The Rise Read online

  Many years ago, Colonel Sigalvo had discovered some documents in the archives. They were exceptionally ancient, and in a very bad shape, hard to consult. He stored them in a protective box hidden in his office to study them later on, but he never had the possibility to do so.

  Then his desk became mine, and I quickly found this box. Colonel Sigalvo didn’t have the opportunity to decipher the old parchments, but I’ve had plenty of time to do so. The ink was faded, the paper was brittle and reading them was a hard labor. The efforts were worth it. What I discovered was invaluable, because those letters dated back to your ancestor Niklas the First.

  They told the incredible tale of the creation of Worldsend Garrison.

  Those parchments were in such a bad shape, they didn’t resist me manipulating them and are now beyond repair. However, I couldn’t let the information disappear, and I reproduced in integrality the correspondences I uncovered.

  It’s those copies that you can find together with this last-minute message. Those are the only versions. You can decide to destroy them if you want, and the reasons why Worldsend Garrison was erected will be forever lost.

  Or you can choose to make them available to the public, so they know the truth.

  I must go now; I have to take a walk on the beach.

  Goodbye

  Inigo Montoya, proud Commander of Worldsend Garrison

  SOON...

  Discover the next book in Worldsend Garrison series

  Available November, the 10th

  The Invasion

  Worldsend Garrison Book 3

  M.D. Krix

  © 2020 Mike Dean Krix

  All rights reserved

  Artwork by

  Thea Nicolescu

  www.ikaruna.eu

  Published by

  Grivs Publishing

  Introduction

  Martin was rushing through the narrow street, and she was following his steps. When he stopped behind a crate, she kneeled close to him. He put his arm around her waist without thinking of it, but she noticed. It made her happy.

  “I don’t see anyone. I believe we can go,” he said.

  He was scanning attentively the pier, where no boat was moored. The sun had risen for more than an hour above Worldsend, and all the skiffs were at sea. Fishing had been bad in the last days, incredibly bad. As a matter of fact, for almost a week not a single form of life had been caught in the nets.

  Tuna, cod and marlin had always been plenty in those waters where the Valkyan Sea meets the Great Ocean. Until they vanished some months ago. This was no good news for the fishermen of Worldsend, but they didn’t worry about it back then. Halibut, bream, bass, mackerel and red snapper were still abundant, and there was no shortage of food.

  Then, they started to disappear as well.

  Now, the nets dragging the bay at the tip of the Karabia Peninsula were coming desperately empty. No herring, no sardine, no anchoveta … neither shrimps, crabs, lobsters or barnacles. There seemed to be nothing left in the ocean. Even the gulls, an ever-annoying presence around Worldsend, had deserted the place.

  The waters around Worldsend that had been teeming with fish for centuries were now abandoned. This was a disastrous situation.

  Villagers of Worldsend relied solely on the sea for their subsistence. They consumed what they caught, and what they couldn’t eat was sold on the market of Karabia. This was a long route through the desert until the city, there was no way they could carry fresh products.

  That’s why the fishermen in this lost settlement had long ago learned the art of food conservation.

  Dried, salted or smoked, Worldsend fish had become a delicacy sought after within the Empire. The villagers were making good money selling it, and it allowed them to buy whatever they needed. Nobody was rich in the Karabia Peninsula, but everybody was doing well. Despite the harsh environment, existence was decent for men who lived from the sea.

  But now their only source of income had disappeared.

  ***

  Martin and Daria knew that the situation was not good, but they didn’t share the gloomy despair of the other villagers. Aged only fifteen, they had more important things in their mind. There was no more fish, and so what? It would be back sooner or later.

  They had money, they had food, there was no need to worry for the moment.

  There was something else far more urgent for them, a matter that couldn’t wait anymore.

  In a way, the disappearance of the fish had come as a blessing for those teenagers. With nothing to be caught, it didn’t make any sense to keep on losing their time on a boat, hearing others swearing when the nets were empty again. They had better things to do.

  So, they had decided to skip this day of work, and had been hiding when the ships started to head for the open sea. Now, all the villagers in age were on the water, wasting their energy. Only children and some of the women were left in the hamlet, and most of them were busy with house choirs.

  Nobody would pay attention to them. They were free for the rest of the day.

  Nevertheless, there was still a risk to be caught. Martin had learned from his father that “better safe than sorry” is what makes the difference between the fishermen who live, and those whose bodies are taken by the Great Ocean never to be recovered. He was careful, and spent long minutes making sure nobody was lingering close to the pier.

  When he was convinced that they were alone, Daria and he went running on the beach, heading for the rocks at the bottom of the western cliffs. There was a small cove hidden between the slabs of stone. A private and discreet nest where they would be able to finally do what they longed for such a long time without risking being caught.

  Everybody in Worldsend knew that they loved each other, and their parents had no objections to their relation. They were of age, and nobody would have been shocked by their intentions. They were not married, but those things were not so important for the people there. They were far from the heart of the Empire, and religion was not among the priorities around here. They didn’t have a preacher in the village, even less a church.

  In a way, it was expected that Martin and Daria would make the step towards physical intimacy, but they didn’t want to do it openly. No one wishes to be seen while making love for the first time. This is already stressful enough without having to worry about others watching.

  So, they had been planning it for some weeks.

  They had discovered this cove, where nobody would disturb them. They had finally managed to find a moment to escape from the work and routine of Worldsend’s life. Today was the day.

  They were happy and excited, but also a bit tensed. Who wouldn’t be, on such an occasion?

  ***

  Daria and Martin were lying naked on the sand of the cove, holding hands, a smile on their face. They were listening to the waves of the Great Ocean crushing on the Cliffs of Tecumo, their sound a background to their thoughts.

  They felt good. They had just sampled happiness. They were together. Life was beautiful.

  The worries brought to the village by the disappearance of the fish had never been that far from their mind. Only the memories of what had just occurred between them mattered. And the prospect of what would happen again. They had all day for them, and they were planning to enjoy this simple fact as much as they could.

  Then they heard it.

  It might have been going on for some time, and they hadn’t noticed above the roar of the waves. But, now that they were not daydreaming anymore, they just couldn’t ignore it. They sat, and looked at each other, fear showing on their face.

  They were young and careless, but such screams of pain couldn’t be overlooked.

  It was coming from the village; they were sure of it. They wanted to peer above the rocks protecting the small strand of sand where they had been hiding, but anxiety and shock paralyzed them.

  Why would someone squeal like that? What was happening in the hamlet?

  The more they listened, the more it became o
bvious that they heard different voices. Many of them, as a matter of fact. It seemed like all those who were still in Worldsend were screaming. Children and women.

  Did a fire start? This was the biggest worries in any village built with wood rather than stones. This could explain an alarm, but not howls of terror like those coming from the beach. Inhabitants of Worldsend were brave and clear-headed. They know that screaming wouldn’t extinguish the blaze.

  There would be some yelling, for sure, but a structured one. It would be women calling for help, throwing commands, organizing everything in order to smother the flames.

  What they heard was completely different, however. People were not shouting, they were simply wailing and bawling wildly. Did the Valkyans attack? This seemed unlikely, but this would explain the panic.

  Suddenly, they perceived a violent rumble, and this shook them off from their paralysis. They both jumped on their feet in the same instant. Now, standing naked on their corner of the beach, they saw. Their eyes grasped the entire situation, but their mind needed some time to process all the information.

  Children and women in the village were running in all directions, towards the shore or even the desert.

  The fish smoker by the pier, where Martin and Daria had been hiding behind a crate not so long ago, was destroyed. This had been the crushing noise they heard when the wooden roof fell and the beams splattered everywhere.

  In the bay, there was no ship to be seen on the sea. The few wrecks and pieces of timber floating among the waves were the only reminders of the more than thirty proud boats that were sailing those waters less than an hour ago.

  It was true then.

  War had started.

  The Valkyans had attacked, where nobody thought this would be possible. They had skipped the port of Igereiger further north, aware that soldiers of the Imperial Army were stationed there permanently, and came straight to Worldsend. A peaceful village, where the only weapons were fish hooks and gutting blades, handled by men and women who had never fought.

  Anger began to boil within Martin, enraged by the cowardice of the Valkyan warriors who didn’t hesitate to murder innocent children.

  Then, Daria started to scream, and it dawned on him. He had seen as well.

  The lady running on the beach in their direction had suddenly been cut in half, her upper part disappearing magically in a gush of blood. Shocked by the horror of her legs making another two steps towards them, Daria was only able to howl at the top of her lungs. But Martin’s mind had been noticing what his lover seemed to have missed.

  The poor woman hadn’t been killed by a Valkyan warrior. There was no invading soldier on the beach, no warship moored in the bay.

  As a matter of fact, there was nothing to be seen in Worldsend, apart from destroyed buildings, fleeing villagers, and a mutilated body less than a furlong from them. A corpse that was now moving gradually towards the sea, sliding slowly on the sand, leaving a bloody trail.

  This was too much, even for a brave young man like Martin.

  He took Dara’s hand and started to run. With the Ocean to the Southwest and the assaulted settlement to the East, he chose the only available direction.

  They went north, towards the Karabia desert.

  Still naked, the white skin of their buttocks soon began to redden under the blazing sun, and then to blister. The searing heat emanating from the sand was burning their soles. They had no water, and before noon thirst was so strong that their throat was aching.

  They had already been to the city of Karabia, and they knew the trip took eight days with a cart pulled by horses. They were on foot. They would need at least two weeks.

  They made it through the first day, but Martin never saw the sunrise. He died during the night and Daria woke up close to his cold body. She accepted the situation peacefully. Even if she was only fifteen, a girl raised in Worldsend learns to acknowledge things the way they are.

  She decided that there was no point in leaving Martin. She loved him. She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

  To be continued...

  Worldsend Garrison Series

  Lost in the southern lands of the Empire, Worldsend Garrison lies in the desert. Soldiers sent to this stronghold have been reported dead and are long forgotten, as there is no way back from this doomed place.

  Burning heat, lack of water and venomous scorpions are a constant reminder that life there is hard. But the real danger comes from the sea… For centuries, an unknown enemy keeps on attacking, and only the fort stands between their savage lust for blood and the peaceful citizens of the Empire.

  In this series we discover the evolution of Worldsend Garrison through the ages, from its construction in a bloodbath in a medieval setting to its unexpected end in a futuristic world.

  The Fort

  Punished for loving the wrong woman, Giorgio Sigalvo ends up in a place from where nobody ever returned. Isolated from civilization by miles of burning deserts and the raging waters of the ocean, Worldsend Garrison is a prison where soldiers meet a fate that could be worse than death.

  Soon, Giorgio, now Lieutenant of the fort, discovers that strange things are going on there. Did everybody get mad, or is there really an unbelievable threat?

  In his nightmares, monsters are attacking the garrison… But those are only dreams, correct?

  Or could it be that the horrors awaiting in the mist are real?

  The Rise

  Gruesome events placed a totally unprepared soldier as Commander of Worldsend Garrison. Decided to prevent further massacres, he turns to science and technology to get a critical advantage on the alien monsters.

  However, his discoveries bring more questions than answers and the enemy doesn’t seem to accept defeat that easily…

  The victories are there to show that they are going in the rightt direction, but can they keep on overlooking the price they have to pay for it?

  Is Worldsend Garrison really winning the war, or does the dark shadow looming above the rocks try to trick them?

  Could it be that they underestimate the enemy?

  The Invasion

  The village of Worldsend has always been a peaceful place, where only some fishermen dwelt by the sea. When they fail to pay their taxes, Kahid, Bailiff of Karabia, discovers that the small settlement became a bit too quiet. Not a single living soul is to be seen.

  His investigations will soon reveal great dangers and many will lose their life in the process…

  All the signs point to an attack from the Valkyan warriors from the southern continent, but why are they nowhere to be spotted?

  How can so many people vanish in the middle of the desert without any apparent reason?

  Could it be that the enemy is something else?

  The Construction

  The Emperor couldn’t keep on turning a blind eye on the massacre happening in the Karabia Peninsula. Under the commandment of Colonel Laval, an entire regiment of the Imperial Army is ready to defend this lost stretch of beach, where there is nothing but sand and rocks.

  They soon realize that the invader is not the one they expected, and proves to be a bigger threat than they thought…

  If there is no obvious attacking force to fight, how can they win the battle?

  Will a fort be strong enough to protect the soldiers against this invisible threat?

  Could it be that the wild rumors are true?

  The Truce

  Sergeant Greta always considered that there is no greater honor than protecting her country, and this is the reason why she joined the Army. But she also loathes violence and is a strong believer in negotiations and compromises. Then, she is sent to Worldsend Garrison, where the Government is killing thousands of intelligent extraterrestrial life forms for centuries…

  Her boyfriend already knows, and she starts to understand as well, but how could a single woman change the course of History?

  Will she find a way through the bureaucracy of this testosterone-fueled organization
to uncover the truth?

  Could it be that the aliens are not our enemy?

  The Fall

  Life is good in the beautiful scenery of the Karpi mountains, and Simon is enjoying a well-deserved retirement there. He spends his time foraging in the woods with his loyal dog, or savoring the peace of his garden. But he also writes…

  He writes, because he has to.

  He writes, even if he doesn’t think anyone will ever read what he had to say.

  But you never know what could happen… So, he writes, because he has to tell the story.

  He must narrate the last days of Worldsend Garrison.