The scream of the wind was the first sign something was wrong.
Kael Durnan gripped the reins of his family's old mare as they crested the hill overlooking Ashenrest. Below, the village seemed peaceful at first glance—its snug cottages with thatched roofs, the faint glow of hearth fires, and the spiraling column of smoke from the blacksmith's forge. But then Kael saw it: a strange flickering light against the dusk. It wasn't firelight. It was too bright, too alive, shifting hues like molten gold and crimson.
He urged the mare forward, heart pounding.
The villagers were shouting now, their voices barely audible over the roaring wind. The closer Kael rode, the more he felt it—the oppressive heat in the air, as though the sun had descended to ground level. His pulse quickened. The stories of the Primal Wilds, of beasts beyond human comprehension, came rushing back to him. He had grown up on those tales, half believing, half dismissing them.
"Kael!" a familiar voice shouted. His younger sister, Lyra, was running toward him, her braid whipping wildly in the wind. Her face was pale, streaked with soot. "Get back! It's—"
A deafening cry pierced the air, cutting her off. It was a sound unlike anything Kael had ever heard, a mix of a hawk's scream and a roaring inferno. Overhead, the sky was ablaze. The Wildflame Phoenix was here.
Kael froze as the creature descended. It was immense, its wings spanning the entire village square, each feather trailing fire that licked hungrily at the air. The ground beneath it glowed, the cobblestones cracking and hissing as if alive. The phoenix's eyes glimmered like molten gold, locking onto the crowd of terrified villagers. Its power was overwhelming, a force of nature embodied.
"Everyone, fall back!" shouted Mayor Alric, a stout man wielding an iron-tipped staff. His voice trembled, but he stood his ground. A group of hunters scrambled to his side, bows drawn, arrows tipped with gleaming runestones designed to pierce even the toughest hides.
"Don't shoot!" Kael shouted, sliding off his horse and rushing into the fray. His voice was drowned out by the chaos.
The hunters loosed their arrows.
The phoenix shrieked, its body erupting into a blazing inferno. The arrows disintegrated mid-flight, reduced to ash before they could reach their target. The beast retaliated with a wave of fire, sending the hunters scattering like leaves. Kael could feel the heat searing his skin even from a distance. The villagers fled in every direction, screaming, while the phoenix loomed above them, an avatar of destruction.
Kael's mind raced. He had no weapons, no magic. But he couldn't just stand there. His father's voice echoed in his memory, a lesson from years ago when they had ventured into the outskirts of the Wilds.
"Sometimes, it's not about strength. It's about respect. Even the fiercest beast can sense fear… and courage."
His legs moved before his mind could stop them. He pushed through the panicked crowd, dodging flaming debris and stumbling over shattered carts. Lyra screamed after him, but he didn't stop.
The phoenix's gaze turned toward him, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. The creature's molten eyes bore into him, and Kael felt something deep within his chest—a spark, a connection. The phoenix tilted its head, as if curious, its flames dimming slightly.
Kael raised his hands, palms up, his heart hammering in his ears. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said, his voice steady despite the fear coursing through him. "I don't know why you're here, but I'm listening."
The phoenix studied him for a long moment. Then it spread its wings, and the flames surged again. Kael stumbled backward, shielding his face as the heat washed over him. When he looked up, the phoenix was gone—but in its place, nestled in the smoldering remains of the village square, was an egg. It pulsed faintly, its surface glowing with the same molten gold as the creature's eyes.
Kael hesitated only a moment before stepping forward. He reached out, his hand trembling as it brushed the egg's surface. The moment he touched it, a searing pain shot through his palm, and the world around him blurred. Images flooded his mind: vast, untamed forests, towering mountains, endless skies alight with fire and fury.
And then, he heard a voice—not words, but a feeling, raw and undeniable: Are you worthy?
The connection snapped, and Kael staggered back, gasping. When he looked down, a mark had appeared on his palm—a faint outline of a phoenix, glowing with the same golden light as the egg. His bond had begun.
Behind him, Lyra's voice trembled. "Kael… what did you do?"
Kael turned, cradling the egg as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. "I… I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
But deep down, he did.
The phoenix had chosen him.