Spirit Of The Arena (eBook)

Koel Alexander (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
446 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
978-1-6678-8389-2 (ISBN)

Infos

Want to be taken away to thrilling mystical lands? Then The Spirit of the Arena is the perfect book for you. Join Kole and Octavia in their stirring journey filled with mythical gods, treacherous quests, and gut-wrenching choices - all delivered within the immersive realm of The Raven & Fire series. As they prove their strength to gain power, you'll get an epic plot twist that unravels with each turn of the page.

Koel Alexander was born in Newark, New Jersey, but he has always had a love for mythology and the tales it weaves. This led him on a journey to complete his first novel 'The Axe & The Spear' at the age of thirty-two. Inspired by the works of J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, and Rick Riordan, Koel is back with his second installment 'The Spirit Of The Arena'.

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Want to be taken away to thrilling mystical lands? Then The Spirit of the Arena is the perfect book for you. Join Kole and Octavia in their stirring journey filled with mythical gods, treacherous quests, and gut-wrenching choices - all delivered within the immersive realm of The Raven & Fire series. As they prove their strength to gain power, you'll get an epic plot twist that unravels with each turn of the page. After the emotional events in Najora. Kole is now King of Lundr. He wastes no time leaving home with his love Octavia and his best friend Rollo by his side. it was now time to head west to deliver on his promise to his soon-to-be wife Octavia. Ambrogio remains a mystery but is necessary to the success of their plans as foretold by the Gods. Marcus sits on the throne in Alexandria the last remaining king in Gracia a powerful adversary. Kole and Octavia continue down the road the gods have led them, learning new information about their journey at every turn. The Spirits Of The Arena follows the journey back to Octavia's homeland Gracia and all the complications that come with it. New allies, dangerous enemies, and plenty of surprises await. Lose yourself in tales of courage, perseverance, and honor as you triumph alongside Kole and Octavia on a heart-pounding mission punctuated by life-threatening obstacles. This story of true friendship amidst challenging circumstances will make you fall in love with characterization whether its Kole's determination or Octavia's unwavering loyalty or both. Can't wait for the next installment? Well, our second installment doesn't disappoint as every minute twists and turns culminates at an unforgettable cliffhanger! So what are you waiting for - grab your copy of The Spirit Of The Arena now!

Textauszug

1 – INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE — GIO

What can I say, over the years I may have developed a love for the theatrics. If there’s one thing us Romans love, it’s putting on a show. I could smell the stench of my past on them whenever they were in my presence, the aura of the gods was all over them.

The memories pained me constantly, taking me back to a state I haven’t felt in centuries… “vulnerability”. At this point, Kole and I have yet to break from our staring competition. If he were smart, he would be spreading the news to his friends, but none of that mattered now we needed each other. I mentally scoffed at the thought of my needing anyone, yet here I was at the mercy of some young Viking still faithful to the ever scheming gods. The gods had lured them into the snares of their twisted games, and I unfortunately knew about being in that predicament all too well.

“Let’s raise our glasses to our newfound alliance. You may want to make yourselves comfortable as I have a tale to share with you.” It was now or never to tell my story, the abridged version anyway. “I know I don’t look it friends, but I am over 150 years old. Like you Octavia, I was once a Roman living in this world way before your people called your home Gracia. The gods ran free, and the people lived under their torture. The ones above always deal in puzzles and mystery, but in my time, it was glaringly barbaric. Any day could alter your entire life.”

“I think we can relate to that obviously,” Kole interrupted.

“What do you know of your history, my dear?” I shifted my focus to Octavia.

“I know that everything I have been told is a lie. I know that the gods have been pulling strings to clean up the massive mess that they made, so if there is anything else you would like to reveal to me while my identity is being carved into a million pieces now would be the time,” she said sarcastically.

“My dear we are just at the tip of the spear… you have no idea how far this rabbit hole goes, but I can be the one to show you the way down.”

“Before we listen to anything else you have to say Gio, you need to explain to me what you are and why you are drinking blood,” Kole slammed down his cup and waited intently for me to respond.

He must have been the only one to see because the rest of his group was looking at me now more bewildered than before.

“What do you mean drinking blood?” Octavia questioned.

“I mean he drained blood from a woman’s wrist and poured it in that giant goblet he is holding while all of you were enjoying yourselves,” Kole stated rather dryly.

“What the fuck, you drink human blood? Is that like for fun or is there something I’m missing?” Rollo joined.

I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “I would be more than happy to tell you what I am, but for you to understand what I am you must hear the tale of how I came to be.”

I was definitely going to need this drink to go over this again. Something with more bite to it would be amazing but nothing took the edge off like the blood straight from the source.

“I was an adventurer, sailing and exploring anywhere I could reach. I was a cloth for knowledge, eager to soak up any information I could get. I had a dream to explore new lands beyond the mere understanding of men. I prayed and sought guidance from the gods, for I knew they had thousands of secrets that we could uncover. I stumbled upon this land, as I said, years before your people called it Gracia. Question, poor girl, do you know why they call us Romans?” I asked.

“I have no idea and this story seems like a long one, so I won’t hold you up,” Octavia responded sarcastically.

“This land was first conquered by a man named Romulus who eventually settled his followers in the eternal city; hence the word was shortened to call all his people Romans. Rumor has it the gods were so pleased with the conqueror that they walked among his people. Now back then it seemed like the greatest blessing as people would do unspeakable things to walk amongst the gods, but in hindsight, all of us in this room can see that such thinking was foolish.”

“Did the gods come for you immediately for searching for their secrets?” Rollo asked.

“No, my young Rollo. Allow my tale to unfold, and please eat and drink as this story is a lengthy one. In the legend of Romulus, it is foretold that the only reason he came to conquer this land was with the help of an all-powerful oracle who told him what he needed to do to succeed. So, in the name of fulfilling my destiny, I dedicated my life to uncovering the mystery of the Oracle and imploring her to show me how I could find what I was seeking.”

“What were you looking for?” Kole asked.

“At the time I didn’t know yet. All I knew is that I needed to find her, and after years of searching and finding nothing but dead ends, I finally got my hands on a map that led me to the Delphi Caves,” I smiled.

The four of them took a minute and then it finally registered in their heads. I have forgotten how long it takes their young brains to put together the puzzle. Though I would never admit it, though I haven’t relived this story in some time, the trauma and pain although ancient history were still fresh.

“I ventured into the caves following the map. I was not sure what I was expecting to gain but the gods made sure I never had a chance in the first place. The spirit of Delphi was inhabited in a decomposing body that awakened the moment I stepped closer to the pedestal.”

“What did you say?” Rollo interrupted.

As much as I was starting to become fond of these children I really hated to be interrupted; it was only going to make my story longer.

“I didn’t get to say anything, young king. A green mist swirled all around the cave as Delphi dealt me my fate.”

“The curse upheld, the moon as distant as your love, blood and death is your lifeline.”

The three of them looked toward each other trying to figure out how this pertains to me. Humans are fascinating but they can be unbelievably dense. I was one of them at one point, but those feelings are long gone. I glanced over to the girl Kole said was his sister. She was the only one fully engaged in my story, like she was living every word. The more I assessed her, the more intriguing I found her. She was a beautiful girl, far too untouched for this type of life. I snapped out of my trance to finish my story.

“The body went limp after the message was delivered, and the cave became dark, empty and lifeless. I dedicated everything to find that cave but walked out feeling completely underwhelmed and uninspired, until I saw her.”

“Okay now this story is getting good, who is this mystery woman?” Rollo smiled.

“She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, seeming all the more alluring as she serenely began planting and tending to flowers outside of the cave. Her platinum hair sat perfectly down her back and traced down her linen gown. She turned when she heard me come out of the cave as the light glimmered over her, almost as if it could not help but be drawn to her beauty. Her light brown eyes sparkled as she brandished a perfect smile. I felt like my knees would give out under the weight of her presence.”

The cave was silent as I recalled my story, and it crossed my mind that maybe all my children haven’t heard how we have come to exist. I motioned for more blood as the difficult part of my story was approaching and I was not a fan of all this undivided and unwanted attention.

“I’ll save you some of the tedious details but eventually she shared her name with me… Selene. Every day I returned to converse with her as if I were obsessed. I couldn’t understand how someone so beautiful could give me the time of day.”

“Octavia has told me plenty of Roman stories and they always end in tragedy. I assume this one is no different,” Kole said.

“You are correct, young king. Selene was no ordinary woman but a goddess living amongst mere mortals. She was being followed by a god that was seeking her love, but she had no interest in being courted and spent all of her time with me spurning his efforts. If only rejecting a god’s attentions could result in no consequences.” I scoffed. “As the prophecy foretold, he laid a curse upon me out of jealousy, one that would never allow the sunlight to touch my skin ever again. Selene and I attempted to make it work but a life of living in shadows was not fair to her, so I sought the services of another god. I was mortal and would eventually die, but the very thought of being without her was so crippling that I convinced Selene to take me to Hades to bargain for immortality.”

“Wait a minute,” Octavia interjected, “you made a deal with the god of the underworld and thought it was a good idea?”

“People do crazy things for love, and I know for a fact you can attest to that,” I looked at Kole. He stared back with a haunted look in his eyes. Yes, indeed, he knew exactly what I meant.

“Hades took my soul and allowed my body to remain on earth. All...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 17.3.2023
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• ISBN-10: 1-6678-8389-5 / 1667883895
• ISBN-13: 978-1-6678-8389-2 / 9781667883892