Caves of Shura: Legends of Mytherios

By James Keith

The world as we know it is locked in the jaws of peril as an enormous serpent descends on New York, terrorizing the city and consuming anything in its path. Torn from their video games by the mayhem outside, college students Gary and Chris can't believe their eyes as the beast slithers by. 

 

Yet it's what happens next that stuns them to the core. 

 

A seemingly normal teenage girl steps into battle with the murderous beast. Little do they know, Josie is not what she appears. Armed with unimaginable abilities, she will take on this scaly creature and any others who dare challenge her on her quest to rescue her brother. 

 

However, the beasts before her are mere puppets for a far more sinister force. The dark lord possesses limitless powers, and he's using them all to target Josie. Can she defeat the malicious lord and free her brother? Or will she become yet another pawn in his twisted games?

 

Caves of Shura is the fourth installment in the Legends of Mytherios series. Stay tuned for book five, Power of the Pixies.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Keith
• Release date: Dec 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201656904

Book preview

Prologue

Down in the west end of Mytherios, beyond the gulf that extended deep into the ravine where even the boldest of men now fear to trend, the Shura cave gapes with an open mouth. At first it was just rumor, tales told by adventure seekers enjoying a jaunt around the ravine. They spoke of a giant snake nestling among the flora around the cave. It was so long and fat the first people to see it couldn’t decide whether it was really a snake or something else.

On sunny days, it slithered out of the cold cave to enjoy the warmth of the sun. It was on such a day that they found it slithering around the wilds. They couldn’t guess where it began and where it ended, but there was a certain enchanting glory to the giant slithering serpent among the trees and the shrubs of Shura; its body rising and falling with a certain elegance as it breathed gently. Death breathes gently before the pangs of hunger causes it to raise its fangs.

When the story spread through Mytherios, several hunting parties set out to capture or kill the giant reptile. The first party to head out in search of the giant serpent never returned. The party that went in search of the lost party didn’t return either. It was as if everything and everyone that went into the vicinity of Shura were swallowed up by the gaping mouth of the cave and the waiting jowls of the giant snake. For the thousands of years that followed, men would continue to hunt the giant snake of Shura. Hunters will become hunted, their bones left to form a cozy bed for the giant reptile.

Its name is Kobri. It is one hundred feet long with a venom deadly enough to kill anything dumb enough to wander into its path. For several years it dwelt unchecked amongst the cave, swallowing whatever fell into its path. The bones of its victims formed the throne on which it sits in regal comfort.

When Lord Dromos took over Mytherios, he never sought to destroy the giant snake. Instead, he sought to create the perfect monster and the perfect fear machine. Like a master who understands the usefulness of the resources around him, Dromos brought Kobri under his authority, and through the years he had continued to feed his prisoners to the beast. Everyone who goes against the master of the underworld, everyone he aims to terminate through the length and breadth of Mytherios, becomes Kobri’s meal. This has been the norm for several years, such that the vicinity of Shura and the depths of the cave is filled with the bones of men who have lost their lives to the beast.

The people remember to keep their feet away from Shura, for who would walk with their feet to a death that is waiting? Except when Dromos drags one by the scruff of the ear. Shura has become the grave for many; a cave of death filled with vengeful venom of Kobri, the slithering giant of the caves.

1

Andy was rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed directly on the giant snake. Its slit eyes stared straight back at him and he could virtually tell what the monster was thinking at the time. It was the same thoughts all predators have at the sight of their prey. He was frozen in place, his eyes imagining death at the hands of such a terrible monster. Death wasn’t supposed to come now; he had to get back home. Besides, hope had returned to him over the past few days. His powers had all returned, and for reasons he couldn’t quite remember, he had developed a new power. He was dying to see what he could do with what the fathers of the universe had handed to him.

He had seen snakes before whilst walking through the woods with Josie on lonely nights. He had encountered the slithering beasts with tongues lolling out of their mouths. They were slender, their tails tapering out behind them on the trees on which they hung so tightly with hands invisible to the eyes. Josie had asked him about it then; how did they manage to climb without limbs? He didn’t know, and tonight as he watched the giant monster, he wished Josie were here by his side. They had always made a great team and he would have loved to have her strength and his face set on attack mode most of the time.

All the thoughts running through his mind were on a fast-tracked loop. His eyes never left the menacing reptile because there is only one rule when you face a menacing enemy; never take your eyes off them, not even for a second. So, he watched with keen eyes, noticing the bared fangs of the reptile, the neck muscles pulled taut as it raised its neck in that attack stance that would have it lunging towards its enemy in a split second. But the bones did it for Andy. They told their stories in harrowing detail, stories of all the pain felt by those who had breathed their last before him. All of the tears and the pleas that had gone unheard by the demon were written large on the blood spatter that had dried off on the wall

The snake struck fast, its neck flying out like a projectile towards Andy. Its aim was true. Its fangs were aimed straight for Andy’s open neck, but Andy was faster. He had seen the move even before the snake was ready to make it. He was quick to jump back, firing bursts of blue energy at the serpent. His right arm was stretched out, the blue energy shooting out brightly at the monster. Andy hadn’t calculated the snake’s possible agility. Human fat and the bodies it had swallowed over the years made Andy underrate it. As the burst of blue energy flew out of Andy’s arm accompanied by his battle cry, the snake drew itself out of the path of danger, dodging quickly, slithering out of the way.

When Andy heard what sounded like a chuckle coming from the snake, he was shocked. He paused his shots, listening to hear where that deep chuckle had come from. He didn’t want to believe the sound he had heard had come from the reptile.

It isn’t just going to be you, every mortal that passes these parts will end up the same way as the others. No one leaves to tell the tales of Kobri!

Andy was stunned, that this giant serpent could talk. The impunity infuriated Andy even more. His initial surprise turned to anger very quickly. He turned around with fire in his eyes. His anger climbing quickly into the red zone as he stretched out both arms, shooting out the newest power bestowed upon him. It shot out a long line of lightning, crackling as it went. It was bound to do so much damage to whatever it came into contact with, but the giant