Free Shadows Bear No Names (The Blackened Prophecy Book 1) by Oganalp Canatan

shrugged. “I guess not, but it is nice to say a few good words about your savior’s home planet. It is not that bad. Not much nightlife as you people are used to in the core worlds but there is this beautiful restaurant that Master Emil runs. Now, see, he cooks this delicious rice with—”
    Ray stopped him short. “Religious to the core. Theocratic government.”
    “You are from the core worlds. Is it not the money your religion there?”
    Ray stuttered with the sudden cleverness of a priest mostly keeping it to himself in the forest. “Well…you probably behead people who disregard the teachings of Light.”
    Brother Cavil’s eyes grew wide. “No! That is barbaric! People just live normal lives here.” Then he narrowed his eyes and seemed distant for a second. “I guess it is hanging or exile. Mostly. Not that I saw many who were hanged.”
    “But you saw some.”
    “Well, yes, they do that publicly. But no beheading!”
    Ray winced. “You are crazy. Anyway, it was…a thing, something, a monster. It came out of the elevator and killed Alec!”
    “What elevator? What monster? Our laws have nothing—”
    “ The elevator that the monster came to kill us on my ship before my crash.”
    “Oh, that. Why?”
    “I really wish I knew.”
    Ray really, really wished he did . He couldn’t put aside the image of his first officer’s broken body. His cheeks were wet with tears. Ray told Brother Cavil everything, from the video feed problem to his frantic dash for the escape pod. By the time he’d finished, Ray was pacing the tent in anger. He was furious about his friends’ deaths, but what really pissed him off was being left in the dark .
    Ray picked up the fruit bowl and smashed it to the ground, kicking the table and scattering the kumat around the tent. The old man watched and patiently waited for the captain’s rage to end.
    The canvas suddenly felt like tons of rock pressuring him to drown, and Ray rushed out, sobbing and cursing. The fresh air of the forest welcomed him; wind gently blowing in his face as if to wake him up and pull him back to here and now.
    He stopped to watch the forest. An animal jumped in the distance, chasing something in the bushes. It resembled a red fox but it moved too fast for Ray to catch the distinctive details. Then he saw a bevy of birds, lazily flying toward the horizon. Two of the flock dove into the tree line .
    Ray followed the birds disappearing within the dense leaves. “Two of the birds dived…” Another flash hurt his head, a sharp pain all the way from his neck to his eyes. He held his head, shutting his eyes. “Two of the birds dived!” He opened his eyes again in haste and ran back into the tent. “Two birds dived!”
    “Is that so?” Brother Cavil was still taking small bites of the fruit.
    “Two birds dived!”
    “And he calls me crazy.”
    Ray shook his head, rushing every word out of his mouth. “Not birds! I think one of the other tubes was open when I made it to Engineering.”
    “And two of the birds dived…”
    “To hell with the birds! I didn’t have time to think about it then; there were two pods on Canaar ! I believe Sarah used the other pod! You have to take me to the pod. The flight recorder should have logs about the other one!”
    “I will take you to your pod, son,” the old man assented, licking the kumat stalk. “But first, tidy this mess you made of my tent!”

Chapter TEN
    THE ESCAPE POD
    “Well, this is the spot,” Brother Cavil announced.
    “Right,” Ray whispered. Charred and broken trees created a dark texture around the artificial pit created by the pod’s impact. The trees looked similar to the redwood trees on Earth, except for their bushier built. They looked firm and solid. Ray wondered how he’d managed to get out of the craft alive after such an impact. It was nothing short of a miracle.
    “Come on, Raymond. We have to get back to camp before sunset,” the priest said, pulling Ray out of his thoughts.