My Kingdom Come Book 1: The Saints We See (Complete)

Prologue: Abomination

643 standard years after the signing of the Alliance treaty

Galor held the tiny vial up between his fingers. The early morning light caught in the translucent black liquid as it swirled slowly inside. Small rivers of silver-white twisted through the inky blackness, changing to a silvery green then blue, red, and then back to silver-white as the poison searched for anything living inside its glass prison.

Galor closed his lightly furred hand around the vial. He squeezed his eyes shut, dropped his hand into his lap and let his head fall back against the building he was sitting against. The busy market place bustled around him. Sellers calling out their wares, sentients haggling over prices, children playing, slaves crying, animals making their various noises. Everything was full of life.

Galor fingered the stopper of the vial absently.

He sensed the little Wen child rushing towards the space where he was sitting a few seconds before they caught their foot on his leg and began to fall. He opened his eyes lazily. His hand shot out and caught the back of the boy's shirt before he could land in the dust without Galor intending to do it. He set the little boy back on his feet and leaned back against the building again.

The little boy stared at him, his startlingly bright purple eyes unblinking. "What are you?"

Galor grinned, baring his pointed teeth at the boy. "An abomination."

The boy blinked. "Why are you sad? Do you want to play?" His face brightened with anticipation.

"No."

"Are you busy working?"

"No."

The boy cocked his head. "Then why don't you want to play?"

Galor's fist closed convulsively around the vial. "I have a job to do."

"Oh. You're busy working then." The boys face fell.

Galor swallowed. "No. I'm...not busy."

The boy's face brightened again. "Come on then!" He held his hand out to Galor.

Galor stared into the boy's rectangular pupils. Prey eyes. He swallowed again. "Go back to your mother." He stood abruptly, then clutched at his head groaning. It took a moment for the dizziness to subside. When he opened his eyes the child was gone.

Galor turned and stumbled away, his hand trailing over the rough wall to help him keep his balance, his claws carelessly scratching a wavering trail through the paint.

When he reached the end of the wall he paused. He nearly sat back down in the dust again, but instead he clenched his jaw and continued on.

He continued to wander in a stupor, not caring where his feet took him till he found himself standing in a Wheel temple. He stared dully as sentients began taking their places at the rim of the large wheel marked out on the floor in the mosaic of inlaid stones. A gentle hand took hold of Galor's arm. Galor angrily shook the hand off and turned to face whoever had touched him.

An elderly Wheel priest, in brown robes, smiled at him gently. He had the hairlessness, dark teal skin, and bright blue eyes typical of the Kaylor species. "It's time to take our places, brother." His voice was pleasant.

"Don't you know what I am?" Galor hissed. He stabbed a finger at the small black badge on his collar.

The priest's eyes dropped to the badge and then moved back to Galor's eyes without changing expression. "You're Jurverian."

Galor gave a jerky nod.

"You have a place at the wheel too, brother." He took hold of Galor's arm again and gently moved him to the wheel's rim next to a Wen woman. She smiled at Galor. He didn't smile back.