Crown of the Phoenix

Chapter 1

Vaekros

Blood thrashed her veins like it wished to erode her very being, much like the sea upon the rocky shoreline. Pain unlike anything she'd ever known raged within her as she felt the call. She wanted—needed—to go to the arch. The irresistible longing was an unbearable weight on her chest, sharpening each breath, and telling her to fly.

***

"Aurelia, you're going to have to try harder if you're ever going to be able to defend yourself. You hit like a girl!"

Wiping the sweat off her brow, Aurelia Vesta grasped her sword in both hands, swinging at Amadeus' larger weapon, only for him to slap hers to the ground. She grunted.

"It's not a fair fight, you know. Your blade is bigger."

Her brother snorted, bracing his feet in a defensive stance.

"Likely excuse, Lia. Likely excuse."

"Room for me?" Septima strolled across the grounds of the villa, calling out to them. Just as Amadeus turned to look at their sister, Aurelia slammed her sword into his, forcing it from his hands. It clattered loudly as it hit the grass.

"Hey!" His outraged shriek held little threat with Aurelia's blade now leveled with his gut. "I wasn't ready."

Waiting until she thought he just may piss himself, she smirked and lowered her weapon to her side. "Likely story, Amadeus. Likely story."

Dropping her sword, Aurelia ran to Septima, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulder. "We have room for you, but I doubt you want to fight against that loser." She flipped her thumb over her shoulder, pointing at their brother, who rolled his eyes.

"I'll fight you then," Septima said as she darted for Amadeus' sword, swiping it from the ground, and wielding it in her sister's direction.

Aurelia retrieved her blade and swung it at Septima, only for her strike to be blocked. Her jaw dropped as Septima sneered at her. When her look morphed into a mischievous one, Aurelia braced herself for retaliation.

Amadeus began walking toward the house. "I'm going to head home. I'll grab my sword later. Have fun and try not to cut off each other's ears."

The sisters barely paid attention to him as their eyes remained on one another, waiting for the next move to be taken. Septima circled left, waving her weapon in arcs. Aurelia backed up, dropped her weapon on the ground, and took off running toward the gardens. She was tired of sparring, and leading a chase was far more fun. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Septima in pursuit.

Once they entered the gardens, the pair fell to the ground and began giggling uncontrollably. They laid among the flowers, admiring the cloudless sky and the breeze rolling off the Harmuz Sea. The sea, ever crashing against the weather-beaten white cliffs, carved dramatic rock faces. Though the cliffs were too high to climb down for a swim, the view was magnificent. Laying in the gardens, overlooking the water below, was one of their favorite pastimes.

"It must be such a thrill," Septima said, rolling onto her side to face Aurelia. Her dark eyes shined in the sunlight and her long ebony braids shimmered like black silk.

Aurelia turned to face her sister, twirling a yellow wildflower between her fingers. "What would be a thrill?"

The longing for adventure played across Septima's features. "To fight… to be a badass warrior. I'm sick of being expected to be a proper lady who spends her time doing tedious things."

Sighing, Aurelia flicked the flower toward her sister. It landed near her hand. "Father would never allow it. You know we are to be wed. It's what is expected of us. I'm surprised he hasn't married me off yet. My twenty-first birthday will be here soon." She knew why her sister wanted to seek adventure instead of marriage, but she did not know how to help to make that happen for her. It was something she thought about often, knowing Septima did not fancy men at all. She was only attracted to women, but marrying the same sex was not allowed in Vaekros. Neither were women warriors. The options to bring her sister happiness were slim, and that was heartbreaking.

Rolling her eyes, Septima turned onto her back to gaze at the sky. "I'm not getting married to a man, expectations or not."

Aurelia's chest tightened at her sister's plight. "Marrying a woman isn't an option in Vaekros. You know that."

Septima sighed. "That may be true, but I will not be forced to marry a man, either. I'd rather die, Lia. I will not do it."

Aurelia bit her lip and turned to stare at the sky as well. They laid in silence for a while, neither knowing how to continue the conversation. Neither knowing how to solve a problem that had no solution in their society.

Aurelia stood and dusted off her clothes. "I'm going to go check on Kano. He needs to get out of the house before he shreds up everything in it. I'll catch up with you a bit later." She leaned over to give her sister a kiss on the cheek before heading toward the house. Septima waved as she walked away.

While Septima was not Aurelia's sister by blood, she was the single most important person in her life. Aurelia's father had found Septima when she was only a baby, while his army laid siege on El-Wahba. Septima's father had been killed in the attack, and her mother had been enslaved. Aurelia's parents became Septima's, although they could not have been more different in appearance.

Septima was not the only baby their father saved and brought back to their home in Vaekros. He had also given Aurelia a tiger cub. Her beautiful Kano who, aside from Septima, was her best friend. She remembered it like it was yesterday. She was less than two years old when she met her baby sister, but was ten years old when the tiny cub was placed in her arms. She named him after the Sun God, because the colors of his fur reminded her of that golden orb in the sky. No one thought he would survive—a runt they called him—but she had cared for him, and he grew and thrived. Some would shun such a pet, but Kano was far kinder than his wild kin. For ten years, he had grown with, loved, and protected her.

Aurelia approached the villa from the back door. She adored the home. It was disposed dramatically along the rocky cliff tops near the Howling Mountains and Forest. The large seaside estate, decorated with mosaics and frescoes, was built around an outdoor atrium. The external walls were covered in stones and a separate building housed the servants. A small wooden cottage on the edge of the property belonged to Amadeus, who had yet to be married.

The stone atrium was filled with a variety of potted trees, vines, and flowers. A large pool sparkled in its center—a pool the girls frequented in the warmer months since reaching the sea was impossible from the height of the house.

Inside the stately villa, sleeping chambers, guestrooms, bathing rooms, reception areas, dining rooms, and even a library filled the large, two-level home. The floors were polished marble and gleamed throughout the structure. Her father, Proteus, made sure of it. He did not allow a dirty house, and the servants knew better than to disobey him. So did his children. His decades as military commander reinforced his no-nonsense personality. There was no warmth in Proteus. Aurelia wondered if he had always been that way, or if the death of her mother changed him.

When Aurelia entered her bedchamber, Kano stretched his massive body and slinked up to her to nuzzle her legs. She dropped into the vanity seat and untangled her braid while she gazed at herself in the bronze mirror. Her large blue eyes and crimson hair were such a contrast to Septima's long midnight braids and her deep tawny skin.

Some said her red hair was a gift from Veena, the Goddess of Life and Death. Not unlike the goddess, Aurelia loved to spar. She loved learning to wield weapons, even if it was all but forbidden in her society. She had to be a respectable Vaekrosan lady and that meant never making a man feel weak in her presence. Even so, she sparred with her brother, and with Septima, to practice her swordsmanship. With as many fights as Vaekros picked, she never knew when such skills would be useful.

Aurelia turned to admire her bedchamber. Walls of rich aqua mirrored the color of the sea that always reflected the light of the sun from the floor to ceiling windows. Bright white silk drapes fluttered in the breeze. A huge four-poster bed took up a large part of the suite, large enough for Kano to sleep alongside her and keep her warm.

Her favorite view from her window was that of the Marella arch. The sea had carved an arch out of the rock that looked like a portal to a magical world. The legends of the arch were contradictory in Vaekros, so Aurelia settled on the one in her dreams. The water was too dangerous for anyone to approach it, although Aurelia dreamed of traversing the distance, of flying through the arch.

Curled up like a mountain at her feet, Kano let out a mighty snore. She reached over and caressed his sleek fur, rousing him from his slumber. Large canines gleamed as he yawned. His amber eyes were still full of sleep. Rising to his feet, he rubbed against the cloth of her pants as she rubbed his head.

"You're being lazy today, Kano. I think it's time for us to play outside."

He bobbed his head like he understood her. Leaving her chambers with the great cat trailing behind her, Aurelia took the stairs quickly to look for Septima and sunshine.

After searching the villa twice over, she found both at the same time. Septima sat on a stone bench in the rose garden, soaking in the sun and reading a book. Kano sprinted at the sight of her, nuzzling his enormous head against Septima's legs. She giggled, ruffling his fur.

"Hey there, big guy," she said, placing a kiss on his head before gleaming a toothy grin at Aurelia. "What are you two up to?"

Aurelia shrugged, dropping to sit beside her. "Kano has been too lazy today. I thought a game of hide and seek would be good for him. Do you want to play?"

Septima chuckled. "Aren't we a little old for such games?"

Rising from the bench, Aurelia straightened her tunic. "I'm older, and I still play." She shrugged. "Let's go Kano, the last one in the forest is a horse's ass."

Running as fast as she could, Aurelia darted into the tree line. The sound of Kano's enormous paws thudded close behind her.

The forest was vast, dense, and rich. Its canopy comprised pine, Buxus, and holly. Enough light shimmered through their crowns for a medley of shrubs to take advantage of the fertile grounds below. Silent vines suspended from many a tree, and a range of flowers, which grew in a sprinkled, disorderly fashion, brightened up the otherwise homogeneous scenery. A mishmash of noises, predominantly those of critters, echoed throughout, and were backed by the occasional sounds of birds of prey gliding in the air.

Aurelia laughed as she ran, climbing into an abandoned hollow just big enough for her to fit. Holding her breath, she knew he could smell her, but he seemed to pretend he couldn't, like he knew the rules of the game.

Quick footsteps paced in the distance. She pulled herself as far into the tree as she could, hoping there weren't any rodents nesting in there that would bite her like last time.

"Got you!" Septima's mane fell into the hollow, nearly slapping her in the face. They both began giggling as Kano bounded up to them as they kneeled, licking their faces.

Aurelia wiped the slobber off her cheek with the back of her hand. "I thought you were too old for this game?"

Septima shrugged as she wiped her own face. "You know I'll be playing in the forest with you even when my hair turns gray, especially with this big guy." She reached out and scratched Kano behind his ear. He leaned into her.

They played for hours. Each taking great care in where they hid, only for Kano to find them each time.

With barely enough energy to walk back to the villa, thirsty and covered in dirt and leaves, the sisters and Kano entered the back garden of their home just as the sun began making its descent over the Howling mountains.

A snarl ripped out of Kano before they cleared the threshold of the house. Aurelia looked at him to see that his ears were laid nearly flat against his head. She gently stroked his fur in an attempt to soothe him. She looked up to see her father standing in the foyer with two strange men, and her heart dropped.

Chapter 2

Aegricia

Walking back to her cell in the depths of the dungeon, Otera dragged her feet as the cloaked monstrosity of a man yanked her alongside him. It was cold—bone chilling—yet she had been pulled out of her bed with little more than a nightdress on. Her people were scared, and her military was gone. She was powerless to help even herself.

"You don't have to drag me. I can walk by myself." She tried to muster power in her voice, but it came out as a desperate plea. He grunted and tugged her arm harder, his fingers biting into her flesh.

She had rarely used the dungeons below her castle. Only the most dangerous criminals were housed there, and only if another punishment was not more fitting. Because the cells received little use, they weren't fit to house anyone, not a dog, and certainly not a person. It was the last place the Aegrician queen ever thought she would find herself.

The Warbotach cavalry had moved swiftly, laying siege to her castle and leaving her with no choice but to let them in or risk harm befalling innocent civilians. Her military had fled, not to abandon their people, but to build up strength and allies. They would then return to Aegricia, when the time was right, and reclaim their land.

That was the plan they settled on when word of the invasion of Norithae had reached them weeks prior. Her warriors would be back for her, for their people, but she did not know when. Until then, the Warbotach leader, Uldon, wanted her power and her crown. He couldn't get it by killing her, so her safety was guaranteed, although her comfort was not.

Forced back into the stone-enclosed darkness, Otera retreated to the straw bed in the cell's corner, as her escort slammed the iron door behind her. The resounding echo, highlighted only by the retreating footsteps of her captor's man, faded into an ominous silence. She had never felt so utterly alone, with only the light of one slender window to keep her company. The light of the window and her endless thoughts.