Phoenix Fire || Fairy Tail [1]

𝐱𝐥𝐢𝐯. 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥

Rose could only smirk when she heard the agonised scream he released, falling backwards and cradling his head in his arms. The sizzle of flesh was quite sickening, but at that moment Rose revelled in the fact that the scum had gotten what he deserved.

The second man was shocked by the sudden turn of events and tried to finish her off with a kick. Rose grabbed his leg at the last moment, pulling him towards herself and slamming her knee into his face. The gurgled scream which escaped his mouth assured her that she'd at least broken a nose.

Now there was one person left to defeat – the leader, the one with the unconscious mother's hair grasped in his fists. He seemed uncertain about whether or not he would fight her – then again, who wouldn't be? She'd left all four of his companions with injuries that were either life-threatening or scarring.

The man cursed, allowing the woman to fall to the ground before pulling his own weapon from his waist. "You little... I'm gonna kill you!"

Rose smirked and kicked the unconscious body of the thief she'd just defeated to the side, the blood on the dagger she had stolen dripping to the ground. "Bring it on."

It hadn't taken much to take the last man down. He managed to drive a dagger into Rose's lower abdomen, but she knew it would heal in a few minutes. The thieves lay scattered across the alleyway like the trash they were, their weapons already removed and tossed into a bin. Rose tucked the dagger into her belt, not knowing if she'd need it again or not.

The bleeding from her injury had already stopped, so after glancing over her shoulder at the two children who were escorting their traumatised mother away, Rose set off.

◊

Flames raged throughout the village, destroying everything which they came into contact with. The screams of the innocent villagers had been silenced long ago, and so the only signs of life were the occasional members of the dark guild which had been assigned to assist Rose.

Rose strolled past a building which had begun to crumble due to the intense heat, sending sparks of flame and splinters of wood everywhere.

It had been a long time since Felliora died. Rose had never realised that it was possible for time to drag on for so long. She was trapped in an eternity of pointless slaughter, but murder was the only thing she was good for.

It had been decades since the war with the dragons ceased... but now there was nowhere for her to go. There were no phoenixes, nor others of her kind to speak with.

There was no one.

Rose had been dragged into some sick, twisted version of reality. What point was there in caring? Now she just did as she was told without question. It was easier that way. Easier than losing people who she cared for.

Now she just had to kill when told. That was her new purpose, the guild master had told her. She was an excellent assassin. That's what everyone in the guild would tell her, though she knew better.

They were just scared of her.

So she'd avoid them for the most part – instead choosing to gather information on whatever new project the master had undertaken. She drowned herself in work, knowing that it was the only thing she was good for; the only place where her existence was worth something.

There was no place for emotion in her line of duty. If she showed any, she had no doubt that her guild would discard her. They would claim that she was flawed, that she had become outdated. They'd find someone else to take her place.