When Valerius Anaxandros time travels from his home on the Planet Elledra to Earth he is faced with espionage, intrigue and surprise attacks, as Elledra’s chosen Time Rider it’s just part of his job description. The Watchers, a group of men and women on Earth who think that time travel is an abomination, are always willing to help him into the next life, but Valerius’s most recent encounter is not with one of the Watchers, but with a scarred face man who knows what he is.
Valerius’s problems don’t end there, his niece, fifteen year old Sara Gallager, is a genetically gifted time traveler who needs to be relocated from her home in the United States to Elledra to be trained. Valerius finds himself overseeing her training while dealing with Crassius Atrapes, the man he met earlier, who turns out to be a rogue time traveler from 40 BC who wants to wrest control of Rome from Julius Caesar and rule as Emperor.
When Crassius goes back in time to recruit two of Earths great warriors, Hannibal of Carthage from 300 B.C and Cassivellaunus of Britannia from 50 B.C, Valerius must act to preserve the true history of Earth which he is sworn to protect. If he doesn’t succeed, Earth as we know it will be changed forever.
The Spinner’s Wheel, is a Fantasy/Science Fiction novel complete at 75,000 words.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,
K.D. Vassall
The Spinners Wheel
Chapter 1
The great entrance hall of Antiquitas was still and quiet, its massive columns looming high to support a domed shaped roof. On the floor in the center of the room, a large circle was cut into the pale colored stone, and at its very heart sat a milky white rock. A sudden shift in the wind had the fallen leaves resting near the circle swirling, and the stone in the core of the circle flared with light. Out of nowhere the ghostly outline of a man dressed in black, atop of an equally black horse appeared. The image wavered for a moment, and then seemed to fade. Finally there came a burst of light and the man and the horse came clearly into view.
Valerius Anaxandros instinctively glanced behind him, his jaw clenching as he surveyed the empty spot off to his right. Dismounting, he busied himself with his saddle and forced his features into more relaxed lines. He was a young man, no older than twenty one, but his lean face had a settled look to it that most typical men of his age didn’t have; a look that said that he already knew who he was. Everything about him was quick yet deliberate, his movements were economical, and his green eyes, when they settled on you were unthreatening yet penetrating. All in all he gave the impression that he was someone to be reckoned with. And he was.
His mouth was what spoiled his almost perfect control; it had a tendency to tilt this way and that, and hinted at a capacity for humor and a propensity towards mischief. Right now, however, it was on a downward descent, and plunged even further as he thought back to the encounter he had earlier today. Who was the man that had attacked him on that narrow road outside Rome? How did he know what he was? He was a threat, Valerius was sure of that, at some point in time he will have to be dealt with.
A whisper of thought, distinctly feminine, touched his mind.
It was a touch he was familiar with, a presence inside him that knew his mind as thoroughly as he himself did.
“We should speak to the Proceris about him.”
“I know, I will,” Valerius thought back.
A flash of silver caught Valerius’s eye. A Sphinx, made of beaten silver strolled into the room from the balcony off to the right. Valerius was surprised, but he held up his hand, palm up as protocol required, as it’s lion’s body stalked over to him. It surveyed Valerius dispassionately.
Its face looked like a human male’s, with high, broad cheekbones highlighted in gold. Its chin was solid and square except for the ears, which were pointed. Those ears twitched back and forth slowly as he processed Valerius’s palm print, his bone structure and his iris. He looked up at Valerius, a question in its topaz eyes.
Valerius knew what he was waiting for.
“Galatia?” said Valerius.
Immediately a golden disc melted out of his right arm. Adhagen fixed his attention on the disc, there seemed to be a moment of communication, a type of communion that Valerius didn’t fully understand. After a few moments Adhagen nodded his head, gave a slight bow before he turned and padded away.
“He’s gone” murmured Valerius. At once the disc melted back into his flesh.
“I know” said Galatia. “If Adhagan is here then the Proceris must be close by,” she added.
Valerius nodded.
It was written that the Sphinx’s job was to guard the six Travelers Circle’s, set at different points on the planet, in times of trouble. But there had been no trouble in the four thousand years that humans had inhabited Elledra. The guard had been withdrawn. The Male of the pride, Adhagan, was the only one left in service and was always with The Proceris. He would have reported to Lycurgus that he was here by now.
He decided to unstrap Sorcerers saddle while he waited, but changed his mind when he heard a familiar tapping sound. It was Lycurgus. His old, weathered face was twisted up into a scowl and his white eyebrows were furrowed down to meet in the middle. His unruly, curly white hair surrounded his face like a halo, but Valerius knew from long association, there was nothing remotely angelic about Proceris Lycurgus. The sphinx drew up beside him, swished its tail and tossed his head in Valerius’s direction as if to say, ‘there he is’.
Lycurgus nodded at the Sphinx before turning his sharp blue gaze on him.
“I was surprised when Adhagan told me you had arrived. Your assignment wasn’t supposed to end for another three days,” said Lycurgus, flicking back the collar of his gold and purple tunic and striking a dashing pose with his cane.
Valerius’s lips twitch upwards, an inevitable reaction to Lycurgus’s presence. With his flamboyant nature and unusual sense of style, many people were surprised when Lycurgus was elected to the highest position in the land, but Valerius knew that Lycurgus’s exterior hid a shrewd and clever man.
“Proceris Lycurgus” said Valerius, giving him a formal bow, “I must speak with you.”
Lygurgus nodded, his gaze skidding off to the right, before fixing itself again on Valerius’s face. Valerius pressed his lips together, making an effort to keep his expression impassive. He didn’t
think he succeeded, because Lycurgus dropped his gaze. Valerius realised that he was trying to give him some privacy.
“Its not about Sayuri…something…unexpected has happened, but since we’re on the topic, has the Knight Priests found anything…?” asked Valerius.
“No, not yet. There is no sign of her. You must know Valerius that it’s likely that she is…well, that she will not be found.”
“Yes, I know.”
Lycurgus didn’t linger on the matter, indeed he seemed anxious to change the topic. He rapped his cane twice sharply on the floor. At once a young man hurried around the corner.
“See to Lord Valerius’s horse,” he said. The young man bowed, giving Lycurgus a wide smile as he led Sorcerer away.
Lycurgus glowered after him, “no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to intimidate that one.”
Valerius lips quirked upwards, “that must disappoint you.”
“Yes. Yes it does.”
Pulling off his well worn black, leather gloves Valerius glanced around him. They were alone. “There has been an incident…”
Lycurgus held up a wrinkled hand. “Not now, we will talk in my personal chambers.”
The faint whir of a police siren interrupted their conversation. Valerius peered outside and saw a yellow Airsurfer hover car hurtling through the air with three police cars in close pursuit. The Airsurfer careened towards the hall and then pulled up suddenly, zooming over the roof. His glimpse of the driver confirmed his suspicions. A freckled teenager was manning the wheel, his blond head bobbing to the heavy beat of hip hop music.
