Phoenix Heart - Chapter 1: Escape (standard:fantasy, 0 words) [2/2] show all parts
Author: Sounasha	Added: Jul 05 2001	Views/Reads: 2735/2229	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Story Summary: Listen all, to my tale- a tale of a page who grew into her blade; a tale of love and loss, magic and royalty, courage and freedom. It is the story of the Fire Queen, the lady knight with the heart of a phoenix... Listen, all, to the tale of

Phoenix Heart 

Chapter 1: Escape 

Cascadia Falls.  It was a beautiful city, nestled in the center of
Shadow Star island, snug against the mountains.  Sparkling canals led 
outward from the huge waterfalls from which the city received its name. 
The capitol's strong stone walls had forever stood against Chaos... 

Yet no longer, Kyron thought, staring over the ill-kempt ramparts to the
ravaged and pillaged land.  The forces of Chaos had been let into the 
city and the rest of the island by Shadow Star's usurper of a king 
nearly four hundred years hence.  He didn't know what he was supposed 
to be guarding against.  The enemy had breached the walls centuries 
ago. 

A rasp of leather against stone- a footstep.  The knight whirled, his
spear coming off the ground reflexively.  He relaxed- though only 
slightly- at the sight of a younger, red-haired man.  "Coran," Kyron 
acknowledged brusquely. 

"So you still have reflexes after all," the Chaotic knight commented
casually, laughingly.  "Dunno why they keep you around.  Nearly 
everyone else-" 

"-has defected to Chaos," Kyron snarled.  "Betraying the country, the
realms, the gods..." 

"The gods are dead," Coran spat scornfully.  "Let those who need a god
worship the Nameless One."  His gold-irised, red-pupiled eyes - the 
mark of a Shadow Starian on Chaos' side- turned cold and hard.  "You 
should be more careful, old man.  Insulting our allies... you wouldn't 
want some of the more easily angered types to hear you, now would you?" 


The knight's jaw clenched in fury.  "You shadow-blinded fool!" he
exclaimed, half in exasperation, half in anger.  "Chaos pillages our 
fields, rapes our women, and kills without need.  Shadow Star is 
diseased!  Just look at the walls and the townspeople!  And you say 
Chaos is our ally?" 

Coran's grip tightened on his spear.  "Your shift is over," he growled. 
"I think you'd better leave." 

Kyron's salute was mocking and furious, his gray eyes snapping fire.  He
stalked out of the guard tower and headed down the streets.  Ragged, 
emancipated shadows drew back as he passed; hollow, hungry eyes stared 
after him as he walked through the city.  With each step, his walk grew 
gradually less tense, and he appeared more and more relaxed to the 
casual eye.  He turned down a side street and soon reached a reasonably 
well-kept house near Cascadia's gates.  Kyron walked through the door 
and shut it calmly, a man just returning home to any onlookers, but the 
moment he entered the house, his countenance altered completely.  
"Tirra!" he called. 

A quiet, petite, brown-haired woman in healer's garb stepped into the
room, concern etched into her features.  "Is something wrong, Kyron?" 

"We're leaving Cascadia," he said curtly.  "I spoke too freely today,
and we're going to have problems within a few hours." 

Tirra's face tightened visibly, but she didn't protest.  "I'll get the
bags."  They had kept packs of food and clothing ready for this 
inevitable day. 

A young, lithe girl of thirteen years stepped into the house, her
uniform marking her as a page.  She stopped as she entered, looking 
from Tirra to Kyron in slight confusion.  Her vivid blue eyes clearly 
showed that emotion beneath her dark brown hair.  "What's going on?" 
she asked. 

"We're leaving the city," Kyron told his daughter. 

She nodded slowly. "And what about my training?" 



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