"Silver Phoenix Chaptre four" by Audrey Youko.Greywords M.

“Ummm…” I tried to thank him for helping me but I couldn’t talk. Something about those eyes.

“I have demon eyes, I know. You don’t have to say it.” He looked around as we were surrounded by more elves and humans. They all had dark skin like Gilga, but no one else had his slanted almond eyes.

“Captain, there wasn’t anything in there worth getting in there.” This speaker was a human man, I noted.

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Rishou.” Gilga smiled broadly and jerked a thumb back at me and Phoenix.

“Is he a hostage?” Asked a young girl, elfish, but she looked around my age for what that’s worth.

“Nope!” Gilga chirpped happily. “Lookit ‘im. He’s human. Whoever’d pay for him wouldn’t be around here.”

“He’s got a pretty big sword.” One of the larger and more menacing-looking humans tried to get Phoenix from me, but Gilga stopped him.

“Wrong again! I know that weapon, and you’d be lucky if you’re still in one piece after trying to take it from it’s rightful owner.” He moved the man’s hand away from me.

“Then what’s the point of grabbing him!?” One human woman pouted.

“I’m going to travel with him!”

This was met with fierce protests from the band of no more than half a dozen members.

“I’ll hear none of it!” Gilga held up his hand for silence. “Until my eventual return, Gorbez is your captain.” He motioned to a rather heavy-set elf before continuing. “Should my meanderings outlast the life of the captain, he will be in charge of appointing his successor. Stay together and look after each other.”

With that, he turned around and walked over to me.

“Come on.” He said to me under his breath.

The group looked upset, but no one stepped forward to challenge his descision.

We were well out of earshot of the group before he turned to speak to us.

“So, Shiva! I never thought I would see you again! Y’know, I was just wondering to myself a few years ago whatever happened to you. You’ve got a new knight I see? But this kid looks like no more than a page to me!” He grinned like an idiot.

“I’m not a knight or a page!” I shot at him. “I’m an apprentice to a weapons smith!”

“But surely you’re not going to suggest to me that your master made the Shiva Blade. I know better than that, human. He was old when I was half this age.” He had a habit of getting in my face when he talked to me that was going to get irritating very quick.

“I didn’t say that! I found Phoenix in the middle of the woods. Anyway, how old are you?”

“Phoenix?” He turned to the sword with a puzzled look on his face. “Is that what he calls you? Why didn’t you tell him your real name?” He spoke toward my hip when he talked to phoenix, as if he was speaking to a sword latched to my belt. I thought that was odd.

Phoenix laughed lightly, “That is my name now. ‘Shiva’ was not my original name either. That was just what Wielder Angus dubbed me.”

“Angus!? Wait, are you talking about Angus the white knight?”

“Yes, of course.” Phoenix smiled, pleased at my interest it seemed.

“Who else would he have meant, human? Do you know of anyone else who owned the Shiva Blade?” Gilga crossed his arms smugly.

“Be quiet you! And anyway, my name’s Watt. If you’re going to talk to me like that at least use my name.” I griped at him from around Phoenix.

“Okay, Okay!” He threw up his arms in defense, a stupid grin plastered on his face.

Angus the white knight was the most famous warrior of the human race ever to have fought in war. He was an undefeated fighter, a tactical genius, and a hero. He wielded an invincible sword called the Shiva Blade after an ancient war-god. With it he was said to have felled an entire regiment of enemy soldiers with one stroke.

He was also renowned for his kindness. He would put himself into danger to help people who needed him. One legend says that he took the blame for a crime that he didn’t commit, just to save an innocent man who was being accused of being a thief. His act of kindness cost him the use of his right ear and left a scar on his face that he carried until his death at age 44.

“But, wait! Angus the white knight lived almost a century ago!”

“Really? It doesn’t seem like so much time has passed.” Phoenix got a far away look on his face.

“Perhaps not to you, living weapon. I was but a child when we first crossed paths, now I’m almost middle-aged.” Gilga kept looking downward to talk to Phoenix.

“How old are you?” I looked first at Phoenix and then at Gilga when he spoke. “How old are you??”

“Maybe I’ll tell you later.” He winked and pointed at the path ahead of us. We were almost out of the forest and back on the main road.

There was a caravan passing on the road in front of us. It was made up of one nice carriage, three pens of the kind used to cage criminals, and lots and lots of soldiers all wearing the livery of a neighboring Baron who had never been on the friendliest of terms with the Baron whose lands I lived in.

This would be bad if they spotted the three of us. Please don’t let them see us! I prayed mentally.

“Hey, Watt.” Gilga tapped me on the shoulder with some urgency.

“What?!” I hissed at him.

“I think they’ve spotted us.” He pointed towards a group of soldiers that were bearing down on us.