Divinitas

010 - Capture of the Flame


Phoenix\'s lips kissed the wild grass, tasted for one instant its minty flavour as his teeth ground the blades together to silence the scream. Hot wind blew all around him, accompanied by the loud rhythmic beating of enormous wings.

Instinct rolled his body over, just in time to escape the second attack. But what Phoenix saw froze him to the depths of his soul. It wasn\'t Aether standing above him. Not even one of the many white creatures he had fought against with the computer. No, this was something much more awe inspiring.

Soaring up into the air once more, readying for its next attack was a gold and scarlet bird of fire. Its wingspan stretched out to over ten meters, formed from dancing flames that moved with the flow of the air currents supporting it. Eyes shone like glowing rubies freshly cut from the deep mines in the earth, beak and claws carved from the purest gold.

But it was not all these attributes that knocked the wind from Phoenix\'s clawed body. No. It was the fact that this bird of fire was the exact image of the one he had seen in the dream that had haunted him since that long ago night. The dream which always left him waking up screaming.

Phoenix shook his head sharply and pushed himself up from the ground. Now certainly wasn\'t any time to think. No, it was a time for action. Let the body control the mind.

The bird of flames swooped down again, screeching a cry that made Phoenix cringe. Never the less, the boy gripped his weapon all the more tightly in his hands and made a desperate wing at the gliding creature as it passed over, narrowly missing him with its sharp golden claws already stained with his blood.

\"What is that thing!?\" Phoenix demanded, frantic eyes never leaving the burning figure of the giant bird flying above.

The Divine Beast of Fire. Also known as the Phoenix, a sacred bird who symbolises Death and Rebirth. This is the House of Fire\'s Divine Beast.

Phoenix\'s eyes darted to the screen and then back up to the bird again. \"If that\'s the House of Fire\'s Divine Beast, then why the fuck am I fighting against it?! I thought I was suppose to be duelling Aether!\"

To be the Child of Soul, one must be able to control all four of the Divine Beasts. Aether has simply chosen to use the Phoenix to battle you in this Duel.

\"That fiend! He\'s always fucking fighting dirty and unfair! How am I meant to win against that monster?!\"

You\'re not. Only another Divine Beast may defeat the Phoenix.

\"Oh, thankyou for telling me that very helpful fact!\" Phoenix spat, diving down onto the ground in a roll to miss the cruel claws once again. The boy wasn\'t so lucky this time, and one of the sharp blade-like appendages caught him on the back of his shoulder, ripping through his black and red uniform and into his sensitive flesh. More blood was fed to the hungry ground, and Phoenix bit back another cry of pain, one hand darting upwards to the fresh wound. It was not only slashed, his shoulder. It was burned as well.

This tactic was ineffective. Simply trying to dodge the burning bird. He was on the defensive, and he was the weaker of the two. So. The only option left was to attack.

\"Ignis Globus!\" Phoenix shouted the ancient Latin words as the bird came in for another attack, and a giant fireball shot out from his bloody hand. The bird was too close to swerve its giant body to miss the mass of burning air that rolled towards it, and it was caught squarely in its chest.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, Aether had chosen the one Divine Beast that could withstand the attack and only be winded and nothing more. And being winded only gave it more resolve to tear the offending boy to pieces.

This time, it wasn\'t simply playing with the little grounded rat. No. This time, the sacred bird of fire was intent on making it so the boy would not be summoning up any further fire attacks for a very long time. With a powerful forward sweep of its far reaching wings, the phoenix halted itself several meters in front of the weary and wounded boy, burning ruby eyes glaring.

Phoenix was swearing to himself. It had done nothing. The \'fire ball\' attack that had taken him the whole week the master had done nothing! And now that monster was staring at him like a playful evil cat, each steady beat of its giant wings washing him in heated air. The boy gritted his teeth, and with a battle cry, lifted his twin bladed sword and charged towards the burning bird.

In the blink of an eye, snakes of fire, twisting and weaving, shot out from the body of the phoenix and ensnarled the boy\'s body. The ribbons of flame encircled the Phoenix\'s body, much like those in the initiation process, but now as the flames rapped themselves around the boy\'s struggling body, they burned.

As if made from red hot metal straight from the blacksmith\'s forge, the tongues of fire shackled themselves around Phoenix\'s wrists and ankles, tightening and searing the young flesh. With a strangled cry, the weapon was thrown from Phoenix\'s grip and spun away to stab into the ground.

The scream from his raw throat echoed continuously in the silent landscape. A wounded animal\'s cry that rolled over the empty hills with no one to listen or to care. So pathetic. That he was crying. He could feel the hot tears dripping down his face, gathering at his chin and plummeting to the ground.

How the boy twisted and pu at at his wrists and ankles, anything to rip them from the burning chains. Fire was travelling up his arms and legs, even as he was strung up like a rag doll, limbs stretched apart.

\"You\'ve lost, Phoenix.\"

Right in front of his tear stained eyes, a golden figure appeared from the burning heart of the phoenix. The flames seemed to part for him, and suddenly Phoenix found himself staring eye to eye with the one who was causing him all this pain.

\"Surrender. Ask Metamorphosis to release you. And I will not have to hurt you further.\" Such a cool calm voice, yet filled with dark delight. It seemed that there was a very large part of Aether that silently wished Phoenix would not, so he may spill more of his precious blood.

How Phoenix managed to summon up the strength to hack up enough phlegm and spit it at Aether\'s face, he would never know. But that he did, and the saliva hit Aether\'s flawless check, sliding down it with slow grace.

\"Never!\" Phoenix bit out, whimpering still from the burning pain, but no longer screaming. He couldn\'t really feel his hands or feet any longer. He didn\'t dare glance at his limbs to see what had become of them. \"I would rather die that ever surrender to you!\"

As if wiping away the tear of a loved one, Aether gently brushed Phoenix\'s spit from his face his his fore finger. Such a smile on his face it would have made any observer cringe. \"Is that so?\" The katana was drawn slowly, the polished metal reflecting the dancing flames that encircled both boys. \"I can make you wish for death without it being a compromise for surrender…\"

The words said, Aether moved his katana so it was placed in the flames of the phoenix, letting it heat up until the tip of the blade was hot red. Then, with steady aim, careful not to even s Pho Phoenix\'s Metamorphosis uniform, thrust the katana into Phoenix\'s bare stomach.

The howl that gurgled up from Phoenix\'s throat was brutal. No blood accompanied it though. No, Aether had taken care to miss any vital organs. After all, Phoenix was a precious doll he had no intent of breaking so soon.

The katana was up to its hilt, embedded in Phoenix\'s pale flesh and protruding from his scarred and bloodied back. He tried. He really did. He didn\'t want to cry anymore, but it just hurt so much. And… And he had tried so hard. So damn hard. Yet he had still failed, hadn\'t he? Why? Didn\'t they always say if you tried hard enough, you would achieve your dreams?

\"Liar!\" The word erupted from Phoenix\'s mouth. \"Why?! Why are you doing this to me!\" He should have been unconscious from the pain. Or be hurting so much he couldn\'t even speak. But the words poured from his mouth, unbidden, driven on by something that was beyond physical pain.

Aether\'s gleaming amethyst eye smiled. \"Why?\" he repeated, slowly withdrawing his blade, prolonging Phoenix\'s agony. The Child of Soul laughed sweetly, and lifted the blood stained blade to his lips, eye never leaving the furious and crushed ones of Phoenix. His tongue snaked out and licked the warm red liquid from the sharp blade, letting his smile fade as he savoured the boy\'s blood.

\"Because I do not love you.\"

The flames from the phoenix flared. The ribbons of fire snaked rapidly up Phoenix\'s immobile limbs, devouring the boy whole until even his agonised scream was swallowed in the bonfire.

~ * ~

\"I can\'t believe it! He\'s not even singed! Man, I can not believe it!\"s\' s\' amazed voice cut through the excited chatter of the crowd. \"I thought he was a gonna for sure!\"

\"Get over it. He\'s going to bleed to death at this rate if we don\'t get him help,\" Draco\'s slightly strained voice chastened the other.

\"Phoenix! Please wake up! Please! You\'re okay, aren\'t you? Aren\'t you!\" Chima pleaded, much distressed. He had been ever since he saw what Phoenix was up against on the huge LCDs mounted upon the walls. And then to see what Aether had done to him? That was too much.

Slowly Phoenix cracked open one eye, followed by the other. All three boys were gathered around the opened hatch of the silver egg-like simulator, their expressions ranging from awe to concern to fear.

Gingerly the wounded boy touched his stomach, feeling it slick with warm blood. \"Huh… I was really killed in there, wasn\'t I…\" The forced mirth was lost in his dull voice. He had been defeated. He had lost. He had failed. Really, he was worthless, wasn\'t he?

But he was moving. He was pushing himself up and stepping out of the simulator, despite the protests of his friends and captain. Fear was beating loud and thunderous in his whole mangled system. Fear of what would happen now, of how it would be to look upon the face of the one who claimed he wanted him, yet did not love him.

Why would anyone want anything if they did not love it in some minute way?

Why did that matter to him now?

The crowd had parted, a waterway parting for a god. And indeed, a god-like figure stepped into view. Hair of spun gold, eye carved from a most precious gem. Tall and perfect, without a single flaw.

But he wasn\'t smiling. For once, the Child of Soul was not smiling. The amethyst eye roamed over Phoenix\'s tattered body, surveyed the damage he had inflicted on the boy. Not a burn in sight, yet the wounds on his back and shoulder, and the one through his flat stomach bled furiously, pumped on by a stubborn heart.

Ares\' eyed the Child of Soul simply standing there and staring. Making a point of ignoring him, the Child of Fire gestured for Draco to help him take Phoenix to the hospital wing. Supporting the weakened and torn boy on both sides, the three made a move to side step Aether and head towards the exit.

\"No. He\'s mine,\" Aether said quietly, stopping them with his katana before another step could be taken.

\"He needs medical treatment, Aether!\" Ares shot back, taking an unusually brave stand against the infamous Child of Soul. \"Damn it, haven\'t you played with him enough today already?\"

The Child of Soul narrowed his eye, swiftly manoeuvring the tip of his blade so it pointed at Ares\' throat, making the Child of Fire gulp. \"Let. Him. Go.\" Aether\'s voice was so low and dangerous that it made Ares take a step backwards, all courage having now fled.

Phoenix lifted his hanging head and regarded Aether with dead eyes. He couldn\'t comprehend how the mind of this boy worked. Why did Aether want him? Why say such a thing as \'I do not love you\' to him? When was love ever an issue… He was tired. He wanted to simply sleep and then wake up from this nightmare.

\"He won,\" Phoenix finally croaked out, his voice hoarse from screaming. \"Please… Let me go…\"

Both boys looked at him as if he was insane. And then he said something that made them all really believe he had lost his mind.

\"Because… I belong to Aether.\"

~ * ~

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