by Envy Mercury
The Requisite Records of a Misplaced Hero
The Requisite Records of a Misplaced Hero
A Misplaced Hero - Book One
ENVY MERCURY
The Requisite Records of a Misplaced Hero
Copyright © 2021 by Envy Mercury.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For information contact :
http://www.envymercury.com
Book Cover design by Kingwood Creations
First Edition: February 2021
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I would be nothing to those of you that have been in my life if I went without your support.
Prologue
Mecci looked over her shoulder. Behind her, in the darkness, it was a vast intimidation of shadows. At any moment, she could be found out. It is not often that people break into what would be considered a sacred chamber of magic, especially one so under lock and so heavily guarded. A place protected by keys, that in itself is a key. Breaking many laws and even risking life itself, she knew this was what needed to be done. It felt right. There was a bang of a noise somewhere in another section of the place of power, the sound of movement coming from behind her.
If she was a weaker willed being, she might have cried out. She did not cry out, but the surprise did create the opportunity of her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She always had a habit of softly biting her lower lip, especially when trying to maintain concentration. It was seductive, it was right. Probably an acquired habit of her species. Either way, her concentration remained. She spit out blood into her summoning circle.
“Well, that works,” she whispered to herself.
She moved her red hair from her face and spat once again. She was in the Kingdom of Light. A stupid name. Not that it didn’t sound bad, it was just a lie, really. Politics. She hated politics, fat lazy fucks deciding who and what people could do. Fucks that determine what a place will be named to make things seem better than they are. She thought of the war that ended ten years ago. It was a battle of light and dark. As always, the natural battle and struggle of good versus evil. Cliché, but it was right.
Mecci shook her head to clear her thinking. She needed to remember the young boy. Well, not really a boy, nor a man back then. The last time she saw him was years ago. He would be a man now. If he was alive, he had to be. He was the tie to her beginnings, a tie to her existence. Her creator. Her god. Her master. Mecci started to chant as she pushed her fingers into the outer edge of the circle. It began to glow under her blood that was spattered all over it. She wasn’t sure what would happen. She had used her blood in this type of summoning circle in the past. The issue was that the magic called for her master’s blood. She was special, though, and discovered that he had used his blood when he created her. His blood was a part of her.
She screamed. Waves of colors and light overflowed her body. The magic was examining her, and it was painful, so excruciating. After a moment, she adjusted to the horrible sensations she was feeling. She kept her master focused in her mind. Then, she willed the seeking spell to find its target.
Mecci felt pain stacked upon more pain. It was the most pain she had felt in her existence. She screamed again.
More noise behind her, the guards were getting closer. That didn’t matter, though, if this worked. Mecci was very devoted. She never worried about herself, never as much as she would fear for her master. That was just the way things were for a familiar. One created with a special magic, a rare type of magic cast by a strong sorcerer. He was feared by many and loved by others.
She smiled even as the protectors of that sacred chamber grabbed her. Her performance of magic was no small feat she finally accomplished. She had tried many times. Without his blood, without a place of power. The castle rattled and shook in a small quake as the light flooded the area from the circle. It was growing brighter as the guards shouted, dragging her away. A bright flash of light shot into the ceiling spiraling in a wide bright white color of pure magic. It blasted up into the sky like a beacon that everyone in the kingdom could see if they happened to look in that direction. The clouds erupted in lightning, blasting apart erasing their existence. The light fought its way through the sky like a nuclear weapon. Her choice to use a place of power, an area that had magic funneling into it, dramatically increased her spell's power. The light started to fade. Mecci smiled. She kept smiling until a guard struck in the head. Her smile faded as the light faded, things went to darkness, and she went unconscious. She had sent a powerful summons to her master, Lord Rezner.
◆◆◆
Princess Valentine awoke from a dream in a sweat, her breath short and rapid. She gripped the front of her nightgown, clenching it tightly as her body trembled. The princess gleaned with wet shine, and her blankets felt warm and moist. Items in her bed-chamber were rattling and shaking, convulsing like she was in a massive earthquake. Earthquakes did not happen in her part of the country. She looked towards her window as there was a bright light brilliantly shining with enough brightness that it was lighting up her room. As soon as it began, it started to fade out, the quaking lessening to nothing. She slowed her breath to try to reason about the current situation. It reminded her of a rare summon spell; the Light Kingdom had used them in the past to bring a hero as a drastic measure in severe emergency cases. It was drastic because those summoned could be very powerful and were not under the summoner's control. The last summon years ago. It was confusing, as she did not recall any talk or discussion of summoning a new hero. If there was a conflict coming, no one knew of it. Her breath slowed as she remembered what she was dreaming.
She had many dreams, but this dream, in particular, dominated the others. It was a reoccurring dream that came to her very often. A memory that stuck with her, that replayed at night. Not every night, but often enough that it was noticeable. She had been dreaming of Lord Rezner again, about what happened ten years ago. Back then, The Darkness captured her. Not in a literal sense, that some darkness grabbed her, like a dark spell or cloud of night. They were called The Darkness. They were a group that the kingdom associated with villainy and nasty deeds. They were considered a terrorist group by the kingdom. Lord Rezner was the head of this group, the creator of it. Before that, he had been the savior of the kingdom. He was a rare hero that they summoned. He was also an example of why it could be a risky endeavor.
She took a deep breath to orient herself as she returned to the real world from her dream. She could do nothing to understand the light and what it was, so she focused on the present. In the dream, she was chained to a tall magic stone that lay in the middle of the room with masked people surrounding her. She was bound, crying, but not begging. Valentine was known to be a soft, sweet girl, but she did have pride. Being chained to a magical sacrificial stone meant one thing. She was about to be sacrificed.
Initially, she was captured and abducted to get The Darkness's demands met with the Kingdom of Light. The Darkness wanted things changed, and of course, some ransom coin from the kingdom. It was a hostage situation, and when her abduction didn’t bear fruit for the terrorists, the leaders of that terror group had
voted. They had decided that she had no value to them anymore. They then decided to sacrifice her to fuel a massive spell that would have taken a considerable toll on the Light Kingdom forces and increased Blackness's power. They chose her being fuel and her having a publicized death was the only value she had.
During Valentine’s detainment, Rezner would come to visit her in the cell she occupied. During these visits, he would question and interrogate her for information. Rezner wanted to know details about the royal family's plans, military movements, and actions they were carrying out. He did not allow anyone else to speak with her, only himself. She knew this because she overheard him ordering those that guarded her of his firm wishes of him being the only one that had contact with her, no one else would speak a word to her, or there would be dire consequences.
When he would visit, many times, she would recall when she saw him at the castle. He had these sharp blue eyes. Seeing them reminded her of when he first arrived at the King’s Court to speak with them. She recalled when those eyes looked towards her as he bowed, him giving her a small smile. Rezner was intelligent, witty, kind, proper, and he reeked of power. She thought he was handsome and perfect. Many of the women did. Here was a man. His life turned upside down, and it did not phase him. They summoned him to a place against his will, his only purpose of taking on an evil overlord.
Until months later, he suddenly stated to the court he was done with the kingdom. It sparked outrage, threats, and some of the nobles even pleaded for him to stay the course. She wasn’t sure what happened. He just looked so sad and disappointed. She even saw strong discontent when he gazed upon her, and his eyes weren’t as bright that day. He was disappointed in everyone, including her. She felt her heartbreak. Suddenly, when the shouts and disdain for him heightened, he snarled and pushed out his power to the room. It was overwhelming. Some dropped to their knees, some passed out and fainted. All were silent. Rezner spoke, “I could never do what you ask of me.” He turned, and he just walked away. She never knew why he left that day. He was known as a traitor from that day on, an evil tyrant who had the goal to ruin the kingdom.
A time later, Valentine was to be sacrificed during that fateful day. She stood with her back against the stone. Her hands chained above her. Her pride had weakened over time, and now she was at a loss crying. She was caught against that cold lonely stone, bound, trapped, and royally fucked.
The masked people were chanting around her as the magic circle she regrettably occupied began to glow. That was when Rezner entered. He walked in with an expression much like that day in the King’s Court. He didn’t have the same expression of happiness that the others there had. She looked to Rezner, looking into his blue eyes, as to seek help from the very person that held her captive. Tears streaked her face when she realized that she knew she would die. Then they spoke for the last time.
“Rezner…” she whispered. She looked down, ashamed. He kept his gaze on her. “Rezner, I don’t want to die.” She felt humiliated not to be as strong in this situation, and she was a princess, someone of a higher standing. It was her duty to be strong in the face of conflict, even if it was her end.
“Valentine, I am very apologetic that this happened to you.”
The tears ran freely down her face. They dripped off her chin and down upon the ground. “You are not sorry that I am here. This is what you wanted! I am the one that is sorry. Sorry that an evil person is what you have become.” She raised her face, her anger giving her a bit more strength. He was supposed to be a hero and save everyone. Save the world. No matter how kind he seemed to her, the fact was that this act was about to be her end proved he was cruel and everything the kingdom stated he was.
He sighed and looked around the room. He looked very conflicted on some level. Rezner observed everyone casting, their chant coming to a close, a dark magic surging around them.
“No, I am sorry,” he said.
“You can't be when you do things like this.”
“I know.” That smile again. “I didn’t plan on leaving so soon, but I suppose now might be the time. I can’t stay here anymore, and there are other things I need to get done.”
Valentine took a breath in, her eyes narrowed. Her face flushed. “It is quite lovely to hear how disappointed you are with the world. How about we get some tea and discuss how much things bother you in your life.” The chains she was bound to rattled as she dramatically shook them. There was some laughter nearby as the rattles could be heard by those around. They laughed because, with their perception, he was cruel to her right before the end.
He gave her a light smile, and she saw the blue eyes she once knew. “I could never watch you die.”
“Well! Why don’t you go ahead and leave then!”
“No. Not just yet, Valentine.” He reached over and rubbed the symbol off her forehead with his thumb. “There, that’s better. We can’t have that getting in the way. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he viewed the different emotions playing out on her confused face. Her chains unclasped and fell to the ground. There were sounds from the Darkness members' gasps, some shouting, asking what was going on. It must have been surprising to them, the scene that was playing out in front of them now. Princess Valentine's breathing slowed as she processed what was going on. Rezner put his hand to her head again, looking into her eyes. They were the kind eyes she remembered.
“Why?” she asked. “How…”
“Why not,” he said. He slowly reached towards Valentine and cupped her face. He drew in like he was going to kiss her. Her breath quickened. She bearly felt his touch as he was fading, and he leaned in. He went to her ear and whispered, “I changed the spell circle earlier. It’s time for me to get out of here.”
“What?” She asked.
“I am going back to where I came from. Well, I think so in theory anyways. Who can really know?” He leaned back a little to inspect her face and reached his hand up and wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks with his thumb. “There, that is much better.” He smiled at her, a smile that even in this grave situation warmed her heart back up a little. “We can’t leave you like this, though.” He paused like he was examining her one last time. “How about you get back home.”
“I don’t understand, you- you are letting me go?”
“Yeah, of course, I am. I always knew you weren’t like the others in the kingdom. Just from watching you those times, I was over in that stupid court.” He paused, thinking a little. “People talk about you. You honestly have a pretty good reputation with the people. The time I have spent talking to you while you were here in custody, yeah, that pretty much confirmed all that to me.”
“I don’t think they will just let me go,” she concluded while watching the masked members all around. They kept their distance for now… that wouldn’t be the case forever.
“I am going to teleport you home. First, I have two last things I need to do.” He looked around the room. “I have to say, over time, I came to realize some things. One, this kingdom is messed up… but, maybe you can fix it. You try to do a good job, ok? I can’t fix it, as I don’t think I am some kind of destined hero.”
She looked at him and objected, “This is probably some kind of trick, get my hopes up and then dash them.”
“We don’t have time for a debate, and I don’t say this often, so don’t ruin it, Val. I saw you and knew I could never be a part of your life; you are a princess of the kingdom that despises me. I am a failure. That is a fact. Another fact is that I love you.”
“You love… what?” she didn’t have time to finish.
He pulled her close and kissed her. It was deep, long, and had feeling behind it. She felt her heart flutter, all these emotions going through her head. Being a captive, feeling close to death, and this man has the gall to kiss her in this absurd situation. Then she felt something else, power pulled from him and drove into her from the connection of their mouths. Then she also felt the mana flow around her. She was going to teleport.
She was confused and didn’t know what to say. “You too.”
Then she was gone. Rezner looked around at all the confused people in their masks as the magic circle activated around him. There was a bright light that took away their vision for some moments.
Rezner was gone from this world.
Chapter One
My eyes opened as I felt a dull ache in my head. At least it wasn’t a migraine, and migraines had been an issue in my life ever since that fateful day that everything changed. I felt movement on my arm, and in my haze, I remembered that I wasn’t alone. It looked like I was at my apartment, so at least there was that. With my behavior, I sometimes had the luck of waking up in some strange places. It was not always a good thing, but the worst of it was that sometimes I didn’t care. I pulled my arm back to me and rolled to my side, looking at the clock.
“Fuck, I’m late.” I reached up and rubbed the events of last night out of my eyes. I didn’t feel great about being yelled at again, or at worst, losing my job. That would be an issue for sure, and finances were always crucial if you didn’t want to live on the street with the shakes and sweats. The girl next to me murmured something incoherent. What she said didn’t really matter anyway. Thinking about it, I wasn’t even sure who she was or where I crossed paths with her. I had significant memory issues, but that was ten years ago. They told me it was amnesia. I had disappeared and also lost two years of my life. Not remembering last night as a result of my habits and choices. A different situation. It was nice not to care or remember things and sleep dreamlessly or not remember the dreams. I had horrible nightmares. I was always some hero in them, and everyone I knew was dying awful deaths. The dreams felt real and always made me feel very uneasy and shaken when I woke up from them. People were dying horribly, and myself coming to the same fate at the point of me waking up. I shuddered, thinking about them. I didn’t have one last night. Apparently, my habits self-medicated that issue.