Curse of the Phoenix (1x1)

Fubsy

Fubsy

Cool beans, my homie.
The moment the land grew quiet, Cheronis knew something was wrong.

He clutched his sword tightly, his body coated with sweat and blood. Ash and dust dyed his tanned skin a mottled grey. The weary fighter's breath came in labored gasps as the full weight of his burns came into full effect.

Cheronis knew he should've been happy. This was their greatest yield yet -- a rare phoenix with plumes of gold and breath of eternal flame. Just selling a few of the feathers would profit enough gold to buy an entire kingdom and more. It had taken months to find the bird, and only by the graces of Fortuna had they managed to catch wind of a beast dwelling in a volcano. The battle had been fearsome, with moments Cheronis was sure he and his acquaintance would be turned to ash. But they had won and they had their prize. Cheronis should've been happy.

And he was. For a moment. But something was wrong

Cheronis sheathed his blade and removed his helm, wincing slightly as the heated metal burned his fingers. His dark hair stuck out like a birds nest, but he took no care nor notice. Tossing his helmet and thoughts to the side, Cheronis carefully made his way to wear the firey bird had fallen.

He'd heard stories of these creatures. Tales of wings wrapped in searing flames and eyes brighter than a thousand suns. But none of them -- none of them -- described what a dying bird was like. The creature's eyes, once brilliant and bright, had simmered to the dullness of fading embers. Its body, once seemingly untouchable, now seemed so fragile that Cheronis was afraid just looking at it would destroy the body. Even the golden feathers seemed less vibrant. More cold. Perhaps, a lifetime ago, Cheronis would have taken pity. Even felt guilty. But not now. Now, he had a job to do.

"I hope that brain of yours wasn't completely burned off." His voice was light and teasing, but that underlying concern poked through. Cheronis drew a dagger and crouched by the dead bird, beginning to pluck a few feathers from the plumage. He cursed softly as some of the body crumpled and fell, turning to blackened soot at the softest touch. They needed to move, and move fast. The regeneration cycle was already beginning, and it was only a matter of time before all that was a left was a pile of ashes to sell. "Help me with this, will you?"
 
The air was thick and constricted making it hard to draw breath after their exertions. He felt like his lungs would explode as he breathed staring at the thing over which they had laboured for what felt like hours. It may well have been. The bird had fought extremely well and he had expected no less from it. Balius could not wait till the next body of water they found. He was going to delight in removing every little bit of dirt and ash from his skin. It did nothing to remove the grin stuck to his beaten face despite the silence. As it drew on, something shifted and his grin faded. It was too quiet. He disliked quiet settings. It almost always meant something was out there waiting to ambush you in from the shadows.

The bird itself was magnificent, perhaps more so in life than now in death as the wings looked less vibrant than they had in the bird's fierce battle to stay alive. The battle itself had been glorius, something Balius enjoyed about this sort of work. Mortal danger and the reward usually worth the risks involved.

Standing straight, he looked around the volcanic abode and sniffed. The heat in here was stifling. He nodded, he was going to he longest wallow possible. Its hot work done, the sword he wielded were returned to the safety of their simple scabbards. He lifted his own helmet and held it by the crest before he ruffled his own mop of dark hair with a quick action of his hand. The sweat clung and when he lowered his hand, it was covered in a rag tag covering of lost strands and ash. He wiped it off on his tunic and peered towards the bird again.

His spear was still stuck into its bird but the shaft would never service him again. It was broke and smouldering. Even with the advantage of a spear to hand, the fight had been difficult yet incredible. Something to tell over a good drink or two.

Balius glanced towards his companion and gave a large grin, “ha! You wish!” he replied before he looked at his helmet. One side of it looked completely normal save for a little charring and ash stuck to the metal. The other side however had been completely blackened from a shot that had glanced off it. It was a decent shot from the bird, putting him out of action for a good few minutes of the fight before he had recovered enough to help exact vengeance.

He smirked before he joined Cheronis and slid a small dagger from a double ended sheath attached to his swordbelt. The sheath held two small daggers designed purely for defence. He helped to pluck the plumage as gently as he was able whilst being as quick as he could about it. Moments later, their time ran out. The carcass completely collapsed and ash remained in its stead. He watched it move as if touched by something unseen by both men. The soot churned as if caught in a small gust of wind before it eventually settled.

He had never seen a Phoenix before let alone seen one come to its state of rebirth. The soot had formed a small black egg-like shape. It was small but only at first. The soot seemed to coalesce around it and add to its size over time.

“Tyche must be favouring us this day... We did it,” a part of him did not believe that they had succeeded. They had been perilously close to losing their lives to the ferocity of the legend they had fought. He returned the small dagger to its sheathe before he rose.
 
Cheronis carefully stashed the feathers into a special pocket in his pouch, wary of any damages caused on the fragile remnants. These were their ticket to a better life. One with castles and fine wine and everything they could ask for, instead of chasing after legends and constantly wondering today was his last. He wasn't going to let a speck of dirt or a disheveled plume ruin it.

His gaze traveled to the the small egg shape forming in the nest of soot. Compared to the feathers in his pocket, it was a dull rock nigh discernible from the rest of its surroundings save for its gradual growth and heat emanating from its center. Despite its dull appearance, there was something hypnotic with the way the ashes gathered closer and closer together. For a moment, he wondered how many people had seen the revival of a phoenix. Still, he knew that no matter the number, they were among the few. With a shrug, Cheronis approached the egg and carefully lifted it up. There was no sense in wasting a possible treasure, and even if it was worthless, a little souvenir from this little near death experience wouldn't hurt. He slipped the egg his bag before turning towards his companion.

"I think this calls for a celebration." Cheronis heartily slapped Balius on the back, a grin spreading across his weary face as he gave a wink. "We'll buy something fine -- both wine and company for the future kings."

His smile dropped as a sudden rumble shook his being, the dark earth beneath his feet cracking with fiery, red veins. The land around them seemed to grow hotter and hotter as lava oozed from the cracks. Dark clouds gathered above them, circling as thunder flashed a silent white among the ashen gray. A tremor violently shook the land before, as quick as it arrived, it left with the groans of a falling earth as a goodbye. Cheronis gripped the pommel of his sword, eyes darting around nervously. They had killed the pheonix. They had quelled the beast in the volcano. So what was going on? Cheronis swore loudly as the another tremor broke the black earth. The ground split beneath his foot, causing him to jerk back as flecks of lava seared his leg. Loathe as he was to running from anything, it seemed like there was no other choice.

"We need to move," Cheronis grunted as he grabbed Balius' arm, tugging him back as more and more of the land trembled and quaked. He eyed the path they had taken, silently praying that the narrow road was still stable. "Back to the village. Now."
 
Balius stretched his back out again as he held the feathers out carefully inspecting them. They might not be as vibrant as they had been when the bird was alive but they were still beautiful pieces to behold. There was some deeps reds and browns with hints of gold that lacked the lustre from before. They would sell for a pretty drachma when they could get back to civilisation. Lots of wine, women and rest. Perhaps a really luxuriant bath would be on the cards too.

He carefully stowed them away and watched the egg. He smirked, his companion was clearly fascinated by the forming of the newborn inside the structure as much as he was. It was not everyday anyone got to see such a thing happen. Balius found himself strangely loathe to disturb it before his greed and sense of victory won over. He grinned as Cheronis moved towards it.

"You think?" Balius asked with a smirk and a grin, a hand clasping his companion's arm. "Several days worth of living like royalty, just in the feathers alone," he didn't really know what a Phoenix egg would get these days. merchants nevertheless would bid against each other ferociously and that suited him just fine. Let them rack the price up. It was more to split between the two of them and would keep them for a long time to come.

Balius flinched as the ground suddenly gave a deep growl as if a monster awakened and he could feel tremors through his tired limbs. He blinked and looked around the cavern in which they had slew the fire bird. the temperature grew from hot to hotter and it was soon unbearable. His skin glistened in reaction, sweating to cope against the heat. He wasn't worried by the heat but as soon as he saw molten rock creeping out from the cracks of the floor around them, he knew they had overstayed their welcome.

He was getting a sick feeling in his stomach. The death of the phoenix and its removal was supposed to have appeased matters and yet the ground was fuelled with anger and savagary. LAva sputtered and oozed towards them with a deceptive speed. Any hair that hadn't already burned away on his legs and arms was soon singed away.

"Don't need to say it twice!" he nodded with a gulp already feeling his friend pull him along. He kept pace with his friend as they sought the same route thy had taken to reach the home of the Phoenix. The ground rumbled in its rage. Glancing to Cheronis, he nodded gesturing for the other to take point. Some parts of the path did not allow for anything else but single file. Even when they reached cooler air it did not seem to stave any feeling of the hot ground behind.
 
By the time the two had reached the end of the path, Cheronis had breathed enough smoke than was good for him. Coughing violently, he muffled his mouth and nose with his hand as he stumbled down the steep rocks. His mouth was dull with the taste of ash. Underfoot, the earth continued to moan in blazing agony. Relief flooded through Cheronis as he the air turned cooler, if only slightly. A persistent heat boiled the air despite otherwise pleasant weather moments before their arrival to the volcano. He dropped his hand, spitting a glob of black to the side as his coughing eased up.

"What--" he coughed once more to hide the slightest tremble in his voice, "What was that? That wasn't supposed to happen. None of that was supposed to happen." Cheronis closed his mouth as he became aware of his rising volume, but the incredulous look remained on his face.

The battler watched grimly as sparks of red flew up from the volcano's top, the thick smoke of gray turning the day to a darkening storm of a night. The bubbling blood of the earth crawled down the blackened slopes, turning the landscape into a hellish scene of flame. Chunks of the earth seemed to rise and fall, shifting as the land grew more and more unstable. For a moment, Cheronis swore the flickers of flame inside the cloud of smoke were glimmering eyes that glowered down with unbridled rage. There were few times when Cheronis could truly say he was utterly terrified. Staring up at the pricks of flames flickering, terrified didn't quite suit the blossoming in his chest.

Cheronis looked down, seemingly surprised for a moment that he had been gripping the pommel of his blade. He slowly released and shook his head, gesturing for his companion to follow along. The farther they got from the volcano, the better. There was a town close by. One they had stopped at to gather rest and information. It was better to stop there to warn the folk, if not to at least gather supplies. They owed them that much at least. Cheronis just about ran towards the town, face grim as he cast an uneasy look at Balius. It wasn't long before they had reached the small amassing of low buildings that sufficed for a town, but that cold prickle did not fade in the slightest.

"That drink can wait." Cheronis ran a hand through his dark hair, shaking out the gathered ash. "That thing is too damn close for any comfort. These people need to leave. We need to leave." He paused for a moment a his brow furrowed. "What was that?" The repeated question hung in the air, frustrated and desperate for an answer.
 
Damn, that smoke was vile. He could feel almost all the way down his throat into his lungs. Breathing back out was not much fun either as tainted air rasped past insulted airways. He was glad to be away from where they had fought the Phoenix. He was glad when they finally afforded themselves a moment's rest. The fight and then running for their skins whilst breathing in nasty hot air was making him feel queasy. Gradually the feeling passed and the breathing was not so much of an issue. He blinked and frowned as he stared past his friend's shoulder from whence they had come and he could only feel a strong sense of foreboding. He id not reply at first, seeming to be content with staring past the other in his own confusion trying to come to a conclusion himself about what had happened. From all accounts, the phoenix was a cause of disaster but not in the way it was turning out. Things had gone from bad to worse.

Amber-brown eyes slowly switched to focus on Cheronis and narrowed in thought before they blinked wearily. He shook his head, "I... I don't know. You don't think this means we fucked it up, somehow?" Balius wasn't known for fancy talk or mincing words. He said it as it was as honestly as it was but in this situation. He was just as clueless as the other and fervently prayed it was just a over exaggeration of a simple event and that by tomorrow everything would be fine. Gut instinct was telling him otherwise. He could not say why he had such a feeling but it was there. The Phoenix's domain was growing evermore angry and furious in its bid to exact its punishment. He could feel the tremors in the earth below their feet even as molten rocks were expunged in sputtered throws. He frowned and then shook his head again. Balius was afraid of very little. It was often jested he didn't know the meaning of the word but he was damned sure it lay in the raging inferno behind them.

Balius caught the gesture and swallowed, wincing as sore muscles complained and protested even as he forced himself to hurry after his companion. He was next to speechless, he didn't know what this meant. He was under the distinct impression that going after the Phoenix had been the right thing to have do, the village pretty much agreed on that and yet the gods seemed to deem it otherwise. Why else would fire and rock rain about their ears in a tyrannical roar of superior majesty. It was almost too much to believe. They did not stop again till they got to town and every muscle felt as if it were on fire though not quite akin to the heat he had felt back in the Phoenix's den. That was something he never wanted to experience too soon even with a promise of a fat reward.

He glanced at Cheronis and nodded, now was not the time though he could kill for a water-skin, his lips were parched and his throat felt like shark skin. He eyed the ash and realised his was the same and mimicked the action, frowning as the grey and black flecks from his hair and face. It had gotten everywhere. He looked at Cheronis and nodded, "As soon as possible. They're not going to like it though, specially that special arse of a prick," he muttered, one of the townsfolk was somewhat richer than all the rest and had proven to be a governor of a sort. Balius never really cared, he viewed all men equal in life and death. It was easy and simple and got him through life. Now, things were getting far more complicated all too quickly.

He stared at Cheronis a moment before shaking his head muttering, "How the fuck should I know?" he returned, the words clearly not expecting or needing response as such. "Anyway, they'll have seen it... hope that's enough incentive,"
 
"Aye, I suppose their smarter than I give them credit for."

As two approached the village, their words were proven true by the jumble of panicked activity stirring throughout. Mules and carts were already being packed with supplies. Some gathered families could be heard squabbling on what to leave or carry. From everywhere thrived the nervous energy of a boiling pot ready to froth over. The only island of calm in the middle of the panic was a short, scrawny man with official robes so large that Cheronis was certain he was overcompensating for something. The man waved his arms, annoyance and exasperation clear in his rigid stance. He scowled as the travelers came into his line of vision, gathering his robes to keep from tripping as he marched towards them.

"You said you had it taken care of!" the scrawny man snarled as jabbed a finger at the two.

"We did, Governor Sir." The last word was coated with bitterness as it dripped off the tip of Cheronis' tongue. "Pheonix is gone, and we've made sure it can't come back."

"Then what's this?"

"Your sign to leave." Cheronis shouldered his pack and shoved past the incredulous governor and towards where he had left his own horses, ignoring the man's yells of angered protest. If the volcano did consume the town, the traveler grimly decided, then he hoped that flea of a man went with it. He hated his kind. Rich bastards who thought that their glittering gold and glory meant they could do whatever they wanted. They were selfish and cruel, so ready to stomp on anyone in their way. Cheronis knew their type too well to merit any sympathy.

Cheronis' head swiveled back as a large rumble, this one bigger than the last, shook the earth. The mountain, once a slumbering volcano whose only signs of activity had been the perpetual cloud of black smoke, was now a fire-skinned cone of spewing lava. Orange bled down its black sides. Smoke filtered out past the canopy of the forest that surrounded the landform, alerting Cheronis of how close disaster truly was. He turned back and spat on the ground, gritting his teeth against the taste of ash and soot. This wasn't right. The phoenix was gone. This wasn't supposed to be right. Or had it been right in the first place? His hand ghosted over where the egg was safely tucked. Were they meant to kill the firebird? What if they were wrong, and this was the gods' way of telling them? He shook his head. No. They did what they had to do, and that was that. Still, uncertainty chewed at the fringes of Cheronis' mind.

"You're the ones, then?"

Cheronis jumped as a the small, creaking voice nudged his thoughts away. He turned towards the speaker, a frail woman sitting on a cart with a face pruned with wrinkle. Her dark eyes seemed to sink into the adventurer like daggers. "The ones who took the mountain's flame, yes?" Slowly understanding the reference to the phoenix, Cheronis slowly nodded. The woman slowly grasped at the beads around her neck, breezes of mutterings slipping from her cracked lips as she slowly pulled her cloak closer around her. "I'm afraid you've already doomed us all, child." Before Cheronis could open his mouth, the cart hastily jerked away from the impending disaster.

He stared after, before turning to Balius. "Let's go," he said stiffly as he mounted his horse, usually sun-kissed face pale. "I have a bad feeling, and it's only getting worse."
 
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"One can hope," he snorted.

It was clear they had as the pair of them approached the village. It was a bundle of chaos as people shouted, babies cried and mules brayed. He watched as they walked through the throng of heavy activity and shook his head. The fear was palpable and so they ought to be. There was no telling the wrath that was to come and Balius was liking it less and less every minute it raged on. He liked it even less when the irritating official caught sight of them.

"Here we go," he muttered darkly, "More trouble."

Balius rested a hand on the pommel of his sword as the man stopped in front of their path and bawled at them. He stared back impassively but inwardly irritated. it wasn't exactly something they had done and left smelling like roses. His fingers flexed briefly around the hilt as his companion responded and pushed past. Balius followed in his wake offering the man a shrug and a grin as the governor stood sputtering. Balius had little time for the rich upstarts of society. As long as they paid him their dues, he wanted no more to do with them. One of many things in life he agreed with his companion about.

The earth gave a guttural and he blinked, peering past his shoulder back at the mountain where their battle over the Phoenix had taken place and his mouth gave a grim frown. It seemed liked Hades himself was adding to the rage of the inferno behind them soon threatening the village's own delicate existence. He didn't understand what they had done wrong. They had followed the instruction to the letter. So why was the mountain looking to cast death and destruction further still.

He blinked nearly stumbling into the other man when he stopped and he peered at the woman that had spoken. A frail old prune by the looks of her but there was something he found disconcerting about her. Balius could not say why or how for. The accusation was clear and her words following were as chilling as they could be. He watched her leave on the cart and frowned. He was slower to respond to Cheronis and blinked before looking in the man's direction.

He snorted derisively, "You're telling me." He shook his head before he mounted his bay charger which tossed its head in a fearful snicker and shifted underfoot. He turned its head and forced it towards the path leading away from the village. The further away from this mess the better but even as they left he couldn't help the creepy feeling they were being watched. he glanced round and saw no one paying them interest beyond cold stares. He frowned uneasily before nudging his mount's belly urging it to go faster and catch up with his companion.
 
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