Blue Eclipse Book I: Melody of Memories

By Patrick Joseph

A poetic story rhyme that is a compilation of scripted youthful times. Within these pages is a shard from a greater story that chronicles the legacy of characters meant for the entertainment, each individually purposed for a grand design.
And as the wheels of fate turn, each character will play their part, unable to understand the greater role they partake in within the great theatrics of the world play.
Each figure within this are pulled from historical sources, past and present, with subtle liberties to flesh out the true nature of their character.
So as disparate destined paths cross into the other and intersect, the fiery ambition they posses will become their sword while the purity of their immortal soul will become their shield, individually designed to protect a sincere dream, while defending their outer shell from being torn away from this mortal coil.
And as each soul delves beyond the grip of the unfamiliar of their opening acts, a threshold would demand to be crossed as they individually, with warm hearts and open minds, yearn for meaning, as they individually await a glimpse of their true purpose, escaping the confines of ephemeral restraints to push to a space that exists beyond sight.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781663206312

Patrick Joseph

Born into destitution and lives a life of penury, I, Patrick Joseph-Journalist Paige, is a military veteran that has seen explosive combat, suffered insurmountable loss, and toured various corners of the world while absorbing a harsh reality and embracing the serene beauty hidden within it all.

Book preview

BLUE

ECLIPSE

BOOK 1 

Melody of

Memories

PATRICK JOSEPH

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BLUE ECLIPSE BOOK 1

MELODY OF MEMORIES

Copyright © 2020 Patrick Joseph.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0630-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0632-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-0631-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020916997

iUniverse rev. date:   10/23/2020

Contents

Dance of Pales Hail Storm from the Past

A Banquet of Madness

A Banquet of Madness II

A Banquet of Madness III

Rhapsodic Eternity of Dreams

A Paradise Not Lost PJ

Falling Leaves I

Falling Leaves II

Falling Leaves III

Falling Leaves IV

Falling Leaves V

Falling Leaves VI

Falling Leaves VII

Falling Leaves VIII

A Paradise Not Lost II

Falling Leaves IX

Falling Leaves IX

Falling Leaves X

Falling Leaves XI

Mournful Memories Seizing Glory’s Pride

House of Wolves

House of Wolves The Ivory Shield II

House of Wolves Dark Avengers III

Iron God~Hand

Venomous Death~Strike

Smiley Faced DEAD~SHOT

Heavenly Warpath

Death~Shield Juggernaut

House of Wolves Bloodied Reprisal IV

A Paradise Not Lost III

House of Wolves V

Memento Mori III

Memento Mori IV

Memento Mori V

Memento Mori VI

Memento Mori VII

Memento Mori VIII

Memento Mori IX

Memento Mori X

Forced Departures IV

Monster’s Balance V

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Wishing for a life that would never be,

it all seemed just that of a dream as I

chased a burning desire into an unknown

wilderness.

Lost in a foreign place where the

world was bathed in endless winter, I

could hear the cries of the planet; the silent

cries of mother Naia. Only a bleak silence, her

wails were boisterous and chaotic, full of

despaired confusion and revelation.

As sincere tears, heavy rain drops, fell

from the heavens, Naia told me of a story

it could only share with a soul that long

peered into the dark perversions that

incessantly brewed within the hearts of

denizens that aimlessly roamed this

dying world.

With the passing of a soft breeze, I soon

became awash in a torrent of soft light waves

followed by the hushed voices of the Oracles of

Zora. The surrounding plain of snow and frozen

flora I stood upon soon became veiled in a hazed mist,

steadily rising high into the air, and from it appeared

crimson eyed shadowy specters of the past as they

played out each intricate tragedy that befell

Naia in a dance of death’s dalliances.

I would behold a glimpse into the shadows

of an era long pass as I relived each defining

moment of the planet’s history, as the mystic

soothsayer fairies of Naia told a hushed tale

of burdensome melancholy.

Within each somber whisper, I was

hinted of times filled with momentous joy,

and of empathetic tragedies, quiet moments

of sincere peace, and bursting clamors vividly

illustrating indignant wars that viciously tore this

ignorant world asunder; through my innocent eyes,

I would gaze upon Naia’s inescapable future

that saw the annihilation of millions.

Naia, yet young, had been tortured for

innumerable centuries, as she helplessly

watched her children being forced to endure

the terrors of violence within each despondent

era. In time, they would grow to ignore the harsh

plights conflicting the state of the world and become

blind to the tragedies that surround them.

Within their collective hearts secretly hid the

scorching embers of hope that had still lingered, but

to embrace a warmth never to be touched would burn

the soul to crumbling ash; a fate more horrific than the

cold touch of death. With that, there would be nothing to

truly live for, but wait until their promised time would come

to an empty, pitiable conclusion.

Sharing their individual pains, sympathy for her

children was her curse as she wept for them when they

would not; their apathy or one another left the children of

the planet remiss to hear Naia’s deafening cries,

as she suffered in silence.

And yet, I chose to listen as she told me

her tears were drying and one day the rain

would finally cease. Maybe I was the fool, or

perhaps I steadily slipped into a state of delighted

madness as a faint crease graced my cheeks, forcing

a crazed grin of confusion upon my face.

My eyes widened from the calamities of fear,

it was then that I came to fully understand

what I was being told: a tale as old as the

5first sin.

War and peace forever entangled,

as life and death chased one another in

a twisted cycle of turmoil, regret, pain

and sorrow.

A frightening truth never meant to be

divulged, it trembled my soul to the core that

Naia whispered to me of a desired death and

finally see an end to the incessant savagery

of her own children.

Knowing life as a genuine gift to be fully

embraced and cherished, I did not want to die.

Where the hope of the planet slowly diminished

into obscurity, a new spark of hope slowly began

to blossom within my core. Rekindling the flame

of faith once fleeting, I would move the planet and

its denizens back into purpose with

my own hands.

Wanting to see an end to the tsunami

floods of indiscriminate bloodshed and

atrocious corruption that afflicted the world,

it would be my oath to see the day when Naia

would be restored to a forgotten glory

forever dreamt of by many. A new

genesis was screaming to me,

heeding me to usher in a new

dawn destined.

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LEGACY

Blue~Eclipse

A DALLIANCE OF DREAMS

PJ

Dance of Pales

HAIL STORM FROM THE PAST

"Alas, no one being is innocent and worthy of redemption,

and for that these inexcusable degenerates are unfit to

continue existing. I have gazed upon the sea of despair that

drowns this abysmal world. Beyond the horrors of sickness, famine,

prejudice and blind terrorism, what turns my torrid soul to cringe is

the fact that these atrocities are the machinations of creatures deemed

the most intelligible of species. With this dark reveal, I would become a

base villain to the masses rather than leaving these despicable wretches

to their own devices.

With no end to the depraved madness, there is no hope for this

world to grasp prospered peace. Unity and love, these childish

ideals are only just illusions that pushes the mind further into madness.

No true soul has the bravado to accept and embrace the truth of the world,

leaving a gentle soul to be swept away in the flooding tide of a deathly

crimson ruin once their eyes have been opened to heinous verities.

Your future has been denied, Naia. Now tremble

for I will bring the purity of oblivion."

A Banquet of Madness

It was all under a solar eclipse, a moment in time where a ring of fire in the sky, the enraged eye of the Great Divine, gazed upon it all. The clouds were darkened and thunderous, as boulder sized hail fell from the angered heavens. The once calmed seas turned to clashing waves that collided into each other, as typhoons as high as the proudest mountains crossed and crashed unto the main-lands. The lands became divided, splitting apart in the wake of continent shattering earthquakes, as geysers of magma erupted from every forced open crevice.

Hurricanes swept across the peninsulas, as savage tornadoes danced around the inlands, ripping mighty trees from their roots, and lunging gargantuan shards of rock into the air. Desperate screams were like a choir begging for relief, as the smell of blood and burning flesh filled the air in this symphony of dissonance. And as the chaos of nature’s unbridled fury brought nothing but destruction and despair, the only solace from this Armageddon was death; a surety that was most imminent.

The world and everything that inhabited it was doomed, but in his eyes it was being reborn. He stood atop the highest cliff upon the highest mountain where rested an ancient temple that seemed to cross into the heavens, as if overlooking Naia and its entirety. Standing at the precipice of the end of the world, the edge of madness, the lone figure was draped in a hooded black robe with an embroidered image of a crescent moon upon his back, a deep red sash tied around his waist that was knotted at the side, leaving the loose ends to flow freely in the wind, and a sheathed blade he clutched tightly in his right hand.

The long silver locks from his hair swayed wildly form beneath his hood as he simply watched, fixated upon the lands tear away at itself. The visible garbs beneath his cloak revealed ornate pieces of crimson armor, reflecting the fiery, unnatural, chaos that consumed all. In a calmed tone, the lone onlooker whispered to himself:

"To crucify the insincere tonight of all nights,

as time itself will become an enemy to the wicked

and damned. They will drown in their sins beneath

a rain of black ash, as the winds will scream a requiem

for it all. Tonight, of all nights, memories of this place

will be erased in the storm of chaos and this tainted

world will bleed for the corruption it wrought."

A Banquet of Madness

II

Once upon a time ago, his name was legend but in time his laurels had become just a whisper in the wind. He was an angel that fell from grace, and into a place of pure oblivion where the conscious of the mind remained. It was fated that he was to be resurrected from the flames that once sealed his fate, but the heavens continued to rage as if in defiance at the return of the bringer of ruin-the fallen knight Kain Val-Gaiden.

And as Kain Val-Gaiden stared vividly into the chaos that enwrapped the distant lands all over, he soon turned his sights away from the dying world and towards the last Warrior of Light that glowered at him from a distance. Both drew their blades, and without words traded their weapons would soon cross, blade to blade. Weapons drawn, there was no more remorse in either hearts. The fear of death completely left their thoughts, and in this there was nothing left for every answer craved was now just an illusionary distraction. Steady and focused, each dropping bead of sweat from their brows was more than enough reason to strike. And as a brief subtle breeze blew between them, it seemed as if everything had stopped; it was that moment of peace that they would both come to know each other’s ambitions come to light: the purest dream of salvation. In a flash, they both raced to each other, blades scraping across the hard ground as their weapons clashed in what was to be a burst of sparks.

Their chosen battleground peaked high into the heavens where the great expanse of the universe seemed within arm’s reach. It was a place where grand statues and towering pillars stood glorious and proud, as each monument breached the black infinite. A uniquely intricate marvel, it was a place of ornate marble textiles that reflected the beauty of the universe like a mirror. The stars had long envied such craftsmanship of a realm that was the resting place of several celestial pieces, the seven masterworks that stood as the symbolic gifts of the goddesses that blessed Naia.

The setting was a formidable one for it fed off their purest emotions in the guise of swirling dark clouds, deadly bolts of lightning, and thunderclaps that rang like the hourly bells. Deep within both souls, questions begged to be answered to a means of resolve, but words no longer got the reaction they deserved for they now spoke through the eyes. Doused in sweat and their hearts were filled with fatigue, both fighters fought with unbridled savagery, kindled by unwavering conviction to a contradictory cause. Nothing could break the concentration they bore for true warriors know that the slightest misstep could be a fatal one; there was no room for it. In the midst of battle, all focus is heightened as everything else loses its meaning. The only thing that makes sense is the need to survive, but even when that leaves the mind’s eye a natural and deadly passion is aroused: the berserker’s rage.

A Banquet of Madness

III

The final destination is darkness and waiting for them was despair. Swarmed by betrayal, confusion, lamentation, suffering, and fear, they will know that in the end all that will remain is the ideals both had fought long for. It is all that raced in the minds of two hardened warriors that faced each other in a heated duel that would decide both their fates; and yet, something greater was involved both lives could not begin to comprehend; this was an end-song that took place where time seemed to hold no ground.

The sounds of metal fiercely clashing overshadowed the thunderous drums that marked their symphonic background, as the flying sparks from their blades seemed to illuminate brighter than the streaks of lightning strikes that snaked from the sky. Blood and sweat stained the pillars and marble floors, and yet it seemed to blend in well with the elegant architecture of their surroundings, as if a missing piece to an unsolvable puzzle. Nature’s fury and the swinging swords of the duel berserkers were soon traded for a bleak silence, followed by a moment of clarity that brought an unsettling calm.

The two warriors only stood a few feet from each other with their backs turned from one another. The fear of death resurfaced, and with it a vivid sensation that none had ever felt before. The aura of the planet became a visible kaleidoscope of colors, but neither could enjoy it long enough, as both their visions became blurred by the mixture of blood, and sweat that raced down their brow. Their tight grip on their weapons began to loosen, and at that moment all the anger and raged they shared had subsided. They both could feel themselves losing something valuable, but uncertainty moved around in their heads like a savage whirlwind so their thoughts were unclear; all for except one thing: the purest dream of salvation.

Sheathing their blades, they walked away from each other without the concern of looking back. And with each sluggish step, streams of crimson leaked from each wound given, leaving a red stained trail. The Warrior of Light took only a few short steps before falling to his knees, momentarily using his sheathe to catch his fall, but his body submitted to the trials of battle, and with a simple smile he collapsed to the floor. Kain Val-Gaiden, the name of the fallen angel the winds held secret, walked to the edge of the cliff where he once stood as he gazed into the boundless beauty of a crumbling Naia.

                             "…it was you who forsake me,

                             and for it I am the vile creation

                             you had wrought…",

And as Kain angrily growled somber words under his breath, he began to envision specters of his past, Jael and Abelle Val-Gaiden, greeting him with a soft smile, until the delusionary visions of his kin faded into obscurity. A crimson tear raced down his cheek and streams of blood escaped pass his lips as Kain looked out into the cataclysmic ruin of a world once loved unconditionally but steadily came to despise deeply. Afflicted with sharp, writhing pain, Kain clutched unto his chest, embracing the fatal wound that took him far away from the pain and suffering that life had deliberately brought. It was then that vivid images of his past had surfaced, citing the origin of his descent and the road fate laid out for him. Kain turned his sights to the slumped body of the fallen Warrior of Light, and spoke the somber words of a soul that had given up all hope for the world and its inhabitants:

"Already the mist begins to part and the

future is clear, and with it my destiny. I have bled

and sacrificed everything, so I will not perish this day.

This world is clay waiting to be molded by the hands of

a soul thirsting for a new genesis. In fact, a most satisfying

instant is nigh, and with it the ushering of divine retribution.

As I plunge my body into infinity, I bid you farewell for now,

Naia; but know that my soul, a cursed essence forever

denied to bathe in the rivers of the Life-Stream,

will linger until the day I am resurrected.

This is a vow that will see fruition."

And with those final words, Kain Val-Gaiden cast himself into the raging

tempest below. Naia soon became engulfed in a blinding white and blue light

that shined brighter than all the stars in the heavens. And just like that, in that

bedazzling splendor of flashing of light, the laughter of children is heard, as the

voice of innocence echoes throughout the vastness of the universe-a message to

the heavenly goddesses of order and chaos, and to those that dare to dream of

their own nirvana.

Rhapsodic Eternity of Dreams

It always begins with an inner struggle, and in this struggle one must

come face to face with the universe and challenge everything within it.

In the outcome of this battle you would have found your purpose and

proper place amongst the stars, but in this struggle you must always

say goodbye to your other self.

"What is a dream if not a teardrop in an

ocean of dreams? It can become lost in a mix

of other dreams. It can leave you, and come back,

leave again, and return in an endless cycle that

tortures, but despite this I will always remain true to

my dream, even if it meant chasing it to the end

of time where only death awaits."

"Chasing a dream in a world of desires,

we sometimes lose touch with reality as

we only want to follow what feels right."

"It is not wrong to dream, nothing wrong at all.

Sometimes, it is all a person can truly claim

as their own."

"My dreams, my ambitions, even my memories

are all mine, and I guess it is all that matters."

"I wonder how many died for the sake of their

own dream, but not getting the chance to have

it fully realized-that has to be the greatest pain

known; one that is felt even when one’s soul

reunites with the Life-Stream."

…the sky is falling…

…what am I going to do…?

…what is my destiny…?

…it’s all moving too fast…

…what am I supposed to see?

"I close my eyes and go blind, and see

what nobody else sees: It’s that ball of green

light glowing in the midst of all the darkness around

me. An envoy to a force that has long existed since

Naia’s birth, it’s the navigation sprite known as

the Oracle of Zora that helps guide those

to their dream."

"I can see it clearly. It’s beautiful.

I’m not scared to follow it because

I want to see what’s waiting on the

other side; a realm immortalized by

                            traveler’s tales."

"Let’s race to the Valley of Kings,

a place where my fantasies are reality,

a place where the Palace of Eternity

                            resides."

"I see it: a tree so beautiful, and so

grand that it shades the palace and

                            valley."

"I’m pretty certain that’s where it is,

under that large tree that shades the

land; it is there I will find my

                                dream…"

An old story is waiting to be told, it is the dreamt

fantasy of a child that spoke to him like a whisper in

the wind. All that was left to do was to chase what

was only hinted and see with unbound curiosity

what’s waiting on the distant horizon; that

lost place where his dreams were birthed

                        so many ages ago.

CHRONICLES

Blue~Eclipse

LEGACY

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Hey, Kilik, you ever wonder what’s out there…? You know, beyond this place…maybe a world that has never seen prejudice, disputes between different races, or fights for territory.

You talking about war…?...nah, Daken…honestly, I never really thought about it. From how I understand it, war is a universal language, a truth that is widely understood without any real rhyme or reason behind it. All I really only think about is becomin’ stronger, if not the strongest.

Is that your dream…to become a strong fighter?

You can say…maybe to be strong so I can be a fighter, not some crazy brawler but a protector; finding or having something to protect would really justify why I would want to be strong. But honestly, I want to be stronger than King Shinra, our pops, or even those undisputed story book legends: Son Goku, Beo Wolf, Gilgamesh, and Kain Val-Gaiden; without question, those dudes have to be the greatest in folklore history. So no matter how you look at it, whether fact or fiction, they’re heavily admired for their strength and power, and that’s how I want to be seen. And you?

I don’t know…honestly, I don’t know what’s out there for me, only the stars would know for sure. But I would like to live in a world of peace. Ya’ know…a place where we don’t have to wake up worrying about the craziness in this world. And not just for me, but for everyone young and old. But it’s hard to say if anything like that would ever be possible. It kinda seems that we’re all just playing our part without any real control of what we do.

Like fate and all that stuff? Forget that! I control my life and what’s beyond my fists! And besides, I don’t want to waste my time thinking that some invisible puppeteer is having me stuck in some voodoo trance with their mystery magic making me do things that I don’t really want to do. What’s with you and all the questions, anyway?

I don’t know…just wonderin’, ya’ know. I just keep thinking that if I was the King of Yggdrasil, or even greater than that then maybe I could change everything, and make the world a better place.

Better for who…?

…I guess better for everyone…

I don’t know, bro. If there are people like me in your fairytale world, then I doubt that there would be any real peace. People are gonna want what they want and it isn’t necessarily always something you would like. What’s going to happen to them if you were stuck with a group of people that didn’t see eye to eye with ya?

Probably hug it out…but honestly, I’m not entirely sure. Anyways, forget what I said, I just got lost in the moment…

It’s cool, bro, and I can dig what you’re saying, ya starry-eyed dreamer…I guess I’m just so used to experiencing so much that I kind of see the world in one shade of light, and almost forget to think of the things that make me smile.

No worries, bro. So what does make you smile, anyway?

Ha ha…that’s a stupid question!!! But if I had to say, just being with you makes me smile. You’re my brother, and the only family I really have, after all…

Thanks, Kilik. We are family and the only one I can really count on. And just know that even in my ‘perfect world’ if we were to fight, I would still love ya, no matter what, bro.

No prob, Daken. I would give my right eye before I’d scrap with you anyway. I’d be too worried of messing you up. And besides, I would rather stand with you in this ‘perfect world’ you got brewing in your head, and I will always be by your side in this one.

And as the young duo, brothers by circumstance, Kilik and Daken, lay upon the rooftop of the place they called home, watching the universe in its harmonic play, their thoughts continued to drift upward, toward a place where the glistening stars danced and raced with beauty and magnificent grace, both dreaming of the day to become heroes. To dream, and to let dream.

And in this placid night where the full lit moon shined with radiant, peace bringing exuberance and tranquility, the quiet fantasies of tomorrow’s pioneers ignited in their own thoughts, subtly growing into a vivid reality as reality itself slowly faded away until it became a faint and hazed memory. To them, this moment in time was all that mattered, a period in time that could not be taken away or traded, with spoken promises sincerely believed that would even stand against the erosive tides of time. To dream and to die, and to let cry.

LEGACY

Blue~Eclipse

X

CLOUD~9

INTO DREAMS

PJ

A Paradise

NOT LOST

PJ

And as the world dreamt of final fantasies, an old shaman and a young veteran of war would share a small bonfire and their thoughts under a starry, moon-lit night. A burst of smoke swirled from the pipe the shaman had tucked between his lips, as he took another puff and exhaled mesmerizing clouds of wonder through his nostrils.

And as he tilted his head back and aimed his gaze skyward, the old shaman blew what was left from the smoke in his lungs into the air. Unable to take his eyes off the boundless beauty of the night sky, the shaman began to speak of the perplexed ideals of fate, and how the naïve denizens of a young world viewed the verities of the unforeseeable.

You know, the world is a puzzle. No need to make sense of it, Kilik. What use is there to make sense of the unsolvable anyway?, uttered the shaman.

Listen, Tunechi, I didn’t come this far to watch your old ass get high and star gaze. Tell me what I want to know!!, barked the young soldier in a low but deep voice.

The young soldier, widely known as the deadly Kilik Vawn-Cervantes the Venomous Death-Strike, had heard of the one known as Tunechi Socrates long before his induction into the army of Yggdrasil, knowing the famed hermit as an eccentric spiritualist whom was rumored to be a direct link to the goddesses that held key to decipher any dream and mystery