Newly Arisen

“The dragon’s shadow looms over all Gransys.”
This is the hundredth time I’ve heard her say this. Either she’s doing it to annoy me, or she’s got some kind of mental deficiency. I’ve been attempting to ignore her repeated urgings to go slay the dragon. The dragon who, not even three weeks ago, ripped my heart out of my chest. Somehow, I’m still alive. People call me “Arisen” now. No one even bothers using my actual name anymore.
Apparently, the seat of Arisen comes with some humanoids called pawns. That’s what this woman was. A pawn, sworn to serve me, to protect me, to fight by my side. Truth be told, I didn’t hate her. She was pleasing to the eyes, if you liked warrior women, I suppose. Tall, rugged, with a mess of golden hair, and eyes like sapphires. All in all, she’d be an exceptional partner for an adventure. The issue, however, comes from the fact she is not human. Pawns are supposedly from beyond this world, called forth from the Rift---a swirling void that is said to connect multiple worlds. Despite having the appearance of humans, these creatures are without will. Their bodies house no soul. They are compelled to serve anyone.
I wonder if keeping one around counts as slavery.
I never asked for this. All I ever wanted was to study magick. It was a fascination of mine ever since I was a child. I was amazed to learn people could summon fire from their hands, or call down violent winds, or pull rocks from the heavens. My own homeland wasn’t exactly well-versed in magick. The only true master sorcerer was an old bastard who refused to teach anyone his craft. So, I, like many of my peers, was forced to learn independently, gathering as much information on my own.
On one of my many expeditions to gather materials for an alchemical potion, I came across a man who hailed from the peninsula of Gransys. He was a mage of sorts. However, the skills he knew outshone my own. I asked him to teach me, but he told me to just go to Gransys myself. There, I would be able to learn more magick than even that surly old bastard probably knew.
I was in Gransys for all of a week before losing my heart.
Cassardis was a small fishing village. There lived an old woman by the name of Iola. She had many tales to tell, or so I’ve been told. She claims to be just as old as the duke of the region. Odd, considering the duke looks barely into his autumn years, while this Iola was clearly deep in her winter years.
While I was talking to her, learning some of the history of the region, that was when the dragon flew onto the beach, killing a handful of people. Being the brave, noble sorcerer in training that I was, I attempted to lob a fireball at the lizard’s snout. Some would say bravery is the same as idiocy. After my encounter with this foul wyrm, I heartily agree.
My fire spell did nothing except get the beast’s attention. He (I assume it’s a he, not like I’m going to check) promptly flicked me aside, said something in a language I do not know, and poked a claw clean through my chest, pulling my heart out. He then ate it, and I blacked out.
When I came to, I could hear a voice telling me to get back what was taken from me. It mocked me, telling me my current magickal talent was nothing compared to it. Indeed, it was the voice of the very dragon itself. I was told to prepare myself, gather my strength, kill the beast, and save the region. No pressure.
After wobbling my way out of the village, I was greeted by the woman I would later learn to call Alexandra. Before I could open my mouth, she told me she would serve me diligently in my journey to slay the dragon.
Stupid, I though. Why would I wish to fight this thing again? It already has my heart. Yet, I still live. Perhaps this makes me undying. Regardless, I told her to sod off and find some poor sap who’d actually be willing to die fighting the dragon.
She hounded me, telling me constantly what a threat the dragon was, how important it was to see it killed. She was relentless. She followed me everywhere I went. It was infuriating. I even attempted to kill her once. I kicked her off a bridge, into a ravine far below. Two days later, she walked up to me in the middle of a forest, and told me I must be properly prepared before facing the dragon. Nothing I did made her leave. Nothing I said made her think to find some other person to “serve.”
It made my studying increasingly more difficult. I was unable to find a minute of peace to simply relax and open a book to learn a new spell. But then, she said something that made me consider her words.
“Arisen, my master. Felling the great wyrm could lead you to discovering new magicks not even the grandest sorcerers in the world know.”
That did it. She piqued my curiosity with something so simple. Looking back on it, I realize how childish I was to fall for such a ruse. But, fall for it I did. I fell so hard for it, I actually listened to her on how to prepare for my upcoming battle with the dragon.
She even helped me learn new spells. Imagine that, a warrior helping a sorcerer with spells. I was even able to learn the one spell that first got me interested in magick: bolide, which summons flaming rocks from the skies.