Mystical Force: Vol. 1 Stranger in a Strange Land

By Craig Weidhuner

All beings radiate a life force, but some have an additional Mystical Force – a force that grants them special gifts, be it magical essence, demonic aura or spiritual power. While some consider these people to be gifted, there are others who feel these powers are unnatural...

When Shi-ria graduated from apprentice to Taman Knight her master foresaw she was destined for something no other Taman Knight had done. She had no idea what he meant until a sorceress named Zolida brought her to a strange, remote, backwards planet called Earth.

There, Shi-ria meets a witch named Mystic, her husband, Noonien, a demon named Tokijin and a nun called Sister Rose (who happens to be secretly dating Tokijin). Together they get drawn into a tangled web of criminal smugglers, vengeful spirits and Sister Rose's fellow members of the Order of the Cross, who wish to exterminate these 'devils' for their 'ungodly' powers.

As if this wasn't enough, a rival sorceress named Scarlet Knightwalker is adamant that this unlikely team not meet, just as much as Zolida insists they must. Now they must find the answer as to why Zolida insists their meeting was predestined, and more importantly, why Knightwalker is determined to fight fate. Answers that could change the course of the future, but for better or worse?

www.authorcraigweidhuner.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Sep 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9780228833406

Book preview

Mystical Force

Copyright © 2020 by Craig Weidhuner

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-3339-0 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-3338-3 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-3340-6 (eBook)

Volume 1:

Stranger in a Strange Land

1

The descendant of the darkness will cause the shadows to rise, and darkness will envelop the world. Then the one who is not of this world will seek out the true light within the darkness, and the shadows will open the gates to the netherworld. The true light will shine, removing all shadows from the world while the earth seals the shadows within the netherworld for all eternity.

Zolida recalled these words as she stood in the forest outside of Teikoku City, the capital of Oyashima. It was a prophecy, dating back about five hundred years ago. It warned of a ‘chosen one’, a descendant of an ancient shadow demon, who would bring about the destruction of the world until someone from another world came to stop them. Zolida had tried to bring this someone to this world once before.

Darkness surrounded her, save for the lights of the city, not too far away. The only other light source was the glow of several magic orbs that Zolida had conjured up to illuminate the ground where she was preparing to perform her ritual. She could feel the wind blowing through her long, wavy red hair. She felt a slight shiver run across her tanned white skin. This time, she would complete the ritual. This time, the one who was ‘not of this world’ would come to Earth, and this time, no one—not even she—would interfere. Reaching into the large brown leather sack she had strapped to her back, Zolida pulled out a magic staff and began to recite an ancient incantation she recalled from an old book she read years ago. As she did this, the staff started to glow and soon split into several smaller staves. With a wave of her hand, the staves floated a few feet away before planting themselves in the ground, forming a circle about six feet in diameter.

Destiny will be fulfilled, Zolida thought to herself. All that must come to pass shall pass. She was determined to make sure that happened. She began muttering the incantation necessary to summon the one who was ‘not of this world’. The staves started to glow. Their light spread down into the earth, shooting lines of yellow light outward and across the ground as if someone were painting a picture, crisscrossing each other and coming only to a stop when they reached another staff. Soon a glowing pentagram surrounded by two bright circles of light appeared on the ground. The outer circle emanated from the staves, while the inner spread out from the pentagram’s points. A ring of runes stood between the two circles.

Now! Zolida said as she resumed speaking her incantation.

Zolida, STOP! a voice called out from the darkness. Zolida turned to look. She couldn’t see anyone, but she immediately sensed who it was via her magic. It was Scarlet Knightwalker, her old rival.

It’s pointless to hide, Scarlet, Zolida spoke. I can sense your presence, no matter where you hide!

Knightwalker stepped out of the shadows, I have no need to hide from you. It was easy enough for her to hide in such a dark forest. Her outfit consisted of a loose pair of black pants tucked into black boots with metallic coverings. She wore a kusazuri (a traditional Oyashima skirt of plates) attached to a leather belt that protected her hips and surrounding areas. Her belt also had several pouches for holding various magical items. Her top consisted of a loose long sleeve black shirt covered with a metallic breastplate. Her hands were also covered by black leather gloves. A dark green scarf was draped around her neck, and a black keffiyeh-like cloth covered her forehead, the back of her head, and neck. A charcoal grey helmet, like the kind worn by cyclists, sat atop her head, and a black cloth with flames painted on it covered her nose, mouth, and the lower half of her face. Only her eyes were visible through a narrow slit. Not that it mattered to Zolida, she already knew what Knightwalker looked like. She recalled the day she and her master found her almost dead, her dark skin badly burned and scarred, red and discoloured from her injuries. Her head, once covered with a sea of silky smooth purple hair, looked more like a rocky plateau, with only random patches of hair scattered between the scars across her scalp, not to mention the scar stretching from her right eye to the side of her head that managed to peek through her face mask. No wonder she chose to keep her entire body concealed; her deformed, mutilated appearance would frighten anyone who saw her.

In contrast to Knightwalker’s covered form, Zolida’s outfit was much more revealing. Zolida wore a loose purple tank top made of Mariposian silk. It was tucked into a pair of tight green pants, which were tucked into a pair of black leather boots. Her arms and hands were bare save for various ornate jewel-encrusted gold rings on each finger, and numerous gold bands running along her wrists. She wore dark red lipstick and heavy eye shadow, drawing attention to her deep blue eyes. Unlike Knightwalker, Zolida was vain and enjoyed showing off her beauty.

Flinging aside her black cape, Knightwalker reached over her left shoulder into a brown leather case strapped to her back, not unlike the one Zolida had. Like Zolida’s, hers also held various magical items. I cannot let you do this, Zolida.

You can’t fight fate, Scarlet! Zolida replied. It’s predestined.

You know about the future I’ve seen, Knightwalker said. If she comes here, if they meet, it will set off a chain of events that will lead to disaster!

You exaggerate, Zolida scoffed. Besides, you’re too late anyway. Zolida finished her incantation, commanding, Bring the one who is not of this world.

However, nothing happened. Zolida looked around in confusion. She turned to Knightwalker, What have you done?!

A distraction, Knightwalker answered. Before you even began, I cast a blocking spell on your incantation. It prevented you from casting the spell in the first place.

Zolida clenched her fists in rage, and soon they were engulfed in flames. Using her fire magic, Zolida hurled magic fireballs at Knightwalker, who managed to leap and dodge every one of Zolida’s attacks using her reflexes.

Before her injuries, and before her and Zolida’s late master had given her magic staves, Knightwalker had been an ordinary magic-less human, born on the planet T’nubria in the Torathol Empire. She used to work as a bounty hunter, tracking down and arresting dangerous criminals. She had relied on her wits, speed, strength, agility, and weapons to keep her alive and protect her from magic-based attacks. Although she was no longer the young woman she had once been, her injuries had weakened her skills. Therefore, she still needed to periodically return to her pocket dimension to heal herself, even decades after her accident. However, despite all these factors working against her, she could still hold her own in a fight, despite needing her various magic staves to help sustain her from time to time.

On the other hand, Zolida hadn’t suffered the crippling injuries that Knightwalker had. Plus, unlike Knightwalker, Zolida had been born a mage, thus didn’t need her staves to activate her fire-based powers. Zolida knew she could win because her massive ego refused to accept that Knightwalker could be better than her. How could she be? After all, Zolida was a true mage, whereas Knightwalker was just a cripple with a few magically-imbued crutches. However, Knightwalker had one advantage over Zolida: patience. Knightwalker had learned about patience and humility long ago. She knew how to keep her emotions in check. After all, what use was years of training if one gave in to anger and charged wildly at their opponent like an animal hunting prey? Thus, Knightwalker could continually dodge Zolida’s attacks as Zolida lobbed fireballs at her angrily.

YOU’VE RUINED EVERYTHING! Zolida hollered as she charged Knightwalker.

I had to! Knightwalker insisted. You know what will happen! Millions of people will suffer, Zolida! Why can’t you understand that?!

You just don’t trust me, Scarlet! Zolida shouted. You don’t think I have what it takes! Well, you’re wrong! I’m better than you! You’re simply jealous!

It’s you that’s jealous, Zolida.

Everything was great until you showed up and ruined it all!

That’s your problem, Zolida, Knightwalker said as she twirled her staff, deflecting the continual barrage of fireballs that Zolida continued to hurl in her direction. You’re not concerned with the welfare of others! You just want people to stroke your ego and tell you how great you are.

I’m a better sorceress than you’ll ever be! Zolida summoned her staves to surround Knightwalker. The staves began glowing as they took aim, preparing to fire. Knightwalker used a psychic link to command her staves with a simple thought. Thinking quickly, she used a