Children of Sun (Oracle's Legacy) Read online

  Oracle's Legacy

  Children of Sun

  Oracle's Legacy

  Children of Sun

  By R. B. Holbrook

  Copyright © 2009 R. B. Holbrook

  Kindle Edition

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  since publication and may no longer be valid.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, incidents, organizations,

  and dialogue in the novel are either the products of the author's imagination

  or are used fictitiously.

  This is my first book, so of course I am dedicating it to God on high. Thank you!

  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

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Glossary

  1

  Present Day

  The Oracle touched the glass of the window as she watched the world from her perch. For too long had her people stifled themselves--far too long. They hid among those less powerful than themselves, and for what? There was a time they understood why they hid, but now…

  There were once schools where powerful organizations now sit. Children and adults alike studied and worked toward one goal: to become one with each other. What a wonderful time that was! Days spent enjoying the world, instead of … She clasped her hands in pain.

  All seven of those schools were given names--strong names--to represent their specific energies. Though the names were simple and in the language of that time, they reflected the simplicity of enlightenment. Reaching her mind to the past, she could see the schools and their wide-eyed love of the world. The first ones chose the names, and they had understood their meaning.

  These schools, which were now called Houses, were pivotal among the Structure, their civilization. And the name and arrangements of each House had changed to reflect the new languages and the modern world. Though these Houses were just as important as they had always been, they now stood for something different: power, ambition, and influence. She wished the schools still stood at the core of their civilization. They should be learning, growing, and working together, she thought.

  Taking in a deep breath, pain spread in her chest as her energy slowly healed her again. Her mind raced with images shooting to the forefront, bringing her to the present, and showing her the future. The unrest approached, the persecution prepared, and the unknowing world would learn what had been lost years ago. Her people needed to come to the light, a light lost to them when the world first came to be. In those ancient times, they understood the need to hide. They hid to close the divide between the powerless and the powerful. But now that divide was so narrow that the powerful had become the powerless. They had lost so much power and they did not realize it.

  She shook her head in disapproval, watching the world turning, seeing the peace slowly dissolve. Open your eyes, my children. Open your minds, children of the Structure, before the world passes you by. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall and her chest ache.

  For thousands of years, since the beginning of humanity, her people had stood apart from the rest of mankind, for the simple fact that they wanted to better themselves. They wanted the world to be whole and united, and yet those days were gone. They were the enlightened.

  But now only a select few understood the old ways, understood the meaning of enlightenment. Now only a few hid in the shadows, waiting for the keys that would open the door to this better world, this united humanity. The rest hid behind their illusion of superiority and bid for power. Power? They knew nothing about power. She laughed.

  The room began to shift as a shadow joined her side, showing slightly in the window. A shadow that came and went, yet always welcomed in her presence. A shadow so overwhelming, she found herself succumbing to it many times. But not this time.

  "You have blinded me. Why?" it whispered over her skin.

  "Have I?" She smiled to herself.

  "You know your tricks will not last long on me." Its smile radiated in the room.

  "Do I?" she answered.

  Laughter spilled around her. "Shall I guess, or will that be futile?"

  "Could you tell me the story again?" she asked, ignoring the inquiry. She wouldn't give in.

  "Again?" It chuckled, echoing around the room. "You know I would do anything for you." The shadow stirred, and then said, "In the beginning, when the world was created and life formed, there was a man who saw the world with eyes unclouded. Never before was such a man known. No seer on any level could ever see everything, but this man did. Tesen, they called him. They say he had the Eyes of God, but Tesen knew different. God allowed him to see what he saw. Tesen began to show what he saw to all of mankind, but only a few followed. The few grew in their knowledge, hoping to unite the world that had slowly begun to divide. As the rift in the world grew, these people formed a deep bond of knowledge, family, and energy, as if to show the rest of the world what it should be. However, the rest of the world shunned them.

  "So this tribe, Uni'ki, based its civilization, its existence, in unifying the world, uplifting it. However, as they grew more powerful, their hearts began to change. Corruption grew among them, spreading along their bonds. Believing themselves superior, they began to impose their beliefs and knowledge on those around the world, forcing unity. Conquering instead of teaching. Soon they became a force many feared and resented. War came, as those outside the tribe fought against the tyranny. Though their power was great, the destruction of the Uni'ki's achievements became inevitable, for the numbers outside their tribe far exceeded those inside. Seeing their error, the remaining members of the group severed the bond and sought to change the ways of their people. With their power, they created within themselves a barrier that guarded their inner power so that it would be used responsibly and only grow when they had achieved certain steps in enlightenment. They also decided it would be better to grow with the surrounding world than to advance separately. Quietly they spread their philosophy of unity blending and living among the powerless, the seal-less. All the while, they remained connected to the tribe. It was believed that one day the world would catch up to them, but until then, they would lie in wait, because the man with the Eyes of God had said, 'When the death march begins, the soulless shall rise up like an army, then the old shall be cleansed until new.'"

  "Thank you." She smiled, feeling her spirit ease. There was little comfort in the days to come. She would accept any comfort giv
en now.

  "Now about my--"

  "As much as I'd like to continue this discussion, I'm tired." She yawned.

  "What is it you don't want me to see?" Its presence grew seductive. It would not be long before she gave in.

  She touched the skin of her arm and closed her eyes. She stroked her arm and lay down to rest.

  "I've missed you, too." It breathed and settled. "If this must be, then I will remain blind for a time, but not too long." Kissing her skin, the shadow caressed her before leaving. "For now."

  Feeling the departing whisper, she drifted off as the corners of the world began to fold inward, coming together to prepare for the changes it had long waited for.

  ()()()

  Silver Spring, Maryland

  Ollie pressed the buttons feverishly. She had a death grip on the device as both hands systematically pressed the buttons with all her energy. She had no choice. He'd left her no choice. She paid no attention to the pain in her fingers and the stiffness. She paid no attention to the urgent sounds in the background as she continued her onslaught of the buttons. The right sequence--she had to press the right sequence at just the right time, or …

  "Argh!" She stood up, throwing the wireless game controller at the game console. She glared at the chubby teenager who was all teeth, as he sat in the swivel chair at her side.

  A woman's voice carried into the room. "Ollie, your tone. The baby is asleep."

  "Want to lose again?" O-no taunted.

  "Oooh." Her sixteen year old brother, Sunny, who was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, began to cackle.

  "Oh, shut up, Sunny. I don't see you steppin' up to bat." Ollie put her hand on her hip, ready to go toe to toe with every last mother who wanted to talk trash. She would give it back to them threefold.

  He cackled again, just like a chimpanzee. The kid's laugh was so funny that it was contagious. She never could be serious with him for long. She began to giggle.

  "Keep it down." The large, brown eyes of her twenty-eight-year-old twin, Ellis, looked over the pages of his book as his long fingers turned to the next page. The tall length of him was sprawled across the couch, giving no one access to it. "Are you going to finally answer your phone?" His words were calm.

  "It's just Geo." After retrieving her game controller, she plopped back down on the floor. "Another game, O-no?" She grinned at her cutie-pie brother in the swivel chair.

  "Only if you promise not to throw my controller again." O-no pressed Start to get the game going.

  "Nooooo promises," she sang. But before she could get started, she was face down on the floor, body bent forward, as a hand reached into her back pocket.

  "Geo," Ellis said as he let her back up.

  She turned to sneer at her twin.

  "Yeah, hold on." He held out the phone toward her.

  "The sound wasn't even on. It wasn't bothering you." She tsked, rolling her eyes.

  "That vibrate thing really doesn't go well with my book." He bent to kiss her on the forehead as he placed the cell in her hand. Then he slumped back onto the couch.

  Ollie had just been on a little field trip, and she wasn't in a mood for their eldest brother's bull. She just wanted to settle down and unwind for a couple of days. Putting the receiver to her ear, she would have to make short work of this call. "I'm in the middle of something, so go."

  "I have a job for you."

  "Does it involve killing someone?" She began her onslaught on the controller.

  "No."

  "Not interested." She hung up the phone and began her descent into failure again. "Awww, no way, O. I was distracted." She gritted her teeth.

  "Piss-poor excuse, if you ask me." O-no gleamed. "Not like you'd have lost any differently."

  The cackles came back, as did the vibrating next to her. Then there was a chime on the computer next to O-no as a message came up on his instant messenger.

  "Uh oh." O-no's cheerfulness faded. "The Grand Exalted One is pissed and says if you don't answer your phone, he's coming to visit."

  The room grew still as the two younger boys looked at Ollie.

  Pain in the ass. She stood up, flipping open the vibrating phone and putting it to her ear. "You sure as hell know how to ruin a day."

  "Listen, your uncle called. He has a quick task for you. I suggest you get it done soon. I mean tomorrow. I sent O-no the info." Geo hung up without waiting for her banter, which meant he was livid. Good.

  "I'm going to pick up Bones. Anyone wanna ride with?" She smiled, putting Geo out of her head. Ellis put down his book and left the room. There was no doubt he was coming with her.

  O-no already had the information downloaded and sent to her phone. "Ollie, will you pick me up some CD-RWs?" He swiveled back around to her.

  Again. "O, I just bought you a gazillion-pack last week. Are you selling music again?" After receiving just a grin, she shook her head. "Fine, but you are footing the bill this time."

  "Ollie, you can afford it."

  "Can, but won't." She put out her hand, waiting for the eighteen-year-old to fork over the cash.

  He groaned as he went into a container on top of his computer station. He pulled out a one-hundred-dollar bill. "Use it all," he told her.

  "Hey, Ellis, we got dinner money." She ran out of O-no's room to the stairs.

  "Ollie, I meant spend it all on the CDs!" he yelled.

  Ollie ran down the steps, around the railing, through the doorway, and down the hall. She stopped short at the hall closet in front of Ellis, who was putting on his leather jacket.

  "I wish you would stop pushing Geo's buttons." He turned to her with solemn eyes. There wasn't much that bothered her twin. That was where Ollie picked up the slack.

  "I'm not scared of him."

  "But the rest of them are." He wanted for her to agree to stop annoying Geo.

  Ain't gonna happen. "Ha! Man, you worried about them? You know I can handle it."

  "But you shouldn't have to."

  "Ellis." She got serious. "They need to learn to deal, just like you and I had to. Right?"

  He nodded. "But they are young--"

  "So were we." She walked past him, taking her jean jacket from his grasp. "Now shake your groove thing. I want to spend some time with the boys before I'm off on assignment again." She grinned back at him.

  She raced her twin down the steps of the eight-story apartment building, trying to beat him to her truck. Ellis thought Ollie drove too fast and recklessly, so he was always trying to beat her to the driver's seat. Unfortunately, not only was he taller than she was, he was faster. In a fair fight, he beat her every damn time. Only in a fair fight.

  At six-eight, Ellis was the tallest man in their large family, just as she was the tallest woman, standing at six feet even. He looked like he could play basketball, but he never did. Being the nerdy type, he'd never cared much for sports. By the look of him in his jeans and leather jacket, no one could ever tell how nerdy he was until he opened his mouth to speak. Sometimes she had to remind him that real people had a limited vocabulary.

  With large, brown eyes, thick, pouty lips, long lashes, and smooth, very light-brown skin, Ellis could have been a player. But instead he preferred to be oblivious. Everyone knew they were brother and sister, because she looked just like him, except for the hair. Ollie's black hair was wilder--far more curly, long, and unruly. Ellis's was shorter and tamer. Their hair seemed to describe their different personalities perfectly.

  As she sat in the passenger's seat, Ollie closed her eyes for a moment to ease some of her jet lag. She had been traveling with Ellis for the past few weeks, doing jobs for her top clients back to back. The money was good, but damn if it wasn't starting to drain her. The various assignments helped to take her mind off of what was coming. Time for a vacation.

  They arrived at the school, and Ollie hopped out of the truck. The final bell rang, signaling that school was out. Her genius little brother Bones went to a public high school for normal kids. Hell, the eig
ht-year-old was anything but normal. He had a grasp of science and math like nothing she had ever seen. It wasn't unusual for members of Sun to exhibit higher-level thinking, but Bones exceeded even that. Ellis tried to encourage him to go to a private school for the gifted, but Bones wanted to stay close to his mother.

  Bones spotted them the moment he exited the building. That didn't surprise Ollie one bit, considering he had a 360-degree field of mental vision up to several yards. The kid was extremely boney and lanky, with ashy dark brown skin, as if he had not used lotion all day. He had a large head, and that winning smile made his cheeks look like the only fleshy part of his body. Dressed like a nerd in an oxford shirt, creased slacks, and loafers, it was a wonder he wasn't picked on in school.

  Running up to her, he jumped into Ollie's open arms. As she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, he flinched. Ollie pulled back immediately. What the …? He rubbed his arm, looking at her with big puppy-dog eyes. "What the hell is wrong with your arm?" Ollie ground her teeth, wanting to kill the bastards that hurt him.

  "Don't worry about it," Bones waved his hand, trying to brush it off like it was nothing. "How was your trip?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

  Was he kidding? "Worry? What the fu--?"

  She felt Ellis's hand come down on her shoulder as her mind began to clear and calm. Damn him and his power.

  "This isn't the time for this." Ellis, the voice of moronic reason, wanted her to behave, so for now, she would. Climbing into her truck, the two brains began chatting about solar photo … something.

  As they rode and the two brothers spoke Geek, Ollie mulled over whom she needed to hurt to keep them from hurting her brother. "They're just high-schoolers, Ollie." Ellis finally said to her as they pulled into a parking spot before heading into the super store.