The First Technomancer (9 page)

“I swear it. On Caliburn, and by Lady
Kheira's wrath!”

A bit of Uther's blood, and his own, the
circle fired signaling his intentions throughout the cosmos.
Written in a way, so as to work around The One's own desires. If
that were even doable? If King Uther would fail his expectations,
he would make a king that would excel in them, to become legend. A
king which all other leaders would strive to become.

It could be said that in this moment Merlin
felt things shift. He now owned his own luck. The wizard had made
Uther sign a contract, bequeathing his kingdom to no other but the
child of this union. Much later, that would come in use.

“Good, it is done. Mmm... now to make you
appear as the Duke.” With a small slate colored square placed upon
his bare chest, Merlin changed Uther's appearance to that of the
blonde, fair Gorlois of Tintagel. In truth, a hologram. “Go ride!
Fast, you've but only a few hours.” A few hours until the hologram
lost its current and faded. But it would be time enough for
Pendragon to do what needed to be done.

Cornwall, goaded, fed by pride, and
righteousness left the protection of his castle, thinking himself
to meet Uther again in single combat. A mistake, as this let him be
ambushed on the ride by King Uther's bodyguards.

Once in Tintagel Uther, as Gorlois ordered
the guard restationed. He even told the gatekeeper to hold the
doors open upon the next time he rode out. For he would not be gone
long. Uther laughed, went to find Igraine.

Startled by 'Gorlois's' unexpected sudden
return, Igraine was half surprised to be whisked off to bed. Her
Duke was on a mission, and did not seem likely to be deterred. On
the furs he pushed her, a great fire blazed behind them.

“Oh my Lord.” Igraine gasped as he moved one
hand up her leg to find her sex, while pushing off her top to
expose pointy tits for his kisses. As she lay back, and watched
Gorlois disrobe himself, for the briefest moment, was sure Uther
straddled above her, a feral look of lust on his face. The
apparition of Gorlois, as Uther caused her to flush. Indeed, the
whole time they wiggled and thrust on the bed, Igraine could not
help but think of her husband, not as Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall,
but as High King Uther Pendragon.

A wedding. Uther wasted no time in his claim
as a conquering warlord to make Igraine, both his Queen, and his
wife. At the marriage ceremony, conducted within a silver festooned
forest, with red Pendragon banners all about, Merlin observed the
bride, dressed in a clingy white-gold gown, though it was not her
beauty which he gazed upon. Inside her womb blossomed a life, a
future king to be. Named already Arthur by his parents.

Could all this have been arranged without the
tricks? Merlin doubted it, they could not have gotten Cornwall out
of his castle, nor weakened those defenses without Uther
masquerading as the Duke. No, it had to be done this way. There was
peace, finally. Besides, now Uther owed him something. Owing a debt
to the Devil, always a risky proposition.

[Castle Pendragon. Nine Months, And Three
Weeks Later]

Queen Igraine cooed over Crown Prince Arthur
as she fed him from her breast. He had his father's dark hair, and
his mother's gold-specked eyes. For being only three weeks old, he
was strong. Her girls just loved their new half-brother. Morgana,
especially felt highly protective.

“The King,” someone called out.

Igraine glanced up from Arthur. “My Lord. I
had thought you in counsel, dealing with the Saxon problem.” Uther
did not seem pleased. In truth he appeared to be near a fury. What
was going on? Heralded by his owl, Merlin appeared in her bower.
The man went wherever he liked, no door closed to him. The Queen,
actually rather liked the odd wizard. Morgana surely was infatuated
by him. “Tell me husband, what's going on.”

“My beloved...” Uther looked broken. “I swore
an oath.”

Fearful she glanced at Merlin, suddenly
grasping why both men stood here. “No! You can't have my child.
Arthur is your son, heir, Uther. Why?”

Ashamed nearly to admit it, Uther told her
the truth. “I made a bargain, with Merlin, that if he would help me
gain you... for at least one night, he could have the product of
our love.”

“No!” Igraine felt Arthur pull at her hair.
“He's mine!”

“Lady Igraine,” Merlin spoke soothingly. He
had put this off, far longer than he should have. The first night,
he should have arrived and taken the child. But alas, he had slept,
exhausted weary. “Trust, I want only the best for your boy.” A
truth. Arthur was the once, and future king. His hope for a better
future for these lands, and maybe even all of mankind.

As he spoke Merlin reached for the swaddling
clothes, plucked Arthur from Igraine's grip, so stunned was she,
the Queen did not even bother to conceal her bared nipple. Vrroch,
screeched, and Merlin turned, heavy on his staff.

Behind him Igraine cried.

Out in the hallway, he was met by the
pleading eyes of Morgana. “Where are you taking my brother?”

Ah, this would be a problem. Who did not know
that Uther, and Igraine had a son. Such news had been widely
celebrated. As heirs to kingly thrones were want to be. Merlin
however had anticipated that many would recall this moment. Good,
for the future. Yet not now.

“Away, so that he will have a normal life.”
Merlin finally responded. “Where he will learn many things.
Including how to be a good man.”

“But why can't father teach him those
things?”

Merlin grinned. Morgana, what a precious
child. He had plans for her too, though, she would need to be
older. The wizard knew he could tap her unreleased energy. Setting
aside his staff, that is, letting it stand upright, of its own
accord, from a pouch the wizard produced a blue, somewhat large
marble. He took a tight grip on it, and the marble glowed, there
was a hum, and it exploded into a fine dust. Nanobots, carried in
the gas spread, they would wipe all memory of Crown Prince Arthur
Pendragon from the people, at least until it became time for
everyone to remember.

Morgana blinked. She had the faint idea that
she had been talking to the wizard Merlin. Yet neither he, or his
owl were any place to be found. Instead she went to find her
mother, and stepfather. Both wore sad expressions, but when asked,
neither could tell her what caused their sorrow.

Falco Invictus: Light & Fire

The War In Heaven Begins Here!

A fall from grace, an act of pride meant
to do good. Prince Iblis Jinn is the highest among all his kind,
the Vril. Yet Prince Jinn's desire to be even higher than his own
father begins a war between the forces of darkness and light which
shall ripple throughout all time upon many battlefields becoming
legend and myth.
FREE
At
Smashwords

Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War

Augmented by Genetics and Cybernetics the
Transhuman reign over the Globe. The year is 2030 and the planet
rebuilds still in the wake of World War III, the "War on Terror".
The United States is no more, yet from its ashes arose the Imperium
which seeks to rule all it surveys. For vengeance, and survival
Imperator Romulus sends his newest space battleship: DSV Excalibur
to seek dangerous allies to help him complete his dominance over
the planet. If he succeeds no nation will be free from Julius
Romulus Giovanni's boot, in particular the small German Dukedom of
Saxe-Coburg.
One woman is a well honed blade: Frederika von Gotha, Duchess of
Saxe-Coburg and a product of genetic engineering called a
Morningstar, as a spy for her tiny nation she is given a mission,
learn about the mysterious Falcanians and the secrets they keep
hidden away on their artificial island. Once she steps foot on
Vanguard, neither Frederika nor the world, again on the brink of
chaos will ever be the same.

"Falco Invictus is science fiction at its
best. Rodney C. Johnson's novella is as sophisticated as it is
imaginative. Through his profound and entertaining story, Johnson
uses a well-crafted blend of mystic history, futuristic visions,
and superb imagery to bring the Falcanian peoples and society to
life. From the brilliant and solemn Nadia Korelia to the mysterious
and powerful Sharr Khan, Falco Invictus is guaranteed to intrigue
and delight."

–
Jim Erjavec, author of The Caverns of
Mare Cetus

Find Novella #1 of
The Falcanian Legacy
Series
At
Smashwords

Rodney C. Johnson lives in Westbrook, Ct.
with his two beagles, Zoey and Bentley, plus the family cat
Gretchen. He enjoys reading and writing. He considers himself a
“Foodie”. His love of Science Fiction was driven by Star Trek and
Frank Herbert’s classic work DUNE.
In his free time, Rodney C. Johnson is an avid collector of books,
new or used. Mostly Science Fiction books (Sci-Fi), but he will
read anything, provided it catches his interest. It's not about the
genre - it is about if the author paints a vivid picture with his
words.

http://raptorsclaw.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/RCJ.author

http://www.facebook.com/Falco.Invictus