Warriors of Light

By Danielle Canovi

A great darkness. An evil trying to snuff out the light and take over a precious realm. That evil is not going to stop. But there are those who can make it stop. Warriors of Light can and they most certainly will. The uniqueness of our heroes in this tale is not so much their strength and courage, even though they have those in abundance. Oddly enough, it is how many times they fail. It is not so much about how they don't give up, it's more about how they are directed to move on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: May 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9781489747730

Danielle Canovi

Danielle Canovi has the unique ability to bring her characters together and keep them true to themselves. Warriors of Light is her first book.

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Copyright © 2023 Danielle Canovi.

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.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of

The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

LifeRich Publishing

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links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

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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: 978-1-4897-4749-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-4750-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-4773-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023909120

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 05/16/2023

CONTENTS

Chapter 1     No One Will Believe It

Chapter 2     Paradisia

Chapter 3     Legend of Spiritian and Hostium

Chapter 4     Into Paradisia We Go

Chapter 5     Edera Velenosion

Chapter 6     Egoista

Chapter 7     The Cage

Chapter 8     Two Strangers

Chapter 9     Ciotola Piantian

Chapter 10   Pit of Trappalion

Chapter 11   Ashalina’s Volcano

Chapter 12   Attivian

Chapter 13   Immorlian

Chapter 14   Semplician Vitia

Chapter 15   The Journey Back to Fratello

Chapter 16   Pianura and the Malattion Poisoning

Chapter 17   Salve for Pianura

Chapter 18   The Adventure Begins

Chapter 19   Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 20   Legamian

Chapter 21   Pianura in Lottion

Chapter 22   Lasciando Andare

Chapter 23   Fratello and a Falcimente

Chapter 24   Labyrinth of Autismion

Chapter 25   Our Heroes Getting Lighted

Chapter 26   Precotterion’s Love

Chapter 27   The Final Battle

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DEDICATION

First and foremost I dedicate this book to my

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for I would truly

be nothing without His mercy and grace.

Secondly, I dedicate this book to my Uncle Matthew-

For having an influence on us much farther than just miles.

And finally I dedicate this book to my family-

Thank you for putting up with me and my nutness through

the past 8 years it took us to get through writing this. I could

not have done it without you guys, helping me when I got sick,

getting me through those hard days when I felt I couldn’t do it

anymore, and for just being the greatest family anyone could be

blessed with. I am grateful everyday God gave me you guys.

And one more thing I wish to tell my family,

But I did.

I love you guys.

Danielle

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PREFACE

I am writing these testimonies from a writer’s perspective. Here we go, the testimonies from my perspective.

While this tale is set in fantasy, everything that has been written really happened. Take away the backdrop of evil creatures, other realms, and magic and what you have are the real lives of my family.

I have been an avid reader ever since I was 9 years old. I devoured every book I could get my hands on. I was always with the written word, I was not however always with Christ. The same is with my brother and sisters. We grew up surrounded by him, but we didn’t take it as it was given, to our everlasting shame. Looking back on it now, the words I am writing are much more painful. But I am bound to tell you the truth and I shall do so to my utmost best. As you will discover, this is not a story just about pain, tis also a tale about redemption.

Danielle Canovi

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ONE

NO ONE WILL BELIEVE IT

D ad, no one is going to believe me! I said as we both sat in our living room, he in our worn and frayed leather wingback chair with several patches around where the hands lay, and I on the well-used brown love seat in my spot on the right near the lamp in the corner. It was ten in the morning on a Saturday. The curtains, being open in the middle, let in just a little bit of the morning sunlight. This morning it cast a few streaks over my dad in the wingback, sitting right under the living room window.

Smiling, my dad shook his head and said, Yeah, but you should still tell their stories. Raising his John Wayne mug, he took a sip of his favorite Italian dark roast coffee.

How though? I inquired, leaning up and taking a sip from my own cup of hazelnut coffee.

Folding his hands together on his lap as he often did, rubbing his thumbs against each other, he answered, Write a book about it.

That thought struck me. I kind of liked the idea. With me being an avid lover of the written word, the idea of taking pen to paper, or finger to keyboard I should say, got me a wee bit excited.

I do love to read books, Dad. But writing one … do you think I could?

He smiled once more and gave me a knowing look. You are the only one who could write this book.

Well, I will go on to tell you, reader, who has picked up this book of the tales I have been privy to.

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TWO

PARADISIA

P aradisia is the most enchanting world in all the realms. You will find that each corner of this world has every season that our realm experiences, reader. The west has spring with wildflowers bursting through brilliant shades of green grass soft enough to walk barefoot on. Streaks of sunlight stream straight through the trees as if the light were there just for you. The east experiences autumn, where there are trees stretching all the way to the skies with dazzling colors of yellow, orange, and red. The sun sets in such a way over those colorful trees to bring a warmth that encompasses you. The north holds winter. Not the bitter cold part of winter, mind you, but the special part that happens just after it snows a great deal with a fresh huge blanket of snow lying upon the ground. As you first step outside, all is silent and still. It is the sort of silence that brings a peace with it, as if everything is going to be all right. And then there is the south, which has summer spread throughout its lands. It resembles that one perfect day of summer we all had as children, the one we never wanted to end. It isn’t too hot; the wind is just right; and the water feels great when you jump in.

When I gratefully found my way into this world, I was met by the most wonderful creature I have ever heard or read about. He came in the form of a wise old owl, black with big patches of silvery gray all over. He looks at you with a solemn expression through brilliant hazel eyes with black pupils. This owl also has thick, crown-like eyebrows that jut out on each side right above his eyes. His true size is about eighty feet with a wingspan of one hundred feet. However, he often shrinks down to the size of one of the people of Paradisia. The name of this magical creature is Saggio. I would say that the first time I met him, I was awed by this majestic owl. It has now been some time since I have known him, and I am still in awe.

After spending a few days with Saggio, I asked him of the history of this realm. I am a lover of legends and of tales of old, so in a world like this one, I just couldn’t resist asking.

Indeed, we do have quite a few legends, Saggio answered. I can start with the time when darkness crept into the far corner of our realm.

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THREE

LEGEND OF SPIRITIAN

AND HOSTIUM

S piritian, creator of all realms, knew the darkness had come here and sensed it getting darker as it spread. In the blackness, there was a great lightless green slimy mass that took the form of a most malevolent creature called Hostium, the keeper of all that is dark and evil. Now, Hostium did not just sprout up out of nowhere; he was there with Spiritian in the beginning. Spiritian designed it that way. So, the people of Paradisa had a choice. And if there were only Spiritian, then there wouldn’t have been much of a choice, would there? It was a choice between Spiritian and Hostium, between light and darkness, between good and evil. All the people of Paradisia would come to a point in their lives where they would have to make this choice regarding whom they would follow and serve.

After many centuries of watching the people of this realm choose Spiritian instead of him, Hostium began boiling over with jealousy and anger. He loathed Spiritian, his light, and everything he stood for. So, with his conniving and evil mind, Hostium decided to do something about it. That was when he skulked his way into the far corner of Paradisia and set up his own domain, which came to be known as Infernion. He had two purposes when he first set his slimy foot onto this land, and those two purposes remained at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to travel to every realm dispersing his darkness and devouring all Warriors of Light.

Warriors of Light. Now there is a tale. Long ago, when Hostium stepped into Paradisia, he quickly set to work. He was not just working to spread his darkness; he was also creating monsters and creatures imbued with his evil magic. The more his darkness unfurled and the more malicious he made his creatures, the more the people of Paradisia were being filled with his evil and choosing to go with his darkness. As odd as it sounds, they were. Hostium was not only depravedly evil, but also very sneaky.

All this time, Spiritian was doing some creating of his own. And because he is the creator of all realms and is made of Luciana, he is far more powerful than Hostium. By the way, reader, Luciana is the light that Spiritian has. As the story goes, Luciana came to be when Spiritian first breathed life into this realm. A burst of light came with it. The light was spinning and stretching its way across the entire landscape of Paradisia. It made its way into every crack and crevice, and into every root making up the ground itself. Spiritian knew that Hostium intended to step into the world. What was he going to do when he came?

It is true that a lot of books and movies nowadays show that the baddies are more powerful than the goodies. Well, such is not the case in the story you’re currently reading. In this tale, good is stronger than evil. And the only way for evil to win is if good does nothing. Spiritian, knowing that Hostium sought for the good people of Paradisia to do nothing, set to work ahead of his adversary and created a power that would defeat Hostium—the only force able to defeat him. It was an indomitable force that, no matter what he tried or how hard he tried, Hostium could never win against. This force came to be known by the onlookers in villages being saved from Hostium’s torment as Warriors of Light.

Legend has it that several centuries ago, before time itself began, before all the realms were created, before Spiritian molded and brought to life the first world ever to be, which he came to call Paradisia, Spiritian spent his days creating and taking care of the people so they would flourish in this land. Spiritian knew that one day the evil of Hostium would find its way to this realm, which was why he had already planned to create Warriors of Light. The light Spiritian used was a rare and powerful form of his magic called Luciana. However, Luciana became a part of Paradisia’s earth, if you remember. While it remained with the earth, it could be awakened. Only an incredible act of sacrificial love could awaken Luciana from the depths of all the realms. Spiritian’s act gave Luciana to the people of Paradisia who had chosen him. Because of his sacrifice, Luciana was now not only a part of Spiritian, but also a part of all those who chose to become Warriors of Light. This had always been Spiritian’s purpose.

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Saggio stopped here suddenly and looked at me reverently before he said, There is always a purpose when it comes to Spiritian. Everything he does has a purpose. The people of this realm grew to understand that. You should know it as well, especially if you are to take our stories into your world.

The day he performed his noble act was, for all who witnessed it, both heart-wrenching and dearly valued with a depth of understanding. But for some, that understanding didn’t come until many years after. You see, on that day, Hostium had gotten his demoniums—his favorite creations, smaller versions of himself—to trap all the people on the Hill of Teschion.

Along the left side of Teschion Hill was a long, narrow ledge that led to a sheer drop into Hostium’s domain. It was utter darkness. As all the people stood on that ridge, Hostium set his demoniums on them. They lunged at them, backing them farther out onto that narrow ledge. The people were absolutely panic-stricken. Some tried to fight back powerlessly; others just cowered hopelessly. The skies above them turned a dark gray color interlaced with traces of dark green, showing that this was indeed Hostium’s evil. The sound of haughty laughter came from deep within his mouth, which frightened them all the more.

Suddenly, Hostium stopped. The smile on his face vanished in an instant, and his upper lip curled in disgust. His black eyes shifted toward the right; his demoniums stopped attacking and were now cowering in fear. The people of Paradisia fell to the ground from relief and exhaustion, knowing already what had made Hostium halt. The fog had started to surround them, though once Spiritian came through, it dissipated. Spiritian did not stop walking until he was right between his people and Hostium. As they stood there nose to nose, one could see the stark contrast between the two. When Spiritian walked onto Teschion Hill, Hostium became jittery and kept pacing back and forth, gritting his teeth. Spiritian walked with absolute authority, purposeful with each footstep.

I know what it is you want here, Spiritian said to Hostium. But you will not have it.

Hostium spat back, I came for blood, and I will take it all! A deep growl came from his mouth as his eyes narrowed at the people behind Spiritian.

Spiritian replied to him, You are going to take what I give you, because we both know that is how it is written.

With that truth, Hostium seethed with hatred, knowing his place.

Hostium could not quite believe what was happening. He knew that with Spiritian dead, there would be nothing to stop him from finally taking over the realm. What a fool, he thought.

Over there, he growled, pointing to a plank of wood standing straight out of the ground, on that mound up on that plank of wood, where everyone of Paradisia will see clearly that it is I who is to kill you.

Spiritian walked steadily to the plank of wood. Turning around, he pressed his back up against it.

Hostium pulled out from behind him a sword only he used. He had first pulled this sword from the deepest depths of the darkness, imbuing it with his evil magic. The sword was about five feet long and outlined in jagged bone and shard. Spiritian would feel every piece of bone and shard that ran the entire five-foot length of the weapon. Hostium walked up to Spiritian without hesitating, looking him dead in the eye with victory written all over his face, and stabbed him right in the chest. The sword went right through Spiritian, shattering the wood behind him. With this, I have all the power now. Paradisia is mine!

As Hostium heard the crunching and cracking of the wood, he smiled with delight. Cocking his head, he said, Finally. He withdrew his sword from Spiritian’s chest, wanting to relish in the fact that Spiritian was lying before him dead.

Hostium’s eyes fell to the ground. He had thought Spiritian’s lifeless body would be lying there, but it was not. Spiritian had fallen to the ground lightly as if someone were slowly and lovingly releasing him. I had stood off to the west atop a cherry tree, as Spiritian had told me to, and had him fall to the earth very slowly, as a mother and father releasing their son into the hands of death.

Silence rang all throughout the lands, then the very foundation of Paradisia began to shake and tremble. A tremendous cracking sound was heard that seemed to be coming from the other side of the realm. Then, suddenly, great shards of rock and earth hurtled toward the sky like a volcano shooting its lava. Leagues away, a massive split in the land came rushing right up to the people and Hostium on Teschion Hill. From the rupture of the ground came bursting forth, straight at the skies, a warm and bright light that blasted away the dark skies and Hostium’s evil magic. The power of Luciana was so strong that it sent a shock wave throughout Paradisia, the wave stretching from the farthest corner in the east to the farthest corner in the west. There was no place—no bush, root, vine, valley, river, hill, or field—that remained untouched. Luciana had now become a part of this realm completely. It was in the air itself, no longer just in the foundation.

As this shock wave swept across the lands, it knocked Hostium and his creatures flat on their backs. Hostium was absolutely enraged, knowing what had just happened but not having seen it coming. As he shot himself back up, a dark green ooze spurted out of his gritted teeth as a deep, low growling sound came from deep within his throat. He knew he was done for.

You see, Hostium believed Luciana to have been burning only in Spiritian. He never knew it was flowing