Diaries Book One: The Rise of Phoenix Drop

The New World

Being alone was something that he was used to. Back home, he was often left alone by his brothers and his parents. After all, his father despised him after his mother made that mistake. So he had gotten used to it.

So when he had met that witch in the forest, he had been surprised to realize how lonely he was, how much he had wanted her company. So when she had asked him to do something for him, he had jumped at the opportunity. However, the request she asked of him was strange. She gave him a staff, a staff that practically hummed with magical energy. It was a pale pink color, with a peculiar pearl at the top of the staff, but right underneath that pearl, was a familiar symbol, the symbol of Irene.

"Take this, and place it somewhere that needs the help of Irene." She informed him with a smile. "They need her help more than ever. We all do." 

The man gave a curt nod as he examined the strange staff in his hands. Everywhere could use the Matron's help, especially after the disaster that happened in O'Khasis recently, with the elder prince disappearing.

So he had left the Sacred Forest, traveling far away to find a place that desperately needed Irene's help. He did not travel for very long before he passed by a village that just from one look at it, appeared to be falling apart. It was here, he decided. Here is where he needed to place the staff. He walked away from the village, far enough that he couldn't see the buildings and made it to a clearing.

"I'm assuming that woman meant this staff will give this place the blessing of Irene." He muttered to himself, looking down at the staff. He raised it in the air, gazing up at the clear sky above him. "This is all I can do." With a single movement of his hands, he drove the staff down into the ground below him.

As he did, the ground cracked beneath him, allowing purple light to seep through the cracks in the ground. He dashed away from where he placed the staff and crouched behind some bushes in the forest. He peered out from behind them to look at the staff. In a glowing purple light, similar to the light coming from the ground, the staff seemed to vanish. He averted his gaze from the blinding light, and when he turned back to look, a woman was lying on the ground where the staff once was.

His eyes widened in shock at the woman that was now lying in the clearing. A part of him wanted to dash out there to make sure that she was okay, but another part of him told himself not to. The woman had told him not to interfere or let anyone see him. The woman on the ground shifted, and she sat up, struggling to take in all that was around her. She was a rather fair lady, with dark hair, amber eyes, and tan skin. However, she was nearly naked. All she had on were two pieces of fabric, snug to her body. Black markings covered her arms, legs and under her eyes.

"I heard something from this direction!" The voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he retreated behind a tree. The woman on the ground barely got a glimpse of the man before he disappeared in a flash of light.

Dazed and confused, she struggled to push herself up to a sitting position, but only managed to roll herself on her stomach. She was weak, tired, and confused. The sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath brought her attention up to a man standing in front of her. He wore armor with golden trim and a red cape flowing behind him. An iron sword was pointed directly at her face, and the dark eyes of the man glared down at her.

"It's not every day we find a maiden in the woods," he spoke coolly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Now answer me. Who are you?"

The woman gave no response, her mind still trying to process what was happening as she gazed up at the man with half-lidded eyes.

"Don't play coy with me!" He growled, his fingers curling tighter around the blade in his hands. "I can see right through you. You're playing the poor defenseless woman, but once I turn my back, you'll take me for all I'm worth."