Chapter 1 - A Hawk’s Resolve
“Ezekiel Hawk, last sorcerer of Earth, I need you to kill a god. My counterpart, Galros - the corrupted deity of chaos and death.”
Jure looked at the youth in front of her, waiting for his reaction. She knew that what she said was outrageous, but contrary to her expectations, Ezekiel didn’t look shocked or confused. Instead, he just sighed and muttered something about ‘stupid cliches’.
“Okay, why does he have to die?” The mage finally said. “Is he doing typical bad guy stuff?”
“Um, yes, so to speak.” Jure answered, wondering what he meant by typical. “We don’t know how, but Galros was able to materialize physically on Ethna - the world we watch over. Doing so would usually destroy the god’s soul for violating the ancient treaty that governs this entire realm. Now he’s opening rifts to other realms, and flooding the world with demons. He appears to have become somewhat… unbalanced.”
“And how much time do we have before he destroys everything?”
“Ten years. By then he would have regained too much of his power to be stopped.”
Jure twirled and pulled her hair, a nervous habit she was never able to get rid of. There was much more to the issue, but she wanted to avoid scaring the boy for now - even though he seemed to be weirdly calm about all this. Jure was truly unwilling to ask him to take on such a heavy and dangerous burden. However, she had no choice.
It had to be him. And if he refused, Jure knew exactly how to make him change his mind.
“I’m flattered, but what makes you think I’m up to the task?” Ezekiel asked with a raised eyebrow. “Please don’t say that it’s an ancient prophecy or something, because those are notoriously unreliable.”
Jure shook her head. “No, this decision was mine alone. You weren’t the only candidate, but I believe that you have the highest chance of success.”
She waved her hand, conjuring a large marble table and two chairs in the middle of the hall. Jure took a seat, and the young mage did the same, his eyes still full of skepticism. Before he could speak, however, a white-haired servant arrived carrying a tray with tea and snacks. This old man was Chavok, and he politely served the two seated parties before bowing and leaving.
“Before I agree, I’d like to ask a few things.” Ezekiel said, taking a sip of the tea. His eyes suddenly widened - it tasted terrible. Where are they getting their leaves!? He coughed slightly, then continued. “First, what is so special about me?”
“There are three reasons I chose you for this.“ Jure began, oblivious to her guest’s displeasure. “One, your clan’s
A chance. Ezekiel didn’t like that word, but he held his tongue for the time being.
“Second, the Circles of magic that your people have developed. This system is far more advanced than anything on Ethna. With that kind of power, it’s possible for you to unify the entire continent, and lead - ”
“Hold on, unify?” Ezekiel interrupted.
“Yes,” Jure answered, nodding. “Galros has a massive legion under his command, which grows stronger every day. Only with the armies of Ethna can you break into his domain and kill him.”
“Okay. But why not just take my
“Mages who are talented in close combat are rarer than you think.” She answered, drinking as well. Jure smiled in contentment, relishing the tea’s bizarre flavor. “And that brings us to the last reason: you’re an outsider. Ethna has many heroes, but they would be helpless before Galros. Deities have an aura that makes beings in their realm unable to fight back. Any mortal in your place right now would be quivering in fear, even if I did my best to hide my presence.”
Ezekiel frowned. That truly was a massive complication.
“Let’s say that I agree to take on this suicide mission.” He said, drumming his fingers on the table. “Sorry for asking, but what’s in it for me? Aside from repaying my debt to you, of course.”
Jure made a wry grin; how many would dare to be so mercantile in front of a goddess? Still, it made things easier now that the conversation had been steered into this direction. She swung the lance in her right hand, opening a small tear in the fabric of existence.
“I’m not asking you to do this for free.” She said, and pulled out three glowing orbs from the tear beside her. “Do you know what these are?”
Ezekiel frowned slightly, and then his laidback demeanor immediately vanished. Jure felt an overwhelming amount of hostility coming from him, which was almost immediately suppressed.
“My family’s souls.” The young man answered nonchalantly, but the bloodlust was just barely hidden under the surface. “So is that it? I do what you say, or you make them suffer?”
“N-no! Of course not, you idiot!!!” Jure said, dropping her teacup and shaking her head frantically, her formerly graceful air gone. Ezekiel was taken aback. “Even if you decline, I’ll let them pass on peacefully. Do I look like a sadistic goddess to you!? Insensitive oaf! You bully, I can’t believe you would- ”
Chavok coughed loudly from out of sight, and Jure immediately reddened, becoming aware of how unseemly she was acting.
“Please excuse me for that outburst.” Jure coughed, slowly sinking into her seat. Her face was still scarlet, and she was half-tempted to disappear for a while.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“No, I’m sorry. It was my fault for jumping to conclusions.” Ezekiel answered sheepishly. “But then what do you mean? Can you…?”
The young man’s eyes were filled with hope, but grew dim when Jure shook her head sadly.
“I can’t bring them back to life.” She sighed. “Resurrection is very taxing even for a goddess of light, and it’s outright impossible to revive beings from other realms. However, I can let them be reincarnated on Ethna. They will even retain some of their memories. You can be together with them again, and I promise that all of you will want for nothing.”
Ezekiel thought about it only for a moment before nodding decisively.
“Fine. I’ll be your hero, but wait until I’ve killed Galros before you let my family reincarnate.” He said, his voice filled with unusual seriousness. “I don’t want them to be born into a world at war.”
Jure sighed in relief. It was done. She hated having to use Ezekiel’s loved ones as a bribe, but at least now Ethna had a chance of surviving. Quickly, she clapped her hands once, and Chavok emerged carrying a large number of books and a very large map.
“I can’t just send you in there blind.” Jure said. “Ethna is a dangerous place, so Chavok here will teach you what you need to know about the land and its people.”
The old man grinned, sending shivers down Ezekiel’s spine. For some reason, the young mage felt extremely threatened right then. A thought entered his mind; could Chavok be planning to discuss everything in those books? There must be over a dozen!
“Well then,” Chavok started, “Let’s begin with the history of the Dawn Empire…”
* * *
Ezekiel Hawk, the last mage of Earth
I had a splitting headache. Chavok talked my ear off for over eight hours. The old geezer made me memorize the geography of the world, which was surprisingly simple. One huge continent and around fifty islands, only a few of which were inhabited. Galros and his nasty demon portals are in the far north, conveniently blocked by a number of highly fortified strongholds belonging to the Dawn Empire and the Unbowed Alliance.
Chavok also described the different races, kingdoms, and factions within the world of Ethna. It was a complicated web of old grudges and delicate alliances. Wars erupt every few decades, and there were more fallen and forgotten empires than have ever existed on Earth.
Honestly, I’m surprised the continent hasn’t managed to destroy itself yet. Perhaps Galros is just trying to speed up the inevitable. As the god of death, maybe he was fed up with all the work he had to do?
Jure looked on in mild amusement as I scratched my head, trying to make sense of it all and come up with a solid plan. But no matter how hard I thought about it, there was only one way to unify the continent within the ten year time limit. I finally made up mind.
“Sir Hawk, I think that the Merchant States would be a good place to start.” Chavok said, gesturing to some cities on the eastern coast of his map. “Their leaders may be somewhat deceitful, but they are far more accepting of talented outsiders than any other country. With your skill, it will be very easy to build a reputation for yourself, and safely grow into a powerf-”
“No.” I cut him off, then pointed to a large territory near the western mountain ranges. It had large forests and lakes, testifying to its rich natural resources. The land was dotted with eight different towns - its capital being the largest. “Take me here.”
“The Bardoch Kingdom? Sir Hawk, surely you jest.” Chavok protested, his beard quivering in disbelief. “That place is a mess! Its current king is a half-mad tyrant, his two sons are fighting a succession war in the shadows, and its slaves and commoners are so poorly treated that they are on the brink of rebellion. That is too much for a novice hero to fix!”
“Do you plan to heal the king and become his court mage to establish your reputation?” Jure asked me. “Or will you side with one of the princes to bring an end to the conflict?”
“I have no plans of supporting either prince, nor do I want to cure the current king.” I said, with a slight smile. Jure’s eyes widened, as realization dawned on her. “From what you’ve told me, the entire royal family and most of the noble houses are incompetent and corrupt beyond saving."
Chavok nodded. “Exactly, sir Hawk. This is a terrible and dangerous place - not suited for your current level of strength. And even if you gain many accomplishments, the local powers will only grow wary and plot against you. They’ll hinder your progress at every step! Without backing, it will be hard to create any meaningful change. What are you planning?”
I didn’t answer him, looking first towards Jure. She hesitated only a moment, then nodded - giving her approval. Ethna had too many squabbling idiots, and there was only one way to make them all work together in such a short amount of time: conquest.
Taking a deep breath, I declared my intentions.
“I will become its king.”
* * *
Within a dark alley in Copperhold Town, minor frontier city of the Bardoch Kingdom
The bright light faded, and I found myself standing in a dirty, rubbish filled alley. Jure could have picked a better spot to teleport me; what kind of hero’s story begins in a place like this!? Is she still mad about me mistaking her intentions earlier? Pinching my nose in disgust, I walked out into the much cleaner main street of Copperhold town.
I was greeted by the sound of vendors noisily hawking their wares, trotting horses, and all the other workings of a classic medieval fantasy town. Try as I might, I couldn’t help but gawk a bit at the surroundings. Wooden and stone buildings, a worn cobblestone road, and people dressed in all sorts of exotic outfits - it was right out of a picture book.
One of the merchants caught my eye, a beautiful mature woman selling potions and tonics. She had a striking pair of large… rabbit ears. Yeah. That’s totally what I was looking at. Anyway, it was my first time seeing a demihuman, and it really drove in the fact that I was in a totally different world. Seeing me staring at her, she smiled and winked, and I quickly looked away in embarrassment.
This is where my journey would begin - the frontier town of Bardoch Kingdom, responsible for most of its lumber output. Why they named a lumber town “Copperhold” is beyond me. It also contained the headquarters of the kingdom’s Adventurer’s Guild, since the nearby forests are full of nasty creatures that need regular culling. That was where I planned to head first; unaffiliated mages are highly suspicious unless they are registered as adventurers.
It was around two hours since I told my 'employers' what I was planning to do. Jure and Chavok vehemently refused to let me start in the capital, saying that I would only be a fat lamb for the greedy nobles to slaughter. They were probably right. Until I managed to strengthen myself and master higher Circles of magic, I could not usurp the throne. The two of them proceeded to drill some last minute information into me, then sent me on my merry way, Jure anxiously telling me to be careful and pray if I ever needed to talk to her. Such a sweet goddess, she is.
As I was about to ask someone for directions to the guild, however, the afternoon’s calm was shattered by ringing bells. Everyone tensed, and looked towards the west, where the sound was coming from. Soon I could hear frantic shouting…
“A massive goblin horde is assaulting the Western Gate!”
“Captain Esterhold is ordering all spare guards and adventurers to aid in the defense!”
Many of the people who were shopping quickly dropped what they were doing and began rushing towards the western area. I grinned; looks like my first battle in Ethna is happening way earlier than expected.
I strode in the direction of the gate, eager to see just how my magic held up in this new world.