Shadow Empire: The Varik Noir

By Jeromy Robbins

The Varik Noir was foretold, prophesied by all creatures within the natural realms of man. Foretold by the wizards and worshiped by the priest. But what they have foretold is not exactly what is to come. Stirring within the realms of Thia the creature comes into being, though what he sees and witnesses bring him suffering and pain. Driven by the source, the collective energy of all things in existence at the smallest point of creation, the Varik Noir sets out on a brutal quest of self-discovery and learning though soon finds him caught up in the wars of man. Can he maintain the purity in which the prophecy’s demand of him or shall he fall to much sinister forces at work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeromy Robbins
• Release date: Aug 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370791217

Jeromy Robbins

J.R.Robbins was born in Rockport Maine 1985. Living a hard life Mr. Robbins grew up on the streets in one of the coldest states the USA has to offer. Spending his time reading he escaped the harsh conditions of his environment through his imagination. Later on walking across the United States he met many wonderful and strange people which later on would influence his works.J.R.Robbins is an author who struggles with dyslexia but will not let his challenges stop him from telling and spinning the stories so many are coming to love. He brings a unique perspective to storytelling along with a enriched connection to core emotion.Born In the United states J.R.Robbins now resides in the United Kingdom with his wife D.M. Robbins whom illustrates the novels that J.R.Robbins has to offer to the world.

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The Shadow Empire:

The Varik Noir

© J.R.Robbins all rights reserved 2016

Dedication:

To my wife who is my Azure.

The inspiration of a love beyond time.

D.M.R

Copyright info:

Copyright © 2016 Jeromy Robbins all rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 www.Theshadowempire.com All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means. Including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the Author/ publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the following address: mundi101@ yahoo.com or on our website segw-online.com

Contents:

Chapter: Name Page

Prologue: 6

Chapter 1: The Desolation 13

Chapter 2: The Crossing 50

Chapter 3: The Land Of Dreams 104

Chapter 4: The Adamar King 148

Chapter 5: More than what it seemed 192

Chapter 6: Thirteen made one 223

Chapter 7: The March 245

Chapter 8: Red Guard 276

Chapter 9: The battle for Red Guard 303

Chapter 10: An Unasked Question 328

Chapter 11: Even in the darkest hour 363

Chapter 12: The Dark Arising 387

Chapter 13: To the last man 417

Chapter 14: Until morning 452

Terms

Term Description:

Oboron: A protoplasmic substance that drains energy.

Thia: A Subpocket dimension where Thians come from

Varik Noir: Name of the main character.

Shiagogs: Name of the species the Varik Noir created.

The Source: The essence of all things in the multiverse

Adamar: The name of the species that can shape shift

Eldar: The name of the first elves of Tera.

Underkin: Name of the species from under the mountain

Multiverse: Combined make up of all the universes.

Prologue:

Many have stood beside me, and much more have fallen. Many have given their lives’ so that I may stand here now. To stand in the winds of fate and see what was to come. To see the ages pass by and to see the suffering and pain in that I had caused. To see the torment that I brought across these lands…

So as I stand here alone against the tides of darkness, I find my strength dwindling. How could it have come to this? That after the ages I have withstood, and now I am the wall the last line against the lunacy in which plagues us all?

But the question many may be asking now is what was it all for? Or rather who am I? Well, those answers are not as simple as many would have you think. I am not the shadow in the winds as many would have said. I am not the monster in which many would have you believe. Instead, I am but that torn petal floating in the winds. The pedal that never lands and never withers till the time itself stands still.

I was born before the age of madness and lived through dying worlds. No my friends I am not a god... Nor am I deserving of you bowing down before me... I have made many mistakes along my path to unite the worlds. But in the end, I broke under the weight as any man would have.

Now I stand here with my blade as the hordes gather before the walls of our home. Broken and lost, I will fight till time screeches out in pain. I will not die to a simple fool which would obscure your way. Nor will I die in vain. For at the end of time you will find me alone and broken waiting to be reborn again...

I am the beast that hunts its prey and I am the lover that never rests. For within me comes the calling of the source. From deep within in comes my begging for the souls of men. I am but a broken man, a fragment of what I once was.

Could you my love have withstood the test of time had I not lost you? To now be stalked by your own madness attempting to break you and shatter you? I would never cast this infliction upon you, my love…

But still, this doesn’t answer who I am. In truth, I could not respond to this for I would have to remember the first time I was born. I would have to remember why I was created. Yet after the millionth cycle around the cosmic ages, I have nearly forgotten all… I forgot what it was like to be a mortal man…

I am alone even when surrounded by the masses. I walk, lost the white halls of Shia crying out as the agony of your loss consumes the very fabric of my being. It consumes penetrating down to my very core. I speak to you now my love even though know can’t respond.

My love, I stand here as a wall between what once was and what once could be. Instead, I stand here within this tomb of self-destruction begging you once again to see me!

But at last I know within this dark coffin I am alone; I am lost and broken. I no longer deserve your touch... I no longer deserve the smile you once placed upon me. I no longer deserve your bannermen and most of all I no longer deserve you.

I have lied to you and hurt you. I have betrayed you and cast you aside. I invoked your wrath but instead you gave me your love.

I may be strong in that of the flesh, but I’m, not that of heart for even in the darkest moments I am but a man. I may have been born of the source, and I may have been born of another world. But that aside I am but a shadow of what you are. I am a shadow of what could be if you were to show me how to live again.

For now, I will linger within the darkness. I will remain in the memory of all those that once fought for me. For now, I will lay here within this tomb and not breathe as my form grows cold.

Though my love you will one day lift this lid and find the truth in which I have been hiding. Will you one day lift this lid and compel me to awake as I did for you so long ago? For I have grown old and afraid. I have become shattered.

Remember my love that behind each man there stands a woman willing to help him go on. Sometimes this is not in a physical manner. Sometimes we can find that the mere presence and the mere whisper, in fact, is enough to allow a man to come back to life. Is that what you once did for me? Was this the cause of my everlasting love for you?

Now the ages have begun to pass me by as I feel and hear them coming again, and here in this temple, I wait for you. I am, but an old man left without a shadow and sit here at the end of time. I may have forgotten the days in which we use to dance. I may have forgotten the fields in which we use to run. But know this, my love, I have not forgotten you. I have not forgotten your breath, your beauty, and your soft touch...

I have not forgotten the way we once held each other in the darkest ages of the darkest nights. I have not forgotten the curse in which you laid upon me. Nor have I forgotten the strength from the curse in which we used to cleanse the land.

I have not forgotten the sword within my hand or the feel of your grasp. Nor did I forget the feeling of your last breath. Oh, what have I done? Did I allow you to give it all to save a man in which was not deserving?

Oh, my love where have you gone? For now, I grow tired as the final night comes. The stars are growing dim as our castle is falling apart. I am confused without you and my love I need you! Though I know, I know! I don’t deserve all that you have given me.

Here my love I will linger till the end of days till finally again I will see you. I will suffer the rebirth and its pain. I will come again and again till finally, I have given all in which I have. To save you and be the man you finally deserve at last.

So now the universe begins to grow cold... I cannot feel my fingers tips and no longer know of my feet. My previous breath was giving nearly a hundred years ago. There is no light and every inch of me feels cold. My form I no longer remember its shape as all things are leaving. I no longer can even remember my name.

My love comes to me I need you now more than ever. For here in this endless darkened sea I am confused and alone. All things are shrinking together all things are becoming strange. Help me my love I beg of you!

Now I linger here, as there are no longer days all forms and shape of time have ceased. I cannot remember you, for now, I can no longer feel pain. I talk to you out of habit my love for to me you are but a dream. I no longer call your name and I I've left a void. My love in the eternal night how is it I am so weak?

Oh, my god who am I? What am I? I can no longer take form and can't remember the last time I smelled or could feel, and now I am all alone. The universe, the multiverse is screaming out for all to come to being.

I can feel it pulling on me ripping at my very soul. There is an essence out there in which always knows. It knows I am here and is looking for me what do I do? I am lost and scared oh god what am I going to do? Help me, someone, please...

The memories are all gone, and now I am a new. Instead of dreaming of the past all I can do is look forward to what is about to come. The worlds are igniting into being, and all things are tormented. Our kind no longer is given essence...

But who am I and what do I do? I know I once was given a name, and I once knew there was such a thing as love too….

The dreams are getting worse, and as they call out for me they torment me, they consume me. Beasts are killing, and men are dying. Each thing stalks the other within the night. They fill my very essence full of pain, and this all started again as the light came through me this day.

All of a sudden, I found myself being able to see. I found myself feeling things and from them came the torment of all things that are now growing to be. Oh, how do I fear to understand all which is to come? For the murder of it all!

Caste my soul unto darkness and rip my essence apart I no longer want to bare all in which is occurring. They strike each other within the flesh without a care, without a care! The murder, the torment the rape! The scorching of the trees; oh how each infliction sears through me!

Oh, how I dreamed for once of a thing in which did not inflict me. It did not burn nor did it scortch upon my very core. Instead, it came to me like a dream from the great beyond.

Soothing me and holding me as she touched my cheek. There with in our cabin we held each other till the embers wore. As we laid there through the night, I could feel our souls entwined… But who is this woman, is she a dream? Is she of my imagination? Is she to come or was it something I forgot so long ago?

Was she there before the stars and the multiverse exploded into being? Come back please; oh please don’t leave me to the pain. Don’t leave me to my suffering! Oh, I beg of you I am here! I am here! Please, oh, someone help for this pain is insufferable!

Come back from the lands of the dream I beg of you please for without you I am hollow. For without you, I feel a hole forming within. For without you the petal withers ... For even though I don’t know you I feel incomplete…

For without you in my life… I don’t want to exist...

Chapter one:

The Desolation

Nothing is as it ever seems within life, nor is it as you may suspect. For life became deceptive upon the day of its own creation. When the multiverse began to turn; it was not just against itself, but against all things within it. The multiverse being the creation of all things, of all dimensions, of all universes, of everything…

For, in the beginning, nothing was as you would expect, the stars did not flare into being, not in the manner in which you would think. Or at least not within our realms, our realms you see young child are that of Thia. For our realms started just fractions of a second after the great eruption in which created all other realms that the outsiders know of. This is the story of how we came to be, a story of how all things in what you know, in what you feel and see came to exist...

As the substance of the other realms began to flow from the desolate hole of their birth, the very key, the very core of what makes us what we are, was rejected. The essence of our being was cast out as it threatened to pull apart the very essence of time and space.

Surging within its might the green protoplasmic substance we now call oboron was rejected by the cosmos. Like an unwanted bastard child of a lord, the oboron was cast out of the multiverse.

Pulling in on itself slowly it forged the beginning of the creation of our realms. Sinking through time and space until we no longer belonged to the multiverse. Or at least existed within its awareness...

The multiverse rejected us as much as we rejected it for we were the substance that would bring balance. We were that in which sought to purify the darkness from the very beginning... We were that in which they needed. So for all this, for the base building blocks of what would make us what we are was rejected. Torn and thrown before the first breath of life was ever taken by any mortal or immortal alike.

Within the vast emptiness of time and space, our realms slowly started to emerge, to form, and to grow. But how do we know this you might ask yourself, child? Because I my children was there born as the first and solitary of our beings. Within those days there was nothing but the emerald light. Vibrating and reverberating throughout our entire realm. Hues of greens and blues painted the scape in which we called home. Through this new cosmic place birthed our home and within it I laid there awaiting wondering what was. Soon thereafter the source erupted into our realms, and I was giving life...

Punching through the veils of the multiverse the source came. First, it trickled like the shimmer off water from a stream. Mixing into the oboron so delicately it began to stir the great essence. As if life suddenly broke into existence I could feel myself. Though with that gift also came a curse for I was isolated and within that the children of the all the realms rang out within my mind. Their pain their agony their suffering and sorrow of what was about to come filled the streams and with it came like haunting visions. This suffering, this pain was not of what was going on. Rather it was what would occur in the years to come. For the source is all. It’s the past the present and the future. It was and is a part of everything. It radiates from the bird, the beast and even the streams in which the deer drink...

Alone there in the darkness of the realms and from trickles of the source I cried out feeling anguish from the suffering of that which was inflicted upon me.

My essence lingered for eons in the torment in which became my chains. With it, I felt the pain of the wars and with each stroke of the blades I felt the victim’s anguish. Unable to help and unable to stop it they fell one by one to the madness of their worlds. With each death, I would die with them until finally, their light faded leaving me for the next one.

Beating like a beast with a hammer upon the drums of war the images came, again and again, drowning me in the bloodshed of the ages that were not here yet but that would eventual be. As if something heard my call, my suffering, my pain, it all came.

Like a raging river, a torrent of light! The source in all its might seared through the cracks of time and space surging into our realms.

With its raw power, I came to the full understanding of what I was. I was something else something the stream searched for, a voice to cry out and a voice for those in which the pain I felt. Though I was not a part of their world I knew that my pure existence was to save them... To help them escape the fates in which tormented me.

As I watched the ages slowly passed and with the time life started to form outside of Thia. The planets came into being and with their creation; I began to see many things. The elves came into existence, they loved they lost and died. The dragons soared through the air upon massive beating wings and then Dwarves also forced their way into being.

The sadness slowly started to seep like a black ink growing within each race. Within their suffering, anger sprang forth. From that, metal fangs of war began to be wielded as the torment in which I saw came true.

I could not help but feel sorrow for those beings, for they did not know what they did. They did not know the pain in which they caused. Not just upon themselves but to the multiverse, to the source and most of all to myself.

Crying out in my sleep I could feel every murder, every war, every act, word and deed from their infliction of madness. For I was connected to all things that were being torn apart by these fools, as they now murdered over petty greed.

For this, I spent the ages in eternal suffering. Wanting to dissipate, to flee far away, but from what? How? How could I flee when it was all connected to the very fabric of my being? How could I escape that in which I did not cause? Why was this punishment brought upon me, what had I done?

Slowly the winds on their worlds blew as the breeze of the source cried out for help in agony. The source filled the lands calling forth the beast to rise up to protect themselves.To restores the balance of which they had disrupted. But again it was too late for as they attacked, the Elves, the Dwarves, and the dark-kin all struck them down uniting their people as one. This one action formed a larger threat against the ages of dawn.

Soon it came to pass, that the source and I understood for things to be saved, for the violence to break, for the darkness to slowly subside action would need to be taken. The oboron and the isolation of my form must be broken. So it whispered into their ears as it sung like a tune to the elves. There within that tune a spark of mischief that even they could not deny erupted and called them forth...

Driven to find the source of the call they constructed ships made of white marble with sails so immense that none had ever seen the likes before. There magic's would drive them forth looking for the source of the song that now entranced them.

Calling upon their gods for their might the Eldar constructed large gates that would allow them to depart from their realms breaching into ours. Rising high above their world within great vessels they would set sail to travel forth.

Igniting the heavens with their power, their ships would slowly set sail towards the gate. Vibrating and shifting the gates would glow with radiant hues of golden magics. They did not understand what it was they were about to do… Or rather they did not know what they have about thrust themselves into.

As the gods struck with their full force a breach between the two realms would erupt in such a great wave, the light would soar across their realms exploding outwards in a brilliant shock wave for all to see. Upon the decks of their beautiful ships, the captains would bark orders, and the winds of their realms would blow upon the sails. There within the black of space there ships would set forth to penetrate through the veil. A veil that now for the first time since the rise of creation would be broken.

As the ship travelled through the event horizon slowly, its tip would begin to penetrate into our realms and with it, everything began to take hold. The light of their realms shined brilliantly into that of ours.

Their massive ship would slowly start to emerge causing the rays of their stars to shine through radiating its brilliant light across the realms. The array of colours began to captivate me for the beauties of such emissions were that in which my essence had never observed before. Fixated and captivated, if I had taken my first breath before it would have ceased then at the moment.

Then as If a curse took hold everything went wrong. Those upon the ships ceased to breathe. Their backs arched as there life force flickering in faint hues of silver which slowly began to drain from their lips, leaving their bodies collapsing dead upon the decks.

Within my awe, I failed to act. I neglected to move, captivated my essence gazed upon the beauty of these creatures and with it slowly their magic’s faded. Their life began to be drained by what allowed me to thrive.

Moving as quickly as my humble being could I took to them. But it was too late, oh it was too late. For even here the distance between us was too great. My movement was rapid as the substance of my being soared through the void the kept us apart.

Finally reaching their vessel I could literally feel time slow down. The source surged around me as I became desperate to help those that had entered and within that desperation, I began to change. I began to take shape for within my centre cosmic essence a chest began to form. As if guided by the white light, all I saw before me began to form. At first, it was just the chest then soon after the rest of me began to spring unto life.

From the sides, I could feel the physical sense of limbs, as they protruded outwards. What was this I was feeling? I could only but wonder as fingers erupted from hands that had sprung. Below me, my feet from the glow of the light sprung. All at once as if by some will I came to be similar as to how I am now...

Though the change took too long, for landing upon their deck they reached for me. With arms outstretched their lips went blue as the last ray of their life force parted.

Slowly they fell upon the floor as their skin faded of all colour. Around them, the oboron grew as it began to absorb what they once were and with it, I knew this had all been my fault.

It took me but a few moments to understand what had fully come to pass. As I had recalled what had been but only minutes ago to me. In reality, it had been eons we had been rejected. Our forms were toxic, our realms were toxic. They had died just by penetrating into these realms. I knew this would happen, but how did I know? I had not encountered any beings outside of myself before this point, observed and sensed yes but never met. Confused and saddened I stood there and then out of the corner of my eye a silvery disk caught my attention...

Turning my head slightly, in the centre of the disk a reflection was held. A reflection suspended by a silver outlining with engraved leaves scrolling around it. Moving in almost a stumble I fell, then with a heave, I would push myself back up Such minuscule actions were so hard for me for I had never even walked before. My right foot shuffled before my left as I moved towards the disk to see what this reflection was.

With each shuffle, an image came into view. At first, it took me a moment touching my cheeks then my forehead to realise it was me. My jaw was strong yet slender, my eyes radiated in a glowing dark blue hue. The eyebrows were slim narrowing up into arches. My nose was elongated but only enough to come to a slight point. As my hand traces my features the ears upon my head were also elongated in the form that I had first seen. Then upon my lips I placed my fingertips tracing them. They were thin and yet at the same time full. Seeking to see more I shuffled closer to take in my full view mesmerised by myself. For now, I was giving form in which I never had before.

My strong neck descended down upon broad shoulders as the muscles rippled out right. From there my limbs were well toned. Chest bare, I ran my hands down them for the first time taking in the sensation of the flesh. Then it caught my eye slightly as I felt it rolling down my back. Pale golden hair almost that of white. The hair itself was long reaching down well to the bottom of my back. The tips hugged the back of the tops of my legs.

Slowly my eyes fell as I began to take in the rest of my form and the lower I looked, the more confusing it all became for when I glanced down I saw something that was most peculiar.

Glancing down I took in what was hidden below their clothes that in which separated men from the woman. It was in true that I was a man. It hung large and low a symbol of power in which many wars had been fought over.

I did not know if I was beautiful or if I was horrific. For to me, I had never had a physical form before. I had lingered many eons alone in the dark of this realm and now for the first time, I had something other than green and blue mist to look at...

Finally, after some time I finally memorised my form and from that, I quickly became bored staring at my own reflection before me. Taking what most would call a breath, I stepped back and looked around.

Before me, their bodies littered the deck which drew my eyes back and forth. From one figure to the next my mind raced. There had been so many upon this ship. So many unsuspecting souls that could not have conceived what had occurred to them. Now that my form looked like there’s I began to feel pity.

My eyes gazed upon each of them taking in what they honestly looked like. Some differed from others as their chest were flat and the others had mounds rising giving them more curves. The features of the faces were distinct as well. The ones with raised chest seemed to be softer in which drew me to them.

Bending over a couple, I could not but help myself but to touch their cheeks. Starring into their cold dead eyes, I found a form of affection for what they had once been. Then around me, more glimmers began to arise around me catching my attention from the corpse that lay before me.

The ship was a wonder carved from marble each post and rail had detailed work with golden hues that embedded it. The deck had a poorest feel softer than the marble with a deeper and richer texture-laden with grains. It seemed firm but with a slight drag of a nail it left deep marks. This must have been the wood that I heard seen in my visions.

Running my hands along the grooves of the wood a tip eventually broke penetrating my flesh in which I had slowly started to adapt too. At first, it was frightening.A swelling feeling upon the tip of the flesh itself took hold then grew. Pain this feeling was not new to me. I had never ever experienced such a thing before now in a physical state. However, I had witnessed others go through such of the same things within the nightmares of my isolation.

Working my way around the ship ever so slowly I pulled each body next to the other feeling as it would be right that they all be near each other within their passing. Pulling another then another beside each other I found drapes to cover them with. I found covering them was easier on me as I was drawn to their eyes.

Trying to find the voice in which I struggled. There was no sound from my throat. Not like there had been from theirs. Instead, more of a whimper escaped or that of a harsh rasp. As the cold hearted the reality of things pushed into my mind for once again, I was alone surrounded by the bodies of the fallen.

After some time had passed, I figured if I were going to remain in this form I would have to learn walk and use my limbs as they had done. So taking to what I believed was called pacing I began to move back and forth upon then deck. Within moments of starting out of the corner of my eye a frame caught my attention...

The Frame was not like the others which lined the ship. For the others had ornate leaves laid with gold upon them. This frame held a gap under it and behind it; one could make out a continued space concealed away from the eye. Curious I decided to investigate.

Slowly my foot fell before the next as I moved towards the partition of wood. With a push from my hand which fell upon the outer surface of this opening the panel, it swung back.

Before me a room opened up, to one side, there was another opening and below it, more wood had been fashioned into steps that lead below in a spiral. "This must have been where they lived