The Planet Without A Sun (Sinesol Universe) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  What's Next?

  The Planet Without A Sun

  Part of the Sinesol Universe

  By Jeremy Collier

  Copyright © 2015 by Jeremy Collier.

  All rights reserved.

  First and foremost I dedicate this and all of my writing to my father, who passed away last year. Even in passing you are an amazing inspiration to me and I don’t know if I could have accomplished what I have without your guiding hands.

  Secondly, this book is dedicated to a student I worked with two years ago, who inspired the main character, Anadilcia.

  Chapter 1

  Some days I’m not even sure it’s worth wanderin’ through the dust ridden Wilds. I ain’t ever gonna find peace. Heck, half the time I can’t even find a soft place to lay my head at night.

  “Bah, can’t think that way. I got plenty to live for.”

  It seems like the sun is hanging lower than ever these days, real depressin. Makes me wonder what coulda happened back then, back when the sun lit the skies up and no one worried about a thing. Now I look up an see nothin but a broken piece of land, hangin low in the sky. I hear stories of a time when no one went sick, or starved, or were caught out in a windstorm that swept them far away from home, but I don’t know if I believe em.

  Others say that the so-called sundust is the reason we’re still alive, it runs through our bodies, even right through our blood. I don’t know nothin about all that, I’m not one of those crazy scientists who can do all that manipulatin, but sure seems I’d rather have a nice bright day with none of the dust in the air than to live in this forsaken place.

  “Aegion, stop thinkin that way, it’ll only make the walk worse. You just need a good night sleep on a soft bed.”

  Look at me, now I’m talkin to myself. Ain’t no soft bed around here, least not one that I’ll be comfortable finding. The closest city is the great Lutetia, but they want me dead, and would do it too, faster than the sun sets. Nope, that is one place I don’t plan on visiting ever again, least not unless it’s to put a bullet in the head of Malos, whoever that might be.

  Still, last time I came through these parts there was that little town, well more of a borough actually, not much going on there but I might be able to find a hot meal. How long has it been since my last one? Ya would think I’d be used to it after spendin so much time in the Wilds, but there truly is nothin like some home cookin.

  Well look at that, the little borough has grown up a bit! Got their own train station and all! Lookin like it connects to the main city though, so maybe it’s best to avoid it. Not many folks could afford a ride on somethin powered by a machine, even in Lutetia.

  But it may not be up to me, my stomach is rumblin something fierce, gonna need some food and don’t think dried brawn is gonna cut it another day. Least I’ll be able to pick up some more supplies and head out in the morning feelin refreshed.

  Still, if I see even a single guard, soldier, or supporter of Malos, lets hope I can control myself. Not a single one of them deserves to go unpunished for what they did. Heck, for what they continue to do! I have a feeling something bad is coming to the people of Gallia, and it’s gonna be lead by them up on top of that tower. It’s just not natural to be stuck up there, not a single person ever met the ones in charge. Just not right.

  Hmm, looks like I wasn’t far off, that train that just pulled up headin towards the capital is full of rich folk, might be best if I stayed scarce until the sun fell behind the horizon. Probably for the best, anyway, got some catching up to do on my journal, just gotta make sure to keep watch, this close to the city there is bound to be patrols all night along the road. Oh Emma, how I wish you were here with me.

  Dear Emma,

  Another hot day out here, but it looks like I’ll have a nice place to rest my head tonight. Been a long time since I saw another person, let alone ate some hot food, it should be nice. I can’t complain too much, found a nice restin place last night under one of those trees you love so much. Did they really used to be green before the sun went and blew up? That still amazes me beyond everything. Ain’t nothing green these days, at least not naturally.

  I forgot to mention in my last entry that I met a nice young boy a few days ago, or maybe weeks ago now I can never remember, who got his foot stuck in between two rocks on a short cliff. You’da laughed your butt off, Emma, he was sittin there hangin upside down! Said he’d been there for hours, said he felt kinda funny in the head. It’s no wonder, all the blood rushing there, if I hadn’t found him I’m not sure if anyone else would have. Seems once again this type of thing fell into my lap. Hah, no pun intended.

  Ah well, nothin real special going on with me, hope all is well with you, my love.

  -Aegion

  Oh boy, it kills me a little bit inside each time I write to her, knowin she’ll never read it. Then again, it gives me strength knowing that she’s still out there somewhere, hopefully thinkin about me too.

  Sun’s almost down, shouldn’t be long till-- Aww dernit, is that lantern light? A patrol comin up on the road behind, I’m guessin, I’d better get into town before they get much closer.

  Chapter 2

  When Aegion first set foot into the small settlement, he couldn’t believe that the rich people from Lutetia would even be seen here. It was dirty and smelled like week old brawn. Of course this wasn’t a problem for him, he was used to sleeping out among the overgrown forests of dry, thorny trees and bushes that covered most of Gallia known as the Wilds. He had even spent a few years isolated, fearing the curse that he swore he carried around with him.

  He ran into trouble where ever he went, but it wasn’t him that got into it. Some poor kid would get trapped or highwaymen would try to hijack a merchants goods, and he’d be there. At first he thought it was just good luck, but it kept happening, over and over. He couldn’t walk more than a day without finding someone in need of his help. It was then that he realized it wasn’t a blessing that he was always around, it was a curse.

  He was the one causing these people to get trapped in these situations, it was his fault they had such bad luck. Of course he didn’t know how that was possible, but it had proved true time and time again, and he was sure it wouldn’t be long before it happened again.

  After taking a look around town, making sure he has a solid escape plan should anybody recognize him, Aegion went in search of some hot food and possibly even some beoir. The areas around Lutetia made the best, and it was truly the only way to relax a man after wandering the Wilds for days.

  He didn’t have a hard time finding the tavern. While the town itself was pretty much empty, the tavern was packed to the brim with patrons.

  Must be where everyone hangs out at night he thought to himself as he entered.

  Much like outside, the tavern was dirty. The bar and tables were all covered with a thick dust, except where a drink or plate of food had been. He wondered how people didn’t sneeze up a storm in here, but thought it’d probably be best to just find a place to sit.

  As he made his way to the bar, he gained a few glances, but no one seemed to recognize him. The whole room smelled like rotten brawn and urine, a combination he didn’t particularly like, but he also detected a hint of stew, and that was good enough for him.

  The only seat available
was on the far side of the bar, next to a nice looking couple and their son.

  “Excuse me, sir. Is this seat taken?”

  Manners weren’t especially common outside of the big cities, but he found it went a long way when introducing himself to strangers. He’d grown up in a big city and his mother, may she rest in peace, taught him how to act proper, like those of power, even though they had very little to their name.

  “No, it’s all yours,” the man answered, with a nod and smile.

  It was a few minutes before the barkeep found her way over to him and got his order, not that he had much choice. The food on the menu consisted of a stew with brawn or a stew without brawn. He was so tired of the wretched meat he took it without, surprising even himself.

  It was next to disgusting, but it was hot and filled his stomach. The beoir made it go down a bit easier, especially after his first glass was empty and he started on his second.

  He had been so intent on his own meal that he almost didn’t hear the hushed conversation of the couple who had so graciously let him sit down.

  “What are we going to do?” the woman said, more fright in her words than shown on her face.

  “Just calm down. This isn’t the first time we’ve gone through this. We will be fine. He will be fine,” the man answered.

  Aegion could tell that this was no little worry and knew his curse had brought another poor family into his wake.

  “How do you know that? They got so close last night, closer than ever before. It’s only a matter of time before-”

  “Shh, don’t. Not here.” The man lowered his voice even further, “not in front of him.”

  “It’s not fair, he’s just a boy, he deserves a normal life. It’s not his fault-”

  She stopped mid-sentence and looked towards the little boy, who was happily playing with a model airship. The toy was surprisingly accurate, at least from the ones Aegion had seen. It wasn’t common to see such intricate designs on a child's toy.

  Aegion waited another minute to see if they’d continue their conversation, but was met with silence. He figured if he was going to help this couple, he’d have to be the one to talk first.

  “That’s a mighty fine toy you got there,” Aegion said to the boy.

  “Thanks! My daddy made it himself,” he answered with a smile, “he’s a master machinist! Or at least he used to be.”

  Aegion looked up at the boys parents with the largest smile he could. “A master machinist! You don’t come across too many of these outside of the main cities! What brings you here?”

  The man looked at him with suspicious eyes. Friendliness just wasn’t common enough these days, something Aegion wished wasn’t the case.

  Still, the man answered, “Traveling. We’re from Fairlea, I got a new job in the capital.”

  “But, Dad, that’s not-”

  “Be quiet, son. Play with your airship while I talk.”

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “That’s a long way to go for a job, did ya walk the whole way?” Aegion asked, pretending he didn’t notice the child's protest.

  “Mostly. We were able to tag along with a merchant or two for some of the ride, but it’s just been the three of us for the most part. How about you, you don’t look like you’re from around here, either.”

  “Nope. I’m what you’d call a wanderer. Originally from Linmoor myself. Left there some time ago, traveling from place to place. It’s an interesting life, but sometimes I just want to find a nice place to settle down, yanno?”

  “You live in the Wilds?” the boy piped in.

  “Sargon, what did I say? Let the adults talk right now.”

  “I’m sorry, just not used to finding others who live out there.”

  Sargon’s father closed his eyes and shook his head slightly.

  Aegion knew his instincts had been right, this family needed help. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to resist, he wouldn’t be able to. His brain told him to wish the family a good night and walk out of the tavern right now, but the curse…the curse told him he needed to help them, because who else would be there for them? Nobody, and he knew it.

  “Look, I get the feeling yer in a bit of trouble, and I can help. I know you have no reason to trust me, heck I have no reason to trust you, been duped before, but somethin is tellin me it’s the right thing to do.”

  “We’re fine, just a bit tired is all, we need a good night sleep,” the father replied, a smile back on his face.

  “Honey, this man is offering to help. The least we can do is talk to him. If he truly is a wanderer, he might know of somewhere we can go.”

  They looked into each others eyes for what seemed like minutes, both with a firm look on their faces.

  In the end, her husband gave way with a sigh, “Fine, we will talk to him, but you let me decide what happens from here on out.”

  She nodded and they both turned to Aegion.

  When the man spoke once again, it was in a whisper that Aegion almost couldn’t make out.

  “We’re trying to escape Malos. They’re hunting us in full force. We’ve been hiding for almost a year now, but running out of places to go. At first we tried to just leave Lutetia and head to one of the other cities, but word spread quick. They sent out full brigades to find us and we almost got caught not half way there. After that, we stayed in the Wilds outside of a small farm community a few days away from here. We traded service for food and protection, but somehow Malos found us even there. They killed every last man, woman, and child living there to try and find us.

  “Our main concern is Sargon, not ourselves. If we could find a place to hide him from Malos, it doesn’t matter what happens to us.”

  This made Aegion cringe. Malos was a menace, and very few people knew it. It didn’t matter what this family had done, if they are fighting against Malos, even passively, he had to help them at any cost.

  “I can help, got a few ideas rollin around, but we need to find a better place to talk.”

  “We have a room upstairs, should be private enough.”

  Aegion nodded and the four of them headed upstairs.

  * * * * *

  The room was small, but managed to fit two beds, a nightstand with a sundust lamp, and a round table with chairs against the far wall. It was dusty and dirty, but cleaner than the bar below. There was a single window on the back wall above the table, but it looked as if too many patrons had tried to escape because it was nailed mostly shut, leaving a gap of about 2 inches to let in fresh air.

  The young child was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow, curled up with a different toy, this one was a robot. It was sleek and well made, higher quality than he’d seen in all his time wandering across Gallia. Whoever this man was, he was good at his job.

  When they were sure the boy was asleep, they settled into the chairs around the table. It took a few minutes for any of them to speak, the couple staring at him intently, so once again he took it upon himself to start the conversation.

  “How did all of this start?”

  “What do you mean, I told you we were in the wilds when-”

  “No, no. I mean with Malos. How’d y’all get into such a mess?”

  The man quietly contemplated the question. Aegion wondered if the problem in answering was that he wasn’t sure himself or that he didn’t want to reveal too much. He hadn’t asked the mans name, nor had he offered his. He found it was usually better that way.

  “I used to work for them, so did she. Have you ever been to the capital?”

  Aegion shook his head, “Not in a long time.”

  “Well, things are changing there, Malos has started to slowly take control of every aspects of the people living there, what they can eat, wear, or even do in their own time. I don’t know what they’re planning, but from the whispers, it’s been in the works since long before any of us have been alive. I don’t think I should share any more than that.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, leaning back in his chair with h
is arms behind his head, “I’ve been fightin back against Malos since I was young, so I know a thing or two about them myself. Pure evil, if you ask me. It’s not just in Lutetia, either. Linmoor and Fairlea both have their share of problems, and gettin worse by the day.”

  For the first time since coming into the room, the wife spoke, “Our only concern is Sargon. If we can find a place to hide, we could work things out from there.”

  “Hidin is fine and all if yer lookin for a temporary solution, ma’am, but you sound like you need somethin a bit more permanent. I get the feeling there’s more to this than yer lettin on. It’s not just the two of you runnin from Malos, is it? Sargon is the one they want, I’m guessin.”

  The man and his wife looked at each other and then back at him.

  “I can see it in yer eyes, you feel if you could find a safe place for him, and Malos caught you, things wouldn’t be so bad. They wouldn’t get what they want and yer son would be safe, am I hittin it right?”

  “How did you-” the man started to say, but Aegion held his hand up.

  “You see a lot when you’ve been a wanderer as long as I have, and I know the look of a parent when it’s their kid in danger, and I’ve never seen it like I see it in you two. I have to know, how bad would it be if they got their hands on the boy?”

  The man sighed and put his head into his hands, rubbing his temples vigorously.

  “You said it yourself, things are bad in all the major cities, if Sargon was to be caught, this would get…” He fell silent.

  “Much worse,” Aegion interjected, “and I’m guessin yer not just talkin for the people in the walls, either. Am I right?”

  “For all of Gallia and whatever else may be out there past the oceans.”

  Aegion took a second to let that sink in.

  “Well then, things just got interestin, and my plan even a bit more daring than I first imagined.”