If you haven't read "The Twin Lights of Home: The Dawn" (listed as just "The Twin Lights of Home"), go and read it now or you will be completely lost with this story. You have been warned. :)

To my loyal readers, here's Book Two, just like I promised. :) Just remember that this is a prologue! Things might or might not be as they appear. Reviews are always good.

The Twin Lights of Home: The Tempest

Prologue

Their home on the distant planet – if you could call it a home - wasn't much but it was all that they had. They'd handmade shelves out of the local vegetation and dug a pit to hold a fire, which they kept stoked with wood they had piled under the shelves. They ate, drank, and cooked out of the containers which they had found after they were abducted from their homeworld. He hunted the wildlife there for meat while she ensured that they always had fresh water and plenty of vegetation to eat. It wasn't an easy life but it was the only life they had known for a couple of years since they'd arrived. They'd had to learn very quickly that the only law where they now lived was to survive at any cost.

The male kissed his wife before leaving their cave dwelling and heading out for yet another hunt, armed with those weapons they had made from whatever materials they could find. The goal was, just like previous times, to return with their pack full so that the two of them together could prepare the animals he'd caught for eating as well for other uses.

It had been a good hunting day. He'd caught three small cherote'ii and was preparing to bag a fourth, not an easy task with how agile the small rodents were. He took aim with his bow and arrow, knowing that complete concentration on his goal was necessary. Just as he was about to release his arrow, however, something large and powerful slammed into him with a ferocious growl.

He fought against the krazolt, crying out as the beast clawed his body. The large beast attacked every part that it could get its claws or teeth into. But he wasn't about to let some rojre animal win the fight. Using what strength he could muster, he held the beast away from him with one hand while he reached for the arrow that was now lying three feet away. Grabbing the weapon, he quickly adjusted his grip on it before plunging it into the krazolt's back, causing the creature to roar in agony and stumble away from its victim. With one more effort, the male grabbed his bow and reached for another arrow, this one protruding from his pack. He took swift aim and fired it into the beast before it could recover from the first arrow. The projectile struck the krazolt in the neck, bringing out yet another roar of pain before it fell to the ground, immobilized and slowly dying.

The male shook violently from the pain and fear that still filled his senses. He knew his wounds were severe, too severe to continue with his hunt. Slowly getting to his feet, he started to journey back to the cave he now called home, stumbling as he moved. He had to stop several times to gain some strength, which was dwindling quickly as he moved but he refused to stop completely or to dump the pack on his back. Before he got three yards from the shelter, he knew he wouldn't survive his injuries. Nonetheless, he persisted. If there was one thing he had promised himself when he arrived on this planet, it was that the last thing he would see in his life was the face of his beloved.

He crawled the last few feet to the entrance. The sight of him inching his way into the cave caused his wife to gasp in terror. The female ran to him and helped him into the safety of their home. Pulling the pack away from him and tossing it to the side, she laid him on his back before hurrying to get water in order to clean his wounds. She was desperately trying to stop the bleeding when he reached up and took her hand, halting her actions.

"It's okay, my love," he whispered to her. "It's a good death. A krazolt attack is a natural death in comparison to what the Masters want from us."

"Don't talk that way," she berated him between sobs, though she didn't pull her hand from his grip. Deep in her heart, she knew that what he was saying was true. His wounds were far too severe to heal without the benefit of proper medical care, which the Masters refused to provide game players. "Please, don't leave me," she whispered, despair seeping into her voice.

He looked into her eyes, bright with tears of sorrow. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, my love. But I die happy knowing that I was able to see your beautiful face one last time. I love you."

"No, don't leave me. I can't do this without you," she pleaded again. Seeing the light in his eyes vanish, she sobbed heavily, knowing that her greatest fear – to live the rest of her life without her beloved – had become a reality.

Realizing that it was a future she truly couldn't bear, she stood and collected the knife she had been using to chop herbs in preparation of the meal they were to have shared. Going to his side once again, she took his head and gently placed it in her lap. "I promised I would never leave you," she whispered to his impassive features. "And I meant it. I love you."

Raising the knife so that the blade faced her, she plunged the instrument into her heart, screaming from the pain it produced. She twisted it violently to ensure further damage, producing yet another wail. Pulling the blade out, she dropped it beside her in order to caress her lover's face one more time before her life ebbed from her.

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Translations:

cherote'ii – (pronounced "che-row-te-eye", with "r" rolled) plural of cherote (pronounced "chay-row-tay, with "r" rolled), a rodent that looks something like a mix between a rabbit, a weasel, and a fox

krazolt – (pronounced as it is spelled, with "r" rolled) a large predatory carnivore the size of a large bear with long fur, three horns on a head which resembles that of a massive wolf

rojre – (pronounced "row-zj-ray" – "zj" being the sound made when saying the name Jacque – rolling the "r"s) having the properties of decay