Burning Phoenix - Saga 1

There was sand everywhere across the endless horizon.

For where he lay, nothing but infinite sand was across every edge of this world. He had no choice but to rest in the burning sand that he called a bed.

The grains of particles washed his legs, his feet, and as well as his chest. Entirely submerged in this bath, he shut his eyes and hoped that no sand washed over his face.

The smell of death and loneliness continued to drench his body, a signal that if he were to be entirely submerged in that bath he called hope…

(???) It’s not time.

But who said it?

The voice was inaudible. It sounded masculine and raspy, yet it sounded as if the man didn’t have anyone to speak to for who knows how long…

(???) Stop resting.

He couldn’t open his eyes, his body becoming one with the sand. As if it was submerging him to the depths of the unknown. He didn’t fight back, for it felt smooth and comforting as vanilla. He didn’t want to open his eyes, since the memories that he holds have already caused him more pain and suffering.

(???) Wake up.

He didn’t want to. He was too deep in the sand that no words could pull him out of his coma-like state—

Another voice boomed the boy’s head, this time a voice that only he knew…

(Mary) Live for me!

He opened his eyes…

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Emerging from the deep river was a light-haired brown boy. Still afloat on the river, he continued to breathe rapidly, trying to not drown because of the lack of stamina the boy had.

He didn’t have any strength to say anything, for his legs and arms barely had enough strength to take him to the shoreline, west of the river. Putting whatever strength, he moved his arms and legs to reach the other side, hoping that his body wouldn't fail him.

The closer he got, the more his body ached with the sensation of rest. Stopping in the middle of the river would be his end, since for him, staying afloat would be a lot harder than swimming.

(Luke’s thoughts) Come … on … make it …

He wanted to sleep, he wanted to nap, he wanted to be in a deep sleep, he maybe just wanted—

Luke shook his head.

He barely got to the west shore, crawling his way on the dirt that met the water. Dripping head to toe with cold murky water, Luke laid on his chest.

He just lay there, not caring if he was seen or heard. He just wanted someone to give him a break, someone that will—

The rustling of leaves and bushes can be heard…

Looking up as he lay on his chest, he looked in the direction of the rustling, hoping that it was just the domesticated tigers, lions, wolves, or bears that were abandoned by their owners during the invasion of the city. The more the leaves rustled, the more sweat Luke dripped down from his head, but he was already drenched by the rivers—

Out of the bushes, there was a creature that smelled like molten milk. Ghostly pale, eye sockets replaced with black tar, no nose…

(Luke’s thoughts) oh no…

Luke’s face started to turn pale from fear.

(Luke’s thoughts) Is that the same type of creature?

Luke didn’t want to encounter another one again, mostly because of his deadly encounter with one, and if it weren’t for his mother, he would’ve been dead.

This time, he didn’t have someone to protect him …

He was on his own.

But this time, the creature didn’t notice him, or rather, the creature didn’t notice his presence at all

Because the creature had no eyes, Luke decided that it was most likely blind.

(Luke’s thoughts) … Does … Does it rely on hearing and smelling?

As Luke got up, the pain that his whole body was in started to come back. He clenched his teeth, hoping that he didn’t let out a single groan or noise as he put both feet on the ground. With his body up, he slowly picked up a nearby pebble or rocked him, holding the pebble in the palm of his hand…

(Luke’s thoughts) Here goes nothing…

Luke threw the pebble so that it hit the tree from far away, making a little clunk noise that followed. Sure enough, the creature noticed this noise, and started to walk to where the little rock made contact with the tree.

(Luke’s thoughts) It does rely on hearing … I got to go …

Luke slowly and carefully walked out of the area, and fortunately, he managed to get out of the presence of the creature.

But as he was about to walk, for who knows how long … he looked to see the remnants of the old city which he called home.

It was unrecognizable.

Most of the buildings were wiped off … or rather they were wiped off the face of Terra. In the center, no building was sighted, while the buildings near the edge were destroyed and crumbled. Combined with the air temperature, the dryness and heat that radiated from the city was enough to make Luke sweat his already drenched body.

The amount of orange and yellow dust and smoke filled the entire region, making it harder to breathe. But there was one thing that—

The river that was in front of him was carrying the corpses of the damned…

Hundreds of babies, toddlers, children, teens, brothers, sisters, cousins, fathers, mothers, parents, uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas, and grandparents, were all being swept by the nonchalant river, the river being dyed with innocent blood.

(Luke’s thoughts) …

Luke remained silent as the atrocity of reality crawled upon him, his way of life—

Gone…

A tear strolled down the left side of Luke’s face, as the city where he lived his whole life for 12 years … was just gone…

Friends, family … everything was gone …

Barely having any hope for himself, he looked opposite of where the city stood facing his head west as he remembered something.

(Mary in Luke’s thoughts) Please! Live for me!

In the embers of chaos, Luke walked, moving forward to whatever outcome that bestows upon him.

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(Kalemonath 1, 56 / 8:??AM)

Sleeping on the cold dirt with a bunch of big green leaves doing their duty as a little blanket, Luke woke up with the clouds grim and dark.

Luke began smelling the cold and rusty air that filled the country sky. If Luke remembered from when the boat sank, Clastine wasn’t the only city where the invasion took place.

(Luke’s thoughts) If other cities were attacked … and Clastine is the easternmost city, then…

Luke had to walk several hundred miles to either the Kepputha or Haxouburg border if he recalled that the border cities were the only safe ones.

Luke started to panic, as his way of surviving meant that he had to walk hundreds of miles to safety, without no one to help him or no means of transportation…

(Luke’s thoughts) This … it’s impossible—

Impossible?

(Luke’s thoughts) No … I’ll make it … I don’t want to die …

Luke started to limp a bit on his right foot, soreness already creeping up to him as he was still recovering from yesterday, his stomach longing for food that he rarely ate during the invasion and his throat…

(Luke’s thoughts) Water… Need water …

…was dehydrated.

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(Kalemonath 3, 56 / ?:??PM)

Even though he kept track of the days that he continued to walk, he lost count of time itself.

(Luke’s thoughts) I finished the last of this water bottle…

During the second day, Luke got lucky and found three water bottles in an already looted store, enough to keep him hydrated for a day or two, but unfortunately today, the day was unusually sunny…

(Luke’s thoughts) I hope I find another batch of water soon…

Luke’s stomach began to growl violently, causing him to stop and bend down from the pain. He squeezed his red eyes shut, and his teeth grinded one another as if they might chip a bit.

(Luke’s thoughts) I haven’t eaten anything since I walked…

Starving, Luke wanted to hunt for food, his instincts kicking into hyperdrive for the want of a meal, but how can a person hunt for food if they didn’t have a weapon?

(Luke’s thoughts) I hope I run into a…

From his peripheral vision, Luke stopped in his tracks and saw a nest next to a large tree. The nest contained so many eggs that Luke’s mouth started to drool with savageness.

Luke ran for the nest, and upon seeing what was inside that nest.

(Luke’s thoughts) There are dozens of eggs in here, I’ll put them all in my backpack.

Previously, on the first day, he saw a leftover backpack that he snatched when checking out an abandoned gas station.

Opening the backpack, he quickly put one egg at a time into the bag, but unfortunately, despite Luke knowing the anatomy and characteristics of wild chickens, he failed to have the actual skill of stealing chicken eggs…

Because a community of wild chickens were on top of the trees, surrounding Luke…

(Luke’s thoughts) Uh oh…

Was this scene God’s joke? Or was it an ordeal for Luke to bypass?

The black and white wild chickens looked at Luke with opening red eyes with their long brown beaks, itching to get a pick at.

As Luke held onto the last egg, any flinch or quirky movement would be the green light for the chickens. Luke just has to slowly put the egg in the bag—

(Luke’s thoughts) Screw it!

Rapidly putting the egg in the bag … he made a run for it, hoping to escape intact by moving his already throbbing legs, but by then he was too late…

(Luke’s thoughts) Oh no—

All the wild chickens and roosters flew to attack Luke, their feathers and beaks surrounding the poor boy…

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(Kalemonath ?, 56 / ?:??_??)

He lost track of what day it was…but—

(Luke’s thoughts) There’s the valley…

Overlooking the high forest of Naamah, the region where Clastine is located, Luke saw the other region of the country of Ticia, the Angharad Valley.

But just as Naamah, the valley sky was clouded with smoke, as if…

(Luke’s thoughts) The valley isn’t safe either … I hope they didn’t take all the vegetables…

From where Luke stood, the valley was considered to be the vegetable bowl of the world, a place where the soil was fertile and clean.

(Luke’s thoughts) I hope I reach Tringho, or at least see a village or town that is intact…

Luke then walked for about several hours, reaching the valley floor. Hoping to see any crops growing—

Luke then fell, clinging to his head as if someone was stabbing it. The pain was so great that his eyes turned bloodshot red, his ears rang to the sound of tinnitus, and his mouth opened and closed drastically and rapidly.

(Luke’s thought) It hurts … it hurts … it hurts … I need water … I need water … I need water …

Because he stole those chicken eggs, Luke ran so much that he forgot that he ran out of water earlier. So far, Luke failed to find water again, and even the eggs will soon run out.

(Luke’s thoughts) Get up!

His body was attached to the floor, his legs, stomach, chest, and his cheeks longing for the paved dirt.

(Luke’s thoughts) Come on, pick up feet!

For a good several minutes, Luke continued to wail and cry from the exhausting pain, but then…

Pulling through, he put one foot on the ground, his shoes covered in mud and dirt as he forced his body to move.

(Luke’s thoughts) And the other…

Having both of his feet on the ground, he struggled to maintain balance and stability, his feet barely keeping him from falling over. If he continued to walk, how long would he just…

(Luke’s thoughts) I can’t—no … I … I …

Mixed, Luke continued walking, but this time, his eyes looked droopy, the grayness of his eyes showcasing a lack of sleep.

(Luke’s thoughts) How much more of this nightmare will I have to endure…

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(Kalemonath? ?? 56? / ?:??_??)

(Luke’s thoughts) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9…

Counting numbers from one to nine repeatedly, Luke found some solidarity in the wake of his brutal journey. He couldn’t feel the soles of his feet anymore, as if the pain receptors stopped working.

He continued to count, trying to pass through the loitered fields of Angharad Valley…

(Luke’s thoughts) 1, 2, 3 … carrots …

Luke did not run, but slowly walked his way to untouched carrots that he found in the fields.

Plucking out a carrot, he melancholically ate his vegetable, experiencing the joy of eating something for who knows how long. The fresh and juicy vitamins that seeped into his mouth gave him a bit of strength and energy.

After eating one single carrot, he then started putting all of the untouched carrots into his bag.

But for one particular carrot, it was ledged into the ground compared to the others, so Luke used a bit of strength, so as not to extract himself.

Pulling the carrot out, he noticed the tip—

(Luke’s thoughts) W-water…

Looking down, he noticed a good amount of water deep in the soil. Bending down, he dug with his bare hands, the hands that still have scars and bruises from when he tried to dig his mother out of the rubble.

(Luke’s thoughts) I wish I was a dog person … they could’ve dug up this hole fast …

Finally digging a hole to fit his head, Luke then put his head into the ground, kissing the water with his lips, trying to get as much water as he could get.

For a few minutes, he sucked the water until he reached the point where he was kissing mud.

Lifting his head back up, he felt sort of relieved that he had something hydrating—

Luke’s stomach started to growl violently, and then …

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(Kalemonath 20, 56 / 6:45PM)

Now starving, dehydrated, and on the brink of collapse, Luke felt as if his body wanted to shut down—

(Luke’s thoughts) I’m so close … I’m barely in the Ebony Tall Tree forest region …

Leaving the valley behind, Luke just had one more region to cross before he reached the Kepputha border.

His whole body just wanted this nightmare to end, if Luke decided to take a break, he would probably never move again…

Because of the water that he drank several days ago, Luke’s trip almost ended, mostly because …

(Luke’s thoughts) sniff … How long … has it been … since I’ve showered … I should've … never drinken … that fertilized water …

Luke rubbed his stomach, and it was growling out of hunger which made Luke somewhat comforted. Compared to several days ago, his stomach was growling viciously and violently because of the water, so what came out of this was …

(Luke’s thoughts) I almost … died of … diarrhea …

As Luke was recalling the horrible events that led to everything he had to endure, such as drinking fertilized water and getting jumped by wild chickens, it's safe to say that Luke …

(Luke’s thoughts) I … I … I … m-maybe—

The rustling sounds of bushes can be heard…

Upon instinct, Luke stood in the back of a tree, dozens of feet away. Peeking out of the corner of the tree, Luke noticed …

(Luke’s thoughts) no … please no… not anymore…

Another creature, similar to the one he dodged and similar to the cop that attacked him. With no rocks or pebbles to distract, how will Luke—

(Creature) Save Us!

The creature, sprinting towards Luke with excessive velocity, caught Luke off guard. It was so quick, and Luke didn’t even move an inch or anything, and the creature was blind too, so how did it …

(Luke’s thoughts) I didn’t make any sound!

Fear rained down on Luke, and for the first time in a dozen days, he began to sprint away, pushing the limits of his stamina and strength. Fortunately, the creature wasn’t that fast, but it locked into Luke, meaning that if Luke didn’t shake off the creature in time, Luke could just—

(Luke's thoughts) Please push! Please push! Someone! Anyone!

Running more and more, his heart began beating irregularly, followed by a massive migraine that caused Luke to want to bash his head into something.

He wanted to be saved, he just wanted a break to be given to him …

(Luke) Please help me!

Not noticing what’s below him—

Luke then tripped on a rock, allowing his body to hit the dirt.

In an instant, his body began to disobey his commands to get up, everything in his body glued to the ground.

(Luke’s) NO!!

Filled with betrayal that his body gave up but not his soul, he wanted to beat himself but he couldn’t, since his arms and hands betrayed him too.

The creature managed to reach Luke, setting up its pounce stance before it had its feast. As the creature was about to bare its fangs and make Luke its dinner—

The creature was unloaded by a barrage of bullets. The bullets were fast and rapid, unlike handguns, shotguns, or snipers. Not only that, but the creature had many holes and spots that looked like he got machine gunned…

Luke looked in the direction of the shooter and saw a man—no, a shark-human man holding a heavy-weight machine gun.

As if the creature had his dinner disrupted, the creature charged forward to where the shark-human was standing, completely ignoring Luke. Baring its fangs, it showcased the abhorrent smell of black tar that reaped with joy, not caring if the shark-human had a much different face compared to a normal human.

But then the monster stopped in its tracks as if it couldn’t move—

(???) Hey handsome!

There was a bright light, surrounding the creature, as if a whip or rope was holding onto the creature’s waist. In a flash, the rope that carried the creature by the waist then started to go in a circle, spinning and spinning until the creature was so fast, that when the rope was let go …

(???) Sayonara!

The creature flew away to the east, the inertia catapulting him to who knows where…

But as the creature was now somewhere in the sky, the shark-human was a little frustrated that his comrade decided to do that little move again.

(???) Really Gwen? That cartoonish move?

(Gwen) But it’s funny! You should have some more fun, it won’t kill you…

(???) Whatever. Hey Gwen, check that boy out.

(???) Hey Gwen, check that boy.

Gwen checked to see if the boy was ok, her eyes filled with curiosity. By then, Luke was fast asleep, breathing in slow breaths. But as soon as both got close to him …

(Gwen) Damn, he stinks!

(???) Probably survived out here for a while.

The more Gwen looked at the poor boy, the more she felt like something was calling to her. Remembering something that was told to her long ago, she quickly realized that the calling—

(Gwen) Take him to the van Benn.

Gwen’s mood changed from childish and friendly to that of a serious soldier. Noticing the change of demeanor, the shark-human Benn picked up Luke and dropped him into the van. Carrying Luke with one hand, Benn used the other hand to cover up his nose.

(Benn) I’m taking passenger.

(Gwen) I’ll keep an eye on the boy.

Gwen and Benn both got inside the truck and as soon as the van started the engine, Gwen had to notify the driver where they were going.

(Gwen) Miles, take us to Lagefor.

(Miles) That’s a long drive, it would take us all night just to get there.

(Benn) How about me and you taking turns driving?

(Miles) Sure.

From there, the four of them continued heading west…