With his fingers, the stranger snapped open her handcuffs as though they were
toothpicks.
"There," he said, smiling at her.
That smile made her cheeks feel like glowing coals in a fire.
"Why did you help me? How did you break those handcuffs?" asked
Sarah.
Ignoring her questions, the stranger flew away.
"Wait!" cried Sarah.
She tried to follow him but her power of flight was gone.
The sun winked at Sarah through the trees across the plain. Her bare feet
delighted at the softness of the fine, lush grass that covered the meadow. The
fragrance of jasmine mixed with lavender permeated the air.
"There must be other people around here. That flying hunk looked human
enough," said Sarah to herself.
Sarah stretched her arms and her back, drawing deep breaths of the sweet,
fresh air.
"I'm free. So where do I go? Wish that guy didn't fly off like that. He
could have given me directions."
Peering ahead, she saw a man in hooded robes, leading a large horse down a
path. Maybe he can lead me to a town, or at least, a place where other people live,
somewhere I can start a new life. Who knows, there could even be warriors there,
like the ones Joey described. I can tell them about the Ven'eelgs. They will
break into that lair and rescue my friends.
Like a child running to greet her grandpa, Sarah dashed towards the hooded
man. He stopped and waited as though he sensed her approach.
She tapped on his shoulder. He turned around.
Hope...seeing light at the end of a tunnel, only to realize that you are
standing on railway tracks. The light you see is from an oncoming train.
That was exactly how Sarah felt.
Within the man's hood, there was no face, only a pair of glowing red lights
in the place of eyes.
Without warning, a skeletal hand darted out from the robe and grabbed her
arm.
Fear and sudden strength jolted through her, sending her heart into a frenzy,
and like a wild horse, she began to kick beneath his robes.
Her feet found nothing but air.
Her elbow jabbed at his stomach but there was nothing there either.
Fear again.
She realized that only darkness lay within those robes. A ghost...
The creature tossed her onto his horse as if she were a rag doll and rode
off. All the while, his unyielding grip on her arm ensured that she remain his
captive.
"No one escapes the Master," muttered the hooded creature. Not the Master!
Sarah felt queasy. The thought of going through all that again sickened her.
She screamed and dug her feet into the horse's body. The horse startled.
Grabbing the reins with both hands, the hooded creature struggled with the
horse to bring it back under his control.
"Stupid human," he muttered.
Released from his grip, Sarah rolled off the horse and landed on her feet.
Adrenaline pumping anew, she sprinted into the woods, slipping through the
narrow spaces between trees randomly, forcing her pursuer to dismount.
Like a monkey, she scurried up a large oak tree.
There she sat, motionless, while the hooded creature searched for her on the
ground.
"Hummmph," it muttered as it walked away.
Sarah waited until the creature was out of sight, then she scrambled off in
the opposite direction from which it left – deeper into the woods.
Her stomach spoke up. She ignored it.
A rusty knife caught her eye. She bent over and picked it up.
Mad about being ignored, her stomach grumbled on. Sarah could barely hear
herself think.
"OK, you win," she said, staring at her concave, hungry abdomen.
Sunlight filtered through the branches in the trees above her, lighting the
way. She walked through the woods searching for something to eat.
Salivating at the smell of apples, Sarah followed her nose and found an
orchard. The trees there were laden with red apples, begging to be eaten.
With the ease of a chimpanzee, Sarah scampered up the branches and plucked a
ripe apple. Sinking her teeth into its crunchy flesh, she sighed. The sweet
juice trickled down her chin as she greedily gobbled down one apple after
another.
Contentment - a full, round belly that stops complaining. Sarah was in a
state of bliss. Slowly, she got off the tree, stretched herself out on the moss
covered ground, surrendering herself to sweet blissful sleep.
Stirring at the rustling noise in the grass, she opened her eyes.
From the corner of her eye, she saw a hooded robe and a dagger on the ground,
inches from her neck.
She jumped to her feet, rusty dagger in hand, shocked.
Her keen ears detected more rustling noises behind her.
Spinning around, she faced a Ven'eelg.
"You're mine now. The Masssster will not let you go," it said as
the ends of its mouth curled upwards.
Sarah plunged the dagger into the Ven'eelg's chest.
Black blood gushed out in spurts.
"I don't think so," said Sarah, numbed by the horror she had
already faced.
The Ven'eelg spit black venom at her.
She froze, recalling the destructive power of that venom.
Instantly, a wall of blue light sprung up between Sarah and the venom, saving
her life.
Two other Ven'eelgs sprang up from behind the tree and charged at Sarah. One
of them grabbed her arms with supernatural strength. The other lashed at her
with its tail.
A glowing blue bubble enveloped Sarah, pushing back both Ven'eelgs,
preventing them from touching her.
Looking up, she saw that flying stranger again. Her heart raced
uncontrollably, disobeying her mind.
The stranger's hands were like golden balls of fire as he strode up to her.
Dazzling golden flames shot from his hands, striking down the beasts.
Eyes wide open, mouth gaping, she stood there awestruck.
The light faded. There were piles of black dust on charred ground in the
place of the monstrosities.
"You'll be fine." The stranger's eyes twinkled as he spoke. He
turned and walked away.
She looked at him with pleading eyes. "I won't. They'll keep coming.
Please help me."
Green fire burned in his eyes as they pierced right through her.
She felt a strange presence in her mind, as if observing her thoughts. Blood
rushed up her face though she willed herself not to blush.
Wordlessly, he held both her hands.
Her hands tingled. A warm surge of energy flowed from him into her.
Fast paced action with powerful characters that come to life in a world terrorized by the dark beasts - dragons,
vampiric derivatives and creatures of death.
A sweet romance blossoms between a young woman and a warrior who initiates her into his world - A world where flight, telepathy and energy manipulation is part of everyday life.
Book 1 : Warrior Girl
"Find the warriors." These last words of a dying friend send Sarah on a mission that takes her into a strange new world.
A captivating tale of Sarah's flight from captivity in the lair of the dark beasts. Discovered by the warriors, she is made one of them and returns to attack her captors with the help of a new ally. Romance blossoms between Sarah and Jake, as they battle against dragons, Ven'eelgs, vampiric derivatives and the nightmarish creatures that torment their beautiful world.
A fast paced teen fantasy that is an eclectic mixture of horror, sweet romance and superheroic adventures. Contains a bonus chapter (Sarah's Journal) not found in A Warrior's Death Trilogy.
is the first book in the sfxfantasy
series, set in a world terrorized by dark beasts. Where a group of warriors are endowed with strange powers which they use to defend their fellow human beings. Telepathy and flight are like talking and walking to these warriors.
The stakes are raised. The enemy has found a way to render the warriors' powers useless. Trapped in another world, Jake and Sarah have to stop the invading armies from entering their beloved world... or die trying.
The warriors are overwhelmed as dark beasts pour into their world. Outnumbered and powerless, courageous humans rely on their wits as they face these supernatural creatures.
A gripping tale of courage and romance in a time where death prevails.
It contains a bonus chapter (Sarah's thoughts) not found in A Warrior's Death Trilogy.
Divide and conquer. The enemy's strategy appears to work when the four most powerful elite warriors are trapped separately in different worlds, each oblivious to his or her past. Sarah alone, being the newest and presumably weakest of the elites was ignored by the dark warriors.
The Academy, barely having recovered from the recent massacre is forced to fend off an invasion without their elite warriors. Evan is forced to make a decision that would change his life forever.
A final confrontation between the warriors and the mastermind behind the dark beasts.
The final book in the trilogy.
This third book contains a bonus chapter (9 years later) not found in the original A Warrior's Death Trilogy
at Amazon.
, 
and 
is the first book in the 
