Act 1: Chaoticum, #1

By Charles Gull

In the eternal battle against the Realm of Chaos, Captain Doneir's discipline, ambition and trophy head count have brought him to the brink of legendary status.

Even at home, there is no respite. Isolated from family and his first great sweetheart, the Captain's days overflow with gruelling training and his nights with the demons of his childhood. As the pressure intensifies, cracks spread behind his stoic facade.

However, before fulfilling his goal to annihilate the Realm and become the Queen's suitor, he must confront his arch-nemesis, the great House whose name he carries. Can he end a brutal life-long family feud and become the hero of heroes, or will dark forces turn this Champion of Order into the most powerful Instrument of Chaos ever known?

Book two of this Grimmdark Bronzepunk crossover series keeps up the crushing winning punches in a world of unrelenting struggle and threat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Gull
• Release date: Oct 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393438489

Book preview

Chaoticum

ACT1

By

Charles Gull

Copyright © 2020 by Charles Gull

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Charles Gull asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Charles Gull has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

First edition

ISBN: ****

Dedication

To all the people that spend their whole life with a fantastic idea in their head but never get around to expressing it. Dreams only come true once you start working towards them. If you don’t get out there and do it, the world will never know!

Acknowledgments

It is due to my parents, that I can write this at all. Thanks for giving birth to me, finding me and dragging me back when I ran away from home at age 8, for not strangling me when I crashed the car or wrecked the boat, for instilling in me a passion and hunger for the written word.

Indeed, kudos to all my ancestors. Maybe you had no idea what you were setting in motion, but without you paving the way, I would never have understood how individually fascinating and inspiring every single person can be.

About the book - Act 1

In the eternal battle against the Realm of Chaos, Captain Doneir’s discipline, ambition and trophy head count have brought him to the brink of legendary status.

Even at home, there is no respite. Isolated from family and his first great sweetheart, the Captain’s days overflow with gruelling training and his nights with the demons of his childhood. As the pressure intensifies, cracks spread behind his stoic facade.

However, before fulfilling his goal to annihilate the Realm and become the Queen’s suitor, he must confront his arch-nemesis, the great House whose name he carries. Can he end a brutal life-long family feud and become the hero of heroes, or will dark forces turn this Champion of Order into the most powerful Instrument of Chaos ever known?

Book two of this Grimdark Bronzepunk crossover series keeps up the crushing winning punches in a world of unrelenting struggle and threat.

This is Book 1 in the Chaoticum epic novella series. Not read ‘Prelude’ the previous book, or 'Act 2' the next, in the ‘Chaoticum’ series yet?

Visit charlesgull.mobi to follow the author.

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

About the book - Act 1

My teeth are beginning to ache

How exactly

Exhaustion and sweat

I am sitting

Thumping

It will not make it happen

Reviewing the facts

Any hope

About the Series – Chaoticum

About the Author – Charles Gull

Chapter 1

My teeth are beginning to ache. The column is long ready to move out, but instead, we wait. Our mounts, equipment stowed, stand in line, their bowed heads reminiscent of the trophy heads dangling from looped lanyards at their withers. One horse snorts. It doesn’t understand why we haven’t left yet. My men, standing to attention beside their steeds, are doing a better job of suppressing their impatience. Underneath, I know they are seething like me.

In the wake of a brief late season squall, blackened blood drips from the trophies as our uniform leathers steam. Sweat beads under my uniform collar. Spring is on the charge again. I force my jaw to relax.

I glance at the sky. Though leaden, we can be grateful for the little colour it offers. It is a clear sign that we are beyond the kraulikt, the dulling half shadow cast across the Chaoticum by the Realm of Chaos. Nevertheless, even though the night is hardly darker than the day this close to the edge, the grubby blue is clearly deepening. We really should have left long ago.

It had better be soon.

But first, we must wait for the patrol to be properly finished. At last I hear stamping feet. I turn to watch the approach. Shirt unbuttoned and hair falling in his eyes, he marches heavily, boots splattering the grey slush. He hopes to find some grip in the gravel and stones below, to not land on his arse in front of us, to avoid making an embarrassment of himself.

It is already far too late for that.

He already is an embarrassment, to the Aether Guard, to our blessed Homelands and to every other nation of the Rationalle. Likely, even the Temporalis shudders at the thought of him. Not applying procedure during a patrol hand over and commanding no discipline over his rabble is contemptable. Not following uniform regulation is an indictment. Above all else, arriving late is beyond excusable. His commission should be stripped at the very least. The image of that ceremony brings a brief smile to my lips before his blithe approach brings me back to the present.

Am I supposed to trust this pitiful specimen to hold back the encroachment of whatever Spawn the Realm of Chaos spits out into the Chaoticum? Is this what is going to keep the Homelands safe? How did he achieve a commission in the first place, let alone get to lead men into the killing zone of the Chaoticum? Family connections, no doubt. It is a struggle not to spit my rising bile.

Grinning broadly, he stamps to a halt in front of me and beats a fist against his bare chest. Shield of the Homelands! He waits for my return salute before continuing. I must say, I didn’t expect you boys to stick around quite so long after we turned up. Thought you’d be keen to trot off rather than wait for us to settle in. It’s jolly decent of you, I must say.

The urge to spit has disappeared. Instead, I imagine loosening a section of his grin. It is a pleasant image, but I keep my balled fists firmly banished to the small of my back. It is not ‘jolly decent’. It is procedure. We have all been looking forward to going home ever since relieving the previous patrol. Every guard does. Patrolling is not a fun day out. It is our sworn duty. Nevertheless, as we are not by nature deserters, we never leave our assigned posting until we have been officially relieved.

A shadow flits briefly across his boyish features. But we’re here now, and not all that late into the bargain. I don’t see what your problem is.

Disregarding the fact that you are late at all, my problem is that we need to be relieved officially. My teeth threaten to start grinding again. You have to say it explicitly or else we cannot leave.

Oh, I see. Oops! He shrugs. Okay. Well, consider yourselves relieved. I’ve taken command of Watch Post twelve now.

I turn to my waiting patrol. Mount up! I swing into my own saddle.

Frowning slightly, he looks up at me. Captain Doneir, may I ask you a question?

Ask.

He glances at all the trophy heads, grotesque in rictus, swinging against our horses’ haunches. Well, what with your reputation and all. Reputation or no, our haul must be just about the best we have ever had. It is sure to improve my team’s standing, get us first place at last. He chews his lip. How much Spawn do you think you’ve actually left for us to claim?

I look up and down the length of the column. Sergeant Haddar nods from the vanguard. I point down the valley track and blow my whistle. Move out! The column begins to file onto the path. Before looking down at the pup captain, I glance around at the men who sauntered up the same way with him this afternoon. They are lounging at their posts. The sentries aren’t even looking out over the shield wall. To claim? You really are the idiot you look! There is nothing to claim in the Chaoticum. It is a battle just to stay alive over there. If it is not Spawn trying to tear your throat out, then it is the ground itself rising up to swallow you whole. Pray you see nothing and find nothing. Pray that the Chaoticum don’t even notice your pathetic presence. From what I have seen of your command today, your patrol is probably going to get taken out by the very first phratt you come across.

He puffs up like a toad. I appreciate that I’m new, and my patrol inexperienced, but that’s no reason to be rude. Even the best had to start from scratch. He tries to look down his nose at me. Even you, I’m sure. It