Read Online Shieldwolf Dawning by Selena Nemorin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Selena Nemorin
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galaxy. The floor, walls, and ceiling were made of glass. Samarra could make out the three-ringed moon she had seen before. Kairuhan also had another moon, much smaller than the one it hid behind. Unlike its big sister, the smaller moon was grey. There were at least five other planets of various sizes scattered around. Farther in the distance was a bright sun.
Although the sprawling galaxy was more beautiful than mere words could express, Samarra was most captivated by something inside the room. Tucked in the folds of golden silk sheets was her brother asleep in a large bed.
"Cass." She sighed in relief and rushed to him, but an invisible shield knocked her back. "Ouch!" she yelled, rubbing her sore arm.
Samarra came at the barrier from all sides, punching and kicking as hard as she could to break through, but she was blocked every time from getting closer to him. When she eventually concluded that nothing she could do would shatter the magic that separated them, she sat down and leaned her head against the barrier. She would have to be content to watch over him from a distance for now.
Chapter Six
Aletheia's Vision
Samarra adjusted the diamond monocle to fit her eye. Pixels bent and stretched as the polarizing lens zoomed in on Merganser's cottage. "Focus," she said, and the picture sharpened. From where she sat on the top of the hill, it was easy to make out the details of the landscape. The cottage built from glass and stone nestled amidst a rolling backdrop of lush green forest to one side and a long stretch of rocky beach to the other. Its distinctive roof, comprised of three sets of interlocking, vaulted glass shells, sat on a terraced platform that wrapped around the small building. Hundreds of tiny solar panels covered the shells and sparkled in the bright morning sun. A restless sea separated the mainland of Gudrun Wade from the islands of Pythia to the east.
"Zoom in." The monocle went static before magnifying Samarra's view of the beach. Dozens of Merfolk thrashed through wave after wave. As they dived in and out of the water, their metallic tails reflected light in all directions. Unlike their cousins in the southern regions, these Merfolk were unpredictable.
One never knows what they might do to a lone gaian , Merganser had warned. The brutes can be as savage as the sea they call their home. You would be wise to err on the side of caution. Do not approach them. So Samarra was happy to stay on the hill and observe them from a safe distance, even though what she really wanted to do was sneak down to the beach for a better look at the magnificent creatures.
Today was Samarra's seventh day on Kairuhan, and she was starting to feel settled in her new environment. At first she had found breathing difficult. Although the air was cleaner here than on Gaia, it was also thinner. She also discovered that the gravitational pull was not as strong. Samarra could jump twice as high as she could before. Getting used to the changes to her body and movement had been tricky. Learning about a new culture had been even trickier.
The Kairu way of life was much simpler than anything she had experienced on Gaia. Everyone here lived off local resources and treated the natural environment with the utmost care and respect. Perhaps the most interesting thing for Samarra was that there were no guns on Kairuhan. Merganser had said the Kairu had chosen not to make such leaps in technology for the good of the global ecosystem.
Samarra inhaled deeply and focused on the sound of her breath. She reached down to rub her ankle. The pain in her leg had almost disappeared. She touched her face. The scratches on her cheeks had almost healed. There were only a few small nicks left, nothing to worry about. Samarra was grateful that she hadn't been stuck in a room to recover like Cassian.
Since he had woken up three days ago, things between them had been different. Their relationship had been strained. Merganser had said it would take time for
Although the sprawling galaxy was more beautiful than mere words could express, Samarra was most captivated by something inside the room. Tucked in the folds of golden silk sheets was her brother asleep in a large bed.
"Cass." She sighed in relief and rushed to him, but an invisible shield knocked her back. "Ouch!" she yelled, rubbing her sore arm.
Samarra came at the barrier from all sides, punching and kicking as hard as she could to break through, but she was blocked every time from getting closer to him. When she eventually concluded that nothing she could do would shatter the magic that separated them, she sat down and leaned her head against the barrier. She would have to be content to watch over him from a distance for now.
Chapter Six
Aletheia's Vision
Samarra adjusted the diamond monocle to fit her eye. Pixels bent and stretched as the polarizing lens zoomed in on Merganser's cottage. "Focus," she said, and the picture sharpened. From where she sat on the top of the hill, it was easy to make out the details of the landscape. The cottage built from glass and stone nestled amidst a rolling backdrop of lush green forest to one side and a long stretch of rocky beach to the other. Its distinctive roof, comprised of three sets of interlocking, vaulted glass shells, sat on a terraced platform that wrapped around the small building. Hundreds of tiny solar panels covered the shells and sparkled in the bright morning sun. A restless sea separated the mainland of Gudrun Wade from the islands of Pythia to the east.
"Zoom in." The monocle went static before magnifying Samarra's view of the beach. Dozens of Merfolk thrashed through wave after wave. As they dived in and out of the water, their metallic tails reflected light in all directions. Unlike their cousins in the southern regions, these Merfolk were unpredictable.
One never knows what they might do to a lone gaian , Merganser had warned. The brutes can be as savage as the sea they call their home. You would be wise to err on the side of caution. Do not approach them. So Samarra was happy to stay on the hill and observe them from a safe distance, even though what she really wanted to do was sneak down to the beach for a better look at the magnificent creatures.
Today was Samarra's seventh day on Kairuhan, and she was starting to feel settled in her new environment. At first she had found breathing difficult. Although the air was cleaner here than on Gaia, it was also thinner. She also discovered that the gravitational pull was not as strong. Samarra could jump twice as high as she could before. Getting used to the changes to her body and movement had been tricky. Learning about a new culture had been even trickier.
The Kairu way of life was much simpler than anything she had experienced on Gaia. Everyone here lived off local resources and treated the natural environment with the utmost care and respect. Perhaps the most interesting thing for Samarra was that there were no guns on Kairuhan. Merganser had said the Kairu had chosen not to make such leaps in technology for the good of the global ecosystem.
Samarra inhaled deeply and focused on the sound of her breath. She reached down to rub her ankle. The pain in her leg had almost disappeared. She touched her face. The scratches on her cheeks had almost healed. There were only a few small nicks left, nothing to worry about. Samarra was grateful that she hadn't been stuck in a room to recover like Cassian.
Since he had woken up three days ago, things between them had been different. Their relationship had been strained. Merganser had said it would take time for
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