The Prophecy of the Fire Phoenix: #1 The Gift of Phoenix Fire

Chapter 9: Strikimir's Revenge

    King Ice Talon's troops were flying towards the now ever growing brighter Rising Sun. And in the middle of the future path of destruction was the Knightly Birds Cliff, the ancient warrior birds from the Age of the Ice. Strikimir was finally here, and he had waited so long to deliver his revenge. Yes, it had taken a few diffuculties to get here - the battle with a narwhale, a suspicious gryphon, and a nosy dragon - but he was at last here.

    Strikimir felt a blazing source of energy build up inside of him, a unrecognizable fury. Revenge. Yes, he wanted that so badly, and he yet could almost taste it. Pure anger was rising up into his eyes. He probably showed so much of it that King Ice Talons told him to go gather up his forces.

    "Drown them. Don't worry if they flee, because they cannot escape the fury of the ice. Also, I always love a good fight, so make this battle worth something. Go on, Strikimir. Show me all you've got..." Ice Talons said, taunting Strikimir to destroy his most hated rivalry.

    "Thank you, King Ice Talons," Strikimir said, obviously grateful.

    "Just hurry! We can't waste time! With every passing second, who knows what the phoenixes have figured out already..."

    So Strikimir arose as one with his Water-Xs, and plunged towards the Knightly Birds Cliff. Once they were within a hundred yards, one of the guards - Elixir - spotted them and blew a plume of flame into the air as a warning signal to alert the other birds.

    Within a minute, the air was filled with eagles, kites, falcons, owls, and hawks. Strikimir sheared his way through the defense line, jabbing his ice sword into any weak points. An Earth Phoenix came at him, within its clutches a diamond hammer. Strikimir dodged its strike, and struck it in the chest with his wings, propelling it backwards into several other phoenixes. All of them fell down into the raging water below, desperate to eat up anything. Strikimir saw a shadow sail above him, and drop down towards him. Strkimir held his sword pointing up, spearing the Shadow Phoenix all the way through, as the phoenix just kept blazing its eyes and snapping.

    "Skyzan, rise the waves!" Strikimir yelled at another Water-X. Skyzan screeched to the other Water-Xs, signaling them to rise a giant wave. The wave rose, taking half of the Knightly Birds, leaving them shrieking for help or already sinking. The remaining Knightly Birds dove down to help the drowning birds. Some stayed, and stood their ground.

    Strikimir told his Water-Xs to stay back, that this was his fight to deal with. So Strikimir advanced in battle, swinging his sword, and dodging and deflecting javelins and lances. He clawed one owl in a helmet fully in the face, making it lose its bearings for a moment, crash into several other birds, and plummet. Three regular birds grabbed his wings and tail, while a forth dove at him, claws fully extended. Strikimir used his strength, and pulled a kite into the target, taking out two birds. He thrusted the other one off of his wing, and smashed the one holding his tail to it. They all swiveled out of sight into the devastation below.

    "Strikimir, why do this?" Wailed Elixir as Strikimir head butted a hawk into the cliff, its wings spread wide. "What have we done?" He exhaled a firebomb at the Water-Xs below, with no death results.

    "Abondaoned me when I needed your help the most! You didn't heal my wings in that foolish battle!"

    "What?" Elixir said quizzically. "But you're flying right now!"

    "Exactly! I don't need your help! King Ice Talons gave me this power to fly for now! And I won't let you ruin it!" Strikimir advanced towards Elixir. Elixir fled. Coward.

    The battle was short, and soon lifeless bodies sank deep into the sea. Some bobbed several times, and got immobilized by floating pieces of glaciers. Blood from the event turned the waters a sickening pink. The Knightly Birds had been reduced to numbers in less than two dozen.

    "Yes! YES! Finally, VICTORY!" Strikimir roared, for he had finally received his reward - vengeance. The remaining few Knightly Birds fled, following Elixir. He let them go. Flee. Warn all of them of our fury that runs through our blood. And the fury that will haunt you forever.

    Abyss hovered in front of Strikimir, looking up at him reproachfully. "Erm...Strikimir? May we eat our prize that we've gained?"

    "What?" Strikimir was shocked, then quickly regained his posture by letting his wings catch the sun, making him look even more fearsome. "Why, you may!"

    "Thank you, sir," Abyss said, then he went to the other Water-Xs. "You may feast as you like! Grind 'em up inside you! Eat the enemies! Drain their power into your own!" He dove, and snatched up a dead regular eagle.

    The Water-Xs followed suit, diving into the sea, sending up plumes of sea mist. He could see some of them clearly munching away at the dead birds. You could say that they were cannibalistic. Too bad that King Falcon Claws wasn't here! I could've killed him in this great battle!

    The Water-Xs returned, blood dripping down their beaks and talons, sea water washing it away. Strikimir watched as the sea frozened over the leftover scraps of some of the many mutilated Knightly Birds. He had killed every single one of them that had deserved death. Or so he thought.

    Suddenly, pain erupted from behind. Strikimir twisted around in agony, and saw a rare pure silver Titanium Phoenix strike at Strikimir in the back with a metal blade. This was a Mississippi Kite.

    Strikimir felt his power from the Ice Dragons failing inside of him. And who of all to mess this up? Fericious.

    "Why, Strikimir," Fericious said coldly, "To bad you have chosen this path. Come along, surrender now, and join me on another path. Then I will spare you." Fericious's eyes showed a glint of pain as he struck Strikimir again, trying to force him down upon the sea. He had tears streaming down his feathered face.

    "Never! You've forced me upon this choice, with no other thought whatsoever. Now, you will see the price that all of you deserve to get from abandoning me!"

   Strikimir suddenly felt a newer, raw power of rage fling up all around inside of him. He shot up at Fericious, wings beating ferociously up and down, determined to do what he must. Fericious rolled. Bad mistake. This gave Strikimir a clear target. He thrust his sword at Fericous's heart, piercing it immediately. He did it with such force that his sword tip stuck out of the other end, coated in sky blue blood.

    Fericious looked at Strikimir, shocked, attempted to kill Strikimir one last time, then plummeted. Strikimir raked off his sword from Fericious's body, clutching the bloody sword. Fericious spiraled downward, feathers ripped off of him by strong winds penetrating his body. The sea was frozen, so he landed with a satisfying crunch front ways first onto a patch of white ice. Strikimir swooped down to see if Fericious somehow still survived, ready to spring away at once if Fericious showed any sign of attacking. Fericious's expression was pained, and his stomach had his guts spilling out. Strikimir looked away, ashamed. He lifted off, and glided towards King Ice Talons.

    Blue blood was dripping down his sword and talons, reminding him of Fericious's deep blue sapphire eyes. His own reflection reflecting off of those same colored eyes.

    Strikimir did not feel the need to clean the blood off, since it would forever remind him of his revenge.

    He landed besides King Ice Talons, and received a cold, icy pat that knocked the breath out of him.

    "Good work, Strikimir. Absolutely, positive, excellent work," King Ice Talons said, loving the way Strikimir looked on the horizon with no trace of elation - just the thirst for more vengeance. "Who knew you had so much rage built up inside of you."

    Strikimir nodded, still shocked after his deadly, sorrowful battle. For he had killed his brethren. His brother...

    And yet, still Strikimir refused to make himself stay sorrowful. He would keep his emotion of hardness and determination all the way through the end. To finally meet his purpose for the world.