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  Leaving Sivadia

  A Sons of Sivadia Prequel

  Mia McKimmy

  NOTE: This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 Mia McKimmey

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Book 2

  About the Author

  There are many ways a home can be destroyed.

  By fire.

  By flood.

  By earthquakes.

  Some are even destroyed by those who live within.

  But Prince Cygan could never return to his home.

  It had been destroyed by monsters.

  Chapter 1

  292 Years Ago

  “Cygan, get over here,” Vind yelled. “I’ve found more tracks leading into this cave.”

  Cy pulled his sword from its sheath and ran toward his brother. The Nyrubi, they’d been tracking was one of Sivadia’s most vicious predators. They weighed around twelve hundred pounds and walked on all fours. If their razor sharp claws or six inch fangs didn’t rip you to shreds, they could always spear you through with their large rack of antlers.

  And why am I running toward one trapped inside a cave? Oh, yeah, because my psycho brother told me to.

  Nyrubies lived in Sivadia’s Great Sewol Mountains and only came down to the villages during winter, when deep snows drove their prey so deep underground, the Nyrubies were starving. The snows had only started melting, and this predator was probably very, very, hungry.

  Great!

  Killing Nyrubies was left to the experienced big game hunters. But Vind convinced Cy that killing one would prove to Father they were becoming adults, and he would be proud. More than anything, Cy wanted that, but they were only fourteen, a long way from adulthood. Deep down he knew Father would be mad for them being so reckless.

  Every year since they were ten, Father and Oz had brought them to the mountains, teaching them to track, hunt, and live off the land. Skills Father said every boy needed. With them being the king’s sons, servants usually waited to appease their every whim. Cy looked forward to these trips, to act like a regular person. He didn’t want to do anything foolish and mess it up.

  I better let Father know where we are.

  Cy stopped and pulled out his communication link. As he clicked the on button, he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He shoved it back inside his jacket; if Vind knew he was calling Father, he would berate him for the rest of the trip.

  “What took you so long?” His brother’s eyes were wide and his face red. “Come on, before the Nyrubi gets away.”

  Cy followed him up the incline to the cave’s entrance. They both pulled headlamps from their backpacks, and then loaded their hunting bows with an arrow.

  “You take the right side of the cave and I’ll take the left.” As always, Vind spouted the order at him, trying to control every situation.

  As they moved inside the cave’s opening, Cy stopped. The place reeked of death; bones and rocks covered the dirt floor, making the ability to remain upright next to impossible. Uneasiness grew in the pit of Cy’s stomach. With one hand, he braced against the uneven walls and eased toward the back of the cave. Bones crunched beneath their feet, echoing through the silent cave. The sound betrayed their every move to the monster lying in wait for his dinner. The two boys converged at the back of that room where two corridors led to the next opening. As the animal emitted a loud roar, Cy tensed and chills ran up his back.

  “I’ll continue around the left corridor far enough to get behind it and scare it out,” Vind said. “When it heads your way, be ready to shoot. Aim for its neck or left side near the heart.”

  “Why am I the one who has to get in front of that thing?”

  “Cy, just get your bow ready. Are you too incompetent to even do that?”

  “I’m not incompetent, Vind! Just get the thing out of that room, and I’ll kill it.” Cy had always scored higher in archery competitions than his twin.

  He gripped his bow tighter, and headed down his designated hallway. The closer he got, the harder his heart pounded. A loud growl echoed throughout the cave, a beastly warning for them to back off.

  Vind’s headlamp faintly glowed behind the Nyrubi. A moment later, a torch lit and the long, bushy hair on the tip of the beast’s tail flamed to match it.

  Vind has set the thing’s tail on fire!

  A high-pitched scream vibrated through the cave as the Nyrubi rose on two legs. Cy pulled the arrow back and aimed for its neck, using his chin as the anchor point to steady his hand. His breath ceased as the beast landed on all fours and sped toward him. At the moment of release, the beast darted to one side, and the arrow glanced off its fur. As he pulled another arrow from the quiver, a hot pain seared through his shoulder and pinned him against the cave wall. His bow flew from his hands, out of his reach.

  He turned his head from side to side, desperately searching for Vind. His twin stood a few feet away with his bow at his side and a wicked smile on his face.

  Had this been his plan all along, or had the situation just presented itself? As if the animal wouldn’t attack on its own, he had injured it, just to make sure it finished him off. The smile on Vind’s face made one thing perfectly clear; he would enjoy watching the animal kill Cy.

  The Nyrubi moved back, pulling its horn from Cy’s shoulder. The pain was excruciating. His head spun and he grasped his sword as he fell forward. He pulled the sword from its sheath, but a large paw with four inch claws came at him with lightning speed, and knocked it from his hand. Fresh gashes on his forearm poured blood.

  “Boys!” His father’s voice bounced off the cavernous walls.

  Vind’s head jerked toward the cave entrance, anger flashing across his face. He slowly raised his bow and aimed it at the Nyrubi, but didn’t shoot. He waited until the sound of footsteps drew closer before releasing the arrow. The animal was poised to launch on top of Cy for the kill, as the arrow entered its side. It staggered to the side but remained upright.

  Oz and his father stopped just inside the room, taking in the scene.

  “Vind,” Father shouted. “Finish him off!”

  A thought flicked through Cy’s addled mind.

  Was Vind going to pretend to miss the animal and finish him off, instead?

  Cy held his breath as Vind released an arrow into the Nyrubi’s heart, and the animal dropped to the ground.

  He let his breath out in a whoosh, and stared at his brother. Since last year, when Father announced that Cy was first born and would one day rule in his stead, Vind’s attitude had steadily become worse. Although he had never been close to his brother, today’s events made one thing perfectly clear. Vind intended to end his life, in order to become the Sivadian King.

  Chapter 2

  “What the hell are you two doing, trying to get yourselves killed?” The king’s voice was so loud, Cy expected the walls to crumble around them. He must have lost enough blood to be delirious, because now wasn’t the time to laugh. But as his headlamp lit his father’s face, the hard muscular tick in his jaws reminded him of someone trying to chew through nails.

  He picked Cy up and transported them back to camp. Once they materialized, his Father laid him on a cot b
efore removing his shirt to inspect the wound.

  “Turn on your side, son.”

  Cy did as he was asked. “It went all the way through. I heard the horn scrape against the rock wall behind me.”

  Father wiped the blood away and applied some anti-coagulant powder to both sides of his shoulder. Then he cleaned the gashes on his arm and did the same. “It’s time to go home. You need to rest and replenish your fluids. We have enough nourishment to last the rest of the week, but you’ll need extra blood to replace what you’ve lost.”

  Oz’s telecom sounded and he stepped away to answer.

  Cy swallowed hard as anger flashed in his father’s deep-set, blue eyes. His gaze bounced between him and Vind. “You boys want to explain how you ended up in a cave with a Nyrubi. Both of you know how dangerous those things are.”

  Neither of them said anything for a moment, but Cy knew not giving their father an answer would only make matters worse. He ruled an entire planet, and would not put up with unanswered questions or foolish actions…especially from his sons.

  Cy looked at Vind to back him up, but his twin remained silent…his gaze glued to the ground.

  “We’re sorry, Father. We only wanted to make you proud,” Cy finally said.

  “How can you make me proud if you both end up dead?”

  As Oz strode toward them, their father pinned them with one last glare. “This is not over. We’ll continue this conversation at home.”

  The king glanced at Oz. “I can tell by the look on your face, that wasn’t good news.”

  Oz released a heavy sigh. “It was headquarters. A large, Haagon mothership has stopped just outside our airspace. I told them to launch a surveillance pod and place our forces on high alert. We must go home immediately.”

  “I guess our worst fear has finally arrived. We’ve known this was coming for over a century. Even though we have prepared, I’m not ready to lose our planet.”

  “None of us are, Cieran,” Oz said. “Let’s leave our supplies here and send someone to get them later.”

  Cy’s father picked him up to transport home. He’d been able to transport on his own for over a year. No one had the ability until they reached puberty. But if they become injured enough to lose blood, transportation ceased to work.

  The air around them shimmered as Sivadia’s electromagnetism connected with their cells. Their bodies dematerialized and shot through the air at rocket speed. It was the most freeing feeling in the world.

  They materialized inside the infirmary at the castle. His father laid him on a gurney and motioned one of the doctors over. “I’ll call your mother to come down here. I need to join Oz at the military command center.” He answered the doctor’s questions and then left.

  Doctor Regan went to work cleaning Cy’s wounds, while the nurse hooked him to an IV of blood. Vind never showed, not that it was any surprise. He would probably lay low for a while, not wanting to risk Father’s wrath.

  Once the doctor finished, Cy laid on the cot and thought about everything that was going on. Once, when father and Oz hadn’t known he was around, he’d overheard them talking about what the Haagons had been doing for the last three centuries. They had gone from planet to planet, raping each one of its precious resources. By the time they were done, everything and everyone was destroyed. If the Haagons were here to take Sivadia, everything was about to change.

  A knot formed in Cy’s throat. They would have to leave their beautiful castle, the only home he’d ever known. Father had said the planet they were going to would be safe. But it could never be as beautiful as Sivadia. Cy fought back tears. Nothing could be worse than this.

  His mother hurried through the infirmary door. As soon as she saw him, she burst into tears and put her arms around him. “Darling, what were you thinking? It isn’t like you to be so reckless.” She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Did your brother talk you into this?”

  As much as Cy wanted to tell her what Vind had done inside the cave, she didn’t need to worry about him, especially with everything else that was going on. “Tracking the Nyrubi was both of our ideas.”

  Her brows drew together. “Well, you both knew better.” She gently touched his bandaged shoulder. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse than you are. But that doesn’t mean you’re not in trouble.”

  Cy looked down and fumbled with the blanket. “Yes, Mother.”

  Moments later, the nurse came over, removed the empty blood-bag and replaced it with a full one. “Are you feeling strong enough to leave?”

  “Yes, I feel much better.”

  “Once this bag is empty, I’ll release you into the capable hands of your mother.”

  As soon as the blood finished, the nurse removed the IV and monitors.

  He dressed and followed his mother upstairs to their living quarters. When they entered the living room, Vind was sitting on the couch playing with a deck of cards. Once his mother’s back was turned, he glared at Cy, giving him a silent warning that he’d better not open his mouth about what happened in the cave. He wouldn’t tell their parents, not because of Vind, or his threats. He wouldn’t tell because he didn’t want to add to their worry. Nor did he want them to know how dangerous their son was…that they had created a child capable of murdering his own brother.

  Vind had been cruel for as long as Cy could remember. Even when they were toddlers, Vind would take the toys he loved best and destroy them, and then threaten to dismantle them all if Cy ever told their parents.

  Vind was jealous of everything. When they were nine, Cy had become friends with Tobias, the son of a council member. Once when Tobias stayed the night, Vind stole an heirloom broach belonging to their mother, and planted it in Tobias’ overnight bag. Vind told everyone he saw him take it. Tobias had been labeled a thief ever since. Cy had never befriended anyone again for fear Vind would destroy their life with lies.

  Cy went to the kitchen to grab something to drink. As he opened the cabinet for a glass, a loud explosion rattled the dishes and the floor vibrated beneath him. He ran back into the living room, and the pale, frightened expression on his mother’s face scared him worse than the explosion. “What was that?”

  “I’m not sure.” She grabbed the phone and started punching numbers. “Cieran, are you all right? What was that explosion?”

  Cy’s stomach tied in knots as he waited for her to finish talking to his father. “What’s wrong?”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “Your father said we have an hour to pack. We must leave for the hidden facility in the Sewol Mountains.”

  Cy backed against a chair and dropped into it. Everything was happening so fast. They were about to lose everything.

  Chapter 3

  Oz paced the observation room as the unmanned surveillance pod approached the Haagon mothership. A ship that massive would hold thousands of fighter craft. If they launched them against Sivadia, the casualties would be extensive.

  He held his breath and initiated the pod’s welcome message. If the Haagons had come in peace, he and Cieran would go to the ship and greet them in person. If they came to destroy Sivadia, as they had done with so many other planets in their galaxy…that would be a different story.

  One of the deflector shields raised on the Haagon ship. The built-in translator sent their reply across the screen. It held only two words…DIE, SCUM. It was immediately followed by a missile that blew the pod out of existence.

  Oz and Cieran’s eyes met. Seconds passed without either of them uttering a word. This was it; the moment they had prayed would never come had arrived. When the Haagons invaded other planets, their massive size and numbers had made them impossible to defeat.

  “We’re not going down without a fight,” Oz said. He turned to his lieutenant. “Launch a missile to test how strong their deflector shields are.”

  “Yes, sir.” The officer activated the missile. Once it was locked on, he looked at Oz for the final order.

  “Fire.”

  They watched the
monitor as the missile launched and headed for the ship. Fire flew from the ship’s hull at the impact site. Once it evaporated, no damage was evident.

  Oz scrubbed his hand across his face. “Damnit, we have to get them to lower those shields.” He looked at the Lieutenant. “We’re going to irritate them enough to lower those shields and send aircraft out to take care of it. First, get our pilots in the air to take care of whatever they send out. Then we’ll fire one missile every thirty seconds. Before you start firing, load thirty missile silos ten deep. Once those shields come down, fire all thirty missiles sites simultaneously. Let’s see how those bastards handle three hundred dead-on missiles with no shields to protect them.”

  “That sounds like an excellent plan,” Cieran said. “I’m going to call Ximena and tell her to get ready to leave for the launch facility. You might want to call your parents and do the same.”

  “Good idea…one less thing to worry about. I don’t want them trying to transport out of here in the middle of a war zone.”

  Oz picked up a com-link to make the call.

  “Sir, everything is in place to start the firing sequence,” the lieutenant said.

  Oz snapped the com-link off. “Okay, fire at will.”

  Oz twisted his neck from side to side in order to loosen the tight muscles, and then locked his gaze on the screen. A repetitive, single missile began firing at the Haagon ship. As everyone watched, you could have heard a pin drop inside the control room.

  After the eighteenth missile hit the Haagon ship, the shields beneath it deactivated and aircraft began pouring out. “Now, now, now!” Oz said.

  Thirty missile silos opened simultaneously and launched their massive loads of warheads at the Haagon ship. Sivadian pilots engaged the aircraft as soon as they reached airspace. When the first missiles hit the Haagon ship, it rocked violently from side to side, and the belly erupted into flames. Everyone anxiously watched the screen for results. Moments later, pieces of the ship started breaking off. Missile after missile slammed into the ship until it broke into two large pieces and plunged toward Sivadia. Cheers erupted inside the command center.