Ruins of Scell

By Raymond Cain

During his short lifetime on the ocean floor, seventeen-year-old Flynn Arcturus has seen colossal squid and angry sea dragons, but it hits him like a tidal wave when he discovers the remains of an ancient civilization.

The Scryn, four-armed humanoids that inhabited the area many centuries earlier, abandoned a hidden, underground structure and Flynn is the first to find it. Some of the residents of Seahaven, the domed underwater city where he lives, are not far away and he seeks to uncover the ruins' treasures and secrets before they do.

Until he gets inside and realizes that solving its mysteries may cost him his life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raymond Cain
• Release date: Mar 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370230372

Raymond Cain

Raymond Cain was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He grew up moving from city to city in BC and attended more than a dozen schools, including college and university in Prince George. During summer months, Cain spends much of his free time swimming, kayaking, or camping. In the winter, he’s often skiing or traveling somewhere warm. Regardless of where he is or what he’s doing, his head is usually in the clouds thinking about writing.

Book preview

ruins title page

Copyright © 2017 Raymond Cain.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved.

If you liked this novelette, please join Flynn on his adventures in the Secret Depths Trilogy, a series of three full-length novels that take place entirely on the ocean floor.

Secret Depths Trilogy

Seahaven — released early 2017.

Deepstone — released mid 2017.

Graveport — will be available late 2017.

Book 1

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

From The Author

Chapter 1

Alive!

Flynn was alive. And in pain. Light stabbed into his eyes and someone’s spoken words sliced into his brain. His head felt like a blacksmith was pounding on it, smashing his thoughts into incoherent wisps of memory. His mouth was dry, inhabited only by the decaying stench of cheap liquor and chocolate-covered shrimp, and his breath was foul enough to kill seaweed. It seemed each of his senses was under attack.

Tasker Arcturus, Flynn’s older brother, stood over him. The fair-skinned twenty-one-year-old was an engineer, a skilled craftsman who specialized in building magic items capable of manipulating water. He wore brown kelp work clothes covered in pockets that bulged with tools. The thin man brushed a strand of disheveled black hair out of his face and wrapped one hand around his stubbled chin. His other hand held a moving object, but Flynn’s vision had not yet cleared enough for him to make out what it was.

Are you cognizant, Flynn?

Flynn winced at the sound and rubbed his temples. I don’t know what that means. Can you talk quieter?

NOT REALLY, Tasker shouted. Are you listening to me?

Of course, Flynn replied in the sincerest-sounding tone he could muster. The truth had no business getting involved in the answer to that question.

Then what did I just say?

You asked if I was listening.

Tasker rolled his eyes so profoundly that they appeared to make a complete rotation. He brought the object closer, further impeding Flynn’s ability to focus on it. It smelled of seawater and ale.

What I asked for, Tasker continued, "Is an