Rune Master Book 1, EARTH, excerpt from Chapter 15, Rodushan Attacks!

    Serakan charged up the stairs. He quickly opened up his bedroom window, stuck his head outside, and saw the ominous fog bank and massive gray cloud that had already started down his neighborhood street, wreaking havoc as it tore apart house after house. He slammed down the window and locked it tight, then realized this was futile. Whatever he had seen that was moving in that strange cloud would not let mere windows stop it from entering their home. His heart quickened and he realized that it might be too late! He jumped to his computer and checked again for any new messages. Syrena still hadn’t contacted him since his first request earlier in the day when Sophia and Nadia had abruptly left him to fight their own battle inside the city limits. When he picked up the phone, the line was still dead! Moments later, the computer screen went blank and the house lights flickered and went out. An unnatural darkness set in as the fog neared and the pale sky was now filled with a frightening deep gray.
    'Think, Serakan! Think!!' he told himself. He knew he could not use the port spell, he had never mastered it. With the lightning storm just down the street, he knew that must be why Sophia and Nadia had not dared come. It was far too dangerous to port near an energy field like the one that was heading their way. It could easily kill the spell caster because the energy emitted too great a magnetic pull toward the source. They could literally be torn apart! Only the most gifted spell casters would even attempt such a thing. Jacqueline had said that only a true rune-Master could port safely outside the field of a storm. In Serakan’s mind, that left only Abdul to save his family now, and he didn’t even know if the Guild leader had returned!
    Serakan dashed back down the stairs but by the time he reached the living room, his father stood alone, looking as if he had just seen a ghost. "Papa! Where is Mother?! What happened to her? Oh, my God, did she go outside?!" He ran past his stunned father to reach the front door. He forced it open, fighting the intense winds to stand just upon their porch, holding tight to the railing as he searched for any sign of his mother. The sound was that of a hurricane as the icy cold winds of the storm cloud above unleashed its gale force, coming full speed down the hill! At its base, he could just make out the gray fog. And something else was there, something moving like wild horses within the eerie mists, lit now and then by lightning streaks that gave solid form to the menacing creatures within.
    His pulse raced as he slammed and bolted the door, then turned and tried to think of their best route to survival. But when he looked over to where his father had been standing, there was no sign of him either! The screaming winds and howling became almost unbearable as the window glass shook and snapped, sucked into the wind's mighty torrent. Standing alone, Serakan trembled as he looked outside to the passing, swirling, heavy gray fog, and then he froze! Within the blurry undulating mass, a great herd of some unearthly winged creatures sprang forth, fed by the lightning energy of the storm. One turned, its wolf-shaped head spotting him, the red eyes narrowing as others followed. They left the nurturing viscous cloud form and bolted toward the porch, charging the glass windows with abandon, half flying, half running with their minds intent on the human prey within.
    Serakan tried to think of a spell that would help him, then remembered the shield defense. But what about his parents?! What had happened to them? At the last possible second, he felt small arms around his waist from behind him and instantly he was drawn away, even as the winged demons crashed through the glass and landed where he had been standing in his living room only a moment before.
    Syrena felt the growing weariness, but she knew her last trip was nearly complete. She released Serakan and he opened his eyes with relief to see that no demonic wolf creatures were feeding on him. He felt the slight dizzying sensation of his arrival back at the music store and knew that his best friend had just saved him. They had landed in the outer showroom, near the very piano where Serakan had practiced twice a week. As he stepped back and checked his balance, his hand hit the ominous bass keys and he saw his parents’ startled reaction just beside him, seated on one of the black piano benches and still holding each other in disbelief. They reached out for their son and embraced him, then they all looked to Syrena, stunned but grateful.
    Omer started to ask for an explanation but Syrena stopped him, saying, "Can't explain now. It’s up to you, Serakan. Come up with something, I know you can." Then she smiled at him and her arms swirled up within a sudden mist and she vanished again.
    "There, you see it now, I told you!" Mrs. Yagmur exclaimed in vivid Turkish.
    "I, I don't know what I saw..," Omer replied, holding onto them as if they would suddenly be separated once again. "Syrena- first she... and swoosh, and then what the..?! And again, swoosh! And now you're here, my son, and swoosh and she's gone! How? Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on! Where is our house? Someone tell me, where is our house!!"
    The door to the next room swung open and warm light filled the area where they sat holding onto each other. Claudia and Bernardo stood there in near silhouette, then gestured them to come forward and meet the others.
    "But… I promised, and Syrena, she, she saved us..," Serakan began, trying to simplify the last few minutes that had changed their lives forever.