(Re-upload) Sneak peek: Mystical Force Vol. 3

Originally published July 2021, updated Mar 2022

For those of you who can’t wait for Volume 3 of Mystical Force (The Kolri and the Koldar), well you don’t need to wait anymore since the book is now available. However, if you haven’t read it yet, here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the book:

Location: Base of the Koldar Warriors, Planet Thalia

The base of the Koldar Warriors was old and run-down. It once belonged to an ancient cult that worshipped nature. Similar to the ancient tribe that taught princess Alderoth. What became of this tribe however, was lost to history. The Koldar Warriors didn’t know and didn’t care. As far as they were concerned, if this tribe no longer existed, it simply meant they were too weak to defend themselves and their home. This was the philosophy of the Koldar Warriors: the strong survive, the weak perish. This particular group of Koldar Warriors had originally been Taman Knights who willingly followed Master Daisho after he had been expelled from the Alderoth branch. Like him, they foolishly believed themselves to be “true” Taman Knights. While Daisho’s original mission had been to destroy the “false” Taman Knights, the Kamatra sect, they had allowed their self-righteous prejudice to expand until they saw all other religions as false and all other people as “infidels” to either be converted to their religion or to be destroyed. This was their new mission: to spread their teachings across the galaxy and to force everyone to convert to their religion, whether they wanted to or not. They wanted to build a galaxy-spanning theocratic empire.

This was how they ended up inadvertently playing a part in both Zolida and Knightwalker’s game. They had learned about the same magic spell Zolida used to send Shi-ria to Earth, and they were planning to use it to spread their teachings across the galaxy. As far as the governments of Thalia and the other worlds of the Galactic Alliance were concerned, the Koldar Warriors were criminals and terrorists. If any of them were discovered on any alien worlds, the authorities would have them arrested on sight. While the Koldar Warriors’ powers gave them an advantage over ordinary species, beings with a mystical force, such as mages, could hold their own against them. If they could gain access to the same magic Zolida used, they would be able to travel instantaneously to any world in the galaxy covertly. And once they were entrenched in said world, it would be very difficult for the authorities to have them removed.

In the original timeline that Scarlet Knightwalker came from, the cult found this spell five years ago. It was around the same time that Kurai had been taken. Having another Taman apprentice from the “false” Taman branch convert to their “true” religion was a pleasant bonus for them. When Shi-ria went to rescue her sister, the Koldar Warriors used Shi-ria as a test subject. They used the spell to send her off to a remote corner of the galaxy, not knowing where she’d end up and not really caring. They never knew she ended up on Earth, trained an apprentice of her own, only to die with Tokijin and Noonien. They never knew about the future that Knightwalker had come from. They never knew because Knightwalker had travelled back in time to prevent this incident from happening. Using the same concealment Zolida used at the police station, coupled with the potion Knightwalker used at the station, she convinced the Taman Knights to follow Shi-ria and rescue Kurai; thus, preventing this cult from sending Shi-ria to Earth. Knightwalker then used her magic to take the spell and destroy it so that it would never fall into their hands. No one knew that Scarlet Knightwalker had been there the whole time, making sure that history didn’t repeat itself. The only one who knew the truth was Zolida. Thanks to Knightwalker, the future had been altered, so Zolida was determined to make Knightwalker’s job as difficult as possible.

Using her magic, Zolida teleported directly into the central chamber of the temple of the Koldar Warriors. Unlike Scarlet Knightwalker five years earlier, Zolida didn’t bother to conceal herself; she wanted them to know of her arrival. Thus, the Koldar Warriors were genuinely surprised when this strange woman magically appeared before them. “An intruder!” one of the warriors shouted.

“Trespassing in our sacred halls is an act of sacrilege!” another called out.

The various other members all murmured in agreement. Using the same Taman alchemy that the Taman Knights possessed, they created various melee weapons. They moved toward Zolida, preparing to attack. Zolida simply waved her hand and lifted each of them up in the air and hurled them backwards with her magic. Some slammed into the walls, others into each other. Master Shodo, the current leader of this cult, was the only one not affected by this. He was a middle-aged man, though years of relying on the power of the Koldar began taking its toll on his body. His hair, what little of it he had left, was grey. His face was pale and pock-marked. His skin was saggy and wrinkled, and his purple eyes were bloodshot with dark circles surrounding them; he looked as though he hadn’t slept for days. Despite this, he was still quite muscular, though it wasn’t noticeable as he wore a bulky suit of metallic armour over a black silk dress shirt and baggy black trousers tucked into heavy black leather boots. He simply stood watching. Using the power of the Taman, he tried to read her, just as Shi-ria had when she first encountered her. All he sensed from her was her presence, nothing more.

Zolida turned to face him, “If your followers are finished making fools of themselves, perhaps we could talk.”

Various Koldar Warriors slowly got to their feet, weapons at the ready, but Shodo, without taking his eyes off Zolida, simply raised his left hand. The Koldar Warriors stopped in their tracks. Obviously, Zolida’s power had piqued his curiosity. So he was willing to hear what she had to say. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“My name is Zolida,” she responded. “I’m a sorceress. Beyond that, who I am and where I’m from is of no importance to you.”

“And what is it that you want?”

“The question isn’t what I want,” she corrected, “but what is it that you want? I know about your history, Master Shodo. How over a hundred years ago, Master Kamatra left the Alderoth branch of the Taman Knights and formed the Kamatra branch. How Master Daisho saw these heretics as traitors who distorted the teachings of the Taman Knights and how the rest of the fools on the Taman Council kowtowed to the Taman government; too afraid to stand up to them.”

“They were fools!” Shodo barked. “Cowards! Too spineless to see that Kamatra was a traitor and that his followers were perverting the teachings of the Taman Knights! Master Daisho knew this, but the rest of them couldn’t see beyond their own selfish needs! The need to appease the government to remain in their good graces! ‘Cause they were afraid of losing their favour with the government. A true Taman Knight wouldn’t submit to the whims of the ignorant masses! He’d use his superior skills and intellect to make them see they’re the ones who are wrong! That they are the ones who must be forced to submit to the enlightened!”

Zolida smiled subtly. It was just as she hoped. Like Knightwalker had done earlier at the police station, she used the same magic potion to make the Koldar Warriors more susceptible to her suggestion. Of course, there was the risk that, like Shi-ria, the Koldar Warriors might realize what was going on. Their Koldar senses might warn them something was off, but this was less likely to happen. Unlike the Taman Knights, these Koldar Warriors were ruled by their emotions, their passion, their aggression. This made them easier to manipulate. As long as Zolida told them what they wanted to hear, they’d be more inclined to do as she said. Strong emotions often tended to cloud one’s better judgment. By appealing to their arrogant assumption that they were “true” Taman Knights, a lie that they had successfully fooled themselves into believing, by telling them what they wanted to hear, she could make them do whatever she wanted. All she had to do was make them believe it was their idea.

“Just as you do,” Zolida soothed, appealing to his ego. “Unfortunately, when the enlightened are greatly outnumbered by the ignorant masses, it’s hard to make them see the light. Which brings me to why I’m here. Do you remember how five years ago you were searching for an ancient spell—one that would allow you to instantly teleport anywhere in the galaxy without using the gateways and going through official channels at Orathos?”

Shodo nodded; he remembered the incident perfectly. Normally, beings were forced to use their planet’s gateway to travel to the central hub on the planet Orathos. Without such gateways, the only way to travel from one planet to another was via a spaceship equipped with a means to travel faster than light. Since Shodo and his band of Koldar Warriors were labelled as terrorists, they were banned from leaving Thalia. Even if they had managed to gain access to Thalia’s gateways, make it to Orathos, then travel to another world, the authorities would be alerted. Thus, they’d be forced to fight off hordes of Taman Knights or other mages who would try and stop them. However, if they had the means to bypass the planetary gateways, they could sneak onto various alien worlds, spread their doctrine, recruit new followers, all the while conquering and subjugating other infidels. And by the time the Taman Knights—or other planetary governments—realized what was going on, they would already be too deeply entrenched to be removed. This was their plan. Shodo heard rumours about such an ancient spell—one thought to have been lost centuries ago. He had his minions searching Thalia for any relics that supposedly held clues as to how to find or perform this spell. It was five years ago that he had been close to finding it when one of his followers had tried to recruit a Taman apprentice named Kurai. However, it turned out to be an ambush by the Taman Knights; at least, he believed it to be one. Kurai’s fellow apprentices, Shi-ria and Rirk, along with their master Kalai-Udon and the rest of the Kamatra sect, followed her and ambushed his followers. With their plans discovered, Shodo and his followers were forced to go into further hiding.

“You remember how the Kamatra sect found out about your group and stopped you? What you didn’t realize was that a sorceress named Scarlet Knightwalker was behind it all,” Zolida lied. The truth was that originally, Shodo and his cult found the spell when Shi-ria showed up to try and rescue Kurai. In the process, Shi-ria was sent to Earth. This was how events unfolded in the timeline Knightwalker originally came from. When Knightwalker later travelled back in time to alter history, she made sure to prevent the Koldar Warriors from finding the spell. She covertly made sure the rest of the Taman Knights followed Shi-ria to stop this cult and prevent Shi-ria from coming to Earth. Unaware of this, Shodo and his followers were forced to go back into hiding and continue their futile search. So, they continued searching caves and other ancient archaeological sites for any relics that could help them. One such site was a cave. The very cave Shi-ria had been assigned to guard three months ago. Shodo had hired Dead-Eye to search and steal any relics in said cave in the hopes that there might be something there he could use to bring him one step closer to this power. Unfortunately, none of the relics there were of any use to him. “Scarlet Knightwalker used this spell to send Dead-Eye and a Taman Knight named Shi-ria to a planet called Earth,” Zolida continued lying. “With them out of the way, she took the ancient scrolls the spell was written on and hid them away to ensure no one would ever find them. Surely with your powers, you know this to be true.”

Shodo reached out with the power of the Koldar to see if she was lying. Unfortunately, Zolida’s magic, combined with the potion, allowed her to manipulate him easily. Using her magic, she allowed his retro-cognitive abilities to see the events unfold the way she wanted him to see, not what really happened. “So, this Scarlet Knightwalker is to blame for our failures at procuring this spell,” Shodo incorrectly deduced.

“Indeed she is,” Zolida said and continued spinning her elaborate web of lies. “What’s more, she’s from the future. Originally, you succeeded in obtaining this spell and spread your empire across the galaxy. She’s travelled back in time to prevent this from happening.”

“WHAT?” Shodo shouted, his anger building up inside him.

“You succeeded in your mission,” Zolida continued, “until she came back in time, altered history, and undid all your successes. That’s why I’m here. I’ve also come back in time; to try and stop her and try and set history right once again.”

Shodo stood up and roared, “This Scarlet Knightwalker will pay for her actions!”

A faint but sinister smile crept up in the corners of Zolida’s lips. “In the future, I am but one of your many followers,” she continued weaving her misleading tales. “My magic, combined with your powers, can overpower her. Together we can set things right again!”

Shodo smiled at her. Despite his arrogant belief in his superiority, Zolida had successfully played him like a fool. “Bring me this Knightwalker and the spell, Ms. Zolida, and I shall not forget your loyalty when we conquer the galaxy.”

“Yes, master,” she said, bowing. “And I know exactly how to bring her to you . . .”

To find out what happens next… well buy a copy of the book. Don’t forget to give it a good review. Please, please PLEASE…. give it a good review! I need all the good reviews I can get! Also, keep an eye out for Mystical Force Vol. 4: Many are 1, 1 is 0, coming soon…