Phoenix:
Kissing the top of her slumbering head, the little girl we rescued sat up. Her big eyes watched me prepare breakfast, her tail wagging at the smell. It was hard to believe that this girl harbored such a dangerous guardian familiar, her floppy ears only making her look adorable. Swinging her feet, Ellie rose from her slumber. Smiling warmly in Vera's direction, her arms opened up for her. Leaping into her arms, the bond between them was clear. Pure love burned in Vera's eyes, a tender blush rising at Ellie's lips kissing the top of her head. The other fact was that a couple of weeks had passed and we were officially outlaws due to her actions. Instead of being mad, my pride for her couldn't be any higher.
"Where to now?" Vera asked innocently, her hands cupping Ellie's. "I can't wait." Ellie pressed her lips into a thin line, her mind chugging a mile a minute. Tapping her chin, her face lit up. Hesitancy lit up eyes, Vera waited eagerly for a response. Letting out a long sigh, her next words broke me.
"I think we should hide out on Reekster's Island for a bit." She announced seriously, the damn island was where all the criminals and outlaws lived. "We have to somehow get there without getting noticed. I think I can arrange that with a certain captain that I happen to know. Now please eat some breakfast." Tugging on her corset belt, she slid on her boots. Tying on her hair up with her wedding gift, three gold coins shimmered in her hands. Wiping the sweat off of her brow, she leaned forward. Wondering where she was going, her crippling depression hid underneath the twinkle in her eyes.
"I will be back. I am visiting a friend real quick. He can take us and our cart to Reekster's Island. See you around lunch." She announced with a bright smile, disappearing into the trees. Leaving me with Vera, her ears popped up for a minute as Flames grumbled under his breath on the way out. Their relationship perplexed me to this day, the sarcastic banter constantly keeping the cart loud. Flames would get on her ass, and she would bite back. I suppose the two of them would spat back at each other viciously as cats tended to do. Sure, I was shocked when she threw him into the water but her temper matched that very sentiment. Focusing on Vera, her tiny hands manipulated the shadows. Shadow magic had always intrigued me, my curiosity was peaked.
"Are they okay?" She asked innocently, glancing up at me with puppy dog eyes. "They fight constantly and I think she has thrown him into any body of water quite a bit." Stopping the use of her magic, she ate a big bite of eggs. Sighing deeply to myself, Ellie had a contentious personality at times. Sitting down across from her with my own plate, her kind smile always melted my heart. How could anyone be so scared of her? A steady stream of curse words flooded from Ellie's lips, a demon bear was chasing the two of them. Climbing up a tree, the bear paced at the base of the roots. Ripping her ax from her belt, she flipped through the air a couple of times. Landing gracefully, she kicked up a cloud of dirt. The bear didn't stand a chance, Ellie looking like a ball of light. Covering up Vera's eyes and ears, blood and guts floated into the sky. Broken roars shattered the peace of the forest, the whines dying down. A blood soaked Ellie rested on top of a pile of perfectly butchered meat. My jaw dropped to the ground, a half immortal stepped out of the trees. His worn navy coat fluttered in the early morning breeze, his long blonde waves cascading down his back. His navy eyes flitted between us, my eyes noting the soft cashmere sweater hugging his broad muscular chest. Although I had a few inches on him, his strength was his true power. Wiping the speck of blood off of his face, he wiped his hands on his wool pants. Rising to her feet, their hair danced in the cool breeze. Pointing to the large pile of bear meat, her foot tapped incessantly. Holding back Vera, it was best if we stayed out of it.
"I fulfilled my end of the bargain, so keep up your end." She demanded irritably, snapping her fingers. "Get us to Reekster Is-" His hand raising stopped her from speaking, his eyes falling on the slight bump on her midsection. A fit of laughter burst from his lips, the man doubling over. Cocking his brow, a snarl twitched on her lips. Did she have to have such tension filled relationships with everyone?
"I can't believe the great Ellasandra is with a kitten." He mused playfully, pure bemusement twinkled in his eyes. "Get your little steed ready in ten minutes. I can take everyone onto my boat." Scooping up the packaged meat, his bright whistle echoed in the early morning air. Sighing at my destroyed cloak, Flames began to chew her out for her reckless behavior. Seconds from throwing him somewhere else, her arm lowered to her side. Standing straight up, our ally stiffened as well. Swiping the hide of the bear, she leapt onto the front of the wagon. Yanking up our ally, the reins made Midnight take off deeper into the woods. Crashing through the trees, panic haunted her delicate features. Tossing me a dagger, her next words sent chills up my spine. What the hell was happening? Every action she performed had a reason, our trust had to remain.
"I need you to fend off my brother if he catches up to us." She ordered sharply, her hand falling to her bump. "The reason I need to get to Reekster Island is because a magical barrier makes it impossible for anyone but who deserves it to get in. We all have golden hearts, right? Turning left down a torn up road, Midnight rolled his eyes in my direction. Mouthing a silent spell, storm clouds rumbled to life. Heavy rain mucked up the path, his soldiers stopping on the other side of the flooding. Rain soaked Ellie to the bone, her hair clung to her face. Vera plopped down next to me, her tiny fingers moving the shadows to create a pack of wolves. Howls screamed over the increasing form, Ellie struggling to see straight ahead. Summoning a bright ball of flames for my wife, a grateful smile met my crooked grin. Taking a sudden left, Midnight ran onto a boat. Yanking on the reins, he skidded to a clumsy halt. Leaping off the front, her fingers curled around the bow on board the ship. Loading it up with three arrows, six demon soldiers left into the sky. Aiming for the front row, the tip of the arrow quivered slightly. Letting it go, the sharp edges of the tail sliced up her hands as they decayed to ash upon the arrow striking their heart. Dropping the bow, her slender hands buried Vera's face into her legs. Her ally struggled with the anchor, her brother seemed fast approaching. Feeling around her boot, a small vial spun in her palm. Ripping out the cork in her teeth, her brother hovered over the boat. Throwing it into the air, an explosion of astronomical proportions threw him back. With the anchor up, the worn boat tore through the river. Our enemies grew smaller in the distance, Ellie sticking her hand in the water while her friend ran up to the front to steer the boat. Creating a stronger current, we moved at thrice the speed, her weary eyes struggling to stay open. Sailing like this for a couple of days, she struggled to stay awake the whole time. Focusing on her, Vera tugged at the hem of my coat. Pointing in the distance, a pristine island village bustled in the early morning. Bursting through the invisible dome, Ellie collapsed into a heap. Struggling to move, fresh blood poured over the dried blood on her lips. The spell had taken its toll on her, her organs had been paying the price. Saying two incoherent words, a rough darkness stole her away. Villagers whisked her away, the various demons on the island were flourishing way better than on the mainland. Her friend popped up next to us, Flames' tail disappearing in the crowd after her.
"I should introduce myself. I am Captain Vessel, the ruler of this island." He introduced himself pleasantly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ellasandra helped me build this place by telling me where the slave ships would be coming and going through our mental connection. They all brought their skills and soon we were a self flourishing community. You have a keeper. I can't believe you agreed to having a child with her. She will be in the main manor on top of the hill with the best healers working on her. She pushed herself magically, so don't worry about anything." Scanning the cedar houses lining the island, a large manor rested on the top of the. island. Looking down at Vera, her wide grin made the journey worth it. Perhaps, this place wouldn't be so bad.
"Hey! Is she okay?" She asked innocently once more, tears welling up in her eyes. "I want her to be okay." Hugging my legs desperately, she buried her head into my legs. Soaking my legs with her fear and sadness, surprise rounded my eyes as I scooped her up. Something drew me to this child, her aura was a shadowy golden one. Whistling sharply, Midnight trotted out to me. Walking through the bustling village, ninety percent of them were married to protect themselves from becoming slaves once more. Yet as forced as it seemed, happy families ran around. Flames' point was correct, Ellie would bring the mainland to this level of prosperity. Our jaws dropped to the ground at the Victorian mansion towering over us, the cedar shakes had shown the most age. An elderly butler opened the door, his ivory bunny ears bouncing up and down. His slicked back white hair glistened in the light, his icy blue eyes glistened with warmth. Not one piece of dust rested on his ornate Victorian suit, the striped pants screaming elegance, his gloved hand holding a golden pocket watch. Well, someone was quite the character.
"I am Butler Sives. Welcome to the manor." He introduced himself with a polite smile, the two of us walking in. "Would the little miss like a new outfit? I know I can draw up a b-" Putting my hand up in the air, the trembling Vera gripped my hand tighter. Flashing him a bright smile, stress had her claws buried into my brain. Work through this, my old life tempting me for a quick second. Ellie was going to kill me from the stress of making sure she was still alive after all of her stunts.
"Do you mind taking us to the bathroom? I will give her a bath myself." I choked out awkwardly, tears welling up in my eyes. "A proper outfit would be nice. Thank you very much." Bowing with his polite smile, his fancy dress shoes clacked away. Each clack became longer, every breath growing shorter. Hiding my panic attack from Vera, she reached up for me. Scooping her up, we followed him to a giant bathroom with shimmering white tile. Leaving us with another bow, our eyes scanned the black marble walls. Drawing up a bath in the claw foot tub with skeleton feet, she bounced over to my side. My heart was seconds from beating out of my chest, involuntary tears shattered the surface of the steaming water. Hugging from my side, her tiny thumbs wiped away my tears. For a second, I saw a younger version of me comforting my abused mother. My parents were god knows where but he had found a way to imprison her in a cell where I couldn't find her. Maybe that's why I loved Ellie so much? Her personality was a lot like my mother's, her golden heart knowing no bounds.
"What's wrong, mister?" She queried with a concerned expression, my hands cupping hers. "I love you with all my heart. May I call you daddy?" Her words stole me from my panic attack, scarlet coloring my cheeks. Yanking her into a desperate bear hug, her tail began to wag. Turning off the water, a bag of herbs rested in her palms. Taking a deep whiff, the alluring smell of roses and fire lilies danced up my nostrils, the memory of Ellie standing in that field with that flower in her hair made me smile warmly to myself. Snapping back to reality, Vera was already in the tub. Dumping the herbs in the tub, the dirt floated to the surface. Childlike wonder brightened our eyes the moment it transformed to translucent petals. A knock interrupted the moment Butler Sives entered with a simple emerald dress with a ruby belt, his slender hands hanging it on the hook on the door. Excusing himself, her puppy dog eyes watched me grab the rose shampoo. Lathering it in her wet hair, something about this child centered me. Rinsing out the shampoo, water dripped onto the floor as she stepped out. Draining the tub, the independent girl dried herself off. Tugging on her dress, her nimble fingers messed with the belt. Giving up, her face lit up at me tying the belt the proper way. Brushing the snarls out of her hair, her laughter twinkled in the air at me braiding her hair into pigtails. Vessel rushed in, panic had been written all over his face, his lips parting to speak repeatedly. Out with it already, I thought bitterly to myself.
"Ellie is gone. I turned my back for a minute and she's gone. I am so sorry." He choked out in shock, expecting me to yell at him. "She left this." Passing me an envelope, tears soaked the quivering letter. Why did she have to do this? Why did she insist on rescuing my mother on her own? She could get killed! Gripping Vera's shoulders, her worried expression scared me.
"I will stay behind so you can find my mother." She assured me, another image of the younger version of me comforting me haunted me once more. My heart melted at her kind smile, my lips brushing against the top of her head. Running to the parked cart, my trembling fingers curled around our map. Flames bounded up to me, his paw stepping on mine. What the hell was his problem! The last thing I needed was for her annoying cat to help, my heart aching at my last harsh words. Flames had a place in my heart but I was currently struggling with attempting to rescue Ellie again.
"Let me help you find her." He begged with a serious tone, his fur floating up as a portal opened. "She is my responsibility as well. I promised her father that I would take care of her. This won't be pretty. Do you have your weapon? You will need it." Nodding once, the two of us walked through the portal. Sealing shut behind us, a harsh environment surrounded us. Endless seas of golden sand surrounded us, no footprints could be tracked. With fire being both of our main powers, the dry heat was nothing to us.
"Can you sniff her out?" I stammered nervously, both pissed and touched by her action. "You must have come with a built-in tracker device." Rolling his eyes, his tail twitched irritably. Hopping onto my shoulder, my question pissed him off. All I did was ask a simple question, not the location of his snack stash on my cart.
"I wish." He retorted sarcastically, licking the sand off of his paws. "My built-in sensor belongs to her father, my original master. He is in the freaking ground. A dull sense is all that I have. Shut the fuck about that. That man adored his daughter with everything she had. She was only five when they burned down her village killing everyone but her. He put his soul into my body but she doesn't know that I am with her everyday." Confusion dawned on my face, the very thought of her father being with this whole time eating at me.
"So are you Flames or her father?" I snapped hotly, his ears pinning back. "I need to know. Why can't you tell her that you are in there if that is the truth!" Tears welled up in his eyes, his paw resting on his forehead. Smiling sadly in my direction, the emotion made little sense to me. If that was me, then I would have screamed it off the highest mountain top.
"I tried multiple times but the words never seem to come out. When your child is born, then you will understand" He explained as he gazed upon his paw with a quiet grief. A snarl formed on my lips, a frustrated scream burst from my lips. Plucking him off of my shoulder, his quivering eyes met my spite filled ones. I shouldn't throw him like her. Even she knew that was unhealthy for her but her unchecked emotions had an ugly way of bubbling to the surface.
"I already have a kid to care for. Her name is Vera. I feel like she is my daughter and she isn't my flesh and blood. I want to make it back for her." I barked bitterly, his tail tucking in between his legs. "You will tell her when we find her. She deserves some form of happiness. Do you think that she will care if you are in a fucking cat? No, she won't. Let her have some drop of happiness. She became a slave and suffered for centuries. Fuck you for hiding that." Placing him back on my shoulders, an oppressive silence weighed down our moment. Marching forward, he pointed towards the correct direction. Wandering for hours, a sand storm was approaching. Watching my leather coat flutter around, we needed to find shelter for our safety. Like it or not, my main goal was keeping her father safe. Scanning the endless sea of snow, the shell of a wrecked boat caught my eyes. Running into the wooden shelter, I scurried to the corner. Laying on my lap, an endless sea of tears flooded from his eyes. Exhaustion weighed on my eyelids, sweet slumber stealing me away.
Standing in the field of fire lilies, time rewound itself. A village of reapers bustled to life, a five year old Ellie danced around in an orange dress. Her cloaked father chased after her with a wide grin on his pale face, Flames nipping at her bare feet. Flashing him her real smile, her white waves danced in the breeze. Her face fell at the sudden burst of flames, the cloaked figure running away. Holy flames devoured reaper after reaper, a loud scream bursting from her lip at her father falling to the ground. A flaming woman limped towards her, the fluffy ears and tails telling me that it was her mother. Paralyzed with fear, her father decayed to ash. Sinking to her knees, the flames died down as a field of fire lilies bloomed around her. Sobbing into her palms, her father's soul floated into Flame's body. Snuggling his head against her legs, she clutched him close to her chest. Pressing her forehead to the ground, shady men snatched her away. Attempting to rip Flames from her arms, her fangs sank into their arms.
"I am going to keep the one thing I have left!" She pleaded through a wall of tears, letting them drag her away. Throwing her in a steel cage, they neglected to feed her. Suns set into the night, the bastards beating her daily. Shoving her into a large mansion, they threw rags on her. Months passed of her getting abused by everyone, the bruises never having a chance to fade. The numb look on her face was the worst of it, the lack of emotion showing how much she had shut down. A paw smacked me, the memory fading away as I woke up.
"How is she still smiling?" I uttered in disbelief, the horrors still haunting my mind. "Right, we have to save her." Flames hopped onto my shoulders as I struggled to stand. Diamonds twinkled in the inky sea of black above me, the silver moon bathing the sands. Marching forward, the shadows of night would permit us the element of surprise. Climbing over the last hill, a steel tower curled into the night sky, screams shattered the hot air. Blood of all kinds poisoned the air, Flames wrinkling his nose in disgust. One scream caused tears to flow from my eyes, the strained voice of my mother caused a tainted sense of relief to wash over me. Scanning the top of the tower, Ellie sat on the top with an orange cat mask over her face. Her scythe rested on her lap, her claws drumming on the handle. Taking one last breath, she slid into the top window. Crap! It was time to help her out. Lord help whoever hurt her.