*CHOOM!* *FOOSH!”

Explosion. Energy beams.

Powerful magic was being flung around like nothing. The phoenix was injured and exhausted. It only desired to return home. The humans were persistent. Too persistent. They were strong and it could not defeat them. Only advantage it had was speed and ability to last for a very long time. It was its limits. For days it had been chased. It felt rage due to being treated like some pathetic prey animal, but there was no way to went it. The powerful humans behind it did not truly attack it with their full power. Just to injure. Just to exhaust. It was working.

The phoenix used its great power to drag as much mana as it could from its surroundings. Mixed it with whatever mana it could gather from its core and unleashed another barrage of spells at its pursuers.

Few day ago it had tried ignoring them after it noticed it was impossible to lose them. Only then it realized it could not stop attacking. To do so would allow the humans use more powerful magic. It had been injured after that attempt. It took large portion of its mana reserves to heal that one and only so far that the injury would not pose significant hindrance.

At the rate things were progressing, it would take day or two to reach the Dividing Sea. At that point it would be safe. The humans would not dare follow.

Suddenly it sensed a large pulse of mana below it. A trap! It tried to make hasty move to avoid, but it was useless. Beam of energy hit the injured phoenix. It tied around its body like a snake. More beams! They all tied around it and prevented movement. It was also being dragged towards the ground where it now saw a large glowing formation and more humans scurrying about it.

*SCREECH* The phoenix screeched in rage. It had been deceived and led to a trap! It could not move, but it could still use magic. It prepared for its last battle of death. It would take as many of these pathetic humans along with it as it could.

As the phoenix incinerated a small group of humans, the two pursuer reached it. They unleashed far stronger spells than they had so far. The phoenix gathered all of its strength to shield itself. Most of the force was blocked, but not all.

The phoenix knew this day was its last and unleashed all of its remaining might without care. The formation was not as strong as it looked! Not only that, the humans seemed to have problem with its lesser beastial brethren. This was the chance to make them pay!

The phoenix screeched towards the sky and requested last blessings from its god, the Divine Phoenix. Sunrise was considered blessed moment by the phoenix. It was a good time to fight.

Then it began trashing about and wildly releasing magic everywhere, but mostly towards the two pursuers it hated.

-------

Kaden limped slowly forward. He was not really sure where he was going. He knew he was losing too much blood and was getting light headed.

Kaden cursed the gods once more. He would not go wherever souls go when people die. Perhaps his parents in the beyond would be sad, but if they did manage to get to paradise, then fine. It was enough. Paradise was supposed to be place where everyone were happy. His parents would be happy. That is, if whole thing wasn’t a lie crafted by priests and gods themselves. Deceivers all of them! They should just all die.

He noticed his thoughs stayed around there perhaps slightly too long.

Then he cursed the Sacronan Empire and also the Saint Empire. Both of them were the same. They should die too.

He cursed all the people he hated. If he didn’t know their name, then he would remember their face and curse it. Perhaps he had never seen them, like that Sanctus that had ordered conscription of Dashire and other villages. He imagined a person in his mind and spit on it as he cursed him to death.

“Ah, again... maybe its fine”, Kaden thought. Thinking these thoughts distracted Kaden’s mind from the pain radiating from his leg and side. He was tired.

He noticed a small hole in a hillside. A cave? Perhaps it was empty. Nothing had come out to finish him off yet.

Kaden limped to the cave entrance and found it wasn’t exactly a cave, just a depression on the stone. It was still good enough spot. Kaden went in and sat down and leaned against the moss covered wall.

He then realized he probably doesn’t have the strength to stand up again. No, it probably didn’t matter anymore. He looked around. It wasn’t all that bad place to die.

Silence.

“He… heheh… heheahhaahahahaAHAHAAHHA*gasp*”, Kaden laughed until it started to hurt. He spit out some blood. He wasn’t exactly sure what was so funny, but somehow it felt appropriate. Such plans he had had in Dashire. To get strong. To become a hunter! Ridiculous.

Then he was dragged out on and mangled around like a ragdol. How did he even get this far? Perhaps that was the funny part.

He could have died at any time along the way, but there he was. Out of the hands of people from Sacronan or Saint empire. Technically free. Probably the last survivor of Dashire. For the moment at least.

No wait… what happened to the old and too young. Peil went with them. Perhaps he wasn’t the last. Peil was a good person. Why is it that every other member of church he had met was deranged. Why were all the people he met such greedy, deceitful, cruel monsters? Perhaps its fault of the gods who those people follow.

He started cursing the gods again…

----

“We are getting there! The phoenix is soon dead!” Havil shouted. The formation was working perfectly. The plan had worked. They had merely driven the phoenix before them, directed it where they wanted. Such accomplishment! He knew he and Korvin were going to be greatly rewarded! Perhaps he would have chance to advance towards later stages as True Magus!

Havil could already imagine the wealth, power and influence he would receive.

As for Korvin, he was unleashing spell after another at the phoenix that was furiously trashing within the formation.

Then he frowned, there were some beasts that were rushing out towards the battle. The military was starting to be unable to hold them back. Havil could not stop attacking the phoenix and even if he did, he would likely destroy whatever was left of the defensive line.

He wasn’t too worried, though. The phoenix was on its last legs. He was certain its fate was sealed. There was no escape.

Suddenly a larger rush of beasts came through. The defensive line crumbled on that section. Soon afterwards and roar sounded. A golden lion appeared from the forest. Behind it there were several high beasts, including the boar that Kaden had met. All of them were following the lion in orderly manner.

“Cari Domain will avenge you, great one”, roared the golden lion. “Humans dare take one of ours. We will take from them in return.”

The fact that it could speak meant it was considered Cari and not a lower beast. Still, it was weaker than the phoenix.

Before anyone could react, it opened its mouth and shot beam of light it at the formation master, Angis, who had been maintaining and directing the energies in the formation. While at it, the light beam tore damage at the formation. Angis could do nothing to stop the crumbling formation as he had to defend against the attack. He was not a true fighter. Most of his life he had built formations. There was no way he could divide his attention.

“Stop it!” Shouted Havil in rage. He would not allow his prize to escape his hands! Yet he could not do so right then at that moment. The phoenix was fighting back harder than so far. It had noticed its chance.

Cracking sounds were heard. Then something that resembled like steel wire was being forced beyond its limits and snapped.

The formation began shattering piece by piece. Once one part malfunctioned, the carefully constructed system suffered a chain reaction and ground ot halt. The phantom chains it created began snapping open and releasing their restrictive mana into the surroundings. The phoenix right at the middle burst free and the formation exploded.

The formation was good for binding a single creature in place. Yet, once it shattered uncontrollably, the restrictive mana that was not released in controlled manner, it became the opposite. Not at such power as before, but still everyone in the area suddenly felt heavy and slowed in addition of needing to deal with the explosion… everyone except the heavily wounded phoenix that was in middle – like being in eye of the storm.

It gave a look at the golden lion and nodded. Then with difficulty flew up. It was not graceful. It was bleeding, glowing blood was leaking on the ground. It was out of mana. Its core empty. Feathers damaged. Still, it finally got the chance to escape.

---

Kaden cursed gods once more.

He had been repeating his curses over and over again. He had heard that sometimes people left behind ghosts. Would he stay behind in the mortal world? He continued rejecting the gods. Perhaps, no god will take him in, he would be rejected and he would wander the mortal world. If that happened, he would have chance to haunt his enemies and perhaps curse them to death.

Kaden cursed the two empires.

If he became a ghost, he would like to remember who he hated. All those ghost stories said lingering spirits were erratic. How would he curse his enemies to death, if that happened.

Kaden cursed his enemies again.

The cave wasn’t deep at all. Kaden could see outside very well. Sun was still rising. It was just above the trees. He looked out and sighed. He wondered how long it would take for him to bleed to death. He was pretty sure he was losing his mind.

He cursed the gods again.

Who the fuck cares, if you lose your mind just before you die. You aren’t around to annoy anyone with your crazed rantings anymore.

*CRASSHH*

Dust was kicked up by something crarshing down just next to the cave entrance. Kaden didn’t care to be on alert anymore. Its not like he could go anywhere. What he saw was something incomprehensible.

He saw enormous bird. It was heavily injured. Probably worse than him in comparison. It was clear that most of the wounds on the bird did not come from the crash, if any. Still, despite all the grime, wounds and blood, he had never seen something so wondrous.

It was the phoenix.

The phoenix stirred and instantly noticed Kaden.

Kaden did nothing. There was no point. He didn’t have any schemes left.

“Why is there a human child here?” Said the phoenix.

All in all. Was there such thing as a true coincidence. Two creatures that by all means should have never met each other, now were on brink of death next to each other.