"Phoenix Soul - Chapter 1 (Evil in the Land Once More)" by Casey McCann

An old weathered man sat near the old stone fireplace of the Solace Arms inn. A group of children encircled him on the wooden floors, eagerly awaiting the story. Each night Qaus, the storyteller of Jaunce, the small town in which the Solace Arms was located, came to tell stories. The children of the village eagerly awaited this hour as they did their chores and as they played. The old man studied the youthful faces surrounding him with a grin. He always enjoyed his storytelling hour, for he loved children. A part of him longed to be a boy again, that part wished his youth was back, as he was nearly 105 years old. One thing he did have, and refused to give up, was his child's heart. Qaus coughed slightly and cleared his throat, starting his story, " Once long ago, the land wasn't as peaceful as it is now. A dark sorcerer named Shade Mahli tried to take over the world, but a hero stepped forward to stop them." Qaus paused and grinned as the children around him cheered happily, this story was one of their favorites. When the cheering died down he started again, " The hero's name was Kaeru Taelinnsey."

A green haired teenager watched the scene unfold with a grin. His vibrant purple eyes watched intently. He'd heard this story many times before in his childhood, but like the children he loved it. He grinned as he watched the children's reactions, as always the same, yet still ever amusing to him. He was currently sitting backwards on a chair, as the inn wasn't very busy, and his chores done for the day. He grinned as the woman he called his mother, the only mother he'd ever known, sat a plate of food in front of him, then she sat a mug of cider down beside it. She gave him a grin and said, " Here's your supper, Renai."

Renai gave her a big grin and replied warmly, " Thanks mom." Then he proceeded to clean the plate quite quickly, listening to Qaus's story while he ate.

The tale that Qaus was spinning as he captured the attention of the children was familiar to the few people that were in the inn. Besides the enraptured children, Renai, and his family, only two others were present at the inn. One was hooded and concealed themselves so well that Renai couldn't even begin to guess even what gender the guest was. The other was a knight, and judging from his armor Renai guessed that he followed the old code, which was based on dragons. Knights of the old code were rare, mostly because dragons themselves were rare, and most of the knights of the old code fought side by side with a dragon, and often one they had bonded with at birth. Renai decided to talk to the knight later, while his imagination dreamed up adventures the knight could have taken and a wanderlust started to stir within him. This wanderlust was familiar to Renai, who often dreamed of traveling the open road. But he was needed here at the inn. His adopted parents had him firmly rooted to the inn, and it would take a lot to uproot him so his wandering soul could be free. Renai turned his attention fully back to the tale Qaus was telling. He was to the part where Kaeru impressed a phoenix with his determination and courage. So much, in fact, that it agreed to help him. Kaeru combined with the phoenix's soul, or rather the other way around, to become the ultimate warrior. His strength was increased and he grew flaming wings, as well as giving him other abilities. As to what those other abilities were, well, that varied from storyteller to storyteller, and no one really knew for sure. As Qaus spoke, weaving the story as the talked, the tale progressed. Ending finally with Kaeru's defeat of Shade Mahli, which returned peace to the land. As night closed upon the sleepy town Qaus ended his long tale, and the children reluctantly went off to bed, yawning as they went. Renai decided that now was as good a time as any to talk to the knight. On closer examination Renai realized the knight was about his age, maybe two or three years older, or four at the most.

" Hello," Renai said, walking up to the knight, " I'm Renaissance Caelesti, but you can call me Renai for short."

" Hello, Renai," the knight answered, " The name's Markus, but please call me Mark. It's a pleasure to meet ya...I think...or did Fox say you were supposed to say something else...?"

Renai chuckled as the knight trailed off and answered, " It's a pleasure to meet you too." There was a moment of silence before Renai finally asked, " Mind if I sit down?"

" Naw, go right ahead," Mark replied with a grin, " Knock yourself out."

Renai seated himself across from the knight before asking, " What brings you to Jaunce?" He chuckled and added, " It is practically the middle of no where."

Mark just shrugged and replied, " I thought I'd take a breather and get away from the city life at Cadel for a while, so, I decided to see the country side." He mumbled to himself, " And I majorly pissed off Fox...."

" Cadel?! The city of the knights of the old code?!" Renai exclaimed, momentarily forgetting Mark wore the armors of the knights of the old code, and barely keeping himself from interrupting.

" Aye," Mark replied, " Very few knights of the old code left these days." Mark sighed.

" Very few dragons too," Renai agreed, " And the two go hand in hand. Speaking of which, where is your dragon?"

" He died about a year ago...I haven't been able to find another since," Mark replied, his tone hinting that he'd been attached to the dragon.

" I'm, I'm sorry," Renai stuttered, not being able to think of anything else to say.

" It's alright," Mark assured him, shooting him a mischievous grin, " So, you work here?"

" Yeah," Renai replied, " The owners are my adopted parents."

" Oh," Mark answered, " Did you know your real parents?"

" No," Renai replied, " And no one here did, either. The way I've heard it I just appeared here when I was really young."

" That's so sad," Mark answered, but before he could say anything else an explosion rocked the tiny town.

" What was that?" Renai cried.

Mark shrugged, " I don't know." Renai headed to the door of the inn, hearing Mark's voice behind him, " Hey, where are you going, kid?"

Renai looked over his shoulder and replied, " I'm trying to see what's going on." Then he let out a gasp as his eyes took in the scene of destruction before him. The village was on fire. He looked around desperately trying to see who was responsible for the fire, but he could find no one. Then he heard a thud as he saw a man of about 5 feet and 9 inches jump off the inn's roof. The man had shoulder length hair of a light red hue and orange red eyes. The man wore a dark crimson robe, the hood of which was currently down.

" And Fox calls me an idiot," Mark muttered to himself, then against his better judgment he decided to join Renai at the door. " Hey, buddy, who are you?" he asked the crimson robed man.

The man only replied slightly sadly, " Your worst nightmare." Then a ball of fire appeared in his hand.

" Wha...what are you doing?" Renai asked in surprise, after all balls of fire don't just appear in someone's hand everyday.

" I'm doing my orders," the man replied, a tone of regret in his voice, as he threw the ball of fire into the inn.

" Shit," Mark said, " Listen, Kid, we've got to get out of here before the whole place goes down.

" No," Renai cried, " I'm not leaving without mom and dad!"

" I thought your parents were dead," replied Mark in one of his dense moments.

" Not my real parents, my adopted ones!" Renai cried running back into the inn. He almost ran into the hooded stranger as he ran towards the kitchen, " Sorry!"

" Wait, where are you going?" the hooded stranger asked, her voice revealing her a girl, or rather woman. She ran after him, her longer strides quickly overtaking Renai, " You must leave now!" Renai tried to protest but the hooded stranger cut him off, " I'll save them, just get out of here, alright?" Renai tried to move past her but she just shoved him towards Mark and said, " Get him out of here now, got it?!"

" Umm...yes...er...'mam," Mark stuttered as he caught Renai in surprise and dragged him out, " We need somewhere to wait this out...."

" No, we need to stop that guy in the crimson robe," Renai stated.

" No, that's pure lunacy!!!" Mark cried, " You saw him!! How can you expect to go up against a guy that makes fire appear in his hands?!?!?!"

" I dunno," Renai answered, " I hadn't quite got that far yet."

Mark sighed and yelped as he saw Renai take off, " Hey, come back here, Kid!!!" Mark groaned as he ran after him, the hooded stranger and Renai's parents appearing behind him.

" Wait," the stranger called after him, " You take them and I'll go after the boy."

" Okay," Mark happily agreed, not really relishing the thought of the man in the crimson robe.

The stranger then ran past him catching up to Renai just as he found the man in the crimson robe. Her hood had fallen down in her haste, revealing her to be a pretty elven maiden. She had rich medium blue hair with a slight green tint that was braided atop her head and vibrant purple eyes similar to Renai's own. She appeared to be in her thirties.

" Why did you do this?!" Renai yelled at the crimson clothed man.

" I already told you," the man said, his voice almost sad, " I'm just following orders." Then he sighed, " I'm afraid I can't allow for any survivors."

" What?!" Renai cried, looking for something to attack the man with.

" Run, Renai!!" the now unhooded elf cried, " I'll cover you!"

" But," Renai started to protest.

" You can't help anyone if your dead. You have the capability to avenge these deeds, but there are things you need to learn first!!" the elven girl stated, cutting him off. Then she turned to the crimson attired man, " And as for you, bring it on!!!" The elven girl then closed her eyes and shot a burst of water at him.

The man quickly dodged, " You're pretty good, but not good enough to fight us...." He sighed and muttered to himself, " I really wish I didn't have to do this."

With that the man launched a ball of fire at the elf, only to have her deflect it, " Seems like I can put up a good fight to me. Fire and water are opposite element, even the weakest opponents have a chance if their elements oppose."

" So true," the crimson robed man replied, " I'll take care of you later. There are easier things to tend to first." With that he jumped onto the roof of a burning building and ran past her, the roof collapsing behind him.

The woman chased him from the street as they came upon Mark, Renai, and Mark's parents. " So that's your game," she thought. Before the elf could prevent it a ball was launched at the group. Mark, with his instincts built from years of battle training, dodged, and his parents instinctively dodged in front of Renai taking the blow for him.

" Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!" Renai cried as his parents fell before him, the only family he'd ever known.

" Watch out!!" the elf cried, extinguishing another ball that had been released by the crimson garbed man with a ball of her own.

The battle then raged between the two, as Renai watched in a mixture of awe and anger. Finally they both were exhausted, the elf more so.

" You fight well, elf, but I don't think you'll see another day," the crimson robed man remarked, " I, on the other hand return to my mistress.... I'm afraid I'll have a severe punishment for letting you to go. I'll finish this later."

" He didn't even say his name...," Renai said to himself as he watched the man disappear in a wall of flames. Then he saw the elven woman was to the point of collapsing, and indeed did, although Renai was just in time to catch her. " Who are you?" he asked, " You...you saved my life.... Thank you."

" It's not that much of an amazing feat to save someone's life," the woman replied.

" But...I'm a human...and your an elf.... And there's not a good relation between the two races," Renai stuttered.

" You're only half human...," the woman replied, trailing off.

" Wha...What?" Renai asked, surprised.

" Renai...listen to me closely," the woman said, looking him strait in the eye.

" Uh...sure...I'm listening," Renai answered.

" You're true name is Jaden Taelinnsey, and after I die you will be one of the two last remaining descendants to Kaeru. I am your mother, and I have kept watch on you for the past twelve years of your life. It was too dangerous to keep you with me, and I see it was too dangerous even to watch you," the woman coughed, " And evil sorceress, Haima Mahli, who calls herself the Sorceress Freki, is hunting down the heirs of the Taelinnsey line. She wants none of you to rise and defeat her. Her purpose is to fulfill her adopted father Shade's goal of taking over the world and to avenge his death. You must do two things. First you must grow and learn so that you may defeat Freki, you are the world's hope. Second, protect your cousin, the only other one of the line, he will prove useful to you, although he's young. Here, take this scroll, it will tell you how to reach the elven city. Show them the tattoo on your forehead, it is a mark of our royal house, and show them this necklace, they will let you in and can further instruct you. Evil once again is in this land and attempting to cover it with their darkness, you must not let them, Jaden. Save our land. I'm only sorry, son, that I couldn't have spent more time with you...or...or help you more."

Renai sat in silence taking it all in and trying to recover from the shock, " This...this is all true?"

" Yes, my son," the woman replied.

" I won't let you down then, mother. Would you tell me two things...?" Renai asked.

" If I know the answer," she replied.

" What is your real name and who was my father?" Renai questioned.

" My name is Cadence Taelinnsey, and your father was a human...a knight of the old code called Solo Taysen.... He disappeared years ago, and I know not if he's still alive...we were to be married.... Go now my, son. Become all the warrior Kaeru was," his mother told him.

" Yes, I will. I won't fail you, I won't fail this world!" Renai said in determination.

" Good," his mother said, " Now, where did that knight go?"

" You mean me?" Mark questioned, poking his head up from behind a well that sat nearby.

" Yes, please protect my son and help him on his quest," Cadence asked.

" Whoa...that's asking a lot...," Mark replied, " And I was heading back to Cadel...."

" Cadel is on the way to where he needs to go, can you at least guarantee him a safe trip there?" she asked.

" Umm...well...okay, I guess," Mark shrugged, " I can try."

" Good, that's all I need to know from a knight. I will be gone soon, good bye, my son. It's nice to know one thing," Cadence said.

" What?" Renai and Mark asked in unison.

" That man was wrong. The sun is now rising, and I have seen another day," Cadence smiled as her eyes closed and she gave up life.

Renai closed his eyes. In one day he'd lost all his family, all that was left was that cousin his real mother had mentioned, and he intended to find him. He opened his eyes and clenched his fists as he turned to Mark, " Let's go."

" That I agree with you on, Kid," Mark said, as the two walked out of the burnt town, leaving the wind to scatter the ashes of the dead.