Phoenix Flight

When he was a kid, a dragon had destroyed the village he called home…

It had appeared out of nowhere and tore through the island, burning it all down. Everything was reduced to ash before its might, and he was forced to watch the world he loved be destroyed. 

Fire and ice had rained upon all that he knew, and in a way, Davi Hawker died.

Gone was the little boy who had cried when his fishing rod broke, and instead, a warrior had taken that child's place. One who would stop at nothing until the thing that hurt him paid the price. That was when his quest for revenge first started.

It was also when he first met 'her'.

He had been a stupid kid back then. He met 'her' only a year or two into his quest to hunt the dragon. Maybe Lady Fate had guided them to meet, or perhaps it was pure dumb luck, but she had been in a random village called Lillies back then. 

Even as a kid, he knew she was gorgeous, wearing a witch girl uniform and having her silver hair tied back. Her eyes were two moons, and she carried a basic wand. 

The two of them had traveled together for over a year, seeing all sorts of places and pushing each other as far as they could in order to become Knights. She had even been the reason he created his armor spell and made it look the way it did. Together, they were unstoppable, darkness and light coming together.

The difference between them, though, was apparent…

After they separated, she took the Knights' exam and became a full-fledged member of the Arcane Knights. He knew that this was the case because Olivia had talked about the very same girl he had first met. That amazing girl he had met had become a hero. One that had caught the eye of his new traveling companion.

Meanwhile, he had done nothing. His strength had barely increased after they separated, and he had falsely claimed he was a Knight when in reality he was just another cocky mage who thought they were strong because they were a little more skilled than the typical masses.

He was a failure.

It was humiliating in a way, but Davi wasn't going to just sit down and take it. This was his chance to finally grow. To evolve and reach the level he needed. He wasn't concerned with being some holy Knight or good person; instead, he would become the dark avenger that could finally catch up to the Dragon, and he'd use the Arcane Knights to do it.

That woman's words came back to him for a moment. The final thing she had told him before they separated.

"Stand tall. Do your best not to fall down, and when you do, get back up. Try." Her silver hair flowed in the wind, and she stood at the edge of a cliff, staring down at a village the two of them had just saved. "That's all you can do. Just try your best and make yourself happy with your own choice." She turned back to look at him, and her grin grew. "And. Let's meet again one day."

And then she was gone.

They had separated and followed different paths.

'I wonder if I'll get to see her again.' Davi let out a sigh and allowed his daydreaming to come to an end. He sat in his dirty cell and looked up at the roof. 'It'll be different this time.' He promised himself, and the image of Olivia came to his mind. 'I'll really do it. I'll become a Knight with her. I'm not cold or unfeeling. I'm not a monster… I'm me. I'm Davi Hawker.'

He had been in his cell for over a week now, all alone. Olivia had been moved to a different one, leaving him alone. He had given her a series of exercises to do over the week so she could prepare for the test. It wasn't much, but there was no more time to do anything. 

The only time he got to talk to or see someone was when one of the guards would bring him his food. Other than that, he was totally alone and stuck. His body had finally healed, and he likely could break the bars and bust out, but that would just mean having to fight Gray again, who he knew was lurking about. Not to mention, Gray openly admitted to having a spell on the cell, so the Knight would know the moment he tried to break out.

He wasn't strong enough to fight Gray. Not yet anyway. He promised he would one day, though. That was his current goal. To become strong enough to defeat Gray. If he could do that, he'd be one step closer to being able to slay the dragon that had ruined his life. 

Once he was done with Gray, the next one to fall would be that Tori chick. He needed to pay that bitch back for the wounds she left him.

He was happy in a way that he was caught, since it had shown him a whole new world of power. He just needed to grow more. At the moment, he was a mere fish swimming around the ocean, but soon he'd unfurl his wings and take flight like a bird.

Davi shook his head and forced himself to stop daydreaming again. In the silence, his thoughts were the only true thing he had. Luckily for him, enough time had passed, and he no longer had to wait around in silence.

A door opened in the hallway past his cell. Davi looked up, expecting the usual guard to be there with his food, but instead he found Gray.

"Hey." The Knight said, smirking.

"Sup." Davi said flatly.

At the bottom of the bars was a small square hole, used to give food to the prisoners, but today it was stuffed with a bag, which Gray tossed in. "Get dressed."

Davi grabbed the bag and opened it, looking at the clothes inside. They weren't like the outfit Gray had lent him when he first blacked out. They weren't even like his original clothes. They were cheap and looked like they had been pulled out of a lost-and-found. 

The tunic shirt was brown and looked like something a peasant would wear. The pants were also baggy and faded, with a few tears in them. It was still better than the rags he was currently dressed in, though, so Davi gladly slipped it on, along with a pair of boots that were in it. He used to own a bunch of different clothes, but they had all been lost when he threw his entire vault at Gray, an action he now deeply regretted. 

He was basically starting at square one all over again. Gone were his weapons and treasure. He still had his armor since that was made out of his mana, but he was having doubts about if he should wear it or not, now that he learned about the Ebony Knight.

Once he was dressed, Gray cleared his throat. "Hmm, how odd." The Knight muttered quietly. He had watched Davi strip down and put on the new clothes. "I was expecting to see something on your body. Like scales or some other sort of marking somewhere. Maybe feathers?"

"You thought I was a Magical Mutant?" Davi asked bluntly.

Gray sheepishly looked away. "I wouldn't be against you if you were. Most people don't actually know how Mutants work. They think all Magical Mutants are people who committed crimes and were cursed by the gods for their sins. In reality, though, a Magical Mutant is created when a mage is exposed to dark magic over and over again. Honestly, seeing you without any signs makes me more concerned."

Davi frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm not a Magical Mutant, you're more scared of me?"

"I didn't say I was scared of you." Gray corrected. "I was secretly hoping you were one, though, since it would explain everything. Dark magic is found in dungeons and works similarly to radiation, harming a mage's magic core and soul. This change causes a person to transform into a Mutant and have their mana be tainted."

"Why are you rambling about this?" Davi asked flatly.

Gray chuckled at the cold remark and looked back at Davi. "Your mana feels inhuman. All mana has a feel, and even soldiers have mana that feels approachable. Yours doesn't feel like it belongs to a person, though. I've felt similar mana come off of monsters. It just made me assume you were a Mutant."

"Well, as you said, it isn't good to assume. You shouldn't just judge based off of first appearances." Davi said, pointing a thumb at himself. "I'm a human. I feel and think just like a person does, and I get a bit sad when people assume I'm a bad person or a monster without getting to know me."

"You broke dozens of laws; you are a bad person," Gray said in a slightly harsh tone.

Davi didn't say anything and instead finished tucking his shirt away and created a belt made of shadows to hold his pants up.

"That all has a chance to change, though." Gray folded his arms and kept on talking. "When a person becomes a Magical Mutant, they're stuck in their new state forever, but if they can keep their mana and emotions in check, as well as stay out of dungeons for long periods of time, they can slow or even stop further corruption from taking place. Like that, you have a chance not to grow your list of crimes and even erase the sins that were committed. It's been nine days since you've sat in this cell. Tomorrow is the day of the Knight's entrance exam. This is your one and only chance for you to do something worthwhile with your life."

Davi steeled his nerves and balled his hand into a fist. "So, what are you waiting for? You going to let me out or what?" He asked. 'Also, I really wanna punch you in your stupid face.' He kept that thought to himself.

Gray snorted and tapped his foot. "I actually came to let you know something."

"What's that?" Davi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like it if you could please fail!" Gray announced in a cheerful tone.

"What?" Davi looked a little shocked. "You want me to fail the Knights' entrance exam? You're the one who offered me a chance to take it; what gives? Are you two-facing me?"

"That's right." Gray nodded. "I'm sorry to say this, but I kind of had a change of mind. You see, there are four types of Knights that exist. At the bottom, you have Squires, who are people who first pass the exam. They're the lowest of the low and aren't even proper Knights. They're the ones who are sent out on the most low-level missions. After them, you have official Knights who get knighted by the King of Estiria. These are mages who have earned the ability to use Haru's mana and form their armor and are sent on missions typically of grade A or higher. Above them, you have the elites like Lady Tori and myself who serve directly under the Captain of a guild, and then lastly, at the very top, you have the Captains themselves who command one of the eight mage guilds." Gray explained, holding up four fingers.

Davi processed what he was hearing and nodded slowly. "Right, and the deal was I would become a Squire, but now you're saying you want me to fail the test? Why are you now changing your mind?" He demanded.

"The position Lady Tori and I hold is very special." Gray dropped his fingers and let out a sigh. "All over the world, there are plenty of powerful mages, many of whom don't join the Knights. Besides serving under a Captain, my job is also to find these powerful warriors and try to persuade them to take the exam and become a Knight. This is especially a big thing now since Mordheim has been making more moves, and the nobles want newer, stronger Knights. At first, I was offering you the chance to take the exam since it would fill my quota."

That was half true. Gray had, in fact, been talked into it by Tori. Due to his standing, he had to invite at least one person to take the Knights exam each year as part of his job requirements, and he had yet to do so, which was why Tori used that to get him to offer Mr. Davi a chance. 

Now, though, there was a slight change in plans…

"Unfortunately for you, I happened to meet someone else, whom I happen to like more," Gray said with a sly grin. "I offered him the chance to become a Knight, and he took it. So my quota is already filled, and I no longer need you. He was quite the looker as well. I've never fancied another man before, yet with him…" Gray cleared his throat and shook his head. "Anyway, you're not needed anymore."

Davi let out a soft growl, and his mana bubbled up and trickled out beneath him. "So are you planning on leaving me in this cell and being done with me?" He definitely decided he was going to beat the shit out of Gray once he was stronger.

"Of course not; I wouldn't have given you spare clothes if that was the case." Gray snorted.

"So then what's the new deal?"

"The deal really hasn't changed." Gray shrugged. "You'll still get to take the exam, and if you pass, you'll become a Squire for one of the eight guilds, and if you fail, you'll be thrown into prison once more. The only difference now is I'm no longer rooting for you, and I won't be helping you as much as I might have previously. You're a nice enough guy, but you still did wrong, and I believe that people who do bad things should be punished, just as I believe a person who does good should be rewarded. You've done more bad than good, though. A Knight must take down bad guys and ensure they can't do any more harm to the world. Why, just this week, I put a stop to an illegal underground arena the mafia was funding. In fact, that's where I met the boy I decided to recruit. I think you'll be a little shocked when you see him." Gray chuckled. "Try not to get mad just because he took your place in my heart, okay?"

Davi let out a sigh but nodded his head. "Alright. I'm glad you told me this."

"You are?"

"Yeah." Davi nodded again, and his eyes met Gray's. "At first, I was just going to try and become a Squire to get out of prison time and to help Olivia, but now I have another reason." 

Gray lifted an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

Davi stepped forward and gripped the bars so tightly that the metal began to creak and snap. "I'm going to become a Knight just to spite you now."

Gray's eyes narrowed slightly, but the man didn't stop smiling. "From how your mana feels to how you look and fight, you're everything a Knight shouldn't be. You're more like a rough warrior who does good at his own convenience and not because it's the right thing to do. Still, perhaps in the times we live in, it isn't a Knight that we need, but instead a hateful soldier who will let their wrath let them go above their peers. I hope you fail, but if you do pass and become a Squire, I also hope you become the worst Knight in history." 

Gray casually produced a key from beneath his robes, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. There was a click, and the door swung open.

"Well?" The Knight asked, turning and making a motion for Davi to follow. "Come on. It's time your story properly starts." 

Davi followed along at a slower pace. He kept his eyes glued to Gray's back and thought about attacking the man, but that wouldn't do any good. Even if he did get the jump on Gray, he doubted he could win. The difference between them was just too great. 'One day… One day, I'm going to beat the shit out of you. That's a promise.'

Gray wasn't a bad person. Not fully. The man was following his own beliefs and doing what he thought was right. Davi understood that, but that didn't make the fact that he lost to Gray, or the man's earlier taunting words, hurt less. The world was a dog-eat-dog place, and only people with strength seemed to be able to walk the paths they wanted. If he wanted to get closer to his goal and truly walk down his road, he'd need to not just reach the level Gray was at but also surpass him.

Perhaps if he were anyone else, he could simply ask for training or try to form a budding friendship, but he wasn't anyone else. He was Davi Hawker, and the only thing Davi Hawker was good at was feeling hate. Spite and other negative emotions were what fueled him. He couldn't understand people, and he didn't want to. He just wanted to kill the dragon. Nothing more, nothing less. 

There was nothing noble or just about it, nor was it an act of perseverance. At the end of the day, whether he liked it or not, he was still that young child who had their life ruined by fire and ice.

"What are you thinking about?" Gray casually asked over his shoulder as he and Davi walked through the halls.

"How I'm going to beat you." Davi hummed, having nothing to hide.

Gray's grin just grew. "Good luck with that."

Eventually, Gray led him out of the hallway and into a room that looked a lot better. It had an oak floor and walls, and the ceiling above had dozens of magical lights that hung from above. Also in the room was Olivia.

"Davi!" Olivia's eyes lit up when she saw him. Like he was, she was dressed in plain clothes. Her hair was once again tied back, and her tunic shirt and pants were clearly meant for a boy, being baggy, with a makeshift belt that was actually just some rope being used to keep them held in place. Due to her clothes, he couldn't see the state of her body, so he had no idea if she followed the workout he gave her or not. He'd just have to ask. "Are you okay?" Olivia asked, walking up to him.

Davi forced a smile. "Yep. I'm just fine." He was not fine.

"That's good." Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "Then I guess this is it, huh?"

"Yeah. It looks like it."

Despite the situation, Olivia managed a weak grin. "Our adventure starts now."

Davi managed to give a weak nod. "Yeah. It does." Then he thought to himself. 'Though, in my case, it feels more like I'm being shackled to it.'

Gray walked toward a wall and muttered a spell under his breath. The stone wall shifted and altered, a large door forming into it. Gray placed his hand on the door and began to push. "Alright, you two. This is it. Our next destination is the Arcane Knight's entrance exam."

It was time…

The future of Davi Orion Hawker and Mary Olivia Lot was about to be decided.