Mythic (NaNoWriMo14)

Chapter 1 - Ready or Not

Dedicated to NerdyNinja1

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Chapter 1 - Ready or Not 

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"...And I expect that you understand your duties by now, having spent the last several months in training for them. If anything is to go wrong during the ceremony, you may have to take over. It is of the utmost importance as I'm sure you have been made to realise." 

Nazine chewed the inside of his cheek, only half-listening to the long winded speech the white-robed Order official was giving him. Usually he'd have paid more attention, given more response than the occasional nod of the head or word of acknowledgement, but by the nine families he was nervous. 

I don't know if I'm ready for this.

"Nazine!" 

Nazine snapped back to attention, his gaze quickly finding that of the annoyed looking official. "Yes?" 

"I asked if you would be ready to leave in five minutes time to the portal ground?" 

Nazine nodded. "I will be." 

The Order official raised an eyebrow before stepping through the door, turning back to leave Nazine with some parting words. 

"The portal rejuvenation ceremony cannot go wrong. We've already lost too many. To lose this one so close to the heart would be disastrous." The official shuffled the papers in his hands. "Should things go to plan, you will not be called upon. Today, you will listen, you will learn, and one day soon it will be your duty to keep the portals clean from chaos. Do not fail the people, phoenix." 

And with that cheery note, the official closed the door. 

Nazine fell back in the chair, his fingers automatically reaching for the key around his throat. The orangey-red hues of the crystals glinted along the golden wings that sprouted from the head of the key. Somehow, the wings were graceful and delicate, yet still swept across the entire length of the key and encompass the large blue crystal at its heart protectively. 

The heart of the flame is where it burns the strongest. 

The door opened once more. 

Instead of the white robes of the Order Nazine was currently dreading, a man in darker grey clothing entered. One glimpse at his sheathed sword and the glowing jar hanging off his waistband and Nazine relaxed his posture. 

"Cayden, you've finally come to rescue me," said Nazine, standing up to shake his friend's hand. "Although you're about three hours too late for that." 

Cayden shrugged. "Not my job to rescue you from speeches unless they're trying to eat you or something, Zin. Let me know if one ever decides to have a taste of your delicate little Mythic flesh, okay?" 

Nazine raised an eyebrow. "'Delicate little Mythic flesh', eh? Want to see how delicate your own flesh is when it's been seared with a little bit of fire?" 

Cayden just laughed at that. "Uh huh. Just like in training when you couldn't beat me without using your fire. And even then, all I had to do was grab your key. You still lost."

"I don't use my ley offensively, you know that," grumbled Nazine, covering his key with a hand. "Besides, that was cheating. You don't touch a Mythic's key, man."

Cayden winked. "Gotta defend myself somehow against a big, scary Mythic." 

Nazine settled for narrowing his eyes at Cayden and stood up. "Uh huh. You might not be scared of me, but if we don't get moving there'll be some cranky, scary people from the Order demanding to know where we are."