by Erik Weir
Realm Walker
Omnibus
Books One through Three
Erik Weir
Realm Walker: Omnibus © copyright 2019 Erik Weir
All Rights Reserved
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“Second star to the right and straight on till morning.”– Peter Pan
Table of Contents
Realm Walker
Blade and Shield
Book One
Realm Walker
Monsters and Angels
Book Two
Realm Walker
Fate and Dreams
Book Three
Realm Walker
Blade and Shield
Book One
Erik Weir
One
The shadowy landscape writhed and pulsated like a living being. A lone figure sat on a log, eyes lost to the hypnotic rhythm of the world around him. It ebbed and flowed against his senses, caressing his inner world like a warm body lying next to him on a cold winter night.
Victor sighed as a crescent moon hung high in the black sky. There were no stars, only a celestial body, casting its glow on the young man. Victor drank in the stunning beauty of the moonlight when a shadow slipped past a black tree. The young man’s eyes lowered until he saw a form step from tree to tree until it stood at an opening, facing him. A black robe covered the figure but aspects touched his senses. The figure had an hourglass form. A hood covered their head but pale skin glowed against the darkness of the hood. A small smile bloomed as shadows covered the woman’s eyes. The air took on an electric current as she sauntered closer.
“Hi,” Victor said simply, heart thudding faster in his chest.
The shrouded figure said nothing as she approached and stood before him. Victor looked up into the shadow of the hood, trying to penetrate the darkness but it did not part to his gaze. Only the warm smile sent a peaceful breeze through his spirit.
“Will you be staying a little longer tonight,” Victor asked.
The figure remained silent, hand reaching up and caressing his cheek. Victor’s eyes closed, the warm touch firing off nerves while the coolness of the night washed over him like a waterfall.
A loud beeping stabbed at the serene landscape, growing louder by the moment. Victor opened his eyes and looked up into the dark hood, a single tear running down her cheek and hanging at her porcelain jaw line.
Brow wrinkled in confusion before the landscape spun away like hurricane. Victor called out as the robed woman turned to dust and blew away with the wind. Darkness drained as light blasted senses like cannon fire. The young man let out one last shout before it all fell away to a brilliant light.
Eyes blinked slowly, reality filling the light. Victor moaned as feeling returned to his body. Something hard was in his right hand. The young man looked from his position to see a game controller still clutched in his claw-like grip. The scents and sights of the couch surrounded him. Turning his head, the game system was still on, the words “You Died!” bouncing on the flat screen like a kid at an ice cream counter.
Victor took in a deep breath before moaning again. Tendrils of the dream colored his thoughts but only for a moment before they faded away to the background.
“I bet I’m late,” Victor said to no one in particular.
Lifting his head, he looked to the clock by the flat-screen and saw that it 7:40 a.m.
Victor smiled. “Twenty minutes, I have a chance!”
The young man dropped the controller and burst to his feet. Moving like a whirlwind, he flashed across the apartment. Smiling, he grabbed his toothbrush and squeezed toothpaste on it. Brushing his teeth, he ran from the bathroom to the bedroom. Hands moved in a blur, grabbing clothes as the foaming toothbrush moved about with assistance from his tongue. Victor hummed a tune as a button up shirt flowed over his shoulders and he nearly jumped into his slacks. When the foam grew too much, he rushed to the bathroom, barked like rabid dog in the mirror and spit out the foam.
Victor kept his smile as he looked at himself in the mirror. “He’s going to yell at you but that’s okay, his life sucks.”
With that, Victor ran out of the bathroom, grabbing his shoes and socks. Running barefoot through the apartment complex, he told himself he could put on his socks and shoes in the car. Time ticked away as he readied himself for a new day in paradise.
***
The glass building loomed as Victor rushed toward it. Eyes wide, he nearly crashed into people as he darted past. Inside, he nearly vaulted past the lobby desk, his body spinning and slipping past the elevator doors before they closed. People inside looked at the young man as he smiled and fixed his collar.
When the elevator reached the 6th floor, the doors parted and Victor stepped out with his chest out. Susie behind the floor desk looked up with a smile. Victor moved toward her, his eyes glancing at the clock above her and saw that he had two minutes to spare.
“He’s going to yell at you,” Susie grinned.
“I have two minutes,” Victor said as he leaned on the front desk counter, “More than enough time to talk to my favorite person.”
Susie rolled her eyes. “You say that to everyone.”
Victor lifted an eyebrow, “How do you know that? Who have you been talking to behind my back?”
Susie couldn’t contain her smile before it cracked into a laugh.
Victor continued, “It’s going to be great day. Do you need a coffee?”
Susie kept her smile and lifted her coffee mug, “Already have my drug of choice and yes, I hope it’s a good day. The crazies keep calling about that ad campaign.”
Victor nodded. “Such is the world we live in. But don’t worry; it’s only a matter of time before they complain about something else. Just know, you are the wind beneath my wings.”
Susie shook her head, “Better get inside before Bannerman finds you.”
Victor grinned and winked before moving around the counter and stepping into the office. The day had started with the entire office huddled in their half-cubicles. Heads poked up and some hands waved to Victor as he hurried through the simple maze to his desk. Karen looked up from her cubicle opposite Victor’s and Adam looked up from his cubicle to the right. Victor was about to sit down when Karen and Adam’s eyes widened.
Victor froze in his tracks. “He’s behind me?”
“Yes, I am,” said a not too pleased voice.
Victor turned around with a smile. “Mr. Bannerman, so good to see you on this bright and sunny morning…”
Bannerman shook his head, “Save it. You’re late again.”
“But if I was working the night shift, I would be really early.”
Bannerman shook his head. “Mr. Hobbs, come in on time or don’t come in at all.”
Victor’s demeanor shifted, head and shoulders bending submissively to Bannerman’s tired gaze. “I will make every effort to come in on time...no...before on time.”
Bannerman simply nodded, turned and walked to his office. Victor let out a long exhale before turning and slumping into his chair.
Adam looked over the cubicle edge, “Man, is he gunning for you.”
“I don’t know, I think he’s coming around to being my friend,” Victor laughed.
“How can you be so cavalier about it,” Adam asked.
Victor looked to his co-worker, “Life is too short to spend it dwelling on the negative. We doing lunch later?”
Adam smiled and nodded before sinking down to his seat.
Karen looked over the edge as Victor began tapping away at his keyboard. “Thanks for yesterday.”
Victor looked up with knowing eyes, “Anytime. When I have questions on the budget reports, you’re the first person I’m coming to.”
Karen nodded. “My door is always open.”
Victor smiled before tapping away again. Thoughts flowed back to yesterday, Karen nearly on the verge of tears with her reporting. Victor had stayed late and saw she was struggling. Pushing his work aside, he sat by her and helped talk her through the reporting. It took longer than he expected but when Karen finally got it, it was almost 8 p.m.
Karen’s eyes lingered on Victor before shyly looking down.
Is she hitting on me?
“No,” Victor said in the barest of whispers, his voice lost to the office sounds around him.
The moment faded away as Victor focused on his own work. Brilliant light flooded the office windows as the recycled air churned on. Thoughts stabbed at the young man as he tried to focus on his work. The dream caressed his mind as the gentle tapping of keys took on a rhythmic pulse. Reality seemed to dim as Victor’s eyes half closed. The growing tempo of his heart filled his ears. The light outside dimmed as clouds moved across the blue sky.
Loud voices cut through the hazy gloom. Victor looked up, a confusion filling his eyes. Adam and Karen both looked up, the confusion growing. A woman’s scream pierced the entire office before the air vibrated with gunshots.
Victor, Karen and Adam were to their feet as time slowed down. Susie ran into the office, blood covering her clothes before several more gunshots filled the air. Bullets rammed into Susie’s back as the force sent her flying forward and crashing into the ground. A disheveled man stepped into the main office, a semi-automatic rifle in his hands and madness in his eyes.
Karen and Adam stood frozen as Victor stepped onto his desk, hands out. The man invading their office scanned the room while his finger pulled on the trigger. The rifle went off in rapid succession as the entire office erupted into chaos. Victor was up and moving as bullets quickly filled the office. Victor’s hand grabbed Adam’s shoulder just as several bullets hit him in the chest, one bullet striking his throat. Adam gurgled a scream as blood filled his throat. Victor was still moving, his left arm out. Karen was turning away as Victor came crashing down.
Victor’s eyes were wide as he noticed his body was moving on its own. Crashing into Karen, they hit the floor hard. Adam broke free from Victor’s grip, clutching at his throat as blood stained his shirt crimson. The struggling weakened in moments before he was still, eyes gazing up at nothing.
Karen cried out as Victor grabbed her and hoisted her to her feet. Pushing his fellow co-worker, Victor eyed the emergency exit before turning his head and looking over his shoulder. The man with the rifle cursed under his breath as he attempted to load a new magazine. Crazy eyes glared down at the rifle until the magazine clicked into place and he cleared the barrel.
Don’t Die Don’t Die Don’t Die!
Victor pushed Karen to the emergency exit, senses dialed to eleven. He could feel the glare of the crazy gunman turn to him. Karen was at the emergency exit and opening the door. Victor was still moving as he looked back to see the gunman staring at him with vile hatred.
“YOU!” the man screamed as he aimed and pulled the trigger.
Victor turned just as something penetrated his shoulder. The young man didn’t cry out as he shoved Karen hard, several bullets whizzing past his side. Eyes looked down as blood spurted from Karen’s back and she went stumbling forward.
Nononononononono!
Karen let out a helpless cry as she hit the hard floor, blood spilling from her back. Victor growled a shout as his body started to seize up. Turning at the emergency exit, the gunman stepped through the office as people huddled under desks or ran off as soon the gunman stepped past them.
Victor leaned against the doorway edge, his muscles giving out. Bannerman ran toward him, eyes wide on the exit but not seeing the wounded Victor. The smell of cordite filled the air as the madman stepped closer, his barrel trained on Victor.
“No mercy,” the man in the wrinkled trench coat growled as he pulled the trigger again.
This is the end…
“No, it’s not…” Victor hissed as Bannerman came toward him.
The young man threw his arm out as his boss came running toward him like a frightened animal. Bannerman never noticed Victor as he pushed through and nearly stumbled over Karen’s cooling body. Victor turned his back to the gunman, his body filling up the doorway. Gunshots rang out before bullets slammed into Victor’s body.
Strength left Victor as he watched Bannerman jump down the stairs, unharmed. Darkness crawled into his vision as his body swayed. Falling, he heard more gunshots before he landed on Karen’s lifeless body, darkness consuming his senses before winking out into the abyss.
Two
Victor blinked awake. Cool darkness and the glow of the crescent moon chased away the chaos, replacing it with a deep serenity. Sitting up, he checked his body, seeing that it was intact and no holes that he could see or feel. Confusion ebbed on the shores of his mind as he leaned back on his palms, trying to decipher what just happened. Memory yawned as he recalled the events, senses burning from the impacts of bullets entering his body.
“I thought death would be a little brighter,” Victor said in a low tone.
The shadowy forest around him swayed to a breeze. Leaves rustled in the wind like whispers at midnight. The young man found himself relaxing to the sounds, trying to push away the weird events that had ended his life.
A robed figure stepped from the shadows and walked closer. Victor looked up and despite what he had just gone through, was smiling ear to ear. Heart beating in his chest, he leaned forward, legs straight out across the grassy ground.
“It must be heaven since I get to see you again,” Victor said kindly.
The woman stepped closer and sat down next to him. Shadows covered the upper half of her face while the lower half glowed in the moonlight. The black robe adhered to her form as she settled at Victor’s side, facing in the same direction he was.
“My schedule is clear so we can talk about anything,” Victor smiled.
The hooded woman turned her head slightly toward Victor, “What do you want to talk about?”
Victor’s eyes widened a little. “You can talk,” he stammered.
The woman nodded.
“Is it because I’m dead?”
“You’re not dead,” the woman said with a deep sigh.
“Feels like I might be dead,” Victor said as he looked up to the moon.
“They can’t snatch you away from me so quickly,” the woman said in a gentle tone.
“Say that to the guy who shot me.”
“He was merely an instrument to hurt me, to hurt us.”
Victor looked to the cloaked woman with curious eyes. “I don’t want to be rude…but I feel a little lost right now.”
The hooded woman nodded before laying the side of her head on Victor’s shoulder.
“All will come to you with time. I am here to ask something of you first.”
The air took a serious vibration as Victor listened.
“It has taken me a long time to be able to speak to you, like this. But for now, time is not our ally. You have a choice before you, and I must know your answer before we can continue our dance.”
Victor sat, eyes taking a dark edge. “I don’t even know where here is or even your name. This is a dream.”
The hooded woman lifted her head and faced the young man. The shadows covering her face were inky black but Victor could feel her stare penetrating his heart. It lay open to her, and he could not put up a single barrier to protect himself from her black gaze.
“My name is Vala. My purpose is to return from the abyss. My question…will you be my Champion?”
Victor’s heart raced as he could not break his gaze from the shadows of her hood. Pain swirled along his chest as he tried to understand what was happening. The dream seemed to spiral on, dark trees and the glow of the moon coming together like a gothic painting. Vala sat, the darkness crawling over her smooth cheeks as the pain grew with each passing moment.
“I don’t understand…,” Victor coughed.
“You do,” Vala whispered. “You understand what I’m asking.”
The pain grew louder, more defined. Victor struggled to keep it together as the dreamscape rippled.
“I…I…,” Victor tried to say but the words would not come.
Vala touched his shoulder and the pain lessened in an instant. “Take some time to think about your answer but do not wait too long, for both our sakes.”
The moment Vala let go, pain roared like a beast from the deepest pit of hell. Victor struggled against it until it grew to a maddening pitch and he screamed.
***
Loud beeps and bright lights greeted Victor as his eyes fluttered open. Nurses rushed in; eyes filled with determination. Victor cried out as he felt needles and tubes in his body. The pain was deafening as the beeps from the heart monitor stabbed into his ears. Glancing down, thick white bandages bloomed with red. Convulsions rippled along his body as it fought to stay alive. Through flashes of pain and shouting nurses, Victor felt the cold touch of death, fingers gliding along his skin. Nurses in white tried to hold him down while one pulled out a syringe and stabbed it into a tube in his arm. Vala stood among the nurses, her dark gaze on him and no one seeing her but him.
Victor’s body stormed on, fighting for every breath as his inner self grew smaller, blocking out the pain. Reality blended into his memories and Victor looked out, silently watching grand swaths of pain and misery play like an orchestra made up of demons. A tear formed as death grew bolder, laughing at his weakness once again.
There is nothing here worth staying for.
The pain swelled and crashed into his inner world. Victor looked for Vala but she was gone, swallowed up by the nurses and a doctor rushing in. Eyes darted in his head as his body grew colder. The fountain of life drained from his wounds and into white bandages. The light began to dim.