Anaya Awakens (Fragments of the Gods Book 1) by JCR Paulino

Author:JCR Paulino [Paulino, JCR]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JCR Paulino Books
Published: 2024-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

Danny had never seen so many stars in the night sky or so deeply felt the thick stillness that hung in the air. It had settled into his bones; it was a stillness that seemed to emanate from the sleeping virgin forest. Although the majestic beauty of the starry sky filled him with awe, the deep, pervasive sense of silence impressed him the most. At first, the dense quiet felt loud in his ears, but then it eased into him and deepened something inside, stretching him inward into an endless chasm. The thick silence was only punctuated by the cracking fire at Danny’s back and the occasional shriek of an owl.

Danny and the rest of the ranger party had climbed midway up the rocky hill before the sun went down, choosing to set up camp on a sizeable ledge featuring only two access points. They’d tethered their horses at the far right of the camp and built a fire in the center, near the face of the hill. As Danny gazed at their camp, he knew Randal had been right to insist on stopping here—the ledge was an imminently defensible position. They’d be able to see any potential assailants before they even reached the base of the hill, and from their perch, Danny could keep two dozen attackers at bay solely with his arrows.

Sandor had looked exhausted after dinner, and Captain Randal had asked Danny to take the first watch while the others got some sleep. The young ranger was happy to comply. He felt like a full-fledged member of the group, someone they could rely on. Although if they were lucky and the night unfolded without incident, the party would gallop full speed ahead before daybreak, their horses leaving any would-be pursuers in the dust.

Danny sat at the edge of the camp, eyes peeled, looking for any signs of movement down below. All twenty-six of his arrows were tightly packed into the quiver at his side. He heard steps approaching behind him.

“You don’t get to see the full splendor of the Milky Way on a clear night like this in Newisbel,” the captain said. Randal appeared a moment later in Danny’s peripheral vision and sat down next to him with a smile on his face. With a smile!

Danny kept looking at the captain sidelong. How could the man smile and appear so calm when hostile rebels were probably already surrounding them? “This type of situation—is it something that happens often? You seem . . . accustomed to this.”

Randal shook his head. “Not at all. Our line of work has many dangers, yes—I’ve been in my fair share of fights—but most missions unfold without any violent confrontations with the locals.” He gazed at Danny somberly. “We were dealt a bad hand, son, having to cross directly into Kasmana. But one thing you learn early on as a ranger is that you always have to keep a cool head. If you’re overwhelmed with fear or anger, you’ll miss important details and make bad decisions.

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