Sunstar

By Francisco Rondon

F R A N C I S C O R O N D O N lives in upstate New York. He has three daughters. Born in Puerto
Rico he came to the United States at a young age and has lived
here since. His inspiration for writing comes from his daughters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483653716

Francisco Rondon

Born August 1950 in Santurce, Puerto Rico came to US at age 5 lived in the New York. Was a security guard, chauffeur, administrative assistant. and now a driving instructor. Finished one year of college. Married with three grown up daughters. My daughters were my inspiration for writing.

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Copyright © 2013 by Francisco Rondon.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4836-5370-9

                Ebook         978-1-4836-5371-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 07/02/2013

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Princess Raena Sunstar fled her pursuers, running through the vast forest as fast as her feet could take her, long black hair flowing behind her with the wind. As her lightly tanned face felt the cool rush of air, her dark brown eyes were wide open and looking straight ahead. She had been running for one hour and still the sounds of pursuit dodged her movements. Small animals and birds scattered before her.

The sounds of pursuit were getting closer. Raena was following a dirt path she knew very well. It would eventually lead her to The Rim.

She noticed the bushes moving up ahead and to the left, something big was moving on to the path before her. A huge black bear, eight feet tall and weighing over two thousand pounds blocked her path. Raena slowly approached the animal.

Great Bear, I will miss you too, farewell.

She touched her forehead to the bear’s moist muzzle, then walked around the bear and started to run again. Twenty feet away she stopped and looked back. The huge bear stood where she had left it and was growling down the road she had come. She knew that the king’s guards would soon be here. Quickly she returned to the bear. Making a fist she touched her chest and raising her arm opened her hand in front of the huge beast.

My heart in my hand I give to you.

Great Bear growled softly, giving her a quizzical look.

"If you could speak my friend you would answer, your heart in my hand I take with me."

Again her forehead touched the creature. She looked directly into the animal’s eyes.

Great Bear, home, go home! She pointed down the road.

Friends, Friends.

The bear nudged Raena, almost knocking her down and making one last growl down the road ambled toward the bushes. Raena continued her flight. She had known Great Bear all her life, had napped with the bear in her cave when they were both young. On the big bear’s back they had swum in rapids, had climbed mountains and explored the vast land, learning the way of the land and of each other. If she could count one friend on the watery world of Cheyenne it would be Great Bear.

Humans and animals doing things together were not uncommon on Cheyenne. The animals and humans held no fear of each other. And there was no need for that fear. There was no hunting and there were no predators on the ten percent of the planet that was land. The animals that were predators on other planets had throughout the centuries changed on the planet Cheyenne.

When the early settlers landed on the planet centuries ago, they discovered something that only existed on their new home planet. It was later to be known as the lifeblood plant. Its taste and texture was like the tastiest of meats. It was one of the few natural resources that helped support the economy of the planet through interplanetary export. On other planets it was served in food establishments as chey. There was a tremendous natural supply of lifeblood plants on the planet. This plant provided animals and humans with the necessary protein and vitamins that on other planets would come from meat, allowing a unique harmony to exist between them.

In moments Raena broke from the forest and ran into a bright green meadow that was part of a natural ledge overlooking an inlet bay one thousand feet below. She had reached The Rim. The forest surrounded The Rim on three sides. The green grass formed a soft bright blanket on the huge field.

The Rim was a peaceful meadow used by the old of her village to sit, relax and contemplate on times gone by, at times for young lovers to hold hands and share of dreams to come. Today, for Princess Raena Sunstar it would be a place of battle.

At the edge of the forest, Raena stopped and looked back into the deep brush. She closed her eyes, when she opened them again her eyes were no longer light brown. They had turned a dark blue. The trees, leaves, branches and rocks of the forest she had just left faded. Using her second vision she could see the forest outline and more; with the madness upon her she saw what she called the spirit signatures of those pursuing her. She counted twenty-five.

"Must be the Grand Chief’s elite guards," thought Raena.

She turned back to The Rim and walked to the edge. In the distance, past the churning water crashing against the huge cliff face below, were the White Cliffs. On both sides of the entrance to the inlet bay the two huge rocks stood tall and proud. Like two giant open hands they seemed to be commanding Raena to stop, proceed no further, return to her village and accept her position as the daughter of a former Grand Chief.

The thought of her village and its people brought a tear to Raena’s eye. By fleeing the village, she was leaving behind her home, her family and her friends, some that even now would confront her. She wiped away the tear as she heard the sounds of heavy feet leave the forest behind her. Walking back to confront her pursuers, she stopped in the middle of the peaceful meadow. Hunter and hunted finally met.

Raena addressed the captain of the Grand Chief’s elite guard.

Hail, Talon Earthgrower, how are you and your family doing?

The young man addressed ignored the question.

By order of the Grand Chief of Cheyenne, you, Princess Raena Sunstar, are to appear before him immediately.

Sunstar smiled, you should have brought more men, Talon.

One of the guards charged Sunstar, the captain yelled, Halt!

It was too late for the zealous guard to stop. He had begun his attack, the rest of the guards, except the captain moved in on Sunstar.

Sunstar’s eyes went again dark blue. She easily evaded the guard’s attack and with a swift thrust of her right foot broke the man’s right leg. Not stopping she whirled, punched two other guards and kicked three more. She knew she had to incapacitate the guards if she were to maintain her freedom.

Six of the elite guards went down. Her speed was too much for the guards and her strength quadrupled theirs, every blow she landed took a guard down.

Even though the heavy gravity of the planet Cheyenne and the vigorous training of the elite guards made them far superior to any villagers on or off the planet, when the madness, as it had come to be known, fell upon Sunstar, the guard’s powers paled by comparison. Four more guards fell before another minute passed.

Again Talon Earthgrower yelled, Halt!

The remaining guards fell back. The strongest and fastest of the Grand Chief’s elite guards engaged Sunstar.

Sunstar knew, as she evaded a powerful punch and kick from the captain that this was not a fight she could win. If she incapacitated their captain, the other guards, injured or not, would renew their attack, increasing the chances of them becoming seriously injured. She parried, sidestepped and avoided the attacks from the captain, launching none of her own as she contemplated her next move.

Suddenly, a new voice was heard in the meadow.

Stop! the command came from the son of the Grand Chief, Prince Krillian Battlestorm. He had just now reached the meadow. He inserted himself between the combatants. The Prince turned toward the captain, visibly angered.

My orders were not to engage the princess!

Talon Earthgrower bowed his head and said nothing.

Move away from her, commanded the Prince.

The captain and the guards moved back toward the forest and waited twenty feet away from the Prince.

Battlestorm looked at Sunstar.

I’m sorry Raena, I did not wish for this to happen, his head was slightly bowed and he spoke softly. Tall and broad, with black hair and dark eyes, the prince’s demeanor seemed to be asking Raena for forgiveness.

It’s alright, and how are you today Krill?

As you can guess, I am in a quandary. I cannot be certain that you are doing the right thing Raena. Sunstar’s eyes became their natural light brown again.

Excuse me my Lord, the captain’s voice could be heard from behind them. Battlestorm walked back to the captain.

My Lord, Earthgrower whispered, if you can continue talking with the princess, my men can slowly get into position and perhaps subdue her before the madness interferes.

The Prince gave a shocked look at the captain.

Captain, you and your men will do nothing, do you understand?

But, the Grand Chief’s orders my prince?

The Grand Chief is not here captain, I am! Take your men back to the village and await my return.

Talon Earthgrower bowed and motioned to his men. They gathered their wounded and disappeared into the forest.

Prince Krillian Battlestorm again faced Raena.

He looked around the meadow. He and Raena had come here many times, holding each other and talking for many hours. Here they dreamed of their future… . and of children. Prince Battlestorm raised both his