Realm Walker Omnibus

by Erik Weir

  The two cannons on top of the lone building fired off until Victor’s guardian flew past, her golden sword slashing through them. Explosions sent flaming debris to the ground while demons continued to fire on the Champion cutting down their ranks.

  “Why are you running?” Victor asked as he sliced across the demon’s neck, sending its head flying through the air.

  The Champion stalked forward; eyes hard behind his armored face. Demons backed up, tails trembling and eyes wide. Rifles shook as the lone man approached a cluster of them.

  “Redarr will kill us if we don’t fight back,” one demon shouted to his brothers and sisters at his sides.

  “If you keep fighting, I’m going to kill you,” Victor’s tone holding a menacing darkness.

  The cluster of demons hesitated before dropping their guns and running. Victor smiled behind his armored face, turning his attention to the lone building while his guardian flew in wide circles. The remaining demons in the courtyard rushed toward the entrance, not looking back as they cleared out, leaving smoke, flames, and dismembered bodies behind them.

  Victor began walking toward the structure when a large figure appeared at the top. An arm pulled back as a gleam of a spear point appeared. Victor bent his legs to launch into the air, but he was too late. The spear launched like a cannon, flying silently through the sky and stabbing deep into the flying guardian. Golden blood spurted from its mouth as it spun out of control and struck the ground hard. The dark figure jumped from the top of the structure and came down with both clawed feet, crashing into the guardian as she tried to get back up. Clawed hands grabbed her wings and ripped them from her back before a foot came down, smashing the guardian’s head to pulp.

  Victor stared as a hulking wolf creature grabbed the spear and pulled it from the guardian’s body. It turned around, ears back and eyes glowing. Salvia dripped from the corner of his mouth as locks of white fur ran along its head. Closing its maw, it stalked forward while a voice rose up from behind Victor.

  “Hello cousin.”

  Victor turned sideways, making sure he kept both in sight as darkness filled his eyes.

  “Do not fail Baaldir this time,” Flint growled to Luis as he stalked toward Victor.

  The Champion glanced to Luis in his human form. “Where are the puppies?”

  Luis’s smug expression shifted to pain and hatred.

  “They paid the price for not carrying out Baaldir’s wishes,” Flint scoffed.

  Victor made eye contact with Luis, “You let them kill your dogs?”

  “Luis killed them to prove his worth. He is a Champion of Baaldir and we all must earn our positions at his side,” Flint growled before he slowed to a stop.

  Victor turned his back to Flint, his gaze on Luis. “I have been thinking about you, about us. You don’t have to be Baaldir’s Champion. There is a safe place at Vala’s side. Help me stop Flint and I can take you from here. Vala may be able to return you to Earth.”

  Luis took a step forward, hefting a giant hammer. “Like I told you before, it’s too late for me. I’m going to enjoy turning your body into a red spot on the ground.”

  Victor lowered his sword, “Luis, we can’t go on like this. I…don’t even know what I did to make you so angry. The realms hang in the balance and you’re a Champion to a monster who killed your dogs.”

  Luis stopped his advance, annoyed rage filling his brow. “How can you say that? You know what you did!”

  “Luis, I…” Victor barely had time to raise his sword as Luis and Flint were on him.

  Holy sword parrying Luis’s hammer, his arms shook as sparks flew. Flint’s shadow covered Victor. The Champion raised an armored forearm and parried the spear point, causing it to slide off. Arm whipping out, he bashed it against Flint’s snout, but the war wolf barely moved. Claws flashed and Victor jumped.

  The Champion flew straight up as Luis and Flint were on the ground, looking up with hungry eyes and weapons at the ready. When Victor reached the zenith of his jump, he began to fall toward them, Luis’s body shifting and growing with each passing second. When he was halfway to them, Luis had changed into his monstrous wolf form, hammer at the ready.

  Victor let out a strong exhale as he landed and bodies blasted into motion. Holy Sword up, Victor turned into a typhon, parrying each hammer swing and spear thrust. Sparks and energy showered the area as the Champion moved against their attacks, parrying and stepping away to gain some room.

  Luis growled as he launched at his small cousin, hammer coming down in hard strikes. Despite Victor’s strength, he felt Luis had become stronger. Each blow sent a foot back and another to remain standing. At this rate, Victor knew they would overcome him soon if he didn’t up his power.

  Spending a Will point for his Bend Time ability, time slowed down. Victor tried to take the advantage, but saw Luis and Flint were not moving as slow as he hoped. Either they had some resistance or they were pumping influence into their speed, they came at him like two comets. Victor’s sword parried blows before launching backwards and landing fifty feet away.

  “I’m strong enough to end your life now,” Luis said with an evil grin as he advanced.

  Flint flexed his shoulders as he approached alongside Luis’s.

  Victor stayed at the ready. “Luis, we can’t go on like this. I don’t want us to kill each other.”

  “It’s okay, I’m just going to kill you,” Luis grinned and burst forward.

  Victor parried the incoming hammer, arms shaking. A spear slammed into his side; metal plates blowing off. Victor readjusted to knock away Flint’s spear when Luis’s hammer came hard across. The power in the blow knocked Victor into the air, metal plates flying in different directions before hitting the ground and rolling to a stop. Checking his Armor status report, he had lost about 37% of his armor. Another hit or two like that, and it would be gone. Exposed clothes showed where he was struck and Luis gazed down at them, plotting out his moves.

  Victor backed up as the war wolves stalked closer, a deadly menace in their eyes. “Luis…tell me…tell me what I did that wronged you?”

  “Finish him so we may bring his head to Baaldir,” Flint growled.

  Victor turned his attention to the older war wolf, “You beat me when I first arrived in Vala’s realm. I won’t let you get another chance. Tell Baaldir to fuck off.”

  Flint gave a wolfish grin. “You’re pathetic. How could such a weak man kill a legend.”

  “Kill a legend? What the fuck? Are you guys reading from a different script? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Victor said as he backpedaled, his back to the lone building in the middle of the courtyard.

  Flint’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t even know what you did. What you set into motion from your dreams. You saved Vala but you killed…” Flint’s growl began to grow.

  Victor’s eyes widened as he remembered the dream. It flashed before his mind’s eye, the rock in his hand as he brought it down on the wolf chasing Vala’s animal form. The blood staining fur and the protective fury fueling his dream self as he rammed the sharp rock into the giant wolf.

  Flint gave a grave nod as he saw the realization in Victor’s eyes. “You killed my father. I swore a blood oath to slay the man who murdered him. I could not kill you in Vala’s realm, but I wanted you to feel my fists so you will always know, I beat you before I slayed you.”

  Victor took another step back, heart growing heavier in his chest. Fire lit and touched the Champions eyes as he took another step back. The scene played out in his mind again, pouncing on the wolf and striking it with the stone. Never in his life had he raged as he protected such a small creature from the jaws of death. He didn’t know it was Vala. He had no idea about realms, monsters, angels, and demons. All he knew was he had to stop death from taking an innocent, even if it meant his own life.

  Victor looked down, “I’m sorry I killed your father.”

  “Keep your pathetic apology. I want retribution,” Flint growled as he stepped
closer.

  Victor looked up with a growing storm in his eyes, “But if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Flint howled with rage as he and Luis launched at the Blade. Victor spent ten points of Constitution and reactivated his Power Armor Ability. The Titan effect caused energy to super charge his body. The armor plates across his body doubled and tripled in size. Hydraulics unfurled from the metal and clamped onto joints. Victor’s armored body grew squarish at the shoulders as he slashed out with his holy sword. Flint and Luis brought their weapons down and when they clashed, the entire area trembled.

  Victor moved like a titan against the two war wolves. Luis could barely keep up as he parried the holy sword. Flint moved like a dancer through the metal storm, body twisting and avoiding strikes and stabbing with his spear. The point bounced off the hardened metal, sending sparks into the air.

  “Luis! I’ll stop Baaldir! I’ll save you from his influence!” Victor yelled as he backed up, sword swinging.

  Luis launched at the metal juggernaut, ice covering the hammer head and the war wolf screaming. “I DON’T NEED SAVING!”

  Victor turned his sword sideways, parrying Luis’s blow. Flint was airborne over Luis’s shoulder, spear point aimed for Victor’s un-armored eye. The Champion yelled as he pointed his left hand and spent a point of Will. Using his Energy Craft ability, golden energy surged into his hand, but before Victor could change it to something useful, instinct took over and a stream of energy blasted out.

  Flint turned his spear sideways, taking the brunt of the blast, but it still knocked him from the air. The war wolf spun away, landing awkwardly and stumbling off as he tried to right himself.

  Luis brought his hammer up and down, again and again on Victor’s holy sword. Power exploded as Victor tried to fend off his attack. A divine rage took hold of the war wolf as he brought the hammer down like a blacksmith at an anvil. The ground cracked and hydraulics kept Victor up and holding back the power.

  “I’ll kill you like your dad should have done when he went crazy!” Luis screamed.

  Victor took a step back when the ice hammer struck the blade again. The power in the strike cracked the Holy Sword and pain touched Victor’s soul. Energy whirled and before Victor could recover, white hot power slammed into every cell of his being.

  Time slowed and Victor could see every motion as it was happening. Rage poured out of Luis as he lifted his hammer for another blow. Flint charged with snarling fury and spear in hand. The energy touching Victor’s body blasted him beyond his mortal senses as he felt peace.

  Victor, it is like it was before.

  The Champion nodded in his mind. He knew what Chill was saying. It was just like before when he tapped Vala’s power against Draygon. Wondrous power filled every last bit of his vessel and the universe made sense.

  Victor’s left hand formed an armored fist. In a blink, the fist crashed into Luis’s chest and he flew backwards, his wolfish eyes wide. Flint was stabbing outward when Victor flashed before him, punching the war wolf and sending him flying back just like Luis.

  Victor sighed, knowing he could end it with just another action when reality fell back into place, the crack along his sword sealing shut. Weakness poured into muscles and Victor found it hard to stand. The power he felt was gone. Groaning, he watched as Flint and Luis hit the ground and tumbled like they were hit by trains.

  Turning, Victor tried to run, but instead hobbled quickly toward the lone building. Reaching the door, he looked back to see Luis and Flint shaking off the dazed confusion and slowly getting back to their feet. The Champion lifted the Holy Sword and slashed at the metal door. It split in half and fell with a thunderous bang.

  Charging his left fist with his remaining Will point, Victor pointed up as he stepped in. Energy blasted out at the top of the entrance, cracking it. The metal and stone fell in as the Champion made his way deeper into the building. The front section of the building caved in as Victor rushed down the long corridor and stopped at a set of double doors, debris and dust flying. Sword up, he carved through the doors and rammed his shoulder into the falling shards.

  Stumbling into the large circular room, Victor stared as his hulking armor took up the entrance. Four women lay, a robed figure over each one. Green energy spilled form hands as incantations filled the air. The mages didn’t break their ritual as they whispered arcane words over the women. One woman was demonic with leather covering her body. Her skin was a dark blue and her horns were tiny, smaller than Lily’s horns. The other three women were similar as they looked like a cross between a woman and a hound. Fur covered parts of their limbs and long hair covered their heads. Dog-like ears graced their heads while fangs stuck out from their mouths. Tails lay limply to the side while ashen skin covered their bodies not covered by fur.

  Victor heard a thunderous rumble from outside. Moving with subdued urgency, the Champion raised his sword and cut down the first mage, cleaving him in two. The mage didn’t make as sound, his incantations going silent. Victor moved and cut down another and another until he reached the last one. With a small heave, he sliced the mage in two, blood spurting and spilling on the rune covered floor.

  The four women opened their eyes at once. Victor went to the demon one. She looked to him with sultry eyes and a devilish smirk.

  “Greetings Vala’s Blade. I was starting to wonder when you would arrive to save us,” The demon woman said as she sat up.

  Victor was about to say something when clawed hands grabbed him from behind. Power diminishing, the power armor began to flake off and fall to the floor. Weakness took root as the Champion found it hard to move. Tongues licked at his face and neck as the hound women lapped at him.

  Outside, another thunderous rumble shook the building.

  “Ladies, we have to go,” Victor said as the women continued to lick at him.

  “The hellhounds have wanted to meet you for a very long time,” the demon woman smiled evilly.

  Victor tried to concentrate so he could open a portal when two pieces of Vala slipped into his soul. It was quick, the energy dispersing and two new Divine Orbs filling his body.

  “My name is Lucretia Winter and these are my dogs. They serve me, but they can be a little eager to please if I let them,” the devil woman grinned.

  Victor didn’t waste any more time. Spending the orbs, they flashed away and a new power sank into his bones.

  You have gained Shadow Walk!

  Victor placed one point in his Intelligence and the other point in his Charisma. Another pulse caused the building to shake.

  Lucretia looked to the corridor and the caved in debris. “It’s safe to assume you have enemies at the gate.”

  Victor weakly broke away from the hellhounds. Hand up, he spent five points of Wisdom. A portal appeared, growing larger by the moment.

  “Everyone in,” Victor commanded as another shockwave from outside caused the walls to crack.

  Lucretia pulled a whip from her hip and cracked it in the air. The three hellhounds looked to their mistress with wide eyes.

  “Into the portal. Vala’s Blade is going to take us to our new home,” Lucretia said with a sultry edge.

  Without a second thought, the hellhounds leapt into the glowing black and purple portal. Victor put his hand on the demon-woman’s hip and she quickly knocked it away.

  “I control our actions,” the demon winked before stepping into the portal and disappearing.

  Victor sighed in relief before the caved-in entrance exploded. The Champion turned around to see Luis and Flint walking in, Luis’s gaze connecting with Victor's.

  “I’ll save you,” Victor whispered before he stepped into the portal and it collapsed behind him, vanishing from sight.

  Fourteen

  A black and purple portal appeared above dark green grass. Four figures stepped through with ease. A fifth one stumbled through the swirling portal, took three steps, spun as he fell and landed on his back with a “thump”.

&nb
sp; Victor looked up to the starry sky. Muscles burning and his energy low, he continued to lay, admiring the inky dark sky with diamond shaped stars. The familiar scents of the realm washed over his senses and despite the pain, he managed a small smile. Eyes turning to the left, he saw Vala’s Mountain, glowing lights among the town at its base, the village halfway up and the flaming torches along the temple at the top. Images of his friends warmed his heart, but the song of weakness continued to play as he lay in the grass.

  Four figures surrounded and stood over the weakened Champion. Lucretia gave a wicked grin while the three hellhounds turned their attention to their mistress.

  “It would appear our savior is very tired,” the devil woman said with a wicked smirk before looking to her three hellhounds. “Muz, Glokk and Rozull, please disrobe our savior.”

  Victor turned his attention to the devil as she methodically began to take off her leather outfit. “We should…” the Blade began.

  “Hush now,” Lucretia said with half closed eyes. “Vala’s power begs to be free and I have waited for this moment for too long. You do not understand what we have gone through, bringing our bodies to climax and not being satisfied. To lust for something, we can’t have for so long. Now, we have you. Vala demands worship and we demand you.”

  Victor lay like a stone as the hellhounds pulled at his clothes. Muz lifted his upper body to help pull off his coat and shirt while Glokk and Rozull took off his boots and soon, leather pants. The night air touched Victor’s exposed skin as he was laid back down. Despite having points in his influence, the inner fire of spirit burned low. It reminded him of when he would start working out after not working out for a long while. Body wasn’t used to spending that amount of energy, but a spark glowed from within, a deep knowing that he would become stronger because of it.