Author Notes:

So... I accidentally deleted the prologue for this story. Isn't that very smart of me... Anyway, prologue and chapter 1 will be on the same page since it'll be too much of a pain to delete every chapter and add them back in.

Chapter 0: Prologue

“Ugh… my head really hurts right now”

I slowly rubbed my forehead. My fingers found a small lump that formed above my eyebrows. Ignoring it, I kept scavenging through my hair, trying to feel for any visible wounds. Nothing. A sigh of relief escaped from my mouth.

“Well, at least I know I didn’t break my head”

I slowly stood up from the mossy floor. Right now, I was in a middle of a cavern. I can’t tell how deep I was underground, but it couldn’t be that far. I mean, I could see the small pockets of light from the cracks of the roof. That should mean that the surface is right above us. We must have fallen while we were running away… but I don’t really remember falling… I just remembering seeing a burst of light...

“Ughh…”

A sound broke me from my thought.

“Oh, almost forgot about Lily”

I quickly walked over to the unconscious figure. A girl with short black hair could be seen. She was wearing a cloak with a red scarf that covered her mouth. She was also wearing leather armor that matched both her combat skirt and her boots. Blood dripped from her head, though it didn’t look to be too serious.

“Hey Lily, wake up”

I tried shaking her a bit. She tried to push me away, but failed. You could really tell she was weak.

“Nghhh… five more minutes”

Or, maybe she was just sleepy. I rolled my eyes.

“Now’s not the time. The Mordeaux are right behind us. Come on, wake up”

I lightly slapped her in the face several times. Her eyes immediately opened exposing beautiful dark brown eyes.

“I’m up, I’m up”

I stood up and grabbed her hand. She still looked sleepy, but at least she was alert now.

“Where are we?”

I shrugged, picking up the knife that I dropped earlier.

“I don’t know… All I know is where in some kind of cavern”

“Cavern?”

She looked around, just noticing the room we were in.

“I don’t remember falling into a cavern. Did the city even have one of these?”

“I don’t know… But we should move. If we stay here, they might catch up to us”

She nodded in agreement. She pulled out her gun. It was a customized M2 handgun. It had a desert camouflaged with a modified sight. A bayonet was also attached at the bottom of the guns barrel. Normally she wouldn’t pull out her pistol except in emergencies. Well, this probably counts as one. We ran through the tunnel expecting anything to come right at us. Strangely though, nothing. Not a single sound of life.

“Hey, don’t you think it’s a bit quiet”

“Isn’t that good for us? At least I don’t have to waste any ammo”

“Just don’t miss your shots. I’m the one who has to make new ones for you”

Lily gave me a ‘no duh’ look. She then began to slow down.

“Hmmm… I feel something”

I readied myself. Normally when she feels something, it’s usually the Mordeaux. Shit, they must have gotten in front of us somehow. She started to walk now, her gun was at her side.

“Wait, why are you lowering your gun?”

She ignored me as she kept walking forward. I had no choice but to follow her. A couple more feet of walking and, to my surprise, we finally found a door. It was a wooden door with studded silver braces. Two rings could be seen in the middle, but that wasn’t what surprised me. Four men could be seen standing in front of the door. They were armed with spears and were fully clad in iron armor. Several colors of stripes could be seen from their attire and their spears carried four separate small flags. At first, they seem to be surprised as they looked at both of us. But soon, one of the knights bowed towards us.

“Welcome to world of Terra travelers. Would you please wait for your guide?”

I couldn’t help but nod as my brain tried to process everything. Terra. Just what is that? Also the strangely clothed man mentioned the world… the world of Terra? I can’t understand his statement. I looked over at Lily and sure enough, she also had a confused look in her face.

“Sorry for the wait”

The doors opened and a girl walked out. She had blue eyes and a somewhat tomboyish face that did not match her voice. She was wearing some kind of clergy hat, but that didn’t hide her blonde hair. She was wearing a robe that had a purple stripe running in the middle and a sash holding it at the waist. She walked to us calmly, but I was even more confused. The clergy was destroyed hundreds of years ago. It was taught to us that the Mordeaux were attracted to the clergy, meaning each and every church in the world was annihilated.

“Hey Bryan… am I dreaming or am I actually seeing a real clergyman?”

“Woman… I am a girl you know”

The girl pouted. The men around her laughed as one of them began patting her head. She was also pretty short compared to Lily.

“Give em a break already Tricia. It’s not like they’re the first”

“That doesn’t make it any better”

She slapped the man’s hand away though everyone kept on laughing. You could see the blush on her face as she tried to regain her initial composure.

“Any way… welcome travelers to the world of Terra”

A huge smile was now plastered on her face. That was a pretty quick recovery.

“Now, I know you two have a lot of questions so if you don’t mind, will you please follow me”

The girl was ushering us towards the door. I could only look in suspicion as I readied my knife. Lily also seems to be wary as her fingers flicked the safety from her gun.

“And why should we?”

Lily took a step back. So did I. It really isn’t a good thing to trust people, especially people who you’ve just met. I’ve learned this the hard way. Many times, I’ve lost someone important to me. Unknowingly, I released some of my blood lust. The four guards felt it and instantly blocked our view of Tricia. Each man looked at us as if we were dangerous animals. You can’t blame them… we probably are.

“STAND DOWN”

The four men looked back in surprise.

“Madame Wellington…”

Another girl walked in. Like Tricia, she wore a robe of the clergy though hers was different. Her hat was shortened and had a military feeling into it. Her robe was actually a cloak that only went to cover her hands. She was wearing a pure white skirt and a pure white long-sleeved shirt. Her socks were black but her boots were also pure white. Black lines could be seen all over her attire, giving her clothes militaristic feel. Her clothes weren’t the only clue that she was in the army. Her very presence seems to radiate power. Even the soldiers trembled as they stood in attention. She must be a natural born leader.

“I’m sorry for these men. They can be overprotective when it comes to Tricia”

The girl blushed. So did the four men. So there was something happening in between the group… wait a minute. Isn’t she part of the clergy? I thought relationships were a taboo in the clergy. I shook my head of these thoughts.

“Who are you? Better yet, where are we? What is happening?”

The girl smiled as she parted the men to either side.

“Well, if you want questions you’re going to have to trust me even for a tiny bit. Now come, the longer we wait, the more you’re wasting your own time”

She then walked back to the door behind her. It opened showing a beautiful hallway with torches hanging from the pillars. She stopped for a bit and turned around to look at us.

“As for introductions, my name is Marlana Wellington. I’m the current head mage of the kingdom of Wessex. Though I say this, I’m actually still just an apprentice under her majesty’s rule. Aside from that, I hope to be of some service to the both of you”

She took a curtsy as she gave a graceful smile. I could only stand still as she continued to make her way through the hallway. Tricia and the four guards followed after forming a defensive perimeter around the self-proclaimed mage.

“Well… I might regret this but let’s just see what she has in store. This all seems rather fascinating”

I saw a dangerous glint in Lily’s eyes.

“Oh no. I’ve seen that look before. Why are you so willing to trust a stranger when…”

I noticed that I was talking to the air. I looked at the entrance only to see the back side of my companion.

“I really hate it when she does this”

With no other choice, I followed after them and walked through the gate… the gate to the world of Terra.

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Chapter 1:

“This place is huge!”

I looked up at the high ceiling. Chandeliers with intricate gold designs were hanging from the roof. Dark purple banners hung from the side of the balconies. You could see the guards walking back and forth on the level above us, their bows were nocked with jet black arrows.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“This place is big, but the paintings are more impressive to look at.”

I turned my attention from the guards and looked at Lily. She looked excited as her spun in every direction. The hallway was surrounded with all sorts of paintings.

They were bright, filled with vibrant colors. Royalty, castles and festivals filled these portraits with stories of adventure, love and festivities.

I couldn’t help but share Lily’s excitement, but it also reminded me of our situation. Where is this place? I’ve never seen anything like these. Even the paintings. They look too real to be true.

“Just, where are we?”

I couldn’t help but whisper at myself. Lily stared at me, her eyes also filled with questions. Marlana looked back. I guess she must have heard me. She seemed to be thinking about something since she was biting her lower lip.

“Tricia.”

“Yes?”

The clergy girl looked at Marlana. “I want you to go ahead and tell the Queen about our guest. We’ll catch up shortly”

At first, she looked between us and at Marlana. She then bowed and started walking away.

“Ahem.”

Tricia stopped as she looked back at us. Marlana gave a mischievous look as she pointed at each of the guards.

“Don’t forget to bring them along. They are your guards remember.”

“But Madame! We can’t just leave you alone!”

“Yeah, what if these two tried to attack you when we’re not here. You saw how they…”

“SILENCE!”

The two talkative guards instantly quieted down. Marlana gave them a strong glare. Even the other two who didn’t complain shuddered, though they must have had the same feeling about us too.

“pff...pfff… hahahahahha!”

I took a step back surprised by the laughing magician. Even the guards looked perplexed.

“M…Madame?”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but misunderstood that you two think you can beat these two in a fair fight”

Damn… shots fired. Didn’t expect her to say that. Even the guards had a dumbstruck look on their face. Oh, one of them looks like there about to speak. Marlana placed her hand in front of her silencing the guy before he even said anything.

“Just go with Tricia. At most, if you do what I say, I’ll forgive you for your incompetence in thinking that I can be beaten so easily.”

She smiled, though you could easily tell she’s mad from her voice. The two guards shook as they bowed. The other two followed suit and just like that, the entourage disappeared around the corner. Marlana sighed.

“Sorry about that. Sometimes my subordinates can be a little… slow sometimes. Come on, follow me. Before we head to the queen I have something to show you.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what type of person Marlana is. One moment ago, she looked ready to throw down and mop the floor with the blood of those men. Now she had a cheerful aura around her. Even Lily was giving her a confused look as if she was trying to determine her real personality.

“Come on Lily. Might as well she what she has in mind.”

We quickly followed after her. I swear this place turned from amazing to scary. Not because we were following a slightly quirky magician, but because this place had become a maze. If it wasn’t for Lily’s tracking abilities, we would never have been able to catch up with Marlana.

“Good, you caught up. Come on. This is the best time to see this.”

Marlana smiled as she opened a pair of doors. We all exited on a balcony and what I saw outside was nothing I would have ever imagined. We were floating on an island. Floating. As in flying in the sky. How do I know? Well, there were clouds passing us from below. Not water. CLOUDS.

“Uhhh… Duy…”

I couldn’t help but stutter as I took in the scenery. Around us, other islands could be seen floating in the sky. Crystal Stalactites could be seen underneath these islands and several waterfalls disappeared to the ground below. I saw several bridges connecting one island from another.

There was even a bridge that was connected to some kind of floating metal building. On the island below us, a city could be seen. None of it was modern, but were instead a mix of gears and medieval type houses. Some of the buildings were pretty tall while others were simple two or single story buildings. Lanterns could be seen hanging above the road and horse drawn carriages littered the streets. The people themselves were strange as many wore vibrant colors of green, purple or blue.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

My mind continued to process the scenery and I realized something. This… isn’t Earth. Where exactly…

“IS THAT A DRAGON!?”

Lily leaned over the balcony. Her eyes were opened in shock as finger she pointed with shook with excitement. I followed the direction of her finger and saw the archaic monster.

It was huge since I was able to see it from so far away. It had red skin and shadowy black horns. You couldn’t see the eyes, but you could see a carriage attached to the back.

“No actually. That’s a wind drake, a degraded form of the Aerivian species. What exactly is a dragon?”

I looked at the girl in surprise.

“You know, big sharp teeth. Big strong arms and legs with scales capable of blocking projectiles. Big strong wings that can create a hailstorms. Dragon.”

“Oh so a Wyvern.”

This is not making any sense. Hell, even the world no longer made sense. Just earlier, I was sure that we were running. Darkness was everywhere, the ground was deathly gray. The mountains, pitch black with sulfur. I looked at the girl in front of me.

“Really, who are you people? Why… how did we get here?”

She smiled. She then began walking back through the place we came. I followed after her as well as Lily. I then felt a small tug. I looked back and noticed that Lily was pointing everywhere. I looked around and nodded towards her.

“I’ll answer any questions as we make our way to the throne room. What do you want to know first?”

I looked back at the magician. I have… a ton of question. I’m not even sure she’ll be able to answer any of them. Let’s go for a defensive route.

“Do you know the saying ‘the sun can only set if we are to believe it can’?”

She gave me a perplexed looked.

“I’m sorry, I believe I do not know that phrase.”

As I thought. This really is a different world.

“It’s ok, you don’t really have to answer that correctly. How did we get here?”

“Oh… you’re not going to ask if this is a different world.”

“I already know based on the first question.”

She began thinking about the first question. Realization seemed to hit her as she whispered ‘I… see…’

“Ahem… currently you were brought here through a special summoning ritual. The ritual of the hero.”

“Ritual of the hero…”

I let that sink in for a bit.

“Ok, that is pretty cliché.”

“How so?”

I shrugged my arms.

“A world is in danger of being overturned by demons. A human continent, in desperation, decides to summon a mighty hero that will be given cheat like powers and will someday, through training and pure will, defeat the demon king that rules of the demon continent.”

“Ahhh… well… I mean… ummmm…”

By the looks she’s giving out, I must have hit a bullseye. Really such a cliché setting. But at this point I’ve realize something, something that seemed to bring out the excitement within me. I was free. No longer was I bound to my previous world. I could even feel it. My mind was clearer than before, devoid of control. I couldn’t help but smile.

“You sure seem to be enjoying my anxiety.”

Marlana looked at me with a pouting face. Oi, if you keep that up, my previous look of you as a badass magician with a cold attitude will disappear. Meh, like I would care about it now.

“Sorry, I’m smiling because I’ve realized that I’m actually free.”

Marlana looked at me with a questioning look. Lily on the other hand was shocked in a good way. Her eyes were wide open as tears poured down and her mouth was curving into an ecstatic smile.

“I’m so happy for you, Carl Sama.”

I couldn’t help but pat Lily in the head. In times like this, I’m really glad she was here. I started walking forward. Marlana seemed to be very confused at the spectacle. Well, anyone would if they don’t know about my world.

“Come on Ms. Magician. Let’s go meet this queen you’re talking about.”

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Authors note:

Here is another chapter that was green lighted to go along with chapter 2 so I hope you enjoy.