Born of the Phoenix

by Forrester, David Murray

  Invisible hands held Patsy in the air choking her violently while others tore apart her shirt and dug into her flesh, viciously ripping apart the skin and sending streams of blood flowing down her chest and legs. Patsy lashed out at her attackers with what little strength she had in a futile attempt to save her life, without an enchanted weapon she was helpless and could do nothing against the craven’s pitiless and sadistic onslaught. Never had Ravage been consumed with as much wrath as when she saw Patsy suspended in the air, a pool of blood below her, surrounded by craven mercilessly tearing at her flesh. Her scream of rage shook the hall, escaped the windows and startled the nocturnal animals foraging in the undergrowth so their gaze turned suddenly to the mansion.

  The craven set upon her. She wielded the enchanted blade with great fury and hatred, tearing apart the ghostly essence of any craven that came with the swords reach. Patsy's body was dropped to the ground as the others fled before Ravage’s wrath. There was no time to check Patsy's wounds, Ravage wasn't sure how much longer the enchantment would last; the only thing on her mind was to escape the mansion before they were rendered defenceless.

  Blood spilled from Patsy's wounds as Ravage lifted her off the ground and draped her over her shoulder. She could feel the blood dripping on her and running as small streams across her skin as she carried Patsy through the mansion, the swords light illuminating the dark halls.

  At the bottom of the stair case it assailed her, stepping from the shadows unseen. A strong black hand seized Ravage by the throat. A strange sensation coursed through Ravage’s system like poison and her body went limp. Patsy and the sword both fell to the ground as Ravage no longer had control of her limbs. Patsy had lost so much blood that she was barely conscious, everything to her now was like a waking nightmare.

  Ravage could feel a powerful aura consuming her, altering her will to its own desires and owning her completely. A horrible feeling of helplessness filled her mind, such vulnerability. It was sheer terror; her life was now in the hands of a creature that had seized her from the darkness.

  The creature loomed over Ravage, penetrating her with its sharp yellow eyes. Its stature was so much greater than hers. Its black body heavily muscled. It was unclothed, its long dark hair curling around the tips of its feminine breasts. Shock and confusion took Ravage as she realised this monster was female.

  There was a presence inside her, invading not only her thoughts but her soul also. Probing her, reading and judging the strength of her mortality and convictions. Never before had she felt so naked and exposed. The creature held her in its gaze and tightened its grip around her throat. Ravage was unable to draw breath and felt that death was upon her, those hellish yellow eyes the last thing she will see as her life fades away.

  Slowly the creature released its grip on her neck, gently left her standing and backed away. It turned its back on Ravage and with a soft guttural growl stalked off into the mansion, its long tail swinging in its walking stride.

  The creature from the blackness had shaken Ravage to the very core. She stood in bewilderment staring into the shadows, hands trembling with fear. She couldn’t believe she was still alive and her thoughts immediately turned to Patsy. Blood was seeping terribly from her wounds. Instantly Ravage crouched over her friend. Patsy's body felt cold and moist, she was going into shock from the blood loss. Ravage scooped her up and draped her over her shoulder once more and carried her out of the mansion, the enchanted blade left lying where it had fallen.

  The sensation of the cool night air on Ravage’s skin made her feel as though she was in another world, a peaceful one, and quiet. She glanced over her shoulder at the mansion; its dark windows staring coldly back at her. It had totally defeated her, stolen from her and left her bloody and limping under the weight of her battered friend. She turned away from it, never to look back.

  When Ravage carried Patsy into the yard where she had left the horses for the night and found that they were gone her first instinct was to panic, for she dearly loved Musk and had not the heart to endure her loss. Her anxiety was short lived, for she knew Musk and Jayden were very intelligent, and both had a keen sense for detecting evil. Their corpses were not in the yard nor was there any sign of commotion or bloodshed, for that Ravage was thankful. It was most likely that the pair had sensed danger and fled, a wise choice, as horses would do well to avoid the undead.

  From their saddles perched on the wooden fence Ravage took a small purse. It was something she never travelled without, and contained herbal salves, rare ingredients and bandages; everything one needs to clean wounds and keep them free of infection. Over the years she had known many strong warriors that had lost their lives, done in by a small wound that had festered and become rotten. She had no illusions about her body, and knew that her flesh was weak. Wounds needed to be cleaned; no human was invincible, no matter how strong or skilled in battle.

  There was no food in either saddle. There was a glass bottle of water though, and Ravage tucked it into the purse. The only other thing Ravage took from the saddle bag was a small dempt knife. Removing it from its sheath she inspected the dull grey blade, it didn't look like much, but it was both sharper and stronger than steel. She wasn't going to be battling any shorku's with it, but it made a perfect stealth weapon, used as a shiv, one stab in the neck was more than enough to kill a man.

  Into the forest Ravage carried Patsy. Her legs ached under the strain yet she pressed on until she felt as though they were far enough away from the mansion to be safe, and to finally rest. She dragged Patsy's body into the centre of a think hedge of bushes. If she was going to rest properly and actually sleep then she needed to feel safe, the hedging of scrub she had chosen kept them concealed from most eyes, doubtless she knew a keen nose would pick up their scent, but that was not something she could control. Many deadly creatures stalked the forests in the wilderness; she just had to hope to remain undetected.

  Using the knife Ravage cut away Patsy's torn clothing, her wounds were horrible though most of them had stopped bleeding; a slow trickle of blood ran between her breasts. Ravage tenderly caressed her friend’s cheek. There was still colour in Patsy's face; her breathing was soft yet stable. Ravage had seen men being butchered, women burned alive at the stake but seeing Patsy wounded was the most horrific to her; nothing else came close. She reached into the purse and began mixing ingredients in a small ceramic bowl. There was rocead moss to help the skin mend, cuijen petals to fight off infection in a bed of mud to thicken the mixture and help it adhere it to the body.

  Gently Ravage wiped up the dried blood and applied the salve to the open wounds before carefully bandaging it all up. She was happy with her work; hopefully the wounds should mend without issue. Ravage was exhausted now and laid down next to her friend. She held Patsy's hand as she closed her eyes to sleep. Within an instant she was back there, in the depths, the sharks swimming below her.

  Chapter 03

  As Ravage's eyes opened from sleep she took a deep breath and yawned. The morning air was damp, the cold feeling of dew on her cheek. It was barely light, her body felt so immensely tired, she felt as though she could do with a few more hours rest. A lingering pain emanated from her chest, it will be awhile before her ribs fully heal. Patsy was sleeping peacefully. Ravage leant across and brushed a few stray hairs from her friends face. Patsy’s eyelids were fluttering, a dream. Ravage hoped it was a nice one and not a nightmare from her encounter with the craven, she clenched her fist remembering the blood gushing from Patsy’s wounds as the phantoms held her aloft. With a sigh she released her anger. They had survived, conjuring images in her mind like that would only bring her anguish, so she quelled them.

  Dry leaves crumbled as a dark silhouette began circling the bushes they were hiding in. Ravage held her breath as the creature pressed itself against the soft branches and dug at the ground with its heavy feet. Instinctively she reached for her sword before realising that it was no longer in her possession. With only the dempt knife to fight wit
h Ravage did not like her chances if she were to battle against the denizens of the forest. The beast cast an intimidating shadow as it stalked their position; it knew they were in there.

  The creature snorted, flaring its nostrils. Ravage shook her head with a smile, she knew that noise. Slowly she rose and pushed her way through the damp branches until she found Musk's face poking in at her, nuzzling her as soon as she appeared. Jayden was there also, standing a few feet away looking on curiously. It was a surprise Ravage had not expected, and it was most welcomed.

  “Thanks for scaring the shit outa me,” she said as she rubbed the mare’s soft cheek.

  Leaving the concealment of the bushes the damp grass felt icy against the soles of her feet numbing them while the chill air bit at her naked legs. Ravage ignored the discomfort as she began to explore the area. Patsy had lost a lot of blood and was going to need to eat.

  A few suspiciously coloured mushrooms grew at the trunk of a tree close by, not trusting their appearance she chose not to pick them. She continued to search amongst the ferns and undergrowth until the morning sky turned bright and blue, yet she found nothing edible. With a heavy heart she returned to find Patsy sitting on the grass soaking up the morning sun, Jayden had laid himself down beside her and she was thoughtfully twisting the long hairs of his mane between her fingers.

  "You're awake," smiled Ravage as she approached.

  Patsy slowly ran her hand across her bandages. "You patched me up," her eyes were kindly and thoughtful, "what happened? How did we escape?"

  Ravage sat down and gave her a recount of the night’s events. Patsy couldn't remember much after the attack in the hallway and was overwhelmed that Ravage had carried her all the way through the forest to safety; truly she was a great friend. There were no words to express the love and bond of friendship Patsy held in her heart for Ravage.

  "Staying in the mansion was a really bad idea, I should have realised something was wrong with that place," said Ravage.

  "Don't worry about it," Patsy met her friends eyes, she knew Ravage felt guilty for the injuries she had suffered, "it seemed safe enough, and it was so beautiful inside, we just let our guards down, there’s no way we could have know the place was haunted."

  "That's true," the memories of relaxing in the bath came flooding back, feasting and laughing with crystal glasses and silverware, it had been nice inside the mansion- those yellow eyes; they came to her like a punch in the face, abrupt and shocking. A chill ran through her as she remembered the overbearing presence of the mysterious beast.

  "I thought there was-" Patsy lost her words when she noticed a small boy standing behind a tree staring at them.

  He stepped out onto the grass. His face was soft and innocent with large soulful eyes and a button nose. His chest was bare and from the waist down he was covered in a living moss with clover and small white flowers running down his legs. There was a peaceful aura emanating from him. Ravage bade the boy good morning as he approached them, he replied with a kindly smile and crouched down in front of Patsy. He reached out curiously and put his hand on her chest. As she looked into his eyes they changed colour, from blue, to green, to gold. His lips curled into a warm smile.

  As he moved his hands across her bandages a hot tingling sensation began to fill Patsy's chest. The damaged flesh started knitting itself back together seamlessly with no sign of trauma or scarring. Patsy began to feel wholly strong again. The blight of the cravens darkness abated from her mind, for the craven can leave an evil taint upon the living that slowly corrupts their morality, poisoning their thoughts and steering them down a path of wicked deceitfulness.

  Slowly his hands moved down her chest to her stomach where his smile turned into a frown. From the ground he picked up a broken twig. As he held it in his hand it began to sprout with life growing in length and girth as buds and leaves began appearing. Quickly it became a branch laden with many fruits and berries with a sweet aroma that tantalised the senses. Gently he laid it at her feet.

  “Thank you,” said Patsy, overwhelmed by the gift.

  With a warm and courteous smile he arose, turned, and began walking into the forest. Patsy called after him but the boy didn’t respond, quickly disappearing amongst the undergrowth.

  "A forest spirit," said Ravage, she stood amazed and stared off into the trees where the boy had disappeared, "amazing."

  "Did you see how his eyes changed colour?" Patsy ran her hand across her chest, her skin felt warm.

  "Must have something to do with his healing abilities.” Ravage was still trying to comprehend what just happened, seeing a forest spirit let alone interacting with one was so extremely rare.

  Patsy arose and stood beside Ravage. There are many ancient creatures and spirits that inhabit Sapphiron, too few of them benevolent.

  "Sapphiron never ceases to amaze me," said Patsy, "let's eat some of this fruit, it looks so good!"

  The sweetness of the fruit with the tantalising aromas that were unleashed with each bite filled not only their stomachs but their heats with joy also. Truly this was a divine gift. They saved a few pieces to eat later, readied the horses then set out into the forest, their spirits soaring.

  The forest was dense with ancient willows, the gentle movement of their great limbs in the breeze sounded as a soft melody. The girls atop their horses gave themselves willingly to the tranquillity of their surroundings.

  Under the shadows of the canopy they rode; through fern laden glades and across clear rocky streams until the sun moved across the sky and the coolness of the evening began to bite their naked skin. By a small campfire they sat together, cooking a plump wisker eel Patsy had caught in one of the small streams. They ate under the light of the stars and talked for many hours as best friends do until finally they curled up together amongst the roots of a great tree and slept.

  Their sleep went undisturbed. They awoke feeling refreshed and strong. Ravage did not agree with the brisk morning air and yearned to feel the warmth and comfort of clothes again as her singlet didn’t cut it as a lone garment. Patsy’s only covering was the bandages still wrapped around her chest. She thought to remove them since the forest spirit had healed her wounds yet they provided a degree of warmth and modesty so she left them on.

  They had covered quite a good distance through the forest the previous day and Ravage’s hopes were high that they would soon return to something that resembled civilisation.

  After a frugal breakfast they continued their journey through the forest. The beauty of the land amazed Patsy. For a short while they shared the company of a small flock of black crested red finches. Their chirps and melodic songs made the girls feel relaxed. The sun was so warm and the forest so beautiful that they rode along in ignorant bliss until a deep throated roar echoed from nearby. The pair kicked their horses into a gallop; racing from the area at high speed. In their unarmed state it was best to steer clear of any and all forest predators, especially shorku's.

  Shortly after midday they happened across an old road of compacted gravel wide enough that two carriages could easily pass each other. They could see the road stretching across grassy hills for miles in either direction, yet it was void of travellers. Not a single soul or carriage was heading in either direction. There were many rocky outcrops by the road as well as the encompassing forest making Ravage wary of bandit ambushes. She and Patsy kept close to the tree line and stayed doubly vigilant. Northwards they rode, slowly, into the waning sun.

  Their journey was faring well until Musk began sniffing the air curiously before stopping abruptly. Her behaviour became extremely anxious. Without prompting, the mare left the grass and ventured into the borders of the forest. Ravage lightly pulled on the reins and tried to coerce Musk to stop but the mare would have none of it and continued; unyielding to her master’s commands.

  With her keen eyes Ravage surveyed the forest, continuously peering back over her shoulder. Something had frightened Musk terribly, but Ravage could neither see nor hear anything that
would cause such a strong reaction from the mare. Once concealed under the thick canopy and dense foliage Musk stopped and began to calm. Ravage dismounted, she whispered kind words and patted her gently to sooth Musk's rattled nerves.

  "I wonder what spooked her so badly?" said Patsy. Musk's behaviour had unnerved her, the mare had obviously sensed something dangerous close by and there were many creatures to fear in this part of the world.

  "I'm not sure," said Ravage glancing back towards the road. Curiosity had its claws in her. "I'm going to go to the road and have a look around."

  "Then I'm coming with you," said Patsy as she climbed from her saddle. The pair stealthily crept to the edge of the forest. They concealed themselves amongst the thick green leaves of a tall fern, four eyes searching for the source of Musk's unease.

  The breeze bent the long grass this way and that while slow moving clouds drifted across the horizon. There was nothing unwonted about the afternoon, the cause of Musk’s strange behaviour a mystery. Satisfied that all was well, Ravage began to rise when suddenly Patsy grabbed her arm. "Look there," she whispered.

  Over the hill rolled a carter. His wagon pulled by two tall black geldings. Below his curved hat was a pair of rosy cheeks and a well trimmed beard. He was alone on his cart except for the gourd of ale on the bench beside him.

  "He looks like a merchant," said Patsy, "don't tell me your horse is scared of this old man!"

  "Don’t be an idiot, there has to be something else around.” And there had to be, Musk wouldn’t act weird for no reason.

  "We should go talk to him, even if he's not a merchant he might able to tell us where we are."

  Ravage hoped that he was indeed a merchant. There were quite a few barrels and wooden crates in the back of his cart so it was quite likely that he was. She dearly wanted clothes. It would be very fortuitous if he happened to be carrying some meat and maybe some weaponry too. Just as Ravage began to emerge from behind the fern a hideously awful cry bellowed from the sky above, Patsy quickly reached out and grabbed Ravage, pulling her back behind the sheltered camouflage of the thick leaves.