Arcane Tides (eBook)

Harnessing The Essence of The Heavens

Eric Soskin (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
312 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-9829-0 (ISBN)

Infos

The cosmos is a vast and unforgiving expanse, a tapestry woven from starlight and shadows, where wonders and terrors dwell side-by-side. In this universe, magic and technology are not opposing forces, but intertwined threads, each enhancing the other's potential. The Setherians, born of celestial blood, stand as testament to this celestial union. Their power, a gift from the gods, is both a blessing and a curse, a source of immense strength but also a target for those who crave dominion over the galaxy.

Eric Soskin, a marine biologist and active-duty Army soldier with a bachelor's degree, masterfully crafts breathtaking science fantasy worlds pulsating with vibrant life and shadowed by menacing forces. His rigorous scientific background imbues his intricate high fantasy with an unparalleled realism, yielding narratives that are both intellectually invigorating and deeply moving. With bold honesty, Eric fearlessly explores profound existential questions, revealing the human spirit with stunning originality and unflinching clarity. His boundless imagination, nurtured by the awe-inspiring beauty of nature and the immersive experiences of video games, relentlessly drives his ambitious pursuit to redefine the very essence of science fantasy. Prepare to be enthralled, provoked, and irrevocably transformed by his exceptional vision.

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This is the story of Setherius Accent, the most powerful Setherian ever known, a warrior whose celestial lineage has destined him to lead his people through a time of unprecedented turmoil. As he takes command of the Setherian fleet, he embarks on a perilous quest to uncover the origins of their power, a journey that will take him to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, forcing him to confront not only powerful enemies but also the treacherous currents of political intrigue and the subtle whispers of betrayal. He will face foes wielding magic as potent as his own, alien races with technologies that rival his people's advanced arsenal, and the ever-present threat of cosmic forces that would tear apart the fabric of reality. The secrets he seeks are bound up with the very fate of his civilization, a destiny intertwined with the mysteries of the universe and the power of the celestial gods themselves.

Textauszug

Chapter 1

The Celestial Legacy

-Birthright and Destiny-

The air crackled with an energy that hummed beneath Rylan’s skin, a familiar thrum that resonated with the very core of his being. He stood on the observation deck of the Celestial Dawn, the flagship of the Setherian fleet, gazing out at the swirling nebulae that painted the cosmos in strokes of incandescent fire and ethereal twilight. At sixteen cycles old, Rylan was already a legend whispered among the stars – the most powerful Setherian ever born, heir to a legacy stretching back millennia to the very dawn of their celestial lineage. But the weight of that legacy pressed upon him, a burden as immense as the star-strewn void before him.

His connection to the celestial energy was unlike anything ever witnessed. It wasn’t merely the latent power that resided in every Setherian, a gift from the gods who had seeded their race across the galaxies. Rylan’s was a conduit, a living channel through which the raw, untamed power of the cosmos flowed. It pulsed within him, a vibrant, ethereal light visible even through his skin, a constant reminder of the destiny that awaited him – a destiny he wasn’t sure he wanted.

The Setherians, unlike other races in the galaxy, possessed an innate connection to celestial magic, a power interwoven with their very existence. It manifested in myriad ways – some wielding it through intricate wands, channeling the energy into bolts of pure starfire, others weaving spells of illusion and manipulation with effortless grace, their bodies glowing faintly with the power they commanded. But Rylan’s was different. His power was raw, untamed, a force of nature he struggled to control.

It manifested not only in the dazzling displays of celestial energy he could unleash but also in the subtle shifts in his surroundings, the subtle bending of reality around him – a gentle breeze suddenly turning into a gale, starlight focusing into a searing beam, a fleeting thought manifested into a tangible object. He felt it in every heartbeat, in every breath, a constant reminder of the immense power within him, a power that both exhilarated and terrified him.

His training had been rigorous, designed to hone his raw power into a weapon capable of protecting the Setherian people. Master mages, warriors who had witnessed the very fabric of reality bend to their will, had dedicated their lives to guiding him, to tempering the untamed fire within. But even they had been astonished by the sheer magnitude of his potential. The stories of his training were legendary, whispered with a mix of awe and apprehension throughout the Setherian fleet: the day he unintentionally shattered a training golem made of solidified starlight, the night he accidentally conjured a miniature sun that briefly illuminated half a training facility.

The burden of his lineage was not solely his immense power, but the responsibility it entailed. The Setherians were a proud and powerful race, guardians of the delicate balance in the galaxy, a balance often threatened by ambitious empires and ancient, malevolent forces. Rylan, as their most powerful member, was expected to bear the weight of their safety on his young shoulders, a weight that threatened to crush him under its immense pressure. He bore the mark of his ancestors, a constellation of celestial fire branded onto his left forearm, a constant reminder of the expectations placed upon him.

The observation deck was silent save for the hum of the Celestial Dawn’s engines and the rhythmic pulse of Rylan’s own celestial energy. He often sought solitude here, amongst the vastness of space, hoping to find some solace in the face of his overwhelming destiny. But even the silent majesty of the cosmos failed to fully quiet the storm raging within his soul. He longed for the freedom to be just Rylan, not the symbol of his race’s hope, not the living embodiment of celestial might. He wanted to feel the wind in his hair, to laugh unrestrainedly, without the fear of inadvertently unleashing a power that could level entire cities.

He knew his role, however. He knew the weight of expectation, the burden of responsibility. The Setherian Fleet, a marvel of engineering and celestial magic, was his responsibility, each vessel a symbol of their power and defiance. Each captain and crew member, each warrior and mage, depended on him, their faith a heavy cloak around his shoulders, more suffocating than any actual armor. The Celestial Dawn, the largest and most powerful of the ships, a testament to Setherian ingenuity and prowess, was a testament to their military might. Its cannons, powered by channeled starlight and reinforced by advanced alloys forged in the heart of dying stars, could decimate entire fleets. Its shields, woven from threads of celestial energy, were nearly impenetrable. Even the ship’s very navigation relied on a blend of advanced technology and celestial guidance, a testament to the seamless fusion of science and magic which defined the Setherian civilization.

The rumors swirling through the fleet were another layer to the pressure he felt. Whispers of a forgotten power source, a wellspring of celestial energy far older than the Setherians themselves, a source linked directly to the gods who had granted them their powers. The location of this power source was lost to time, shrouded in myth and legend, yet its existence was enough to stir both hope and unease amongst his people. Some believed rediscovering it would strengthen their already formidable power, while others feared what might be unleashed. Rylan, however, felt a different kind of pull towards this ancient power, a feeling deeper than mere curiosity, a sense of destiny that echoed the very thrum of celestial energy pulsing within him.

His gaze drifted towards the holographic map projected across the deck, a swirling galaxy rendered in intricate detail. Within its mesmerizing depths, a single point pulsed with a faint, ethereal light, a beacon beckoning him towards the unknown. It was a point he’d only just discovered, a piece of an ancient map, a map which could potentially lead him to the forgotten power source and the answers he craved. The map wasn’t a simple chart; it was a complex tapestry of constellations, coded messages interwoven with the very fabric of the stars themselves, a puzzle that only a Setherian of his caliber could hope to solve.

The challenge was immense, the risk even greater, but it was a path he felt compelled to follow, a journey into the heart of the cosmos, a quest to uncover the true nature of his birthright and the destiny that seemed to be calling to him across the vast, star-strewn void. The fate of the Setherians, indeed the fate of the galaxy, might well hang in the balance. The journey wouldn’t be easy. He knew that. But he was ready. He had to be. The cosmos held its breath. His journey was about to begin.

-The Setherian Fleet-

The Celestial Dawn wasn’t just a ship; it was a testament to the Setherian mastery of blending celestial magic and cutting-edge technology. Its hull, a shimmering obsidian forged from a collapsed neutron star, pulsed with a faint, internal luminescence, a constant reminder of the raw power humming beneath its surface. Runes, etched in shimmering gold, adorned its exterior, not mere decoration, but conduits for the ship’s magical energy fields, enhancing its speed, shielding, and weapon systems. These weren’t merely technological marvels; they were living constructs, imbued with a portion of the same celestial energy that flowed through the Setherians themselves.

Around the flagship, a constellation of equally impressive vessels formed the Setherian fleet. The Solaris, a colossal cruiser armed with particle beam cannons that could obliterate entire planets, trailed behind the Celestial Dawn. Its hull, a dazzling display of polished chrome and celestial sapphire, reflected the nebula’s fiery hues. Smaller, more agile corvettes, like the Starfall and Nebula’s Kiss, weaved through the formation, their sleek lines suggesting a predatory grace. These weren’t merely ships of war; they were extensions of the Setherian will, each imbued with a unique magical signature, a potent blend of technology and mystical energies.

The fleet’s power wasn’t solely derived from its weaponry. The Setherian engineers had perfected a system called “Celestial Weaving,” a process that intertwined magic and advanced propulsion systems. By manipulating the very fabric of spacetime using celestial energy, they could achieve speeds far exceeding the limitations of conventional warp drives. The ships didn’t simply travel through space; they bent it to their will, creating rifts and wormholes to traverse vast interstellar distances in a fraction of the time it would take other races. This technology allowed for rapid deployment and strategic maneuverability, a crucial advantage in the ever-shifting landscape of galactic warfare.

Each vessel was also equipped with a sophisticated defense system, the “Aetheric Shield.” This wasn’t a simple energy barrier; it was a dynamic, magical construct that adapted to incoming threats, absorbing energy blasts and deflecting projectiles with astonishing efficiency. The shield’s strength varied depending on the ship’s size and the strength of the Setherian mage onboard. The larger ships, such as the Solaris, boasted shields capable of withstanding even the most powerful energy weapons. This wasn’t simply a defensive measure; it was a testament to the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.4.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Science Fiction
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-9829-0 / 9798350998290