What a long, strange trip it’s been…
This marks the final update for The Hungry Stars, but not the final entry in the Angelverse. We’ll be seeing more of Red One with The Serpent’s Garden and Siege Perilous, while our survivors will have their own stories, both one of Bathory and Eight arriving at Nibiru and then of their attempts to get back home before everything descends into fire. Thanks to everyone who’s joined me on this journey and I hope you’ve enjoyed the book, from the first chapter to our final entry here.
Part of the intro to this epilogue can be found below, the rest at the links above. Hope you enjoy and thanks again!
~
Are you there?
“Stay down!” Secondary of Wards Ha’somossdt whispered urgently as lights swept through the trees, back and forth as they searched for movement within the darkened forest. The torrential rain beat an unending drumming cadence on the leaves while above the towering, moss-grown trees, the sky rumbled and growled. Ball lightning churned between storm clouds, the electrical interference killing any hope of a radio signal reaching beyond the valley that the jutting mountains didn’t already sever.
The Agharan military officer punctuated the clicking order by reaching out with his left rearmost arm, grabbing Studious of Detections Byzir’amon’s head, right between her antennae and forcing her down to the ground next to him as he scuttled over her to hold her in place. He was much too terrified to realize or care for the pantomime of courtship, his attention completely focused on the forest around them.
Beneath the young officer, Byzir’amon’s hearts were pounding within each of her segments. She didn’t even think to protest the indignity of their positions as the Secondary pressed her down into the water-logged moss and leaf litter of the forest floor, protecting her with his own body. She didn’t even notice her soaked clothes, focused only on trying to stay as still as possible. She opened her mouth to ask Ha’somossdt something, but the Secondary put his upper left hand over her mouthparts to silence her as his upper right and middle arms checked the rifle he was carrying. She heard the soft click of the safety being turned off. That small sound sent a thrill of terror through the Studious as she realized how close their pursuers truly were.
The lights swept back and forth, back and forth. They were accompanied by the low growl of a vehicle moving through the underbrush, the sound of its engine fading in and out as the relentless thunder crackled and boomed overhead.
Are you there? A voice called, rising above the rain and sounds of the tortured sky. You are, aren’t you. We saw you come this way. Ha’somossdt, it’s me Ke’waelthrin. Can you hear me? I know you’re there. You don’t have to hide.
Ke’waelthrin, Secondary of Wards and leader of the initial expedition here to the Topland Temperate Rainforest, was dead. He shouldn’t be talking. Ha’sosmossdt’s mandibles clicked rapidly but softly, the only outward expression of his terror he would allow.
Ha’somossdt, the other Secondary’s voice came from elsewhere, like he’d suddenly moved… or something else was speaking, another corpse or obscene newborn horror using this stolen voice. You don’t have to do this. There’s no reason to be afraid. You came to find us, didn’t you? Come to us now. You’ll understand.
A pause, then two words that Ke’waelthrin, the real Ke’waelthrin, would never have uttered followed. I did.
~
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