Tale of Myths and Legends: Book One; Fallen Star

By Michael Wayne Phelps

The incomprehensible limitlessness of the cosmos, filled with unfathomable cognitions and endless possibilities; showing that even infinity can die. An immeasurable cosmological enigma, littered with multitudinous astronomical anomalies which subtly coruscate evanescent rays of incandescent twilight. Multifarious distant suns, gracefully shedding their fading memories; from another place in time…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781387034819

Book preview

Fallen Star

By: Michael Wayne Phelps

All Rights Reserved. © 2015-2022 by Michael Wayne Phelps

Prologue

Scientist finally proposed a pragmatic seeding plan to terraform Mars, which would lead to the creation of a rich, Martian environment. Decades passed until enough governments had gathered the necessary resources, before the first man mission to mars could set underway. Proving successful, a new era dawned for humanity, bringing together a truly unified world… After two-hundred years passed, constantly terraforming Mars, humans showed promise in sustaining life on its surface; successfully replenishing a thin ozone. But the trip there, was still a great distance to travel. Two centuries of trying to establish life on another planet, humans prodigally syphoned their planet’s most vital materials into transportation and terraformation. The peace and halcyon that reined for generations, slowly eroded, while Earth’s final symphony was composed of death and decay. Knowing the inescapable truth, Earth’s surface would be inhabitable within the next three to five decades, humanity formed an intergovernmental organization among the remaining twelve nations. One, with deadly laws. Ensuring no one would interfere with the Twelfth Order’s crucial task. In their last attempts for survival, humanity reached to the heavens for salvation. Upon their completion, the last of the starships launched, bound for the newly plentiful Mars; and with them, the future of humanity…

Chapter One: Life on Mars

Approximately four millennia, two thousand cycles since True Earth lost contact …

Rolling fields of coruscating tallgrass, peacefully blanketed an endless terrain. Each blade of grass radiated with a rich, bright green and florescent pink tint. A subtle breeze gently sailed across the resplendent landscape. Unable to truly see the wind, the iridescent canvas of swaying tallgrass shows that it is there, filling the warm air with a lite scent of lilac. The crimson setting sun, constantly spraying down its evanescent rays, slowly fell over the distant, dichromatic dancing horizon. With every sweeping, osculating motion, the bevy of majestic blades, flickered and shimmered like multiple golden dancing flames.

Disrupting the tranquility of the peaceful fields’ ambiance. Rumbling sounds echoed off in the distance. Roaring! Louder and louder as something monstrous drew closer. From afar, it appeared! Stampeding out a cloud of dust. A Kugakuga! A bus-sized reptilian coated with jagged, blood-red scales, and having the tail of a crocodile. Directed by its maroon, turtle shaped head and crimson beak. A two-ton beast, slithering at a fast pace on four, stubby, bowed-out legs. Over the soft horizon, came the reason the gigantic creature was running. Man. A dozen on horse-back, and in short pursuit. The ground violently trembled as the ginormous Kugakuga, continued its rampage through the field of coruscating tallgrass. Leaving an immense cloud of destruction in its wake. Charging towards a large, candy-apple-red canyon ahead.

The Forlorn Canyon is a sad and gloomy canyon, abandoned and barren; an extensive erosion, carved out by the broken side of a monstrous dome-shaped mountain. Accumulating into what looked as an overly stuffed cherry pie, with a slice cut out. The edges of the missing mountainside, dripping down and spreading south, melded into the Forlorn Canyon’s serrated cliffs; and finally, melting off into a berry-blue ocean afar.

The intrepid equestrians, gaining on the beast, swiftly and carefully redirected it, herding the creature into a labyrinth of ravines within the Forlorn Canyon. Small, narrow paths made it difficult for the beast to maneuver, but it showed no signs of stopping. The monstrous creature rampaged down the rocky ravine, scraping and scoring the rocky red crags. Boulders gave way, falling from atop the jagged walls. While the daring riders, remained on the gigantic beast’s heels; intertwingling back and forth through ranks, dodging heavy chunks of wall debris. Shouting high pitched ‘yips’, to keep the beast timid and on the right path. Until! The lead horseman sounded a metallic bronze shofar. Just moments later! A mysteriously eerie hum responded, radiating down the narrow ravine. Emanating from the broken side of the massive, dome-shaped mountain ahead. The Beast, suddenly, came to a halt. But its short, stubby legs kicked as fast as they could, barely treading the dusty ground. Helpless to move, the Kugakuga began to steadily lift, high up into the air. Stricken with fear, the creature hissed loudly, and its yellow eyes continuously shifted around, stunned by its own immobility.

At that time. An older man within the pack of hunters, slowly dismounted his towering pinto, waddling off his saddle. Then, with unnatural agility, he expeditiously scampered through the debris, uneven terrain like a rodent. Once the elderly man reached the tussling creature, he drew an unkempt bag from around his shoulder, carefully pulling out a small, palm-sized widget. Tiny, sharp teeth along the device’s edges, sprang out; and the Wiseman attached it to the beast’s scaly belly. A dim green display magically appeared on the devise, monitoring the heart rate of the beast.

Being cautious of the scaly, ferocious swinging legs, the Wiseman peeked out from under the reptile. He swiftly used hand gestures, communicating with his chieftain, yards down the decimated ravine. A broad, middle-aged man, charismatically sitting upon his lofty Friesian horse, simply shook his head. His grisly beard strangulated his ebony cheeks with a curly cacophonic entanglement of hair and decorated beads. The Chieftain swiftly raised his gleaming bronze shofar, pointing it towards the clear azure sky, and with a mighty exhale, blew.

Once again, a deep and eerie hum responded. Originating from the broken side of the gigantic, dome-shaped mountain. Reverberating down the narrow, rocky ravine. Only, this time, pulsing. Matching the constant beat of the direful beast's heart.

Hummm… Hummm… Hummm…

As the loud pulses began to slow, so did that of the beast’s heart.

Hummmmm…… Hummmmm……

The deep, heavy hum reverberated down the narrow ravine one final time; and the beast’s heart, came to a halt. Its catlike eyes stared off into oblivion as the life left its body.

While all seemed well, and the hunting party started to harvest the Kugakuga. The lifeless beast, weightlessly floating in midair, suddenly fell to the ground. Followed by abrupt rumbling, rolling down the narrow ravine, startling the hunters with the unexpected chain of events. That is when they saw it! A billowing cloud of dust, rushing towards them like a cinnamon-colored tsunami; engulfing the entire hunting party…

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After a Day’s Passing…

More than a quarter way around the monstrous, dome-shaped mountain from where the Forlorn Canyon lay. A quaint and tiny village, named Rihkon, peacefully rested, embedded into the northwesterly base of the gentle mountainside. Various egg-shaped hovels spotted the hillside, littered with green and pink patches of flourishing vegetation between each humble home. The dominant, westerly gate held the stables where they trained their trusting steeds. Sitting right next to a ringed path for the village’s square, a place to celebrate all their heroic hunters and triumphs. Sitting just a few ways up the gentle mountainside, rested a quaint and cozy abode. It peacefully reposed, decorated by erratic patches of iridescent shortgrass and blush-red fruit trees, which were ripe with berry-blue fruit. The reverberating sound of metal, colliding against metal, could be heard from within one of the hovel’s round attachments.

Ding! Leaden sent from the burning coals, furnished the tiny room’s stifling air with thick odors of soot. Fizz! As a red-hot widget, fell into a wooden bucket filled with liquid. Followed by a bellow, pumping, faster and faster. Heating the amber colored timbers and embers, sitting within a small, circular forge at the center of the smithing saloon. Followed by metal, ringing heavily once again.

Ding! … Ding! A stout, ash covered, middle aged man with a scruffy beard and short, rust colored hair pounded on some widgets and trinkets. Voices of a woman could be heard yelling at him between each, vigorous blow.

He's not old enough yet!

Ding! The hammer impacted the metal widget, ringing heavily as the middle-aged man continuously worked. Without losing a beat, nor his concentration; confidently replying.

He is on his sixteenth cycle sweetheart… It was not long, after our sixteenth cycle, that we’d gotten amalgamated, Suzanna. … Ding! … Zachary will not be a boy forever. You must let him go at some point… Besides. Nothing hardly ever goes wrong on a hunt during Dauntay’s watch.

Staring down the ash covered man as he reluctantly hammered away. Suzanna took a moment to dwell on his words, before she dubiously responded, saying.

I know. But he will always be my baby.

Suzanna’s lavender-pink eyes, vibrantly peered through her silky, strawberry blonde hair as it cascaded down, tracing the edges of her glowing peach face… Both continued to argue further on the subject; in the tiny, round workshop. Until! Beyond the fortified walls, thundering in the distance, the sonorous bellowing of a