The Elements, Rise of the Darkness

Chapter 3: The Stubborn Phoenix

~Dragno~

After reading what Zax wrote me back, I immediately realized this will be a challenge. But at the same time I wonder about this fiancé. This is quite odd since we ALL know how 'to himself' he was as a child, so this will be extremely interesting. The voyage is pretty short and the dangers of the see not as much as I feared. We finally reach Z'ka Din the land of storms. We are quick to be greeted with heavy winds as the ship rock back and forth "Whoa!!" I hear Philly's voice from somewhere, I rush towards it, but the rocking ship makes it hard. Suddenly the wind goes down quick and I hear a familiar voice. "Well now, looks like you all grown up! Dragno~ " I look to the sky to see an old familiar face, it looks a bit older...and wiser...but it is definitely him...it is Zax...

"Zax! There you are. Glad I had no need to find you first!" I Smile up to the Phoenix. He invites us to land as he lands on the harbor. "Welcome to Z'ka Din. So? Is it true? Did he return?" Zax asked with a worried face, he knows this is serious, but he now has a responsibility here, at the kingdom. "Yes...unfortunately the south has begun movement" I tell him what I know, and that i need all of the elements. "Well, Drag...as you already know, my place is here, and i need to be here for it" The phoenix tells me what I already know. "Zax. Please, I need your help...I cannot stand against them alone" I plead for his help but is answered "No, Drag, You must respect my decision to stay" "What about a bet?" I tell Zax with a smile. "A bet? Mm. Ok...I will hear this out"

I tell the phoenix what I have in mind, the bet exists as such, we do a duel, if I win, he will return with me to Black Rock. And if he wins, I am to leave him be. As I have come to know Zax, if I can prove I am stronger, he will believe he does need help, if he wins, he will know he does not need any help...so I must win. "Ok Zax. You know this area better than me, choose a good spot for a duel" "Sure, this way" Waving for me to follow him. "Philly! Can you just go with the soldiers to the inn? I'm not sure how long we will take" Philly nods his head with a smile and says "Ok! Be safe!" And he quickly goes after the soldier carrying our stuff to the inn nearby.

"Well then, six years! Let us see if you have improved" Zax, his voice high and mighty as he stops over a gorge, landing on a mountain of stone and he turns to face me, takes his stance. He stands erect and noble, with is arms by his side as he stares at me, I see he is ready. I land far from him and take my stance, my left side slightly more forward than the right, my right hand slightly outwards.

~Zax~

After six years, I wonder what Dragno has learned, especially with Durzo there to train him. Finally, six years and I can have a good fight. "So are you ready Zax!?" He shouts at me from afar, I nod my head in response then I open my wings wide, and they start to glow, as they do lightning starts to strike everywhere around me and the sky goes dark with clouds, and at one moment four bolts comes down and hits my chest, I absorb it and I start to electrocute, my entire body electrifies as I am surrounded by my aura of sparks. "Ok well, time to show you, you do need help! Ha-ha!" Dragno, shouting his over confidence. The fire in his heart burns bright as always. He finally gets serious when his armor forms, it is a cloak of fire, and then it becomes hard as it becomes his armor of solid fire. Like solid lava.

~Dragno~

My armor ready, I summon my Blade, it is a great sword of fire, it does not cut, except when it is made as my armor, solid. But it burns a warm fire that melts armor and flesh alike. We have a standoff, I know Zax has speed I struggle to keep up, I have once, but that was seven years ago and due to a technique that disables my body. He is now studying me; he always does before a fight. He sees the weakness in his opponent and strikes there first, my own being-

He charges up and a bolt shoots at me! I use a fire dash and jump out the way, and then we charge at each other. We collide and as I go back, I shoot a fire bolt followed by me flying up and shooting another, but he is too quick and dodges both, vanish and reappear behind me. I am instantly filled with electrocution; I turn quick and blast him with a fire breath. He ducked and shot my stomach with a lightning bolt. I fall down to the ground with a hard thud and crash.

I stand up, holding my broken armor, and twitching with the jolts, I lift my arms up, and slowly but increasingly start to blast bolts of fire at the Phoenix, but his movements too quick and retaliates with his own blasts, I shoot it and stand back, put my arms in front of my chest as i start to charge up my attack, he sees what I am doing and he does the same, charging his own. My hands glow bright, my aura shaking the ground and flowing around my body and into the center, now at my chest as a bright fire ball grows. Zax gains a smirk as lightning goes into him, the clouds going darker and lightning becoming mightier. "Crap. Why did I do this?" I am starting to doubt my decision as I see his body glowing brighter and brighter each time it hits him.

~Zax~

Ha-ha, he still has not learned the might of my thunder bolt. My smirk grows as my body gets brighter, becoming a beacon in the sky, I see him down there, his energy flowing into the ball of fire growing in front of his chest, it now has his hight, Drag takes flight and hovers far away in front of me. With one final bolt, huge compared to the others, it hits me on my back, his energy instantly fills my body, I overload as I shoot forward a massive bolt of thunderous lightning. Dragno made the ball at its maximum size and power as he shoots it forward towards me, its size is huge. The two blasts collide with an explosion of energy; I have my arms up, shooting out all the energy inside my body, keeping the bolt charged as the two blasts struggle to push the other.

~Story~

The Ball of fire conjured by the Draco, and the bolt of thunder shot out of the hands of the Phoenix, collides with a massive clash of powers as the ground shakes. It was not meant to go this far, but as the Draco desperately needs help, he got carried away, sparks shooting out, fires exploding. Finally the Phoenix took it further. The phoenix glows bright as multiple bolts hits him and charges his attack. The Draco sees this and becomes worried. He also starts to glow and charges up to the ball of fire, breaths deeply, his chest glowing bright as it gets filled with fire. He opens his mouth and a mighty burst of Dragon's fire shoots out upon the Ball as he charges it up, pushing it and giving it more strength, the collision is mighty as the two energies move against each other, lightning shooting rapidly at the ground, causing mountains to shatter and break apart as the land got hit, the ground getting burnt by the intense fires that bursts out from time to time.

"ENOUGH!!!" The thunderous voice of the phoenix he explodes with power and charges at the fire ball, he goes straight through, breaking it apart entirely as he comes to the Draco, He is in his pure form as he collides with the Draco like a lightning bolt, shattering the armor completely. The Draco falls to the ground and crashes hard into the ground. All signs of fire disappear as the Draco lies there unconsciously. The phoenix lands beside the Draco and picks him up, then flies back to the Healers. The phoenix waits at his bed. Thinking. What should he do...