Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (easy to read books for adults list txt) 📕

“Let’s go,” said Grenik, lifting his hands off the coffer. He rushed through the doorway.

“Okay, we’re safe when you exit the coffer,” mentioned Bogle.

“Hold on. We teleported?”

“Yes,” responded Bogle. “You’re now in East Rise. Get out and get out fast. Kelhoon are coming.”

A woman soldier grabbed Rivkah’s hand, pulling her out of the opening and down another shallow and narrow tunnel.

Rivkah shook her hand loose just as an explosion pounded next to the pyramid, shaking the ground. Rivkah slid down the descending tunnel, her feet touching the ground at the exit. She popped up and ran, following Grenik and the rest of the team.

Bogle’s voice blipped back into her mind. “Tell them to go left, down the Garden Downs alleyway.”

Rivkah ran forward, jumping over a man lying on the ground, dead and charred to the bones. “The Garden Downs alleyway?”

“They’ll know what I’m speaking of, so hurry. Tell them.”

The city burned. Fire consumed the trees and smoke billowed out of dome windows, graying the sky. Tracer rounds pocketed the hills that encompassed the city, followed an instant later by hefty explosions from ion blasts.

Rivkah couldn’t tell who was winning or losing, but East Rise and its inhabitants were in the middle of hell.

The air was filled with burning skin. She reached Grenik.

“Bogle says we need to go down Garden Downs alleyway.”

Grenik nodded and turned on a dime. “Follow us. We need you in the middle of the pack. We’re guarding you.”

They turned down a narrow passage in between domes and golden gates, untouched flowers of vibrant colors, streaming down green vines hanging off of the dome’s roofs and intertwining in the gates.

“Halt! And, duck down. Kelhoons will be passing your twelve very soon,” yelled Bogle.

Rivkah covered her ears, Bogle’s voice pounding against her brain. “Lighten up, Bogle. You're about made me deaf.” She ignored Bogle’s apologies and put her hands up. “Stop. Kelhoons approaching. Everyone, take cover.”

Dut Team wasn’t about conflict. They were the assassin team, and they were in East Rise to kill off the Kelhoons’ beloved leader. Somehow, the Atlanteans knew where the leader was. How they could even tell a Kelhoon apart, let alone find their leader, was an anomaly to Rivkah. In combat, however, you don’t question and if you do, you better have a life-saving answer.

The team spread out, butting up against anything and everything.

Rivkah leaned back against a gate, the colorful foliage somewhat camouflaging her, hiding her torso from view, but the rest was out in the open, begging to be seen.

A small troop of Kelhoons ran by a cobblestone path at the end of the alleyway, their green scales covering their very human-like faces, their bodies tall and wide, thick with muscle. Their weapons of choice were cannon blasters that hung over their shoulders by a strap and long, thin rifles, very much like the rifles issued to the Space Marines in the Secret Space Program.

One Kelhoon stopped at the alleyway, his scales protruding outward, his pupils slit like a snake’s, his tongue pushing outward. He wore armor, thick and blue, his helmet covering his black hair, though its long strands fell down its back. He raised his rifle, then lowered it, slowly striding into the alleyway. “Boongasha!”

He let loose a few shots and a Dut Team member slumped, shooting back with his three-pronged trident and missing wide before dying. His body hit the ground hard.

Everyone, including Rivkah, returned fire, riddling holes throughout the Kelhoon’s body. It fell back onto the cobblestone street, its blue blood oozing onto the ground, its eyes open, deathly staring at the heavens that its soul had no chance of reaching.

“They’re doubling back, Rivkah,” said Bogle. “Tell your team to get ready.”

Rikvah went to one knee, aiming her rifle at the soon to be oncoming Kelhoon grunts. “Get ready, they’re doubling back.”

A few of the Dut Team raced toward the end of the alleyway, passing the Kelhoon they just stuck a couple dozen bolts through, and leaned up against the gate. The rest went to one knee as well, aiming their weapons.

The first Kelhoon jumped into the alleyway, blasting at anything and everything, putting holes in the domes. Chunks of rocks shot outward.

Rivkah pulled her trigger, hitting the Kelhoon smack-dab between the eyes. The Kelhoon was then greeted with a shot to the gut and to the side of the head by the two Dut Team members at the end of the alleyway. Blood splat as the Kelhoon dropped to his knees and fell forward, dead.

A long sword flew across the alleyway from behind the team, digging into a woman’s back. She screamed, then turned, putting two charges into a Kelhoon coming from their rear. The woman lay on her side, dropping her weapon, reaching for the sky. Her arm fell and her breathing stopped.

They were surrounded, if you could call it that. The Kelhoon had them at both ends of the alleyway, the gates and domes trapped them in at the sides.

“You led us to our death, Bogle,” moaned Rivkah, taking aim at another Kelhoon, dropping it before it could get a shot off.

“I’m tasked to get you to their leader. I’m doing my best to keep you alive.”

“Find us a way out.”

Grenik rushed forward at a Kelhoon mere feet from Rivkah, and slammed his shoulder into the side of the intruder, tackling him to the cobblestone. Grenik slipped his arms around the Kelhoon’s neck, twisted, and a crack indicated an end-to-life break for the half-lizard.

They were being overrun, Kelhoon coming in from each direction; over gates, from the top of the domes, and in the front and back of the alleyway.

“Use your powers, Rivkah,” screamed Bogle.

“This doesn’t feel like you took us in this direction by accident, Bogle.” Rivkah dropped her rifle, covering her ears. “You—”

Rivkah’s anger rose, coming to the surface, and then outward as she thrust her arms to her side. A Kelhoon flew back into a fellow soldier. Rivkah picked up her rifle and rushed the Kelhoon,