The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

"I'd like one to try."

"Nostra, you've heard of the eos before right?" I asked.

"Humans call them eos, but they have many names."

"So you know a lot about them?"

"Unfortunately, any information on them has been lost to time. They are treated more like ancient tales passed down by word of mouth. If there is any information written down, it would most likely be in the Great Library. I do know they have not been physically seen for millions, if not billions of years."

"Have people really existed that long?"

"One of the oldest books in the Library tells the story about the beginning of everything. How three extra dimensional entities gave birth to the cosmos and to intelligent life that created the planets, stars, and in their loneliness, created life such as the fleebeeron, and elhfrin. It goes on to say that these people and four others went to war across the entire universe. They wiped each other out, but from their blood lust and the chaos of war these starving creatures rose from the Abyss to devour all they saw. Those that survived the war had to flee these monsters. The tale ends abruptly there. It's possible that the fleebeeron were the only survivors."

"It sounds like they're demons."

"Perhaps they are. Born of chaos, anger, and hatred, their curse is an insatiable hunger that drives them mad. They must fight, kill, and eat else they cease to exist."

"How long have the bichani been around for?"

"Nearly a million years now I believe. We did not keep a good track early in our existence. What of you humans? You haven't been around very long have you?"

"Oh, I'm not the right guy to ask. I...I don't know much about human history."

"Do humans not value their history?"

"I guess not." I sighed.

"Humans are young. There is much to learn! Do not fret, Lieutenant Jackal, there is time to learn."

His face flashed yellow.

"It seems the map has been updated."

"Already? How long have we--"

"An hour. The new area is just five miles to our east."

"Hey, are you seeing this?" Yaaranam called. "Just a mile north. It looks like there was a war!"

"Can't be. Unless the eos fought each other?" I looked to Nostra.

I wanted to go east, but drove north for half a mile. I parked the truck, grabbed the binoculars off the dash, and climbed up to stand on the hood. We all looked out to the field.

The grass was scorched to ash. Craters dotted the field. Trees were burned and snapped in half. Bodies laid out everywhere. Ripped to shreds. Dismembered limbs scattered around. We couldn't tell blood from soot, not at this distance.

Many of the creatures were still alive. Ripped in half, missing body parts, they dragged themselves through the dirt. Their goal? To sink their teeth into anything they could. Those that were capable gobbled up the weaker ones. Their hunger drove them to keep feeding to no end.

Scavengers had arrived. Various carnivores not above a free meal. Who could blame them when the pickings were this good? Helpless, dead, and dying creatures crawling around in misery. Some had even turned to eating their own entrails since they could not reach anything better.

"It’s...disgusting." Yaaranam's face scrunched up.

"It’s disheartening. Those poor souls." Nostra sighed.

The sight made me hungry. Maybe it was just the idea of food. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I briefly thought about snagging an MRE on the way back into the truck, but I instead envisioned my teeth sinking into a blood soaked steak. I shook the thought away.

"Do you see any smoke?" I asked.

"Smoke? Like a fire?" Yaaranam raised a brow.

"Black smoke. Hangs low to the ground."

"No, I don't see it."

"Let's go. We might be able to catch up with him."

We all slipped back into the truck. I took a sharp turn and headed downhill. Straight east, right towards the last charted area.

"You think Fenris did that?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." I said.

"Jackal, your eyes." Nostra leaned closer to me.

Before I could ask him what was up, a sharp pain stabbed right through my brain. I let go of the wheel to grab my head. I cursed and hissed. Shut my eyes as if it would help.

My eyes opened up on their own. The darkness that enveloped me tinged red. I could hear the sound of tearing flesh and gnashing teeth. Something was eating. My head twisted. I could feel something jabbed between my teeth. My jaw clenched.

Snap!

Bone cracked under the pressure.

I looked down to see a small, frail creature laid out on its side. It kicked one big hind leg at my head. Clawed at the ground with its hands. It stared up at me with glowing green eyes. It had no hope of escape. It knew its fate was sealed.

"Fenris?" I said. Or I thought I said it.

My head reared up. I could feel something wet and stringy hanging out of the side of my mouth.

Do not stray into the dark of the Abyss.

Who said that? It didn't sound like Fenris. It was a woman speaking. An angelic voice from somewhere out of sight.

Come back to the Cradle.

The voice sang.

My head bowed again to dig into the helpless creature below.

Look at the light!

I shut my eyes. The red went away. The darkness a normal black.

"Jack? Jack, are you all right?" Yaaranam held my shoulder tight and shook me.

I blinked several times and groaned.

"What the fuck was that?" She asked.

When my vision cleared, I looked down at my hands. I could hear the engine roaring.

"Your eyes were glowing red!" Nostradamus said. He was practically leaning into my lap.

I could actually taste the flesh and the blood. Metallic, but not that copper taste of human blood. It was like I licked a sheet of carbon steel, still coated in that protective oil to keep it from rusting.

I slowly came back to reality for the shock of having not been in control of the wheel for some duration. Nostradamus was holding the wheel and keeping us straight while