Chapter 2:

Evil's First Action

Kiandra stepped into the Harpy's Claw Tavern, emerald cloak close around her, hood even further down her face.

"I need a drink barkeep!" Kiandra said, as she sat down at the bar. She loosened her cloak, and un-hooded her face.

"What can I get you? We have the best wine, some imported from Jidoor, and some brewed right here.

"I'm thinking something really light. Narshe whiskey?"

"I got that, but it's far from light." He motioned to a man passed out on the bar. "One shot got him there. One shot of Narshe Whiskey. I'm thinking something like my own brew of the famous dragon's tongue."

"That water? I couldn't drink that! Ten glasses of that stuff wouldn't make me any more drunk than warm milk does."

"Well, whatever, kid." The bartender opened a keg and filled Kiandra's mug full. She drank it all in a gulp.

"Thanks. What do I owe you?" She said, reaching for her moneybag.

"Fifteen. Prices are going up." He said, taking all of the money she set on the bar. Kiandra pocketed her money, hooded again, and promptly went upstairs, which led into the Inn.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Give me a room." Kiandra placed several gold coins on the clerk's counter.

"One bed I'm assuming?" The clerk counted the coins, leaving the change, and put it into a box.

"Yes. And only one night please." She said, taking her change.

"Is there anything else?"

"No, except for you to keep the key. I'm going to be heading out to tour the town for a while before I check in." Kiandra ungloved and showed him her hand, with a beautiful tattoo of a phoenix on it. "Identify me by this. Then, you can give me the key.

"Alright madam. I shall see you in an hour then. Farewell." But she was already out the door by the time he said 'I'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kiandra headed straight for the humongous bazaar, where countless merchants were trying to drown each other out while trying to sell their stock. She glanced around, and went to one of the potion shops. She restocked all her herbs and such, and wandered about.

Eventually, a beautiful sword caught her eye. It was an ancient runic sword, made purely from diamond. She gazed longingly at it. But, alas, she had only enough money to live without such luxuries such as this sword.

"Do you like it?" A ratty, old man stepped out from the shadows of the building this was all next to. "It costs very little. I just want to get rid of the thing."

"Really?" This overjoyed Kiandra. "Will you sell it for twenty?"

"Thirty."

"Twenty-five"

"Deal." He took the money from her, and handed her the sword. She stepped closer to the building, and swung the sword in two crossing arcs. It gave a faint hum as she sliced through the air. She cloaked, and set off for the Wyvern's Talon once more.

After showing her tattoo, she took the key and went straight into her room. She took off her cloak, revealing a quite similar emerald tunic, and lay down in the wonderfully soft bed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kiandra was hiding under the stairs of her own house. There were two people out in front of her, fighting.

"Look woman, all I want is our child. I swear she won't get hurt." The young man's tone wasn't truly believable.

Kiandra stepped out of her hiding spot. "Mommy, what's daddy talking about?"

"Don't come any closer Kiandra!" Her mother brandished the pan in her hand toward Kiandra.

"Don't listen to her girl! She doesn't know what she's talking about. All I want to do is take you to the lab. The scientists there just want to talk to you."

"Kiandra! Don't!"

Kiandra sprung awake from the dream. After shaking off the drowsiness, she went into the bathroom and splashed a little water in her face to calm herself down. She shook the memories out of her head and went to the window to clear her head.

She opened the huge window and took a few deep breaths. It's okay Kiandra, it was just a dream. She thought to herself. Kiandra put her hand over the wick of a candle, and muttered a few forgotten, arcane words. The candle slowly began to burn. She gazed up at the moon, marveling at its beauty. Then, she noticed that there were dark clouds forming around it, drowning it out. She followed the clouds tot heir source, seeing a large fire forming around(not on) a building.

Well, I suppose it's time I got out all my old spells after all! Kiandra put on her cloak and leapt out of the window, landing softly with catlike ease. She sprinted through the city, following the smell and sight of the smoke, and the feeling of heat.

She quickly found that there were two knights, both dressed in a dark ensemble of mithril, strongest metal ever forged, with two horns emanating from their helmets. One was powering the source, and the other was on top, holding an old man above the fire, threatening to drop him. She hid in the shadows, waiting to make her move.

"C'mon old man! You know I don't want to drop you. But it seems I'll have to if you don't give up the plans." The dark knight brought the man closer toward him. "How about it?" All the man did was spit in his face.

"Never. I would never turn over the fate of the Figaro kingdom to the hands of Doma."

"Fine, have it your way." The dark warrior motioned to his partner with his free hand. The bottom knight shifted his hands, and the ring of fire moved and gathered right under the two on the roof. "Goodbye governor." He let go, and the governor fell two stories, stopping just before the fire.

Kiandra moved out of hiding, barely visible in the night. One hand upraised, the other down at her side. She thrust her lower hand into the air, and with her hand came a fountain of water, right from the center of the fire splashing the governor too. She relaxed both arms, letting a completely random gust of wind blow the governor over to where she stood, and letting the fountain die out.

"Hello boys. It seems that there's a problem here." Kiandra raked through her mind, trying to find a good

spell.

"Yeah, it seems there is." The knight on the roof leapt down and charged her. Kiandra quickly dodged aside, unsheathing her sword, and hitting it against the ebony colored mithril, barely denting it.

The two quickly ensued in a furious battle, swords clashing each way. Several times it seemed like it was all the sword doing the fighting, and several times it took a swing that could've killed the knight, but somehow neither one ever once hit the other. The third knight watched. And, in due time, he decided that it was time for his turn and charged the two, aiming carefully for the young woman's shoulder.

It came in contact, and Kiandra let out a scream of pain, and flipped out of the way of the incoming sword. She catapulted over the wall that led down into the lower part of South Figaro. She knelt down right near the wall, inside the shadows, completely hidden by the night. She placed one hand on her bleeding wound and muttered a bunch of unintelligible words. The wound sealed up, leaving a scab, and all the blood, but it was at least closed. Three more well-chosen words, and she was sprinting up the wall, sword in hand. She pointed it straight upward.

She screamed a few unintelligible words into the air. Both knights looked at her. Lightning fell from the sky onto her sword, which absorbed it, little bolts of energy crackling about the glowing sword. The young woman sprinted at one of them, electrified sword making contact with sable armor. She hit the knight, sending a nice shock straight through the armor, jolting the man off his feet.

The combatant scrambled back to his partner, pointing his sword at the sky. The other knight did the same. Then, they crossed their swords, creating a beautiful fountain of red lightning, reaching up to the sky. They pointed their swords at Kiandra, crimson energy following its redirection. Using what little skill she had, she took the whole blast, hoping that she could take it. She was knocked off her feet, landing right next to the old governor who was watching all this in awe.

She sprung back into action, Fighting only for a few minutes until the two knights had both been pushed back by her sword.

"Oh Bloodfang, Deathclaw! Here boys!" The knight called back to seemingly nowhere. Two hulking, bloodthirsty hellhounds appeared from nowhere, probably brought into being by those very words.

The phrase 'I'm screwed unless I do something dramatic' went through Kiandra's mind, as she started to brainstorm some way to defeat them. She stepped back a few paces, when suddenly, a candle lit inside her head. She knew the costly spell she would have to cast.

Kiandra sheathed her sword and took off her right glove, revealing the phoenix tattoo. She cleared her mind, and envisioned the esper she was to call on, closing her eyes in reverence and concentration. When she opened her eyes, they showed fire. The phoenix in her tattoo was flaming as well. It lifted out as a flaming bird, leaving not even a trace of the tattoo behind. The phoenix rose high, and swooped upon the four enemies, just as she directed it. It took a moment, but even their mithril burst into flame, as the knights and the hellhounds perished.

Kiandra collapsed from exhaustion just as the phoenix touched back into her hand.