Adventures of Erdalto the Magnificent: Under the Streaky Sun, #1

By Vik Larko

Events take place in parallel reality. In this world, there are no people, dragons, elves, trolls, orcs. There is no magic.

The main character, Erdalto, by coincidence, ends up on an unknown planet, where he meets a new world.

In this world, every creature possesses some kind of paranormal abilities.

He meets the Krem race , the Chiton-bearers tribe. Gattiha and a Shell Nose haunt him. He encounters a member of the Vouk tribe.

Erdalto must survive to return to his home planet. To do this, he must learn to have paranormal powers. He needs to improve his brain and body. Having passed through blood, sweat, self-doubt, he learns, gets to know the world.

This is the first book from the series "Under the Streaky Sun". The first series contains three books.

The second book is expected soon.

A little later, the third.

There are 69 colour pictures in this book.

The cover and pictures were drawn by a young artist WikyWolfFox.

Tags-

Fiction

Adventures,

Action adventure

Survival,

Another (other) reality,

Author's world,

 Autor`s races,

 Hero development,

Esoterics,

Esoteric practices,

Young adults

Sciens Fiction

Time Travel

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vik Larko
• Release date: Apr 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393976998

Book preview

The star was young, and even by the standards of the stars: a baby, but already had four planets under its responsibility, one of which, the farthest, was even inhabited by life, both sentient and non - sentient species.

The star, like any kid, was interested in everything that surrounded her, but what was happening on a populated planet attracted special attention. And now she was watching with interest how several dozen of beings skillfully and habitually drove their prey into a  prepared trap.

The persecuted did not give up, deftly avoided the predators while the pursuit was taking place in the forest, but he was forced to run out of the thicket and found himself on a rocky plateau, visible from all sides to both the pursuers and the star, the local sun.

Now it became distinctly clear that this being one was very tired, he often stumbled, after falls he often went on running from two limbs to all four, he rocked from side to side, but he stubbornly fled from the pursuers. His willpower could be envied, his endurance and speed of reaction to the action of enemies aroused respect, but it was already clear to the star that this sentient species was doomed. She was about to find another object for observation, when she suddenly noticed that the person being pursued had reached the lonely, unusually symmetrical shape, the cliffs, turned his back to her, shouted something with fury and... disappeared.

The star, as well as the predators that appeared, looked in bewilderment for some time at the place where the sentient  had disappeared, but nothing happened.

As the star was very young, she quickly bored with waiting and she found another object for observation, her pursuers were not going to give up so easily and circled around the rocks for a long time, trying to find out where their target disappeared. But after some time they left.

1.

I was still depressed. He asked questions to which he could not find an answer. But everything comes to an end. It is all over. The rescue capsule met hard with the surface of the planet, bounced several times, hitting the bottom, and finally stopped, with its nose buried in a low hill.

The right wing of my savior, having rolled up the hill, jerked the capsule sharply to the right, almost smearing me on the chair, and the compensators had coped with overloading. I felt that she was shaking, she could not get in balance. At some point, the capsule banked a little more than usual, knocked on something and stopped. For some time I heard a strange noise outside, but it calmed down a little and, finally, there was silence. Well, here is the end of the flight, and the beginning of something new and unknown. And this new did not please me at all.

I did not want to move, I did not want to open the hatch and go out into a new world, which frightened me with its unknownness. The last events that happened on the ship before I left it mixed up in a mess and everything that I could remember clearly, as these are the last words of my father:

Son, save yourself, if I survive, I will find you!

After his words, the hatch of the rescue capsule automatically closed and I was thrown into outer space. From a short - term overload associated with a sharp dispersal of the rescue capsule and the shock of what happened, I lost consciousness. When I came to my senses, all the rescue capsule systems worked in normal mode and we continued to fly to an unknown destination.

I decided to turn to the system computer and found out that I was quite a long unconscious, but we flew off the ship decently, and with great speed we rushed to the nearest planet.

To the nearest planet... what does that mean?

It turned out that on nearest planet where natural conditions do not harm my body. In general, it’s better to relax and just wait for the end of the journey.

During the flight I fell asleep several times and woke up. I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want anything. There was fear inside. Fear that I do not know what lies ahead. Fear of not knowing what happened on the ship? I was worried about my father, realizing that something really out of the ordinary happened on the ship. Did the crew riot? No, on the father’s ship everyone was reliable and loyal. Time - tested! Attack on a ship? Perhaps the most logical answer! And if you also know the purpose of our flight, then just an attack! And the first thing my father did was to save me.

And how did it turn out well? The last weeks of the flight I spent all my time in a rescue capsule. I studied it. Did it save me? Where am I going, to which unknown place have they sent me? To be concise, have I already arrived? It would be better to know where?

And here I am. The dust cloud caused by such a hard landing finally dissipated, the energy shields protecting the viewing screens vanished and now I can see where I got. I looked around. Landed in a glade! Not far, in front of me there's a forest. Both on the right and on the left! Probably swarming with different species! Judging at the first glance, the atmosphere looks calm. I bend to the screen and say:

Data about this planet!

The dashboard buzzed a little and responded:

Planet is livable. Oxygen is within normal parameters. Toxic gases, the concentration is minimum. Radiation is within normal parameters

Well, at least I was lucky, the first good news since the emergency launch from the father’s ship.

I do not understand, is this planet suitable for life? Is that all? I muttered.

In my database only this information, it seemed to me that the computer said this phrase with insult.

This is where I got it?

In which part of the galaxy?

Or the universe

Where I am?

I said the last question aloud and they answered me:

On a planet fit for life.

Seriously! It turns out that there is no data on the planet? And is it entered in the database in case you need to land for some need, like mine?

I've got to go out! But I didn’t want to! On the ship, the first time a junior technician was with me, quite a bit older than me, about 5 - 6 years old, no more, as if introducing himself to the ship and showing everything. But then I know myself, I’ll certainly climb in where I can’t and that I can’t twist. To avoid twisting something important, they gave me a guide. As of now, I miss this: for an adult to stand behind me or next to me. I would feel much more confident!

In order to delay the exit moment, but as if having already started exploring the planet, I slightly opened the hatch on the right side, closest to my chair. New and unknown smells hit me. I smelled a bit of damp sand mixed with earth, the wind brought me the smells of the forest: new, fresh, unusual. He took a deep breath and confidently opened another hatch located on the other side of the rescue capsule.

And literally choked in smells, enjoying the cleanest air, and could not stop. Breathing in the aromas of a new planet for himself and relaxing a bit, he completely opened the hatch and finally crawled out.

It was warm and a little wet. A forest surrounded me on three sides. He stood a tall, dense wall. A dense shrub grew in the lower tier. There was no forest behind me. I went in that direction.

Just a few steps, then the land broke off, a river flowed below. Not wide but with a fast flow. A slight deviation from the landing trajectory of the rescue capsule, and we would fall into the river. Of course, there was nothing wrong with that. But, getting out into the water, then trying to stretch the capsule, I would not be able to. Or, even worse, the capsule would sink to the bottom itself, then the end would come to me.

Everything that is stored in the capsule, I would not have pulled out, that is, initially I found myself in more difficult conditions. So I was very lucky! A forest approached the opposite bank of the river, interspersed with large stones.

And we landed on a small fire - place, a hill that towered above the river. The height was decent and I thought that I would not want to fall from such a shore. Well, I got acquainted with the external environment and went back to the capsule, climbed inside, but did not sit down. First turned on the long - range beacon! It is designed for years of work, and only the complete destruction of the capsule can turn it off. And I really hoped that they would find me at this lighthouse.

Capsules in general was a reliable place to wait for help, equipped with everything necessary for a relatively comfortable stay, a river with clean water flowed nearby, food was stockpiled in advance (I knew it! And tell me that it was an accident). And, if I didn’t gobble up, I could autonomously exist for three hundred days, four hundred or even more. There is enough time for my search and rescue, but I hope that my father will find me much earlier.

So, I scrolled through the thoughts in my head, and between these thoughts absolutely bad thoughts slipped. Fear! Fear! Uncertainty! I was even afraid to ask myself the main question:

And if they don’t find me?

Or:

And if there is nobody to look for me?

The second question was the most dangerous. And, although I did not voice these defeatist thoughts out loud, they still revolved in the language.

I remembered my grandfather, he always spoke and gave examples from his long life or from the life of his friends to confirm these words:

Always believe in the best, and it will certainly find you!

Grandfather's words were life - affirming and let me go a little.

I adjusted the scabbard on my right forearm. To the surprise of my parents and all my relatives, I was ordered to be left - handed. Left - handed people are extremely rare in my race. And yet, because of my age, I was not supposed to have a weapon, but before leaving, my father gave me a knife of our kind. He was very old, even ancient, a kind of relic and not at all practical. The knife had the shape of a pointed trihedral peak.

Everyone has already forgotten about its purpose, it was too ancient, but according to the established tradition they continued to pass from generation to generation to the heir to the clan. You can’t imagine how pleased I was with such a gift! The first real weapon, in thirteen bodies, so what, what is ancient, but how firmly and comfortably lies in the palm of your hand!

But now I’m not enthusiastic and joyful. The only task in the near future is to survive. I do not need to perform any feats. Just survive and wait for the rescue team.

And I am savvy in this matter.

How many books have I read about survival?!

What difficult situations did the main characters of these stories fall into?!

My favorite hero was Sepulco the Bronze - Faced! And how proud I am that we are of the same race! How I was worried when he was thrown to an uninhabited bay: without any weapon, even without a knife, almost naked. And he lived there for almost five years. Five years!

One, on a piece of land, the size of a rescue boat! He was even able to strengthen the island so that the waves of the ocean did not roll through it. He was able to catch several large mammals, whose meat withered, and the skins went to the construction of a dwelling. He collected drinking water during rains. And he did all this practically with his bare hands. And he survived!

I practically went to heaven. Near the river, then I will not die of thirst. There is a rescue capsule, it is also a residential building, reliable and adapted for survival. I have food and, most importantly: I have weapons. My weapons arsenal included: a sheath, a father’s present and a light machete just under my arm, which, like the food in briquettes, was hidden away ahead of time by me in a rescue capsule. That's how I felt it came in handy.

Yes, I have innumerable riches, survival will pass like clockwork!

I reassured myself and, it seems, I did it. In addition, there was a gift from my mother. A modest bracelet encircled his left wrist. Its functionality included a lighthouse, a scanning device and a fire source: a laser beam of such a strength that it could even set fire to metal. Ha! I hope that I do not have to melt metal things. But to light a bonfire from the branches, that’s it. In addition, in the rear compartment of the capsule, under the seats, the necessary things were stored for an emergency. So, this is not even survival, to be honest. It’s a small picnic at the weekend. I completely calmed down, even smiled.

Having breathed in plenty, I covered both hatches by two thirds, leaving a little so that the air circulated through the capsule and decided to audit everything that I have and decide what I would need in the first place, what in the second and what I would not need at all, as suddenly I heard an incomprehensible rustle, different from the noise that already became a familiar background from the leaves rustling in the wind of the nearest trees, barely audible, on the verge of perception.

I listened. Quiet. I guess it turned out to me. While my brains were deciding whether or not to pay attention to the noise, my instincts simply went wild! They literally screamed, danger, save yourself! I began to lean over the dashboard and saw a gattiha by the hatch closest to the forest.

Gattiha! So I'm in the inhabited part of the universe!

Uhhhhhhhhhh, I'm saved!

My forced loneliness ended before it began!

So quickly remember what I know about this race from the Gatt star system. Not that the race was very famous, but still knew something. Due to the overpopulation of their system, they often sent expeditions to search for planets suitable for life. The Ghats lived in isolated communities peacefully and calmly. True, they did not let anyone in, but they did not disturb others either. The main thing is that meeting them is not dangerous. They are peaceful and attack only in defense.

I knew how to communicate with them! Therefore, first of all, I straightened up, pretended to smile, showed my hands free of weapons, then I pressed my right hand to my heart and shouted:

Greetings! Say your name and everyone will go their own way!

Gattiha suddenly growled. Her long tail wriggled on the ground, expressing rage.

I shouted again:

My path does not cross yours. Let's go out in peace.

Gattiha growled louder and took the first step. And only now I noticed that it is much larger than those individuals that I saw earlier.

The sparrow of her forepaws was black, spikes grew on the back, the length of my forearm, green. The long tail was covered with a long, sparse coat of black color with a red tip at the end. The muzzle and tips of the paws were painted red. And this is standing on four paws!

For some reason, I recanted the words of my grandfather:

If you meet someone unfamiliar on your way and don’t know how to behave, then look in the eye. Eyes tell a lot of knowledgeable.

That's exactly what I did. He stared into the eyes of the gattiha. Her bright yellow eyes were squinted and full of hatred and rage.

But I remembered that these creatures are peaceful! Yes, some males become warriors and leave their families. But this race has never attacked the defenseless. However, all the behavior of this particular gattiha, and by its modest color it was immediately clear that this was a female, indicated that the world did not smell here!

I froze in revenge, I was constrained by fear, my brain was torn from tension, trying to find an explanation for such atypical behavior of the huge gattiha.

Meanwhile, this whopper was getting closer and closer to the capsule. She growled. Slowly rearranged paws in my direction. I hoped that she would not be able to open a 2/3 hatch that was covered. But, I was wrong. Gattiha grabbed the manhole cover with her claw and pulled it up. However, she did not stop looking intently into my eyes.

That infection, but she hypnotized me! Leaning slightly, the gattiha slid smoothly into the cockpit of the rescue capsule, still holding my gaze. With difficulty, the bottom I was able to look away from her eyes and I took the first step back, towards another hatch. The animal was so surprised at my ability to move that it itself froze in place, some three steps away from me. I did not wait for her to come to her senses, and, making a movement, leaning on the hatch, slammed it outside. Gattiha did not expect such agility from me and when she rushed after me, it was outside. Gattiha did not expect such agility from me, and when she rushed after me, she carefully cut her face into the glass of the hatch, yelled from pain and anger. I, as a prey, turned out to be trickier and more agile. Scabies swept inside the capsule, but there was too little space for free movement. I realized this, the gattiha began to back away and finally crawled out of the capsule. She again tried to establish eye contact, and she almost succeeded. Having stopped growling, slowly and smoothly stepping my huge paws on the ground, not taking my eyes off me, a predator, and now I had no doubt that it was so, began to bypass the capsule from the side of the nose.

And then, I realized that the picnic ordered to live a long time and, looking at her light and springy steps, began to back away, rested against the edge of the cliff in the short wing of the capsule and, not avoiding it, crouched, not taking his eyes off it, and backed away already in a bent position.

Finally, the gattiha went around the nose of the rescue capsule, only the protruding left wing of it divided us. Her forepaws were bent, and her hind legs crawled under her stomach. She straightened her incredibly long tensed tail.

And I, all backed away. At that moment I forgot that there is a cliff behind me. Fear fettered all my thoughts. I could not think of anything but to save my life. It seemed to me that creeping stopped, the sounds surrounding me disappeared, the body stretches unthinkably. Already the rear legs took off from the ground. It seemed to me that the animal flies for a very long time. And I step back. But my movements are slowed down, I could not accelerate.

But, apparently, the animal did not calculate something in its jumping. One of her paws, the right hind one, snagged on the wing of the capsule. Just a little bit, just a claw, but her flight broke. She was still trying to reach me with her right front paw. And she succeeded, with the very tip of her claw, he hit the mother’s bracelet on my left hand, which I raised in defense. At this moment, I took my last step on the ground and fell into the void.

I flew down with my back, slowly spreading my limbs. And I saw that the gattiha just as slowly landed in the place where I just stood. I fell into the river, painfully hitting my back against the surface of the water. And, lo and behold, the sound returned, pain came in a bruised back. Water rushed into my open mouth in a cold stream, into the lungs, causing a cough. The course of the river turned me over and carried me.

2.

I managed to emerge soon. The river spun and twirled my carcass as it wanted, preventing it from grouping and starting to move to the surface. I was already gasping for breath, all the more air in my lungs after hitting the water, and so it was a little, and even a panic that I was nearly killed a moment ago. All this prevented us from gathering and starting to act.

But it’s not in the water that the Rungarians die, the right word. He cringed, pressing his limbs to the body, including the tail, then determined where the surface was, where to swim and gave such a jerk that he himself did not expect. He flew out of the water almost to his full height, frantically inhaled the air and immediately saw the gattiha. She ran along the riverbank, jumping from stone to stone, growling, but did not climb into the water. The course of the river carried me forward and carried me farther and farther away from the rescue capsule.

At first I tried to fight the course, but quickly weakened. I tried to swim to the shore, free from the beast pursuing me, but the river flow again and again directed me to the center. The shore opposite from the rescue capsule was dotted with large stones piled in a chaotic mess. Even if I had nailed to this shore, I would have been looking for a way to climb through them for a long time. And to this shore I did not even try to swim closer. All the same, inseparably, relentlessly and stubbornly followed the gattiha! I surrendered to the fast flow of the river and just waited for the denouement of the event.

Suddenly I noticed a dark, shapeless object floating ahead in the stream. At first I could not see it, and therefore with caution I began to slowly approach. Once close, it became clear that this is the trunk of an old, dried tree. Numerous dry branches protruded from it in all directions. I swam to a tree, squeezed through the branches to the trunk and, literally, fell on it. Clinging to the base of the branches, I only now felt how tired I was. Now I could rest, while the current pulls me along the river. So we sailed for a while. I mean, the old driftwood and me.

Gattiha did not stop the persecution. She sometimes hid in the forest when the trees came close to the water, and then reappeared.

Why are you stubborn! Your qualities and grace, would make more sense. You’re probably angry that the sweet booty outwitted you and swims away. Well, get in bed, damn ...

I spoke these words in a loud voice, I did not hear a sound. And all because of the noise! How did I not pay attention to him before? Noisy ahead! I ran into a tree trunk and stood up. Not far from the place where I was, it was no longer a noise but a roar from a river falling from a great height and above the water there was a cloud of tiny drops.

Eternal Stars, waterfall!

I tried to forcefully push the tree away from me. And I couldn’t. My clothes were caught in small swirls under water, and my tail was tangled in the branches of an old tree. I climbed into the water, under the snag. Trying to unhook the tail, tear off clothes from knots and hear that the roar of the waterfall is approaching. I accelerate, the tail is released and, resting my legs on the trunk, I finally push off from this sticky tree and... I am in the air. Literally for a moment I was over a waterfall, and the river with a deafening noise fell down. I screamed and flew down. Having hit my body again, I plunged into the seething water. I was scrolled, hit sideways on the stones and with a new force carried forward. It seems, I'm starting to hate this river...

Beaten up, weakened, stunned, miserable and wet, the river finally took pity and threw me ashore.

The body froze, there was no strength to move. Muscles and bones hurt, the skin torn off was sore. I wanted to die.

I woke up from the fact that my head began to bake. Opening one eye, I found a pebble in front of him, with a pinkish barrel. With an effort, I rolled over and opened my second eye. Above me was the sky, light green. The local Sun was beaming precisely in my eyes. I covered them with my hand and examined the local attraction. I'm about the sun. It was yellow with three horizontal orange stripes. In the center was the thickest and brightest strip, its edges did not reach the lateral borders of the sun. The lines above and below were thinner.

Striped sun!

Where did I get to?

I lay, not moving, just surrendering to silence and peace. There was something unusual and unnatural in this calm. But what exactly!? Mentally, I began to sort out the sounds around me. Quiet splash of water! The faint noise of swaying tree crowns. The wind walks among them and sings his song. Is that all? And that’s it. Not. There is no twittering of birds, their singing.