A snippet of my fantasy, sci-fi novel...
The book I'm currently working on is called Sasuka, and it follows the story of a cursed soldier from Orion named Sasuka who is sent on a mission across the galaxy to find powerful relics that can save his home from war. That's the main foundation of the plot, but another main part focuses on Sasuka's curse, misdiagnosed as an anomaly. He gets connected to this young boy from Earth who is depressed and traumatized by a recent school shooting, and the two of them form a meaningful bond.
This snippet is of Queen Isolde of Orion preparing to reprimand her adopted daughter, Princess Ming, before having a flashback to her past. She remembers her antagonistic brother, Justice Solas, who- despite her claiming to be the last of her kind- still lives, trapped in a place called the Realm of Reflection. Orion is on the brink of extinction, and Isolde fears that her brother is behind it all. Please share your honest thoughts!
Story:
The queen marched down the empty, narrow halls, her footsteps bouncing off the walls as she dragged the perplexed and sullen Ming along with her.
“Where are you taking me?” the princess questioned.
“Doesn’t matter,” Isolde breathed.
Ming let out an indignant scoff.
Things were only getting worse with every reveal and every slip up and mistake and miss- Isolde needed to get a firmer grip on things, for if she didn’t, hell would be unleashed upon Orion.
It would be just like last time, or worse… She hadn’t had to feel like this for five hundred years; anxious, uncertain, restless. And when that familiar sense of dread began to seize her, this time, she couldn't fight it back…
The ship whirred and hummed as it gained on the motherboard cruising through the skies, blind of its chaser. The clouds would have made it difficult to follow if the bright red and blue lights didn’t glare through them like a sun.
Isolde watched it with apprehension, then leaned close to the Anipo next to her. "Where is he going?” she asked in a whisper.
“That’s irrelevant,” the Anipo replied in a gruff voice, his eyes locked onto the ship ahead.
Then, he cleared his throat and announced to the rest of them, “We’re close enough. Activate the Amplifier!”
“Yes, King Savino,” two Anipo next to the king pressed a big, red button, and now his voice boomed.
“Justice Solas, as King and chief of the League of Law, I order you to halt that ship at once!”
The Anipo watched Justice’s motherboard in suspense, afraid he wouldn’t listen, that he would attack. But instead, something strange happened.
Justice stopped the motherboard. He exited with some of his soldiers, standing firm without solid ground beneath his feet- the work of Vida.
The light of the sun shone on his unbothered navy face, his bright blue eyes radiated mischief, lips turned up in a sly grin. The jewelry hanging from his royal robes twinkled and swayed in the wind.
There were curious murmurs across the ship.
Everyone exchanged suspicious looks, but Isolde gulped. “What shall we do, father?” she asked.
“Hmm…” King Savino stared at his lingering son through the glass, who waved a casual hand at them. “Let us meet him… outside.” he announced.
Everyone let out terrified gasps, but the king rose his hand and turned to those standing behind him, his face stern. “With sympathy and good reason I shall retrieve my son, and you your prince. We do not return until we either put a stop to this Movement… or Secure him for an eternity.” King Savino looked down. “Pray it won’t be the latter. Now, twenty of my men shall join me, accompanied by the princess, of course,” he met Isolde’s shaking eyes. “Come now, sweetie, this will be quick,”
Isolde shook. “A-are you sure this is necessary? I could stand and watch from back here-”
“Justice would like to know that you came for him, too. Who knows? It might make this whole thing a lot easier…” the king insisted, his eyes wandered back to his son and sat there for a long moment.
Isolde watched him with hesitation then sighed, resisting her quivering body. “I understand, father.”
The door slid open, and the Anipo stepped outside, breeze blowing their hair out of their faces to expose stern expressions.
Isolde stood at the back of the group, speculating about what could happen if Justice met her eyes.
Justice’s grin grew as he stepped forward, his chunky boots clunking the invisible surface beneath him. “Ah! So, you’ve finally decided to join me, father? Perfect timing- I just reserved a spot for you in my Entertainment department.” he stopped walking when he was about twenty feet away. “You’ve always had a way of making me laugh…”
“Over my dead body.” King Savino said through gritted teeth, his gaze fixed on his son’s. “I have come to put an end to this Movement rubbish and bring you back to the Realm of Anipo, where you belong. This is not who you are. You are next in line to the Throne- if you play the game right…” he narrowed his eyes. “Come home with us, your people need you.”
Justice laughed. “You really think I want to sit on your Throne? That’s funny,” his face hardened, “My people don't need me, you all made that clear at the Gala... But who am I to judge? To each their own. Besides, I’ve grown quite fond of my test subjects. They... amuse me…” A smirk broke his firm demeanor and faded just as fast. “There is nothing for me back home.”
“Not even your family?” Isolde stepped forward, forcing her eyes onto her brother’s. Once they met, his haughty expression disappeared.
“Hell no,” he muttered. “Why are you here? I told you not to show your face again.”
Isolde drew in a sharp breath. “You hold a responsibility greater than you realize, Justice,”
“Pretty sure I’m aware of that,” Justice hissed.
“And as your elder sister, it is my duty to guide you in the right way-”
“You mean your way?”
Isolde gritted her teeth. “The League of Law will not stand by and let you harm civilizations without reason.” she boomed, heart pounding. “You mustn't continue with the Movement, brother.”
Justice scoffed. "Who said I was doing this without reason? I am claiming what is mine!"
“Don’t kid yourself, these planets were never yours and you know that!” Isolde snapped, her throat tight.
Her brother stared in a mixture of disbelief and disgust.
Isolde let out a sharp exhale, “As a member of the royal family, it is your duty to put the interests and needs of others first!” she stepped forward. “We shall not tolerate behavior like this.”
When she finished speaking, Justice didn’t say a word. Isolde was mortified, but kept a stony expression.
“You’re just the same,” he breathed. “Can’t stand up for your own brother. Pathetic.” Justice signaled with his finger to the Anipo and Obscure Ones standing near the ship, but they wouldn’t move.
He whipped his head at them with a honeyed smile, “C’mon, don’t be shy. I need your help!” He moved his finger again and gripped their necks with telekinesis, drawing them near.
They dropped to the floor with a thud and scrabbled to their feet, wheezing and snatching up bizarre weapons that spilled from their garments.
“Your Majesty, what do we do?”
“Do we attack?” Anipo murmured, but King Savino stood still and silent.
Justice used his abilities to agitate the gales. His glossy, navy hair swirled out of his face as he floated several feet into the air, eyes gleaming a dangerous tinge of crimson. “I guess this is how it all ends…” Justice's voice distorted.
“It doesn’t have to be!” a tall, noble Anipo protested, stepping forward and drawing a sword. The metal glistened in the light of the sun. “If you surrender, we take you home in one piece, but if not…” he exchanged a glance with King Savino, who nodded solemnly. “…we will banish you to the Realm of Reflection- forever!”
Isolde’s eyes darted to her brother.
“The Realm of Reflection?” Justice sneered, then broke into a guffaw. “What a plan! We’ll just have to see how this plays out, shall we?" he curled his hands and a bundle of stars crackled in them, his eyes observing the phenomenon with adoration.
"We shall." Isolde tied her hair back and wiggled her fingers to mimic a ripple, the feathers on the tips of her nails shimmered and she elevated, facing her brother with a translucent glowing dagger.
Justice laughed. "Still holding onto that dagger, huh? Old habits really do die hard..."
The League of Law and Justice's army readied their weapons and prepared for battle. The rigid Anipo were set to destroy anybody who stood in the way of Securing Justice, but Justice's team had only one goal...
The clouds thickened around them, thunder boomed and summoned a furious rod of lightning between both sides.
Nobody flinched.
Isolde sighed. A warning from the heavens. She thought.
Justice was too busy enjoying himself to notice. "Isolde, I stopped being a part of our family the day I learned that it was all built on lies, false splendor... funny how that stuff comes so naturally to us royalty, huh? I know you know. Shame on me for thinking we could be different.” His voice turned into a deep growl, eyes sharpening. “Now, before I kill you both and commence with my Movement, there’s something you should probably know... I despise you with my whole being!”
Isolde’s heart faltered, and everything before her zoomed by as if she were plummeting into a void of darkness...
Helpless.
Falling.
But...