A Tale of Ghosts

Copyright

Royal families

Pathways

Letters

Prologue

Chapter one - Beginning

Chapter two - Maebure

Chapter three - Maebure

Chapter four - Interlude

Chapter five - Maebure

Chapter six - Interlude

Chapter seven - Shieki

Chapter eight - Maebure

Chapter nine - Maebure

Chapter ten - Shieki

Chapter eleven - Borei

Chapter twelve - Shieki

Chapter thirteen - Maebure

Chapter fourteen - Maebure

Chapter fifteen - Borei

Chapter sixteen – Fantomu

Chapter seventeen - Fantomu

Chapter eighteen - Shieki

Chapter nineteen - Maebure

Chapter twenty- Maebure

Chapter twenty-one - Fantomu

Chapter twenty-two - Maebure

Chapter twenty-three - Maebure

Chapter twenty-four - Borei

Chapter twenty-five - Borei

Chapter twenty-six - End

Acknowledgement

Copyright

Copyright © 2015 by Anthony Jamal Patterson

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN (EPUB)

Royal families

Rembra        Masters of Fire

Tej                Tycoons of Souls

Ustel             Moguls of Lightening

EstouQ           Controllers of Tsunamis

Reprosl         Benders of Earth

Spale             Defilers of Life

Ybut              Suzerains of Fists

Tema             Kings of Power

Lensane        Gurus of the Blade

VanderHill   Lords of the Wind

Etitur            Engineers of Science

Htenna          Slayers of The Night

Pathways

Some people believe that fate is set in stone. I do not. I believe fate is not one path, but several that branch off into trails. If we are to grow, we must walk the one we feel represents us best at the time. Is that feeling the work of a higher power? That’s up for debate.

Maebure – The path of the Harbinger

Fantomu – The path of singularity

Borei – The path of a sightseer

Shieki – The path of a killer

Letters

I wish things could be different. I do. Just thinking about the amount of pain and turmoil that will plague your life…. It’s unbearable at times. If I could free you from this path, I’d give anything. Sadly, the universe doesn’t exactly tell us what it wants. That is why I’m forced to do this. Maybe one day I’ll be able to look you in the eye and say how much I love you. Until that day, my mind must remain on the mission at hand, no deviations. If we ever meet in battle and I harm you in anyway, please forgive me. For I know not what I’ve done. – Unknown.

Prologue

The Tensu’s fall from grace happened a year and a half ago. On a nobility scale of one to twelve, they sat between four and three comfortably. The family didn’t necessarily bow down to the established elites yet they never became a thorn their sides. They just existed. Fast forward a year and they're nothing more than a pitiful waste of precious Novan resources, or so I thought at the time.

At my request for territorial updates, my advisors told me tales about them. How they would beg at every street corner and steal fruit from market kiosks just to keep themselves alive until the next day.

Not only did it become embarrassing for them, but for the whole populace.

Out of pity, the police usually ignored calls about them. People just turned a blind eye to them instead of helping.

The moral of the story was simple; If you don't acknowledge something long enough, the problem will take care of itself eventually.

The Tensu lost it all. Their estate, vehicles, and sense of sanity in the process. To think, they had us all fooled. Can you believe it was all just to build a perfect front?

"Allow those around to think you foolish, then rob them blind."

Every night, the Tensu slept on the streets unbathed and in ragged clothes while miles away, a pile of treasure, and a fresh coat of blood stained someone’s walls.

My run in with them was anything but friendly. I needed to secure the Duderon sector by appointing a family to vouch for my credentials and run the region in my stead. The Soatoh family was my first choice. Rich and well-known throughout Novan territory for their vocal abilities. With a simple yawn, they could launch a Novan a half a mile. Though, lurking in the back of my mind was a want to meet the Tensu. The stories and rumors…. Intrigued me. Are they that fast?

My curiosity got the better of me. I decided to bait them.

Weeks before my visit, I made sure it was all the media would talk about: Harkon’s visit to Hyromi, will he finally pick his Royal family? Who knows?!

When I touched down in the capital cities spaceport, I swear I was greeted by half the planet’s population. Nobody went to work that day.

I traveled to the Soatoh family’s estate via horse drawn carriage with a small security detail of thirty men, Reaver class. To make the bait irresistible to them, I traveled through a forest.

After a few days of travel, I started to believe that a Counselor wasn’t important enough to get robbed by them. Once I was convinced, that's when they ambushed my convoy. All my guards were slaughtered quickly by a group of seven Tensu family members. How embarrassing. Their last words cried out for me to flee.

I exited the carriage and was greeted with a pointy and very sharp dagger slicing cleanly through my right cheek. I wasted no time in activating my gloves and drawing eight cards. Four were leviathan, the remaining being a trap and two spell cards. Lucky for me, I drew one of my most famous cards in my first hand.

We engaged in a lengthy battle, with no clear winner in sight. One waiting on the other to use their trump card, no pun intended.

My famous tortoise card had them effectively pinned for a limited time. So, I suddenly paused and asked the group of assassins to cease and hear me out.

The lead Tensu, Jade, the future Arch of the territory, replied, To give your hidden goons time to save you? No thanks.

No, I want you to escort me to the manor up ahead. I'll pay you handsomely. For your troubles.

My would-be killers were confused. Wearily, they accepted the deal. They were probably going to kill me eventually, why not get paid to walk me first? With that, they took me to the gates in complete silence.

I again, got out of my carriage and spoke. You have two options. Kill those inside the estate and join me, or, continue to live a life of dishonor.

Why would we listen to a peaceful uniter like you? Jade asked, a dagger at the ready.

Because, my vision is much greater than the lives of thirteen people. Because I see a strong Novan empire that does not back down to others. Now, dispose of them and take their place as a royal family, as my personal assassins.

Jade laughed, walked over to the front of the gate and sat down with her legs crossed, the others joining her. It was my turn to be confused. I watched as they all disappeared for several moments, and reappear seconds later.

Aren't you going to kill them? I asked.

We already did it.

That was the first recorded use of the Silent Transportation Art (STA). It was used many times over to secure my, and many other families, throne. I’m glad they didn’t have time to use it on me.

At my coronation, the newly formed Htenna family stood beside the VanderHills, Soltur, Oplas, Floran, Lensane, EstouQ, Tema, Reprosl, Spale, Ybut, Rembra, Ustel and Alphanto families, awaiting their turn to be anointed.

"The Tensu family, unknown by all at the time, are the fastest recorded people in Novan territory. They can be in and out of your house in the blink of an eye. If you managed to catch a glimpse of them, they wanted you to. Just so you'd keep the rumors about them going.

They can influence people's minds. They can make you go a hundred nights without sleep. You’d spend your days running and hiding, wearing yourself down until you realize the only way to remain free from them forever. Death."

- Harkon, the first Novan Emperor.

Chapter one - Beginning

In the middle of a vast forest, lays a palace. Not many know of its existence anymore, even those at the top of the nation’s hierarchy have only heard whispers. Why? Because it is their private residence. A place where they can sleep well knowing they’re safe, though few in the family can accomplish such a feat.

Deep inside this palace is a room filled with five throne like chairs, aligned in a circle around an engraved symbol on the ground: A Phantom. This is not the only symbol in the room. Each chair bares a symbol as well, although different from one another: A blade, a pair of eyes, several bombs, binoculars with a planet insight and a field pack.

The room isn’t empty either. There is a woman sitting perfectly still in the chair baring the pair of eyes. The woman’s hair is partially braided on the sides to keep the hair out of her face, yet still the length to flow down her back.

In the blink of an eye, she is no longer alone. The woman is joined by two women and two males who take their respective seats.

So nice of you all to pop in. The braided woman says with a grin.

Everyone in the room shares one with her.

Why have you called us here Gail? Hopefully you didn’t stay call us here for that corny joke. One of the males asks.

The woman with the braid gets up from her seat and clears her throat. Her eyes dances from Novan to Novan before speaking.

I thought it was pretty good. You know you would have said it yourself. She replies with a grin.

You should try it at the next Dodeca treaty meeting. Film it for us. The male says with a soft chuckle.

I’d like to say that your stalling needs work Gail. One of the three females in the room says.

Just breaking the ice. I have called you all here without your respective heirs for a reason. Some of you may figure it out why by the end of this conversation. She begins, stepping out into the center of the room.

"We’re here to discuss the growing threat in Novan space: Rebellion. If we don’t snuff it out now, we could see a large scale civil war between powered and non-powered Novans at a time when galactic strife is forcing our hand elsewhere. We don’t need this." She continues.

Was this matter discussed at the recent Dodeca Treaty meeting Arch Gail? A