The many journeys of the phoenix god

Chapter 11

Daemeon

I watch him walk away, his ebony coloured hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

when he is finally out of sight, I turn to the empty training ground, excitement flooding through my veins in waves. jumping backwards, I land on top of the wall surrounding the grounds and begin to survey the area. the layout is pretty simple: in the centre of the courtyard, there is a raised platform, presumably for matches. in the left corner, there are several wooden pillars, their dark wood new and fresh. in the right corner, a flat area surrounding a single tree, its branches reaching up into the great expanse of blue sky above.closest to me their re two smaller platforms, each a miniature version of the larger centre one. they gleam in the morning light, covered in a gentle coating of dew.

I decide to head over to the tree and meditate until everyone else arrives, leaping over the stage towards it I land gently in the branches, dropping down onto the shaded stone tiles. crossing my legs, I allow my soul to drift free from my body, its fiery feathers gleaming in the sunlight. I turn and look back at myself, hiding away my elf ears with a waft of fiery heat.

I take to the sky, my wings spread wide and I watch as the road outside the sect begins to fill up with hopefuls, every one of them here to take the entrance exam. I watch as they approach the gate, a wise old man stands there, three others by his side. I swoop down, stopping in front of him. his eyes widen in shock as I hover in front of him, the blistering heat from my wings surrounding him and engulfing him. the others look just as afraid, if not more so. I swoop up into the branches of the nearest tree, folding away my wings, the flames of my long robe licking around my ankles.

lowering my head I pluck a fruit gently from the branches and lake flight, letting my call ring, melodious above them. suddenly I see an object hurtling towards me from the right. I turn and dodge the rock just in time, the air around it brushing my feathered cheek.

"damn, I missed..."

I turn to see a young boy, around 14, looking up at me, a second projectile ready in his fist. I let out a cry of pure pain, my wings open to their full extent. my body leaps over the wall, landing next to the gate and leans against the pillar. I fly straight at it, vanishing into its chest. myself once more, I blink slowly and turn to the boy. he scrambles away, dropping his rock in terror.

I see the elder look me up and down in the corner of my eye, so I cross my arms, the jade dangling from my waste in plain view. he blinks in surprise but greets me anyway, a glint of curiosity in his eye. this was going to be an interesting couple of months...

should I go into detail about the sect and his adventures there or should I skip it? let me know in the comments!