Rise of Phoenix Read Online Free PDF Page B

Guards.
    “What have you done, Firewitch!?” shouted Cassius, his face full of panic as he stared at the wall of fire. He backed away from her, a new look of hatred and fear across his face.
    “I’ll let you all go, if you promise my family will be safe,” she said.
    The Captain looked at her. A smile slowly formed across his lips as the sweat started to pour from his face.
    “Either you cease this stupid game, or we all die together. What will it be, Firewitch?” He walked slowly toward her as he spoke, sword in hand.
    She was starting to weaken. It took all her concentration to hold the fire in place but she couldn’t show her weakness. 
    “If you kill me, the flames will consume you all. I’m prepared to die,” she said. “Are you?”
    The Captain looked at her for a moment and then pulled a small set of pipes from his pocket. He held them to his lips and played a short high pitched tune that sailed into the air.
    She didn’t have much time; she was struggling to maintain the fire circle. All she could do was hope that her people had made it to the forest. At least then she would have given her life to prevent their capture.
    She looked up to see more dactyls, circling high above in answer to the call of the pipes. As the captain’s tune continued the dactyls flew down but none would enter the flames. Her heart leapt as she noticed Phoenix among them.
    She looked to the Captain, his anger growing as the beasts ignored their orders. It was a stalemate; neither of them could escape if the dactyls were too afraid to rescue them.
    “Curse you, Firewitch!” he yelled, leaping toward her, sword raised.
    In panic, she whipped a flame from the firewall. It lashed across him, his tunic bursting into flames. As they saw their Captain go down, the other Guardians shed their resolve. She screamed as they lunged towards her. She sent the flames towards them but there were too many and she was too weak. She felt a pain across her side before she even saw the sword. She kicked out at the Guardian and as he fell back, the fire consumed him.
    She had lost control. The fire was whipping around, no longer a wall but a raging sea. She could see the shadows of men running through the flames, attempting to escape before the flames devoured them. She fell to her knees as her energy drained from her.
    “Phoenix!” she screamed, as the last of her power evaporated.
    She was helpless. The fire licked at her dress and she cried out in agony as the flames seared her skin. Suddenly the image of her brother flashed across her mind, the image of Wickson writhing in flames, the screams of her people, the sight of the Captain as he was struck and of the Guardians as they fell. She realized she deserved this, she deserved it all. After inflicting this death on so many others, it was only right that she should face the same.
    There was a roar above her.
    She looked up in time to see Phoenix swoop down. She didn’t think; she jumped.
    She grabbed the saddle and hauled herself onto it as the dactyl soared up into the air. She looked back down at the flames and saw Cassius, still untouched but surrounded by fire.
    She tugged at the reins and forced Phoenix to do another dive, reaching out to take Cassius’ hand, but he shrank away from her; the face that had once looked at her with love was contorted with revulsion.
    The dactyl pulled up, the flames too hot for even the loyal Phoenix to make another swoop.
    She had to leave him.
    She had to leave him and there was nothing she could do but watch him burn.
     
    ***
     
    She saw the dots of campfires among the trees and landed nearby, unsure if it would be the circus people or more Guardians, but as she approached the clearing she could depict the sound of familiar voices. She ran forward, half hoping to find everyone cheering her return, but there were only a few people left. So many hadn’t made it and those that were left desperately needed help.
    She managed to find her mother, who only