《The Divinos Realm》


 Prelude - The Creature

    The Divinos Saint¡¯s cloak clung to the surrounding shadows as he silently led a squad of nine Ionic Elites. The valley¡¯s towering mountain peaks peered down upon them. They walked through their own territory, yet the darkness and sounds therein felt foreign. ¡°Divinos, are you certain that your intel is true? If we¡¯ve assembled this team in vain, you¡¯ll pay a steep price.¡± A man to the right of the cloaked man whispered. Disdain on his breath.


    ¡°Divinos, are you certain that your intel is true? If we¡¯ve assembled this team in vain, you¡¯ll pay a steep price.¡± A man to the right of the cloaked man whispered. Disdain on his breath.


    There are few on Planet Primos who can call upon Ionic Elites, and fewer still who can deliver them marching orders. Even the regent of the planet is their equal in most regards.


    ¡°Carver, let us hope I¡¯ve been misled.¡± The Divinos Saint replied calmly. His status in The Divinos Way - no less than theirs in The Ionic Way. ¡°Our prophets see dimly that the Nyke Conglomerate experiments with a dangerous force. A danger beyond The Deminos Way. The words they used were a force that consumes. Just pray, or whatever you Ionics do, that we won¡¯t have to use those fancy upgrades you all have just added.¡±


    ¡°The Starling Empire won¡¯t allow any mistakes.¡± An Ionic Elite on the left spoke low - his voice vibrating with the hint of a pur, ¡°Carver, just fall in line, keep your mouth shut, and eyes wide. Dulihan,¡± he spoke the cloaked man¡¯s name, ¡°how much further?¡±


    ¡°It should be 200 meters ahead. Stay close to me and within my skill¡¯s range.¡± Dulihan, the Divinos Saint replied. He spread his arms and a ripple of dark shadow engulfed the infiltration squad, then they appeared to sink into the ground and become shadows.


    They crept forward as if they were ink smudges on the forest floor for another 100 meters when a sudden terrorized man¡¯s screeching-scream rang out in the distance before them. They stopped in sync, their blood seeming to also. What followed was a loud unnerving chittering sound accompanied by crunching of bones and tearing of flesh.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± A woman behind Carver asked. The group had a clear line of sight to the area that the scream had just come from. Through thermal sensors they saw a humanoid body being thrashed around, but no other heat signature around it.


    But Dulihan¡¯s eyes saw clearly, his hands shook and a chill shot down his spine. His control over darkforce allowed him to see in the dark effortlessly. But he could also - feel - the thing in front of them. Photonforce radiated from its forcecore like a freshly stoked fire, and it was so unnaturally pure¡­ ¡°but how?¡±


    ¡°Hey divinos freak what is it?¡± Carver¡¯s voice carried annoyance due to the lack of response in a critical moment. He turned towards the Ionic Elite on Dulihan¡¯s left side, ¡°Claret, should we engage? I can¡¯t get a visual.¡±


    Claret ignored Carver and touched Dulihan¡¯s shoulder. ¡®He¡¯s shaking?¡¯ The thought dashed through the Elite¡¯s mind. He firmed his grip on Dulihan¡¯s shoulder and whispered strongly. ¡°Dulihan, what do you see?¡±


    Dulihan didn¡¯t turn. His eyes were locked unblinking, straight ahead. ¡°It sees us. It sees my photonforce. But how?¡±


    Carver¡¯s hand grabbed his other shoulder, ¡°What is it?¡± He tried to whisper through an angry growl.


    ¡°A monstrosity. Some sort of biological weapon. The energy levels are above mine. I can¡¯t gauge its strength, but absolute caution should be assumed. Treat it as rank 4.¡±


    A hush settled on the squad. His final sentence chilled their hearts. There wasn¡¯t a rank 4 beast on the entire planet. They would be demolished if they faced one.


    A communication link was open and broadcasting back to an HQ at the stronghold¡¯s forward command post delta. Over the squad¡¯s comm channel a voice sounded in their ears, ¡°Dulihan can you repeat? Rank 4? Is it a primal beast you see?¡±


    Dulihan¡¯s shaking hand slowly went to his ear, as if a quick motion would trigger his doom. ¡°It¡¯s simply watching us while it eats sir. Not a beast. Humanoid in form. Large. Four legs. Four arms. Full of photonforce, but it¡¯s different, not natural. Requesting an Ionic Archon or Divinos King dispatch sir. We¡¯re already doomed sir, I¡¯ll try and gauge its strength for you. Monitor my field cam for data. And sir, please tell my wife I love her.¡±


    ¡°Wait Divinos!¡± The comms rang out. But Dulihan¡¯s resolve only steeled.


    Dulihan sent a wave of darkforce energy backward, throwing the squad of Ionic Elites twenty meters back, ¡°Run!¡± He yelled.


    His action elicited a response from the creature before them. Dulihan saw in slow motion the leg of the creature¡¯s victim drop from its dark purple beak-like mouth. Then it dashed his way, a silent blur that crossed twenty meters in a heartbeat.


    Dulihan dashed forth nearly as fast and prepared to unleash his strongest ability. Pressure knotted in his chest as he willed the photonforce from his divinoscore to gather in his right hand, forming a spear of obsidian glass.


    They were a dozen meters apart - its carapace covered body now visible in excruciating detail. The creature seemed to be made of jagged-sharp bones of black and its face had the likeness of an ant and an eagle. Compound eyes stared at Dulihan, crazed with hunger.


    The Divinos Saint skidded to a stop to thrust the spear he just made into a tree¡¯s shadow as the creature crossed just ten meters from him.


    Its eyes darted down a moment too late as the one spear that Dulihan had thrust into the shadow became three. The three obsidian spear tips burst from the shadow, blades up, and skewered the beast from the front, left flank, and back. The beast¡¯s momentum was halted and it cocked its head, puzzled.


    Exclamations and questions rang out over the comm links as the creature¡¯s body finally came into view for HQ. It was roughly ten feet tall and as thick as an oak tree. Two of its arms were like flexible spears and the other two long arms ended with dark purple talons. Its sharp purple beak quivered and the eerie chittering sound broke the brief silence that filled the forest.


    The obsidian spears had pierced mere inches into its boney body. With callous grace its talon bladed fingers wrapped around two of the spears and effortlessly pulled them out and it shattered the third spear behind it with a swift swing from one of its other two bladed arms. Its beak opened and a terrified man¡¯s screech came out. The same sound they heard from before.Stolen novel; please report.


    Dulihan staggered back, horror in his eyes. ¡°That was my most powerful attack¡­¡± he muttered.


    In his comms, the overseer called out, ¡°Dulihan, pull back. Divinos reinforcements are inbound. Divinos King Peter has been dispatched. Do you copy?¡±


    ¡°Peter is coming?¡± A glimmer of hope surfaced in Dulihan¡¯s eyes, but the glimmer was lost a moment later when the creature took a step forward. ¡°How far out is he?¡±


    ¡°Leaving Stronghold Olivett now. ETA one minute. Hold out till then. Over.¡± HQ replied.


    The creature¡¯s other three legs twitched. Dulihan reacted and sank into a nearby shadow just before two spear arms slashed the air where his torso had just been. He reappeared from a shadow 20 meters away, his cloak swayed like the shadow he emerged from, and unsheathed two dark metal swords from within it.


    The creature dashed to him in a fraction of a second. Its ten foot tall stature towered above the six foot three inch Dulihan. Its spear-like arms swung together in a horizontal slash that Dulihan met with his dual swords only by instinct, the slash too fast to track. The force of the blow knocked his blades into his chest and sent him flying through the forest.


    Dulihan¡¯s eyes never lost track of the creature. Even as he was swatted away it burst after him again, beak wide open with the bizarre chittering sound scraping through the forest. ¡®This is it¡­¡¯ Dulihan closed his eyes as the beast caught up to his ragdolled form.


    One heartbeat. The pain Dulihan expected didn¡¯t arrive. Instead¡­


    *BOOM*


    A neon blue burst of plasma knocked the creature back five meters. Its chest was concave a little bit from the impact but the creature looked as though it didn¡¯t even notice the damage.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Claret asked. His nanobot armored hands had combined into a single massive cannon that was quickly fading from bright blue back to black. He just fired the strongest weapon ever created for Ionic Elites throughout the entire divinos realm. A top secret project for the Starling Empire. Even some rank 4 beasts would be directly killed when facing its full force undefended.


    The creature turned its attention away from Dulihan to Claret now, who was floating on a silent disk shaped platform ten meters above the ground. Glowing red wings sprouted from its shoulder blades and buzzed like dull thunder.


    Claret only spoke half of a word, ¡°Shi¡­¡± before the creature crossed nearly 40 meters and bisected him horizontally from the shoulder to the waist. Slashing through his advanced nanobot armor as if it were paper.


    ¡°Claret¡¯s been K.I.A¡¯d!¡± Carver¡¯s panicked voice rang through the comms.


    ¡°Tactical retreat now. Do not engage alone.¡± Dulihan ordered. He watched the beast bring half of the bisected body of Claret to its beak and ate. It took a few bites, but tilted its head in confusion. ¡®It needs photonforce¡­ these Ionics have abandoned photonforce, so they¡¯re not its ideal food source. They only look like they have photonforce because of their suits. That means I am¡­¡± his mind processed thoughts and came to the dreaded conclusion as soon as the creature seemed to. The only person who would satisfy its hunger was the one in the shadowy cloak.


    Suddenly a new voice enters their comms channel, Peter¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m 30 seconds out. Stay alive Dulihan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Dulihan responded. The creature¡¯s eyes caught his. It felt like 1000 pairs of eyes stared at every square inch of him.


    He moved darkforce from his divinoscore to his feet and he swore that he saw the creature look down and follow it. ¡®That¡¯s not good.¡¯


    He followed through with his plan anyway and shadow jumped 40 meters behind the creature, his limit. Unfortunately, when he emerged from the shadow its head had turned 180 degrees and was staring straight at him. ¡®Yep, that¡¯s definitely not good.¡¯


    25 seconds.


    The creature''s body rotated to him as its head stayed freakishly still. Carver¡¯s voice cut through the comms, ¡°Welp, good luck with that, Divinos. I¡¯m out.¡± He and the rest of the remaining Ionic Elite squad retreated from the valley at full speed. The creature didn¡¯t even flinch at their departure.


    ¡®I told you dinguses to retreat earlier.¡¯ Dulihan shook his head. ¡®Ok, time to get creative.¡¯ He thought. His shadow suddenly grew and divided into ten clones of himself.


    The creature''s wings began glowing red again and the thunderous accompaniment began to build. Then *CRACK* a thunderclap, the creature streaked towards Dulihan, clawed hands extended his way.


    Including Dulihan himself, eleven figures of him instantly disappeared into the shadows around. The creature¡¯s index talon mere centimeters from his nose.


    20 seconds.


    A swipe and a shriek shook the darkened leaves of the trees in the forest. Dulihan¡¯s eleven clones emerged from the shadows scattered around the creature. They all now looked exactly like him, yet the creature still quickly found the real one in a moment. Dulihan¡¯s goal, however, was accomplished. ¡®This could work. God, sustain my photonforce in this trial.¡¯ Dulihan prayed.


    The terrorized man¡¯s shrieking-scream rang out from the creature once again. ¡®I guess that means it¡¯s mad¡­¡¯ Dulihan''s expression contorted in effort to fire his shadow jump skill again with his clones.


    *CRACK* *SSSSHH*


    A thunderclap followed by the rending of a shadow. The creature didn¡¯t directly dash to where all the figures were. It chose one of the eleven spots that it saw the shadows would emerge from and dashed there. Luckily for Dulihan it chose the wrong location and slashed through one of his shadows.


    15 seconds.


    It found him again and *CRACK* dashed head on towards him. Dulihan ducked the claws and merged with the shadows once again.


    He emerged and the creature found him again. Its posture turned crazed, opened its beak to the sky, and the chittering scraped his ears for a few seconds. ¡®I¡¯ll let you vent all you want, big ugly.¡¯ Dulihan thought to himself. He clutched his chest and winced in pain.


    The comms channel was quiet, but despite everyone at HQ being all Ionic fighters - he thought that he could hear some prayers.


    Dulihan¡¯s pain lifted and he smiled for a heartbeat. Then continued.


    10 seconds.


    *CRACK* *CLANG* *SSSHH*


    The creature feigned a charge at the real Dulihan then dashed towards a random shadow jump location. The slight delay allowed one of his shadows to deflect the blow slightly, but it was less powerful than the real Dulihan so it had no real chance to block the attack.


    ¡®Every second counts.¡¯ He thought as he watched the shadow turn to wisps of black smoke. The creature turned to him again and like a berserker madly dashed at him. It seemed to forget its superior speed with its wings.


    He waited until the beast was decently close, then jumped all the clones once again. This time they all emerged in a line as far away from the creature as possible - 30 meters. They also just so happened to be drawing the creature, meter by meter toward the direction of Stronghold Olivett. The stronghold that his superior, Divinos King Peter, was currently in route from.


    He clutched his chest again. Something was wrong.


    5 seconds.


    *clink* *urgh*


    Suddenly a clink resounded. Not from the creature, but from Dulihan¡¯s chest where his divinoscore was located. In order to shadow jump nine of his clones the maximum distance six times had overloaded his divinoscore. Inside his chest a white crystal core cracked down the middle. White blood trickled from the corner of his lips.


    ¡°Come on, just give me one more¡­¡± he beat his chest as the beast charged like a berserker once again. His reaction was delayed by the immense pain inside his chest. Three of its talons pierced an inch above his heart and ripped across his face.


    Blood sprayed. But he made it.


    He vanished into the shadow. The creature shrieked. It looked up. Then¡­


    *CRACK* *CRASH*


    A golden flame-covered short yet stocky man descended from the cloudy night sky with a sonic boom and smashed into the creature''s face. A giant golden fist crushed its beak.


    0 Seconds.


    Dulihan''s consciousness faded. The last image in his vision of a golden flaming dwarf chasing a fleeing ten foot tall monstrosity.

 Prologue - Breaking Off Pride

    Prologue - Breaking Off Pride


    Apostle Marina''s fingers traced the living grain of the white wood table, its surface cool and smooth beneath her touch. The table itself was a testament to their ways¡ªgrown, not built, shaped by photonforce manipulation. Twelve years she''d sat at this table in the Laguun Stronghold''s council chamber, but never had the atmosphere felt so heavy.


    Above the table, a holographic display cast its pale blue light across the faces of her fellow Apostles. Five men, seven women¡ªall bearing the weight of their recent losses in the subtle tension of their shoulders, the tightness around their eyes.


    "Play the first sequence again," she commanded, her voice steady despite the unease churning in her stomach.


    The air shimmered as the recording materialized. Two fighters circled each other in the Battle Zone arena¡ªDivinos warrior Kale Brightwood versus Ionic adept Serra Vale. Kale''s hands blazed with concentrated solarforce, each movement leaving trails of light that orbited his body like a personal solar system.


    Serra''s response was more subtle: a quick tap to her forearm guard, activating a skill shard embedded in the metal. The crystalline fragment pulsed with a familiar blue radiance¡ªphotonforce, captured and refined.


    "Watch closely," Apostle Dren murmured, leaning forward. "This is where it shifts."


    Kale struck first, his enhanced speed carrying him across the arena in a blur of motion. Solar flares erupted from his fingertips, expanding into a swirling vortex of plasma that filled half the arena. Serra''s skill shard flared in response, creating a prismatic barrier that split the solar assault into harmless ribbons of light.


    But Kale wasn''t finished. As his first attack dissipated, he channeled his solarforce into his legs, launching himself skyward. The arena illuminated like high noon as he formed a concentrated sphere of solar energy above his head, its heat making the air ripple.


    Serra''s second skill shard activated just as the miniature sun descended. The resulting collision shook the arena¡ªsolar energy meeting crystallized force in a spectacular display of light and power. When the glare faded, both fighters stood at opposite ends of the field, breathing hard. Serra''s barrier was shattered, her armor smoking in places, but she''d managed to redirect enough of Kale''s attack to stay in the fight.


    The end came not with a bang, but with precision. While Kale gathered his strength for another solar assault, Serra''s final skill shard activated. This time, instead of defending, she went on the offensive, using the stored energy from Kale''s previous attacks to create a focused beam of his own solarforce. It caught him off-guard¡ªno one expected their own ability to be turned against them¡ªand blasted the skin of his chest to cinders. The match was over.


    "A skill shard user," Apostle Rella said, her voice tight with frustration, "besting a powerful solarforce user."


    Marina held up a hand, gesturing to the next recording. "The second match shows how the skill shards are being prepared strategically against specific opponents. Our best fighters."


    The hologram shifted, showing a different arena. This time, it was Divinos Saint Jen Weaver and her divinos beast, Striker, against Ionic Champion Kross Steele. Jen''s mastery of lightningforce manifested in crackling arcs of electricity that danced across her skin, each movement leaving traces of thunder in its wake. Striker paced behind her, its pale blue fur flowed with static charge.


    Kross stood his ground, his armor a masterwork of Ionic engineering. As Jen unleashed her first strike¡ªa horizontal blast of chain lightning that split into dozens of seeking bolts¡ªhe activated a skill shard that created a grounding field around him. The bolts were neutralized, but Striker followed up with a slash of its static charged tail. A burst of blue light neutralized Kross¡¯s field, allowing three spears of lightning to break through, leaving scorched impacts on his armor.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The battle quickly evolved into a deadly dance. Jen and Striker¡¯s lightning bolts came faster and faster, each one forcing Kross to expend his limited shard uses carefully. His second shard bent space to avoid a particularly devastating attack, while his third created a feedback loop that sent a portion of their power back at them.


    A pale blue wolf was blasted across the stage, but Jen had anticipated Kross¡¯s counter. As her own lightning returned toward her, she caught it, wove it into her next attack, and amplified it. The resulting thunderclap left ears ringing throughout the arena. Both fighters were thrown back, Kross''s skill shards shattered as Jen''s lightning aura finally flickered out.


    Kross took advantage of Jen¡¯s depleted energy reserves and pressed on. The match ended in Kross''s favor, but barely¡ªboth fighters had to be helped from the arena.


    Marina paused the recording just as the medical teams rushed in. "Three shards against years of lightningforce mastery. A victory for the Ionic fighter, yes, but one that shows both the potential and limitations of their technology."


    Silence fell over the table. The white wood seemed to pulse faintly beneath Marina''s fingers, responding to the collective frustration of twelve powerful photonforce users.


    "We are falling behind," Apostle Dren finally said, voicing what they all knew. "The Ionic Fighters have found a way to harness our own power, to store it, to reshape it. Their technology..."


    "Goes against our ways," Apostle Rella cut in, but her voice lacked conviction. "Photonforce must be cultivated from within, to grow our strength as naturally as this table was grown."


    Marina stood, her rustling robes stilling the argument. "The Starling Empire watches these matches. The entire Divinos Realm judges strength by what happens in the Battle Zone." She gestured to the frozen image of Jen''s defeat. "What message are we sending?"


    "That we''re inflexible," Apostle Kai said, his deep voice resonating with unusual sadness. "That we''re bound by tradition while the Ionics adapt and evolve."


    The chamber erupted in overlapping voices, arguments both for and against what they all knew was coming. Marina let them debate, watching the play of emotions across faces she''d known for years. Pride warred with pragmatism, tradition with innovation.


    She waited until the voices began to quiet before speaking again. "The Divinos Way is meant to be a light in the realm. But a light that cannot shine, cannot guide." She waved her hand through the hologram, dispersing it. "We need to adapt."


    "You''re suggesting we allow our fighters to misuse photonforce?" Rella asked, though it wasn''t really a question.


    "No," Marina replied. "I''m suggesting we study the technology, improve it. Our understanding of photonforce is unmatched¡ªimagine what we could achieve if we applied that knowledge to this technology."


    The silence that followed was different this time, contemplative rather than tense. One by one, heads began to nod.


    "The younger generation already chafes at our restrictions," Kai noted. "Better to guide their use of this technology than to lose them to the Ionic Way entirely."


    "We¡¯ll begin with those at the Divinos Warrior stage," Marina said, feeling the momentum build. "Those who have already proven their dedication to The Divinos Way, who understand that these tools must supplement our power, not replace it."


    ¡°And perhaps the academies as well.¡± Apostle Kai suggested. ¡°The cadets will be most malleable to change.¡±


    More nods, more murmurs of agreement. Even Rella, the strongest voice for tradition, seemed to be accepting the inevitable.


    "Then we are decided?" Marina asked, looking at each face in turn. "We will allow the use of skill shard equipment, and moreover, we will seek to perfect them?"


    The vote was unanimous, though she could see what it cost some of them to raise their hands. Pride was a heavy thing to set aside, especially for those who had spent decades mastering the pure expression of their photonforce aspect.


    As the meeting concluded and her fellow Apostles filed out, Marina remained at the table, her hand still resting on its living surface. The wood thrummed faintly, as if acknowledging that change, like growth, was natural and necessary.


    "We adapt," she whispered to the empty chamber, "or we fade." The light of The Divinos Way would continue to shine, but perhaps through a lens they hadn''t expected. In a realm that valued strength above all, sometimes the greatest power lay in knowing when to change.

 Ch 1 - The Divinos Card

    Ch 1 - The Divinos Card


    Dood''s boots crunched through pine needles as his path hugged the shoreline of Lake McDonald. The crystal waters mirrored snow-capped peaks, creating twin mountain ranges that stretched to the sky. He adjusted his pack, its familiar weight knotting the muscles in his shoulders and back after three days of solitary hiking.


    The late summer air carried hints of autumn, crisp and clean against his face. Different from the stale atmosphere of divorce court, where Julie''s cold stare had pierced him more deeply than her lawyer''s rehearsed accusations.


    "I need to grow. To find myself," she''d said. Apparently, "finding herself" meant finding Tom their next door neighbor.


    A towering pine caught his attention, its branches forming a natural ladder toward the sky. Dood secured his pack at its base and began to climb. The physical exertion felt good, burning away memories of desperate phone calls and embarrassing unanswered texts.


    Near the top, an opening in the canopy revealed the landscape below. The lake stretched out like polished glass, untouched by time or civilization. Dood settled onto a thick branch, letting his legs dangle. His hand found the silver cross beneath his shirt, its metal cool against his skin.


    "Thank you for being here with me," he whispered, thumb tracing the familiar contours. "Even when everyone else leaves, You remain."


    A flash of light caught his peripheral vision. At first, he thought it was sunlight on water, but it came from above. Stretching up through the last few branches, Dood found something impossible: a wooden card, perfectly preserved despite its exposure to the elements.


    The card depicted a wolf unlike any he''d seen. Its obsidian fur rippled with motes of starlight, eyes holding cosmic powers within their depths. The craftsmanship was beyond anything earthly, each detail seeming to shift and move when he wasn''t looking directly at it. Three golden words adorned the back: THE DIVINOS REALM.


    When his fingers touched the script, the forest dissolved. Light enveloped him, warm and gentle as a summer breeze, and he found himself in a divine expanse. In its midst stood a man in simple clothes, his presence both ordinary and extraordinary at once. Dood¡¯s eyes locked onto the pierced wrists of the man and he knew, with unshakeable certainty in his soul, that he was in the presence of Jesus.


    "Your heart carries heavy burdens." Jesus said, his voice resonating with compassion that made Dood''s recent wounds feel less raw.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I tried everything to save our marriage," Dood said, surprised by how steady his voice remained. "I don''t understand why it wasn''t enough."


    "Love is a two way street," Jesus noted with grief hidden in his words. ¡°A street I know a great deal about¡­ I won¡¯t tell you why Julie¡¯s heart grew cold, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± Jesus¡¯s hand held Dood¡¯s shoulder as his ancient eyes looked deep into Dood¡¯s. ¡°Just know that I¡¯m so proud of the way you loved your wife despite the pain in your heart. Her heart isn¡¯t your responsibility anymore." Jesus smiled as Dood dropped to his knees and pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to dam up the tear. But his heart felt light. Somewhere inside him shackles shattered around his soul.


    Jesus smiled, ¡°I have something to show you." He drew a large oval in the air and colors gathered organically within. Like a watercolor painting it began blurry and opaque but built upon itself layer upon layer to uncover finer details. A foreign realm. "In my youth, before beginning my earthly ministry, I created this place. The Divinos Realm - a world where faith and power intertwine, where adventures await those willing to carry my light into dark places."


    Scenes flashed before Dood: magnificent cities, vast wilderness, beings and beasts of light and shadow locked in eternal struggle. "The darkness grows stronger," Jesus continued. "I need more of my followers there, those who will share my love while becoming strong enough to face what comes. An epic challenge, one I created you to overcome."


    Dood thought of his empty apartment, of Julie''s wedding ring in a drawer he couldn''t bring himself to empty. He thought of the five years since losing his parents, of trying to fill that void with a marriage that wasn''t meant to be. His life here was in cinders. Just a junior level job, some bills, and a few house plants. Nothing was holding him back from a new adventure.


    "Will you accept this challenge?" Jesus asked. "Will you enter the Divinos Realm?"


    Dood looked at the wooden card in his hand, then back at the one who had never abandoned him, even in his darkest moments.


    "Yes Lord," he said. "I will."


    Jesus clasped Dood¡¯s shoulders tightly, ¡°You¡¯ll do great.¡± His smile bloomed like a sunflower. Just seeing the mirth in His creator¡¯s eyes made Dood feel like a kid holding a wrapped present on Christmas. Jesus nodded then vanished. A doorway of pearl-white light appeared in His place. Dood stepped through, the wooden card liquified in his grip and slipped through his fingers like mercury. The metallic silver tingled his skin as it flowed up his arm and into his chest like water into a sponge.


    A surge of electricity swirled beside his heart. Condensing slowly as time seemed nonexistent inside the pearlescent portal. An excited wolf¡¯s howl chimed in Dood¡¯s mind as soon as the swirling electricity fully condensed. Emotions and intentions passed vividly through a strange bond in his chest. Excitement and the desire to explore gushed from it.


    Dood¡¯s fingers reached up and touched the right side of his chest, beneath his cross a spiritual well had formed. And he could feel an energy filling him. His excitement mirrored the howling wolf¡¯s.


    The portal closed behind him. The Montana forest faded away, taking with it the life he had known.

 Ch 2 - The Laguun Stronghold

    Ch 2 - The Laguun Stronghold


    Dood¡¯s eyes fluttered open. He ran his hand through his unkempt brown hair and squeezed his scalp. ¡®I need a shower.¡¯ His thoughts were slow, mind was groggy, and vision was fuzzy. His eyes adjusted to the bright light and dilated as he found himself standing on a platform with runic, glowing markings. ¡®Woah¡­ and here I was expecting to wind up somewhere like Rivendell or the Shire.¡¯ Dood quipped inwardly.


    He peered up, his neck craning back as his eyes traced the sleek, reflective surfaces of the metallic glass buildings that towered above him. They were an array of shimmering colors: burnished golden towers that seemed to glow in the sunlight, polished silver, pristine white, buildings of deep black that added contrast to the colors around them, vibrant reds, and rich blue. Each skyscraper, an architectural marvel in its own right, rose majestically into the sky. The tallest one, a silver mirrored helix, audaciously pierced through a fluffy white cloud.


    "If New York City looked like this," he murmured to himself, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "I would never have left." The memory of his first job out of college flooded back¡ªa stark contrast to the scene before him. The job had been in a city he found¡­ unpleasant, a place of gray monotony and oppressive concrete. The place he met Julie. ¡®Nope! Not thinking of her!¡¯ Dood squeezed his eyes shut and gave himself a mental slap across the face.


    Thrums of strange engines caught his ear and turned his gaze down to the streets below where fluorescent trees of a dozen hues lined opaque glass sidewalks that ran alongside metallic grey streets. The thrum in the air was from levitating saucers. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ Dood¡¯s jaw dropped at the dozens of UFOs flying just above the roads as if their occupants were commuting to work on a Tuesday morning.


    ¡°First time seeing anti gravitational propulsion, human?¡± A nasally voice rang out beside Dood.


    ¡°No, I saw one on Earth, but no one believed¡­¡±  His words were caught in his throat as what greeted him was a furry human-like face with pig ears and an oinking snout. ¡°What-the-heck¡­ are YOU?¡± Dood blurted out.


    The wolf/human/pig guy was indignant. His snout scrunched and he poked Dood in the chest. ¡°I am a boarir. Have you never seen a primal before?¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± Dood¡¯s genuine befuddlement only made the boarir angrier and he let a tiny *oink* accidentally escape his snout.


    ¡°Calm down friend.¡± A serene voice chimed in from behind.


    The boarir snapped his head back before Dood looked and yelled, ¡°You stay out of this elf. You leaf lickers think you¡¯re so popular!¡±


    Dood turned to see a male elf with blonde hair and forest green eyes laughing. ¡®Yep, Rivendell¡­¡¯ Dood thought to himself.


    He ignored the angry pestering of his neighbor on the platform and looked around, noticing a few dozen other people scattered on the pedestal around him, most with confused expressions on their faces just like him. Some had the likeness of elves, with pointed ears and slender features, while others appeared like dwarves, with sturdy builds and bushy beards. Loud voices came from a particular bunch of animalistic humanoids, ¡®The primas race that boarir guy mentioned¡¯, Dood suspected. A few had gills and scaled skin, and a handful were human, just like Dood.


    A stalwart, dwarven man ascended the platform, his heavy boots thudding against the metallic stairs with purposeful strides. His iconic dwarven beard cascaded down his chest, adorned with an array of sparkling gems and intricate clasps fashioned from precious metals. Encasing his robust frame was an elegant, form-fitting suit made of a shimmering white material, the fabric catching the light and rippling like water. Ruby trim lined the edges of the suit, adding a bold touch of color.


    His voice boomed across the platform, the heavy, proud accent rolling off his tongue with the authority of a true mountain teller. "Welcome, travelers, to planet Primos of The Divinos Realm," he announced, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Please, step forward for processing. Transfers from off-planet, please follow the yellow paths to the travel center." He gestured to his right, where vibrant yellow lines snaked across the ground. "Newcomers from other realms, please follow the blue paths to a faction assessment." His hand shifted to the left, indicating the cool blue lines that led away from the platform into


    Dood''s eyes followed the blue light-guided path, his feet feeling light as a feather as the surreal moment intensified with each step. The path led him to an ocean blue metallic glass building that seemed to radiate a calming aura. As he approached, the door dissolved like a membrane, parting effortlessly to allow him entry before seamlessly closing behind him with a soft whoosh.


    Inside, an elven woman with piercing, emerald eyes and shoulder-length, silver hair stood waiting, her gaze fixed on Dood with a slight aloof quality. Her voice, melodious and proud, filled the space as she greeted him. "Hello, young one," she said, "It seems that you are new to the realm. My name is Elevee, and I¡¯m here to help you get settled in The Divinos Realm. Please, follow me, sit down, and I''ll explain the basics."


    She quickly led Dood to a booth, her long, flowing robe swishing softly with each step. She took her place behind a transparent desk, her slender fingers tapping the surface. Instantly, holographic light screens materialized in the air beside them, casting a soft glow that illuminated their faces. Dood settled into a chair that molded to his form, the sensation both foreign and comforting.


    As he sat, Elevee began to explain the world he had just entered, her voice steady and clear. "You are currently in what''s known as a stronghold called Laguun Stronghold," she said, pointing to a holographic map that hovered in the air. "You¡¯re from Earth, is that correct?¡± Her eyes met his, searching for confirmation as her fingers continued to dance across the desk, pulling up more information on the screens.


    ¡°Um, yes mam.¡± Dood said respectfully.


    She smiled at his courtesy, ¡°Most humans are from Earth. If they¡¯re not that means they¡¯re probably meddling with powers they ought to be staying clear of.¡± Her tone was grave and Dood could see a poorly concealed fear in her eyes.


    She continued, ¡°You can think of a stronghold as a fortified city. And our stronghold in particular is uniquely fortified. We are surrounded by a massive forest to the North and East and an Ocean to the South and West. It¡¯s quite dangerous outside these walls so you must learn more before thinking of going on some grand adventure.¡±


    Elevee tapped a light screen to the right and pulled up a simple slideshow. ¡®A Powerpoint presentation?¡¯ Dood thought distractedly as she continued. ¡°The Divinos Realm is divided into three main factions: the Ionic Way, the Divinos Way, and the Deminos Way. The Ionic Way is for those who are numb to the photonforce, a natural energy that constitutes creation''s elements, and rely on technology to enhance ourselves. The Divinos Way is for those who have innate photonforce abilities, and who can sense and control it. The Deminos Way... well, that''s a path for those who hate the world and have reached towards the darkness. This stronghold is an Ionic Way stronghold, under the banner of the Starling Empire. Here you will find people that follow the Ionic Way as well as those who follow the Divinos Way. The Starling Empire is allied with the Divinos Way."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s time for us to see which faction you belong to.¡± Elevee reached under the desk as she spoke, and pulled out a glass spiral disk. ¡°This is a photonforce sensor, and it will tell us if you have photonforce inside your divinoscore, no photonforce, or corrupted photonforce.¡± She explained as the disk was placed on Dood''s chest.


    With a delicate touch, Elevee pressed the center of the spiral. Instantly, a milky white glow began to condense at the heart of the disk, gradually spreading outward like ripples on a pond. Before three heartbeats had elapsed, the entire disk was enveloped in a bright, pulsating white light. Dood felt the disk vibrating against his chest, the sensation sending a shiver down his spine.


    ¡°Photonforce wielder.¡± Elevee spoke succinctly. Her dimenor turned slightly colder, as she quickly tucked the photonforce sensor back under her desk. She typed quickly on the screen in a language that Dood couldn¡¯t read, but he did notice her highlight his name yellow. ¡®What¡¯s that about?¡¯ Dood tucked the thought away to consider later.


    She turned back to him with scrutinizing eyes. "It seems you have strong potential in your way. You''ll need to meet with a Divinos Way guide to determine your next steps. Wait here for them to escort you."


    Dood nodded and smiled, ¡°Thank you for your help Elevee.¡±


    He reached out to shake her hand. But she simply looked at his hand and walked away without saying goodbye. ¡®Yikes¡­ Handshakes must be offensive to elves.¡¯ He thought, then spoke aloud, ¡°Why am I so bad with other cultures.¡± He pinched the bridge of his nose as memories of meeting a highschool girlfriend¡¯s Indian parents went horribly wrong.


    ¡°Are you Dood?¡± A man''s bright voice brought Dood out of his reminiscing. He was dark skinned, tall and strong, with curly black hair that ended in bright crimson hues at the tips. He wore a blue curved hem shirt with a small golden cross embroidered on the back, black dress pants, and sleek black sneaker-type shoes.


    ¡°Yes sir, I am. Are you my guide?¡± Dood stood and asked.


    The man had a kind smile. ¡°Yes, my name is Desmond. I¡¯ll be taking you to divinos way compound number 3.¡± He seemed genuinely happy to be guiding Dood. ¡°The compound typically starts the introductory program an hour or so after it is confirmed there are new divinos way followers in the realm. We shouldn¡¯t need to rush if we leave now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Desmond, I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡± Dood ginned, happy to encounter another human. He recalled seeing a handful of other humans on the portal platform, however, he didn¡¯t have the time to speak.


    Dood soon found himself back outside walking just behind Desmond¡¯s shoulder. His eyes darted distractedly between flying saucers and floating through the stronghold streets and nearly lost track of his guide.


    ¡°I still remember my first day.¡± Desmond said with a grin. ¡°Jesus doesn¡¯t give much of a heads up, does he?¡± He laughed and patted Dood¡¯s back, ¡°Well, I for one love a good surprise.¡±


    ¡°So Jesus brought you here too?¡± Dood asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Desmond¡¯s head dropped with a grin. ¡°Anyone in The Divinos Realm who traveled from Earth is sent here by the Lord. There¡¯s been quite a large number of travelers over the last two millennia.¡±


    Dood¡¯s brow creased in thought, ¡°So is everyone in The Divinos Realm a traveler from Earth?¡±


    Desmond shook his head, ¡°Not at all. The realm encompasses many worlds. Families are formed and babies are born the usual way here.¡± He reached in his pocket and pulled out a case filled with bright orange cubes and tossed one into his mouth. ¡°So I¡¯m assuming the assessment center representative filled you in on the basics in the stronghold, do you have any questions while we walk?¡± His breath smelt great after chewing on the orange cube, like mango and mint.


    Dood scratched the back of his head, the tips of his ears turned red in embarrassment. ¡°I think I offended the representative. Are handshakes offensive in the realm or to elves in general?¡±


    Desmond laughed, ¡°What? A handshake?¡± He asked rhetorically. ¡°Handshakes are normal. Why do you ask? What did you do?¡±


    Dood held his hands up, ¡°I have no idea what I did. After the assessment was over I thanked her and reached my hand out for a handshake. She just looked at it and walked away so coldly that I thought I was being rude. Does that make sense?¡±


    Desmond smiled knowingly, ¡°Your representative must¡¯ve been Elevee. She¡¯s in The Ionic Way, and has an axe to grind against us. Well, against The Divinos Way.¡±


    Dood nodded and held his chin saying under his breath, ¡°She did seem to grow colder when my photonforce sensor filled¡­¡±


    Desmond stopped and looked Dood in the eyes, ¡°Filled? Like, completely filled?¡±


    Dood flinched back a bit, ¡°Yep. The spiral disk filled up in a few seconds.¡±


    Desmond grabbed him by the shoulders and shook, ¡°A FEW SECONDS?¡± He asked loudly, causing other pedestrians to turn their way.


    Dood numbly kept his hands at his side. The power in Desmond¡¯s hands was bizarre. He felt like a child in the hand of an adult, or even a doll in the hand of an adult. ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± He asked sheepishly.


    Desmond¡¯s head shot back and he laughed aloud to the sky. ¡°Good, Dood!¡± He patted Dood¡¯s shoulder and continued, ¡°Excellent. A full sensor in the Divinos Novice stage is priceless. No wonder she was cold to you. She probably suspects that you¡¯re going to be one of our best fighters in a few years. And she¡¯s right! Your potential is probably beyond epic, that¡¯s so cool! You found yourself a great card, huh?¡±


    Dood¡¯s eyebrow raised. His hand reached to the right side of his chest. ¡°A wolf.¡±


    Desmond threw his arm around Dood and sped up their pace to the divinos stronghold. He spoke like a big brother. "You see,¡± Desmond started, ¡°long ago, the Ionic Way didn¡¯t exist. At the dawn of the realm the old ones, the original inhabitants of the realm, worshiped Jesus and started The Divinos Way. Then an adversary appeared, a powerful leader of the old ones, that split The Divinos Way into two. The Divinos Way and The Deminos Way.¡±


    He took the orange cube from his mouth, now mashed and white, and tossed it into a trash can that disintegrated what Dood suspected to be gum before it even fell in. ¡®That¡¯s wild.¡¯ Dood thought distractedly and quickly focused back on Desmond¡¯s history lesson.


    Desmond clenched his fist and a flicker of flame burst from the crimson tips of his curly hair, ¡°The Deminos Way is demonic. Their powers stem from dark sources and vile rituals. Stuff that¡¯ll make your skin crawl. The Deminos Way followers happen to be quite weak to photonforce, so The Divinos Way initially dominated any resistance they put forth. However, satan is crafty. He knew that he couldn¡¯t beat us in a head to head conflict so he simply divided the hearts within Jesus¡¯s way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re told that It started as simple frustration against Jesus in the hearts of the old ones. Questions like - ¡®Where is He?¡¯, ¡®Does He even hear us anymore?¡¯, and ¡®Has He abandoned us?¡¯ plagued the hearts of many Divinos followers. Jesus created the realm, popped in and out for a few years, then just left to finish His ministry on Earth.¡± Desmond scratched his head guiltily. ¡°The Ionic Way was formed from those who felt abandoned by Jesus, and once travelers from Earth started appearing, they became even more bitter to Him and the photonforce.¡±


    Dood tilted his head, ¡°Then why did Elevee say something about an Empire being allied with The Divinos Way, and that empire being in charge of this stronghold?¡±


    Desmond chuckled and ruffled his own curly hair. ¡°I was just about to get there. The politics of the realm are fuzzy, but basically The Ionic Way is split in half. The Nyke Conglomerate versus The Starling Empire. Both dislike us and hate The Deminos Way, however, The Deminos Way managed to provide The Nyke Conglomerate with some sort of advanced technology that keeps them in a precarious partnership. As for us and The Starling Empire, relations have gotten better over the years, but they basically use us as mercenaries.¡±


    Desmond pointed ahead, ¡°We¡¯re here. They approached a white building 200 meters away that stood out amongst the science fiction landscape. It was big, simple, and built with organic shapes. A lush garden of verdant green grasses and vines with all sorts of mesmerizing flowers ushered guests of the building towards the front door. And behind the building, Dood could faintly see a large training field with what looked like beasts and people fighting.


    Dood asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on in the back of the building?¡±


    Desmond simply smiled knowingly, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ruin that surprise for you. You¡¯ll know soon enough, anyhow.¡±