Good ideas elude me as of late. Still psyched about new computer.
Standard Disclaimer.
He stepped into the familiar forest ruins alone - for the third time - and felt eerily alone. The ravens stared at his back in contempt as he moved on silently through the foliage. 'You do not belong here...' they whispered angrily, making sure that he heard their anger and sorrow, '... you are not wanted here.' He ignored their sharpened words and made it to the ruined stone fireplace.
The ravens let out a vociferous crow and landed in front of him, separating him from the stone. He frowned and tried to move closer, but they snapped their beaks as a warning.
'We won't allow you to disturb her memorial...'
"What do you have to do with her, anyway?" Red had replied calmly. The oldest bird had stepped up towards him, obviously the leader of the flock. 'We saw her fight with evil... and she lost. We will honor her plight with this old ruin, where we saw her first.'
Red nodded in understandment. "... She didn't lose. She ran as long as possible, and she sought out my help. I protected her until her last moments, when she shed her human form and became a phoenix."
The younger ravens snapped in an outrage. '... How can this be?' - they chattered amongst themselves until the elder screamed out a - 'Quiet!'
'How can you prove this?' the elder said superiorly.
Red placed a hand over his heart and slowly pushed it in. The birds cawed in confusion as the man pulled out a small flame, and soon after a phoenix appeared behind him. She screamed out, and her flames licked at the leaves and the other undergrowth, but nothing was burned. Red placed the fire back into his heart, and she faded away.
"Please... let me go past you." The confused ravens moved away and created a walk, allowing him to walk to the fireplace's opening. Red squatted in front of the opening and pulled a small replica of his symbol with various engravings on the back. He dug a small hole and placed it in, covering it thoroughly with dirt. He bowed his head and rose back to his feet.
"Now it's a true memorial."
The ravens flapped their wings in approval as Eagle turned to leave the forest, his duty done.
fin