Thousand Year Sword: Part 9.06: Phoenix

    “well,” says the Soul King tapping his long bony fingers on the arm of his oversized throne addressing a skeleton in armor bowing down by the door.

 

   With a mouth that has neither lips nor throat the skeleton speaks, “yes sire, the Hexas maiden has been captured, our agents are on their way back, they should be returning through the western passage any day now.”

 

   “No,” says the Soul King pointing at his display of the kingdom, “I want a report about the temples…”

 

   He taps his fingers in frustration, “first the northern temple…then the eastern temple,”

 

 

   “It is now stone ruins covered in vegetation, barely recognizable, and we are unable to approach the northern temple sire,” says the skeleton guard, “all of us who pass by the edge of growing vegetation that have overtaken it fall dead to the ground, the remains then eaten by the monstrous plants that have overtaken the area.”

 

   “A turtle hides in its shell,” says the Soul King, “no matter, just leave it be. What of the eastern temple?”

 

   The skeleton guard is silent.

 

   “Answer me!” shouts the Soul King who is overtaken by a harsh cough by his outburst.

 

  “There is no eastern temple.” Answers the skeleton guard.

 

  “What?” growls the Soul King while performing an odd spell with a blue arcane symbol that he pushes into his own chest.

 

  “There is a lake there,” says the skeleton guard, “local towns have reported that a massive blue dragon appeared and demolished the temple, replacing it with a crystal blue lake. Like the northern temple we are unable to approach, in this case our bodies instantly turn to stone and collapse.”

 

   “Have the guards keep an eye on the lake from a safe distance,” says the Soul King, “set up a range of communication camps leading back here, I want to know the instant the dragon is sighted again, now go.”

 

   The skeleton guard utters, “yes sire,” and leaves.

 

  The Soul King glares at the display, “why now? Is it a coincidence?”

 

  “Do not worry,” says the booming voice from the shadows, “soon you shall have the hexas maiden, and the Chaos Walker, the power from the goddesses will be as nothing next to its might.”

 

    ******

 

   As he walks through the dark forest Lukatara looks down at the two keys he recently acquired, the two needed to enter the central room of the southern temple. They were far too easy to obtain, one was held by  Lich teacher, which granted was able to put up a fight and if not for his shield its necro fireballs no doubt would have done him in. The second key was guarded by a swarm of speed zombies in an old fort. If not for their numbers and speed it wouldn’t have been even half a challenge. Lukatara wanders if he really has gotten so strong, he feels even stronger than just the boost given to him by Lohln. Then again he has been fighting almost none stop, and gained new weapons and powers since then. In fact between his ice breath power and his sword the Lich and the Speed Zombies were easy game.

 

     ******

 

     The sight has ceased to awe Lukatara as much as it had before, something that does kind of bother him, so like the other two only this temple is red. Although he must admit with its sharp spires and sharp edges it looks almost like a still flame encased in crystal. Inside it is unbearably hot, filled with smokeless fire and lava that is somehow being kept in streams on multiple floors. His ice power proves the perfect tool for cross some areas for putting out flames and solidifying smaller lava streams. This temple is filled with fire themed fiends, Fire Bats, Fire Crabs, Rattacinders, and even one really weird snake creature made of red tubes tied together in strings he is told by the fairy is called a Firecracker Snake, that explodes when it touches flames and chases after him while its fuse is lit; among a few others.

 

   The puzzles are a bit longer and more complex here than the other temples taking far too long to reach the center door. The two skeleton keys fit in opposite locks and the door opens down the middle sliding into the wall in opposite directions.  The inner chamber is massive, many times that of the last two.

 

   “A calf has wandered into my lair,” comes a hissing voice from above.

 

  There is a spark of flames and it lowers down from the ceiling. It looks to be a giant crab with three cat eyes firmly set stationary in a lip in the front of its head above its complex mandibles. Lowering down Lukatara can see there is more to it; while the front is a circular crab body there is a spider like abdomen attached to it, armored and covered in small sharkfin spikes like the front half. It moves along the rocky floor with its massive crab legs and hisses, “armored calf? It has been ages since I had prey that could fight back!”

 

  It lunges with a pincer, using Lohln’s web Lukatara is able to swing out of the way.

 

 “Oh ho,” says the monster, “so that is how you wish to play with Cruachnid?”

 

  Shoots out a flaming web from its spinneret towards the ceiling, then upon climbing up shoots another from its mouth, as if riding a cord through its body it slides down at high speeds despite its behemoth size and takes a swing at Lukatara knocking him back upon contact with his shield.

 

   “I have an idea,” says the fairy whispering in his ear.

 

   Lukatara nods, this time when Cruachnid tries its zip line trick he uses his frost breath to solidify the web, first the back side and then the front. The monster is stuck there, allowing Lukatara time as it struggles to pull out his golden bow and take aim for its eyes. Its struggles break the web and it lands attacking in a frenzy. As if preprogrammed to do so however it returns to its previous tactic, never realizing that Lukatara can repeat the same trick to make it easier to hit its eyes, which he need not stop the monster to do, it’s just easier that way. It takes four hits per eye to shatter them. With the last one shattered flames shoot forth from the eye lip and the monster shrieks in pain.

 

   A great red sigil appears on the ground and flames circle up like a living beast and wrap around the monster pulling it down. In their place a small red bird appears and flies over to Lukatara landing on his hand.

 

   “Thank you,” says the bird in a sweet melodious voice, “you have removed the seal on my sacred land, now I am free to reshape it as I desire. As a reward I will grant you mankind’s greatest desire.”

 

   “Mankind’s greatest desire?” asks Lukatara.

 

  “The power of flight,” says the bird, “you may call upon the phoenix wings, and sacred fire will does burn save for evil monsters, shall sprout from your back in the shape of wings granting you greater ability to move through the air than even that web spell you have.”

 

   The bird suddenly explodes and a euphonic woman’s voice echoes through the hall, “now brave hero flee from here as fast as you can, as I shall reshape this land to suit my needs.”

 

  Lukatara tries out the wings, finding it easier to move quickly and less cumbersome after a few tries by keeping his weapons stashed away, the only ones not impeding his movements being the lantern (very suiting) and the bow.

 

   Some distance away and up in the air he looks back to see the temple crumbling, real flames shooting out in all directions, the forest and much to Lukatara’s horror the town around the fort, and the fort its self. The land shakes and rises.  Mountain is rising up through the temple sending its burning pieces crumbling down the sides collecting at the base like broken glass. The top of the mountain explodes off, debris destroying the town he fought the Lich in, sending the human inhabitants fleeing in horror, not all of them make it. He can’t stand to look. A loud bird’s shriek draws his eyes open, out of the top of the mountain rises a massive eagle made of flames that shrieks into the air. Its body and wings passing through the veil like it isn’t even there.

 

  In its grand voice it announces, “I am the Phoenix! Bow before the goddess of fire mortals of this land and bathe in my glorious light and cleansing flames!”

 

   It is then that Lukatara notices that the fire from this goddess is not burning the people, only their clothes, their towns, and the undead, leaving the people behind. He flies down and…notices the a glazed over expression on the faces of the naked people.

 

   “Praise,” says some, “worship” say others.

 

  A new wave of flames from a flap of the Phoenix’s wings covers the people in fine although middle class clothing. Another wave and a town appears around them from the flames, the houses are white walls with brown wood beams and tile roofs, not really fancy, but far fancier than anything the peasantry of this land has ever been allowed to live in.

 

   “We must go,” says the fairy, “the western temple awaits, you now have the strength of the spider, dragon, and eagle inside you, with the divine weapons as well. Not to mention three goddesses released upon this world. The fourth is the strongest of them all of these four.”