Asura: Undead War

By Vito Chophy

As the living fought among themselves, the dead awakened and fed on the living. The world grew darker and the people darker still. To protect and save the ones he loves, sixteen-year-old Geran must fight against a horde of zombies, vampires and demons. Yet, something darker than anything he has ever faced before, threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vito Chophy
• Release date: Feb 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310772535

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ASURA: UNDEAD WAR

Copyright 2016 © Vito Chophy

Published by Vito Chophy

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Title Page

License

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

It was an Age, when the unnatural and supernatural, became natural. When, a man’s wickedness was the measure of his success. The city was a beacon in that dark and evil Age. In a time, when some believed it was the end of the Age of Man, Helid not only survived but also thrived. One of the last great cities left in the world. A safe haven and refuge for those, who managed to find their way there, although it had not always been so. A city where many forged their dreams into reality and others dreamed of doing so.

In a corner of this great city, Geran woke with a start, wondering if he would ever wake up without being afraid and drenched in sweat. Recurring dreams of monsters filled him with terror and yet when he woke, they were nothing more than a vague memory that he could not describe. No matter how hard he tried, he could never remember what filled him with so much dread. Sometimes, he wished he did not have to sleep at all. Every time he woke up, he felt disoriented. It took him a minute or two to remember where he was. Keeping track of time and dates was difficult for him.

If he was right about the date, today was his sixteenth birthday. The age, he became an adult, according to Helidian law. He felt old and tired. Physically, he had never been in better shape, in spite of the lack of proper sleep. Perhaps, it was the nanites his father injected him with when he was a child, which was why he did not suffer from the effects of sleep deprivation. The fact, he did not spend every waking moment fighting to survive, could also be the reason. Geran was not sure which, but he felt stronger than ever, and that was what mattered to him. Then he remembered, his scheduled session with the hospital’s psychiatrist, and groaned.

He had been a guest at one of their military hospitals ever since the day they rescued him. That was about three months ago, when a squad patrolling the eastern gates of Helid found him, more dead than alive. They saved his life and gave him sanctuary, for which he would always be grateful. Limited freedom of movement and restricted online access to the civilian network was part of his guest privileges. Upon recovery, he volunteered to join the Helidian army, since fighting was the one thing he knew he was good at and besides he was tired of being a guest. Geran assumed the military controlled that sector, because he had not seen a single civilian during his time there. Everyone wore a uniform, of one kind or the other and the entire sector was an over-sized base.

Trained in the art of war since he was old enough to hold a weapon, he was one of the sabotnik children. They were part of a desperate attempt to win a war that was already lost. When their technology and army failed to defeat their enemies, the city of Voyna, turned to dark magic for answers. Using an ancient forbidden ritual, they transformed every child in the city into a weapon. Lethal, brave, and unrelenting, the sabotnik were Voyna’s last line of defense. Yet in the end, they were not enough. The city fell like others before it.

Geran and a small band of survivors marched for months seeking safe haven. Day after day, they fought to survive against the monsters that hunted them. Injured and almost dead, six of them reached Helid. He could not remember what happened after that but he knew Helidian soldiers rescued them. The Helidians did their best to save them all, but only Geran survived the treatment.

The average lifespan of a sabotnik was short and filled with violence. It was a fact they accepted over time. The ritual that gave them the powers of a sabotnik also filled them with an overwhelming blood lust when used. It drove them into a state of killing frenzy that they could seldom control. Geran learned to suppress his urges better than most but it was still there. An ever-present craving that grew stronger every day he did not kill. Volunteering to join the army was the only thing that made sense to him. If he needed kill to remain sane, then killing the undead was what Geran wanted to do.

The Helidian army was not particular about who they recruited. Anyone who was sane, physically able, and willing to fight the undead, was accepted. New recruits were processed and sent to boot camp, before they could change their minds. The army was more than willing to enlist Geran and put him through a series of tests to assess his physical fitness. They assured him that sessions with a psychiatrist were just part of the procedure. He was not convinced that was the whole truth. Nevertheless, he could not think of a good reason to refuse, so twice a week he showed up for the sessions.

*

For those born under a red-sky, it was an Age, when children could no longer be as children. There were only those who learned to survive early in life and those who did not. This was the way of the world. The memories, of days under a blue-sky were beginning to fade, with each passing of the blue-sky generation.

Very few of that generation still lived, and even they could not remember the world exactly the way it used to be. Even fewer remembered the days under a blue-sky, when most men had been in awe of their own knowledge and captivated by things that they created and built. That was the time before the brightest light in the known universe caused the world to darken. The days shortened and nights lengthened even as the sky changed its hue. Storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions ripped civilization apart. The world grew darker and the people darker still.

Under a darkened sky, the world trembled as a massive asteroid struck the moon, showering the world with fragments that wiped out entire cities. Many died either cursing their gods or praying for deliverance. As smoke and ash rose to mingle with the red-sky, the world grew colder, as did the hearts of men. Chaos, fear, and conflict, split nations and families apart.

Crops failed and famine spread across the lands. When food became scarce, some chose to feed on the dead to live. While others chose to join the dead than live and soon a life was worth less than bread. The youngest, the oldest, and the infirm were among the first to die, although others fared no better. Pandemics spread virtually unchecked and countless dead lay rotting in the aftermath.

Cities that were unaffected built great walls and fortifications, to separate themselves, from those who were. Survivors seeking food and refuge soon overran cities that did not. In the end, their fate was the same as those they sheltered. Before long, cities hoarded every resource and fought over the little that remained unclaimed. Each, coveting what others possessed. Fighting, scheming, and deceiving each other to survive, just a little bit longer.

As the living fought among themselves, the dead awakened and fed on the living.

Some were convinced that the red-sky caused viruses to mutate and reanimate the dead. Others believed it was an unholy resurrection caused by dark magic and the end of the Age of Man. Most did not care which, as they fought to survive, in a world filled with the undead.

Forty years under a red-sky, the world healed gradually, as humans rebuilt and adapted to the new world. Alliances formed between cities and they established a semblance of order to ensure the survival of the human race. At least, that is what the red-sky generation believed.

Chapter Two

Born under a red-sky, Geran seldom thought about the world as it was. Every so often, he thought about the world as it could be. It always filled him with hope to believe that someday there could be a better world. He knew, no one could guarantee the future but reasoned that things would never improve, if everyone did nothing but dwell in the memories of the past. As vague as his idea of an ideal world was, visualizing it always made him happy. Yet deep down, he knew that he would never fit in, if the world were different.

Geran.

Geran!

Sorry, I was thinking about what you asked, said Geran, snapping out of his reverie.

This will never work, said Dr. Anderson frowning, if you continue to lie about what you think and suppress every emotion you feel.

I am trying.

Not hard enough, she said. We have been meeting twice a week for over a month and all I know about you are irrelevant facts.

It is not easy for me to share what I have been through.

As I have tried to make you understand before, she said, I cannot help you until you start being honest with me.

I think that I just need to get back to active duty, he said, and things will sort itself out.

The doctor paused and rubbed her forehead. A few minutes ticked by before she let out an exasperated sigh and spoke.

It seems that my superiors agree with you. I have received orders to clear you for active duty.

That’s good news, he said.

In my professional opinion it is too soon because you are not ready, she said stiffly.

I am sure the army knows what they are doing, said Geran.

This is the end of our session but if you ever feel the need to speak to someone, you know where to find me.

Geran stood up unsure what he was supposed to do next.

You are to report at the Academy of this city quadrant, right now, she said.

Thank you, Dr. Anders, said Geran, confused by the abruptness. He wondered when she received the order since they started the session as scheduled.

Dr. Anderson, the psychiatrist corrected and waved him away.

Geran started running after he exited the medical building. A few soldiers scowled at him, when he brushed past them, but he did not slacken the pace. The Academy was three blocks away from the medical building, not far enough, for even a warm up run.

He memorized, where all the military installations were located, at least the ones that the Helidian government publicly acknowledged as such. He spent all his time reading everything he could find about Helid and its people on the civilian network. Although, he learned a lot while recuperating, there was still so much that was new to him that it was almost overwhelming at times. Even with a limited access, there was enough material available, to keep him occupied for a decade. He wished they would give him something a little more modern than a digital touch-screen paper to connect to the network. His mother used them all the time so at least he did not have to learn how to use it.

When he thought about it, he realized that, while the hospital did have a few machines it was insufficient for a hospital of its size. He wondered where they kept all the computers and other electronic equipment. None of the hospital staff was maintaining any records yet there was no sign of inefficiency or chaos. Everyone appeared to know what to do and at times appeared to communicate telepathically. He dismissed that idea as improbable and decided to ask someone when he could do so without appearing like a complete ignoramus.

For the moment, he was just glad there would be no more psychiatric assessments and he could focus on the things he wanted to do. He thought the sessions with the psychiatrist were invasive and pointless. Dr. Anderson did her best to make him comfortable but he never felt the need to discuss his problems with her. The whole idea, of talking