Norikai: Destiny Foretold

Chapter 12: The Phoenix

Andrew's body lay there at the bottom of the cliff. The three bolts still stuck out from his chest. A girl in a leather jacket approached him. "I'm sorry Andrew." Eve said, "But the prophecy calls for you still. The Phoenix is still needed." She pulled the bolts from him and threw them on the ground. From a small bag, she produced the glowing orb they got from Markone Palace. She placed it against his chest and it exploded. She hid her face in her arm, but when she looked up there was only ash.

"No." She fell to her knees. "It didn't work." She swallowed. Suddenly the ashes ignited. "What the?" She took a step back as the fire grew more and more intense. A figure appeared in the flames. He thrust his hands out to his sides and the fire parted. It was Andrew. "You're alive!"

"And I have you to thank. But for right now, my friends are in trouble." Andrew sighed. "It's time to fly."

"You don't mean literally, do you?" Eve asked.

"Come on!" Andrew grabbed Eve around the shoulders and jumped. Fire erupted around them and spun. It allowed them to move in the air like a rocket. They reached the top of the cliff and Andrew dropped Eve on the ground before he landed.

"You need to work on your landings." Eve said, "For someone who just came back to life, you're being pretty reckless."

"Not my monkey, not my circus." Andrew kneeled at his grave. "I'm sorry guys." He grabbed his shield and jacket. With a quick swap, Andrew was ready to go. "You ready this time?" Andrew asked Eve.

"Maybe." She put her arm around his neck and Andrew held onto her.

"Then let's go!" He ran with her and jumped off the cliff. "Yeah!" He yelled as they flew away.

* * * * *

At the Darius' castle, the venceel were gaining the advantage against the warriors. "We have to keep going!" Carlos shouted. He was out of breath.

"How can we?" Kendra panted.

"We're all but done." Laura sighed in defeat. They all were on the defensive. Pretty soon they were going to break.

"The power of the heart, is there any stronger?" A voice called from above.

"That's part of the prophecy." Dae said.

"It can't be." Sari looked up at the fireball in the sky.

"Andrew!" Jason cheered. "How?!"

Andrew smiled and landed in front of his friends. He let off a big explosion that wiped out a bunch of the venceel. "Miss me?" He had a huge grin on his face from ear to ear. Eve stayed behind him.

"How are you alive?" Dae asked.

"I have too much to live for." He smiled at Jason. Jason ran up and gave him a quick hug. "You did good."

"Time for that later. Right now, let's just tear it up." Jason told him.

"Yeah." Andrew nodded. "Healing Resonance!" Andrew shouted and spread his arms out like wings. Fire burned around him and the light went to his friends. They were all renewed in strength. All fatigue was gone and any wounds they had were healed.

"Amazing." Karr said, "His spells have already grown to be so powerful."

"Maybe because they match his personality well." Conn suggested.

"That might be it." Karr nodded.

"Are you all ready?" Andrew called.

"Yeah!" His team answered.

"Power of the Ancients, heed our call! Spirit Jump!" Andrew thrust his hand into the air and a blast of fire engulfed him. His teammates did the same and were surrounded by their own elements. When they emerged, they had been covered in armor. Each of them wore complete sets of steel armor. Gauntlets, boots, leggings, helmets, and chest plates. On their chest plates, their individual crests were on the back and an emblem of their elements on the front. Andrew's had a fire emblem, Jason's had a wind symbol, Carlos' had an emblem of rock, Laura's had a symbol for ice, and Kendra's a symbol of water.

Over their heads, the helmets had characteristics of their spirits. Andrew's had the crown of the Phoenix. Jason's had the mane of the Griffin. Carlos' had the horns of the Chimera. Laura's had the beak of the mystic Albatross. Kendra's had the fangs of the Serpent.

"We are the Legendary Warriors!" Andrew called out. "I am Zarak, the Phoenix Defender."

"I am Leono, the Griffin Knight." Jason said.

"I am Urasain, the Chimera Brute." Carlos held his mace.

"I am Albarati, the Albatross Mage." Laura called.

"And I am Aquine, the Serpent Sorceress." Kendra concluded. They all stood. Andrew in front and the others standing behind him. Everyone's weapons had changed. Zarak no longer had a shield, but two wing shaped blades that would cover his lower arms. Leono had one large sword, about 5ft in length and almost a foot in width. He held it with two hands. Urasain had a long staff. On one end there was a mace head, but on the other it was the blade of an axe. He held onto it with both hands. Albarati's staff was now a scepter with a white orb that glowed brilliantly. Aquine's bow now had blades on the edges and it curved into a gullwing design.

"Darius, you're time of judgement has come to pass." Zarak said, "You were given a second chance and did not repent. Your actions have caused a great evil to fall upon this land. Now you must pay the price for your deeds."

"Am I supposed to be scared? Just because of your change in armor and your names? Don't make me laugh. You're still going to be destroyed by my army of venceel." Darius laughed.

"Darius, they harnessed the power of the ancients." Artemis looked at the warriors. "I fear we cannot win against them."

"There's no way they could have mastered the power of the ancients." Ava told Artemis, "We can still destroy them."

"You're wrong." Eve stepped out from behind the others, "Andrew absorbed the orb. Darius not even you could contain such an energy, yet he holds it all within him."

"Impossible." Darius glared at them. "Not one man could ever do that."

"I wasn't alone. The power spread to each one of my friends. They were the ones that let me tap this power when I beat you the first time. Now, they have been given this gift as well." Zarak spoke. "I may have assumed the spirit of Zarak, but at heart I am Andrew Kane."

"And I think you forgot, we're the freaking chosen ones." Leono added.

"It's time you left this world." Urasain told Darius.

"We will continue to protect this land from others like you." Albarati spoke.

"But first, you must come to an end." Aquine said.