Chapter 2: First glimpse
Location: Sprit World, Temple of the Soul guardians
Aileta waited patiently by the massive oak doors of the temple. After a few minutes she saw Ollrack walk up from the distance. They didn't say a word till they were right next to eachother. "Any luck?" Aileta asked.
"Nothing…you?" Ollrack returned.
"Not a thing, I searched the entire temple: the traps the prisoner cells below, every last room…not a trace." She said in total depression. Ollrack laid a hand on her shoulder.
"There there…" he said as a tear just began to show, "I'm sure Tiffany or Erick will have better luck. Erick can become and see out of every shadow, and Tiffany's a wiz when it comes to this stuff. They'll find him."
"Guess again…" Tiffany said as she climbed the few steps leading to the entrance of the temple. "I looked heaven up and down, no trace of him." They all looked down. "Erick should be returning soon, we need to come up with some new ideas." They all turned and entered the temple. They had all walked through the doors when Aileta felt something. A brief moment of cold, and heat at the same time. It was only a second, so Aileta brushed it off as maybe her guilt for not going with David last night getting to her. She was dead wrong. A breeze of wind and the sound of something landing behind her. She knew this was not her mind now. A lizard like hand reached out and grabbed Aileta's shoulder. The hand yanked her backwards into its respected chest. A sword came around and propped itself against her neck. She yelped from the sudden movement. Ollrack and Tiffany spun around to her voice.
"No one move, damn it!" Aileta's captor yelled. Aileta was breathing fast as she felt the sword against her neck. "There now Aileta, I don't plan on killing you…now…just until I get what I need from you." The voice behind her head said.
"Who are you?" Aileta asked. David had taught her to question and keep asking, and to take in every answer. It had become a common ritual for her.
"I am known by many names, but if you must know my true name…call me, Black Phoenix. And all I want from you is just a taste of your blood, princess."
"You won't get away with this, you bastard." She remarked.
"Oh but I will, because you'll let me."
"Why?"
"Because I know something you don't know." Phoenix said, making his voice so quiet he had to say them right into Aileta's ear. "I know what happened to David." Aileta's eye's went wide, her first lead on what happened to him, despite the source.
"What?" Phoenix chucked for a moment.
"…I killed him." Aileta gasped, she refused to believe it. Black Phoenix took this opportunity to do away with her. With his blade at her throat, death could be easily accomplished, as well as getting her DNA…especially if it spatters everywhere. The thought of her blood, spewing from her veins filled his mind with pleasure. He tightened his grip on his sword. He…he…no, something nagged at him, a finger poked at his subconscious. He couldn't bring himself to it, so he did the next best thing. Black Phoenix reached down and grabbed her wrist, and slit it. Pulling out a vial, he held it under her arm, letting her blood drip into it, then pulled it away before anyone knew what happened. As he corked the vial shut, he pushed Aileta into Tiffany, which left him to deal with Ollrack.
"Oh you are so dead!" Ollrack said as he pulled out his staff. It unfurled into its full, 6 foot length as Ollrack let his energy flow through it. He jumped and brought his staff down upon him. Phoenix was quick to respond, and blocked the blow with his sword, with only one hand. Ollrack proceeded again and again to try and beat the creature, but he just couldn't do it, no matter what he did. Eventually, Phoenix pinned his staff to the ground. A kick and Ollrack was down.
"Thank you for your time." Phoenix said smiling. But before he could go, a very pissed off Erick melted out of the shadow behind him. Erick unfurled his staff, and swung it at him. But in a flash, Phoenix brought his sword around again and blocked it. Erick was surprised.
"How did you know I was there?"
"Because you're way too predictable, asshole." Erick gave a look of confusion. It was all the time Phoenix needed. He brought his foot around and nailed Erick right in the head. He was quickly down for the count. "I would kill you all now." Phoenix announced. But I have much more important matters to attend to." He dropped a smoke bomb and disappeared. Aileta watched the whole scene as Tiffany quickly wrapped her arm in a cloth that she had been carrying for occasions like this. Aileta let the tears roll down freely, she didn't care, she was just told her husband was dead. It just wasn't possible! David was rapidly getting stronger in the last few months. How could this creature who came out of nowhere, get in and out of sprit world numerous times, kill David without a trace, and humiliate the other soul guardians at in a head to head fight. This creature was more than they had ever expected. This set a fire in Aileta's heart. David had been there for her ever since they met…now it was her time to redeem herself from standing behind him all this time. She lost her chance to avenge him last time he left her…but it wouldn't happen again…now she was a soul guardian. She now knew what David meant by "blood-thirsty-ruthless", because now she wanted to see that monster at her knees. And she liked that image…she liked it a lot.
