The Phoenix's Keeper (Volume 1) The Beginning

Prolouge: The Interview.

Cold rattling chains, blackness, scurrying rats licking clean the bones around me. A battle, blood, screams piercing the hollow night air, they stab at my ears like spikes one after another. A giant rises above the rooftops, a woman bandaged from head to toe. All to be seen on her is a pair of ancient yellow eyes standing above me. The giant looms close behind a great sword clutched in his hands. The woman's words rattle my bones and twist at my nerves like little hot pokers, poke, poke, again and again.

"Emelia, you're a stain upon this world. A mistake." The woman pauses.

"No, you are the greatest mistake this world has ever known. But, due to the will of the Phoenix, you shall die." Her voice clings to the air around us; it rattles me to the core.

"Be thankful. Your blood will be the paint for the new world's canvas." Her words are ice; no, they're fire! They threaten to burn what's left of me!

"Now die, Emelia Shroud." She draws her long thin rapier, the hilt a golden phoenix its tiny green jewel eyes glitter from the fire dancing around us.

Then that's when my memory goes black.

My thoughts pick up here in this darkened reality, this cell with chains firmly shackled around my wrists and ankles. The cold floor sends a chill up my bare legs.

Why am I in a? Prison, no it's probably a holding cell. Well this is an interesting predicament.

Observing the rest of myself, I notice that I'm in this. Bag? No but honestly I can't really find another way to describe whatever I'm wearing. Fates, it's so itchy against my skin. Man wish I had my armor. I feel so naked without it.

Suddenly a scraping of something large against grainy stone sends me against the far wall, fear gripping my pounding heart, my body shakes from the fear of being attacked again. Light pours into the cell. I cover my eyes from the unwelcome light. Around the corner appears two guards. The light shines off their dark armor. They carry a spear each. My heart thuds in my chest my breathing becomes erratic.

My heart slows down slightly, allowing me to catch the breath I didn't realize I held in. When I see The Four Cities of Fate Diamond Flag etched onto their breastplates.

Behind the guards, a tall woman cuts through with black hair. Her bangs dyed the color of a freshly lit flame adding to her intensity. Her black cloak flows down to sit just above her feet and has the Four Cities Emblem on the back stitched in actual golden thread. She has a large, elegant-looking blade that curves down her back; the hilt is taped to the sheath with a strange white tape with a strange symbol painted on the tape. In addition to that, there's a simple short sword strapped to her hip.

I come back from my thoughts when behind her appears a maid with pink hair, contrasting the cell's dull grey walls. Her maid outfit gives this illusion she is weak. Except her aura radiates off her in waves making the room almost suffocating. Her silver eyes poke at mine making me press my back harder against the wall. That gaze it cuts through me like soft cheese. It's like she can see my sins. But she is nothing compared to the girl with black hair. Though her aura is suppressed, I can feel the immense power she still puts off.

Then in walks a man, not a large man, but his presence dominates the room. His footsteps are heavy and precise as they walk around the corner. My breath catches as I see their face. It's King Ezekiel. He smiles a smile that eases my worries. What's scary is how genuine it is. Then he lets loose a bit of his aura, and the chill of the room vanishes, and my shivering stops.

The scraping happens again as the light from outside disappears, throwing us back into the dim glow of the torch light. The oppressive feeling I get from the two women's magic makes the room suffocating then my heart is off to the races again. I begin too feel the panic setting back in. The King is no different than these girls. His aging face doesn't fool me. The intense warm aura this man puts off can make any flames cold to the touch. There is a endless fiery anger in his aura that he tries to hide behind that real smile.