I dont want to be the he.., p.1
I Don't Want to Be the Hero Vol. 4, page 1
Copyright © 2022 M.E. Thorne
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: Andreea Sava
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Copyright
Author’s Note
The Story Thus Far
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Afterward
Books by M.E. Thorne
Author’s Note
We’re already up to book four in I Don’t Want to be the Hero, can you believe it? I never would have expected this series to take off like it did back when I was writing book one, but I’m super happy for it. Thanks again for supporting me and the series, I can’t wait to bring you the rest of Mal’s adventures (including the upcoming audio books).
My next book is going to be a LitRPG adventure project. I had a crazy idea one night, and it kind of spun into an entire book. Look for more news on that soon.
As always, you can sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates. If you enjoyed this book please leave a positive review and spread the word!
Thank you again!
The Story Thus Far
Growing up in The City, Mal was told that it was a utopia, overseen by the benevolent Goddess. She protected her children from the outside world, a dark wasteland ruled by the Demon Lord.
But even in a perfect world, Mal felt like an outcast and a freak. He had the unique ability to see magic. And any spell he could see, he could break, shattering hexes, bindings, and blessings as easily as he breathed. Only his friend and lover, Sarah, believed in him and saw his value.
All of Mal’s illusions about the nature of his world were shattered when he turned eighteen. Branded a Hero by the Goddess, he was brainwashed and exiled out into the outside world to slaughter and kill in her name. Only a chance encounter with the demon knight Annowan and her dragonkin squire Gilly saved his life.
Becoming Annowan’s squire at the same time as the orc Thalie, Mal slowly learned about the world of Amalgam, and the empire ruled by Annowan’s grandmother, Lilith, the Immortal Empress and the ruler who sat upon the Throne. He also learned the truth about the Bitch Goddess, who had once attempted to conquer Amalgam along with her human, elven, and dwarven allies.
He resolved to defeat the Bitch Goddess and to save Sarah from her clutches.
Book 1
Using knowledge implanted in Mal by the Bitch Goddess, Annowan resolved to find and kill the Four Generals, the legendary warriors who had led the Bitch’s army during the cataclysmic war between the empire and The City. During this journey, they were joined by the goblin dragoon Krencha and her mighty mole-dog Scrapple. The party braved ent haunted woods, cursed dwarven ruins, and abandoned cities full of mutant insects to reach the Red Mountain, the resting place of the first general.
Mal also became romantically entangled with Gilly, Thalie, and Krencha, coming to love the three women and their unique strengths.
Upon arriving at the Red Mountain, Mal was horrified to find that the Bitch Goddess had possessed Sarah and was using her to claim the general. During the climactic battle, Mal used his spell-breaking ability to free the general, who in turn attacked The City’s troops and saved the party.
Revealing herself as Tarial, the Last Herald, she had volunteered to carry the party to Babylon, the demonic capital and the home of Lilith and the Throne.
Book 2
Upon arriving in Babylon, the party met Lilith, who was the empress as well as Annowan’s grandmother. They also learned that Tarial was Lilith’s wife and the last remaining member of the empress’s harem.
Lilith explained that Mal was a spellbreaker; the spellbreakers had been renegade humans who had broke with the Bitch Goddess during the war, siding with the Throne against their deity. Impressed by his deeds and by his ability, Lilith made Mal a ward of the Throne.
Next, the party was sent on a quest to find the second general, braving the inhospitable and spell-cursed Coldspite Basin. There, they allied with Daggerdare, an elven treespeaker, who had come to break the curse of eternal winter over the valley. Together, they faced corrupt blizzards, snow monsters, and undead wurms, as they pressed into the heart of the Basin and the general’s tomb.
During the journey, Gilly revealed that Mal’s paramours were planning on wedding him upon their return to Babylon. They all shared the same goal, defeating the Bitch Goddess, and by creating a harem they’d become members of Lilith’s court. Daggerdare, drawn in by Mal’s strength and resolve, joined their group as well, becoming Mal’s lover.
Finally, reaching the center of the Basin, the party was joined by Tarial, who revealed that the tomb was actually built by a group of angelic beings known as the Watchers. The Watchers had been created by the same divine being as Tarial, but upon arriving in Amalgam they had been deceived and corrupted by the Bitch Goddess.
Fighting the tomb’s undead monstrosities, the party was ambushed by Sarah, still possessed by the Bitch Goddess. She mind-controlled Mal and forced him to break the magic sealing the tomb. Fighting back, Mal broke free and thwarted the Bitch’s plans by releasing the entombed general, Revekar, the necromantic king of the dwarves. Revekar swore revenge on the Bitch Goddess and the Throne, before escaping.
Retreating to Daggerdare’s village, Annowan resolved to negotiate peace between the elves and the Throne, bringing them together against their mutual foe. Mal wed Daggerdare, pledging that he and all his wives would work together to bring down the Bitch and save the world.
Book 3
Returning to Babylon, Mal married Gilly, Thalie, and Krencha, officially forming his harem with his lovely new wives.
Their quest next took them to Dragonport, Gilly’s hometown. Velka, Annowan’s mother, had worked for Gilly’s family as an adventurer and archeologist, digging up the secrets of the past. Lilith hoped Velka’s library would contain clues as to the two remaining generals’ locations.
They quickly found themselves contending with Gilly’s powerful but petty family as well as the kinless, the city’s underworld assassins. Mal quickly learned the killers had aligned themselves with the Bitch Goddess, and they were attempting to breach the seal Annowan had put over her mother’s library.
Rushing inside, the party found the library was in chaos. They discovered the madness was caused by the library’s power core, which was a shard of the Bitch’s divinity. The Bitch Goddess invaded, determined to take back her missing power.
Separated from the others, Mal and Annowan fought against the mad library, trying to reunite with the others. As reality continued to break down, Annowan also found her heart opening to Mal, admitting that she loved him and cared for him. The two spent an evening of passion together, and Mal vowed that together they would defeat the Bitch..
Rejoining his harem, Mal attacked the heart of the library, determined to destroy the shard of divinity before the Bitch could claim it. A fierce battle ensued, but Mal won in the end, destroying the shard and denying the Bitch the chance to absorb its power.
The party had not only defeated the Bitch, but they had also discovered a clue towards the next general; they had learned the location of an abandoned island tomb. In front of the entire imperial court Mal proposed to Annowan. She said yes, finally accepting the love she had found.
Chapter 1
I slowly paced up and down the length of the narrow antechamber, walking the span between the two doors. Outside, I could hear the murmur of hundreds, if not thousands of voices. I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to will myself to calm down.
“You look like a man on his way to his execution.”
Startled, I came to a stop. Annowan stood in the outer doorway. Despite her joke, she appeared just as stiff and nervous as I was.
Still, seeing her calmed my heart. No matter what happens, Annowan will never be anyone but herself.
It might have been her wedding day, but the demon knight had insisted on wearing her finest armor instead of a gown or dress. The ebon-black plates perfectly accentuated her blood-red skin and even darker hair. Her horns, glossy and black, spiraled back from her temples, framing her imperial, statuesque fac
But, just like the day I first met her, I still thought Annowan’s most striking feature were her eyes. They glowed like two hot coals suspended in the black sclera of her eyes.
I gave her a warm smile. “I thought it was bad luck for the bride to see her groom before the wedding.”
She gave a disdainful sniff, “Is that some weird tradition from The City?”
Haltingly, she stepped further into the room. The demon regarded me for a moment before reaching up and placing her arms over my shoulders.
“I’m a damn fool for doing this,” she muttered, ducking her head to the side.
I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I love you too.”
She surprised me when she kissed me back, her teeth nipping at my lips.
Instinctually, I put my arms around her, drawing her even closer.
“Don’t leave fingerprints or smudges on my armor,” she whispered, her breath hot against my ear. “I spent all morning polishing it.”
Despite our sudden ardor, I couldn’t help but laugh at that and the ridiculousness of the situation.
Annowan gave a low laugh too, and all the tension bled from the room.
“I’m going to kill my grandmother for doing this,” she swore quietly as she stood back and regained her composure.
“If it makes you feel any better, Gilly is horribly jealous of you,” I told her, still laughing. “She insisted that she and Thalie get to wear their wedding dresses today since they didn’t get to show them off last time.”
She smirked softly. “Let her, I think she deserves it too. I don’t care about any of this pomp and ceremony. I have you.”
Someone outside knocked on the door leading to Lilith’s court. Annowan squared her shoulders, then offered me her hand. I wound my fingers around hers, the metal of her gauntlet warm to the touch. I noticed she was wearing the silver bracelet I’d given her as my engagement gift over her vambrace.
“It matches the sword,” she said quietly.
Glacian’s sword hung off her back. Like the bracelet, it had once belonged to her grandfather.
I’d never seen her use the sword in battle, I assumed it was too valuable to her and Lilith; it was one of the few keepsakes left of the man. Annowan only wore it while in public, or when she secretly needed a confidence boost.
We walked, hand in hand, as the inner door opened and we stepped into the Throne room. To our left and right were the empress’s assembled court and their harems. Joining them were a host of other important persons; demons, orcs, dragonkin, harpies, revealers, and a handful of people whose species I couldn’t even begin to identify.
There were envoys from the goblins and elves as well, and I was surprised to see how friendly they were with one another, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Though I guess they do have a lot in common, I admitted privately to myself.
At the far end of the court, Lilith sat upon the Throne, waiting for us. To her side, Tarial stood. The empress looked utterly unmoving, even the flames surrounding her sorcerous crown were muted and dim.
She’s got to be dying of laughter on the inside, I thought.
Despite her gigantic figure and the raw power she possessed, I still found the Throne that Lilith was sitting on much more intimidating. It radiated with undeniable power, like a blazing star.
As a spellbreaker, I could see and instinctively understand all forms of magic. And once I understood a spell, I could break it. But the Throne defied all notions of logic and reason, it simply was.
Turning my gaze, I saw my other wives standing at the base of the Throne’s dais.
Gilly looked beautiful in her white wedding gown, the lace contrasting wonderfully with her draconic, sapphire scales. She had tied a white ribbon around her tail, and she was practically vibrating with excitement.
Next to her, Thalie was wearing a matching dress. I knew my orcish wife was uncomfortable in front of such a large crowd, but she stood with admirable pride. Flowers wound around her head in a lovely crown, and I noticed my other wives were wearing matching corsages.
Krencha was having a hard time keeping her mole-dog, Scrapple, in line. He kept wagging his tail and sniffing the air excitedly, much to the goblin dragoon’s chagrin. Both of them were wearing their full armor, which like Annowan’s, had been buffed and polished to a mirror sheen.
Only Daggerdare seemed at peace, but I knew she was the stoic sort. Sometimes it was hard to know what the elvish treespeaker was thinking. She was dressed in her battle-worn armor, though I saw that it had been buffed and shined. She was also wearing the studded leather belt I had given her.
I noticed Gilly, Thalie, and Krencha were also wearing the gifts I had given them before the ceremony.
I’m glad I listened to Lilith and got them all belated wedding gifts.
Approaching the Throne, Annowan gave her grandmother a polite but stiff bow, while I copied her gesture.
The empress tilted her head and gave both of us a small, quick grin before she looked to the court and became somber and serious.
Her voice reverberated, like thunder. “We are overjoyed to announce the union of Annowan, our granddaughter, heir to the Throne and renowned Knight of the Throne, to Malory Spellbreaker, our ward and hero of the empire.”
The court was silent. I felt a bit of tension ease from my shoulders; I had almost expected someone at court would scream and object to a human marrying the imperial heir.
Despite the great deeds I had accomplished, I knew some of the people gathered that day viewed all of humanity as their enemy.
Shortly after the catastrophic event that had created Amalgam, humanity had joined the Bitch Goddess, along with the elves and the dwarves, in her war of conquest. The conflict had devastated the newly formed world. I had no clue how many people had died, but I knew the casualties had been massive. Whole regions had been depopulated and rendered utterly inhospitable by the destruction wrought by the Bitch Goddess in her megalomaniac quest to rule everything.
The war had ended over a thousand years before, but the people of the empire had a long memory. Especially since humanity still served the Bitch Goddess, and everyone had heard the tales of her murderous Slayers; the brainwashed puppets who existed only to sow terror and reap death.
Worse, the Bitch Goddess had begun sending her forces into the wider world, searching for her missing generals and fragments of her power lost when Amalgam had formed.
Seeing that there were no objections or outbursts from her court, Lilith gestured for Grason, her senchal, to come forward. He held a massive scroll in his hands. Unwinding it, he began to read a list of deeds that Annowan and I had accomplished for the empire, the heroic acts we had done in our campaign to defeat the Bitch Goddess.
Annowan had many more achievements than me, but she’d also been at it a lot longer than I had. My undesired career as a hero of the empire had only begun a few months before.
But seeing how my wives’ eyes gleamed with pride when my deeds were announced made me feel a bit better about the imbalance.
I never wanted to be a hero, but I guess I'm stuck with it now.
Finally, Grason finished reading, rolled up the scroll, and stepped back to his original spot.
Lilith cooly regarded the two of us. “Granddaughter, we are overjoyed that you have finally found someone worthy of sharing your life with. The entire court has borne witness to your accomplishments, and we are sure you will achieve even greater things.”
Scrapple, unable to control himself, gave a small bark of joy.
Lilith smiled and reached down, her massive hand petting the enthusiastic mole-dog across his broad head.
“We are also heartened to see you joining such a wonderful, talented, and dedicated harem,” Lilith said, her words losing some of their strength. More quietly, she said, “Cherish them. Joy can be fleeting, and you never know what day together might be your last.”
Tarial’s wings fluttered, and I knew she longed to comfort her wife. The empress was clearly thinking of her lost harem.
Snapping out of her melancholy, Lilith sat up. “Annowan, Malory, do you have any words for this court, to mark this momentous occasion?”
We turned and looked at the court, which stared back at us. I saw a wide range of emotions reflected at us; joy, excitement, resentment, even some glares of open hostility. But instead of feeling intimidated or scared, all I could feel was Annowan, Gilly, Thalie, Krencha, and Daggerdare's strength, love, and resolve. I was bolstered by their belief in me, in us.
