Sisters of Ruin Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  The story so far

  The Cold Universe

  Ellie and the Battle (2008 C.E.)

  Home again

  Aftermath

  Bound

  Unprepared

  Ten Years Later

  The day we fell: 2018 C.E.

  Silent Running

  A New Order

  Blue

  Discoveries

  Decisions

  The day we feared

  The Core — Gabby's memories

  The Doctor — Gabby's memories

  Testing — Gabby's memories

  The village — Gabby's memories

  Evolution — Present Day

  Epilogue — The Prisoner

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Sisters of Ruin

  Book I of The Lucent Series

  Darren Lewis

  Copyright (C) 2016 Darren Lewis

  Layout design and Copyright (C) 2016 by Creativia

  Published 2016 by Creativia

  (www.creativia.org)

  Cover art by Darren Lewis

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

  Dedication

  To the two best brothers a man could have.

  They've never failed to be there when needed.

  The story so far

  As a young girl Ellie encountered and befriended a race of rabbits gifted with magic. Their one sacred duty; to keep this world safe and spinning through the uncertainty of our universe. Once a year (one turn of the seasons to the rabbits) they were bound to use this magic to keep the world turning. Mankind however had brought these most special rabbits to the brink of extinction through hunting and encroaching upon their lands and the world was in mortal peril. At the request of their leader, Rox, Ellie was transformed into a rabbit by Cast, the rabbit's magic keeper and Rox's father. Visiting the warren and using all of the remaining rabbit's borrowed magic Rox and Ellie journeyed into the past to find the source of their power, a legend only known to them as The White and Grey. On arriving at the birth of our world the two time travellers discovered that their presence in that moment caused two entities to visit this planet and begin its spin through the stars. Furthermore, the entities furnished this world with their own essence to create Rox's descendants. Little did Rox and Ellie know at the time but they also left something else of themselves behind to aid the future of the world. On leaving Rox made several jumps through time in order to assemble enough special rabbits from the past to bring to our time. They were successful and Ellie returned home safely.

  Then fate, destiny or pure chance led to a meeting that would forever change Ellie's life and the future of the world itself. Standing next to her parent's house was a derelict building, an old farmhouse. In the cellar she discovered a young male dragon named Cole. Cole told Ellie the history of his race and the disastrous war fought between them and a small group of mankind. The outcome, the destruction and scattering of the dragons, condemning their existence to the dreams and fantasy of mankind's history. Cole and Ellie bonded, allowing the two access to the other's thoughts, emotions and memories. When the ritual was complete she became his rider. Together they set out to find Cole's father as his mother had died birthing him. What they actually found was nothing short of evil. With Cole's parents gone the remaining dragons placed their memories into an innocent named Malachite. The dragons entered a long sleep with Malachite to guard them. Over those many years with nothing but the terrible memories of betrayal, death and loss inflicted by man, Malachite became twisted, a darkness entering his soul that would not be touched by light no matter how bright. A thirst for revenge fuelled his existence and this is who they found.

  Malachite released the hibernating dragons who then wished to drain Ellie of her memories to learn of the new world they now found themselves in. Fortunately, Ellie and Cole were saved by the quick actions of Rox and her kin close by. The dragons pursued the pair to Rox's home and set about the destruction of all around them. Ellie concluded they could not win against such fierce opponents. By the grace of fortune Cole's father arrived bearing an object of great power that Celestine, Cole's mother gave her life to create. With this device and the assistance of the world itself, Cole and Ellie, with a captive Malachite, travelled to the land of the dragons in the far reaches of the past. Using Malachite's memories to show what the future held for the dragons and humanity, Ellie convinced the dragons to transform themselves and leave this planet. The strange orb altered them into the beings that would become known as The White and The Grey and they vanished from sight.

  Two surprises awaited the two lost souls, Ellie and Cole, in the past. First was Malachite. Bereft of his former personae. Eridan, Cole's father, had requested of Malachite to stay behind and protect the young girl and dragon, and secondly the great power from the orb had been used to grant them a long life.

  An age passed by, thousands of years, Ellie kept her distance from humanity not wishing to interfere with what she considered history. But she was drawn back to her kind and it set Ellie's path to helping those who were persecuted for any number of spurious reasons, from witchcraft to skin colour. During this time, it was discovered the orb had become sentient. Its consciousness constructed from those it was closest to for so many years, Ellie, Cole and Malachite. The orb furnished the trio with what Ellie still considered history but what in reality was her future. Using this knowledge Ellie befriended many important figures, the most influential called the 'Father of Europe' King Charles, and more commonly named 'Charlemagne.' Charlemagne granted land to Ellie's cause, in effect planting the seed of what would become a global corporation named the Baiulus Institute, nearly a thousand years in the future.

  Ellie's new path led her to Arianne and her young daughter, Isabelle. Both mother and daughter were magically gifted which brought about their being outcast from their home. Both would aid the three friends from the future as many others would but Arianne became a victim to the righteous mob that would push her daughter into murderous revenge. She slaughtered those responsible, injured Cole severely and stole the orb from Ellie.

  Isabelle took everything Ellie and her two companions had stood for and turned it against them and the world, though she did this under the guise of oppressing the magically talented.

  More years passed by and Cole suffered terribly. Ellie learnt that the newly named 'Baiulus Institute' could provide a liquid, essential to her dragon's survival. Ellie became an employee and worked her way to become their Chief of Operations. She used this position to 'capture' Cole and have him placed in suspended animation within this liquid. Ellie's own thoughts turned towards revenge but she also took it upon herself to protect the younger version of her, moving close by and keeping watch. Little did Ellie know that 'Isabelle' was in the village and set about her revenge on the younger version of Ellie. Punishing her for the past and the death of her mother. That day was the catalyst for Baiulus to move. Teams were sent to investigate the magical occurrences within the village and capture all inhabitants of Rox's warren. They tracked down Ellie but Malachite intervened in her capture and took her to the warren. From there, with only a few survivors including Rox and her son Flare, they came to the older version of Ellie for safety and both Ellie's were introduced to one another, the ol
der version was promptly named 'Eleanor' to distinguish between the two.

  Ellie had retrieved the orb during her encounter with Isabelle and Eleanor now knew it was time to free Cole and as many of the captured talented as possible. Eleanor went into the lion's den itself, the Institute's main facility in the city while Ellie and Malachite travelled to China to awaken the Terracotta Army to use as their soldiers. They were successful but Malachite paid for this success with his life.

  In the meantime, the orb had convinced the Chief of Operations of Baiulus, Sloan, at the very least to assist Eleanor in healing Cole and allow Eleanor to leave. Little did either know that at the same time Ellie discovered the Isabelle she encountered in her home village was a clone, not in body, but in mind. It was revealed that Isabelle had brainwashed all those talented she'd dedicated herself to protecting and forced her mind onto theirs. Isabelle, the true Isabelle then revealed herself to Eleanor as she set Cole free. Isabelle initiated her final plan, to take over every government, military and judicial power in the world.

  Ellie, now magically gifted thanks to her merging with the fake Isabelle, successfully moved the army to Rox's location and she was able to free all the rabbits, the only casualty being Rox's mother Storm. Isabelle now threatened to destroy the city and Eleanor ordered Cole to leave with the orb. Her threat was a ruse to separate Eleanor from Cole and the orb as she released all those brainwashed talents into the world.

  Eleanor was taken to see Isabelle but unknown to her Ellie had taken the orb's power and with Cole restored to full health punched a hole through a magically constructed barrier of Isabelle's creation. Isabelle then brought forth a corruption of Cole's DNA. A malformed and hate filled white dragon. With Cole, Eleanor defeated it but in doing so left Ellie alone to confront Isabelle. Isabelle appeared to have defeated Ellie and absorbed all the orb's power from Ellie and make it her own. Eleanor was unaware that Ellie, with the orb, had orchestrated this and that at that very instance the orb was invading Isabelle's body and mind. Eleanor and Ellie then joined with Isabelle to create a bond and gave her a choice, let go of the hate and live or die in despair, alone. Isabelle chose life. But the damage was done. 'Baiulus' was online. Isabelle's talented had begun seizing control around the globe and nothing could be done to stop it.

  The orb, or at least its consciousness, departed this world and plans were made to go into hiding. As Ellie and Eleanor were leaving the talented discovered them all and Eleanor was forced to surrender herself to Baiulus for everyone's safety.

  Ellie, Cole and her family escaped but Rox was not so lucky. While leading her warren to safety they were attacked and Rox severely injured.

  Baiulus was online and the world now belonged to the talented.

  Begin with the experience and then investigate the cause.

  LEONARDO DA VINCI

  The Cold Universe

  The anomaly was vast. Measuring at just over one million, eight hundred thousand light years across. Its existence in a seemingly infinite universe was still a spectacular phenomenon from Earth. Astronomers discovered the construct in the constellation of Eridanus in the southern hemisphere, approximately three million light years from Earth. What was known from maps pieced together of the cosmic background radiation in the universe was that this region was one of intense cold and lack of any kind of matter. Galaxy formation was sparse and in layman's terms this was an enormous cold spot in the universe.

  Its presence was explained as an aftereffect of the Big Bang. The theories into what it was or what it meant to the existence of the universe were wide ranging. Explanations involved gravity, black holes or singularities, dark matter to dark energy. Any concept that this was an alien structure became popular on social media along with any number of highly detailed and sometimes disturbing conspiracy theories.

  One of the most outlandish theories postulated that the cold spot was in essence a 'footprint', a place where the fabric of the universe came into contact with a “neighbouring” or parallel universe. Of all the theories posited on Earth this was the closest.

  Regardless of the many theories put forth each one could never properly ascertain where this region sprang from. The type of energy required to cause the boundary of one universe to become susceptible to another could only be caused by one specific set of conditions. In this instance, the conditions relating to time travel. With this type of energy released the walls between universes, the walls between realities were gradually fading.

  In the empty, dark region nothing of any note happened, at least nothing observable from such an immense distance from Earth. But changes were occurring that could not be explained by any form of science currently practised on planet Earth. The physics did not exist as yet for science to explain this phenomenon. The fabric between universes had been placed under enormous pressure and would soon distort space time enough to rupture. From the cold darkness a multitude of cries was emanating, but due to the vacuum of space it would never be heard except for the one mind it was intended for. The cries or voices travelled the vast distances required faster than any form of energy or matter had travelled since the birth of the universe in the Big Bang. To this voice the speed of light was not a restriction but merely something to outpace. It moved with a single-mindedness that suggested if not intelligence then at least an instinct that governed its passage through the cold black of space.

  The journey came to a stop in interstellar space, a few thousand light years away from a boundary marking the beginning of galactic space. In that pause any creature sufficiently talented would now be capable of detecting a probe, a search for that one mind it needed. The search took seconds despite the enormous space involved, spanning one hundred thousand lights years in diameter and one hundred billion stars. The journey resumed into the target galaxy, passing a myriad of spectacles and sights no human eye had ever seen, but it did not pause to wonder or appreciate the majesty of nature as its singular nature would not allow it. Narrowing in on one small star the voice increased speed almost in excitement that its travels were now at an end. In the blink of an eye it gazed once more on what had once been, if not its home, then one almost identical, the planet Earth.

  Ellie and the Battle (2008 C.E.)

  Rainfall pummelled the ground without mercy. The summer that had started with such promise had quickly returned to the soul of a hard winter with plummeting temperatures and torrential rain.

  The dark rip, for want of a better term, exploded into life, expanding and reaching out with almost evil intent. Dark itself, it enveloped the surrounding space, cutting off light and life from all sources. Ellie jerked and brushed the sodden fringe of hair away from her eyes as she walked with Cole towards the temple. The daydream was familiar to her. Since she could remember it would always intrude upon her consciousness, typically when she was trying to concentrate in school.

  A quick glance back down the hill and she saw Eridan and Rox preparing to lift off and confront the remaining dragons. The fires in the distance were still raging despite the rain's onslaught such was the intensity of the dragon's fire.

  Ellie are you okay? Cole asked into her mind, his tone soothing as he experienced Ellie's startled reaction to her daydream.

  Just worried. Ellie answered accompanied by an audible sigh. Cole leaned into Ellie's side and she placed an arm over his back. They reached the steps of the temple and ascended. Ellie lifted the orb to eye level and stared into the bright orange light. Eridan had somehow spoken with this device and communicated Ellie's plan. For her own part as she gazed into the swirling orange hue she fancied a split second contact with the raw power held within. The moment vanished as quickly as it had arrived and she dropped her arm to her side. Ellie hoped the black dragon knew what he was talking about.

  At the centre of the temple, lying upon the embossed star design carved into the centre was the still form of Malachite. Ellie intended to take the insane dragon back with her and show the dragons of the past what lay in store for them and the wo
rld.

  Are you ready? Ellie asked her red dragon.

  Not at all. Cole quipped. But we can do this.

  Ellie smiled with renewed confidence and gave Cole a quick squeeze before climbing onto his back.

  Let's get this done then. Ellie said before closing her eyes and concentrating on the orange orb in her hand. She imagined a time long ago, far from mankind. A beautiful island, lush and green. The beaches so white it would cause any being, man or beast to squint from the glare. Cliffs and mountains reared so high from the ground they seemed to pierce the sky itself. Ellie quivered slightly as Cole added his own mind to hers, reinforcing the imagery of the mesmerizing past.

  The sound of falling rain softened and became waves upon a beach. Ellie smiled at the wash of water upon sand and she saw an orange glow through the closed lids of her eyes. The warm water of the sea tickled her toes and Ellie's skin tingled with energy as she strove for her body to be at the beach she saw. Ellie opened her eyes and looked down. The star carved into the temple floor itself began to glow with a bright white intensity to match the luminescence of the orb. Ellie clutched the orb to her chest and realised faintly that this would be the closest to prayer she had ever come.

  Help us! She pleaded, her thoughts directed below her, to this conduit of power Rox knew to be a connection to the living world itself. The bright white light intensified further causing Ellie and Cole to grunt with discomfort and close their eyes against the glare. Ellie heard a hum and sensed subtle vibrations from the stone floor through Cole's legs and spine. The hum increased in volume and Ellie now held her breath in anticipation as the energy seemed to reach a crescendo. The answer then came.

  NO!

  Ellie gasped as the white light in one instant dissipated into the rain which fell quickly to the ground and became one again with the earth. The orange glow faded and Ellie brought the orb to her face.