The illusion of life and the desire for power often cloud us. They change our views, bias our hearts, justify our wars. But even though power demands payment, will that stop you from fighting for your dreams?

In a universe where gods run rampant, mages decide the flow of history, and eldritch horrors hide in the darkest crevices of creation. Power and the right to command it and its consequences is earned, bled for, died for. Does the fire of hope shine bright, or does it burn black?

Where evil boasts its name aloud and good slinks away wretchedly in the shadows, will you bend your knee? Or will you ascend and join the mighty legends?

What is a king to a god?

What is a god, to a non-believer?

About Author:

Oskar Holtz, author of Letalis,is a student at the University of Reading studying War, Peace, and International Relations. He is a member of The Society of Authors and the Westminster Strategic Studies Group and was a former Lance Corporal in the British Army Cadet Force.

About the novel:

The warring states of the world are warming around the new fires of a calamitous war, freed from half a decade in shackles of so-called peace. The seven great lands and seas of humanity are all but controlled by one element. Eifer. They give birth to the wrath of our species and is a breeder of sin. With the ever growing threat of the prosperous Confederacy looming over the continent, the ailing alliance of Aelon lies on an endless path of futile resistance in the face of the vastest invasion since the Second Calamity. Of the billions who would suffer for it, Arminius Reichner, a seemingly commoner schoolboy, is trapped in the outbreak of war. There is but one exit. Into the fields where no man would dare tread if they knew the horrors that would befall them. Every sane person had dreamt of the praise and fame that they could earn from the people of their kingdoms through war, but none truly understood how such a childish dream has shattered even the most resolute of minds. Victory has become a forgotten word in a cruel world once called paradise. Hell sits not so far.

Fifty years after the cataclysmic Second Jewel War, the Land of Spade has flourished under the legacy of Kaipo Kasumi, its once-fractured realms now united in an era of peace. But peace is a double-edged sword, for in the shadows of tranquility, a new and insidious evil stirs—one that threatens to unravel everything the heroes of old fought for. As dark forces emerge from the cracks of a fragile peace, the next generation of mages must rise to confront an adversary unlike any before. Will they uphold the legacy of their predecessors, or will the weight of history crush them? The fate of five universes rests in their hands, and their journey will test not only their power but the very essence of who they are.PS: If you haven't read previous series of The Land of Spade, it's totally fine! You don't have to be caught up and can read this as a totally new story, because that's what it is!Edit (01.30.2025) - Here are the current STORY ARCS!!!Chapters 1-24 -The Gathering Shadows ArcChapters 33-47 -The Shattered Council ArcChapters 55-72 -The War of Fort Vigilance ArcChapters 73-Current -The Sentient Arc

Captain Helen McCarthy has successfully led her ship and crew across the chaotic war zone dividing the solar system on 57 uneventful routine supply missions.This is the story of their 58th voyage.Junior Mechanic Cassie is far from ready for her new assignment. Thrust into one unexpected crisis after another, she'll have to learn fast if she wants to make it through her first mission in one piece. Stuck on a ship where none of the usual rules seem to apply, she's going to have to learn to break a few.Because there are no rules in war. And zero survivors is always a possibility.Contains: non-graphic character death(s), minor violence, swearing, alcohol/alcoholism, mentions of suicide.

Cross-posted on AO3 and Wattpad.

I am not interested in commissions or any other paid services, please do not send me spam.

When the plague hits San Francisco's LGBTQ community, it is up to Lt Col Oliver Talbot to stop it. Unbeknown to him, his brother--formerly known as Ivan Talbot--has already succumbed to the rapidly spreading disease. With his team of experts, Oliver must penetrate into the Middle Eastern hideout of a fanatic who is on path to destroy not only the LGBTQ community but the entire Western Civilization.

This is a series in the Counter-Terrorism universe set a few months before the events of Task Force 105.

The city of Deacon, once a peaceful city, now corrupted and terrorized by crime and cartels. In the city's time of need, one man is willing to step up to end the terror plaguing the city.

Legends that are far conjured, hordes by secrets and conspiration. The demons that linger, the war unsettled, the sound of dirge, the cause of lament, the ideal schemer. A flat delegation to another painful story, narratives of the unknown.

The Legend of Sparda… How much do you know Sparda? The Dark Knight Hero, the right man of Mundus? How much do you know of his legend? What indulges his rebellion against his own keen?

Spare the truth that had not yet been free, learn the legend as how it should have been written.

The Second Coalition War (80-98 EH) was fought 265 years after the conclusion of the First Coalition War.

Due to the the unification of Upper Empyrea into the Umbracresti-Estrinite-Glacian-Narcissian Archregion (UEGNA) under Archcountess-Khatun Vega Calliope Ego by marriage, inheritance and alliances, the other regions dissolved UEGNA seats on CEDA and formed the Cerulean-Vorantine-Aqulio-Pheasantine Union (CVAPU) in response.

After Vega abdicated in 78 EH, her twenty year son is crowned Archcount-Khagan Urlic IV & I Ego-Estrin-Romanakov of Umbracrest, Estrin, Glacier and Narciss. Urlic is more aggressive than his mother and the other regions declare war on the Archregion....

The Grand Army requires some understanding for this book to make any sense to you (the Grand Fleet is simply 308 Airships / Aeronautical Craft divided into 7 Fleets of 44.)

■ Combatant Command = 10 Million troops under the Marshal of the Grand Army.□ Army Group = 2.5 Million troops under a Grand-General.● Field Army = 625,000 troops under a Lieutenant General.○ Corps = 156,250 troops under a Grand Warlord.▪︎ Division = 31,250 troops under a Warlord.• Brigade = 6,250 troops under a War Brigadier.° Company = 1,250 troops under a Captain.Platoon = 125 troops under an Ego Lieutenant.Troop = 25 troops under a Lord Sergeant-Major or Colour Sergeant.Squad = 5 Troops under a Lance Corporal.

■ Combatant Command (Marshal Blücher):□ Western Army Group (Grand- General Augereau):● 1st Western Field Army (Lt. Gen Ridge):○ I Corps ○ II Corps○ III Corps○ IV Corps● 2nd Western Field Army (Lt. Gen Kirova):○ V Corps○ VI Corps○ VII Corps○ VIII Corps● 3rd Western Field Army (Lt. Gen Hossian):○ IX Corps○ X Corps○ XI Corps○ XII Corps● 4th Western Field Army (Lt. Gen Zhao):○ XIII Corps○ XIV Corps○ XV Corps○ XVI Corps□ Northwestern Army Group (Grand-General Massaena):● 1st Northwestern Field Army (Lt. Gen Tatè):○ I Corps○ II Corps○ III Corps○ IV Corps● 2nd Northwestern Field Army (Lt. Gen Montgo):○ V Corps○ VI Corps○ VII Corps○ VIII Corps● 3rd Northwestern Field Army (Lt. Gen Duvè):○ IX Corps○ X Corps○ XI Corps○ XII Corps● 4th Northwestern Field Army (Lt. Gen Redd):○ XIII Corps○ XIV Corps○ XV Corps○ XVI Corps□ Northern Army Group (Grand-General Carrier):● 1st Northern Field Army (Lt. Gen Tanknori):○ I Corps○ II Corps○ III Corps○ IV Corps● 2nd Northern Field Army (Lt. Gen Ghost):○ V Corps○ VI Corps○ VII Corps○ VIII Corps● 3rd Northern Field Army (Lt. Gen Fenic):○ IX Corps○ X Corps○ XI Corps○ XII Corps● 4th Northern Field Army (Lt. Gen Devo):○ XlII Corps○ XIV Corps○ XV Corps○ XVI Corps□ Northeastern Army Group (Grand-General Grosso):● 1st Northeastern Field Army (Lt. Gen Navarro):○ I Corps○ II Corps○ III Corps○ IV Corps● 2nd Northeastern Field Army (Lt. Gen Harrison):○ V Corps○ VI Corps○ VII Corps○ VIII Corps● 3rd Northeastern Field Army (Lt. Gen Hawk):○ IX Corps○ X Corps○ XI Corps○ XII Corps● 4th Northeastern Field Army (Lt. Gen Petrov):○ XIII Corps○ XIV Corps○ XV Corps○ XVI Corps

With that out of the way, you can expect: politics, battles, strategy, death, marriage, destruction and many other things.

A little bit of Geography now:

UEGNA Regions:

The West - Umbracresti Commisarate

The Northwest (Archipelago) - Estrin Dominion

The North - Glacier Electorate

The Northeast - Earldom of Narciss (Capital region)

CVAPU:

The East - Second Pheasantine Republic

The Southeast - Meritocracy of Aquiloria

The South - Technocracy of Vorantis

The Southwest - Theocratic Confederacy of Cerulea

The first two chapters are set slightly before the Second Coalition War started.

Enjoy!

- Doc

"Father, could you tell me the story again?"

"I shall, but first, I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Have you ever truly believed in the truth of these stories?"

"Well, Father, I have doubted it in the past. However the more you tell me these stories and the more detailed they get overtime, the more they become impossible to doubt."

"Good. As a man telling a story one believes is shrouded in lies becomes a myth." The Father continued, "However, in my case, I wish for you to keep it as a myth, and nothing more. Instead of a lie shrouded in lies, make a lie shrouded in truth."

"To begin, remember this was how I met your mother."

Trapped in a dystopian labor camp, Zeiss endures a life stripped of hope and dignity. But when an unexpected meteor obliterates the camp's desolate landscape, it sets off a series of inexplicable events that plunge Zeiss into a riveting mystery.

DISCLAIMER: Dark themes - Violence - Sex - Abuse - Death

The capital city of this dark time, Ōkoku, was a town like others where the people lived their daily lives, but this was the night that everything would change.

Out at sea, a wooden fishing vessel bobbed gently under the moonlight. The fishermen aboard worked tirelessly, their calloused hands hauling in nets laden with the night's catch. Laughter and idle chatter filled the air, oblivious to the unnatural stillness that had settled over the sea—the dreadful calm before the storm.

On the deck, an old fisherman squinted, concern written over his weathered face as he scrutinized the distant shape above the sea. It appeared to be a massive wave at first, churning the sea ominously. But as it surged closer, his heart skipped a beat.

This was no wave.

Men scrambled across the deck to arm themselves, reaching for harpoons, nets, and anything that might serve as a weapon. The creature leading the tide charged lightning in its mouth while running across the water as if it were on land, firing the bolt out and setting the ship ablaze and leaping over the burning vessel and rushing into Ōkoku.

Destruction engulfed the city as the demons descended. Above, Winged abominations screeched, raining down torrents of flames that reduced buildings to ashes and filled the air with the stench of charred flesh.  Below, grotesque monsters rampaged unhindered, consuming the fleeing humans and leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.

Amidst the chaos, the commander of the demons made himself known.

"Such beautiful suffering, I can't believe it has finally come, to think I almost missed the end of the world. Such pure pure ecstasy." The commander's wings spread as he motioned for all the demons under his command to attack.

"The demons have shown themselves to the world, now we have no reason to hide ourselves. Kill as many as you can without worry of being spotted." A man's voice echoed through the heads of many.

A man stood on a roof with his rifle aimed at the lion-like beast that destroyed and killed those people at the harbor. He lined up his shot and took fire, sending the beast flying and crashing down dead.

A comrade of his wielded her Naginata to cut the legs off of one of the many giant demons before spinning around and slashing its head clean off.

Another warrior tossed his chain onto the wing of a flying demon, sinking the blade in. Using the momentum of the demon's flight, he launched himself into the air, slicing its back open to kill it in a single strike. It came down with a screech, crashing to the ground as the man landed on it.

These were the rays of hope that these citizens needed: allies who were just as powerful, if not more powerful, than the demons. So much so they could be considered demons themselves, but not just any demons.

These were The Fiends, Demons who kill Demons!

They came in full force following the orders from their capital, known as the Divine Mountain. They all stood together strong and with wills unbendable and emotions incorruptible, and with them came their captain. A warrior who graduated to the top of the Divine Mountain in mere weeks, a record unheard of by any Fiends known to record. Known as "The Tyrant Of The Battlefield," they called him a Warlord and One Of The Divine Mount's Greatest Fiends.

A-reum Marlowe's life shatters when she discovers her fiancé’s betrayal with her own sister. Heartbroken, she flees into a stormy night, where tragedy strikes—a sudden accident plunges her into darkness. But death does not greet her. Instead, A-reum awakens on a mystical, uncharted island surrounded by lush, enchanted forests and ancient ruins. She learns she is no longer just A-reum but has become Slyvia, the Saintess of Radiance, a mythical figure who was part of an ancient pact to protect the land of Arcadia from corruption.

Slyviadiscovers she and three other saintesses were bound to eternal sleep to maintain the balance of light and purity across Arcadia. But something has gone terribly wrong—she is awake, alone, and the once-harmonious land is plagued by darkness and decay. To restore balance, Slyviamust find the sanctuaries of the three missing saintesses, uncover their fates, and reignite their dormant powers.

Her journey across Arcadia is fraught with peril and unexpected allies. Among them is Caelum, a mysterious and brooding knight who claims to be a guardian of the saintesses. Bound by an unspoken connection, their bond deepens as they traverse treacherous lands, facing beasts twisted by corruption and uncovering a sinister plot to destroy the saintesses’ eternal covenant.

But as Slyviadelves deeper into the mysteries of the other saintesses, she begins to uncover truths about her own awakening. Was her revival truly an accident, or was it fate? And what sacrifices will she have to make to save Arcadia—and her own heart—from the shadows threatening to consume them all?

In a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption, The Eternal Saintessweaves fantasy and romance into an epic journey of self-discovery and the fight to reclaim a world lost to darkness.