"Phoenix Storm"

Would not the sight of a single enemy airplane be enough to induce a formidable panic? Normal life would be unable to continue under the constant threat of death and imminent destruction. — General Giulio Douhet,The Command of the Air, 1921.

The Neuroi; they are certainly the formidable foe of mankind to date. Ever since they appeared during the golden age of Egypt, they've been mankind's interest as they are the only aliens to exist that haven't been able to deal a serious blow to an Earth with magic. Still… they make sure there are casualties in the planet belonging to humanity. Mainly… its defenders are witches, magic wielders with the power of battling against the race itself. Since the Neuroi have come in many forms, they are everywhere… in space or in places humanity didn't discover were areas not allowed for humans to tread. As they are known to be magnificent, they are a race refusing to be extinct, like we do. But since we're in one planet together, in the years of exposure and turmoil, I knew from then things should change, now that invading Neuroi have engaged us all in a war.

I'm a witch who flies over Karlsland during the nationwide invasion from 1945. We were attempting to take it back. It's 1946 right now, and I'm 19… currently in the Liberion army as a captain but someone who uses a pair of strikers for flying, so I lead a squadron but still, I'm under a wing commander. I thought it would be calm when I was doing recon with a sergeant witch at Berlin. But things quickly changed…

Berlin… ruined and abandoned… Karlsland, 1946…

Weather: Rainy

1957 hours…

"Are you sure it's here?" I asked while above the clouds, handling strikers branded as the P-51 Mustang. I wore goggles that time since visibility was an issue. I had silver to light blue hair which lengthens until just the head. That time, I was with Sergeant Margaret Hildegard… a Britannian witch who had light green hair, and preferably short. She's only 14, but has seen a lot of combat.

"Madam, I'm certain it was here. There's no doubt there was a Class 7 here." Sergeant Hildegard told me that especially when she was now worried. Though I can see from her face that she's telling the truth. She knows there was something here. Though…

"I'm sure it got away as soon as you scouted it out. It's rare we see Class 7's in the area." I said this to her as a trivia. We rarely see high class Neuroi at the capital. Though Berlin is not at the center Karlsland itself, it's far from the center, which has the most number of high class Neuroi. Out here… we'll only see low-class types. But if there were a Class-7… "I'm sure it could have been flying low at the ground."

"Well… It changed form a few times. I don't know how that could help."

"You told me that, Hildegard. What if it's not just an air-to-air transformation? The ground can sometimes jam radio transmissions and could be an advantage. Some areas can't even be scanned by witches who are basically radars to any joint fighter wing."

"You think they could transfer there, Captain?"

"There's no denying that possibility, Sergeant. I think it's time we fly low."

"Are you sure? We don't have anti-ground unit guns and it could be a problem."

"It doesn't matter, Hildegard. I'm taking the chance. Ready?"

"Um… Roger. I…" Hildegard seemed she just wanted to mutter her next set of words: "I have a bad feeling about this."

So I led Hildegard as we flew below the clouds quickly, making sure the thunderbolt doesn't catch us by quickly descending down to the ruined and abandoned capital of Karlsland. Flying low wasn't new to me, but I made sure to be extra vigilant than how I was in the sky. Being at the ground… makes us vulnerable to ground Neuroi. Worse… Diggers. They are Neuroi who dig underground, and it's actually becoming a phenomenon since they're starting to be sneaky on us. Sneak tactics weren't their best suit, but they're going all out. We never even knew that an ambush was waiting for us…

I made sure to just hover and move forward slowly while Hildegard was following me. We went past ruined cars, and houses, then buildings. Then came the red eyes from beneath the darkness of the Berlin's city hall, looking at us. I never knew about it, and it gave no sign it was there. It was well hidden. The only thing I've looked at, are the corners of the buildings we hover past. There can be Neuroi anywhere.

Then… the red-eyed mysterious figure struck. I heard it scream, and so did Hildegard. We thought it was making an echo of sorts from afar, but we were wrong. It came from inside the same city hall we passed as the Neuroi, four-legged in nature and shaped like a K-9 had crashed through the city hall's entrance like it was just soft rock. Clearly, we underestimated this one. The size of this K-9 (dog-like) Neuroi was more than 8 feet in height. I haven't seen this kind, and it looks hostile at first glance especially when it growled at us. But there was no way I'd allow us to die here. It then shot up multiple beams from its emitters while it was running towards us.

"Hover back and ENGAGE!" I ordered this on Hildegard and she started to hover backwards, firing her machinegun towards the K-9 Neuroi. "Split!" I ordered this and she went left, while I went right, hopefully to let it choose a target to try and be shot from behind. As I feared though… the K-9 Neuroi followed Hildegard. Immediately reversing course and following from behind, I make sure to catch up to that bastard. Looks like it wants easy prey. Hildegard is fast, so it'll take time for the K-9 to catch up.

My tactic is to make sure the Neuroi is distracted. If the target flies high, it will only shoot the target, but there's less chance it'll stay on the target, and track others on the ground. That means I'm next on the menu. I'll have to make sure it gets what it deserves while we play its game. Scary, huh?

I then start to relay orders to Hildegard and she immediately said she can do it. It's risky that she starts off as bait for the plan, but it'll work out. I know it… at least that's what I thought.

The plan then is peachy as Hildegard flies in between buildings in the same city. The K-9 Neuroi is tight on her tail and is not stopping. It keeps firing beams whenever she's far. It keeps opening it mouth whenever near, to try munching at her, while I try to follow from behind. This one is fast. I never knew there would be some Neuroi at these speeds. If I'm right, we're travelling at 100 miles an hour just on the ground, and this Neuroi is burning the distance fast.

It took a while but I was able to get a bead on the Neuroi and I fired using my assault rifle at it. Chipping off parts of its body, it sometimes fires back at me, delaying me, but then starts focusing on the one in front of it. It just wants Hildegard. Well… I won't allow it.

Then there came a small gas station in the industrial sector of the city. I had an idea on this and called Hildegard. "Hildegard! The gas station! FIRE AT THE PUMPS!" And at my command, she immediately fired at the gas station's pumps just before a series of bullets hit them and fires quickly spread until an explosion engulfed it. I saw her use her shield to get past the thick fires after the explosion and the K-9 Neuroi kept following her into it. Using my shield, I eventually got past the flames.

And wouldn't you know the Neuroi survived the fire by being immune? Some green glowing shield accurately carved on its body had appeared and faded once it was out of danger. That son of a bitch caught me off guard there for a while in disbelief. I never knew Neuroi like that before.

Things were getting from bad to worse. The K-9 was getting closer and this plan isn't gonna work, especially with the Neuroi really equipped. "Hildegard! Pull up! It's not worth it!"

"Madam… Get close enough while you still can!" She said this on the radio this while she was being fired upon with so many anti-air beams from the Neuroi K-9. "I can do this!"

"Hildegard, NO! I'm giving you a direct…!" But I didn't finish it as one beam, while in the momentum I gained, clearly pierced through. It tore up Hildegard's striker unit, destroying one half of it, just before another hits her upper left of her back, letting her bleed out as she screamed in the air. "HILDEGARD!" The scream from my voice turned from worry to anger at a second before I fired at the Neuroi, chipping off a part of its body before I evaded beams again. I saw Hildegard crash through the ground and hit a couple of crates just near a locking garage of a sort. I was worried sick, but I had to evade the K-9 before I get to her.

It took about a minute or so that I lost the Neuroi K-9 and started to find her around the same place. This isn't looking good. By now, Hildegard is bleeding out and she's in critical condition. And as I predicted, Hildegard's trail of broken crates were found. I hovered low and entered the broken garage door. The door was already ruined the day the Neuroi invaded Berlin.

As I shone a little light in the darkness with a flashlight I brought, I found a trail of blood, and heard sounds of heavy breathing. That was her. I shone the flashlight farther and eventually saw her at horrible image… her left arm gone and the right striker cut in half. Her left eye was out and her right eye was open for me. But that's not the bad part.

She bled out horribly. "NO!" I immediately disengaged my striker unit's engines and jumped off it. I ran towards Hildegard, worried and more than convinced that she would die. I tried shaking it off as I knelt, hoping it would never be the case. "Hildegard…" I moved her head and her eyes turned to mine. "Damn it… I shouldn't have done it…"

Hildegard found time to smile and weakly chuckled. "Poppycock. We both knew it failed a little too late."

"I should take responsibility. Right now… what's important is that we move now. The whole time, that Neuroi K-9 set a trap for us, jamming our radio altogether. But…" I looked over at Hildegard's condition. I don't have healing magic at this point. "I… I can't do anything. I don't even have my first aid kit or…"

"Just… shut up." Hildegard's request was sudden and unorthodox. I didn't usually find her telling me what to do. But in her dying state, I had to follow it. "Let me tell you. I… I saw you save me from whatever killed off my squadron. That K-9… it was the same one who killed them all off. But you… you appeared but… after you were…"

I widened my eyes in shock for what she meant. I know what she meant, since I'm not just an ordinary witch. See… my familiar is actually the legendary phoenix… a bird of legend which turns to fire and is said to have healing magic. Though… it can't be summoned to its full potential. But if it's summoned, my mind usually goes blank, as if someone else would use my body.

Now I knew. She knew I turned into a phoenix possessed witch that night I saved her.

"It's true," I told her. "I had to save you, but I caused damage and a big fire. So… you saw me…?"

"Just use it on the K-9. You're… you're ready," Hildegard requests. It's been 4 years after I saved her and took her in, and I've been using my magic for so long after that. Seeing my improvements, I don't know how but… I didn't complete my thoughts when she spoke more. "Captain… I didn't want to get promoted, because I wanted to see you grow. And… you did."

"You… you idiot…" I had to start crying at the things Hildegard is saying.

"I never gave up… for you. You trained me hard, and gave me courage, Captain."

"You'll get through this."

"I got through a lot but…" Hildegard then lifted her remaining arm and held her hand up to my cheek while she let tears out as I did. "…just go on without me. I'll be everywhere, in your mind and in your heart. Use that. Please…"

I had to hold Hildegard's hand on my cheek tightly while looking at her eyes. "I will."

Hildegard smiles at me before her eye slowly closes. "I can see my friends and family… again…" She eventually relaxes and breathes one more time before it was her last. She lost strength on her hand until I felt her life left her. My world faded into black around me. It was just me and the now deceased sergeant now. I let go of her hand, and it fell straight to the ground, just before I screamed in denial for her death.

My world turned white afterwards. It was the only moment I felt power course through me with control. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see myself wearing the same clothes as before, but now I'm seeing someone wearing an orange fiery dress, and her hair was orange as well. It seemed to have the same hairstyle as I do. Her eyes were blue to determine there is that work of goodness inside her. I don't know why I felt it was the case, but I knew this was the phoenix who accompanied me this whole time I made a contract with her.

"Why now?" I asked this.

"Why do you think, Grandia?" Phoenix, as I felt her name was, asked me this. "Why do you think I appeared at this time and never before?"

"I'm confused, Phoenix. You took control of me a few times… and it was at my most destructive time. As I tried to get control, I seem to find you… trying to move away."

"It's because I'm different. And I intend to put everything on you. Pressure has to be on you for me to be able to make an understanding. It's not as though it's difficult, but it had to be done. I'm the symbol of aggression in your case and didn't use me for any other in the past. But I saw you grow, and your soul improved. You know what I found? I saw acknowledgement in your fear. You couldn't move in sync with me because you were afraid. Now… You don't care and want to lose control. That won't be the case anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You're ready. I had to do everything to evaluate and test you so you could be worthy to wield my power. The kind of power you used was only partial. The real thing begins when you get in sync with your familiar. And since I'm your familiar… I will be known as your powerhouse. Or rather… you'll be a powerhouse for every witch who lives in this world. Your ancestors from generations past had used me for good. You can do the same thing and I know you can right now."

"But… You know what's in my mind."

"Revenge. Perhaps it's a personal matter. But for you, it's not just something gratifying. It means something to you, Grandia. And like how you saved Margaret, you'll do the same thing to that dog, and his friends when you find him. I lured you to be angry in the first place so you could try to gain control and witness your own destruction. But now that you're improved, you can have more control. We'll train together from time to time. So this war isn't over yet."

"Really?"

"It isn't. Neuroi existed from long ago, and they're starting to awaken thanks to my power. Known as predators, they hunt, and kill. If they move their objectives higher, it would mean the end of everyone else. I hope you understand this, because this our fight… and not just mine." Phoenix suddenly hovered and grabbed Grandia's collar and lifted her up. "NOW USE ME, ANNIE GRANDIA. It is time."

I smirked at this, tightly grabbing her hands before both our eyes burned and glowed blue. "Together!" I said this before Phoenix screamed a bird's loud scream… a scream that I thought wasn't true, but beautiful in all senses as I saw her spread her flames, just before I saw her wings. Her flames reached my body, and resonated with her.

The Neuroi K-9 busted open the garage doors, growling with its Neuroi ambience before my body was in flames, surprisingly with all my clothes now being burned, but not my skin. I turned my head around, showing it my blue and angry eyes before more flames surrounded me, and started burning the place, even burning Hildegard's body. The K-9 escapes, before I screamed out my rage as fire spreads from the place, letting it ignite quickly and explode. My eyes were closed, but I felt that I was warm while I was being clothed by some sort of armor, orange in its color with white lines on its sides, symbolizing the fiery passion of the element I have. I have a fire crown, along with my armor that's probably leaving my abdomen and lower back exposed, together with my legs. My knees were covered with the armor though. My transformation was complete. I was ready.

I then hovered out of the burning garage, now seeing the K-9 afraid of me. I landed on the ground before more flames were summoned on my hands just as a sword was suddenly held through its hilt. I assumed my calm stance on the Neuroi K-9, knowing it's not intended to attack yet. But I looked at its eyes, with my clear intentions on it. "I think you along with the friends you called will be slain. This isn't my full power, but I'll be happy to put my sword through your core. You killed off Hildegard. And I'm sure by seeing your kind before, her squadron as well. It's not just you… isn't it? You're not a Neuroi that's fighting us, but you're actually older than all of them. No… You're different." She then started walking towards the Neuroi K-9. "I think you just came from somewhere else. You want me? You want to kill witches now?! Well…" She twirled and made an underhand slash with her sword, before leaving a straight fiery slash with a flaming trailed involved. The slash was an inch away from the K-9, but it destroyed a few buildings. "You wanted us. You wanted Hildegard, and you finished the job. But I'm going to kill every one of you, and your kind together. That's right. I know you howled for their help." As I told it that, the K-9 then ran. I was right about it. Its howl was heard, and it's a sign of request for assistance, meaning there's more of those K-9 scum.

Knowing I had more of the advantage, I felt the static on my earpiece clear up. The rest of the wing I belong to are probably on their way to Berlin now. But since there will be more K-9's… I wanna make sure they got more to shoot up, so I used my earpiece. "This is Captain Grandia. Is anyone there?"

"Captain, this is Rina! What the hell is going on?! Why the hell did you sortie with Sergeant Hildegard alone?!"

"She's dead because of me, Commander Rina. I'm sorry, but… I think I just found her murderers. They're not ordinary Neuroi."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is… they're ancient," I said.

And I will kill every last member of its pack right in this city. I spread my fiery wings out before flying straight and low, hoping to find it. "I'll explain later. Right now, there are multiple Neuroi ground K-9 units coming at the city."

"But where are you?!"

"You'll see me… soon." I said this with confidence. The Phoenix… will no longer hide.

Not anymore.

A two-part series... so I'll see where this goes! Leave a review or PM me! ;)