THE DRAGON AND THE PHOENIX

by Shoraz

  As the Phoenix flew, she longed for the energy which she so desperately needed, but there was no way that she would leave her friends that were battling against the forces of evil and trying to prevent Venetia from releasing the Blue Dragon which would surely destroy her in her current state of weakness.

  In the back of her mind she also knew that if the Dragon were to be released, it would have its full strength and have all of its powers as it had rested in the Ocean of Eternity for eons and if it were released from its spell, it would come out stronger than it had ever been.

  Then as the Phoenix gathered whatever energy she had left, she looked at Razen and saw Alkazar approaching him, and she knew that the fire and ice that bound his magical hands were about to be shattered. And with that Razen would have his magical powers at his command once again, and as Alkazar raised his sword, Razen held his hands out and as the sword struck it his hands were now free after being bound for what seemed like an eternity.

  As Venetia looked at Razen she screamed, “Do it now you fool, release the Dragon or I will kill them all,” pointing to the innocent Zerrosians being held in the Grand Castle against their will.

  Then, as everyone looked on in horror and fear, Razen began saying the words of his spell in fear of what Venetia would do to the innocent Zerrosians if he stopped. As he mumbled the words out of fear, Venetia looked on waiting for the Blue Dragon to rise out of the Ocean of Eternity and come flying towards the Grand Castle and kill the mythical Phoenix once and for all.

  As the Phoenix tried to come close to Razen in order to prevent him from finishing his spell, the army of Zerros continued their assault of arrows upon her, and as she did her best to make it to Razen, she was unable to come any closer.

  Then, out of nowhere, the band of sorcerers along with Usain and Roma made their way to the area of the Grand Castle where Razen, Venetia, Alkazar and many others were, and as the sorcerers used their magic to fight against the royal guards and sentinels, both Usain and Roma ran towards Razen in hopes of pushing him down to the floor and preventing him from finishing his spell that would release the Blue Dragon.

  As the sorcerers and royal guards and sentinels fought, Venetia, Yram, Leonis, and Zalde looked on in horror as their master plan was being ruined and as they tried to run away from the fighting Zurial grabbed Leonis, while two other sorcerers grabbed Yram and Zalde and using their magical powers they raised them to the sky and as they looked down at the sorcerers they realized that their time had come to an end and with that Zurial and the other sorcerers chanted a spell and drained the lives out of Yram, Zalde and Leonis as their lifeless bodies dropped to the ground as the royal guards and sentinels looked on in confusion.

  Meanwhile, as Usain and Roma ran towards Razen they jumped on him and pushed him to the ground, and the spell that would have released the Blue Dragon was not complete, and the mighty Blue Dragon still lay in the Ocean of Eternity in a state of dormancy.

  Zurial then said, “Your rule of evil has come to an end Venetia,” and as Venetia heard those words she looked around and as she locked eyes with Razen he remembered the pain and torture that she put him through and using his wizardry he raised her high to the sky above the Grand Castle and she screamed in terror and pleaded for her life.

  The Phoenix then looked at Razen and said, “Let her go Razen, she can no longer hurt you,” and as Razen thought of everything that he went through because of Venetia he knew that there was only one thing to do and using his sorcery he slowly took the life out of her and as she gasped and her body violently shook, her soul slowly and painfully continued to leave her body of liquefied diamond, and as it did so, not one Zerrosian and not even the Phoenix herself made an attempt to stop Razen from killing her as they knew that he deserved revenge for the torture and almost lifelong pain that she had inflicted upon him during his time of imprisonment.

  Then, just before Venetia died, Razen said to her, “You were never meant to be the ruler of Zerros Venetia, that is not a ‘V’ that is imprinted above the throne beside the Blue Dragon, in reality, the two arches on each side of the ‘V’ spells out the word Ava which is the name of our true ruler, the Phoenix,” as he looked at Venetia.

  Then, as the truth of everything flashed before her eyes, Razen showed her the ugly truth of what he went through and that his life of pain and torture under her rule would not go unpunished by him. And as Venetia saw Razen’s thoughts, which he allowed her to see, and his life of torture under her rule went through her head, she couldn’t believe what he went through, and survived, and as she looked at the Phoenix she managed to squeeze out the words, “I’m sorry,” and then she focused back on Razen and a tear flowed from one of her eyes as her soul exited her body.

  As she died, Razen then dropped her lifeless body to the ground below and as everyone looked on the fighting had stopped, and Alkazar dropped the sword of power and kneeled in obedience and respect in front of the mighty Phoenix as she hovered in the air.

  As Alkazar, Razen and everyone else kneeled to the Phoenix in admiration, Alkazar said, “My ruler, I am sorry for what I have done under the rule of Venetia, and I am ready for whatever punishment you have for me,” and as he said those words the armies that had stopped fighting looked up at the magical Phoenix and every single one of them on the battlefield and within the Grand Castle followed Alkazar’s lead and they all kneeled and bowed in admiration and awe of their supreme ruler – the golden Phoenix of Zerros.

  As the Phoenix looked down upon her people, she turned to Alkazar and said, “The evil rule of Venetia is over, I feel your emotions Alkazar, and I sense the remorse within you. You only followed Venetia as it was your duty. Your penalty is banishment of yourself from the royal guard, and you will live the rest of your life deep within the forest of Zerros.”

  “As you wish your majesty,” Alkazar replied.

  To which the Phoenix said, “Your apology is not for me Alkazar, it is for him,” as she looked at Razen.

  Razen then looked towards Alkazar, relieved that his life under the rule of Venetia had finally come to an end and Alkazar said the words, “I am sorry Razen, I am truly sorry.”

  As Razen looked at him, a part of him wanted to kill everyone involved in his life of torture but something deep within him shone through, and he said to Alkazar, “You are forgiven, it is time to rebuild Zerros.”

  As everyone looked on, including the Phoenix, they were astonished at Razen’s act of forgiveness and then suddenly, Razen remembered Venetia’s words that the sentinels were at the portals and were ready to enter numerous universes and destroy them all as she had commanded and he said, “My ruler, Venetia had placed some sentinels at the portals, and they could be heading to the universes to destroy them. We must tell them that Venetia is dead and she is no longer the ruler of Zerros.”

  Upon hearing those words the Phoenix commanded the sorcerers to go to the portals at once, and the sorcerers which included Astaria, Zurial and Mikaelos began to quickly fly towards the portals with the Phoenix and Razen following closely behind them.

  As they reached the transcendent portals the sorcerers readied themselves for anything, and as they looked around they saw no one, and for a moment they thought that the sentinels had gone to their assigned universes to wreak havoc at the orders of their now deceased ruler Venetia.

  But then the Phoenix, using her supernatural powers tapped her mind into the portals from the central control room, and as she became one with it, she quickly realized that the plethora of universes that were once again under her rule were safe from the wrath of Venetia. And as she told that to the sorcerers they felt at ease, and Razen broke down as his shattered soul that was near the brink of ruin and destruction was finally on the cusp of putting the broken pieces of his soul back together again in hopes of one day becoming the sorcerer that he always knew he would be.

  “Are you okay my friend?” Mikaelos asked.

  “I will one day again be who I used to be, but for now I have to pick
up the pieces of my traumatized soul and make myself whole again,” Razen said.

  “And we will be there to help you, now we must return back to our people and begin cleansing and rebuilding Zerros and return it to its glorious past,” the Phoenix said, and with that the Phoenix and the sorcerers began to fly back to the Grand Castle, but as they left, Razen stayed back and Astaria asked, “Are you coming with us my friend?”

  “I need some time in solitude Astaria as I still feel the evil of Venetia within me and I need to gather and compose myself before I return to our people,” Razen said, and with that Mikaelos, Astaria and Zurial along with the magical Phoenix flew back to the Grand Castle while Razen stayed back at the portals and marveled at them while thoughts of his newfound freedom went through his head.

  Razen then quietly sat in silence, and as he closed his eyes, he began to mumble a few words, and as the words continued coming from his mouth, he began to levitate.

  Then, as he began to levitate, far away on the edges of the Ocean of Eternity, the magical waters began to churn and then as Razen said the final words of his spell he opened his eyes and looked towards the distance. And then out of the Ocean of Eternity flew the Blue Dragon, and as it mightily roared and flew to the skies above, everyone in Zerros, including the golden Phoenix, heard the mighty roar and looked on in horror and disbelief to see the Blue Dragon. Meanwhile, from the portals, Razen smiled in wicked delight as he saw the Blue Dragon as well, and from afar thoughts of great evil went through his sinister mind as his partner in crime and his longtime friend was once again roaming the skies of Zerros.

  CHAPTER TWENTY–ONE

  As the golden Phoenix helplessly looked on in horror, she was in utter shock and confusion, and as the fear of seeing her killer – the Blue Dragon – coursed throughout her body she knew that she did not have the strength to defeat the Blue Dragon who was now rejuvenated more than ever from the eons of rest it had at the bottom of the Ocean of Eternity.

  As the Dragon flew, it looked down at Zerros, and the memories of its past life came rushing through its mind. It remembered being created, and it remembered the sorcerers and the Phoenix, it also remembered the diamond army it created, and it remembered the four dragons as well.

  As thoughts of revenge and retribution went through its mind, it thought about the portals, and it remembered the vast array of universes that it wanted to rule so badly. As the Dragon roared high in the skies above, Razen looked on in happiness and delight as his creation – the Blue Dragon – was once again free and was ready to do battle against the magical Phoenix in the fight for Zerros and the plethora of universes under its control.

  As the Blue Dragon looked down towards the portals it saw Razen, and as Razen’s eyes met the eyes of the Dragon they locked onto each other and Razen then commanded the Dragon to come down to stand beside him, and as he did so the mighty Blue Dragon began flying down towards the portals where Razen the evil sorcerer stood.

  As the Dragon came closer, it landed beside Razen and then looked up to the sky and began shooting shards of fire and ice towards the distance in a show of strength and power.

  “My child, save your strength for we will need it for the upcoming battle of Zerros,” Razen said.

  Upon hearing Razen’s words, the Dragon stopped its show of strength and looked at Razen and said, “Let us go my master, let us roam the universes and rule them as we wish.”

  “No my child, the spell is still upon you and will always be until I release it,” Razen said.

  “And when will you release me from the clutches of this curse?” the Blue Dragon asked.

  “We must first kill the Phoenix my child, only then will we truly have the power which we want,” Razen said to the Dragon.

  “Let us attack them now,” the Dragon said as he looked towards the Grand Castle.

  “Have patience Zarax. Now bring forth the four dragons and the diamond army and let us wage war against the Phoenix, and together we will both rule Zerros and the universes forever,” Razen said.

  As the Blue Dragon heard the name Zarax, he asked, “Why do you call me Zarax?”

  “This is the name that I had given you many, many eons ago my child. And from the moment I created you, I knew that we were destined to one day rule Zerros together, and now the time has come for us to do so,” Razen said.

  “Yes, the time has come,” Zarax – the Blue Dragon – said, and with that, from the deepest reaches of his mind, he began to create the four dragons and the diamond army. And then out of nowhere, they began to appear as Razen looked on in delight as his master plan to rule Zerros and the universes was almost complete.

  Then, one by one, the Blue Dragon began creating his army. First, it was the diamond army, and as they took form, they all bowed down to their master – Zarax – in admiration and awe. And then as the diamond army continued to appear the four dragons began to take shape, and one by one, the powerful beasts began to appear, and as they did so, they mightily roared and flew to the skies above.

  Meanwhile, in the distance, those at the Grand Castle which included the people of Zerros, the sentinels, the royal guards, the sorcerers and the majestic yet weakened Phoenix looked on in horror knowing that somehow the Blue Dragon was again alive and ready to unleash its fury, rage, and ferocity upon anyone and anything that stood in its way of ruling Zerros and the universes.

  As they hopelessly looked on, the four dragons and the diamond army finally finished forming and as they did so they all rose to the sky and looked towards their enemies at the Grand Castle ready to wage war against the Phoenix and her army.

  As Razen proudly looked on at his accomplishment of bringing the Blue Dragon and his minions back to life he pondered upon his captivity at the hands of Venetia and it was at this point he knew that everything he went through, including the torture, the beatings and the suffering in his cell in the Grand Castle was worth it.

  He also knew that if it weren’t for the time which he spent in isolation and seclusion, he would have never been able to craft his immense magical skills which were now more powerful than any other sorcerer in the history of Zerros. Then, as the hate and rage coursed through him, he pondered back to what he went through at the hands of Venetia in order to justify the evil of what he was about to unleash upon Zerros and everything in existence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY–TWO

  Flashback: The imprisonment of Razen

  As Razen’s screams of pain and agony echoed throughout the halls of the Grand Castle, the royal guards continued their beating of him at the request of Venetia who wanted to prove to Razen that she was the one in control of him and the one who controlled his destiny.

  “Please stop, please show mercy on me,” Razen pleaded, but the royal guards continued beating on him without any pity or compassion whatsoever.

  Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the royal guards stopped the beating of him just as abruptly as it had started and exited Razen’s cell leaving him shackled and bound and unable to look after himself as he lay on the ground in an almost unconscious state.

  Then, as the pain wore off and Razen sat up and leaned his back on the walls of his cell he continued silently chanting his spells and enchantments in preparation for what lay ahead in his quest to free the mighty Blue Dragon and rule Zerros.

  This chanting of spells was not new for Razen, and it began a long, long time ago, ever since he was first imprisoned by Venetia as was his plan all along. Then, as time passed and he continued his journey to become the most powerful sorcerer in Zerros, he found a way to use his magic even though his hands and eyes were bound, and what Venetia failed to realize in her incarceration of Razen was that his mind was more powerful than she could have ever imagined. And over time he slowly learned to make his mind travel through space and time which was something that no sorcerer had ever before attempted.

  After what seemed like eons went by, Razen had finally perfected the art of magic, and although he could have escaped if he so wished, he
knew that all would be for naught unless the Phoenix was in Zerros as this was the only way that she could be killed once and for all by the mythological Blue Dragon.

  As Venetia’s power over Zerros grew and grew and she continued to rule it with an iron fist of dictatorship, Razen waited in the shadows pretending to be weak and feeble, and his plan that he had so carefully and meticulously constructed was working to perfection, as no one in Zerros, which included Venetia, Yram, Galiac, Zrakil and even the band of sorcerers who secretly hid throughout Zerros, knew the true nature of Razen’s plan.

  As the beatings and torture of Razen continued, he patiently and sadistically waited for the Phoenix to return to Zerros, and once he knew that she had returned he set his master plan in motion as he knew that the timing was perfect. And he also knew that this opportunity was as close as he had ever come and will ever come in leading the Blue Dragon on its quest to kill the golden Phoenix of Zerros.

  The end of the flashback of the imprisonment of Razen

  And now in his greatest moment, Razen looked on with an evil grin as the Phoenix, royal guards, sentinels and sorcerers looked on in horror as the Blue Dragon mightily roared, and his minions, which included the diamond army and the four dragons waited on their masters command to begin their onslaught of destruction against the transcendent Phoenix and the army of Zerros.

  CHAPTER TWENTY–THREE

  As the people of Zerros, sentinels, royal guards, sorcerers and the Phoenix looked towards the portals to the universes and saw the deadly diamond army, the four dragons and the powerful Blue Dragon they knew that the attack from their formidable foes was about to begin.