《Demon Saga: Phoenix Dancer》


 Beginning Your Journey

    Demon Saga


    Phoenix Dancer


    Beginning Your Journey:


    Step 1: Decide your start.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Choose from starting at Chapter 1 or Chapter 7.


    Chapter 1-6 shows the world of the Phoenix Dancer.


    Chapter 7 is the start of new beginnings and the start of the adventure.


    If you want backstory, take the first path.


    If you want exploration, take the second.


    Step 2: Survive.

 Chapter 1 - The Journal

    [Chapter 1]


    The Journal


    Corrin, agirl in her mid-teens, sat on her bedside siftingthrough her collection of books.


    "This page is left unfinished, Nawa," said Corrin as she scrolled through the fragile pages.


    Corrin looked over toher furry companion Nawa and then flipped the thin delicate page of the old tattered tome over to the next page.


    "...And the next page is completely missing. Torn right out," said theyoung girl with a loud sigh.


    Nawa, the long-eared fox yipped, speaking to Corrin.


    "No," said Corrin, "I''ve never heard of Sansora and the Vaeran Order before."


    The girl thought deeply as she stared at her fox-like companion, lost in thought.


    "It seemed like an interesting tale though, very descriptive. I''d like to visit the field. The author seemed to truly miss the way it was."


    Nawa let out a loud yip.


    "You''ve been there?! Really?" said Corrin excited, "So this book contains a true tale?"


    Nawa approached Corrin, yipping her reply into the girl¡¯s ear.


    "What exactly was the Vaeran Order about? Did you ever meet one of those brave swordsmen in their strange metal suits?"


    Nawa continued to quietly speak into her ear.


    "Magical Knights? What sort of magic?"


    Nawa tapped Corrin on the left hand with her paw, asking her to open up her hand which was firmly grasping the book. The Jerobi rested its left paw over Corrin¡¯s flat open left palm.


    "Is this something that the Order showed you? A hand trick of sorts?"


    Corrin¡¯s palm began to heat up as if a tiny growing ember was trapped between Nawa¡¯s paw and hers. A blue hue illuminated from where the paw met her palm.


    "Is that the magic you were telling me about?" I can feel it growing. It¡¯s very hot."


    Nawa looked down at the glowing blue spark between their touch and yipped. The small fox-like creature turned away from Corrin, and hopped down off of the table that Corrin sat on cross legged. Leaning over, Nawa grabbed a hold of a dusty tome, flipping it open with its nose.


    Corrin sat amazed, looking at her palm, with wide eyes and an open mouth drooling.


    "What was that, Nawa?" asked Corrin, dumbfounded, "How did you do that?"


    Nawa looked back over to Corrin, who was still staring at her left hand, and yipped.


    "That was just their handshake?! The Vaeren Knights must''ve been incredible."


    A knock banged loudly on the outside walls of Corrin¡¯s chamber.


    Corrin closed her left hand tightly and hide the journal of the Vaeran Knights under a stack of cluttered loose pages on top of her bed. Her palm still glowed a faint light blue. Corrin quickly brushed her long ashen locks from out of her face and hung them behind her ears. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "How long does this last?" asked Corrin toNawa, ignoring the knock.


    A second knock tapped against the thin walls of her room.


    "Does this blue light ever fade?" she questioned.


    Nawa yipped loudly, and pointed to its left paw, which it then placed behind its back.


    "What do you mean I have to hide it? Is this forbidden magic?!" panicked Corrin.


    A third loud knock pounded against the side of her chamber.


    "Uh, sorry! One second," announced Corrin loudly towards the doorless entryway to her chamber.


    "Seriously Nawa. How long will this last?" Corrin whispered over to her companion, "I can¡¯t hide it forever!"


    "It''s Lief," replied the voice of a young man from outside of the room, "It''s almost time for the ceremony."


    "It is?" Corrin exclaimed, hopping up off of the sturdy wooden table that she sat on.


    Corrin hastily moved towards the hefty silk curtain that covered her doorway and peeked her head out at Lief, a young swordsman and serving guard of Corrin, who waited against the wall just outside of her chamber. Lief wore a big goofy grin across his face as he bowed to Corrin. He was patiently waiting for Corrin to notice his new formal robe, made of sleek black, which happened to arrive just in time for the ceremony.


    "Hello, Lief!" She greeted, flustered with a smile. "I"ll be only a moment. I haven''t even dressed into my regalia yet."


    Corrin popped her head back behind the curtain and stuck her hand outwards towards Lief waving goodbye, then returned back beside Nawa at the table.


    Lief¡¯s goofy grin quickly faded. Peeking into the room from under the curtain, Lief watched as Corrin argued with her pet companion in the back side of her chamber.


    Nawa¡¯s long ears lowered from their upward state, and barked aloud.


    "You didn''t know this would happen!? What is that suppose to mean, Nawa?!"


    The fox-like creature frantically yelped, as it tried to explain its actions.


    "It''s not suppose to pass on to me? Only masters can link with their students? You¡¯re not making any sense."


    "Are you almost ready?" Lief called out, watching Corrin and her creature bickered back and forth.


    "One moment! I"m in the middle of something!" Corrin shouted at the doorway, "I still have to get ready!"


    Lief peeked his head under the curtain.


    "You must like one sided arguments." said Lief to Corrin.


    "What?" said Corrin, barely paying any attention to Lief.


    "Well, it looks like you''re arguing witha fox." said Lief, "But, that''d be crazy because foxes can''t speak."


    Corrin placed her glowing left hand behind her back and looked over at the head peeking under the ruffled curtain.


    "Go away! I still have to get ready and Nawa''s not a fox, she''s a Jerobi!" replied Corrin.


    "Do you want me to help you get ready? Master Lillim said I am very fast learner." questioned Lief with a big grin.


    Lief surveyed her messy room.


    "This room is a sty. I"ll help you clean up!" said Lief.


    "GET OUT!" Corrin and Nawa yelped at once, in unison.


    Corrin''s chamber was littered with books and more books stacked upon one another.


    "Are you trying to read those books still? Do you even know that language?" questioned Lief in an attempt to pester Corrin some more.


    "Yes," Corrin sighed at the endless amount of questions, "You already know I do! We''ve discussed it before! I"m trying to get ready, Lief!"


    Lief laughed, "Alright, alright, I''m leaving," he replied as he pulled his head from out of the doorway, "I"ll meet you at the festival. Don''t be too late. The Dance of Fire is very important."


    The sounds of Lief¡¯s footsteps as he left down the hall brought relief to Corrin and Nawa.


    "Oh, right! The Dance!" Corrin exclaimed, "I need to get going!"


    Nawa purred, as she looked up at the frustrated Corrin.


    "You''re in so much trouble, you know that!"


    Nawa stood on its hindlegs, yipping.


    "Yes. You''re going to have to make up for it!" insisted Corrin to her pet.


    Nawa handed Corrin a container of blended charcoal mix from her tray of ceremonial makeup with her two paws pressed up against it. Corrin blended the mix with water from a glass container and dipped her hands into the paint, rubbing and coating them in thick black paint.


    "I guess that will do for now," she huffed.


    Corrin quickly tossed her jars of makeup into her cedar basket which held the rest of her ceremonial regalia and charged out of her room- entering the bustling halls of her home, in the King''s Fortress.

 Chapter 2 - A Gift of Steel

    [Chapter 2]


    A Gift of Steel


    The many floors of the King''s Fortress, an ornate castle nestled into the side of a mountain-high ever-lasting cedar tree, led Corrin down winding narrow corridors, stairs and hallways towards the ceremonial grounds at the bottom of the manor where cedar planks touched the sandy beach below. The many halls and passages were packed with attendees arriving for the great festival.


    "Come on, Nawa. Before we''re late!" she instructed, grasping her cedar basket close to her chest as she ran.


    "Oh, Princess," interrupted an elderly man as he limped over to the hastey girl exiting her chamber, "Princess. Sorry to intrude."


    The elderly wore a tattered hunter''s cloak, faded of colour. The old man''s beard reached far below his knees, nearly grazing the cedar plank flooring of the King''s Fort as it swayed back and forth as he walked. The Elder''s tattooed arms were large and muscular, easily the same size as Corrin''s head- a true blacksmith and forger of old, she thought.


    "I am Elder Ohnin, just a humble elder nearing his six-hundredth year. You might know me as a Grandmaster among the Ohnin forges, while you may also know that I am a Master craftsmen among the finest of our craftsmen and a former hunter and slayer of Batara demons. Do you have a moment? I would like to bestow to you something truly special. We have finished the King''s order- the one he requested many, many hunts ago- for the perfected Aurana. It is with me and ready in time for the festival."


    "Greetings, Elder Ohnin," Corrin greeted as she slightly bowed her head, "I can spare a few moments for you."


    The elderly Asla''ati man bowed before returning to his hunched over state. Flipping his long white beard over his shoulder, Elder Ohnin leaned over, slowly reaching into a worn hide satchel at his side.


    Nawa looked up at Corrin shaking its head, and plopped its butt to the floor.


    "It will only take a second," Corrin insisted, whispering to Nawa, "We will make it in time."


    "See, I have it right here with me," approached the feeble Elder.


    The Elder held up a tightly wrapped gift with both hands. The wrapped gift was two feet in length.


    "This is the Aurana," mumbled the Elder as he unclothed the wrapped gift, revealing the shining white steel of the sword. "The true blade of the Asla''ati people. A curved, slender, single-edged blade, honed and perfected- this one is."


    Corrin looked upon it in awe. Her mouth gaping wide, and a twinkle in her eye. She had waited for her own Aurana for several years now.


    "But, I must warn you- my Princess, the Aurana is a deadly weapon. It must be wielded only by trained hunters and practiced for many years even before then."


    "I have seen them before, Elder Ohnin. My Grandfather has trained me, alongside of my brother. Growing up in this nation, you become learned in these sorts of things."


    The Elder stuttered before continued on, ignoring Corrin.


    "It is unmatched in ability and power. No other sword has existed, or will, that can compete against the Aurana blade."


    Elder Ohnin, paused before letting out a loud sneeze nearly spraying Corrin and Nawa.


    "The Aurana blade can cut straight through solid stone and ore, and shatter crystal. What other sword made by other nations can do that?" he continued, as he wiped his nose on his long tattered grey robe. "The proper answer is not one, my Princess, but the perfected Aurana blade of the Asla''ati."


    "-And, it does so with ease!" he added.


    "The blade sounds wonderfully powerful. Can I hold it?" she questioned.


    The elder reached into his satchel and slowly pulled up wet cloth, coughing loudly into it.


    "It can pierce the hide of demons to the north," he continued on, "and even through the scales of the ones in the wicked waters. Another feat no other blade can accomplish but this one."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Thank you for crafting such a beautiful sword with your forgers, Elder, but I must get going. I''m already very late for the dance."


    The Elder grinned with a big open smile, revealing only a few teeth.


    "But, what makes..." he continued, coughing loudly, "what makes the Aurana special is not only how we forge our steel, but the sacred energy that is contained within the blade itself- trapped between the forged steel and the Ancient Saeren engravings that we mark along each blade- a blessing of power given to us by the Red Bird. This energy within the blade sparks like fireflies as it strikes against the opposition- it is as if the blade can tap into the limitless power of the Red Bird itself."


    "Can I hold the sword? she questioned impatiently with her hands reaching out at it.


    With the nod of approval from the Elder, Corrin reached over and grasped the sword''s long two-handed hilt made of hide, bone and steel with a firm grip. Struggling, she tried to lift it up out of the Elder''s hands with just one hand.


    "The sword is quite big," she huffed, reaching over with her other hand to properly hold the sword up.


    "The Aurana is not meant to be used by a Princess," he mumbled, "It must be wielded with both hands nonetheless," he barked loudly into his wet cloth, "A true swordsmen would know this."


    Corrin narrowed her eyes at the Elder, "If this blade was sheathed I would draw it, like any swordsmen, with one hand before using two. I know the blade must be held with two hands when I use it. I''m just simply trying to draw it at the moment."


    "An Aurana is a hunter''s sword- it is not crafted with a lady swordsmen in mind. It is crafted for the hunter in the far woods where his life depends on a single clean cut through the guts of his prey, so that our people can eat its meat, and use its hide, and craft with its bones."


    "Is there an issue with my ownership of such a sword, Elder Ohnin?"


    "No, no," he shook his head, "I meant no offense. In my days few women could join the ranks of the hunters- but I forget that these times are much different now- Kitlana the Wolf Queen, from the rival nation, proves that point with her combat prowess, even our bravest dare fight against her. Please forget those words came from my old withered lips. I hope you will not tell your Grandfather- our King, he will be quick to anger- it is how he earned his title the Thunder after all. Ionly meant this particular sword could be too long and unwieldy for one such, my Princess. We have a variety of different weapons that could suit your needs more closely."


    Corrin shook her head in disbelief.


    "The Ajora, a much shorter blade, can be used with just the one hand. A proper hunter and swordsmen will carry both an Aurana and an Ajora with him at all times, and even a third called a Skirta- which, mind you, is even shorter than the two."


    "I believe I am fine with this stunning sword. My Grandfather ordered it for me, after all."


    Corrin marveled at the beautiful sword, admiring the engraved drawings along the blade.


    "Indeed, he did. Now, my Princess, look at this beautiful grip we''ve prepared for you. The hilt was crafted and carved from the beasts of the far realms- one of Rangda''s beasts was used as this grips material."


    "What do the drawings on the blade mean? I see what looks to be a leaf, a drop of water, a stone and a bird in ornate symbols," Corrin questioned, running her fingers against the engravings.


    "Do not touch the Aurana''s blade! Make certain to never do this. The blade heats up to an incredible degree while in combat, and even after still. It will feel as if it was molten iron after a few heavy strikes against the blade- molten iron fresh from the forge against raw flesh. We do not..." he coughed, "We never touch the blade. It is proper etiquette, my Princess."


    Corrin looked down at Nawa, shaking her head.


    "So what do the engravings mean?" she repeated, "I''ve seen these symbols before."


    "Yes, my Princess, you''ve most likely seen some of these old symbols on the large stones and elder trees of our region, etched into the old relics we have and written upon the new artifacts we uncover deep within the hollow roots of our Home Trees underground. It is the symbol language of the Ancient Saerens, used by our ancestors to bless and enchant. We have limited knowledge and understanding on the symbols, still to this day. We can identify a few symbols and conjure using a few combinations of symbols."


    "I watched the forgers engrave Aurana blades before. They always told me that the symbols were meaningless and just tradition."


    "It is tradition, my forgers are not wrong- they are not told what the symbols mean as it would simply distract them- we do not want our men to cease forging to study symbols. It is a lost language and a waste of time to seek the lost knowledge. We will use what the Red Bird provides us with, and that is all."


    "So the Red Bird gave us the symbols and knowledge to forge the Aurana?"


    "The Red Bird has blessed our people many of times. It once, long ago, granted the wish of the Old King, a desperate man, who seeked an answer to the growing number of demons in our forests, and with that blessing we forged the first Aurana."


    Elder Ohnin let out a faint chuckle, before coughing into his cloth.


    "Why do you laugh?"


    "You''ve spent so many hours learning of a different culture in those tomes that you forgot to dive into your own," laughed the elder.


    Corrin let out a faint smile, embarrassed at the truth, while looking down to Nawa, who sat quietly beside her.


    "I must get going. Thank you for your time." said Corrin, "I have a dance to perform."


    "Indeed, you do. You must be already very, very late, my Princess."


    Corrin sighed as she prepared to leave.


    "Wait, child. I still must give you the leather sheath for the Aurana, it''s here inside my satchel. It is at the bottom. I just can''t quite find it with all of my knick-knacks in the way- it will be only a moment, Princess."


    Corrin snatched the Elder''s satchel from around his arm and dashed off towards the ceremony.


    "I¡¯ll return it later," she called out, zig-zagging through the crowd of people funneling down the halls.

 Chapter 3 - Into the Fire

    [Chapter 3]


    Into the Fire


    The girl and her pet darted down the many narrow winding halls of the King''s Fortress, with Aurana in hand, zipping past various swordsmen and archer guardsmen on duty as they made their rounds on patrol. The guards dressed in formal robes of shining silk accompanied by loose red sashes across the waist, each greeting Corrin as she passed by in a gust of wind.


    ¡°Hey! Wait for me!¡± called Lief as she dashed by him.


    ¡°Corrin, my child! You are late- AND you''re not even properly dressed!¡± shrieked a woman''s voice from behind Lief.


    Corrin looked at the doors to the ceremony halls, only a short distance from her, and sighed. She had almost made it without interruptions. Corrin quickly dug through the junk in the Elder''s satchel and pulled out the Aurana''s sheath- which she then plugged the Aurana into and hung over shoulder.


    ¡°How can you not be ready?! You''ve had all day to prepare for this.¡±


    Corrin turned around nervously to face the screeching, coarse voice emerging from out one of the many curtained roomsbehind her.


    A middle aged woman with a permanent frown and deep set wrinkles appeared with Lief slowly trailing behind her.


    ¡°Mara Farron, it''s great to see you,¡± Corrin grinned, lying through her teeth.


    Mara Farron quickly wobbled up to Corrin, shuffling about oddly from her formal robe being tightened too tight. Mara Farron''s sunken eyes, sucked-in cheeks and sharp pointed ears reminded Corrin of a dark realm ghoul. Mara Farron pulled the satchel away from Corrin, shoving it into Lief''s hands.


    ¡°That''s not mine,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Take that napsack to the room, Lief,¡± commanded the Mara.


    ¡°We don''t have time to fix you up proper right now. Come, follow me. We''ll seat you beside the fire for now and I''ll have Mara Lillim deal with you and this mess. It''s your first dance, my dear, it''s rather important to do it right. Don''t you recall what happened to the last dancer who angered the Red Bird?¡±


    ¡°But I remember my dance,¡± Corrin argued, ¡°I won''t mess up like she did.¡±


    ¡°You''re not even dressed! The dance doesn''t matter without the tradition.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Mara Farron rushed Corrin through the large doors of the crowded ceremonial grounds and quickly seated Corrin beside the large central firepit before wobbling off. Corrin placed her cedar basket beside her and patiently waited for Mara Lillim.


    The fire pit was surrounded by a pool of sand used as a ceremonial dance floor. The sound and salty smell of the nearby coast delighted Corrin.


    The large room was fit to hold the entirety of the Asla''ati community and every seat in the room was taken, filled with an eagerly awaiting crowd. This great room was absent of a roof, only having a large gaping opening above. In the center of the ceremony grounds beside the firepit were two large pillars with a large round wooden beam crossing the top, forming a perch for the Red Bird to rest on when it arrived.


    The young girl sat silently in the warmth of the fire pit. Her feet nervously dug into the warm surface of the sand, and dipped beneath the surface into the cool, refreshing underlayer.


    Corrin scanned the various faces of the surrounding crowd for Nawa and Mara Lillim, but they were nowhere to be seen. A very faint tinge of blue light beamed from a bare spot on her charcoal-painted left palm. Scooping up sand with her left hand, Corrin made a fist to mask the illuminating colour and continued to stare into the bright mesmerizing fire.


    The flickering flames of the fire pit danced along the cedar logs submerged in it, singeing and running along the frayed strands of cedar bark encasing the logs. Wood bugs and spiders ran along these logs in the fire, fleeing for safety from the inferno.


    ¡°What a horrible fate you''ve been given,¡± she murmured, sympathetic for the poor bugs.


    Corrin didn''t have the heart to watch them burn, and ordinarily she would have attempted to save them by lifting them out with long sticks for the bugs to crawl on, but there was nothing she could do tonight while in the center of the crowded ceremonial grounds. She already made the mistake of dressing inappropriately and being late. Messing with the firepit would surely do her in. Turning away, the girl looked towards the eager Asla''ati crowd filling seats and gathering around her- arriving for the Dance of Fire.


    She began to feel awkward sitting in front of so many gathered people. It felt as if Mara Farron had punished her by sitting her in front of the masses without her clothes on. The crowd was so loud that it was hard to tell if they were mocking or making fun of her. She now felt like the wood bug trapped in the fire.


    Nervous and impatient, Corrin reached for her cedar basket beside her, and placed it in the sand in front of her. Mara Lillim was taking too long, and the Dance would surely start soon, she thought. The basket was large and bulbous, interwoven with cedar bark, and held her ceremonial attire safely tucked inside.


    Sitting on top of the basket were two large fern and feather wings. These wings along with the headdress belonged to the most sacred of the Asla''ati dances. Within the cedar basket were two black silk garments which were for her underlayer to protect her from the itchy cedar ceremonial garb.


    Underneath the silk garments were dozens of thin cedar bark strips for her to tie together to make straps and bands out of, the small containers of black charcoal makeup and a skirt made of large red-painted feathers and fern leaves.


    At the bottom of the basket contained her sacred wooden headdress of the Dancers of the Red Bird which resembled the four-eyed winged-beast with a long sharp beak and covered in cedar straps and beautiful feathers.


    The headdress had a hidden rope near the chin that when pulled opened the mouth of the cedar mask which would reveal her face when worn.


    Corrin''s ashen blonde hair hung down in her face covering her dainty nose and freckled face. A few braided locks hanging in her view reminded her that she hadn''t brushed her hair in days.


    She grabbed a handful of thin cedar strips from her basket and pulled her messy hair back, holding it in place with her right hand. She dusted the sand from her left hand onto her leg and tied a single cedar band into a knot which held her hair in a low ponytail. Two long locks of hair hung down in her face, which Corrin promptly blew away from her face.

 Chapter 4 - Charcoal & Sand

    [Chapter 4]


    Charcoal & Sand


    "Here, here, child. Let me get ready," murmured an older lady approaching from behind her, "I¡¯ve already got the charcoal paint mixed up in this bowl here. You might as well let me use it."


    "Uh, thank you," replied Corrin, doing a short bow with her head, "Thanks, Mara Lillim."


    "It''s hard to be a Mara some days, my child. Being a mother to every one of these bratty Asla¡¯ati children sitting before us," Mara Lillim vented, "Every child is as much mine as it is the Mara that birthed it. Even the bratty ones, she paused, "I don''t think I could bare the thought of losing you or any of my kin. Our families are just different branches on the same old Hometree."


    Corrin let out an awkward smile, looking down to the sand.


    Mara Lillim dipped her index and middle finger into the bowl of black paint and smiled, with a head nod.


    "Are you nervous Corrin?" asked the Mara while staring into the girl¡¯s pale blue eyes, "I remember my first dance. I used to be so scared."


    "Uh," Corrin thought out loud, "not really," she lied.


    "Then you''re braver than I," smiled Mara Lillim as she leaned in, "Here, close your eyes."


    The Mara wiped her paint-dipped fingers across Corrin''s closed eyelids, covering her eyes in dark paint like that of a raven''s pitch-black wings.


    "I used to pee myself when my turn to dance came up. I was a nervous wreck," whispered the Mara.


    "Uh," paused Corrin at a lack of words.


    Corrin looked up and smiled awkwardly at the Mara, "No. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s only a dance."


    The Mara wiped her two fingers, evenly spaced, across both of Corrin''s rosey cheeks and then drew lines vertically down her neck and across her arms.


    "Yes, yes. But, I seen some dances go wrong. They can get quite messy," replied the Mara waving her blackened finger in the air.


    Mara Lillim leaned in closer to Corrin to examine her work.


    "Beautiful," exclaimed the Mara, "Now I''ve just got to do the large symbol of the sun on your forehead... No, wait,'' she thought out loud, "We''ll have to get some red paint to do the mark in the center of your lips and then the forehead, and before I forget- most importantly we''ll have to paint your chest and lower body. We must have that painted to compliment the feathered skirt right away. This is the Dance of Fire after all. We¡¯ve got to do it right."


    "Paint my body?... No, no! I''m fine," smiled Corrin awkwardly as she looked to the large audience around them, "I¡¯ll be able to do the rest myself. Thank you, Mara" she nodded.


    "Oh... Okay," paused Mara Lillim, "well, here''s the bowl of black paint. You''ll have to mix the red paint yourself. I''ll leave that tray with you, but I¡¯m trusting you will return it," she laughed, "I know where you live!"


    Corrin let out a sigh of relief as she watched the Mara walk towards another nervous dancer.


    "I thought she''d never leave," spoke the voice of a familiar man behind Corrin.


    The man placed his hands over Corrin''s eyes.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Guess who it is!" exclaimed the anonymous man.


    The man took his hands off her, and leaned over into view. Corrin''s eyes lit up, with a big grin and shouted "Graine!" with glee.


    "Yes! I came down to see your first dance," replied Graine wiping his hands in the sand.


    "I forgot you were all painted up for the dance," he smiled.


    "How are you?" she asked, excitedly to see her oldest friend.


    "Here, let me help you get dressed," interrupted Graine as he looked over at Corrin''s large basket. "I''ve been good- can''t complain," he added, "I''ve been pretty busy with work on the fields. Still hoping that they will finally allow me to join the ranks of the hunters."


    "Yeah," Corrin replied, "But, you''re clanless. They won''t allow a man who isn''t tied to honour into their ranks."


    Graine picked up the ornate wings on top of her basket and placed them on her lap. He then picked up the black underlayer garments and passed them to her, "You need to put those on under your dress- won''t be able to wear that sort of dress for this sort of dance."


    Corrin smiled, making a duhexpression with her face as she moved the wings off of her lap and onto the sand.


    Standing up, Corrin slipped into her underlayers before handing over her dress, embarrassed.


    Graine leaned over and lifted up the large ceremonial wings. Using the cedar bands and woven rope Graine securely tightened the large fern and feather wings to Corrin''s slender arms.


    "Well- I''m thinking of starting my own clan," he winked.


    "Corrin pushed Graine over with a smile ear to ear, "Oh, come on. You have someone in mind, do you?" she laughed.


    "I''m still deciding," Graine replied as he sat in the warm sand beside her, "There''s plenty of girls looking for a guy like me- you know, a farmhand with excellent skills."


    "Oh, yeah?" Corrin smiled, letting out a dorkish laugh. "You know of girls looking for a clanless man who can not hunt?"


    "I''ve got a lot of time on my hands, so I''m reliably around all of the time. I won''t be late for festivals or dinners because I''m never out hunting, which means I''ve got all the time in the world to listen. I hear women love great listeners."


    The two looked at each other, trying to hold back laughter.


    "Well, try not to get married so soon. It''s not like being a hunter fits you anyways. And, you know what, I won''t have anyone left to hang out with when you''re gone. And, I don''t want you getting killed neither!" pouted Corrin playfully, "You''d make a terrible hunter."


    "Nobody to hang out with? There are plenty of girls to befriend, you know. Try talking to them."


    Graine stood up and pulled the sacred headdress from out of the cedar basket and then tucked Corrin''s royal dress safely inside the large basket.


    "I don''t want to befriend them," Corrin grunted, "None of them like me- they only pretend to because of my grandfather''s status as King and Chief."


    Placing the headdress gently over Corrin''s head, Graine tightened the straps to secure it.


    "That''s the exact same reason I pretend to like you," smirked Graine with a cheeky grin, "I don''t see any wrong in that."


    "Oh, it is. I knew it," she laughed, stumbling over from the weight of the newly equipped headdress.


    "See, this is why I love you," she added.


    "I know," he grinned.


    "You always make me smile, even when I''m at my worst," she continued.


    "Oh, come on. You can''t be that nervous for this dance."


    Corrin paused, as her blue eyes teared up.


    "I''m so nervous for this dance, Graine!"


    "It will be fine," he assured her.


    "Dancers have died doing this dance! It''s scary, and I''m afraid. I don''t want to be here, but I have to be..."


    "Yeah," he agreed, "you have to be. This is important to this whole community, but it''s even more important to your family- you''re the King''s only granddaughter after all."


    "If the Red Bird doesn''t like my dancing..."


    "-I know... You don''t have to say it."


    "He will eat me- he''ll kill me in front of all of my people," she paused to catch a breath, "but that''s not what really scares me. It''s the fact my clan will lose its honour if I die in such a dishonourable way. I''ll shame my King- my grandfather and the Nagalia clan. I know I''ll do fine, but it''s still the thought of it. I keep pretending I''m fine, but I''m scared."


    Graine continued to dress Corrin in her ceremonial attire, having her step into her feathered skirt, which he then fastened tightly against her waist and then leaned in to finish tying the cedar bands to her arms and legs.


    "Nothing like that will happen today. Nawa and I will be cheering you on from the sidelines, like always."


    "Thanks," Corrin spoke nervously, "Do I look ready?"


    "You look stunning," he answered immediately, "Like a big red chicken."

 Bards Song - Rhyme of the Maiden

    [A Bard''s Song]


    Rhyme of the Maiden


    "Nawa, look!" Corrin said, as she noticed a tiny ruffled page. "A missing page from the journal. Let''s give it a read."


    Peaceful fields and somber hills coloured in greens and greys.


    The reds and whites of roses there, mixedinto the fray.


    Fields covered in dark moongrass and chipped marble stone.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    These gorgeous fields surrounded Sansora, as if she was alone.


    The smell, that scent, of lovely roses on a summer''s day.


    Made poor Sansora the idealspot for thebloody play.


    The men-in-armour gathered there,ready to protect herlands.


    But, before them stood a wicked beast with golden locks and strands.


    The men-in-armour stood and stared, stunned by her sight.


    A gorgeous maiden stood in alluring white robes, thirty feet in height.


    "Approach with caution," a brave man shouted, as they surrounded her.


    The gorgeous maiden sat and stared, simply brushing her hair.


    The wicked maiden dashed straight forward, tossing them into the air.


    She ripped, and tore and crushed themall, the fight was too unfair.


    A man cried out, "Please, my Queen! You are tearing me apart."


    The maiden paused, "I only want to sit in a seat behind those glorious walls."


    "Build me a throne, one fit for a Queen, so I maysit at the heart."

 Chapter 5 - The Phoenix

    [Chapter 5]


    The Phoenix


    A large hollowed drummer''s log on the far side of the dance floor began to roar as a row of drummers began to bash against it with hide and cedar clubs.


    The crowd cheered, whistling. The sounds of loud cawing from outside of the ceremonial grounds caused the crowd to roar louder with excitement.


    More drummers began to enter into the room. Beating their smaller hide drums while they sang, marking the start of the final dance of the Ceremony of the Sun- the Dance of Fire.


    The seated crowd rattled their handheld chimes and shakers, howling at the top of their lungs.


    The Chief of Ceremony entered the ceremony ground cawing like a loud bird. He dressed topless, covered in tattoos, with an adorned red silk skirt. Covering his head he wore the finest of the masks of the Red Bird, made hundreds of years before.


    The Chief nodded his head towards Corrin, his face visible beneath the heavy headdress of cedar, smiling with a big toothless grin- he loved the festivities.


    Corrin stood up nervously beside the other five Phoenix Dancers awaiting the start of her performance.


    The loud, disorienting, roar of the hollowed cedar logs filled Corrin''s ears as the drummers beat against the smooth surface of the drummer''s log.


    Corrin wiped the sweat and sand from her brow and looked over to her fellow dancers, whom were already getting into position beside the great bonfire.


    The young girl checked her footing, making sure her feet were in the correct position and followed the footprints that they left in the sand as the dancers began to circle the fire.


    The Chief of Ceremony approached the central bonfire and cawed loudly as the Phoenix Dancers got into position around him. Corrin slowly stepped towards him, watching as the other Phoenix Dancer''s moved to the sound of the drums.


    Corrin and the Phoenix Dancer''s began to dance- swaying, dipping, diving and stomping and spinning to and fro, moving to the beat of the drums.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The audience cheered on, howling. She feared that they could see her nervous trembling. The loud cawing of the Chief kept startling her as she tried to remember her positions.


    Corrin looked over at her fellow dancers, whose eyes were also framed in chalky black charcoal with black lines of paint running across their arms and legs. They almost appeared to be in a lulled state, relaxed and collected.


    The loud thunderous sounds of flapping overpowered the roar of the booming drums, with a caw as loud as thunder itself- this penetratingshriek startled Corrin, driving her to the sandy floor, as her attention turned to the sky.


    The winged-beast emerged from beyond the clouds, cawing like a monstrous eagle. Corrin quickly stood up and continued to dance as the Red Bird made its entrance through the opening in the roof and onto its center perch above the bonfire.


    Corrin tried to focus on her dancing, but she could feel the Red Bird watching her every step. Its head sporadically turned to the slightest of movements.


    Nervously, she peered up at the monster on its perch above her, breaking her dance formation. She wanted to see with a closer view what she served and danced for- this sacred God-Phoenix.


    The red bird cocked its head left and right, shifting its head to view the room. The beast saw that Corrin was watching. The Red Bird turned its large head sideways and gazed down at the trembling girl. Corrin briefly locked eyes with the four-eyed beast. Her heart stopped, unable to look away, entranced by its many-eyed gaze.


    Corrin''s bewitched glowing palm began to heat up immensely, shining brightly and piercing through the black ink that covered her hands.


    The Phoenix shrieked, cawing loudly as it flapped its wings, still seated on its perch. Startled, Corrin wrapped a large fern leaf from off of her skirt and tightened it around her palm- frightened that this would be her last moment.


    The beast began to calm, as it lowered itself against the warm cedar perch, closer to Corrin and the flames of the fire.


    The Phoenix now seated, was in reaching range of Corrin. It''s enormous, polished beak shined in the light of the flame.


    The Red Bird appeared as if it was getting roasted by the great fire pit, but instead found comfort in it.


    Corrin looked down at the Red Bird''s long talons that still gripped mangled meat in between them. The Phoenix held the body of an earlier sacrifice against the large wooden beam, ripping into him with its sharp knife-like beak.


    ''The large beast was monstrous, but strangely beautiful,'' she thought.


    The Red Bird had two eyes on each side of its head with freakish bones protruding from its abdomen.


    Long majestic feathers in shades of red and orange covered what Corrin imagined must of been a hideous body.


    These feathers were magical, illuminating visuals of bright sparks as they swayed. Wisping embers floatedfrom off of them into the breeze.The hovering embers glistened in the night sky before fading away.


    ''One single feather could restore the life of a dead man,'' Corrin recalled, ''but plucking one is forbidden, it would have to fall off naturally.The last feather to do so happened nearly a century ago. It''s unlikely one would fall today.''


    Corrin had never seen a feather restore a life before, but the Speakers- famed storytellers of the fire, assured her that a feather could, and that the power of the feathers was very real.

 Chapter 6 - A Dance of Fire

    [Chapter 6]


    A Dance of Fire


    Corrin could remember the story of the last feather plucked from the Phoenix.


    She heard it every so often while sitting beside the community beach bonfires with her people.


    ¡®Mahrot, the Exiled King, plucked the feather from the Red Bird while it slept,¡¯ Corrin thought as she recalled the old campfire tale.


    ¡®His wife, Ama the Spirit Tamer, had become ill. She was once the most beautiful woman in the nation, and all neighbouring realms journeyed to bask in her beauty. A woman so beautiful nations fought wars over.¡¯


    Corrin looked back down to the soft sand of the ceremonial dance floor and continued to dance in fear that she would catch the attention of her Winged God and become the beast¡¯s next victim.


    Her feet ached from dancing untilthe sun rised the next morning. Her bare legs felt tender and cooked from the blazing fire in the middle of the dance floor, but she continued to dance, moving to the beat of the drums.


    ¡®Ama, the lover of Mahrot, was a Spirit Tamer. She often ventured deep into the spirit realm seeking answers from the sacred ancestral guardians,¡¯ Corrin called to mind as she danced, ¡®Over time, doing so caused her beautiful skin to turn to coal. Her skin slowly crumbled, day by day, flaking off into the wind. Mahrot the Exiled King knew of the feathers magic. He knew he could restore his wife, and break her curse by plunging the feather''s quill into her heart.¡¯


    The Phoenix let out a muffled caw in its slumber, startling Corrin.


    ¡®Mahrot tricked the Phoenix with the Dance of Fire, lulling the beast to sleep. He was only able to pluck the feather then. Using this magical feather he cure his fading wife, but this divine act awoke the Phoenix.''


    ''Enraged, the Phoenix erupted in scorching flames. The sacred ancient city of the Asla¡¯ati disappeared- forever gone in an instant. The Phoenix¡¯s limitless power destroyed the entirety of their lands within a single moment that night. Nothing but soot and sand remained. The flames of the enraged Phoenix turned those sands to glass, sealing the ashes of Mahrot, Ama, and the sacred city of Asla¡¯Vahalis for eternity.¡¯A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Corrin fell to her knees exhausted as the crowd roared on and the drumming ceased to a halt.


    ¡°Tonight you have witnessed the Dance of Fire!¡± announced the Chief of Ceremony, an elder of the Asla''ati, ¡°It is our greatest ceremony. Blessing the Red Bird with all we have to offer in the hopes of great return.¡±


    ¡°Following our tradition of the festival of fire and flames, one of our brightest embers and newest dancers, Corrin Nagalia, will pray to the Red Bird for prosperity in our lands, for fertility in our people, and for the safety of our hunters! She will then ask the Red Bird for its feathers in the hopes that we can revitalize our nation, so we can continue our campaign against our neighbouring rivals, the Oro''ati and the Vana''atos.¡±


    The Chief of Ceremony gestured for his servants to come forth, the Speakers of the Fire. Four women carrying a vase of black oil by its four handles emerged from behind the bleachers of the ceremony grounds. Their eyes were covered in cloth, blinded by the rituals of initiation. The white cloths covered most of their faces, and was decorated to resemble the four eyes of the Red Bird.


    These Speakers wore no clothes during the Dance of Fire, only thick black oils painted over their bodies, covered from the neck down to their feet.


    ¡°Corrin, my Princess. Come forth and kneel before us.¡±


    Corrin approached the four women and the chief. The surrounding crowd watched, still and observant.


    ¡°Remove the ceremonial wings, my girl. Remove the feathers and ferns," he added, "thensitbefore me."


    Corrin undressed, removing the decorative wings around her slender arms and her skirt made of dyed feathers. Corrin nervously untied the bands of cedar straps, causing the red fern leaves and feathers to fall to the sandy floor. Corrin glanced up at the watching crowd that surrounded her as she stood wearing only her underlayers.


    "Kneel and face up, look to the slumbering Red Bird,¡± commanded the Chief, ¡°Do not get distracted. It is all part of the festival.¡±


    The Red Bird sat on its pedestal above the center bonfire, roasting on its perch. It comfortably slumbered basking in the heat of the mighty fire below.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do next?¡± Corrin questioned, kneeling in the sand in front of the Priest and his servants.


    ¡°Just sit and close your eyes until you hear my caw. Remember to demand our returns. The Asla''ati require the blessing of the Red Bird. For prosperity, for fertility, for protection of his people. Demand us these returns.''


    Corrin nodded that she understood.


    ¡°Shewill now enter the realm of dreams!¡± announced the Chief to the crowd.


    The Chief of Ceremony signaled the women to lift the vase of oil as he began to caw loudly. Corrin opened her eyes as she watched the warm oil pour from the vase above her. She continued to stare up at the Red Bird as she was told. The black oils poured from the large vase onto the kneeling girl. She could feel the thick black tar flowing over every inch of her dry body. The fumes of the liquid tickled her nostrils, and her head began to pound like a beating drum, intoxicating and disorienting her.


    Graine and Nawa rushed from out of their seats in the crowded bleachers toCorrin''s side.


    Corrin collapsed, succumbing to the heavy pour of black tar, as her thin body pressed against the pool of black liquid and wet sand on the ground, falling into a deep slumber.


    "What did you do?!" shouted Graine to the Chief of Ceremony.


    "It is all part of the ritual. Please remain calm, outsider."


    "Wake her up right now!" panicked Graine as he shook Corrin''s unconscious body.


    "She must not be disturbed while in the dream realm."


    "Corrin? Corrin? Can you hear me?"

 Chapter 7 - A Phoenix Dream [Alternate Beginning]

    Chapter 7


    The Phoenix Dream


    The world Corrin found herself in was as white as beach shells, endless as far as the eye could see. The sky was white and void of detail. The ground, the dirt and grass was absent, only white, erased from the world, with no sand to walk upon. The entirety of the world she knew appeared to be erased from existence.


    "The ritual of passing is complete," announced one of the four Speakers of the Fire.


    Corrin turned to look at the women.


    "Where am I?" She questioned.


    The Speakers began to hum together, a sonorous hymn to keep the Phoenix at bay perhaps.


    "Why is this world so empty? So void of detail?"


    Corrin continued to ask questions curiously.


    "For your benefit. The beauty of this world is blinding in power," announced a loud voice, coming from off in the distance.


    Corrin took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the presence of what she hoped was air.


    "Is that whythe Speakers are blind? Did you blind them?" Corrin questioned.


    The young girl stepped forward, following the voice. Each step felt weightless, as if no pressure was against her feet. The humming of the Speakers was melodic, calming the nervous girl.


    The voice in the distance began to quietly sing along to the hymn, allowing Corrin to follow the sound. His tone was eery and unsettling.


    "The song is beautiful," Corrin announced, "It reminds me of a song that was sung to me when I was very little."


    "Does it? That is peculiar," spoke the voice.


    The singing ceased. "Why are you here?" questioned the voice.


    "I was sent here," she replied, "Our people have asked me to request-"


    "Do not speak of any of your petty demands," interrupted the voice from afar, "I grow tired of hearing it."


    "I was only told to seek our returns," Corrin finished.


    A man appeared, sitting alone on a bed in front of the young girl. His feet hung over the far side of the bed, with his head hanging low, sullen. The bed was posh, and constructed of nothing Corrin had seen before with pillars and thin curtains surrounding the bed, finely crafted pillows and silk sheets of spider webs and cotton. Her bed at home was simply stuffed hide and soft furs.


    Corrin approached the man with caution, stepping towards the bed. Her feet pressed against the white floor, feeling like solid ground, no wind or distant sounds present. The place felt eerie to Corrin.


    "I was told to seek our returns," spoke the girl softly as she approached the man.


    "If I hear of your neverending demands again I will burn down your kingdom, I will burn it to ash and soot," he yelled abruptly in a fit of rage, "I will not endure it. Not ever. Have your people not learned? Do they not fear my power?"


    Corrin carely approached the man at the far side of his bed. She wasn''t certain if this man was the Red Bird, or just a strange man within the dream.


    The man had hair of dark shades of red, and wore an outfit of what looked like fine black silk with embroidered stitchings of ancient Asla¡¯ati symbols. A slender Auranahung on his side sheathed in a black scabbard, which stretched across the bed. The sword itself was impractical and unwieldable. The blade of the sword alone was nearly double Corrin''s height in length.


    ¡®What purpose did a blade that long serve him,¡¯ she wondered.


    The Speakers of Fire began to hum again, continuing to lull the Phoenix asleep, allowing Corrin more time in the dream realm.


    "Why do you sit here all alone?" she questioned, curious and naive, ignoring that the man was quick to anger.


    The man looked up for the first time since Corrin had met him, and stared into her bright blue eyes. His face lightened up from an irritated frown to a curious smile.


    "Ama had eyes like yours," he said. "Have you heard of her?"


    "Excuse me?" replied Corrin.


    "Have you heard of the tale of Ama the Spirit Tamer?" he questioned, patting the bed with his hand for Corrin to take a seat.


    The young girl hesitated to sit. The man patted the plush woven fabric of the bed once more.


    Corrin sat down on the bed beside the man, "Yes, I have heard the stories of my people."


    "Can you imagine her for me? Imagine her from the legend you''ve heard. Can you picture her here with us?" He asked.


    "I¡¯ve never met her," she replied.


    "But, what would you imagine her to look like?"


    "Well, she was the most beautiful woman in the many realms," she replied, "a beauty that caused realms to war over her, it¡¯s told."


    A gorgeous woman appeared from Corrin''s imagination. She stood in front of the two, gracefully moving to the sounds of the humming of the Speakers of the Fire. She dressed in majestic clothes of fine silk.


    "She''s beautiful," he replied, "You have a beautiful imagination, very strong, very pure."


    "This is how I imagined her to look in the legends I''ve been told."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Do you believe these legends are true?" he replied, "That the stories happened as they were told?"


    "I believe in some form they are, but they change over time. I think each storyteller adds their own story to what was once fact," she answered honestly, "this changes the story, and over time true legends are very different from what they once were."


    "Do you recall what happened to her?" replied the man as he stared intently, examining Corrin''s body language.


    Corrin swallowed nervously and brushed her ashen hair, combing it with her fingers.


    "Well, in the legend that I was told," she paused.


    The man¡¯s stare made her uncomfortable. She glanced over at his weapon belted to his waist.


    "In the legend I was told... the Phoenix engulfed her in flames," she gulped.


    "The Phoenix engulfed her in flames. So, in that legend the monster killed her. But, why?" he questioned, intrigued.


    "Well, you see. It was her husband Mahrot, the Exiled King, who caused it to happen. In a story of love and tragedy, Mahrot sought to cure his wife Ama of a rare plague. Ama was a known traveller of Vasylvia, the realm of Spirits. There, she caught a disease and her skin became that of ash. Ama¡¯s beauty was no more, and in the legend that I was told a feather was her only cure."


    "Did the Exiled King manage to get this feather from the monster?"


    "He did, and with it he cured Ama of her plague."


    "The Exiled King was a hero."


    "Yes, he did it for love," replied Corrin.


    "But, what happened next?"


    "The power of the Phoenix cured Ama, but awoke the Bird. The moment that the feather came of use- it shook the realm, the Phoenix who woke, saw that a feather had been stolen and emerged from an inferno of fire and flames, hot enough to melt the world. It seared everything that we had built. The enraged Phoenix destroyed everything that the Asla¡¯ati held dear until only sand remained, and that sand became glass."


    "And what of Ama?"


    "She was lost in the inferno."


    "And what of the Exiled King?"


    "He was lost in the inferno as well," answered Corrin confidently.


    The man looked away in thought, and then returned to making eye contact with the girl.


    "What if I told you that Mahrot was the true villain."


    "He was, sort of, but it¡¯s a tragedy. He is the reason that our nation fell, but he did it for the love of his wife."


    "Yes, sure. In that legend he did and his actions caused the realm to be met with flames. But, what I mean is what if Mahrot killed Ama, not the monster. In the story I know, Mahrot killed Ama, but she was not his wife. She was mine."


    "You... married Ama?" questioned the girl, "Ama was your wife? So the legend is fake."


    "It is, but it has truth as you said. Mahrot had my wife killed in the Ivory Mountains, her death is what woke me, and her death is what caused the realm and nation to burn."


    Corrin sat up from the bed in shock, which made the man smile.


    "So, you really are the Phoenix?!" she replied, "I knew it had to be, but why the human form?"


    "It is my dream, afterall. I chose to be myself, the person I truly am- orused to be..."


    "No other person has seen this form, have they? My people have no tales of the Phoenix being a man."


    "The dreams of a Godare blinding in power. You are the first to see me as anything other than the Winged God."


    "Why didn''t the dream realm blind me as well?


    "A favour for a deed done long ago. I repaid my debt to your family."


    "You really knew my family?" asked Corrin.


    "Indeed, ask me something else."


    Corrin rested her finger on her chin, thinking.


    "But, I want to know about my family!"


    "--something else," he interrupted.


    Vanon-Atem smiled, looking away.


    "Why do you feast on our people? Why do you wither our resources and burden us?"


    "I have no control over myself. I do not act forthe Winged God- the Phoenix. I''m simply the conscious in the back of the mind of a beast with needs."


    "Who are you then?" asked the girl, "How does a man become such a beast?"


    "My name is Vanon-Atem. A name you will not hear beside the bonfires orduring your festivals and dances. I am a man from an unsung story. As an Aslatin man I was undefeated. My Aurana, the Red Feather, lost no fight.It was until the day I met the demon, Mahrot, that I faced my first loss. He took myhuman tongue and replaced my mouth with a beak and a hungerfor flesh. It was soon after that I sprouted wings and feathers and flames. He had me silenced, capable of only squawks and caws," he laughed, shaking his head. "If only I knew the penalty for slaying a God was to replace it, I would of done so differently."


    "Now I endure the demands of your people in my bloody dreams, as if there was no end to my suffering," he continued.


    "What is your name?" added Vanon-Atem, curious.


    "Corrin," replied the girl, with a nervous smile.


    "It is, isn''t it," he smiled. "Well, I like that name, Corrin. It is a name of great people before you. What else can you tell me about yourself?"


    "I am of the Nagalia clan, a dying clan with only two branches left on its home-tree."


    "Ah, yes. I remember the name of the clan now. What of your mother? Your father?"


    "I never knew them. I was raised by my grandfather."


    "A shame that is."


    "Can you tell me who my parents are? Do you know where they are?" pleaded the girl.


    Vanon-Atem let out a slight chuckle, remembering past times.


    "I could, but you will find outsoon enough," he chuckled.


    Corrin rubbed her arm nervously, unsure of the meaning behind his words.


    "What if I said I had a task for you, would you take it?" he added, as he stroked his clean shaven chin.


    "I would."


    "Without knowing of the task, you would?"


    "I would," she insisted.


    "It is not easy nor safe."


    "I said I would," she replied with an irritated look, "What is it?"


    Vanon-Atem let out a big smile, which quickly shifted to a serious expression.


    "I need you to find Ama, to bring me my wife."


    "But, she is dead, isn''t she? How would I go about finding her?"


    "You know of a way."


    "I do?" questioned the girl with a puzzled expression.


    "You were given a stone from your mother, yes?"


    Corrin nodded, narrowing her eyes. ¡®How did he know,¡¯ she wondered.


    "It¡¯s in a box in my room, but I wasn''t certain if my mother left it for me."


    "It has been trying to show you the way for some time now."


    "But, even if I do find the place, how do I bring you someone who has passed away?"


    "She has passed on- gone from us, but not entirely. She lives on in Vasylvia; Realm of the Spirits. Find her there, among the Spirits, and bring her back to me. In return, I will grant you one of any wish- any wish of your choosing."


    "Wish? Are you saying you can grant wishes?" questioned Corrin, who rose up, astonished.


    "A Red Bird can, and does occasionally for the exchange of a particular rare stone. A stone of black oily gloss and silk to the touch, but for you I will do without."


    "What sort of wishes can you grant?"


    "For you, I will exchange a wish for a wish. Once you¡¯ve brought me home my wife I will grant you the wish of your choosing."


    "But, can you not wish for her to return yourself?" questioned the girl.


    The man shook his head, "My wishes have no effect, not anymore."


    "So, Ama will restore your ability to grant wishes? Well then, how do I find her? How would I figure out where to go?"


    The man reached behind Corrin and pulled a necklace out from under a fluffed pillow on his bed. The necklace was a simple black rope with a shining blue bead. Holding it in his hand, he reached over the girl and tied it around her neck.


    "The Bluestone Pendant. A gift from the Phoenix."


    "This will help me find her?"


    "It will."

 Happy Valentines Day !!

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    Thank you for following the Phoenix Dancer, it means a lot to me!


    Just by subscribing you are helping fuel my dream to be a full-time writer.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The next chapter will be out on thursday :). I hope your Valentines Day is awesome.


    I''ll be releasing three chapters a week from now on. You canread the chapters as soon as they are ready on my Patreon though!


    Bye for now!


    Fox

 Chapter 8 - Lost Arts

    "Corrin, wake up!"


    The girl rubbed her eyes as she swatted her arm around to shush the loud noise.


    "She''s waking up! Come here."


    "Wake up! HEY! Corrin!"


    Opening her eyes, she peered around the room to see Lief, Graine and Nawa by her bedside staring intensely.


    Lief, a short teenager with puffy cheeks and a big grin, stood waving his scrawny arms in excitement. His shaggy black hair hung over his dark eyebrows, curling at the tips. A large scar from his first and only demon hunt ran horizontally across his right cheek.


    "It''s about time you woke up!" Lief grinned.


    "What time is it?" yawned Corrin as she continued to rub her eyes.


    "--It''s been- you''ve been asleep for nearly two weeks." interrupted Graine, "We''ve been worried sick about you."


    "...I have?" she replied, brushing her messy hair out of her face.


    "The Chief of Ceremony was saying that most dream-delvers don''t wake up from the Phoenix Dream," Graine continued, "You''re lucky to be alive."


    Graine was a young man who hailed from a distant land. The fishermen of the west waters had found him as an infant on a stranded trade ship, taking him in as a child slave. Graine then was forced to work the jobs of farming and hard labour with the other slaves and the honourless, while the other men bound to honour hunted. Over years, he earned himself honour status, freeing himself of his slave title. His recent work in the mines and lumber mills left him with nice strong arms and a hard toned body.


    Nawa jumped up onto the bed and began to lick her face with excitement, yipping.


    "I''m glad to see you too, Nawa." Corrin smiled.


    "The hunters should be home tonight," Graine added, "People are already preparing for the welcoming party."


    "The Speakers of the Fire told the Elders that you didn''t demand our returns in the Phoenix Dream," said Lief nervously, "They seem pretty mad about it."


    "I tried..." replied Corrin, "The Phoenix said he would glass our kingdom if I asked again..."


    "What was it like talking to the Phoenix? That must''ve been scary," said Graine.


    "It was.... odd. I almost got the impression he enjoyed talking with me." replied Corrin.


    Reaching under her pillow, Corrin pulled out a small wooden box.


    "What are you doing?" questioned Graine.


    "The Visionstone," she replied opening the small box revealing a small orange stone, "The Phoenix said my mother left this here for me, and that it has been trying to show me something."


    The girl rubbed the small orange stone, but nothing happened.


    "What''s it doing?" said Lief, peering in closer to the stone.


    "Nothing so far," she sighed, "It''s sort of just vibrating ever slightly."


    "What else did the Phoenix say?" asked Graine intrigued.


    Corrin felt her neck. A small black string with a small bluestone hung around her neck, dangling above the center of her chest.


    "The Bluestone Pendant. He gave this to me in the dream."


    "What''s that one do?" asked Lief as heleaned down, staring at her chest.


    Corrin glanced down at her short cozy gown, analyzing it with a dead stare.


    "Wasn''t I wearing my ceremonial outfit last?" asked Corrin looking at the men in the room.


    Corrin blushed as she checked down her gown to make sure she was wearing underlayers.


    "Uh... you guys didn''t dress me, did you?!" she shrieked.


    Graine and Lief looked over at each other quickly, turning away.


    "Nawa did," teased Graine.


    "Is that true, Nawa?"


    Nawa shook her head back and forth repeatedly, with her paws waving up and down.


    "You were covered in oil!" panicked Lief, "We couldn''t leave you like that!"


    Embarrassed, Corrin covered her face with her hands.


    "I read some of your books as well," finished Lief, "Well, I tried to."


    "IS there anything else I should know?!" she exclaimed, pulling the blanket over her head.


    "Your notes between the margins were really helpful. It really helped me in trying to learn that language."


    Corrin grunted loudly at the enormous invasion of privacy.


    "Englic? It''s not that different from our language actually," Corrin said curiously, peeking out from under the blanket.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "No. I meant the language with all the strange symbols for words," replied Lief.


    "Like the symbols on our Aurana blades," added Graine.


    "Oh, you mean the lost language? I can''t read any of it yet."


    "-- Well somebody can. Your book is full of lessons and notes," interrupted Lief as he shoved the book over to Corrin.


    Excited, Corrin lifted up the blanket and grasped at the book in Lief''s hands.


    "Gimme it!" reached Corrin, leaning off of her bed towards Lief, "Give it to me!"


    Lief''s cheeks turned red as he handed over the tome.


    "It-- I''ve never seen this book before," said Corrin amazed, holding the book close.


    "It''s titled a gift from a dear friend," she said as she read the cover of the book out loud.


    ''I wonder who left this here?'' she wondered.


    Corrin turned page after page, soaking up the new information with a big silly grin.


    "This book is written in the lost language!" she exclaimed with glee.


    "Read some out loud for us," Graine insisted, "I don''t want to sit here and watch you read. Maybe you can figure out what''s engraved on the blades of our Aurana?"


    Graine leaned over onto the bed and held up his Aurana into the light shining in from Corrin''s window.


    "The first symbol is a blade of grass or a leaf," Graine added.


    Corrin scanned the symbols on the book with her finger lightly pressed against the page.


    "Well, it says here that the symbol of a single leaf is Ku, representing plant life," replied Corrin with her nose in the old tome, "The notes say that Ku is often an important element in conjuring and starting combinations."


    "That''s not very helpful..." said Lief.


    "An Aurana is usually engraved with a leaf, a drop of water, a stone and a bird," said Graine as he read the engravings along the curved blade. "The Aurana are legendary swords of fire. Why would they have an engraving of a water symbol instead of a fire symbol?"


    "A drop of water is Ro," spoke Corrin, squinting to read the small print of symbols in the text.


    Nawa yipped loudly as it wagged its tail.


    "Nawa says Ro is for movement. It allows the blade to embody the flow, discipline, speed and grace of water."


    Graine looked out of the bedroom window to watch as people gathered to the front gates.


    "I think the hunters are returning home from their hunt."


    "The bird symbol doesn''t seem to be written in here, but stone is Sa. The stone element is strength and is important for building and foundation."


    "That makes sense why it''s an element on the sword," smiled Lief confidently, "A strong foundation is key to forging a strong blade!"


    Graine and Corrin sighed, looking over the grinning Lief, who dropped his smile for a puzzled expression.


    "What?" he added.


    Corrin flipped to the last page of the book, discovering a phrase written in soapstone chalk on the back cover.


    A blend of white bonemeal, black obsidian dust, and red herb tucked into a small compartment hidden in the back of the book fell onto Corrin''s lap, caking her in dust.


    Corrin scooped up the dust and materials, blowing it at Nawa playfully.


    "There''s a phrase written here, but it''s not in symbols," she added.


    "What''s it say?" questioned Graine.


    Curiously, Nawa hopped onto Corrin''s lap to get a closer look.


    "It looks like a recipe...?" said Corrin with a puzzled expression, "Two parts feather of firebird. One part dust of meteor and another part tether root. Then, it just reads Technique: Gala-Gata--"


    As the words left Corrin''s lips an intense blue spark emerged from within her left palm, trailing down her veins and into her heart, illuminating it.


    The dust and materials lathered on her hands disintegrated in a cloud of smoke.


    Her eyes turned white and absent, shining brightly.


    A glowing magical circle of light surrounded Corrin floating around left hand, with ornate symbols spinning around her clockwise.


    The magic circle slowly hovered around her slowly lowering until it met with the wooden floor- burning a strange circle into the wooden planks and cutting through a portion of her bed.


    Graine and Lief stood up from the bedside, with jaws wide open.


    Nawa, who still remained on Corrin''s lap, began to glow becoming transparent.


    The light circle covered Corrin and Nawa, veiling them in blinding white.


    Graine stood still, squinting to see Corrin and Nawa.


    "What''s happening? I can''t see," said Graine as he covered his eyes.


    As the light began to dim, fading away, the room sat in silence.


    Corrin and Nawa had merged into one being, an entirely new entity.


    "Uh, Corrin... I don''t know how to tell you this... But... YOU HAVE NAWA''S EARS!" blurted Lief in amazement.


    "You... fused with...Nawa," mumbled Graine in disbelief, "Incredible."


    "They can hear me now?" spoke the fusion of the two in a low voice.


    Lief ran over to a mirror leaning against the wall and rushed it back to Corrin.


    "What are we even going to call you now? Nawrin? Corwa?" joked Lief as he stuck the mirror in front of the Nawa-Corrin fusion.


    The fusion of the two gazed into the mirror with wide eyes.


    Corrin had merged, fused with her fox-like companion Nawa.


    Transforming into a blend of Corrin and Nawa, the fusion sat silently on the floorin the center of the burnt circle around her. She appeared as a mid-adolescent girl with long fox ears and a long beautiful golden brown tail with a splash of white at the ends. Corrin''s natural ashen hair changed, turning a shining light-golden brown like Nawa''s fur. Her eyes turned from pale blue to hazel. Nawa''s long fox-like ears protruded from atop of the girl''shead. Herfox tail hung down from her backside, curling around her waist like a belt.


    "Can you understand me now?" spoke the blend.


    "Huh?" answered Lief with his jaw hanging open, "This is so insane!"


    Graine, snapping out of his disbelief, nodded up and down.


    "Yes, we can hear you," he assured her.


    "We must leave this place," the fox-girl demanded, "We must bring her far from this village."


    "Bring who? ...Where?" questioned Lief with his hands by his side, "Corrin? Are you okay?"


    The fox girl stood up on the bed and dashed over to the window, peering out of it.


    "We will regroup at the village gates," whispered the fox-being.


    "Wait, stay put!" Graine dashed for the fox-girl, his hand just missing her tail by an inch.


    The fox-girl quickly sprung up the wall, slipping through the small window opening.


    Lief tried to follow, attempting to squeeze through the tight gap.


    "I need some help!" shouted Lief as he struggled to fit through.


    "I''ll meet you at the village gates, like Nawa-Corrin said!" instructed Graine.


    Graine charged down the hall to the exit as he listened for the pitter-pattering of the fox-girl scurrying along the rooftop of the King''s Fortress.


    "I can''t let her get out of my sight!"

 Chapter 9 - Tasty Fish

    Graine darted down the many floors and corridors of the King''s Fortress; an enormous spiraling manor on the sides of an mountain-high eldertree, passing by servants and guards as he rushed for the ground-level exit.


    Lief slid down a rope passing by Graine in a window, waving with a silly grin.


    "You gotta be kidding me," huffed the exhausted Graine.


    "Looks like you shouldhave taken my route!" laughed Lief through the window, as he hopped over to another rope descending down to another floor of the King''s Fortress.


    "That kid''s more monkey than man," laughed Graine as he continued down the spiraling stairs and corridors chasing after the fox-girl.


    "Graine, have you seen Corrin?" questioned one of the Maras, waiting for Graine to bow his head.


    "She is-- she''s outside, with Lief," bowed Graine, trying to catch his breath.


    "I need to speak with her before her grandfather returns- which should be any time soon," smiled the Mara.


    "I''ll send her your way," nodded Graine as he dashed past her, down a flight of stairs.


    Graine shoved open the large gates of the King''s Fortress, scaring the sleeping guards sitting outside of it.


    Lief swung down from above, giggling like a school girl as he slid down a swaying rope.


    "I beat you by a handful of minutes," laughed Lief.


    "What are you talking about," huffed Graine, "I got down here first. Look, my feet are in the sand already."


    "Oh, come on. I won. You know it."


    Graine and Lief turned their attention to the sounds of sprinting. The fox-girl dashed off of the roof above them, landing onto the sandy floors beside them.


    "Are your feet-uh paws-- paw-feet okay? That was a far drop." asked Graine with his jaw open wide.


    "We must go, quickly." rushed the fox-girl, dashing towards the front gates of the Asla''ati settlement.


    The two guards stood upright, looking at each other confused.


    "Is that the princess?" they muttered, "Wait, stop right there!"


    The fusion of Nawa and Corrin turned their attention to the guards, drawing her blade from the sheath hanging over her shoulder, while bearing her sharp teeth.


    "No-no-no!" screeched Lief as he pulled the fox-girl away from the guards.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Fire on her! It''s a shapeshifter-demon!" commanded the confused guards, readying their bows.


    Three piercing arrows launchedtowards the trio, whistling in the air.


    Lief ducked with his arms blocking his face as Graine drew his sword ready for a fight.


    With a twirl, the fox-girl deflected the speeding arrows mid-flight with her Aurana, sending them to the floor.


    Lief and Graine quickly tugged at the girl, pulling her away from the fight.


    "I thought you said we were in a rush," said Graine as he dragged her down the street.


    The three dashed off into the bustling Asla''ati streets, losing the pursuing guards. The market streets were packed to the brim with fish merchants, local bonfire gatherings, shops and crowds of people.


    The noises of the busy market streets made it impossible to hear much of anything.


    The clanking of blacksmiths as they forgedhot iron, dousing hot blades into barrels of cold water. Craftsmen shoutingpricesof their demon hides and crafted gear back and forth across the street. Food vendors, with delicious seared demon steak and rolls of fish and rice,wheeling theirheavy wooden carts through the streets looking for hungry customers in the hectic crowdedalleys.


    "Only three Dol for coho salmon!" announced a shouting fish vendor as his cart full of fish pulled up in front of the trio, "Two Dol for a pink!"


    The fox-girl slid to a halt, and turned towards the fish vendor, mouth-watering.


    Graine and Lief turned to each other.


    The fox-girl without hesitation grabbed hold of a handful of fish from out of the vendor''s cart, smiling with glee.


    "I think this might be the first time Nawa-Corrin has actually smiled," said Graine to Lief.


    "Hey! You''ve got to pay for this! This isn''t charity!" swatted the vendor with his long bamboostaff.


    The fox-girl lowered her ears and placed a single fish back into the vendor''s cart, while holding the rest close to her chest.


    "How much Dol do we have?" asked the fox-girl, hiding behind the boys, with fish in hand.


    Graine stared, his face expressionless.


    "Are you gonna pay for that or not, girl!" shouted the angry fish vendor.


    "Well, you are the princess..." answered Lief, "You''ve got lots and lots of Dol."


    "Oh..." paused the girl with a confused expression.


    The fox-girlapproached the fish cart, grabbing the fish that she had placed back in the vendor cart and put in with the others tightly held in her arms, "So I can keep this one?"


    The fox-girl looked at Lief, smiling.


    "I think she wants you to pay," replied Graine, letting out a faint laugh.


    Lief sighed as he handed over a small sack of Dol to the fish vendor. Graine looked over at the other street vendors, slinking away from the two to get some food for himself.


    "That should be twelve Dol, sir." Lief said as the vendor tossed back the empty sack.


    "Thank you, kindly!" smiled the vendor as he began to pull his cart down the busy streets.


    "You owe me!" said Lief, pointing at the fox-girl, "That was my weeks earning of Dol."


    The fox-girl chopped, tugging and pulling at the fish in her mouth, chewing and swallowing large portions at once.


    "It''s so good!" she exclaimed, shaking her tail and doing a little happy dance.


    "You''re suppose to cook it!" shouted Lief, "at least save some for me! It was my money after all!"


    The fox-girl handed Lief a half-eaten salmon, missing most of its meat.


    "You get that one," she pouted, unhappy to share.


    "Just be glad you got any," smiled Graine as he returned with a tray of fresh fish rolls from a nearby street vendor, "And no, these are mine."


    Lief crossed his arms and sat down in the streets. "Well, this isn''t fair!"


    "Welcome to life!" laughed Graine, "Get up, we have to get to the front gates."

 Chapter 10 - Return of the Hunters

    The hunter''s great bell rung loudly from the eldertree watchtowers, alerting the village of the return of the Great King and his band of demon hunters.


    Lief, Graine and the fox-girl weaseled through the thick crowd of flocking Asla''ati to the great bridge, the sacred path to the Sunless Lands where the demons lurked.


    "Vos''hana! The Hunters have returned! Vos''hana! Vos''hana!" loudly announced the Elders, while rattling their demonchimes and banging their hand drums.


    The fox-girl hissed as the sound of the chime rung in her ears, sending her to the floor, shrieking in pain.


    "Vos''hana!" chanted the Elders as they shook their chimes through the crowd.


    "The demonchimes," Graine noted, "It seems to be affecting her like it does the demons that it wards off. We''ve got to silence them. Ask the Elders to stop it, Lief!"


    Lief watched as the fox-girl kicked on the floor, whimpering.


    Graine pulled off his cloak to cover up the fox-girl. Flocking Asla''ati men and women shuffled by them, only briefly looking at the scene.


    "It''s okay," assured Graine to the panicked fox-girl, "You''ll be okay."


    Light illuminated from the fox-girl, first as a bright shining light in her heart and then light pierced through her skins running along her veins. Her hazel eyes flooded with white light, becoming absent of colour as Corrin and Nawa separated into themselves, released from a bright flare of light masked in the cloak surrounding them.


    The two boys watched as the fox-girl was no more, vanishing within mere moments.


    Corrin staggered, falling to the floor.


    "The demonchimes," panted Corrin, "they hurt so much."


    Graine cradled Corrin, holding the girl close.


    "Are you okay?" he asked.


    "My ears feel like they are bleeding." she mumbled.


    "The chimes aren''t loud, Corrin. It''s like dry rice in a hollow wooden staff. I think it only affects the fox form and the magic that was used. It''s meant to ward off demons."


    Nawa stood quietly, glaring at Graine and the Elders in the crowd.


    "Do you think you could fuse back together with Nawa?" questioned Lief.


    "I don''t know how any of it worked," answered Corrin, "it was so sudden."


    "The hunters approach!" shouted the crowd of people gathered at the great bridge all at once.


    "The hunters are returning, Corrin!" Lief added, tapping on her shoulder.


    Corrin''s heart raced. Her grandfather was returning, finally.


    "Are you sure you''re okay?" repeated Graine.


    "I''m fine, just exhausted," replied Corrin as she wiped the sweat from her forehead, "I can''t seem to catch my breath right now."


    Corrin, Lief, Graine and Nawa watched as the lantern staves of the hunters began to peek from out of the thick forest brush between the large towering eldertrees of the far forests.


    "Here they come," clapped Graine with a big smile. "This is always the best part."


    "The King is probably going to be showing off again, eh, Corrin?" grinned Lief.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Do you think your grandfather''s going to be carrying the head of the beast, Corrin?"


    Corrin stood on her tippy-toes to look over Graine''s shoulder as the hunters came into view. Feeling Corrin''s breath on his shoulder, Graine moved Corrin in front of him so that she could get a better view of their approach.


    "I remember last time. Your grandfather, King Koronin, had the head of the Vana''atos over his shoulders, flaunting his victory to all of the Chara Nation," laughed Graine, "The old man is a show boat. That''s for sure. I can''t even begin to imagine how heavy that beast''s head must have been."


    Corrin let out a faint smile. "I do remember," she replied. "He wouldn''t stop telling the stories of the hunt over and over. I was relieved when he left for another hunt just to get some new tales to hear," she beamed, with a closed-mouth smile.


    "Your grandfather is a legendary hunter," grinned Lief, "No man shares his might, or his skills or his mind. All of the Asla''ati in the Chara Nation know of his feats. I don''t know how he does it. He once told me he had slayed a Vana''atos with his bare hands. He pried its jaw in half and split its head open. That''s insane if it is true," said Lief, excited, "The Vana''atos of the Sunless Lands are vicious monsters. Luckily on my demon hunt we only encountered Rangda beasts. Those are pretty easy."


    "Only with his guidance is slaying the Vana''atos made possible." added Graine.


    "For sure. He''s an amazing tracker as well," agreed Lief.


    Lief looked over at Graine, noticing Graine was nervously rubbing his arm.


    "You haven''t been on a hunt, have you?" prodded Lief to Graine, "I guess you need a clan and a family to do so."


    "--Stop it." interrupted Corrin, "Let us be silent as we watch my grandfather return."


    Graine looked over at Lief glaring. Lief smiled back with a big silly grin.


    Bright lights glimmered in the pitch black horizon from the lit oil torches and flickering lantern staves held by the hunters in the far distance. Corrin watched as the hunters approached over the horizon, their lanterns shining through the thick of the surrounding forest.


    The sounds of the hunters rattling and shaking their chimes grew louder as they dawned closer. The shaking of chimes and rattles was told to keep the Vana''atos away, but Corrin wasn''t sure how much of it was just old tradition.


    "The pack looks smaller," murmured a faint voice in the crowd.


    "Look at the size! How many of them have fallen?!" shouted an upset man behind Corrin.


    "Where is the Sozo? There is no leader of the pack," whispered another.


    Corrin''s pounding heart, slowed. Her grandfather had led the pack for many years. She feared the worst.


    The green cloaks of the hunters emerged into view as the chimes and drums grew louder.


    The group of sulking hunters crossed over the great bridge and through the gathered villagers. Corrin watched as each crestfallen hunter made its way through the astonished crowd, passing her by without a glance.


    Her grandfather was nowhere to be seen.


    Each hunter hung its head down low, walking across the great bridge ashamed. Some with bleeding gashes, bandages and torn limbs, others with tears in their eyes.


    "Where is my grandfather?" yelped Corrin aloud as she watched hunter after hunter pass.


    Graine pulled his hand from out of his long sleeved cloth garment that was wrapped around his chest and placed it on the short girl''s shoulder to comfort her.


    "Where''s the Sozo?" Corrin shouted, "Where''s my grandfather?"


    Tears filled Corrin''s eyes, smudging the black Phoenix Dancer makeup framing her blue eyes. Black charcoal paint began to run down her face.


    The hunters kept walking with their heads down, avoiding eye contact with Corrin. Each hunter looked away immediately upon noticing the young girl gazing up at them with tears rolling down her cheeks.


    Tamaio, a veteran hunter and old friend of the King, approached Corrin and Graine, alongside his hunting companions Hammit, and Bonoto.


    Tamaio was a tall, lanky man with a clean shaven face and short pulled-back hair. A tattered bandana covered his left eye, which he lost to the Sonokwa hunt. His hunter''s garb was made of the leather of the Sonokwa and over his shoulder was the skull of the same demon, which served to proudly display his kill and merits as a hunter.


    Hammit was a much larger man than Tamaio. Hammit was muscular with a thick braided beard, wielding an oversized cleaver made of enormous bone, hide and iron.


    Bonoto was a fair-skinned man. It was hard to tell if he was a man or in fact a woman under all of his garb. Two filthy bandanas covered most of his face only revealing gentle brown eyes with long lashes. He rarely talked, but was said to be the nimblest of the hunters.


    "Tamaio! Where''s my grandfather! Why won''t these men look at me!" cried Corrin.


    Tamaio cleared his throat nervously, turning to the other hunters who stared back at him. The two hunters in his company turned away, walking backwards in through the crowd away from Tamaio to avoid the conversation.


    Corrin could tell what they were about to say.


    "Our leader, our King, Great Koronin Nagalia, has been lost to the hunt of the Hamatsa demon," he announced loud enough for the crowd surrounding him to hear.


    "We''ve lost our hunt to the Vana''atos. We bring home nothing but broken bones, and blood, and the loss of great hunters" he sobbed falling to his knees exhausted. "I''m sorry, Corrin. I''m so sorry." sobbed Tamaio.


    Tamaio weeped as the crowd panicked, shouting at the hunters for failing their hunt.


    "Are you sure he''s gone?" questioned Corrin as she took a knee, lowering herself to Tamaio, "My grandfather does not simply fall to demons. He''s still out there. We have to go back out there."


    Tamaio nodded looking up, then continued to hang his head to the floor.


    Corrin knelt on the great bridge, resting her head on the sulking Tamaio.


    "We must gather our able hunters and march back in,'' she spoke in his ear, wiping a tear before it rolled off her cheek, "Our King does not fall to demons. He''s still out there."

 Chapter 11 - Forming a Party

    Tamaio and his company led Corrin, Graine, Nawa and Lief to the bonfire camp of the demon hunters.


    "The navigator from your grandfather''s hunting party will lead you to the Sunless Lands. He knows the way to the Hamatsa''s territory. Right, Letto?" confirmed Tamaio as he pointed to a quiet young man who leaned against a wood shed by himself.


    Letto''s face was scarred from many hunts, with a prominent scar vertically across his left eye. A long tattered red scarf covered his mouth and neck, hanging off his back while hides of several demons made up his hunter''s garb. The young man''s hair was long and dark, masking much of his face, with brown eyes peering from under the messy locks.


    Letto approached, bowing to Corrin, "My Princess," he nodded.


    "Thank you so much for your service," smiled Corrin.


    "I haven''t a choice," he shrugged.


    Tamaio walked up to Corrin, resting his hand on her shoulder.


    "Your brother Maize will be declared a king by the Chief of Ceremony if we do not find Koronin," said Tamaio, "We can all agree that it would be bad for the Asla''ati as a whole if we can''t find our King and your brother begins his reign."


    Hammit and Bonoto passed over four demon chimes to Graine, Lief and Corrin; which were adorned rattles and demon-hide drums.


    "If you encounter the Hamatsa demon, you will need to use these demons chimes to disorient it, so that Letto can attempt to slay it," said Hammit, "He will be the only one of you skilled enough to face the demon."


    The large muscular man patted Letto on the back, with a big grin across his huge rosey face, "May the Sun guide your blade, Letto."Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "You can''t seriously be sending us out there with just Letto," panicked Lief, "Graine has never been on a hunt before and Corrin is a girl."


    Corrin and Graine looked over at Lief, narrowing their eyes.


    "We need more than one band of hunters to find our King!" continued Lief.


    "--Look at us! We are injured and broken," interrupted Tamaio, "We all think Koronin is dead! Letto saw with his own eyes. We don''t have the strength or will to return and discover what is left of him.|


    Tamaio knelt, wiping a black paint across his forehead. A symbol of mourning.


    "Letto is there to navigate for you, but his role is solely to survey. We are not sending you on a hunt, just find the remains of your grandfather and return to us."


    Graine looked at the hunters resting beside the warm bonfire. The hunters were maimed and in bandages, and paying no attention to the bickering group beside them.


    "Will any of you hunters not serve your Princess? Is it not more dishonourable to reject her services than to fail another hunt? Is that what you are all afraid of?" shouted Graine to the men.


    Several men turned their attention to the group, standing up.


    "You have no honour to lose, boy." grunted a hunter, "I remember your upbringing- just a slave boy turned farmer clinging to the weakest of royalty to hide your past. You aren''t Asla''ati. You are not bound to honour! We do not hunt with the honourless. Your kind are a distrustful, band of thieves."


    The angered hunter sat back down, grunting and muttering to the hunters beside him.


    Graine hung his head down low.


    Two demon hunters walked over from their bench near the hunter''s fire and bowed to Corrin.


    "I am Barkon, and this is Che," spoke the hunter, introducing his friend, "We will travel alongside you, if it is what our Princess asks of us."


    Barkon was lean, dark and tall, with shaggy dark hair lined in grey, and a stern pale face. In his hands was a helmet made of hide, leather and the skull of an antlered demon. His armour was crafted of the same materials, topped with a faded cloak that brushed the dirt below his feet.


    Che was a short man, just slightly taller than Corrin. A similar bone helmet covered his face, masking his appearance. A long red scarf hung from loose around his neck, while a short skirt of red cloth hung tied to his belt at this waist.


    True to all demon hunters, both men carried an Aurana over their shoulders, with a shorter sword sheathed at their waists called an Ajora.


    "Thank you all," bowed Corrin, "We will leave for the Sunless Lands in the morning."

 Chapter 12 - The Far, Far Forest

    Corrin waited at the great bridge for her hunting party.


    Sheran her fingers along the newly beaded braids in her long ashen hair. Her hair was loose and partially braided, and tied atop her head, adorned with colorful beads. She wore her ceremonial Phoenix Dancer makeup to bless her journey into the far, far forests.


    Her blue eyes were framed in thick black frames of charcoal with a red circle painted on her forehead and a line down the center of her lips.


    Corrin dressed in royal huntress garb. The garbwas a form-fitting leather outfit tailored to fit Corrin. It was originally crafted for her mother, who never got a chance to wear it and re-stitched for her daughter.


    Nawa rested on a cedar beam while Corrin sat in silence thinking about her grandfather.


    "He''s still out there, Nawa," she said talking to her fox-like companion, "I can feel it."


    Nawa yipped a low sulking voice as she hung her ears down. Nawa didn''t agree.


    Corrin held a long red bandana in her hands, tying it around her head.


    "We will find him."


    A heavy vibration rung from Corrin''s chest, shaking her through her body, causing her to squirm and tingle.


    Corrin reached for her Bluestone Pendant around her neck and held it tightly with her magic-imbued left hand.


    A vivid blue light beamed from out of the small blue bead pendant and onto the bridge in front of her.


    The blue beam of light was like a glowing wisp. The wisp danced around Corrin before floating away, leaving a path of light where it touched that remained after it was gone.


    ''Was the wisp trying to lead meon the proper path to find mygrandfather?'' thought Corrin, mesmerized by its beauty.


    The wisp of light travelled on, moving away from Corrin, and creating a trail of illuminating blue light for her to follow.


    An illuminating pillar of blue light pierced down from the sky pinpointing a location in the dark forests of the Sunless Lands. The sky pillar seemed to be at the end of the newly lit trail of light leading into the dark forest.


    Nawa looked up at Corrin, yipping frantically.


    "You think this path takes me towhat I desire most, Nawa?"


    Nawa jumped up, climbing on Corrin, talking in her ear.


    "Well, maybe it will lead me to my grandfather," said Corrin.


    Recalling the words told to her by Vanon-Atem in the Phoenix Dream, Corrin checked her pocket for theold orange stone left to her by her mother.


    Pullingthe orange vision stone from out of her pocket, Corrin peered at it curiously. Inside the clear orange outer layer of the stone was a small black octahedron in the center.


    "It''s a shame this stone doesn''tdo anything. It was suppose to show me something. The Phoenix told me so when he was giving me my pendant."


    Graine, Lief, Letto, Barkon and Che emerged from the settlement path with four new hunters following close behind.


    The hunters carried traditional lantern staves, torches and demon chimes.


    "Look at you," smiled Graine to Corrin, "You''re all dressed up."


    "I thought I''d dress appropriately for the hunt."


    Lief and Graine stood next to each other admiring Corrin''s huntress outfit.


    "You look like a royal princess imitating a demon huntress," joked Graine.


    Corrin narrowed her eyes at Graine playfully.


    "You look great, Corrin," complemented Lief, "just ignore Graine."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "I really like the leather look on you," smiled Lief with a big grin ear to ear, "it''s kinda sexy!"


    Corrin blushed, looking away.


    "Uh, thanks" replied Corrin, "I didn''t think anyone would notice."


    "Oh, come on. You knew we''d notice," said Lief, letting out a chuckle, "It looks good."


    "Ease up, Lief. Save some of thatterribleflirting for later," joked Graine, seemingly jealous.


    Letto walked by Corrin, Lief and Graine, not saying a word as he unbuckled the sheath straps around his waist and shoulders and placed his swords on the bench on the opposite side of the great bridge.


    ''Lief acts so funny sometimes,'' thought Corrin to herself as she rested her hand on her neck, ''Letto seems like the opposite of Lief,so quiet and mysterious.''


    Nawa looked at Corrin and yipped.


    "I''ll ask them." nodded Corrin, as she listened to her fox friend.


    "Do you not see the glowing path in front of us, Graine?" asked Corrin looking at Nawa.


    "What glowing path?" shrugged Lief, answering for Graine.


    "You didn''t have any tether-root tea, did you?" asked Lief.


    "No, no. Nevermind." said Corrin.


    ''Can only I see this glowing waypoint?'' wondered Corrin to herself.


    Corrin leaned over and touched the blue glowing trail of light. It felt and looked like fresh powdery snowbut looked so vivid and bright like a blue flame.


    ''This is so strange,'' thought Corrin, ''so much magic insuch a simple necklace.''


    Barkon and Che bowed before Corrin, "My Princess, we are here to serve."


    "While at the hunter''s camp we talked of this journey. Our friends, Ninn and Breid, have agreed to join in our hunt. Bonoto and Chief Bagala have come as well." said Barkon.


    "Thank you, honourable hunters," bowed Corrin.


    Bonoto bowed to Corrin, before sitting with Barkon and the other hunters.


    "It is an honour to serve you, Corrin," nodded Chief Bagala, an Elder Asla''ati man, who stumbled as he tried to bow.


    "No need to bow, Chief Bagala," smiled Corrin, "Your service honours me enough!"


    The hunting party checked to make sure they all had the appropriate amount of supplies for the journey into the Sunless Lands.


    Chief Bagala sat with the hunters singing an old tune while rattling his demon chime. His voice was gruff and raspy as if he had lost his voice many years ago and it failed to return.


    Letto cleaned his three swords with a rag one last time before the hunt, sharpening them when needed with a small whetstone. He seemed content sitting alone, quietly on the sidelines. Corrin curiously watched as he worked his blades.


    Corrin pulled a small cloth pouch from her bra and checked to make sure she still had the dust and herbs from the old alchemy journal. She wasn''t sure how the transformation worked, but she had the basic idea of it. She felt that the dust and herbs served as the ingredients for the magical recipe, while it also needed the command phrase to activate.


    The fusion of Narrin proved to be the far superior fighter to Corrin. In this form she was quick and nimble, with deadly accuracy with her Aurana blade. Narrinwould be her best bet in surviving a fightagainst the demons of the far forest.


    "Shall we go?" announced Che to the gathered party, as he walked first across the great bridge.


    Corrin''s heart raced and a tingle moved down her spine. She had never crossed into the Sunless Lands and set foot under the creeping dark sky before.


    "Yes," she nodded, slowly moving forward.


    Graine approached behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder, "It''ll be okay."


    The hunting party made their way through the thick of the far forest. Letto in front, with Barkon and Che not far behind. Corrin cautiously followed alongside Graine, stopping every so often to look at the wildlife and vegetation.


    Chief Bagala taught Corrin and Graine the names of each creature and special plant along the way. He hadn''t seen ademon hunt in years and enjoyed teaching fresh huntersof the way of the forest.


    The path of enchanting blue light still shined for Corrin, illuminating a winding trail through the tall trees for her.


    Lief nervously followed, turning at each slight sound in the woods.


    Letto leaned over and grabbed a handful of soil from the forest floor.


    "We approach Oronin territory," he announced with his hand up.


    "Be wary and agile, my friends," said Barkon, "Oronin do not treat Asla''ati kindly."


    Corrin stepped behind Graine, and peered into the brush looking for eyes watching back.


    "Are you scared?" asked Graine.


    "No," she replied.


    Corrin lied through her teeth. Shewas shaking and trembling. The far forest had an eery feeling to it. Not only was it dark and full of creatures and demons, but no sun shined on their backs.


    Asla''ati revered the sun. It provided them strength and nutrients. In the legends it was told that whatever the sun touched with its warm embrace was the Asla''ati rightful inheritance and while the sun shined on the Asla''ati they were immortal.


    Letto led on, coming up to the location of the hunt of the Hamatsa demon.


    "It is not far now," announced Letto as he pressed his hand against a large tree, which had damaged bark and sap pouring down the trunk, "The hunt took place on these grounds."


    The sound of a hissing cat screeched alone in the quiet forest, followed by the sounds of several other cats hissing from behind the party.


    "The Oronin!" shouted Barkon as he drew his Aurana, "They have our scent!"


    Barkon, Che and Letto turned around with swords in hand, ready to protect Corrin.


    Falling to his knees beside Corrin, Chief Bagala held onto the small girl bleeding from his neck. A blade had run through the Elder''s throat.


    The party stood still, surveying the area- looking for the Oronin assailant. A cloaked figure ducked behind a thick cedar tree, avoiding the sight of the Asla''ati hunters.


    Chief Bagala fell to the floor while Corrin shrieked loudly, covered in the Chief''s blood.


    "What do we do?!" shouted Corrin, "How do I help him?"


    "You can do nothing," assured Barkon, "He has already succumbed to his wounds, child."

 Chapter 13 - Moongrass Glade

    Travelling for a day and a half, the party stopped at a clearing in the far forest.


    Corrin looked up to the bright moon above her. It followed her through the trees and brush, always watching. Holding her hand upit felt as if she could puck the moon from out of the night sky. Making a fist, shecovered the apple-sized moon from out of her sight. The moon was much larger than she had realized, or perhaps in the dark woods it was more visible and clearer.


    Beneath her feet the Bluestone Pendant''s trail of light still led on through the endless woods. The massive pillar of light at the end of the trail still stood tall in the distance, reminding Corrin of how far they still had left to travel.


    "We should set up camp here." said Letto to Barkon, requesting a break.


    Barkon sighed and lowered the bag of supplies hanging over his shoulder.


    "Chief Bagala. How do you feel about resting here for the night?" said Barkon to his elder.


    "Barkon, you are the Sozo- the leader of thishunting party. The decision is up to you." said Bagala.


    "You have hunted many more years than I have. Let us follow in your footsteps." said Barkon.


    Chief Bagala placed his tall wooden staff in the soft soil of the glade, propping up his lantern to shine over the forest clearing providing light for the hunters to set up camp in.


    "It will do just fine." said the Chief with a big toothless grin.


    Corrin rested her aching feet as she sat cross legged on the soft brown soil in the glade. Her feet were sore from the long journey through the forest, worn from stepping on thick roots, stones, and logs over long hours without rest.


    "This glade should make for a great camp." said Barkon.


    Barkon and Che began to pile up large stones into a circle.


    "We will make the firepit here. It is far enough from the grass." said the Chief.


    Che and Barkon looked at each other. They already knew where to build the fire, but it made the Chief feel good to be of service after so many years retired from hunts.


    "Yes, Chief. Good idea." said Barkon, bowing his head to Bagala.


    Letto climbed up into a nearby tree and laid alone, nestled into the thick bed of branches. He began to play a song on his homemade bamboo flute. As a navigator he was free from the burdens of setting up camp and free to do as he pleased for the time. Nothing relaxed him more than the soothing sounds of his instrument.


    The lulling notes of Letto''s music brought chills to Corrin. A tingling sensation crawled along her body as the notes made their way to her ears. The song was gentle and beautiful. It made the forest glade feel like a dream. She couldn''t help but shed a joyous tear.


    The hunters stopped for a moment to listen to his song, distracted from their duties.


    Breid closed his eyes and kneeled in the soil, relaxing in harmony.


    Bonoto and Ninn continued on with their duties, gathering herbs and tinder.


    Corrin and the hunters clapped loudly as his first song ended.


    "That was great!" said Graine, clapping loudly.


    "Please. Don''t let my music distract you from your camp duties. We are will go hungry without that fire," said Letto as he took his lips off of the flute.


    The hunters shook their heads and laughed aloud.


    "Let''s get this fire going already!" said Barkon.


    Breid and Graine ventured through the surrounding field of grass towards a nearby thicket of trees, gathering kindling and wood for the fire. Breid''s lantern staff shined in the dark, scaring small critters and deer from out of the tall green grasses.


    After returning lumber and kindling, Ninnand Bonotobegan to start the fire.


    Bonoto placed bunches of dry grass in the center of a tent of small dry sticks while Ninnstruck a small flintstone against his Aurana blade, releasing sparks atthe tinder- which caught into flames.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The hunters rested at the bonfire. They sang songs, cooked foods and played old Asla''ati games like matching symbols on flat stones. The large fire was covered with searing meats and hotiron pots and pans. The pots were full of rice, and stews, and one with boiling water for tea. The pans fried bread and baked goods for desert. Corrin smelled the meats and watched as they cooked in the fire, mouth watering.


    Chief Bagala sat beside the fire, cooking the meals for his crew with Ninn''s help.


    Impatient, Corrin filled her empty wooden bowl with rice and dumplings. Without sparing a moment, she began chowing down beside the fire, and only stopping briefly to reach in to refill her empty bowl or to grab some fried bread and cooked meat.


    "Everyone dig in!" said Ninn as he filled his wooden bowl with stew.


    Bonoto and Breid wrestled for first in line as Barkon jumped ahead of them, grabbing a huge slab of cooked meat. A big hardy laugh followed as Barkon watched Breid''s face drop- that was the slab of meat he had his eye on.


    Graine and Lief watched, with their jaws on the floor, as Corrin shoveledrice into her mouth while tearing into meat and swallowing it all down at once.


    "It''s so good!" said Corrin, smiling at Chief Bagala.


    "Thank you, my Princess. I''m glad you like my old-fashioned cooking." said Chief Bagala


    "We should really consider naming you Chef Bagala!" said Corrin, talking with her mouth full of food.


    "She sure can eat." said Graine to Lief.


    "Yeah, but where does she put it all?!" said Lief, "She''s as skinny asa toothpick."


    The hunters rested quietly after dinner, exhausted from the journey. Letto still played his flute in the background as Graine played Asla''ati sports against Ninn, Bonoto and Breid. Chief Bagala took an early nap, while Barkonand Che discussed the hunting plans drawing lines in the sands and banterings to each other.


    Lief poked his head from out of the swaying moongrass, sneaking behind Corrin. Slowly moving closer and closer to Corrin, Lief hoped to surprise her and catch her off guard.


    The creaking sounds of small twigs snapping under Lief''s feet alerted Corrin''s finely tuned ears, causing her to turn with a smile.


    "Are you trying to scare me?" said Corrin.


    Lief shook his head back and forth.


    Corrin narrowed her eyes at him.


    "Okay, I might''ve been." said Lief admitting defeat.


    "You know, I''m not easily scared!" said Corrin.


    Lief smiled as he ducked back into the moongrass, disappearing into the dark green field.


    Corrin stood up, and jumped into the grass, dipping into the sea of green.


    The tall moongrass made for an excellent bed when pressed down. It was soft to the touch like silk but cushiony like a sack stuffed with wool and cotton when flattened.


    Corrin laid in the bed of grass staring at the bright stars in the sky beside Lief.


    "The stars are wonderful." said Corrin, watching as stars shot across the skies in vivid colours.


    Lief looked at Corrin and looked back up to the stars, "They are, aren''t they."


    Corrin closed her eyes, falling asleep in the bed of grass to the sounds of Letto''s flute.


    In the morning Corrin sat beside the smoldering coals of the fire waiting for the sun to rise, but it never came. She watched as the large moon dipped beneath the horizon, taking its moonlight with it and disappearing from her sight. Turning around, Corrin waited hoping to see thesunrise on the other side, but it wouldn''t show. With the moon gone, it had become even darker than before.


    The Sunless Lands were true to their name. There would be no sun in these lands. It didn''t matter how far they travelled. Lanterns and torches would be the hunters only source of light.


    "We aren''t too far from our destination." said Letto as he emerged from the tall moongrass with his lantern staff in hand.


    Corrin turned in Letto''s direction and quickly shook Barkon awake, who slept near the fire on the soft soil. She thought she was the only one awake this early in the morning, but had forgotten to check if Letto was in his tree.


    "I scouted the region this morning. We aren''t far at all." repeated Letto as he tossed fresh demon meat into the smouldering firepit.


    "Where''d you get that meat?" asked Corrin.


    "Hunted it." replied Letto as he handed Corrin his bow.


    "Have you never used a bow?" asked Letto.


    "No." replied Corrin as she looked it up and down.


    "One day you''ll need to learn to hunt for your own meat." said Letto as he pierced the meat with a stick and rested it in the hot coals of the fire.


    The Asla''ati hunters continued on into the far, far forest.


    Leaning down, Letto pulled up a handful of soil from the forest floor. The soft brown dirt sprinkled to the floor between his fingers.


    "This is the end of safe passage." said Letto, "We approach Oronin territory."


    "Be wary and agile, my friends," said Barkon, "Oronin do not treat Asla''ati kindly."


    Corrin stepped behind Graine, and peered into the brush looking for eyes watching back.


    "Are you scared?" asked Graine.


    "No," she replied.


    Corrin lied through her teeth. She was shaking and trembling. The far forest had an eery feeling to it. Not only was it dark and full of creatures and demons, but no sun shined on their backs.


    Asla''ati revered the sun. It provided them strength and nutrients. In the legends it was told that whatever the sun touched with its warm embrace was the Asla''ati rightful inheritance and while the sun shined on the Asla''ati they were immortal.


    Letto continued to lead the hunter''s forward, climbing up rocky hills and across rivers, thick logs and bent-over trees. The hunter''s travelled on, only stopping to relight their lanterns and oil their torches.


    The grounds of the Hamatsa demon were nearing. He recalled the markings left on the trunks of the trees and recognized the faint footprints of the hunters from before.


    "It is not far now," announced Letto as he pressed his hand against a large tree, which had damaged bark and sap pouring down the trunk, "The hunt took place on these grounds. This slash on the trunk was left by the demon."


    The sound of a hissing cat screeched alone in the quiet forest, followed by the sounds of several other cats hissing from behind the party.

 Authors Notes - 1

    Hey there. I''m Fox, the Author of Phoenix Dancer.


    After some thought I''ve decided to move the Kitlana battle in Ch 13 a bit further down in the story. (Probably next chapter, or two chapters away) Instead I''ve replaced the old Chapter 13 with a new one called Moongrass Glade. I felt like making this post because many potential followers may not notice that an entirely new chapter has appeared in that spot.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Go back a chapter and give it a read if you like :)


    The idea for Moonglass Glade was to create more of a journeying feel, an adventure, and the highlights of it allows us to see some character development. Like Corrin and Lief in the grass, it shows a lot about their characters.


    Anyone who''s read the Kitlana battle before it was taken down has some insight of the future now :o Better warn Corrin!


    Thank you everyone for reading!

 Chapter 14 - Sunless Lands of Vana

    The hunters travelled further into the Sunless Lands. At each rest, Corrin began to notice changes in the forest. The green leaves of trees, lush grass, and clear water of the forest she knew began to fade. The straight sturdy oaks of old began to twist and turn the further they travelled into the abyss. The forest had become more similar to a cramped cave than a forest. It was dark, quiet, and the soil was moist. The dirt smelled rancid and foul the further she travelled from home.


    Corrin struggled to see any further than a few feet from her lantern''s light.


    The Sunless Lands of Vana were full of rot and ruin, but what Corrin found surprising was that they were not absent of colour. The leaves of the twisting white trees glowed vibrant shades of red in the dark. The sap inside the trees even shined visibly from the outside. Radiant ferns and fungi pulsated white, attracting hoards of moths and bugs around them.


    The glowing ferns smelled of honey, but were prickly to the touch.


    "We find our most special herbs and spices here in Vana." said Chief Bagala as knelt over to Corrin''s side, watching as she curiously analyzed the glowing ferns and abnormal plants.


    "Is this where tether root is from?" said Corrin, looking up at him curiously.


    "Hu- how do you know what that is? You haven''t tried any of that, have you?" said Bagala.


    "No." said Corrin, shaking her head, "Why?"


    "Oh, good. That is nice to hear. It''s not beneficial for the young and nimble."


    Chief Bagala slit the leaf of the fern and lathered his hands in the liquid pouring out.


    "This plant is called Honeyleaf. It can heal wounds and afflictions when applied."


    Corrin filled her hands with the Honeyleaf ointment and rubbed her sore feet with it.


    "It tingles," said Corrin, "I don''t know if I really like it."


    "When it hurts you know, it''s a sign that it''s working- that it''s healing."


    Chief Bagala knelt over and placed a hide satchel on Corrin''s lap.


    "I''ve been saving this for you, child. I wanted to give you it when we made it to Vana."


    "You have? What is it?"


    "I carved it for you by hand- your very own God Mask."


    Grabbing the bag, Corrin reached in and carefully pulled out the cedar mask from the satchel.


    Chief Bagala smiled, showing a big toothless grin. He watched as Corrin''s facial expressions turned from a curious expression to mouth gaping wide. Her eye''s widened and shined, twinkling.


    The cedar mask was carved in the likeness of a fox, painted in red, black and white.


    "Athame the Fox-God. A mask for the lost and the curious." said Bagala with a chuckle.


    "This is for me? Seriously?! I love it!" said Corrin as she jumped up and down.


    Corrin held the carved mask up to her head and peered through the eye holes.


    "Thank you!" said Corrin, "But, who... is Athame though? I''m not sure I''ve heard of it."


    Chief Bagala cleared his throat and leaned in closer.


    "Athame was a fox goddess." said Bagala, "Her colours are black, white and red like the colours painted on this mask. At the sides is white wolf hide veil, stitched with cedar straps."


    "Athame was a goddess with many tails. Each of her tails represented one of the many different lives that she lived. I felt she was the goddess that matched your spirit best. She was very curious of the world around her like you are. Her curiosity often led her through many different realms and dimensions in our legends."


    "Realms and dimensions? So she travelled to different realms like Ama the Spirit Tamer?" asked Corrin.


    "--Yes, just like Ama. But, the Spirit Tamer never ventured far from home. Athame the Fox-Goddess travelled further than any other. She was always exploring and she spoke many different languages and knew many different people because of it."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "It sounds like Athame was always seeking adventure." said Corrin


    "Yes, she was." said Bagala nodding his head.


    "She wanted to find something new, something exciting when things became dull. That''s what I would have done if I was her and knew how to adventure."


    "She wasn''t scared of leaving her comfort zone." said Bagala


    "And she had a love for other languages and other cultures like me?" asked Corrin.


    "Exactly. You already have taken to learn new languages and I think it''s only a matter of time before you meet new worlds and new people as well." said Bagala.


    "She does sound a lot like me." said Corrin as she placed the mask over her face.


    "I like to think Athame''s spirit is within you, that even now she guides you."


    "Why do you say that?" asked Corrin.


    "We live in a world where Divine Gods and Immortal Beasts roam freely. I like to think that when one of them falls and disappears another must take its place, or fill its shoes."


    Corrin sat quietly and listened to the Elder.


    "That maybe the Divine Souls and Ancient Spirits of Past Gods must find new bodies to dwell in. Perhaps they are simply born again into our world, or perhaps they bind with an already existing soul-- I do not know." said Bagala.


    "I''m nearing the end of my days, that is something I do know. I wish nothing more than to aid our people one final time."


    "Don''t say that. You''ve got many more years to live. The Asla''ati can live for a dozen centuries if the Sun allows it." said Corrin, comforting the Elder.


    "When I prayed to the Sun and the Gods of Light for answers, they pointed me in your direction. I sat alone at the Shrine of Gods, listening and waiting. They said find our lost King and aid his granddaughter for she will be a Queen. I asked-- I said, which God speaks to me now? And one of them answered." said Bagala


    Corrin looked at the Elder with a confused look.


    "You spoke to the Gods at the Shrine? Those Old Idols and Statues?" asked Corrin.


    "A single Idol moved. The Idol of Athame. It was Athame who spoke to me, and she guided me to you. I want you to let Athame guide you now, on your path, wherever it takes you."


    Corrin looked down at the beautiful cedar mask in her hands.


    "Thank you for this mask. I can tell you''ve put a lot of time and care intoit." said Corrin.


    "I had a dream once that I was Fox Spirit. A sort of magic turned me into one. Do you think that could be possible?" asked Corrin.


    "Dreams are often bizarre and filled with magic, my Princess." said Bagala.


    "But, what if it wasn''t a dream? Have you heard of magic capable ofthat?"


    "In the old times, perhaps it was possible. These days the Asla''ati of the Chara Nation focus solely on hunting. We have lost a good deal of our ancestor''s knowledge. If it wasn''t for the forging of Aurana blades we would have lost our way of the old languageall together."


    Corrin handed her bandana to Bagala. Together they strung the cloth bandana through the two holes on the side of the mask and secured it on top of her head, which covered just over her forehead.


    "How does that look?" said Corrin with a grin.


    Bagala chuckled, "Oh ho ho ho. It is marvelous."


    Travelling ahead of the Asla''ati hunters, Letto navigated through the black forest.


    Letto pressed his face down to the floor, staring at a track in the mud.


    "What is it?" asked Ninn as he jogged over- catching up to Letto.


    "A track left from the Vana''atos." said Letto.


    "A demon? What kind?" asked Ninn.


    Ninn flashed his lantern on the track in the mud.


    "Yaga demon!" shouted Letto, alerting the Asla''ati hunters behind them.


    Chief Bagala shot up, trembling as the name of the demon made its way to his ears.


    "Yaga demon?" asked Corrin looking to Bagala, "Which one is that?"


    Graine gestured with his hands for Corrin to come closer tohim and the hunters.


    Corrin and Chief Bagala hurried back over.


    Breid jogged over to Ninn and Letto and looked down in the muddy tracks.


    "These are the tracks of a Yaga or a Lugarou, but definitely a demon." said Breid as he examined the thick bear-like footprints in the forest mud.


    "It is a Yaga, trust me." said Letto.


    "It could easily be a Lugarou." argued Breid.


    Letto approached Breid and pointed to the large scar running across his eye.


    "See this scar? It was from a Yaga," said Letto, "I think I know the markings of that demon pretty well by now."


    "I know. I was in that hunting party and I seen you get that scar. I still think it''s a Lugarou." insisted Breid.


    "A Lugarou? Are you serious? There''s three large fingers and a thumb in that mud. That makes it a Yaga, not a Lugarou." said Letto, pushing Breid a step back.


    Breid and Letto argued as Corrin turned her attention to the forest around her. The trees were covered in vines and thick spider webs. Peering orange eyes of small beasts stared back at her from behind veils of thick forest brush and darkness.


    "You know who didn''t get a scar that day? I didn''t. If you hunted better you wouldn''t have gotten hit." said Breid.


    "If you''ve seen me hunt you wouldn''t say tha--" said Letto.


    "--Stop the bickering. We will retreat further down the mountain. We should be safer near the coast." said Barkon, interrupting the arguing hunters.


    Letto and Breid looked at each other, shaking their heads.


    "Yes, Sozo." said the two hunters as they briefly bowed their heads to Barkon.


    Corrin watched as the hunters began their way down the bank. The guiding path of light made by her Bluestone Pendant led her up the bank, in the opposite direction.


    "I hope this detour doesn''t lead us too far from my path," said Corrin to Nawa.


    Nawa, who rested on Corrin''s shoulders, was wrapped around her neck like a scarf. She purred and nudged her head towards the hunters while scratching at her ears with her paw.


    "You think it will be fine, Nawa?"


    Nawa yipped and nodded her head.


    "I have a bad feeling about this." said Corrin as she hustled over to the hunters.