Cole now sat in a shrine of some sort deep beneath one of the trees, his sword laid out, his shirt having been discarded. Before his sword sat three large candles.
“I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere.” Cole said slightly confused
“If you want to learn control. Then light these without destroying them.” Faye said ignoring his inquiry
“I swear I’m getting Deja vu.” Cole repeated
“Do you want to learn or die?” Faye reminded him immediately
“Fine.” Cole said defeated as he began to focus his breathing
“This is a technique used by most fire mages. It’s been proven to be most effective for beginners. It usually disappoints most.” Faye said as she sat down now meditating
“I read a lot in my spare time.” Cole retorted trying not to lose focus as the candles began to spark while he
“Really? You, read books? That impresses even me.” Faye said not losing concentration while Cole did sending him rolling back from an explosion “Told you you’d blow up.” She added
“Yeah… now I know I’ve read this somewhere.” Cole replied simply groaning some as he laid there
The hours turned to days as he exploded countless candles but Faye never once lost her focus. She was serving as an example. He didn’t get how she could do it. Her aura was completely different, strong and deep. His was explosive and burning. But then it hit him, the mental image forming in his mind. It felt so real, the heat of a forge, he had to temper himself and his powers. Just like the sword was forged.
Some kind of memory linked to the sword, he could see her standing there as the smith hammered away. She was like him, a Phoenix…
As he came to his hand was on his heart. He could feel her pain, what it took to be a Phoenix took a lot out of you. But your choices were just as important, walking away wasn’t an option. Everyone must choose between what is right in their heart and what is easy to do.
As Faye watched her eyes were narrowed truly impressed by this human. She’d never known one to progress so fast, it had to be a divine blessing. There was no other explanation, no other answer she could think beyond the borders of Eden or even Menagerie and Igdrinui…
‘No. Not possible, he can’t be… someone from Falconia would’ve heard by now of one of the great ships returning. How could one boy have come here by himself?’
Iris’ words coming back to her whispering in her ear.
‘He reminded me of her…’
But who? The only person she could think of was Mariko, though it was extremely unlikely Cole had been up in mountains of the Shinobi. Iris had left Faydark one more time after their return. All she’d heard from the scouts was she did mostly assassin work. Taking out entire families in the country side that would lure poor farmers and travelers with food and work only to torture them. Or nobility who abused their power, any who were complicit in their actions died as well. The Red Ronin. But who could this other woman be? Something about Cole’s fire was more… Primordial.
Cole could now successfully light the candles without exploding. This usually took months, but for him it was seemingly simple to master.
“So… what now?” Cole asked exhausted now
“Now. You refine it, you make it your own.” Tigress said stepping in now
“I told you he’s not ready. He’s only barely mastered the basics.” Faye demanded
“Those in high and low places will have heard of a man who has slain the demon tree and defeated a reigning champion of the Kushan’s, and any other place he travels. If Falconia hasn’t heard of him by now, they will.” Tigress said as Cole looked very shocked and confused at all this
“Falconia will not set foot in here. Even we elves cannot tame Faydark or it’s Shadowlands. They would only lose more men than it would be worth.” Faye clarified
“But he cannot stay here forever. He will have to learn to fight when the necessity arises. No matter what level of skill he may be at.” Tigress now countered knowing she was right
“I do not condone this. He will get himself killed with you.” Faye asserted
“All the more reason. He took what was mine, I will reclaim what is mine and he will die. Or he will prove me wrong and gain control.” Tigress countered once more “We can only put him on the path. My goals have never changed. If anyone’s gone soft it’s you two. Pah, you and Iris have found peace, but you were both great and passionate warriors. You spoke out against the high council and founded the rangers for those exiles.” She said marching forward towards Faye who still sat
“Do not speak of affairs that you were not present for.” Faye warned her an edge in her voice
“And Iris, the Red Ronin. The elven samurai, a night wraith. Under the eve of a red moon she would slaughter entire mansion’s or burn them to the ground. But she grew soft. A recluse in the woods who wandered aimlessly until she stumbled upon Cole.” Tigress dug in further as Cole was even more in shock
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“I said keep quiet! You know nothing.” Faye shouted her voice echoing loudly now making Cole feel the pressure but Tigress was only mildly annoyed
“And me? A nobody, like him. Who earned their keep. He earned my time and respect, he spared me, and I chose to walk with him to mold him into a true warrior. But I will not spare him from retaking what is mine, whether I kill him or force him to surrender and make him mine, either way I travel with him with my reasons being altruistic.” Tigress finally said being upfront and honest with Cole himself most of all, but Faye knew she was still hiding something in her words
“Very well. If you think it will work, then by all means kill him.” Faye said as she rose and left in a fit
“Come, bring only your sword. I will draw this power out or kill you. You will drag your feet no longer.” Tigress demanded of Cole as she left too
Cole was truly at a loss. Tigress knew everything about Faye and Iris. Who they were. As well making it plainly clear what she herself desired. Now he had no choice but to confront this power again. Yet he could feel Saeko’s warmth again coming from her bow that rested on the other side of the shrine. He knew what would come, but he did not want to go war. It was the way of the phoenix to repel the forces of evil and defend those that could not. But he had to have the knowledge to make the right decisions when needed. But in battle it was surviving longer than those who fight against you.
With this he grabbed his bow and sword before leaving finally…
Tigress awaited him out in three swamps and away from the Ranger’s settlement just in case. As she also now her shield extended out.
“I told you only your sword.” Tigress said sternly
“And I decided for myself. I’m walking my own path.” Cole said his bow at the ready
“Have your way then.” Tigress smirked launching herself his way
To which he fired off an explosive ash arrow and leaping out of the way to fire a second time, using his aura to blast himself into the air from his feet with an explosion of fire and landing on a high up branch, exhibiting a level of control only seen in mages thrice his age.
He had no lack of confidence, though what he feared was the reality of his actions.
Another arrow came flying and exploded on impact against her shield as she batted it away still charging before jumping at him her offhand flying forward.
With his own offhand he drew his sword swiftly in a reverse grip and scraping against her shield as it rapidly deployed forcing them back to the ground.
Cole now holding his sword with two hands he could feel more control, the old man resting a hand on his shoulder lending his aura hardening his body, his muscles, his bones, his skin, he could feel his eyes burning unknowingly shifting. Long black slits like the eyes of a serpent but with fire behind the void that were those black slits…
With a swing of his sword he now batted Tigress away sending her sliding back in shock.
This was the power of the Phoenix. But something darker, more vile, like death itself. His blade now glowing red hot and catching fire now while generating so much heat. He was resonating with his sword and this power in his soul, all three finding a harmony of flames cloaked in smoke and shadow.
With this he stabbed his sword into the ground and twisted it a series of gears sounding off out of seemingly nowhere as the flames and shadows began to encircle them both.
“Salazar, Flame of the East: the inferno!” Cole shouted driving his sword deeper into the ground as the flames seemed to be burning even hotter and it was so dry
She looked up and could almost see it, the fire was eating up every bit of aura in the area, and absorbing directly to the sword. It clearly took a lot to manage this level of spell and he was still pushing himself beyond his limits. The fire gradually died down as he slowly forced himself to stand and drawing his sword again as it was smoking even still.
“Salazar, Flame the South: Ashes to Ashes.” Cole invoked as he held his sword up and launched himself at Tigress
She was immediately caught off guard as he sent her sliding back and feeling the full force of his attack while she had no aura to brace herself. Only her shield could defend her now being of Dwarven make, best of their craft, even without magic being imbued into it. She would have to rely on her own raw strength. She could feel a genuine smile forming. She was having fun, having absolutely no magic and forced to rely on herself. She wanted her title back after all.
Cole’s sword once more burst into flames of violent and mixed colors; black, orange, yellow and red. With one swing he launched the flames at her as she had to fend it off with just her strength and shield.
“Haaaaaaahh!!!” Tigress cried out a she pushed the blast out and away causing a massive blasts wave to shoot back at Cole who was unaffected
“Salazar, Flame of the West: Hellfire Blade.” He said now calmly holding his sword at his side now as he had learned to tame the flames as they bathed the black sword blade
With one swing he launched a powerful compressed slash of flames at her. She instinctively blocked it with her shield but could feel the power behind. The metal. This fire, it was in truth primordial as she could no longer deny it. But it was not the flame of the Phoenix, something far more to it…
For once she was wide eyed as his level of control. He was like a completely different person, someone else entirely.
“Who the hell are you?” Tigress asked finally as he chuckled
“I am all, Salazar, the Phoenix, and the sword. With so many choices and conflicting ideals we learned we weren’t so different. When one cant exist without purpose for the other then a balance has to be met. And so we are that balance.” Cole explained but his voice sound so distorted by all the different powers “If he truly wants control then he better take it. Only on his own strength can he do what is needed when the time comes.” He added
With this Cole launch another two more horizontal slashes of fire at her. Her shield could take it but it was a pain and keeping at a distance. Finally he raised his sword high as the gears sounded again and loud bells clanged.
“Salazar, Flame of the North: Phoenix Flame Strike!” He called out as he brought his sword with both hands and unleashing a large blast of these flames headed right for her
Just dodging it by millimeters, the large explosion of spread out and shot into the sky as it extinguished as rapidly as it appeared. Forcing her again to rely on her own strength and leap out of the way in time to not be singed by this primordial fire. She’d never had to fight this hard to keep up with someone before. That’s when she could start to feel it, or the lack there of. Then a deafening ring began to grow in her ears. Her eyes growing wide as she let out a blood curdling scream clasping her hands over her ears tightly as a torrent of rain began to pour down on the very area they’d been battling upon.
“Salazar, Rain of Sin.” Cole’s distorted voice now said as his sword smoked and hissed from the rain
Tigress could feel it washing over her. This rain, the sorrow, the cold suffocating feeling of being alone. It was something far deeper than Cole or this power he possessed, something far more powerful and older than even the Phoenix itself. Weighing down on her, crushing her, draining her of aura, like the rain itself was washing it away. Leaving her feeling bare, stripped of all that made her who she was.
She could feel Cole’s blade near her neck, the heat still emitting from the metal quite painful, though she did not flinch nor show sign of pain.
“This is over. If you continue this fight. Then I will kill you.” Salazar said now taking control the most over Cole now
Yet Cole was clearly fighting back against this, his eyes shifting from his own to that of the spirit of this sword as well as the power of the Phoenix. He was fighting hard to find equilibrium but struggling to assert his dominance.
‘I know you’re stronger than this.’ She thought to herself
Deep inside his soul Cole sat alone at a desk, an empty room with rows of empty desks, a large blackboard and podium at the front and center. The sun setting in a row of large panel windows. Leaning against the corner was the man himself, Salazar.
‘What is this place…?’
Something about this place was so melancholic, somber, lonely. Like it was a place of endless repetition day after day.
‘No, no. Disengage Cole, don’t become consumed by this, it’s your own imagination, you are the one in control.’
Tigress slowly felt her vision return to normal now. She could feel the rain still coming down as Cole was passed out now as she pulled him along to try and get him out of this rain, the ground beneath her feet scorched black
“Another 15 minutes. So that’s how long each of those stages last. An hour in total his ritual took.” Tigress noted panting now as it was in truth difficult to keep up with, she’d forgotten what it was like to fight with help at all and on her own raw strength
The entire area where they’d just fought was and where he’d released that last powerful slash were completely empty… stripped and drained of aura, like a tear in the very atmosphere of all aura as it continues to pour down rain on only this area. She could withstand it for sometime but knew she had to get him out of here before he died from a lack of aura himself. The fool used too much in his attacks.
Faye and a team of Rangers soon arrived as she finished pulling him out of the area. The Rangers and Faye all having a look of horror. They could feel it too.
“It’s even worse inside it. Like an immense pressure it put on your very body and mind.” Tigress explained as two healers terrified while they worked on stabilizing Cole’s aura
“How could a mere boy have such destructive power?! And how could you survive such an experience?!” Faye said absolutely astounded at what she’d just heard
“Destiny is often a cruel mistress…” Tigress mumbled now this catching Faye’s eye “Something he often muttered in his sleep.” She added “I will tend to him.” She said as well carefully lifting him to be guided back
Faye was deeply annoyed with this but knew she couldn’t argue and only guided her back to their settlement…
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