Curse of the Phoenix

Ch.50 -The Phoenix

Iara~

Shifting back was easier, and soon we were all stuffing our faces. Dru ended up nearly collapsing, he had to shift again and help Marumen return to human form. My brother wasn't exactly used to the feeling of the shift. So, Dru retired early and I spent the rest of the evening running from room to room, helping everyone unpack and get settled in. It was late before I could actually go to bed myself.

What did Dru mean when he said we somehow had to use our gift to fight the phoenix? I had only ever seen the bird in fever dreams brought on by pain. Apparently the phoenix had somehow manifested itself in Ellesmera. That was one part that scared me. If it could somehow make itself into a physical form....and hot enough to burn at that, then there was no telling what it could do.

I rolled back over on my bed, to face the window. It was okay.if anything was going to happen we still had more than three weeks until the next full moon. Grimm had taken to sleeping outside on the grass, he preferred it over the stone. The only downside was that if something were to happen it would take him a minute to get to me, rather than a second.

The breathing of the dragons reverberated throughout the castle and down the hallways. It was a sweet sound, soft, not at all snarly or raspy like a lot of people seemed to think. It was enough white noise to send me to sleep.

Goodnight Iara.

Night Grimm.

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Waking up was surprising. I didn't know why. But something felt wrong. I felt fear. I was tingling, like everything was still waking up. I got out of bed, and my legs collapsed underneath me. I needed help. My legs refused to work, so I dragged myself over to the door. I reahced up for the doorknob, and then two long cuts traced themselves down my arm. A scream tore at my throat, and my other arm was slashed open.

I heard several more screams and yells, and the roars of panicking dragons. The door opened, and then Eragon was at my side.

I saw Murtagh's shadow for a second, and then he was gone, running farther down the hall. The blood was warm and sticky, and I knew my dress would be stained beyond fixing. Eragon had a look of....desperation? Helplessness? Something in between on his face.

I rolled over as Eragon was holding me, and tried to stand again.

"Iara please you should stay here-"

"Take me to Marumen." I whispered. I felt a burning begin in my chest, and my head was throbbing as if I had a headache.

"Iara-"

"Take me to him!" I screamed. I was dragging myself out into the hallway past him, as the burning crept higher. Alice was doubled over and leaning against the door to her room, blood dripping down her arms as she coughed. I could hear screaming and yelling.

Dru was staggering down the hallway, a twisted look on his face as he struggled not to cry out. I saw Mikael and Luke helping each other walk, and Luna stumbled out of her room. It must not have been as bad for them...somehow..

Dru was at my side then, and Eragon left to grab Marumen.

"Iara, listen to me, do you feel any burning?"

"My throat..its getting higher.." I heard him curse under his breath.

"Alright, just don't move too much, ok?" He seemed lost as well. Now my tongue was tingling, like when I had been struck by lightning all those years ago...it had been so much simpler when we were so little...

The door to Marumen's room opened and Eragon carried him out. He was kicking and hitting, trying to be free. I could see both of his arms laced with cuts. Eragon set him down and then backed away, leaning opposite on the wall, running a hand through his hair. His hand was covered in blood. Whose, mine or my brother's?

And then it happened. A drop. Any mental connections I had just snapped and I felt...alone. Truly alone. Nobody could save me. The burning was all that I knew. The cuts began to throb. And then I opened my mouth in a silent scream as a blood red smoke came from inside of me. Smoke? No, it was thicker...mist? Dru gasped and scrabbled backward as the stuff collected in a cloud, hovering above my head.

I watched as another stream came out of Marumen to join it. It coiled and twisted, before forming itself into the shape of a bird. I recognized it. So he was real. The phoenix.

It had a single black eye that made that of a nidwhal look like a kitten...it opened it's beak and shrieked, a high pitched sound that hurt your ears. Whirling around, it flew down the hallway and out of sight, setting the carpet on fire.

"Everybody out, now, go!" Eragon yelled. The bird had set anything not of stone alight, and the castle was burning all around us. A pair of strong arms lifted me skyward, and I leaned into Dru's chest as my vision became filled with red.