Chris Fox Writes

No Mere Zombie is nearly here, and one of the number one questions fans have asked is what happened to Commander Jordan? If you haven’t read No Such Thing As Werewolves, then I’d advise you not to read further, because the chapter below contains MASSIVE spoilers.

Chapter 1- Wake Up

Jordan awoke screaming, a harsh series of ragged cries. The phantom pain of his arms being torn off was still very real, though a quick glance showed that both were intact. He scrambled to his feet, whirling as he tried to understand where he was and what had just happened.

The last thing he remembered was dying in the Ark. He’d been torn apart by the Mother, an ancient being that was for all intents and purposes a god. She was the progenitor of the werewolves, and his entire mission had been to curtail their spread. They murdered innocent people, who rose and murdered more people in turn. Yet he’d failed utterly to stop them, and Professor Smith had led his companions into the Ark and successfully woken the Mother.

He looked down at himself. He was covered in blood, most of it dried into thick flaky patches. He was also naked, and it was damn cold. A quick glance around showed that he was at the base of one of the Ark’s sloped sides. The pyramid towered above him, its black stone slabs stabbing into the sky like some too smooth mountain. The place was deathly silent, and other than the cry of a wheeling hawk the wind was his only companion.

Not your only companion, Ka-Dun. I am here.

Jordan whirled again, reaching for the pistol no longer belted at his side. “What the fuck are you?”

The words were strange. They were inside his mind somehow.

I am your beast, Ka-Dun. I serve as guide and protector. Turn toward the Ark’s mirrored finish. Study your reflection there and I will show you the truth of things.

Jordan knew he wasn’t going mad, though he wished he was. He was alive when he should be dead. He was naked and covered in blood. He had no memory of coming to this place, as he’d died within the Ark. All of that painted a very disconcerting picture.

He did as the beast asked, turning to face the pyramid. As the voice had said he could make out his reflection in the dark stone. He looked like hell, close-cropped blonde hair matted with dirt. His entire body a mass of dust and blood.

Watch, Ka-Dun. The voice said.

Jordan felt something stir within him, a tingling energy akin to static electricity. It flowed down his body, beginning in his chest and moving outwards through his limbs. The tingling grew hotter, becoming a torrent of very painful fire. Then the change began. It wasn’t the agony that really bothered him, it was the knowledge of what he was seeing.

Bones popped and limbs elongated, even as blonde fur sprouted from every part of his body. His back arched, contorting at the mercy of the change. A lupine muzzle burst from his face, his teeth lengthening into fangs. He grew taller, now nearly eight feet of fur and muscle.

The reflection staring back at him was unmistakable. He’d become the enemy. Jordan was a god-damned werewolf. Part of him was thrilled at still being alive, but most of him was horrified. In a way he’d sold his soul, become the very thing he’d sworn to fight. For what? And what could he possibly do about it?

Prepare yourself, Ka-Dun. It begins.

Jordan wasn’t sure what the voice meant, but he felt something all around him. A gathering energy like the moment before a lightning strike. Then tendrils of fire veined across the sky, lighting the valley like it was noon. He didn’t know what it was, but he could feel that energy. Draw strength from it. Part of him sensed that whatever it was would forever change the world.

It is the great change, Ka-Dun. The sun-sign that shows that we have entered the next age. Your powers will increase, and you will need them. For in the wake of this cleansing fire the ancient enemy will rise again.

I’ve finished the final content edit of No Mere Zombie. My line editor will give it one more pass, then it’s ready for publication! That will take about two weeks, after which I’ll upload the script to Ryan to begin work on the audio book.

The pre-release date on Amazon is set to April 25th, but it’s looking like I’ll be able to pull the trigger before then. I’ll keep you updated on the new release date!

If you haven’t picked up The First Ark it’s free until Tuesday!