Life of a Phoenix

The Way Opens



    Author's Notes: Well, this is the
second chapter. Not much but a set up! ^-^ *dances around* Next chapter is
Erdric!!
    “Fortunes! I will divine from the Great
One! From the great mother Earth, and her husband, Ouranos, and see into the
future! By Great Apollo’s far-shooting silver bow, I speak truths! Ma’am! Please
allow me to read your fortune!”
                “Wha? Leggo of my sleeve. I don’t pay for
fake fortunes.”
                “Wait! I didn’t say you had to pay. Please,
I wish to read your fortune. You seem like you could use a little guidance.”
                “You don’t know the half of that, Lady,”
she replied chuckling. “I will listen to your tale that you will weave falsely
about me. You will see that I am openendednded about fools.”
                “So you discredit the cards and Gods?”
                “Gods?” She snorted. “What have they ever
done to me other then hurt me? No, I don’t believe in gods. I don’t believe in
predestination, or fate or anything like that. I make my own way.”
                “Then perhaps you would like me to read
your past?”
                “That would be interesting. See if you’ve
done your homework on me.”
             &;&nb;  “Tsk. You should know better than that. We
do not “do homework” as you call it, but we see the Patterns of Life thake ake
us who we are.”
                She shrugged. “Well, go ahead! See if you
can read into my past as you say you can, and if you get it right, I will pay
you to do the future. Deal?”
                “Deal! You will find out that not all
fortune tellers are false,” she said with a grin. “Here, give me your hand. . .
Hmm. Yes. . . I see pain. . . and hurt... Betrayal and death. Both of the family
members you loved most were murdered. . . and. . . the person responsible for
that. . . was close to you. . . and he. . . is the betrayer. . . I see. . .
fire. . . and justice. . . or a feeling of justice. . . the feeling that you did
what was right for being wronged. . . Is that proof enough?”
                “That. . . is true. . . I guess. . . not
all is as it seems,” she said hesitantly.
                “Shall I read your future?”
                “Sure. . . why not. . . Here’re the gold
pieces. . . This is the first time I’ve ever paid for something like this.
Normally, as I said, I don’t believe in it. That it’s all a load of bull. . .
but. . . I guess not. . .”
                “I see. . . a multitude of light around
you. . . various strands that connect to one man. . . You shall become one with
this person. . . He is. . .”
             sp;&sp;  “What? What’s the matter?”
                “I need to take you to my friend. . . He is
the man in the vision from you. . .”
                “What vision from me? What do you mean?”

                “Every one gives off a ‘Vision’, or as a
fortuneteller sees it, the future. I can read yours clearly, and I know what is
to become of it. You must meet with him, or else, everything will fall into
destruction again.”
                “Hon, it can’t get worse then this. Thanks
to the work of the Chosen Ones, the people have hope. It’s hard to believe that
destruction will come again so soon.”
     &n&nbs          “Get a grip on yourself. You know as well
as I that trouble comes in threes. Speaking of the Chosen Ones, I am Nara from
Saltatus. Come, you must speak with my friend, and I must tell him of the vision
I see within you.”
                “But I-”
                “No buts! Come! Now!”
 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                ‘Why do I get myself into messes like
these?’ The young woman muttered to herself. She had followed the lavender
haired lady through the streets to a small house. She paused at the doorway, and
brushed some of her hair out of her face. Her hair was a burnished gold color
and she had pulled it back partially from her face, secured by pins in the
fashion of dragons. The dragons on the hairpin were silver to contrast with the
gold of her hair. The dragon’s wings were out spread in victory, nearly curving
around to touch her ears.
                Sapphires were the eyes, seemingly swirling
in delight. Her hairpin was blackened to bring forth the delicate engraving
within the silver, and seemed to shine with ethereal light. Carved to the utmost
care, if you glanced upon it quickly, you would think that the dragons were
alive. The jaws of the dragon seemed strong, as if it could bite you, it could
take a finger or two with it. Into her hair she had braided several golden
feathers. A griffin had been her childhood companion, and when he had died, she
had taken some of his feathers. The delicate silver of age tipped the bright
gold feathers. A silver circlet held back her unruly hair from falling in her
eyes, and a golden pendant of a Phoenix hung around her throat. She wore a black
leather vest and pants that clung to her curves, and around her waist hung a
silver threaded belt for her sword. The sword was of Elven make, but she would
never tell. Written in Greek upon the hilt, the name of her sword meant 'Soul
Stealer.' The sword, made of a silver alloy, was indestructible. The blade
itself was well over five feet long, and with the hilt, it counted for almost
six feet in length. Etched into the blade were runes of protection and prowess
in battle. An enchantment placed there many moons ago, prevented anyone save her
from drawing it. The sword was hers and hers alone.
                Her eyes were large and slightly slanted
and a deep blue, like that of the sky at the verge of night. The shone slightly
within their large sockets and twinkled merrily when she was happy. Her lips
were slim and slender, and so was the small nose that adorned her face. A scar
flowed across her face, down from her eyebrow across her eye. Nothing had
disturbed the perfection of her visage. The scar looked more like a tattoo, but
it didn't bother her. It never did, nor would it ever. It was a badge of honor
and one that she would never give up.
                Her long, silver rose embroidered black
leather boots crawled up to her knees. The leather was of the finest calfskin in
the known universe, and had no sole to them. Her black leather pants were soft
and matte. The pants laced in the front with a small silver ribbon. The finest
white Damascus silk made her shirt. The collar and cuffs overflowed with
ruffles. The ruffles at the cuffs ne con concealed her black leather-clad hands.
Over this flounce-y shirt, was a black leather vest. Her vest was embroidered as
well, not with silvery roses, but with the visage of the Phoenix. Its wings were
out spread, stretching all the way over her shoulders to brush where the tops of
her breasts were. The tail feathers curled around her sides to brush the tips of
the wings on the front.
                She waited patiently while the woman who
said her name was Nara went in and conversed with someone in excited and hushed
tones. Soon, she returned with a round, jolly seeming man.
                He smiled at her reassuringly, and said,
“Greetings, I am Taloun, a merchant around here, and one of the Chosen. May I
inquire as to who you are?”
                The young woman looked at him with an odd
expression, and answered hesitantly. “Why would you need my name?”
                The man now identified as Taloun looked
over at Nara, then back to the young lady. “Please, we must know the name.”
                Again, the young woman looked at her oddly,
and weighed the options in her mind. They were either someone out to get her,
and she could destroy everything if she gave her true name, but then, there was
always that chance that they were honest and did not know about her past. This
feeling won out over all.
                “Aryun,” She said quickly as she looked
around. “Aryun Narice.” Her mind railed against her for giving away that much.
‘I didn’t tell them all of it, so shut up about getting caught.’ She silently
berated herself.
                The merchant Taloun seemed to relax and
broke out into one of those grins where you can’t help smiling back. Aryun did
no such thing. The merchant’s smile faded when he saw she was not happy.
“Anyway,” he started out nervously. “We need to take her to him right? Are you
sure about this Nara?”
                “Positive. She is the Center. We must take
her to Zenthia.”
                Aryun backed up. “No, no, and no again. I
am not going near that place. I’ve heard of it and I don’t like what I hear.”

                Taloun and Nara exchanged another glance.

                “And what’s with the damned secret looks?
Would someone care to elaborate why it’s so important to go to that place and
see whoever this mysterious ‘him’ is, or I will become very irritated!”
                Nara hesitated. “We. . . cannot talk of
this here. Too many pitchers with ears if you understand the metaphor.”
                Aryun was glaring at the two. “Then by all
means, lead us to where we will be obe over heard.”
                Nara glanced nervously around her, and
quickly started to walk away from the small house. She led them over to an old
mausoleum: The Crypt of Lorithin’s ancestors.
                It was dark and dank, very much like a
mausoleum would be, and Aryun felt the wild brush of long forgotten magic
emanating from the stones.
                “We should be safe around here. . .” Still
Nara looked out and about from the door, then shut it. When the door shut, the
magical lights within were turned on. “Now, to speak of the why of things, is
complicated.”
                There was a pause; a nervous glance, and
then Taloun spoke up.
                “You know about the Resurrectio
Malefacti correct?”
                Aryun snorted. “You take me for a fool?
Yes, I know of that. Any student of the arcane knows the legend of the
Evolvere Per Gradus. A certain formula with the Fascia will
allow the cells in the body to evolve so that one can attain the perfect
evolution, but that's a half-truth. Yes, you can attain evolution, but it is not
perfect. The body can't handle the excelerated growth of the cells, and it
starts to die.”
                Taloun blinked, overwhelmed by the depth of
the knowledge. “Yes. That's exactly it. Anyway, the Fascia is stolen.
Alena checked the City beneath the soil, and found no trace of the Fascia.
We all remember where it was found, and we left it there, sealing the Palace
behind us. So we’ve no clue where it might be found. Nara consulted the
Priestess of Light.” He looked over at Nara, hoping that she would continue the
tail.
                Nara was hesitant. “The Priestess said
that. . . ‘The center must be found and be swayed in the belief if you are ever
to prevail.’ And thanks to me catching your arm, we have found the center.”
                Aryun looked at her skeptically. “It still
sounds a little rotten in mine mind. Can you give me proof?”
                The two looked at each other. Hesitantly,
Taloun stated, “The only thing that we could think of would be that you meet
with the Lord, and learn for yourself how dire the situation is."
                Nara looked up pleadingly at her, "He would
never lie to you. He never had a reason to learn. Please. Let us take you to
meet him. I beg you!”
                The young woman was taken a-back by the
fierceness in the fortuneteller’s voice. She backed up a few paces. “Whoa. Wait
a minuet. What do I get out of this?”
                The roly-poly merchant looked at her, his
face grave, as he stated simply, “Anything you need or want.”
                Aryun brought her hand up to her face, her
lips pursed. “Can I call it in whenever I have need of it?”
                Taloun nodded. “Yes, there are no holds on
the offer.”
                Aryun’s lips threatened to tug into a
smile. She let them wait it out a few tense minuets before she said, “It’s a
deal then. I will hold you to your word.”
                Nara and Taloun let out a collective sigh
of relief.
                Aryun looked at them. "Well? Are we going
or not?"
                Nara was startled. "Oh! Umm. . Yes we are.
. but don't we need to get the others?" she asked looking at Taloun.
                Taloun waved his hand. "We can always send
for them. Besides, Alena, Xristis, and Brey should be there already. Remember
what day this is."
                Nara nodded, then smiled. "That is true.
Then shall we leave now? From here while no one sees us?"
                Taloun nodded. "That would be wise, but we
must first go to Gottside. Proprieties must still be obeyed. She must go through
the tower if she can."
                Aryun was starting to feel uneasy about
agreeing to help. "Tower? What tower? You guys never said anything about a
tower."
                Taloun laughed. “Don’t worry your pretty
head. It’s standard. You will make it if you are who we believe you to be.”
                Aryun made an exasperated noise and crossed
her arms, muttering, “You guys aren’t making any sense.”
                “Well, let us leave this place, and you
shall see what we mean.” Nara said with a slight smile as she threw up a white
feather into the air that created a creature that Aryun had seen on three
different occasions. This counted as the fourth.
                A Wryven hovered there, awaiting them to
walk over to them. He was a soft lavender color with bright purple feathers
around his head, with large green eyes.
                “Wryven,” she breathed in awe as she looked
at the creature. “They are your transportation around here?”
                “Yeah, but they can be a real problem with
their attitudes.”
                Aryun snorted and reached out the pet the
creature. “That’s your opinion. However, I have a higher value of those of the
animal kingdom, minus humans of course. All critters deserve to be free.” She
started to scratch the creature under its chin. “Hims a purddy scally critter,
ain’tcha?”
Nara and Taloun looked at each
other with a look of superior confusion.
                “Umm. . . anyway. . . we should get going
now before someone finds out. .” Taloun was looking around nervously.
                Aryun shrugged, and held on to one of the
Wyrven’s talons. “Then, by all means, let us leave.”
                Nara and Taloun took hold of the other talon, and Taloun said
that name ‘Gothtic’. They were whisked away to that desolate island in the
middle of the Great Sea.