When Canyon regained consciousness, which was minutes after her black out, she started thrashing around. Black clothe fell from her field of vision, and when she saw the Frigatebird dive for her, she smacked him in the jaw with her wings. His head snapped back, and he started to fall. Canyon landed on a perch, breathing heavily, and stepped back. She was surprised when she stepped back, and bumped softly against something big and feathery. Canyon's heart picked up its pace. Something was not right. This object was not there before. The Frigatebird shook his head, and unfurled his wings, gliding. He looked up at Canyon, and smirked. He grimaced a little, struggling with the same opponent Flame was fighting with. Canyon turned her head up slowly.
Flame looked down at her, beak turned down in a nasty sneer. Canyon's breath snagged in her throat. This was not Flame. Or at least, the Flame she had first met. "How dare you put my partner in the same trap you set up for us. You will meet certain death." His talons twitched, and Canyon found herself beneath Flame's talons. She hadn't even seen the claw coming - just a twitch. A slight movement. Flame clutched Canyon's neck firmly with his sharp, fiery talons. Flame's beak opened, and a thin strip of fire shot out, aiming for the Frigatebird. The flame hit the Frigatebird, and Flame's partner was free.
"Flame, what shall we do with this...female Fire Phoenix?" The Frigatebird asked once he had landed on the branch right across from them. His breath came in ragged forms, as if flying just ten feet was hard.
"Well, I'd just kill her on the spot, after all the trouble she's done," Flame said maliciously. Canyon's heart thumped loudly against her chest. Would they really kill her?
"Well, then. Just do it already!" That made up her mind as the Frigatebird yelled at Flame. Canyon bit Flames talons as hard as she could, and flung out her wings, smacking Flame in the face. Flame fell back with shock, and was about to slice his talons across her throat when King Falcon Claws suddenly appeared.
"What is going on?" King Falcon Claws flew swiftly over to them. "Flame, Frigatebird, Canyon...I'm highly disappointed in you for fighting. Tell me what has happened. You, first, Flame."
Canyon's heart leaped as she heard that the king was disappointed in her, but she saw the gleam in his eyes. He had witnessed the whole thing. So he was giving her a chance to escape. Even the look of his eyes said so.
Flame shuddered. "Well, I was just wandering around..." Began Flame. Canyon inched away, toward the shadows. The Frigatebird saw her move, and tried to go to her. King Falcon Claws barred his way by stepping in front of him.
Canyon was about to slip away, when the Frigatebird let out an earsplitting wail. This surprised King Falcon Claws for a moment - just a moment - and Flame let out a blast of fire. This didn't hurt King Falcon Claws, but he anyway fell back. Flame and his companion slipped away into the night.
"WARRIORS!" King Falcon Claws shrieked, and out burst five guards from the trees. They started following Flame's glow as a pinpoint.
King Falcon Claws looked after them for a moment, then said, "Come."
Canyon followed him without hesitation. They passed through the forest, passed under a log bridge, and went into the library. The LIBRARY?!
Like the first time, it was still majestic. The only difference was the lack of phoenixes. King Falcon Claws lead her to the perch where Alabastorm had told her of Talios's tale. King Falcon Claws took the big one, and Canyon took the perch next of him. He clicked and tapped something on the perch, and both of the perches shot up. Canyon wanted to move - but couldn't. When they went up as high as the perches ascended, King Falcon Claws walked into the high corner of the library. Canyon followed, and plunked herself tiredly on a soft, squishy patch of moss. King Falcon Claws took a perch opposite of hers.
He turned his great, fiery eyes to her. "Now, tell me what you've discovered. From the Evil Ice Aura magic of the evil. Or did you learn anything? Did you see anything of great power?"
Canyon was at loss for words. "Well...what...valuable information...do you think I've gained?" Canyon started to be braver in words. "I think that I've known nothing...I...I -" Canyon saw a vision. Ice Talons was holding something up that she couldn't make out. She didn't know what it was, but she did know that it was powerful enough to destroy every last phoenix. It could manipulate the fantasy world, and now Canyon would never forget it's trembling power. Canyon gasped, and King Falcon Claws stared intently in Canyon's eyes. He sucked in his breath.
"That settles it."
"Wha...?"
"That indeed the secret weapon is going to be used. Listen, if we don't get that weapon -" Yells sounded out in the distance, cutting off King Falcon Claw's words. "Oh, Canyon. Come! You can read more about it in the Dark Arts Aura! Right here anytime you wish!" He tapped the wall urgently, and a shelf of books came winding out. "But don't use the perch! Fly here, and don't let anyone see you with that book, or you coming here!" Canyon scrambled after the king as he rocketed off; half flying, half running.
"Damn it!" She heard a gruff voice screech ahead. "They're getting away!"
Canyon rounded a tree, and saw that a few guards were knocked out, laying on the ground. The gruff-voiced guard stared intently at the distance. He had a wild look in his lightning eyes. And Canyon saw what he was staring at; a flickering, fading glow bobbing in and out of view in the distance. When it disappeared, she looked at the bare sky.
"You just keep attempting to capture me, Canyon." A voice whispered in her ears. "But haven't you learned already? I am unstoppable."
Canyon whipped around, only to find the trees behind her. She could've sworn that Flame had just whispered a warning into her ears.
"Everything alright, Canyon?" King Falcon Claws asked.
Canyon just nodded.
"Good." He ordered her to go back to her hollow/nest. Canyon had had enough. So as soon as Canyon was tucked in her hollow/nest, she put on her security fires. When she fluffed up her feathers, sleep came easily towards her.
~~~
When she woke up, and warmed up her body from the sun, the first thought that crossed her mind was to go to the library. And her goal was to learn about Ice Talon's secret.
If she was paying attention to the Rising Sun a bit more, she would've noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet, in fact. She would've seen a swallow tail figure. She would've seen an eerie glow flickering in and out of sight. She would've felt the prickles on the back of her neck as someone watched her - a few someones, in fact. But no, she didn't.
She entered the library's quiet, majestic doors, and went straight towards her reading. She checked if anyone was watching, and slipped into the cranny that overlooked the Rising Sun. She tapped the wall like King Falcon Claws did, pulled off the book Dark Arts Aura, volume 1, by King Falcon Claws. This was obviously a journal - a journal of all his learnings about the secrets of Ice Talons. It was dusty, and worn, but anyway, she opened up the journal and started reading.
Now she was on her way to destroying Ice Talons once and for all.
YOU ARE READING
The Prophecy of the Fire Phoenix: #1 The Gift of Phoenix Fire
FantasíaHer final destiny was to complete The Prophecy of the Fire Phoenixes. And that was it - no reason to worry about a possible relative, nor was it her business to get involved with anything associated in her biggest threat coming her way. She just had...
