SoO 3 - Chapter 1

Swords of Orlandia 3: The Khaz'Radan Prophecy
Chapter 1 - "The Beginning of the End"

The bright light shining ahead was the only thing keeping him going at this point. The Phoenix's cry rang out repeatedly as it's glow pierced the darkness of night all around and was a clear beacon as the runner pushed on and on and on towards any sanctuary he could find. Of course the trail was easy for the enemy to follow as well. And follow they did. As fast as he went they went faster. As far as he'd run they'd come just as far. And they were gaining. The howls of the Shadowfowl behind him sent chills down into his gut. But what he carried was too important to let fear stop him. It was just a small tarnished coin clutched tightly in his palm but Aurelion and the others had discovered that it was one of the ten artifacts needed to save, well, everything. He must succeed. For himself and the other Anarchs who were working tirelessly to usurp the evil Emperor. Indeed he must succeed for all Orlandia.

But they were close now, too close. The runner thought it almost humorous for a moment that he was going to die and when so many people, an entire kingdom, were counting on him. That couldn't happen could it? Light always defeated the dark...right? More cries from the mystical bird ahead and the maniacal beasts behind shook him from his introspection. It was useless to dream anyway. He had just emerged from the forest and into a wide clear plain. Nothing lay ahead for miles save for an odd rock formation. Two giant rocks actually, standing tall like a gateway with nothing but a small gap between. Not even big enough for a child to squeeze through. Two smooth obelisks, one small gap and nowhere to hide. He was dead and he knew it.

Or was he? The arrows that began to rain down on his position didn't allow him to ponder an answer. He fought for every breath now but what he saw ahead filled him with a new hope. The Phoenix had been encircling the strange rocks ever since he had come into the clearing as if signaling him. 'Silly bird' he thought to himself, 'where else would I have to run too?' But even as this thought passed he began to see the swirling fiery vortex created by the ever tightening course the Phoenix flew. And as it flew faster and faster the twin rocks began to tremble...and move! The runner was no more the 50 paces from the gap and that gap he now saw was widening. Big enough even for him to jump through arm's wide if he chose to do so...except that the gap had now filled with fire!

Fire! Nothing a Phoenix would balk at but for an ordinary human it seemed the bird had done no more than make his escape even more impossible...or had it? The Phoenix now flew back to the runner who was mere moments from the gap and began to cry out as it flew next to him in a parallel pace. The runner glanced over making eye contact with the beautiful creature and for a moment timed seemed to pause. And as he gazed into its otherworldly visage he grew calm and knew what he must do. With not a second to spare and with his pursuers at arms length behind he leaped into the flaming breech. And disappeared! The Phoenix shot skyward as the Shadowfowl stood dumbfounded even as one of their pack attempted to follow and was immediately destroyed. A last cry rang out as the Phoenix returned diving at the stunned throng and passed into the gap and disappeared as well. The flaming gateway behind it erupting in an explosion as it did so.

When the resulting flames died down and the smoke drifted away on the wind the Shadowfowl were shocked to see that the rocks themselves had been etched by the scorching blast. Words were now clearly visible, one sentence on each side of the now silent and cooling gap. "Two Kingdoms join and stand to Fight, a Darkened Prince reborn by Light" on one rock face and "A King will rise and claim the Crown when the one Pure Heart strikes Evil down" on the other. Dawn was coming and the Foul must flee, and flee they did, bringing the twin messages back to the Emperor whom appeared more than unsettled by the findings. Elsewhere, well hidden, Auerelion held the returned coin aloft for all those gathered to see. A cheer went up as he spoke "My friends, with this one of the sacred 10 in our hands we are one step closer to salvation. One step closer to freedom. One step closer...to Kahz'radan!"