A large black dog lurked at the edge of the ruins of a once beautiful village. He looked around with chocolate eyes and sniffed the air for any sign of her.
This dog was different from other normal dogs. He was a Black Dog, the symbol of Change. More specifically, he was the Goddess's Protector.
His name was Raicho.
He scanned the ruins for any signs of life. Squirrels scampered through the branches of the giant trees scattered throughout the village, and birds chirped into the fall air.
Then he noticed someone.
It was a tall blonde man adorned with the Phoenix Drop armor. His helmet was in his hands as he walked through the ruins, his footsteps heavy.
Curious, Raicho followed the human to a large gate that had been destroyed by the ravages of Father Time. Raicho closed his eyes and sniffed. He could smell scents far older than a few days ago.
He smelled the slight scent of charcoal. The sweat and the smell of fear coming from what seemed to be an entire army of men.
With razor sharp vision, he looked at some of the remnants of the wall.
The faintest trace of black dust.
The sharp, metallic scent of blood.
He spotted a rusted sword sticking out of the earth near the path.
A tattered black and yellow strip of cloth was wrapped around the hilt.
A clatter of metal filled Raicho's ears. He looked sharply at the human.
He had dropped his helmet, not seeming to care. The man stared out into the forest beyond the gate and sighed heavily. He bowed his head.
"One day," he said in a deep voice. "One day she'll come back to us, won't she?"
The man shook his head hopelessly.
"I have to keep strong," he said. "She wouldn't want to see me like this."
Then the man did the strangest thing.
He chuckled.
"I haven't said her name in more than 15 years," he commented. "I need to. Maybe it'll help."
He looked to the gathering stars in the sky.
"Aphmau," he began. "If you can hear me, I want to tell you something: Phoenix Drop is destroyed. Meteli is too. The Phoenix Alliance is still together and strong, but, without you..."
He took a shaky breath, then continued.
"Everything is falling apart. Everyone is falling apart. You were the glue that held Phoenix Drop together. You saved a once devastated village from the brink of disaster and turned it into a beautiful place full of wonderful people."
He paused only to sniff.
"I'm sorry I did this to you."
A star shot across the sky, burning brightly.
He smiled faintly.
"Thank you for answering," he whispered.
He looked at the helmet on the path and chuckled.
"She never liked the that thing, did she?" he said to himself.
He turned around and went back home.
Leaving behind his beaten helmet on the path.
YOU ARE READING
Dance with Swords | Book 1 of the Rising Phoenix Chronicles
Fanfiction(I hope you guys like the new cover!) We all know how Aphmau, Garroth, Laurance, Katelyn, Emmalyn, Kenmur, Aaron, and Zane went missing for 15 years into Irene's Dimension. We know how Garroth told the others to leave him behind to fight Zane. We kn...
