almost—almost—be content with his new life.
But Carl arrived with something the rest of them lack—memories of home. And a growing suspicion that the “desert ghoul” the villagers fear could be his ticket back to Earth.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Talnut:
They found Carl looking at some of the bones lying around. He picked up the skull of a raptor, turning it over in his hands.
“Hey, Carl, look who I found hanging around the beach while the rest of us were working.”
Carl wiped his hands as he smiled at Rog’s joke. Tanya tried to look exasperated at the slight but was amused. Since leaving Sorbit she had established friendships of sorts with Malcolm, Rog, and Hilliard and an odd relationship with Katrina, who was now trying to be her friend. Then there was Carl—Carl who was tempting her to abandon her commitment to be a Witchdoctor.
“Tanya, I was wondering if you could use your talents to determine what happened here? Do your Aura thing.”
“Aura thing? It’s a little more than just that.” She looked around. “Sure, I’ll give it a try.”
Tanya searched for a quiet spot and found several near the ocean, but didn’t like the feel of the area. She walked along the beach and found a secluded spot on a rise that overlooked the ocean. This was going to be difficult for her. Trying to read the far past was not easy and she had taken one of the bones with her to aid her search. She tried to get as comfortable as possible, taking off her sandals and loosening her skirt and top. Her best contact with the Aura occurred when she exposed herself as much as possible to the outside, and while she didn’t dare undress with the potential of someone seeing her, she tried to give herself the illusion of being naked. She started her chant, quickly finding the rhythm that allowed her mind to reach the trance state where she felt herself disappear from her physical self. The Aura came strong and fast this time, much stronger than it had before and for the barest of moments, she almost withdrew from its space, feeling almost overwhelmed by its strength. She pictured herself falling upward and allowed the Aura to take control.
It never had close to this power before and it made her a bit nervous. She heard her own voice telling herself to relax though her own lips didn’t move.
Suddenly, she found herself in the middle of the settlement, the image soft as if she was looking through a fog. She knew instinctively where each person was, and when she watched Carl talk to Malcolm, his voice became clear as if she was next to him. What was interesting she found she had an image of everything around her, as if she had suddenly developed 360-degree peripheral vision. When she used to call on the Aura in the past, the best she could see were smoky, shadow images on a grey slate.
She tried to contain her excitement at her new powers for fear she would slip out of the trance state. She felt the bone in her hand, concentrating on its shape and then its being. The images of Carl and others began to fade, to be replaced by the ghostly images of events long ago.
She found it confusing to sort out the various images at first, but then she concentrated on a thread of energy that twisted its way out of the settlement. She felt herself moving in both time and place, to the start of the battle.
She ran next to a thunderous herd of triceratops, the thousand hoofs churning up small trees, grasses and soil in a cloud of dust. The smell of fear and excitement stimulated her, causing her to cry out. She looked at the long spear she was using to poke at one of the beasts, to keep him charging at full speed regardless of what lay ahead. In her mind she could feel the need for revenge, for the death of their young and strong alike. A raptor ran past her, banishing a spear as well and its scream mixed with the bleating of the triceratops. She knew that over three hundred like her were chasing the creatures towards the
But Carl arrived with something the rest of them lack—memories of home. And a growing suspicion that the “desert ghoul” the villagers fear could be his ticket back to Earth.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Talnut:
They found Carl looking at some of the bones lying around. He picked up the skull of a raptor, turning it over in his hands.
“Hey, Carl, look who I found hanging around the beach while the rest of us were working.”
Carl wiped his hands as he smiled at Rog’s joke. Tanya tried to look exasperated at the slight but was amused. Since leaving Sorbit she had established friendships of sorts with Malcolm, Rog, and Hilliard and an odd relationship with Katrina, who was now trying to be her friend. Then there was Carl—Carl who was tempting her to abandon her commitment to be a Witchdoctor.
“Tanya, I was wondering if you could use your talents to determine what happened here? Do your Aura thing.”
“Aura thing? It’s a little more than just that.” She looked around. “Sure, I’ll give it a try.”
Tanya searched for a quiet spot and found several near the ocean, but didn’t like the feel of the area. She walked along the beach and found a secluded spot on a rise that overlooked the ocean. This was going to be difficult for her. Trying to read the far past was not easy and she had taken one of the bones with her to aid her search. She tried to get as comfortable as possible, taking off her sandals and loosening her skirt and top. Her best contact with the Aura occurred when she exposed herself as much as possible to the outside, and while she didn’t dare undress with the potential of someone seeing her, she tried to give herself the illusion of being naked. She started her chant, quickly finding the rhythm that allowed her mind to reach the trance state where she felt herself disappear from her physical self. The Aura came strong and fast this time, much stronger than it had before and for the barest of moments, she almost withdrew from its space, feeling almost overwhelmed by its strength. She pictured herself falling upward and allowed the Aura to take control.
It never had close to this power before and it made her a bit nervous. She heard her own voice telling herself to relax though her own lips didn’t move.
Suddenly, she found herself in the middle of the settlement, the image soft as if she was looking through a fog. She knew instinctively where each person was, and when she watched Carl talk to Malcolm, his voice became clear as if she was next to him. What was interesting she found she had an image of everything around her, as if she had suddenly developed 360-degree peripheral vision. When she used to call on the Aura in the past, the best she could see were smoky, shadow images on a grey slate.
She tried to contain her excitement at her new powers for fear she would slip out of the trance state. She felt the bone in her hand, concentrating on its shape and then its being. The images of Carl and others began to fade, to be replaced by the ghostly images of events long ago.
She found it confusing to sort out the various images at first, but then she concentrated on a thread of energy that twisted its way out of the settlement. She felt herself moving in both time and place, to the start of the battle.
She ran next to a thunderous herd of triceratops, the thousand hoofs churning up small trees, grasses and soil in a cloud of dust. The smell of fear and excitement stimulated her, causing her to cry out. She looked at the long spear she was using to poke at one of the beasts, to keep him charging at full speed regardless of what lay ahead. In her mind she could feel the need for revenge, for the death of their young and strong alike. A raptor ran past her, banishing a spear as well and its scream mixed with the bleating of the triceratops. She knew that over three hundred like her were chasing the creatures towards the
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