The Rising Sun: Episode 2 by J Hawk Read Free Book Online Page A

focus he had.
     
    “Well, what’re we waiting for?” he said,
opening his eyes and looking at Galinor. “Let’s go, then.”
     
    The two of them turned and bolted towards the
door, which slid shut by itself as they passed.
     
     
     
     

 
     
9
     
     
     
     
    The screeching sound of his z-com was the one
thing Ion hated most in the world. Especially if it interrupted him
in his sleep. With a groan of displeasure, Ion sat upright slowly.
He gave himself a second to let the haze of drowsiness clear. Then,
digging his hand into his robe pocket, he produced his z-com that
screeched relentlessly, with an incoming call.
     
    He tapped a spot on the metallic black skin
of the small device to answer the call. It was a video call: A
holographic screen grew out over the space over the z-com, staring
out of which was a man.
     
    “The name’s Eryx,” said the man.
     
    “And you’ve got the wrong number.” cut in
Ion. “There’re only a couple of people who know I exist, and you
ain’t one of them.”
     
    His finger moved over the button to
disconnect the call –
     
    “The Zelgron know you exist, though.” said
Eryx. “Carcasar, their warlord, has known that you exist for quite
long now. And he’s sent his Zelgron after you. They’re heading for
you as we now speak.”
     
    __________
     
     
    The words took a few thick seconds to
register in Ion’s mind.
     
    “The Zelgron ?” he spat.
     
    “The Zelgron.” Eryx nodded, smiling. “I trust
you remember the name … Carcasar?”
     
    Ion felt something flip within his
stomach.
     
    “Who are you?” he breathed into the screen.
“And what kind of sick joke are you trying to play here?”
     
    “A joke, huh?” Eryx uttered a rough chuckle.
“Ask yourself if that’s really true, kid.”
     
    He leaned closer to the screen, and lowered
his voice so that it was just louder than a hiss.
     
    “Believe me or not, you’re in trouble, kid.
And what I’m trying to do, is I’m trying to help you. But it’s your
call, whether or not you wanna believe me, and take my help. You
wanna turn a deaf ear to me, be my guest … But when the black
cloaked creatures reach your apartment, you might feel slightly
different.” He must have read the terrified look on Ion’s face for
he added, “That’s right - they’re on their way to that apartment
you’re in right now. ”
     
    “Who are you?” demanded Ion, ignoring the icy
sensation within him. “And why’re you so keen to share this with me
in the first place?”
     
    Eryx gave Ion a flat stare. “Listen, we don’t
have time for this now. I’ll let you know everything when you get
down here. You need to meet me where I am now, and I can get you
outta this alive. I’m your only way out of this. You’re gonna have
to trust me. And believe me when I tell you that you can’t do this
alone: you can’t outrun them. They aren’t the same type you met
years back.”
     
    “What do you mean?” asked Ion, who could feel
his pulse rising.
     
    Eryx shook his head. “They’re not the brutes
of the sort you met two years ago … Carcasar’s sent his very best.
His most lethal. They’ll be on your tail wherever you go. They’re
as intelligent as man beings themselves … If you don’t trust me,
you’ll see them approaching your building from out the balcony
anytime now.”
     
    Ion turned and sprinted out the balcony with
the z-com held in one hand.
     
    “That’s not what I meant! You’re supposed to
leave before you see them arriving, kid!” yelled Eryx,
rolling his eyes on the screen by Ion’s right.
     
    Ion was peering down the lane out his
balcony, his eyes narrowed. He scanned the entire place, trying to
find any black cloaked, hooded creatures sprinting towards his
building from anywhere.
     
    “I don’t see them.” he said finally.
     
    Eryx slapped his forehead. “I suggest you
don’t wait until you do!”
     
    Without taking his eyes off the view of the
ghost city outside, Ion