Axel's Promise

By Alicia Labatti

Promises--some keep them, some break them. But for Axel, a promise is worth a thousand words. With his promise made to Xenia, Axel is sworn to protect her and her world, even if it kills him. Along the way, he will face challenges that will test his word and push him to his absolute limits.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887635453

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Glossary

Locations

Items

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Epilogue

About the Author

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Axel's Promise

Alicia Labatti

Copyright © 2023 Alicia Labatti

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2023

This work is protected by United States copyright law. Any similarities to other works are a coincidence. The world that this work takes place in belongs to me, as do the characters that live in it.

ISBN 979-8-88763-544-6 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88763-545-3 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Glossary

There are many locations, items, and creatures lurking within the Giant Realm. Here is a list of the definitions of those terms.

White Dove. A warrior appointed by Xenia who was brought to the Giant Realm in their sleep. They are usually average, everyday people who gained magical powers. White Doves are immortal and cannot age; however, they can become injured just like any other person can. All White Doves have a fragment of Xenia's soul in their hearts. The only way to kill a White Dove is to pierce their heart with a cursed stake.

The Giant Realm. The Giant Realm is a universe parallel to our own. Every mountain, ocean, and lake that exists on Earth is in the Giant Realm. But as the name suggests, everything is gigantic. One foot in the Giant Realm is equal to ten feet on Earth.

Shadow Dove. The counterpart to the White Doves. These are former White Doves who were swallowed by dark magic. Caldrufini is their leader. Shadow Doves are elite warriors that specialize in powerful dark magic and cursing abilities.

Shadow. The mainline troops of Caldrufini; cannon fodder. Shadows are the weakest members of Caldrufini's army.

Caldrufini. A former White Dove who betrayed Xenia and turned to the dark arts by way of the Witches. Xenia struck him down into the Caldron of the Witch, where his blood fertilized an egg, which spawned the Dayugana.

Dayugana. The Dayugana is a massive sea monster that was the result of a blood curse. This creature is powerful enough to split the very earth in half, but it spends most of its time slumbering deep in the heart of the Cauldron of the Witch.

Caudaling. A race of multitailed serpents. The females are larger than the males. The more tails a Caudaling has, the more desirable they are, and the more likely they are to lead tribes. The females are the warriors of the tribes. The Caudalings live near the Unkto Tree, which is a tree that gives enchanted berries to make Dragon's Blood. Legends say that the berries can make one immortal, but this is yet to be proven.

Dove Wolf. The giant wolves. Dove Wolves are the canine companions that White Doves are usually seen riding into battle. On average, they stand between thirty to fifty feet tall. Dove Wolves are a staple in the Giant Realm. Their bites are strong enough to crush a tank.

Shade Felis. The counterpart to the Dove Wolves. Shade Felis are large, powerful, saber-toothed cats that stand, on average, twenty-five to forty feet tall. Their claws are strong enough to slice through titanium and contain dark magic.

hexes. Hexes are a White Dove's biggest weakness. Hexes can negate a White Dove's power by polluting their blood with curses, which cause intense burning and pain throughout the body.

rubies, silver, and diamonds. Rubies are a powerful symbol in the Giant Realm as they provide complete protection against curses. Silver and diamonds provide the same kind of protection.

Horigrim. The goddess of the underworld and Xenia's cousin. Horigrim sends visions of herself to White Doves that are close to death.

Huelves. Human-elf hybrids that reside in Ice Storm Village. They are known for their handcrafted goods, such as candies and other treats.

Daxicru. Caldrufini's son. The heir to Caldrufini's throne.

Ursus Qautoculos. A race of bipedal bearlike creatures with four eyes. Sometimes just called bear men by the locals. These creatures are incredibly strong and stand between eight to nine feet tall. They are dumb muscle, according to White Doves.

Locations

Ice Storm Village. A frozen village run by the Huelves. According to legend, Xenia placed a curse on the Huelves due to their interest in the dark arts of black magic. Their village was cursed to be frozen for all eternity.

Dire Bird's Keep. The home of the great Dire Bird.

Red Timber Forest. The territory of the White Doves. In the center of the forest resides the border that takes you to the Shadow side of the forest. During a battle, Caldrufini sent his elite after the White Doves and won, which earned him rights to half of the Red Timber Forest.

Frosted Highrise. One of the highest peaks in the Giant Realm. It borders the territory of the Huelves. It is one of the three great peaks in the Giant Realm.

Two-Headed River. A river that splits off into two. One way leads toward Xenia's temple, and the other heads toward Caldrufini's castle.

Charmed Tree. The Charmed Tree is a tree that is covered in wind chimes. Fairies made themselves at home around its roots. The fairies of the Charmed Tree are tricksters, so be wary.

Cauldron of the Witch. The territory of the witches and home to the Dayugana. The waters are full of sirens that praise the Dayugana.

Items

ruby staff. Axel's primary weapon. This weapon is enchanted with ruby magic, which can be used for a variety of spells. The staff can also act as a melee weapon when in close quarters. Xenia made the ruby staff nearly impossible to break. Only the highest of necromancers can break it, such as Caldrufini himself.

diamond longbow. Fable's primary weapon. This weapon is made of solid diamond and can easily kill powerful evil entities, such as Shadow Doves. Like the ruby staff, only a powerful necromancer can break it.

ruby spear. Serina's primary weapon(s). These spears can be thrown or used as melee weapons. A spell of spear rain can be used to have a bunch of them rain down upon the enemy. These spears are made from pure ruby magic.

Fable's locket. A keepsake that Axel holds dear.

Now that you have a better understanding of what mostly everything is in this story, let's dive right in, shall we?

Prologue

Before Axel became a White Dove, he was just an average man.

It was a typical day at Axel's horrible dead-end job. He had nearly fallen asleep at his desk when his boss barged in and shoved a mountain of papers under his nose.

Axel, I want those done by seven. Bring them to me once you're finished. The boss said nothing more and exited Axel's office and left him to finish his assigned task, which Axel didn't have the time or the care to do. His boss mistreated him anyway, and he thought about quitting on several occasions.

Axel looked at the clock. Five minutes to do all this? There was just no way.

Axel grumbled under his breath before standing up, gathering his things, and leaving the office in a huff. Axel didn't care what his boss thought about this sudden departure. All he cared about was getting home on time.

As Axel went down the sidewalk, he was trying to decide whether or not to cook dinner. He was too tired to even care about anything at this point. Axel undid his tie and held it in a fist as he approached his apartment. He slipped his hand into his pocket, grabbed his key, and opened the door before hanging his key on a dragonfly-shaped hook.

Removing his suit and throwing it haphazardly on the ground, Axel went upstairs and went straight to bed, ignoring the need for a shower or anything else, for that matter. He just wanted to get this night over with so he could prepare for the reckoning day, which was his boss tearing into him like a shredder.

Axel moseyed on over to his bed, pulled the covers back, and climbed under the down comforter. He set his alarm to five o'clock before closing his eyes, allowing himself to slip into dreamland; however, he was unaware that he was about to be transported somewhere else, somewhere much more magical. A place where his efforts would be appreciated: the Giant Realm.

Axel dreamed about a white light. Inside the light was a flock of doves, which began to lead him toward a rift within the white veil. A red aura soon appeared. It expanded then exploded with a bright flash.

Before Axel knew it, he was in a mysterious world that was full of gigantic trees and monsters. It looked like Alaska or Canada, but it very much wasn't. Axel looked down and noticed that he now wore a white tunic, which was decorated with ruby buttons and silver details. Axel also noticed that he wielded some sort of staff. This was the ruby staff.

The environment was as silent as Axel was—a serene stillness. Axel began to walk, admiring everything around him, soaking it all in.

A voice soon rang in his head. White Dove! You have come! Your adventure awaits!

Axel was transported into the Roost, and his alarm went off.

Axel woke up and realized that he was in a completely different room. The bed he lay in had a down comforter and velvet pillows. The window beside his bed gave him a great view of the Red Timber Forest.

Axel got out of bed and stepped out into the living room, where he noticed two female figures seated in chairs. One of the women had jet-black hair, while the other had brown hair.

The black-haired woman gave Axel a soft smile. Welcome to the Giant Realm, the woman said. She noticed that Axel looked like he came out of a trench. I can tell that you're a new arrival. Here, wash up. The bathroom is over there. The black-haired woman pointed to the bathroom.

Axel went inside to shower.

While Axel was in the shower, the two women began to gossip about Axel and other happenings in the Giant Realm. The black-haired woman was going on about how cute she thought Axel was while the brown-haired one was complaining about being ignored a lot by her female partner.

Once Axel was finished showering, he stepped out into the living room to go do some exploring.

If you ladies don't mind, I'm going to do some exploring. I need to know my surroundings, and hopefully, I can get a better understanding of where I am, Axel said as he laced up his boots. Axel stood up tall. I'll be back here as soon as I can, all right?

Okay! Don't go too far though, the black-haired lady warned. There are a lot of creatures out there that can sense your lack of power.

Axel was about to step outside when the mention of creatures made him stop. Creatures? He turned around. What kind of creatures?

Oh, you know. Things that can swallow you whole, the black-haired woman replied. She gestured toward the door. Outside, there should be a wolf waiting for you. He has black fur.

I'll take a look. Axel turned back around and stepped outside before closing the door behind him. Axel looked around for a black wolf. What was she talking about? A black wolf?

The sound of heavy footsteps came from behind Axel. He raised an eyebrow and turned around. His face went pale, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw the wolf in question. It was forty feet tall!

Axel put up his hands. Hey now. I'm not a chew toy, so stay back! he exclaimed as he began to slowly back away, but the black wolf kept walking toward him. Judging by its body language, the wolf wasn't aggressive. In fact, it was curious.

Axel slowly extended the back of his hand toward the wolf, allowing him to sniff it. The wolf sniffed his hand and began to wag his tail. Axel smiled. Well now. I guess we're friends. Well, if we're going to be friends, I should name you.

The wolf lay down in front of Axel and stared at him in wonder. This was the White Dove he was assigned to, and he was happy to be his companion.

Axel finally had the perfect name for his new canine companion. I'll call you…Lobo.

Lobo. The giant black Dove Wolf wagged his tail even more before he began to pant happily.

A smile grew on Axel's face before he petted Lobo's snout. You're such a good boy! he said excitedly.

Axel walked to Lobo's side and decided to climb up on his back. He opened his arms and wrapped them as best he could around Lobo's back. You're so soft.

Lobo rose to his feet and began to carry Axel around the area, as if showing him around. Axel sat up and watched as Lobo carried him down the Red Timber Forest and toward Xenia's temple, where the goddess of the realm, Xenia, resided.

Lobo stopped near the temple, which gave Axel an opportunity to admire the sights.

Wow! This place is amazing! But…am I dreaming? Axel pinched himself. No, he wasn't dreaming. This was real.

Axel allowed Lobo to carry him back toward the Roost to meet back up with the ladies.

In such a beautiful place like this, could anything go wrong? Well, you tell me. What do you think could go wrong?

Welcome to the Giant Realm.

Chapter 1

It's only a matter of time, young dove, that you will find yourself begging on your knees, pleading for your life. I am not just the voice in your head. I am the voice of the future.

Years after the prologue

After spending many years outside the nest, Axel would finally make his return to his fellow White Doves. He rested his ruby staff over his shoulder as he approached the door. Axel looked down at the ground for a moment, thinking about all the possible words that he could get bombarded with, before finally stepping through the door.

The room grew uncomfortably silent when Axel came in. It almost seemed like he wasn't welcome back into the Roost. Axel slowly and awkwardly sat down