Blood and shadows (a Rogue love story)

The water phoenix

The four ran after the girl, trying to keep up but Ruby was too quick. She swung through the trees with ease, following the noise. Jumping from tree to tree just above their heads.

"This girl is insane." Sting said as he looked up and saw her running along the tree trunk above them.

"Sting, have you ever heard of a phoenix slayer before?" Rogue asked him.

"No you?"

"Not at all. It makes me wonder why. The magic energy coming off her was intense you must have felt it too."

"Yeah I did."

"If phoenix slayers are so powerful how has no one ever heard of them before?"

"You make a good point but I don't think that this Ruby girl is the one to talk." Ruby landed smoothly on her feet in front of the four. They stopped and breathed hard.

"Wow you guys are unfit. The phoenix seems to be just behind these trees, near the lake where he's strongest. The bastard is healing himself before we fight again. Have either of you ever seen a phoenix before?"

"No we haven't."

"As I thought. They are fairly rare, they don't show themselves often but I guess their not as rare a sighting as dragons. Usually they are gently creatures." She stepped out of the way and the four moved forward to look through the trees at the phoenix. The sight amazed them all, it was beautiful, so elegant.

"If they are normally gently, why is this one different?" Asked Sting.

"That's something I am trying to find out. Phoenix's they all follow one very powerful queen but that queen has gone missing. Ever since she disappeared the phoenix's have been going crazy. It's almost like they are becoming possessed."

"Why are you killing them then?" 

"I only kill those that have drawn human blood. If I don't they will only become blood thirsty and keep killing. There is an ancient law with phoenix's. Those that have drawn human blood in vein must be out to an end otherwise there will be another war. Thousands of years ago humans tried to kill phoenix's so naturally the fought back but they then couldn't stop killing. They began tracking the humans down and killing them like they were pray. That's when the queen gave them phoenix slayer magic, so that they could fight back." Ruby stepped forward. "Just think of me as an exterminator. To carry out the will of the missing phoenix queen." She walked through the bushes making the phoenix turn to glare at her.

"Ruby Carter, back for more I see." Said the phoenix.

"Of course, I won't stop until you are nothing more than a corpse."

"You dare to fight me now? While I am on my home turf?"

"You have left me no choice. You murdered a group of 50 men."

"Ahhh this is what this is about. Don't worry those humans deaths were quick and painless."

"I don't care you still killed them. You have gone against the most ancient law known to phoenix's."

"That stupid rule made by Hemotras."

"That's your queen you speak of."

"No Ruby that is our ex queen. We have a new King now, one that has opened our eyes to the truth. The truth of how pathetic humans are. In the war against humans I lost my family by the hand of a forest phoenix slayer. The human race will pay for their deaths but first we have to wipe out the phoenix slayers, they stand in our way but mostly it is you that is stopping our plans. You, the blood princess."

"Don't use that name."

"It must be hurting you to know that your mother was the one that was captured."

"I don't believe that. Mother was strong, the strongest phoenix out there, that's why you made her your queen."

"At the time that might have been true but she is not the strongest anymore. You know that when a phoenix is no longer the strongest the are replaced. It now makes me wonder why on earth we ever named a pathetic human like you our princess."

"Listen to me very closely now. I want my Mother back and however the hell this new King is he better know that I'm coming for him, and when I find him if there is even a scratch on her there is going to be hell to pay." The phoenix looked at Ruby's eyes and knew that she was serious. Her glare was even enough to make a powerful phoenix shy aware in fear. He spread his wings out ready to fly away, he knew that this was not a fight he could win. Ruby was as powerful as a phoenix if not more. She was the one that was enforcing the ancient law and she did it well. The water phoenix battered his wings and began to raise.

"Scarlett phoenix whip." Shouted Ruby from below. In her hand appeared a large flexible whip made of blood. She wrapped it around the water phoenix and pulled it down. The phoenix fell to the ground his a loud thump and laid completely still. Ruby smirked at him as he looked at her. "You didn't think I was going to let you get away did you? After everything that you just said."

"I underestimated you Ruby Carter. This fight with you has been the most challenging I have ever had and you are nothing bit human. Would you spare me my life?"

"No I will not. You understand why that is not something I can do. A phoenix goes against that particular ancient law the punishment is death. It's the only way to keep the peace, it is harsh and I hate doing my job but if there was another war between phoenix's and humans thousands of lives would be lost."

"I understand, I accept my judgement."

"It was an honour to fight you in your last hours. Noble blood: blood reign field." Ruby waved her hand in front of her face and the air around her became blood. The thousands of blood droplet shot towards the phoenix at great speed and circled around him like a tornado. When the blood died down there was not a trace left of the phoenix that was once there...