The wind howled through the crumbling ruins of the temple's edge, carrying the distant clash of steel—a chaotic symphony of swords that sent relief coursing through me.
In the melee, there was a chance to disappear, to escape unnoticed from the chains of an arranged marriage I never wanted. I ran, my breath ragged, my feet slipping over roots and stones as the dense forest swallowed me whole.
Breaching the veil between the temple and the dense forest, I saw the moon hanging low over its outline. I stumbled over a root, my knees hitting the ground their flesh pierced by a rock.
I was out. I cast a frantic glance around realizing everyone had gone home.
My wedding veil tore, snagging on a bramble trailed behind me. I didn't dare stay still for long. Whether the demon or the man, I cared not to meet either. The Phoenix sigil embroidered on my gown seemed to glow faintly. If she truly wanted to stop me, I'm certain she would have taken control. I clenched my fists, ignoring the glimmer of the fabric. Perhaps like me, she wasn't one to be caged, not even by our shared destiny.
Distant shouts rose through the gloom. Whether they were the guards loyal to the elder council or to my prospective husband, I didn't dare stop. I pressed deeper into the forest, desperate to find my freedom. My steps faltered as I entered a clearing. The air shimmered with heat and energy, though no fire rose. Above me, a massive Phoenix, its plumage like molten gold and precious gemstones materialized in a flurry of embers. It's cry echoing through the night, shaking the ground beneath me.
Was this truly my phoenix? She had bonded with me, but how was she now appearing? I wondered if it were another cleverly deployed ploy until I felt the familiar pull of her want inside me—an aching familiarity of loneliness.
"No," I commanded, stepping back. " I won't go back. You will not chain me, any more than you would remain caged by me."
The Phoenix descended, its blazing gaze locking with mine. It extended its wings, and a rush of hot wind and a vortex of fire crackled in their depths. I raised my arm to ward off the heat and prepared for the searing forces of the blast. Instead, the heat burned but did not harm, its flames dissipating. When they cleared, I was no longer alone.
He stood there. The one I had fought before. His dark armour glinted with an uncanny glow, his expression unreadable. The same Phoenix sigil blazed on his chest, its light beating in synchronicity with my own.
"You cannot run from this." He said, his voice low and firm. "The Phoenix won't let us. It binds us for a reason. We are two halves of one whole. A unit that must be joined to accomplish its owners will."
"I don't care," I pouted, dangerously close to tears. "I didn't choose this."
"But you did," he said gently. "And so did I." "Each time you run though, it pulls at us more strongly. Pulling us toward one another. Don't you see? The Phoenix's power is not one to be trifled with. It won't let us fight our fate."
As if to punctuate his words, the Phoenix rose, screeched and sent a whole cascade of fiery sparks around them.