Little Phoenix

Today was finally that unfortunate day. We were already near the border of Clamamus with the rest of the Military groups. Once we broke through the treeline and our group leader gave us the signal, I flapped my wings and flew forward. I reached one of the Banshees and I spun around, my wings slicing off her head. I dropped down, landing on my feet.

Then the screams started.

My head pounded with pain and I saw a knife flying towards my face. I lifted up my arm, the knife embedding itself into my arm. Another Banshee charged at me and I ripped the knife out of my arm. My leg kicked out as I sent one back a few feet in time to dodge a swipe from another. These Banshees were more concerned about killing me than planning their attack—and I easily used that to my advantage.

When another Banshee lunged at me, I twisted my body and slung him away—into the awaiting arms of Vesper who tore him apart with magik. I nodded to Vesper before I joined the frenzy once again. I smiled when the screams stopped, quickly planning my attack. Vesper yelled, “Behind yeh, Eli!”

I spun around, my wings slamming into the Banshee behind me and sending her flying into a tree. I unsheathed my katana, steadying it as I looked at the Prosopoeia that Alizar was struggling to fight. I crouched down and lifted my left heel just barely off the ground. I lifted my wings and flapped them once as I launched myself forward.

With the added help from my wings, I reached the Prosopoeia and Alizar within seconds. I lifted my katana, holding it closer to me so I didn’t hit Alizar with it. My katana came into contact with the Prosopoeia’s neck. Blood peeked out from underneath my blade and I flapped my wings again, pushing myself forward.

My feet landed a few feet in front of Alizar and the dead Prosopoeia body. Alizar told me, “Thanks, Eli.” I nodded, “’Course, Ali.” Both of us go to fight another enemy. I come face-to-face with a Prosopopoeia whose eyes are glowing yellow. His skin is glowing and I steadied my katana. Before he could do anything, I sliced my katana upwards.

My katana sliced through his neck and gold blood splattered onto my face. I’m attacked from behind, a Banshee scream being directed at me. I dropped my katana and clamped my hands over my ears. Wings, I suddenly thought. Hit them with your wings. I spin around, my legs crossing as I do so. My wings slammed into the Banshee and she was sent flying away from me.

I grabbed my katana’s hilt and picked up my katana from off the ground. I turned around and came face-to-face with a human as a cold blade was stabbed into my skin. Pain burned from my stomach wound and I grabbed my katana hilt, pulling it forward. I hit him in the stomach with the hilt, causing him to fall and curl up into a ball.

“Please–” He started. I cut him off, “No.” I sliced my katana through the air, and his head went flying off, red blood spraying onto me and the ground from his sliced open neck. My head pounded with pain as another Banshee charged at me and my leg kicked out as I sent one back a few feet in time to dodge a swipe from another.

When another Banshee lunged at me, I twisted my body and slung her away—into the awaiting arms of Alizar who tore her apart with magik. I nodded to Vesper before I joined the frenzy once again. I smiled when the screams stopped, quickly planning my attack. I looked up as I sheathed my katana. The skies are black and the stars shine dimly, as if they were forced to shine but don’t want to.

The clouds are a mix of white and a pale grey, the trees above me showing no signs of colour either. The pine trees towering above me are a dark grey, not black but still grey. Their trunks were definitely closer to black than grey, and yet they didn’t look like it. The strike of a pale white streak of lightning made me look lazily at the clouds.

Thunder cracked, echoing throughout the forest surrounding me. Rain poured all around me, pattering down. The screams started again and I spun around on my heel, coming face-to-face with a sight I had seen in my nightmare. In front of me, I see Vesper and a Banshee. I feel two arms restrain me as I go to run forward.

The Banshee screamed, and pain tore through my head as horror pooled in my stomach. No, no, no. Vesper’s goin’ to die and I can’t do anythin’ to save him. My head was pounding with pain, and I felt blood begin to run down from my nose. I screamed out, fighting against the arms that were restraining me.

Pain shot through me as the volume of the scream increased, now being also directed at me. I clutched my head, tears falling from my eyes. The scream stopped for a second before another one released, directed at both me and Vesper.

I feel blood start to run down from my eyes and my ears as the blood running from my nose increases. Blood trailed down from Vesper’s ears, eyes, and nose. No, no, no! He’s dyin’! Red tinted my vision and in front of me, I saw Vesper. My anger rose as Vesper looked over at me, the spark in his eyes fading as blood trailed down his face from his eyes.

My eyes began to fill with tears as I fought against the arms that were restraining me. I watched his mouth move, reading his lips move to make the words “I love you.” He paused for a few seconds before I watched his mouth move to make the words, “Everything is going to be okay.”

Then everything just…stopped.

The world went dead silent for the next few seconds. I was silent, but fuming with violent anger. I wasn’t angry, and I wasn’t livid. I was unhinged. Then there was…nothing. One second, my vision was red at the sight of Vesper dying and the next, I was opening my eyes to the sight of a blood soaked battle field.

Everybody but the generals and the lieutenants looked at me in fear. I was soaked in blood and I had lost my uniform top, revealing the black tank top I would wear underneath my uniform top and my assassin mark. I didn’t remember anything.

Until I did, half a year later.