Heart of the Stormblade

By M.C. Remfrey

The first novel of the Worlds of Eden series.

Visto Adaeve has just lost the love of his life in a terrible accident. He thinks that it was something else, but noone will believe him.

​He embarks on a journey to figure out the truth, to find himself entangled in a brewing war between worlds. The faith of thousands comes down to the choices he makes.

The choices between his ego and insecurities or his heart and intuition.

What will Visto do?

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.C. Remfrey
• Release date: Sep 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463683316

Book preview

Worlds of Eden: Heart of the Stormblade

Chapter 1

- Broken

The room was gloomy, trickles of light from the television in the corner barely illuminated the floor in front of it. The news report was reporting on a recent storm, the storm was sudden and tragic.

‘The clean-up from last month’s freak storm is still on-going, the death toll is now at a tragic fifteen after emergency services found a body in the forest with cause of death suspected to be by hyperthermia, with another one-hundred and nine with severe to minor injuries, this is one of the worst storms our country, no, the world has ever seen’ the news reporter announced, holding tears back from trickling down her face.

The screen switched to another reporter ‘Thankyou Samantha Robbins for that. Truly tragic that storm was. Now onto sports.’

Across the room from the television in the corner, sitting on a cold leather couch sat a soulless figure glaring at the television. If it wasn’t for the occasional sob it would’ve appeared barely living at all. The leather was beginning to crack beneath the exhausted creature as it laid there lifeless.

It’s eyes heavy, and body exhausted, the broken soul slowly began to drift off to sleep. To the man’s disappointment, morning revealed itself through a small stream of light that danced through a small gap in the heavy curtains that covered the windows.

The limited light that made its way through the overcast sky, and the gap in the curtains, was now trying to hold back the darkness that once ruled the dusty floorboards. It gave just enough that you could just see that the place looked like a dump. It was littered with pizza boxes, alcohol and soda bottles arranged along the sides of the chair the figure perched on, with sweets wrappers scattered everywhere at his feet.

A foul smell retreated from the empty body that covered the man, to then meet the rotten stench of the excessive rubbish that littered the ground. A rolling sound entered the room from the front accompanied by a mechanic hum. The hum ceased to a metal click. A few seconds passed with no sound.

‘Knock, knock’ the woman voice spoke from the door as she tapped it with her fist.

‘Go away’ barked Visto, lying on the couch, turning his head into the blanket.

‘Come on Visto, she would have wanted you to keep going. Acacia would’ve hated to see you like this’ Samantha answered. Visto sat there in silence watching the news on the television play footage of the carnage from the horrific storm that occurred a few weeks earlier.

‘I have someone who wants to talk to you’ Samantha stated, trying to get Visto to come out of his house.

‘Tell them that, that I’m on holiday or something’ Demanded Visto, tossing and turning on his couch trying to sleep away his sorrow. The figure standing next to Samantha walked up to the window trying to look into it, but the curtains were too concealing.

‘I don’t think that is going to work. He’s here, standing right here with me Visto, get off your sorry arse and open the door!’ exclaimed Samantha who was now becoming agitated.

‘She meant a lot to me too Visto, she was the closest thing I had to a sister’ shared Samantha, with cheeks that began wetting with her tears.

‘Sammy, do you of all people really think, she was killed by the storm? it wasn’t the storm! It was something large and horrifying. I still can’t get the sound it made out of my head; it was dreadful. That thing is what killed her, not some random storm!’ Visto alleged, becoming furious that no one, even his best-friend didn’t believe him with what he saw on the night that Acacia died.

Sighing with Visto’s delusional state, Samantha looked down at her feet and pleaded with Visto, ‘please, please Visto. Just open the door. Someone is here to talk to you. Please Visto, just open the door’.

Visto grunted and removed the thick blanket that was smothering his sorrowed body and threw it to his side. With a series of glass clangs, and the sound of scrunching plastic Visto rose out of the mouldy armchair he called home for way too long.

His legs weak from not leaving the prison he sat himself in, eyes droopy from the exhaustion. He just couldn’t bring himself to eat. He just asked himself, Why? Why should I take care of myself, when the one I lived for no longer does? He slowly dragged his left foot forward, then his right. Advancing slowly with his legs barely holding themselves together underneath him.

Samantha, unaware of Visto’s condition and slow progress, raised her head and wiped her cheeks of the tears. ‘Visto, I understand that she meant the absolute world to you. You hit your head really bad, the doctor said you suffered a severe concussion. Your mind wants there to be a monster, it finds it easier to deal with her death that way’. Visto still slowly proceeding towards the door, clenched his fist and stopped.

His leg cramping from being so weak, Visto looked down and rubbed his upper leg for some relief. He looked back towards the door and continued his pathetic, slow and tiring journey. ‘I felt fine, just as I do now. The doctor said that my brain scans were that of someone with a concussion, he didn’t say that I actually had one.’

Samantha looked to her side to the figure that accompanied her then faced the door one more. ‘Visto, that’s the same thing, just because your eyes responded fine and you had no definite loss of memory, it doesn’t mean you didn’t have a concussion. Just open the door Visto’.

‘I’m coming and why do you have to get so technical’ Visto declared, still struggling with each step. He finally reached the door and took a deep breath. Expecting to be further lectured by Samantha or harassed by friends and family with their condolences.

He hated that, only Samantha, a few of Acacia’s colleagues and himself turned up to her funeral. He thought that someone as considerate, loving, caring and beautiful as Acacia deserved her entire family to be there. He had heard stories about her brother Jaikou and many other names that she loved to talk about, but none of them turned up, not one.

Visto grabbed the door handle and twisted his entire arm to muster the strength he needed to open it. ‘Alright, I’m here what do you want’ spoke Visto in a blunt and impatient tone looking up and down at the suited figure that accompanied Samantha.

‘Mr. Adaeve, I’m Maxwell Stevens. Sorry for your loss. I’m here on behalf of your late fiancé Acacia. In the case of her death I am to deliver this briefcase to you personally’ shared Maxwell.

‘So, you’re an attorney then?’ asked Visto.

Maxwell looked towards Samantha unsurely and then back towards Visto. ‘No’ declared Maxwell. Visto looked at Maxwell with confusion then at Samantha who was furious.

‘You told me you were Acacia’s attorney and that you needed to see her partner immediately!’ Samantha shrieked as waved her hands about in an angrily manner.

‘I apologise for misleading you on such a sensitive matter ma’am, but it is absolute importance that Visto receives this. I was instructed, by Acacia, to get this to Visto at any cost’ explained Maxwell. Visto and Samantha looked at each other in confusion.

‘Sure, whatever’ said Visto, as he really just wanted to go back inside and rest his weak and aching legs.

Maxwell handed the briefcase to Visto, and politely said to the both of them ‘Sorry for your loss, thank you for your time, have a good day’.

Maxwell turned around and walked down the driveway, posture straight and dignified, he looked both ways and continued down the road. Samantha turned to Visto, ‘I’m so, so sorry, I thought he was a lawyer or something. Did you want me to come in and open it with you?’ Samantha asked putting her hand on Visto’s shoulder trying to comfort him.

The small additional weight of Samantha’s arm on his shoulder was almost too much for Visto’s legs. They began to mildly shake. Embarrassed by the state he was in; all he could think about was getting back inside. ‘No thank you, this is something I have to do by myself.’ Visto answered.

‘That guy was a bit weird though aye’ Visto said jokingly, trying to redirect Samantha’s attention away from himself, and ease the tension with some humour.

‘Sorry for bringing him around, I really should’ve made sure’ apologised Samantha is a soft tone as she watched the road where Maxwell had just left.

‘It’s fine, if Acacia truly wanted me to have this, maybe it was a good thing you brought him by’ Trying to make Samantha feel better for bringing a stranger around to his house while he was still mourning.

‘Alright, just make sure you call me. Okay?’ said Samantha. Visto nodded in agreement holding a positive look on his face, though his legs were about to give way.

‘Sure’ Visto returned. Samantha turned towards her car and began to walk away. As soon as Visto had his chance he swung inside and shut the door behind him. His legs gave way and he slid down the door collapsing onto the ground in pain.

Unable to return to his feet, Visto put his arm onto the wall and began to feel around. After a while he found a small panel and flicked the small switch that was at the centre. The room lit up to truly reveal the state that the room was in. Dirty piles of wrappers from sweets Visto was binging on for the last three weeks with the pizza boxes that were filled with mouldy pizza which were surrounded by empty alcohol and soda bottles.

Visto was disgusted with what he had let his life become. Acacia would be devastated with what he’d become. This brought on a small sob which soon turned into a fall of tears. ‘I’m so sorry, I just don’t know what to do without you here’ He grabbed the briefcase and drew it into his chest and held it tight. As his tears fell onto it the briefcase, and with every drop the surface of the brief case under the tears began to glow blue in an unusual square pattern. With every drop the pattern spread over the briefcase.

By the time Visto had noticed the pattern that spread across the briefcase only a small circle on the front of it was clear from the pattern. Visto stunned to what the briefcase was doing was frozen, he had no idea what to do. The once clear circle filled with the pattern of squares and the luminous blue turned purple then red then finally green before making several buzzing and clicking sounds. The briefcase clicked open. The lid swung wide open.

A woman with long, silky smooth brown hair appeared on the screen. Visto’s tears became heavier and heavier. ‘Visto, if Maxwell has delivered this to you it means I have died’ the figure on the screen said like her death was nothing.

‘Acacia’ Visto muttered through his tears. Happy to see her face again.

‘You need to head to this location’ The screen changed to a map of the bushlands just south of the town. ‘I understand that you are confused and wonder what is going on. But all will be explained once you get there. You must get there as soon as possible! Please’ Samantha pleaded before the screen turned off.

At the base of the briefcase was a thin rectangular device similar to that of a smart phone. Unsure to what just happened Visto picked it up to inspect it. A blue light emitted from the edge of the screen and shone into Visto’s eyes. Visto didn’t flinch at all. The light focused on his eyes to then suddenly return to only emit around the edges of the device. A humming sound came from it and the light around the edges retreated to only be under his fingers that held it.

A loud snap with a bright light jolted Visto’s hands and all the lights in the house went out. Visto just sat there holding his hand unsure what to do. He was beginning to realise that his fiancé had an entire secret life he didn’t know about, not to mention that a small strange box just took out all the power in the house. What was she doing? he thought to himself.

Visto felt a new energy, an energy of hope, an unshakable energy of hope. He stood up and walked to the curtains that shielded the light from entering the room. He threw them open with strength and determination. He marched to the smooth wooden oak closet that revealed itself in the new light. He collected a broom, a mop and bucket in his arms and then placed them against the wall near the mouldy armchair. He looked around for something, something to put the filth that surrounded him into.

He was feeling better suddenly, whatever that jolt of energy was, he was now feeling much better, physically and emotionally. ‘Aha’ Visto declared, darting into the kitchen. He looked to his left not finding what he’s looking for, so then he looked to his right.

There it was, a large bin sitting at the side of the table. It was filled with Acacia’s work and sketches. Sketches of diagrams and formulae of something Acacia was working on. Visto picked it up and took it into their bedroom where the bed has only a sheet on it and the pillows were on the floor. He lifted one end of the bin above the other and poured all of the paperwork onto the bed.

‘What on Earth were you doing Acacia?’ questioned Visto, as he looked over the pages and pages of diagrams that showed circular machines covered with the similar pattern as the device that short circuited the house. Functions and function with symbol of which he had never seen before. As he looked over Acacia’s work it dawned on him, why hadn’t he seen all this before? Had started to think he was a bad boyfriend that never paid attention to her.

After thinking of this, he swore to himself to not let her down, especially on her final request. He had no idea what the symbols were, let alone what they all meant so he pulled out his phone to take photos of everything. He pressed the button on the top right of his smart phone, it just didn’t work. He pressed it repeatedly for about a minute, holding it in to try and turn it on and plugging it in to try and charge it. After about five minutes of trying to get it to work, he concluded that his phone had been short circuited just as the rest of his house had been.

‘Alright fine, I’ll just have to take them with me’ Stated Visto, as he began to sort them all into a neat pile, he remembered the state of his loungeroom. He faced towards the door of the bedroom and began to march out grabbing the empty bin on his way. When he stepped into the loungeroom he looked around, disgusted, embarrassed and ashamed at the mess his life had become. He remembered Acacia’s favourite line, ‘no matter what happens to anyone, the way they live their life is still their responsibility’.

A tear ran down his face, as her words filled his soul with inspiration. He now felt motivated and eager to clean his mess up. He reached for the broom to his side, as he turned, he saw the briefcase on the ground with the strange thin black rectangular device not that far from it. Not sure what that device did, he remembered the last time he was standing where he was facing that direction, he got a cramp.

He was weak, weak from unhealthily drowning in his own sorrows, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, not exercising or moving at all for that matter. He focused back on the part that not even an hour ago he couldn’t stand. But now he felt strong and powered like before Acacia had died. He had no idea how it happened. He just knew whatever that thin, black rectangular device was, it gave him strength.

Still confused about the means that had given him his strength back, he decided to focus on cleaning his house up. He started by sweeping all the rubbish onto a pile on the floor, and then picking it up and placing it in the bin handful by handful. After all the rubbish was disposed of the place started to look just a little tidier. ‘Now it’s time to mop the floor!’ Visto said excitingly as he was getting his act together.

He grabbed the bucket that sat on the floor next to the mop and walked over to the sink. He open the cupboard doors underneath the sink and knelt down to see its contents.

‘No, No, No, ahh yes’ Visto mumbled to himself while he looked for the floor cleaner. He picked it up and poured a small amount into the bucket. He stood back up and filled the rest of the bucket with water and moved onto mopping the floor. As he mopped around the front door he picked up and briefcase and the thin, black rectangular device and placed it on the table.

After about fifteen minutes, Visto had completed cleaning the house. He stood there admiring his work. He had a slight grin on his face, looking at how his environment was now worth being proud about. Soon after he remembered the briefcase and the thin, black rectangular device on the table. He walked over and picked them up and carried them to the bedroom and placed them on the bed.

He threw open the closet doors and began surveying its contents. He found a large blue and green hiking bag on the top shelf. He pulled it out and threw it onto the bed next to the briefcase and opened it. As he ran the zipper along the bag the contents unravelled to the sides. The hiking bag contained a hatchet, sleeping bag, coat, flint, folded shovel, and a machete. Believing this is everything that he needed except food and water Visto put Acacia’s paperwork and the briefcase into the bag and swung it onto his back.

He stood there hesitantly, looking at the strange thin, black rectangular device as it sat on the bed. ‘What on Earth are you?’ he asked picking it up and inspecting it once more, but with more caution. It began to light up again, but this time, the centre of the device itself lit up. The black shading that covered it began to fold away from the centre.

It folded in hexagons no larger than a millimetre per side. The panels folded back revealing Visto’s fingers holding the other side of the device.

Shocked of what was happening and worried about what happened last time he held this device he threw it onto the bed. As soon as it left Vistos hand the panels folded back in, covering the device in its former black coating. Visto just stood there hesitating to pick it up again, fearing what it may do this time, fearing whether it will do more than destroy the circuits in his house.

After contemplating, worst to best case scenarios in his head, and running crazy and ridiculous ideas through his head. ‘It’s not like it’s part of an alien spaceship that is going to abduct me’ Visto humoured to himself as he tried to convince himself to pick it up again. After a few minutes he picked it up again and the panels once again started to fold back revealing the transparent nature of the device. Once the coating had entirely folded back Visto’s could see his fingers through the device.

Shock filled Visto’s face, but not as much as curiosity filled his mind. He held rim in his hand that was a thin, black rectangular box only a few seconds earlier. ‘What are you?’ he asked not expecting an answer, let alone from the device itself. ‘I am a Robotic Artificial Intelligence Service and Assistance Technological Application, or otherwise known as RAISATA (Ray-sar-tar)’ a semi computerised voice spoke from the device.

Visto was lost for words as his mouth was stuck in an open position, until shortly after, when he found the ability to speak again. ‘Ahh, well, hmmm, ok then. How about I call you Ross?’ Visto asked, curious to see if the device will reply.

‘Ross. A very human name. Very well, I will now respond to Ross’ replied the computerised voice.

‘What is it you want me to do?’. Visto paused for a moment thinking whether this is alien or some advanced technology that a company that Acacia was working with ha designed.

‘How do I get to that place Acacia wanted me to go’ Visto asked, not expecting Ross to know about where he was talking about. ‘Are you referring to the location of which the recorded message that I was passed to you with? If so, then yes. I know how to get to Gateway – 2306’. Astounded to the advanced technology he held in his hand he had no other idea of what to do except continue with the pursuit to Gateway – 2306.

‘Ross, how do I get to this Gateway – 2306?’ Visto humoured, looking around thinking this was one last practical joke from Acacia. They loved to play practical jokes on each other, and it was time for her to get him back for the time he put an air horn on