Final Flame

Prologue

The phoenix Luna tried to find sleep but couldn't. She was reading a book she had pulled off of the bookshelf. A dim fire lit the cave she sat in, illuminating the stone grey walls. The bookmark being used revealed what little progress she had made. Luna closed her book and looked up. Across the room was her avian husband, Zapdos. His light yellow feathers made him easily identifiable. He walked across the room with large steps, his talons clicking on the rock floor.
"How long were you standing there?" Luna asked.
"Quite a bit. Does something bother you?"
"It's nothing," Luna quickly dodged the question. Zapdos stared at her, a look of worry and confusion. "Alright. I'm just remember what we've been through."
"It's all in the past, Luna."
"No, it's just..." Luna was cut off. Their daughter Marina had walked into the room.
"I can't sleep," Marina said. Her face looked wrought with lethargy, yet she still seemed to be wide awake.
"Come here... I'll tell you a story like I used to." Luna called Marina over. "This is a story of how your father and I met and what we did."
"Luna no... she's not old enough for this..."
"I'm sure she's ready for this, Zapdos." Zapdos smiled and kissed Luna on the beak.
"It all begins with a truce..." Luna began.

Ch1

A man's scream rang out through the forest of Alagarn. The scream was followed by silence, then the silence was shattered with a screech. The creatures in the village of Sunalgard looked up from their work. Very rarely was the peace broken within Sunalgard Valley. They ran into the forest to where the screech was thought to have come from. The sight before them apalled them all. A phoenix lay before them, badly injured. Her left wing was bent at an awkward angle. The avian's other wings was torn open, blood pooling beneath it and her chest was bleeding profusely. She was breathing heavily and shaking violently. A long moment of silence and tension filled the air.
"Young phoenix, who did this to you..?" An Arcanine stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"A-a human..." The phoenix's eyes closed. Her vision blurred and the world around her faded into black.
"You will be avenged, Final Phoenix of the world..." The Arcanine stepped back into the crowd, and disappeared within the forest. The faces of the creatures changed from pity to anger. The humans had desecrated the Truce between the creatures of Alagarn Forest and themselves. Slivien, a middle aged Centuar, stepped forward and spoke. "Those humans... who do they think they are? They don't rule the world! It's always go conquer here and go conquer there with them! But now they've gone too far. The vile creatures have broken the Truce, even harmed the Final Phoenix. Do those fools understand the natural balance of Gaia? I say we teach them a lesson. But before that, we will give them three days. After that time is up, we move in. Eons ago they killed our ancestors for their land. Now, they shall pay in blood!" The crowd of creatures gave a bloodlust roar, then left the phoenix in peace. Two remained however. An avian by the name of Zapdos, and a human sitting in the nearby tree.

Ch2
The town of Perdin lied at the northern most tip of Alagarn Forest. The town had been designed with strategic points. In the center of the town loomed a great castle, ruled by King Lien The castle has towers for archers, and the buildings surrounding the castle rise as they reach the center. This way, the archers' shots would not be so easily impeded by buildings. A man had come running to Perdin, half crazy and half calm. His speech was incoherent, and his steps were like a newborn puppy's. His clothes were torn and bloodstained. The man collapsed in the street, and lied there for a couple hours, dazed. He finally got up and managed a stumble of steps into the nearby Inn. He slept, knowing he had done wrong, but didn't care.
Another man had entered Perdin, not injured or covered in blood. He was only filled with knowledge of another man's evil deeds. He quickly sprinted to the courthouse, nearly taking down some bystanders on the way. He burst through the doors and scared the living daylights out of the judge. "Judge Gelvain! Judge Gelvain! I saw man commit the worst crime possible!"
"Grembleh... wha?"
"A man. Out in Alagarn Forest. He attacked one of the creatures. A phoenix."
"Eh, it's not my problem.." The judge turned away, not caring.
"OF COURSE IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. Don't you get it? That was the Final Phoenix in the world he attacked. Also, that man broke the Truce. If we don't do anything about it, you can kiss your life goodbye. There is no doubt the creatures will retaliate."
"Oh well now that you put that way... I guess it is our problem. Do you know the man who did the act?"
"A man by the name of Kevan Lodien."
"Very well... I shall summon him and arrange the trial in three days..."