ATTENTION:

All of those who truly wish to get into my future story and get the most out of it should first read "The Seven Epics of Omnes Vita," which I have already published!

The "Seven Epics of Omnes Vita" are the "bible" that the characters in my universe believe in, and that the societies are built around.

Also, if you read the right part of those "myths," you should be able to guess just who at least one of the characters in this teaser is! ;)

A Sneak-Peak Teaser-Trailer for my upcoming story, "Lucerna Redemption"

Date: June 21, 4,800 B.C. (Lucerna Universe)

Time: 12:45a.m.

Location: Corusco Fields, 15 miles southwest of the city of Lumen

He was the guardian, the protector, his father's pride and his nation's enforcer, cast aside by the act of a good deed done wrong. Now what was the worth of a million lifetimes if it meant an existence outside of destiny? Or was it merely proof that there was no such thing as destiny, that the whole world turned and some rose and some burned, never selected favorably for good deeds or bad...Freewill was after all, though, Deus' great gift, and it was known throughout time that he would never step forth to intervene on behalf of someone out of pure good intentions and his own favorability. Deus didn't work like that, for he cared for all beings, one and the same. And so while Deus sought to prove the natural existence of good in all life, it was up to those good beings to do the work, and to make their own destiny. Regardless of whether or not that was truly so, the former-guardian knew one thing, if it took an eternity he would reclaim his place, not out of destiny, but for the love in his heart...

Broken Flame

A Prelude to Lucerna Redemption

A young man with shoulder-length brown hair sat on a wooden bench made out of three logs. His face danced with shadows and amber from a nearby campfire while his back and outline where illuminated by the ghostly white glow of the pale moonlight. He wore a short-sleeved shirt of chain mail under a steel breastplate, along with dark brown pants and leather boots. To his right lay a wooden recurve bow and a leather quiver filled with arrows. The man sat hunched over with his right fist caressing the base of his chin, his eyes glimmering with embers of reflected light. About a hundred yards away, in the nearby woods, an owl called out, sending echoes through the field that snapped his mind to alertness just in time to catch the crisp touch of an evening breeze upon the back of his neck. "Here we go," a voice said from behind. The man turned around and peered into a small wooden structure with two sets of windows.

From the doorway of the structure, a second, older man appeared. He had thin, feathery white hair and a full white goatee. A green and tan cloak covered his body, with a rope tied around his waist. The older man approached the younger one and held out a foot and a half long weapon in a leather sheath. "Here, take it," the older man said with a nod. The younger man squinted up into the eyes of the older man and then looked to the knife. He took it slowly in two hands and held it in the firelight as it lay across his palms, inspecting it carefully. "That there's your father's knife. It's the same one he used to build this great nation! Yes, I remember him telling me that he'd even slain a few spirewolves with that thing."

The younger man smirked slightly and narrowed his eyes at the weapon. "Ha, must be an impressive blade!"

"Certainly is!" the older man beamed, "It was a gift to him from your grandfather!"

A sudden scowl formed over the young man's face as his expression dropped. "Then why isn't he here right now?" Looking briefly away, the young man continued, "He could've told my father the truth..."

"Well I don't know why," the older man frowned, "but you know, I'll bet he's watching over you right now!"

The young man chuckled. "You think?" he smirked.

"Oh, I know he is...He just has to be!" the older man replied, laughing lightly.

Smiling, the younger man pulled the knife from its sheath and held it up in his right hand. He turned the weapon over slowly, inspecting the blade as it shined in the firelight. It had a modest swedge tip that took up almost one fourth of the steel, two types of serrations on the back, a series of identical holes in the middle with twine wrapped throughout them, and a large cutting edge. "This is a nice knife! Why'd he get rid of it?"

"Well he...lost it to me in a card game actually!" the older man laughed. "Thought he had me beat with a full house and I hit him with a flush! Oh well...He knew it was in safe hands, and I told him he could have it back if he ever needed it!"

Again, the smile fell from the young man's face. "What if he needs it now?"

"Oh, no...He...He would want you to have it," the older man said, lowering his tone.

"I don't know," the young man mumbled, sheathing the blade.

The older man walked up and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Son...You're the pride of your people... You know that right? Your father loves you very much...even to this day," the older man whispered, staring into the younger man's eyes. "He will be happy to know that it's in your company."

Turning his head, the younger man glared into the hot orange coals of the fire pit. "If he's so delighted to bestow such gifts upon me, then why has he let this fate-...No..." The young man put his left palm over his face, then slid it down and let it rest upon his knee. "There's nothing he could've done...and nothing I can do now...except..." He leaned over and picked up the bow and quiver, then stood up and walked off around the left side of the building.

"Just wait now! Where are you going to go?" the older man called, following him.

"I don't know!" the younger man snapped back. He approached a black horse loaded up with side bags of gear and clipped the bow into place on a holster. He then secured the quiver to his ride and attached the knife's sheath to his right hip along a leather belt. The older man stared at him, his lower lip shaking and his eyes full of intent. Blowing a quick gust of wind from his nostrils and scowling, the younger man turned around from his horse. "Maybe I'll go to Calor. I know I'll be heading into the Southlands. That's for sure!"

The older man stepped closer as the young man climbed up and took mount on his horse. "You can't be serious," he pled.

Looking briefly to the moon, the young man stared back down at the older man. "And where would you have me go, Uncle? This whole nation's up and looking out for my head. If there's a bounty out there bigger than mine I'd sure as hell like to find it!" He gripped down on the reigns and looked forward. "I have to leave this place."

"And what will they call you? Hmm? What will the people you meet know you by? Because you know about the only thing worse than being the man with the biggest bounty on his head in history is being a Northerner traveling unwarranted through the Southlands!" the older man growled.

The younger man turned slowly to his uncle. "You want to know what they'll call me?"

"Yes!" his uncle said, nodding sharply.

"Vaga Telum," the young man said, moving his gaze forward once more, "The Wandering Weapon." He took in a deep breath and snapped the reigns on the horse, galloping off into the field. His uncle watched motionless as the young man took off over the land and disappeared into the fog of the night.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Please contact me with any comments, questions, suggestions, concerns, or reviews via PM or my Email!

Check out my profile for "The Seven Epics of Omnes Vita," my main project, and the story it leads into, "Lucerna Redemption" ...COMING SOON!

- Epic Awaken