Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War by Rodney C. Johnson Read Free Book Online

the primal core of the
Falcanian group mind, Nadia woke with a shock to see that Sol rose
and now cast an early morning light across the ocean. Sharr still
snored beside her. Nadia reached out a hand toward a nearby table,
a stainless steel cup slid into her fingers. Shes swallowed the
water in a single gulp, refreshed by its icy coolness.
    Finally she pushed the covers aside,
stretched, and got out of the silken nest. Her tail swished behind
her as she strode naked across the room. She stepped up to the
elliptical window, and gazed downward on the port below. The
picture of the cracking egg remained in her mind. Nadia glanced
back at her mate. Sharr wanted another child, a son no doubt. She
wanted to give him that, but dare she risk another pregnancy?
     
     
    On deck Frederika was pleased to see that
the sun had begun to rise warm over the ocean. It promised to be a
fiery sunrise, glorious and exhilarating to behold. She glanced
around. Only a few crewmen were on the deck. But Ch'Kran was there.
He did not stand, rather he perched on a crossbar in the center of
the deck. The manner in which he sat reminded Frederika very much
of some kind of hunting creature that scanned a field for a small
animal to swoop down upon. She walked over to the Falcanian, yet
remained a few feet out of his reach.
    Ch'Kran continued to silently scan, his face
hidden in a gray cowl.
    “Morning,” Frederika said. She looked with
interest at the perched Falcanian. He had removed his cloak and his
translucent burnt-orange wings were on display. Barely extended,
they caught the first light of the sun which cast a diffused orange
halo on the deck.
    She noticed the tri-claw boots to be very
functional and articulate in construction, true talons. The boots,
similar in style to Japanese tabi, clutched the crossbar and split
into two parts. They reached up the knee, with forward talons
mounted on each toe section, the longer inner-claw joined to the
boot at the big toe. The rear talon, flexible and tactile like the
front claws grasped the wood and added fresh scars to the worn
mahogany T-bar.
    Frederika resisted her urge to reach out and
touch the Falcanian. She was not sure he would respond well to such
a violation of his boundaries. Besides, Ch’Kran sat there as if he
were prepared to spring forward in attack which made Frederika
maintain her distance. Was this typical of his kind? Frederika
hoped not for he seemed aloof and untouchable.
    “How long before we reach Vanguard
Island?”
    “Not long.”
    She nodded. She knew he wouldn't give her
any specific time for he understood that much could be extrapolated
from such information. The vessel did not take the straight route
to his homeland due to security reasons.
    Under the cowl, Frederika could see Ch'Kran
had long hair, a metallic silver-blue. Humans did not have such
shades of locks, not naturally at least. It must have been a
genetic upgrade worked into his DNA, this bird like plumage. If
Ch'Kran were in fact a typical representative of his kind, then she
could not help but think them to be a most magnificent and
beautiful people.
    Ch'Kran knew the girl sized him up, sought
out clues about himself and his species. They always wondered such
things. These females without fail gaped with awe when they stepped
foot upon the island of his birth, for Vanguard was not like any
other place on Earth.
    Once more Frederika discovered herself
caught up in the magnetism of Ch'Kran's gaze. She stared nearly
awestruck at him while he looked at her. Her twenty-twenty vision
held his own perfect sight, though the Falcanian did not look at
her as a man does upon a beautiful woman, rather he regarded her as
some kind of toy and that notion rather displeased her. “What…”
Frederika cleared her throat, shook by his magnetic presence. “I
have heard of your religion, D’Har Tarik. Exactly what is it?”
    To Frederika's shock, Ch'Kran laughed, an
ironic bellow.
    “D’Har Tarik.” The Falcanian's