Hazezon (novel)

Hazezon is the final novel in the first Legends Cycle. It concludes the story which started in Johan and continued in Jedit. It was written by Clayton Emery and published in August 2002.

The first legends cycle is the post-rev retelling of the comic Legend of Jedit Ojanen.

Blurb
Who dares speak of the prophecy?

The denizens of the desert live in the shadow of the sacred, where battles are won or lost at the whims of the gods. Now the outcome of one desert war could change the history of Dominaria forever.

The prophecy of None, One, and Two will finally be fulfilled.

Plot
The novel starts with Jedit, Hazezon, Adira Strongheart, and her Circle of Seveners acting as spies in Tirras, searching for Johan and hoping to assassinate him. However, they are quickly discovered and captured: Hazezon and Adira are locked inside Johan's fortress, while Jedit and the others are sent as slaves to a workcamp in the forest, where they see that a fleet is being built. Wondering why ships are being built so far from water, Jedit discovers that Johan has found a way to make airships and is building a fleet to invade Bryce, Efrava, and the south of Jamuraa. The Robarans manage to steal a ship, rouse the slaves, and sail through the air toward Tirras. Here, they rescue Hazezon and Adira; meanwhile, Johan conjures a magical storm and sends it against the fleeing ship, causing it to change course and lose direction.

When the storm subsides, the pirates find themselves flying above the Blue Mountains, at least until the ship is thrown against a Magnetic Mountain, killing a lot of its passengers. Hazezon, Jedit, Adira, and the Seveners resolve to travel on foot from the mountains to the sea, where they hope to take a boat to Bryce and prepare for the imminent attack from Johan.

After months of travel, they finally reach the coast, near a dense jungle. Here, Jedit is visited by a female cat ghost, who urges him to enter the jungle. The jungle, however, is inhabited by a tribe of half-elves, who warn the pirates to stay away until Hazezon manages to convince them that they mean no harm. The elves reveal that they were the inhabitants of Scarwood (or the Dark Heart of the Wood, as it is known by the cat tribes), the hidden city where Terrent Amese created the first Ojanen, at least until they were driven out by giant apes. Jedit and the others help the elves against the apes, till they reach the heart of Scarwood. Here, Jedit is once again visited by the ghost, who guides him through The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale. On its walls, Jedit sees pictures that recount the history of his people: the cat warriors were created by Terrent Amese by fusing the essence of the tiger and man until the first Ojanen dared to ask that their creator free them from their servitude. Terrent Amese saw this as a betrayal, and created the elemental Ur-Drago to exact his revenge. It is revealed that the ghost is the lover of Ojanen, who, feeling betrayed by him, has waited all this time to be avenged. Ur-Drago attacks Jedit and the tiger man manages to slay his foe, but only after being inflicted with grievous wounds.

Jedit is rescued by the Robarans, who have found passage on a boat to reach Bryce. In the city, they discover that one of the Seveners had already alerted the population of Johan's plan, and a fleet of airships is being built. However, in order to fly, the ships need to be fueled by powerstones, so Adira and Jedit sail towards the island of Koltos, where Alchor's Tomb lies, which is said to be a deposit of powerstones.

When they reach the island, they discover that fishermen have been captured by the corsairs Ramirez DePietro and Tor Wauki. With the help of an Infernal Medusa, they are using the islanders as laborers to dig up the powerstones and then sell them to Johan. Jedit senses another presence on Koltos, that of a Master of the Hunt: the demigod not only cures Jedit of his wounds but also helps the Robarans in defeating DePietro, freeing the fishermen, and stocking up on powerstones.

With their airships now able to fly, Jedit and Adira fly one of them to Efrava, which is the first target of Johan. The Efravans, however, greet Jedit coldly, especially after he narrates what he has discovered in the Tabernacle: Jedit believes that he has traveled back in time when Scarwood was still alive, and he himself is, in truth, the first Ojanen. Sensing how his people aren't ready to believe him and unite with strangers, even if it would mean the salvation of their oasis, Jedit, bringing Hestia with him, decides to seek help from the other cat tribes. After a disastrous meeting with the mad Khyyiani, he manages to make a tenuous covenant with the Hooraree, while the frenzied Sulaki send almost all of their warriors to join the battle.

Returning to Efrava, Jedit discovers that it is already under attack by Johan's forces. After days of guerrilla warfare led by Jedit, now general of the Efravans, the reinforcements from the Hooraree and the elves of Scarwood arrive. When, at last, the fleet from Bryce reaches the oasis, bringing Hazezon and some warriors from the People of the Pines, the alliance manages to recapture the village of the Efravans. Johan's airships are still too many, however, so Adira devises a desperate plan: bring the fight against Johan's ship, hoping that with the death of their master, the Tirras army will lose its will to fight.

Thanks to Hazezon's magic, the Robarans manage to reach Johan's flagship, but the sorcerer quickly puts the governor out of the fight. Adira stabs Johan, but the Emperor is saved by his Indestructible Aura and effortlessly kills the woman. A furious Jedit jumps on Johan, sending them both to plummet hundreds of feet to the desert below. Johan easily survives the fall, once again thanks to his magic, and he's preparing to give the killing blow to Jedit, when a sand wurm emerges from the dunes and eats him, killing the tyrant in the same way as Jedit's father.

With their emperor dead, the Tirrans scattered. Hazezon, Jedit, and the Robarans mourn Adira's death, all the while trying to make sense of the infamous Prophecy of None, One, and Two, whose meaning is still remains unclear. Jedit decides that he will bring forward Adira's spirit, and decides to become the new chief of the Robarans, now explorers and colonists. Hazezon returns to be governor of Bryce until he leaves to travel the world with his airships. Thanks to Jedit's leadership, in the following years the tiger tribes grow and expand, becoming a new power on Dominaria.