Respin had gone to Amaris’ home multiple times, he knew the path even if he were blindfolded. And, like always, he made good progress and reached her small cottage within only two and a half hours. With relief, he noticed that Cetus’ blue moon had barely risen above the horizon. This meant that he had still enough time to look for Amaris as the sun wouldn’t rise in a couple of hours. Still, Respin had to factor in the way back to his home. To walk in the light of the blistering blue giant Cetus was orbiting, was insane. Within seconds his skin would blister and his eyes be blinded. A fate no sensible Menkar wished upon another.

  Once the small wooden cottage came into view, Respin walked faster until he ran to it. The only thing stopping him from bursting in was his sense of manners returning to the front door. He remained a moment motionless in front of it and caught his breath before knocking.

  But once he regained his composure, he felt his sixth-sense tingle.

  He flinched.

  Never before had one of his psychic abilities acted up this intense. It seemed to urge him to run away instead of entering the cottage. As if a big hand was trying to push him back.

  Respin didn’t yield.

  He needed to look for Amaris. He ought to stay. He ought to help her.

  Slow he lowered his hand on the door-handle. There was no sense in knocking. Doing so would only alert whatever his sixth-sense warned him about.

  He barely touched the door as it swung open without a sound. Behind it, he was greeted by total darkness and an even more intense reaction of his sixth-sense.

  Respin knew that Amaris would have never left the door open for anyone to bust in uninvited. It was odd and moreover it made his heart feel like it could stop any moment.

  Don’t go in!

  An inner voice was telling him over and over.

  Don’t you dare!

  Run!

  But Respin needed to know if something had happened to her. Perhaps she needed his help. He was her only hope. There was no one else who would bother to look for or help her.

  Chewing his lower lip, he pulled one of the knives out. Clumsy he aligned the blade with his wrist before he took a step through the ajar door. Somehow the weight of the knife wasn’t awkward anymore but reassuring instead. Holding it tight he entered the dark cottage and looked around, not daring to call for her.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Once his eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness inside the cottage, he noticed the utter chaos it was in. Although Amaris was never one for clean-up, this was too much clutter to have been generated by her alone. And the fact that all lights were out and only the moon was illuminating sparse spots through the windows was a bad sign.

  Respin cursed his stupidity to not bring a flashlight along. But he could not go back to his home. If he would do so, he knew, he would never dare to return. Now or never, this was his promise. And he intended to keep it despite his hands shaking in fear. Guided only by his night-sight and his sixth-sense he pushed past the front door and closed it.

  The chaos grew in intensity the deeper he went into the cottage. First, it was only a few books and magazines spread across the floor. In itself somewhat common for Amaris. But the askew furniture wasn't. Neither the dirt scattered from the front door across the whole room. Further, in someone had thrown the furniture around and rendered it into huge chunks of wood, metal, and plastic.

  It almost looked like an animal had shredded everything.

  Slow Respin moved on.

  Waiting for an attack that kept him waiting as the silence slowly suffocated him.

  Still, his mind was playing all sorts of scenes of cruelty and murder. Slow but steady the knot in his guts turned into a ball of molten iron once he puzzled together what has happened.

  Someone had most likely knocked and then forced his way in. Overwhelmed Amaris must've retreated deeper into her cottage while being hunted. She must have tried to block the intruder with her furniture. Too little to no avail.

  This theory became bitter reality to Respin once found her pet, a Spitserpent. The 16 feet long animals was literally torn in half from the head to about its midsection. Its green blood was everywhere, smelling terrible. Spitserpents are famous for being dangerously fast and almost overprotective of their owners. So, its death didn’t bode well.

  Respin felt his stomach and throat tighten.

  After crossing the room, he found smears of grey blood on a wall and the door belonging to it. Although his rational mind was screaming at him to leave at once, he opened the bloodstained door with his free hand. His whole body trembled, but he needed to move on. There was no going back.

  The moment the door swung open he was blinded by an intense bright spotlight. Instinctively he raised his hands to shield his eyes but it didn’t help him much. The pain shot directly into his brain and caused him to freeze on the spot. With teary eyes, he forced himself to stumble into the room. On his way, he fell over something on the ground. He remained face down for a few moments, panting. Once his eyes had readjusted to the light, he pushed himself up and suppressed a scream.

  Next to the broken parts of a shelf he had tripped on was a pale greenish-grey arm. It rested in a small puddle of grey blood. Next to it was Amaris’ weapon of choice — a sharp needle-like short-sword covered in blood a slightly different shade of grey.

  Unable to get to his feet, Respin crawled away from the arm until his back hit small shelf. In it was the spotlight, which cast his shadow like a grotesque monster against the wall.

  A sudden sound above him made Respin almost yelp in fear. Hyper aware of his giant shadow on the opposite wall he threw himself away from the light. But before he could do anything else he was knocked out.

  Prefaces

  For our glorious Empress and the might of the Cetusian Empire!

  I, Marconite Avarion, first Steward of the Leviathan and most trusted servant of Her Imperial Highness will hereby declare the Rejuvenation of the whole Cetusian Imperial Fleet a success. From now on, all members of the Fleet, from the lowest soldier to me, the first Steward of the Leviathan, have to refer to everything pertaining to the Fleet in accordance with this manual.

  Any disobedience will be met with severe and immediate punishment.

  The Hierarchy [Part 1]

  The Empress

  Our glorious Empress is the leader of all Menkarkind. She is our supreme Leader and holds the High Command over the whole Imperial Fleet. Her word is justice and order. All of her orders have to be followed to her fullest content. Insubordination, treachery, and desertion will result in immediate server punishment and termination. For to disobey Her Imperial Highness is to betray all of Menkarkind.

  The Stewards and the Main Branches

  Generally speaking, Stewards control and supervise the whole Imperial Fleet. But there are important difference between each Steward position. Not only within deployment but also with the range of our duties.

  The Stewards of the Leviathan

  The Stewards of the Leviathan are always six of the most prolific, loyal and hardest working members of the whole Imperial Fleet.

  The four Lower Stewards are each individually assigned to one of the Stewards of the Four Branches of the Imperial Fleet. Their duty to our glorious Empress is to coordinate and unify the whole Imperial Fleet as well as gather information for our glorious Empress and to pass on her orders.

  The two High Stewards are the highest members of the Fleet and stand proudly beneath Her Imperial Highness’ all encompassing gaze. Still, the duties of the High Stewards could not be further apart.

  I, Marconite Avarion, am the First Steward of our glorious Empress. It’s my highest duty to protect her Imperial Highness from any harm and all unnecessary distractions. Within me all orders of her Imperial Highness and information of the Imperial Fleet unite. I am her mouthpiece. I am her strongest weapon and most devote servant.

  The Second Stewards roles are more distant to our glorious Empress than mine, yet just as important. A Second Steward has to coordinate the Lower Stewards and has to keep track of those, who might cause harm to our glorious Empress. As such they are her ears and eyes and her strongest shield.

  Should a Second Steward prove themself unworthy of the title it is my duty to remove them without hesitation. For I shall protect Her Imperial Highness with my life, shall the need arise.

  The Advanced Imperial Fleet under Empress Aldebaraun. The Leviathan.