Alpha and Omega: Awakening

Peter J. D. Woodruff

Description

A hero guided by fate, an angel, and a long-held secret must battle to push back an ancient, terrible adversary before it is too late for Earth.

The Earth has been cast into shadow. Xavier and his love, Melissa, through no fault of their own, are caught in the middle of a climactic struggle for supremacy dating back to the time of Adam. Lost and accompanied by a rag tag group of unsung heroes. Xavier desperate for answers, ventures forth to uncover a secret plot that could spell doom for us all. With an angel on his shoulder to guide him, he must brave this strange new world while battling the myths of old, as demons now roam free across the Earth. An ancient secret that has been kept from him and his family since the very beginning has awakened.

As the war of good versus evil begins, only time will tell if Xavier rises to become the guardian he is meant to be, or if he will fall into damnation and become a destroyer like so many before him.

In this epic fantasy saga, a band of heroes guided by fate, angels, and a long-held secret must battle to push back an ancient, and terrible adversary before it is too late for Earth.

Sujets

• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: Archway Publishing
• Date de parution: 09 janvier 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665733281
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

ALPHA AND MEGA:


AWAKENING




PETER J. D. WOODRUFF









Copyright © 2023 Peter J. D. Woodruff.

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.



Archway Publishing
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.archwaypublishing.com
844-669-3957

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: 978-1-6657-3329-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3327-4 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6657-3328-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022920994



Archway Publishing rev. date: 05/17/2023



CONTENTS
Preface
Prologue

I. The Beginning
II. The Camp
III. The Tree
IV. The Night
V. The Moon
VI. The Lost
VII. The Chaos
VIII. The Found
IX. The Vision
X. The Sight
XI. The Sins
XII. The Exodus
XIII. The Kill
XIV. The Grove
XV. The Gate
XVI. The Faery
XVII. The Power
XVIII. The Wound
XIX. The Dwarves
XX. The Virtues
XXI. The Call
XXII. The Dominion
XXIII. The Chase
XXIV. The Light
XXV. The Dead
XXVI. The Brother
XXVII. The Wraith

GLOSSARY



PREFACE
This book is the culmination of over eight years, during and preceding my second stent of college. This work of fiction was born from a renewed spark of stories I read in my adolescence. Compounded with heavy research on the subject matter and inspired by some of my unpublished short stories. As well, the collective works of Joseph Campbell, John Milton, Andrzej Sapkowski, Dante Alighieri, George R. R. Martin, George Lucas, J. R. R. Tolkien, Alexandre Dumas, Stephen King, Leo Tolstoy, Frank Herbert, Karen Armstrong, Reza Aslan, and many others. The Alpha and Omega Saga epitomizes the classic hero’s journey. A tale of finding one’s place in the world and being unsatisfied with what is. Thrust into a voyage, not of your own making. To find out what you are made of, tempted by devils, and guided by angels. Friendships will be forged that will shape and alter destiny. This band of misfits will face great foes, battling monsters of myth and legend to fight conflicts that will forge alliances and break them. A tone of desperation with an inkling of hope. A world of ancient places, untouched by the feet of man. Where the world first began.
As the author, this is not a book about the apocalypse or on canonical literature. Even so, the Bible, Torah, and Quran have been heavily referenced along with many other noncanonical works of literature. In addition, throughout the last century, popular culture has begun to reference these texts for entertainment. Therefore, this book should also be treated as such. Furthermore, to clarify, many passages in this book have been italicized to identify speech within dreams. Or to identify nonverbal communication. As some of the characters in this story have the ability of telepathy.
With this first installment of the series, it is my hope not to divide people, but to forge bonds of solidarity and compassion in these troubled times. So that together we can move forward with wisdom and humility and face off against all evil no matter what face it may take.
With hope and prayer, this work will span several chapters in the coming years. To explore this ancient and unique world, like our own, but twisted and brought into darkness.



PROLOGUE
“What if, everything we knew, was true—all of it. Every dream, every fantasy, every myth, every nightmare was somehow true. All the stories that terrified my ancestors as children. All the fairytales that were once told to show us misery and wonder. All those things hidden underneath their beds and behind the veil. Even the ones that were told to use as lies. The truth was far too painful; it has been so many years since then since the start of it all. So much has happened. So much has changed. Everyone is gone now. Everyone I cared about. How did we get to this? When did the string begin to unravel? I’ve thought about that for a while now, and I think the best place to start is with my father. My mother told me stories about him: the legend of his exploits, his rise from obscurity, his growth, power, love, defeats, and his fall. She used to tell me my father was mighty—one of the strongest of all the legendary heroes. I cannot even imagine him even with the statues built in his honor. I don’t even remember the smell of him, at least I’m not too sure. I was only just a baby. But even with all that power, he could not save those closest to him, including me. The tides of destiny swept me away from him. I don’t blame him, though. She told me so much. It’s like I lived it standing next to him shoulder-to-shoulder with all the other heroes. But to be clear she wasn’t my mother, not really. She told me as such, but she raised me into the woman that I am. She told me I’m so much like him. I didn’t understand why until only recently. But I see now what she meant. I lost someone dear to me, and I don’t know what to do. The loss of him was so heavy that the weight of it had crushed me. So much pain. So much violence. Why do they hate us so? Why couldn’t he have lived, and I take his place? I need to understand why. So, I will start at the beginning…”



PART 1



I
CHAPTER
THE BEGINNING

“G uess w ho?” she said. He felt the soft press of her body against his, the hint of a giggle in her voice. It was a day like any other; the streets were bursting with morning commuters. Waiting impatiently for their taxicabs, Ubers, all moving to the inexorable rhythm of the Big Apple. A magazine stand opened for business. A line of food trucks prepared for their patrons. A group of college students walked on their way to campus. A foreign couple took pictures, gazing at the sights. A businessperson received a call from his boss. A homeless man fed pigeons on a park bench. Two older gentlemen bickered over a game of chess. And a young woman giggled at a text.
“Melissa, we are going to be late!” the young man declared.
“Sorry, but Trish called while I was getting ready. You will not believe what happened last night. Vincent proposed. Can you believe it?!” Melissa said, releasing his face with her hands and spun him around with excitement.
“What? You got to be kidding me! But they have only been dating for like a year?”
“I know, right? I remember when we introduced them to each other.”
“This year has flown by so fast. Where does the time go?”
“Yeah, wild, huh? So, Xavier, what plans have you arranged for our anniversary?” she asked, batting her eyes in anticipation.
“I have the perfect day planned out; I found this unlikely place. I think you’ll like it, but the rest is a surprise!”
“Oh, so you’re saying you somehow found a place we haven’t been to yet?” Melissa said, taking hold of his arm, grinning, and staring deep into his eyes as they laughed. Xavier looked down at his phone, a peculiar fuzziness, and buzzing began to show on his screen.
“This app is acting goofy again; it says he arrived.”
“I’m sure he is just down the street, here let me check.”
Suddenly, they heard the screech of tires upon the pavement, the thud of metal, and panic. A car swerved out of control directly into a light pole, shattering the street’s serene demeanor. Traffic came to a standstill as drivers smashed their horns. The two of them watched as the driver scrambled out in a daze, screaming for everyone to “see.” He pointed behind his car for them to look. They gazed behind his car and saw nothing. Only fresh skid marks swerving on the sidewalk. The driver peered around frantically, swearing to have seen something and hit something. But all they could see was the man in a panic. They checked underneath his car; they looked around at every nearby vehicle. But there was nothing. They all thought he was a raving lunatic. With the traffic stopped on either side of the street, the two became concerned their ride would be delayed. They started down the street, moving away from the commotion.
Two police officers came walking up to the driver, requesting the man calm down. But just then, they saw it: a shadow over the asphalt. At first, merely one, like a plastic bag blowing in the wind. But then there were two; indiscernibly, they moved, distorting this way and that. Another two emerged, then the lights on the streets started to flicker. The sky grew eerily dark, and the wind began to gain speed. Abruptly, time stood still, and a crack split across the sky like glass. The world shattered like a mirror, fading away in shimmering light. The crowd stared up as a dance of light and mirror filled the atmosphere.
“Xavier, it’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“But what does it mean?” he replied, feeling a curious warmth wash over him.
The light