Jackson's POV
Since I got here at the base camp I can't take my eyes off the princess. I know I don't have a chance with her, but she's so damn pretty and kind I thought to myself as she walked with Duralgias talking about something important. "What are you looking at Jackson?" asked Ray
"Oh. Ah‒ no. No. I mean nothing" I stammer out as I tore my gaze from Ariana
"Oh, sure Jackson. I know we don't know each other too well but I would like to believe that you trust me enough to discuss your girl problems with me." Ray said teasingly and poke my side
"Wha-at? Girl problems? Me? No way. Ah shit... is it that obvious?" I ask giving up and give her 'my I have no idea what to do' face. She laughed.
"Oh, you poor thing. Don't even know the first step to asking out a girl. So cute," teased Ray
"Shut up! For your information, I have asked out girls before. Just not a smokin' hot princess." I said defending myself
"Hahaha, you're funny, Jackson. I like you and yes I'll help you win her. Just start with baby steps. First, go and talk to her, maybe ask her for sword fighting lessons."
"Ok. Baby steps. Got it" I said as Ray walked away "Hey wait!" I called out to her and she turned to face me, "I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for helping me."
"It's no problem, Jackson. We gotta stick together as a family now since we are all in this together." She then looked at Zoran "Well I got to go meet Zoran for lunch because that's the only dates we can have nowadays." Ray said while walking towards the mess hall tent.
"Yeah, a family," I said and then got up. I walked toward my sleeping tent when I walked directly into Princess Ariana. "Oh umm... ah shit. I'm so sorry your highness," I said and reached out my hand to her.
"It's quite alright... Jackson, is it?" she said with such grace in her voice
"Yeah, it is."
"Well you can just call me Ariana," she said as I helped her off the ground.
"But aren't you like some kind of princess or something?" I asked, now confused. Her hand is so soft and she looks even more beautiful close up I think to myself
"I am, yes. But I don't particularly care about formalities."
"Well... ok then Ariana." I say sounding incredibly awkward
"Haha, you're cute. Anyway, aren't you coming?"
"Uhh... I don't know. Am I? And what would I be going to?"
She laughed. "Oh didn't you hear? Anna wants everyone to come to the training field"
"Oh ok then," I offer her my arm "Shall we milady?" She laughed while nodding. We walked together to the training grounds. Then I saw Zoren and Ray sitting together on the fence, Justin leaning against the fence next to them, and Duralgias with his men and Captain Oscar were around the fence too. Anna, on the other hand, was sitting in the middle of the fenced-off area, playing with a stick. (Play song 6)
"Well, I think it's time I showed you all something. I wasn't sure if I was ready to, but I guess now is the best time" said Anna as she stood up and dusted herself off
"Show us what exactly Anna?" I said with mild concern
"You'll see," she said and then turned around and walked toward the other side of the field
"What do you think she's going to do Zoran?" Ray asked without taking her worried eyes off Anna
"Well, you know my sister, full of unexpected surprises like coming back from the dead. So no, I have absolutely no idea what the fuck she's about to do. I just hope it's nothing too stupid" Zoran then crossed his arms and glared at Anna but also looked really worried
Well shit. Looks like Zoran hasn't fully forgiven Anna yet for disappearing and then reappearing. Siblings. I'm never gonna understand them. I thought to myself while waiting for Anna to get to the very edge of the other side.
"Ready?" Called out Anna
"Yes," said Ariana who looked like she knew what was about to happen and was smirking. "You know what's going on don't you?" I asked her with bewilderment
"Just watch" was all she said before something I never would have guessed happened.
Anna took off running at full speed towards us and had a look of pure determination on her face. She got to the middle of the arena and then she jumped. What was strange was that it wasn't your average human jump. No, no she jumped and went into the air about ten feet high. She then lit up into bright orange, red, yellow and black flames of fire. They surrounded her whole body like a cocoon around a caterpillar. Only instead of a butterfly that would appear, something else entirely different did. It was a bird.
"What the actual fuck?!?" cried out Zoran who jumped down and was walking towards Anna. The bird then lit up and flames again. The wings had black flames around them. Anna started doing all sorts of tricks and was basically showing off. Then it hit me... Oh my God. Anna's a phoenix.
Anna landed and turned back into her human self. However, she had a ball of fire that was in her hand and she was 'playing' with it. "If you haven't guessed what I am. I'm a phoenix more specifically The Phoenix. I'm the first one in a few million years."
She has got to be shitting me. There is no way this is true. "Anna what the hell. Since when could yo-u turn into a fucking bird?!?" I asked angrily. "And when were you planning on telling us anyway?"
"Umm Anna that's really cool and all but what? Umm, why? When? How?" Patrick asked in total shock while Ray stood next to him flabbergasted opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish coming up for food.
"If everyone would be quiet for a second I'd explain," said Anna then walked over to sit on the fence. "Now," she started to say as she made another ball of fire "yes I am a phoenix and they do exist here. It's just been a very long time since there has been one. The last one was a million years ago when Narnia was first created. According to legend, there has to be a person chosen by the former phoenix. How that is me? Well, I don't really know. All I know is that I'm to use my power to help fight evil. In this case, that's Adam. Now that you're all up to speed, Ariana, why don't you catch them up on the plan for tomorrow?"
Ariana had somehow ended up next to me "Yeah let's go to the conference tent and I'll fill you all in." she said and then turned to me smiling
We walked into this giant grey tent that was located in the middle of the camp. Inside the tent, there was a long mahogany table with a big battle map in the middle of the table. It almost took up the whole table. Then surrounding the table was a lot of chairs with two chairs that were bigger than the rest at the heads of the table. I assume those chairs are for General Duralgias and Ariana but as I was thinking that in my head, to my surprise Anna went to one of the chairs and sat down. Interesting. She has a really high rank even though she's only been here for three weeks. Ariana cleared her throat.
"Welcome to the conference room. This is where we make all of our battle plans, debrief, and discuss our next move. You all already know our commander in chief or as she likes to be called General Kesler or just General and her head general, Duralgias. Oh! And you know Captain Justin Alfonso. Sitting to his right is Admiral Oscar Newton, newly promoted, to his right Captain Octavia Nocte, and finally Lieutenant Michale Anderson. There are a few people missing due to them being out spying and setting things up. Oh please take a seat wherever you'd like." Ariana gestured to the empty chairs that remained.
Admiral Newton was a centaur-like Duralgias but he was a white horse with blonde hair. He looked well built and very strong. Captain Nocte was a tough-looking girl with strawberry blonde hair and sharp blue-green eyes. Lieutenant Anderson looked to be around the same age as Justin, He was tall, African looking and had black almost black coloured hair and navy blue eyes. Just then a very buff and kind of scary looking guy comes into the tent.
"General and your highness all preparations for travel are all set. Is there anything else that you would like me to prepare for you?" asked the man
"No that will be all Amos. Thank you" said Ariana before she said, "Amos why don't you join us for this part."
"Of course," he said before walking over to the back of the room and leaned against a pole
Ariana then introduced the newcomer to the rest of us. "Everyone, this is Commander Amos. Now the current plan is to travel to Adam's castle tomorrow night and infiltrate his nightly show with Anna. Now Anna will disguise herself as a special guest performer and perform for Adam. During her performance, she will weaken him using her powers and the spell I taught her. From there we'll get out of there very quickly before Adam can figure out what's happening to him. Then we'll go from there to what our next move is. Now I was thinking --"
"NO! Absolutely no way in hell is Anna doing that. No. Just no." interrupted Zoran
"And why might that be?" asked Anna who had stopped playing with her little ball of black fire
"I already lost you one then got you back all in the span of a month and now you want to sneak into the bad guy's castle and be right in front of him? That's fucking suicide."
"No, it's not. It's a genius plan Zoran. Adam has no fucking clue what I look like. He's not gonna know what hit him. It's the perfect attack. And I'll be fine. God, stop being so overprotective." snapped Anna
"As I was saying I was thinking that I should accompany Anna and her team. Anna, who are you bringing again?" Ariana said while trying to get the siblings to stop fighting
"I want Captains Kesler, Flynn, Lebelle, Alfonso, and Nocte. Plus you, Ariana. But that's it. No one else. If we have too many people it could give it away. I want a small group that can get in and out easily. Ariana, I hope you know that you're not coming in with us." I looked confused and shocked DId she just make me a captain and use my surname?
"Oh and yes I'm talking about Zoran, Patrick, and Jackson. Don't look too shocked I was already planning on making you captains anyway."
"Anna I want to come in with you I mean it's technically my cast-"
Ariana was cut off by Admiral Newton "If I may your majesty, if you were to go in you'd put the entire operation at risk. I mean just you going is risky enough especially since you're being left alone too."
"I agree," said Amos, who I'd forgotten was even there. "I think it's too risky to leave her alone anyway. So I volunteer to go along with you General and watch after the princess."
"All right fine. Amos, you can watch the Princess but that's it no one else is going."
"Anna if I may, I really want to go-"
"The answer is no Ariana! I agreed to let you come but I said nothing about you coming in. It's just too dangerous. You entrusted me with the command of your entire army. So you have to trust me right now when I say that our best course of action is for you to watch our escape route. Please don't argue with me." Anna sighed "I'm sorry but I just can't risk it"
"I know and I understand. I wish it wasn't this way"
"Me too. But it is what it is" Anna then turned to the rest of us. "Now then those not going please maintain the camp and keep training the new recruits. Michale, I want you to keep training Ray while we're gone. Duralgias you're in charge in my absence. Those going on the mission rest up and get ready, we leave an hour before dusk. You're all dismissed." Then Anna left the tent and the rest of us got ready for the mission ahead.
It was about an hour before dusk and it was time to go. The team was assembling near the front gate. Anna was checking her saddle on Eliza, Justin was loading a tent onto the back of his horse Phillip, Patrick was riding toward the group on Felicity, and Zoran was walking over with Jethro and Ray had come to see us off.
"Do you all have everything you?" asked Ray
Justin shouted over his shoulder "Yeah I think so, thanks, Ray."
Anna walked over to Ray, "All that's left is to say goodbye" she then hugged Ray and mounted Eliza
Zoran walked over and gave Ray a kiss before mounting his horse. Just then another black stallion with a white spot on its forehead came over. Riding the horse was Ariana. "Everyone I'd like you to meet my horse Starlight"
"Pretty horse. Now let's get going while we still have some light before it gets completely dark. If we take the shortcut by the river we should make it there in time to be in and out"
"Sounds good to me. I'll take the first shift in the back" Amos said and rode over to the back where the princess and I were standing.
"Be careful Zoran. Please don't do anything stupid. Actually no. All of you be careful. And come home safely." Ray said as she backed back into the camp.
"Wouldn't dream of dying. Now let's go!" Anna said as she kicked Eliza to go.
We rode through the woods and the sun had just set. We had been riding for about three hours. The trees were so thick that they hid us well from any scouts that could have been watching. We came to a clearing and then the river that Anna was telling us about. "Alright if we take this shortcut we should be there in about an hour or so. Ariana, you said he usually has shows around that time correct?"
"Yes that's correct," said Ariana who look a bit pale and nervous
"Alright, then onward," Anna said as she started going down the stairs to the river. We went on for a while before I noticed that Ariana still looked pretty pale. I rode up next to Ariana.
"Are you okay? You look a bit pale Ariana." I said as we went down the stairs together
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit nervous, you know? Just me being here put everything at risk but I just- I just really wanted to see what the monster turned my home into." she said in a quiet voice, looking at the ground.
"I know what you mean. If I was in your position I'd feel the same way too. It's okay to be scared though."
"Really?"
"Yeah, sure it is. It's a natural feeling. We all get it sometimes. I'm scared right now. Hell, I've been scared since we got here."
She chuckled, "Well it's nice to know that I'm not the only one to think so." She turned to me "Thank you"
"Anytime"
"We can't be that far off these trees look famil-" she stopped and then gasped. We had arrived.
Author's Note: Hello to all those who actually have read this. It's been a little over two years since I touched this story. I lost inspiration and motivation to write. I didn't really think anyone was reading this or liked it even. But I've grown a lot in two years and I've come to learn a lot of things. So I've decided to start writing and posting again. My goal is to finish the story then go back and rewrite/edit the first nine chapters. So anyone actually reading this story, thank you! All feedback, comments, and suggestions are welcome!