[Rise of the Phoenix Force] – A Long-Forgotten History
In the Throne room of the High Palace of Chandilar, Throneworld of the Shi'ar Empire,
D'ken Neramani, Emperor of the entire Shi'ar empire sat on a grandiose black throne upon a dais with a stoic expression which was a mask for his ruthlessness.
Adorned with the Starstreak insignia of his family, the throne was made of polished onyx and inlaid with platinum.
The royal colors of brown and orange adorned every surface, and everything was upholstered to match.
The grand hall was filled with the elite of the Shi'ar Empire. Imperial Guards stood at attention, their eyes fixed on the Emperor. Several seats were erected to compliment the ruler's throne and all sat in attendance by his orders: Nobles of the highest station; Grand Cardinals; the court chamberlains; ministers; and those officers of state who came to petition him in matters of military service, state, commerce, and trade with their respective guilds and representatives.
Servitors waited in the lower levels, ready to cater to the Emperor's every whim, while armored soldiers patrolled the halls vigilantly.
Among these elites, a lone figure stood defiantly before the Emperor.
"Your Majestor D'ken! Please! Listen to me!", Lilandra Neramani, the Emperor's sister, her hands tied behind her back, pleaded with him, her voice ringing out across the hall, "They are using you! You have to listen to me! Please!"
But her words fell on deaf ears.
Emperor D'ken smiled wickedly and ordered, "Imperial Guards! Take away this heretic at once! Make her suffer as punishment for speaking against me! Let it be known that D'ken, the Great One, has spoken and his will shall be carried out!"
'What?!', Lilandra's eyes widened in realization of how evil her brother had become.
Without hesitation, the Imperial Guards dragged Lilandra away as she screamed in anger and hatred, "You will burn the empire! You will burn the Shi'ar!"
The Emperor's smile only grew wider as he looked at the sight of his sister being dragged away to prison triumphantly.
---
Lilandra's head hung in defeat as she was led away from the castle, surrounded by the Imperial Guards.
She sighed heavily and thought, 'What will happen now? D'ken has been blinded by the cult's deceit! He refuses to see the truth!'
She cast a sorrowful glance back at the grand castle, its walls once a symbol of strength and pride for the Shi'ar, now it was scorned by the universe.
'And the High Council, cowards all, remain silent because their hearts are consumed by greed and ambition. They stand idly by as the Empire crumbles beneath D'ken's rule.'
'If only..', She bit her lip in frustration, 'If only there was a wa-'
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden burst of plasma beams.
BOOM
KSS
BOOM
"Aahhh!", The Imperial Guards screamed as they vaporized out of existence around her.
'Is somebody trying to kidnap me?', she thought and broke free from her restraints and materialized a long sword from thin air.
"Who dares?!", Lilandra shouted as she prepared for an attack while scanning the area around her for potential threats.
A gentle voice broke the silence, "We come in peace, Your Majesty."
Lilandra's eyes narrowed as she turned to face the speaker. An old woman, clad in an unusual orange and green robe with fiery patterns on its sleeves, stood before her. The woman's kind smile and warm eyes seemed at odds with the sudden violence that had just erupted.
"Who are you?" Lilandra demanded her hand still on her sword. "And who are these people?" she added, her gaze flicking to the group of robed figures that had appeared out of thin air around the old woman.
The old woman showed her a kind smile and said, "I am Sol'arak Leth and they are my family."
Leth's hand moved with grace and precision, unsheathing a massive broadsword from thin air. The blade slammed onto the ground, igniting with a fiery intensity that seemed almost divine.
BOOM
Lilandra's eyes widened in awe as a phoenix made of flames erupted from the sword, its ethereal form vanishing as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind a scorched earth.
Lilandra stared at the fiery image as it soon disappeared and she realized that the ground around the sword had been scorched.
"Wha-What was that?" she stammered with her gaze fixed on the sword still trembling with energy.
"That", Leth said, still keeping her kind smile, "Is Phal'kon, a symbol of our order -' The Order Of The Eternal Flame."
'The Order Of The Eternal Flame?', Lilandra narrowed her eyes and grew alarmed when she realized who they were. She knew of this cult, their fanatic devotion to ancient deities, and their reputation for ruthless determination.
Lilandra didn't waste a second in confronting Leth, "You're a cult, worshiping dead gods. What do you want with me?
Leth was a little disappointed seeing her reaction but didn't show her emotions, instead, continued to smile and said, "Your family's history along with their past encounters has intrigued our faction."
Lilandra looked at her with a serious expression and thought, 'Why should I trust them? She might just be here to use me for their ambitions and if I don't listen to their demands maybe even kill me. Or she could be in cahoots with the Emperor and she is sent here to kill me.'
She said frankly, "I don't trust you."
Leth gave her a nonchalant shrug and said, "Well, Milady. Do what you want. I am not going to force you."
"Then, what do you want from me?", Lilandra asked while tightening her hold on her sword.
"Your Majesty", Leth replied, "We don't want anything from you. Instead, we came here to ask for your help."
Lilandra stared at her confused and asked, "Help? For what?"
Leth thought for a while and said, "The salvation of our race hangs in the balance. There may be only one chance left."
"What do you mean?", Lilandra asked as she loosened her fists and stared at the old woman. Despite her reservations, she found herself drawn to the curiosity.
"That part, Your Highness will be revealed if you allow us to explain.", Sol'arak Leth added in a mysterious tone, "As for the rest, I assure you that we don't mean any harm to you."
"Fine," Lilandra relented and said, "I'll listen. But I want the truth."
Leth looked at her for a second and said, "Okay. Follow us, Your Majesty. The truth awaits."
---
Lilandra trailed behind Leth and the Order of the Eternal Flame, her footsteps echoing off the damp walls of the underground cavern within the catacombs beneath the palace.
She looked at the flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the stones and asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
"You will see, Your Majesty.", Leth replied mysteriously which annoyed Lilandra although her curiosity replaced her frustration.
As the group continued forward, the cavern grew wider and the space expanded, revealing ancient stone structures and mysterious artifacts.
Lilandra observed them and asked, "So, you said earlier that your family are the direct descendants of the First Ascendant. Is that true?"
Hearing this, Leith turned to look back at Lilandra with a proud smile and answered, "Yes, Your Majesty."
She gestured to the broadsword floating on her back, its blade shimmering with an otherworldly essence. "This is the Blade of the Phoenix, carried by our ancestor, the First Ascendant."
"Wow...", Lilandra gasped in amazement as she looked at the sword.
Leth smirked, seeing Lilandra's reaction, and continued, "It has an essence of the Phal'kon itself."
Lilandra couldn't help but look in awe and asked, "Really?!"
"Yes.", Leith explained as she looked at Lilandra with a kind smile and they resumed walking, "the First Ascendant sacrificed himself for his people, offering his soul and life energy to become part of the Phal'kon."
"That's just so admirable and virtuous.", Lilandra commented as her voice was filled with genuine respect for the First Ascendant.
"Yes. That he is.", Leth said in a kind tone.
After walking for a while, Lilandra's curiosity finally got the better of her, "Isn't Phal'kon supposed to be dead, like the rest of the old gods?"
She had read and studied legends and books about the ancient cultures of the empire including the old gods. Even though most of them were mythology, she liked reading them because of the intriguing stories.
"Dead?", Leth said sarcastically and shook her head, "How can the god of rebirth be dead?"
A couple of seconds later,
As they reached a dead end, the robed figures stopped and Leth smiled and pointed at the wall.
"It's there.", she stated and Lilandra stared at the blank wall with no expression, "What is?"
"The truth.", Leth said confidently.
"And, also our sanctum." she pointed out and the blank wall glowed with a powerful red glow and she spoke aloud, "Enter and be blessed for the sister shall return and cleanse this land! Through Fire, we have been purged and made anew! Eternal we stand, for we are The Order Of The Eternal Flame!"
KA-CHUNK
BOOM
The stone wall twisted and turned, revealing a hidden passage.
Leth stepped aside and looked at Lilandra while saying, "After you, Your Majesty."
Lilandra nodded and stepped through the passage with her heart racing in anticipation.
As she stepped through the passage, her eyes widened in awe.
Inside, the cavern had been hollowed and carved into an elaborate circular structure with winding staircases, hallways, and archways.
At its center, an enormous statue of a Phoenix engulfed in flames, that danced violently like a heartbeat, towered over the space. Each feather of the statue seemed so real, so lifelike, that Lilandra's breath caught in her throat.
"This...this is incredible!" she whispered, her gaze roaming the majestic construct.
"Impressive, isn't it? It even outshines your brother's palace.", Leith beamed brightly as she smiled and looked at Lilandra with amusement, "What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?"
"It's perfect," Lilandra whispered in awe as she stared at the statue.
However, as she gazed deeper into the flames, a strange red tinge caught her attention. The discoloration grew stronger every second.
Lilandra was curious about it but she chose to remain silent and not be nosy.
"Your Majesty!", Lilandra heard Leth call out to her.
As she turned to look at her, she was surprised to see her bowing before her and pleading, "Please help us, Your Majesty! Please help us to summon Her!"
Lilandra frowned and asked, "Why do you think I will do that?"
"Because," Leth straightened her posture and revealed with a grave expression, "The Emperor D'ken is being used by Phal'kon's eternal enemy, Ratha'kon!"
A/N: 1777 words :))