Phthonus' hands glowed with a burning ember. His warm orange eyes pierced the beastly kitsune's soul. Hatred weighed heavily on his mind. He shoved Drimi outside the burning circle and screamed at her.
"Get Aletha out of here!"
His heart thundered with raw aggression, yet beneath the fury, a desperate wish for everyone's safety pulsed stronger than ever.
But silence answered him, thick and unyielding.
The kitsune's world swam in a haze. Phthonus stared in disbelief. Aletha, her blade aglow, danced in a dangerous orbit around the beast.
Aletha moved so swiftly that glowing streaks lingered in her wake, scattering dust like startled fireflies.
Wind whipped and embers spun wild as the kitsune scanned her surroundings, muttering darkly under her breath.
"No… You are an absolute fool."
The kitsune crept across the scorched earth as Aletha lifted her gaze. Fury contorted her features. In a heartbeat, she sprang skyward, sword arcing down with a force that defied belief.
Aletha's blade nearly pierced the kitsune, but as it touched the beast's fur, a massive explosion ripped through the air.
The shockwave flung Aletha skyward. She slammed to earth. Her blade spun from her grasp. The kitsune lunged. Phthonus's cry tore through the chaos.
"NO!"
Phthonus knew Aletha stood no chance against the kitsune's cunning strikes. No girl deserved to be shredded by such a monster. No woman should meet her end this way.
Phthonus tore his scarf from his face. He saw Aletha, almost smothered in burns and ash.
"She can't do it!"
Phthonus stared into Drimi's purple eyes, hoping she understood. Drimi crossed her arms and replied.
"Fine."
Phthonus' eyes widened when he saw Aletha lying on the floor, wounded, right in front of the kitsune.
"ALETHA!"
As the beast's claws neared, Phthonus darted to Aletha and shoved her away. She tumbled down the hill. Branches snapped. Tree trunks thudded against her side. Twigs broke with each roll.
Aletha crashed, stopping just short of the cliff's hungry edge. Her heart pounded like a war drum as she gulped for air through the suffocating smoke. Phthonus caught sight of her, clinging desperately to life.
As he leaped up and kicked the massive kitsune away from him, he muttered in his mind.
(I have to save her. Even though we just met, I believe she and her brother are The Ones that many have mentioned.)
Phthonus charged through flames, tossing aside twigs, leaves, and rocks. His eyes burned orange as Aletha's fingers began to slip.
"AH!"
One finger slipped, then another. Poisonous smoke clawed at her lungs, blurring her senses. Through the haze, she glimpsed Phthonus as the beast's shadow loomed and howled.
"All of you are ignorant beings! AWOO!"
Aletha's grip faltered, her remaining fingers sliding one by one as pebbles rained into the abyss below.
(No. I don't want to meet my end. I don't understand." Her final thoughts drifted like falling leaves. This, she believed, was the end.
. . .
As her eyelids fluttered shut, surrendering to the void, Aletha felt herself caught above a sea of green. In a rush, strong arms yanked her to safety and tumbled behind a sturdy tree. A blurred figure knelt beside her, tenderly sweeping ash from her eyes.
"P-Phthonus?"
Gray ash streaked Phthonus' face. He wiped his eyes clear, quickly glanced at the beast through the smoke, then wrapped Aletha's mouth with his dark scarf and whispered.
"This will stop you from inhaling the fumes. Though I never thought I would ever let someone use my ordained scarf, I believe that you, Aletha, are more important than anyone else."
Aletha's face slowly flushed pink. Phthonus' eyes broadened.
"N-No, I don't mean it like that. You're charming, but that's not what I meant. I realized you two were rulers. I saw ancient statues of you and Asahi across Zomrack. You must be powerful, right?"
Aletha fell silent and stared at Phthonus' eyes.
(He won't understand, but I must tell Phthonus anyway.)
"P-Phthonus, I… I… don't have any powers. Nor does my brother."
Phthonus froze still.
"H-Huh? What? You're a ruler. You can't just say that."
"No, you don't understand. All my powers were drained away--
A tree collapsed near them, tossing the fumes toward their faces. Phthonus shook his head to clear his thoughts and regain focus.
(She can't be powerless. There are gods in this world with powers. How does she not have any of her abilities?)
He exhaled, pulled Aletha up, and yelled.
"Are you saying that you don't have your powers anymore?"
Aletha stared down at the ground.
"Y-Yeah…"
Phthonus sighed, turned toward the beast, then grabbed Aletha and pushed her as far as he could. A massive tree crashed between them.
"Get out of here now! Drimi will escort you!"
Aletha shook her head in disbelief. She'd never wanted to leave anyone behind, but now she had no choice. Drimi pulled her arm to leave. Aletha raised her voice and tried to resist.
"B-But Phthonus, what are you going to do?! Why are you leaving yourself behind?"
Drimi interrupted.
"He'll be fine!"
Drimi masked herself and dragged Aletha away from the hill.
Phthonus's long, dark hair whipped in the wind as he shot Aletha a grin, bold and reassuring.
"I have a connection to the kitsune. You'll understand after this is over. Now go!"
Aletha nodded and followed Drimi through the tunnel of trees. As she was about to leave Phthonus's sight, she tossed his scarf to him. He picked it up and sneered. She flashed him a bright smile and a thumbs-up.
"I don't need the scarf anymore! You need it more!"
As the kitsune slowly approached Phthonus, he sighed, chuckled, and smiled at Aletha. Seeing her flee the smoke with Drimi, Phthonus thought.
(You ARE someone special.)
. . .
The kitsune stalked closer as blinding black smoke swallowed the land. Phthonus dashed down the hill, spotting a gleaming silver blade on the ground. He hesitated, but the kitsune's howls spurred him on.
He then darted toward the weapon and firmly grasped Aletha's waker's blade with his left hand. He lifted it up into the air and saw it gleam from the bright luminance of the flames. The silhouette of the kitsune launched into the air and pierced through the smoke. As its two claws reached for Phthonus, he hastily backflipped away from the beast and threw the blade as if it were a spear.
The blade tore through the kitsune's fur, scattering tufts into the smoky air.
"Grrr! Why are you here? You dare to challenge me?!"
Phthonus remained silent, then pivoted his hand toward the sword pinned on the kitsune's back. He swiftly pulled it upward and jumped away from it.
The kitsune growled and gritted her teeth. Her brown fur stood straight, her tail lowered, and the hue in her eyes turned orange.
"You're a fool. Stop embracing your failure."
The massive kitsune raised her head and unleashed a torrent of fireballs from the glowing orange orb above her jaws, raining down like blazing meteors. Phthonus darted side to side, narrowly dodging each fiery missile as they burst on the ground like popping bubbles.
Each missed Phthonus by a few meters. As the rain of fire stopped, he chuckled and hollered out to the kitsune.
"It's been years!"
As the kitsune charged at him, Phthonus pulled a sizeable brown book from his right pocket, flipped it to an empty page, then tore one off from the book. The page then glowed in bright orange.
"I haven't used this book for a while. From my family of Zomrack, I will unleash hell upon you!"
As the page melted into his skin, Phthonus soared eighty meters into the sky. The flames vanished, replaced by a tranquil patch of emerald trees below.
(It's an illusion. The flames don't appear when you're far from the kitsune.)
He heard the birds chirping nearby and felt the cool breeze run up his skin due to the altitude. As he descended to the kitsune, his vision flashed white, and a sweet, feminine voice spoke to him within his mind.
"Look at the sand, honey!"
Phthonus recognized that voice. As time seemed to stall down for him, Phthonus whispered.
"Chanda?"
. . .
Peering into the memory, Phthonus reeled in shock. The wind swept across a parched, sandy expanse where colossal canyons carved through blazing hills. Scattered across the land, half-buried structures jutted from the earth—some towering, others no bigger than humble huts.
Oases sparkled like rare jewels in the sandy wasteland. Where they emerged, lush green unfurled beneath towering trees, plants thriving in the cool shade—a sanctuary wrested from the grip of desolation.
Young Phthonus exhaled deeply and slipped his toes into the lake's crystal waters. The chorus of birds above, the hum of insects, and the gentle sway of trees lulled him toward sleep.
While he pricked a tropical leaf off a tree, Phthonus heard a door shut from behind. He turned his head and saw a beautiful woman with long dark hair, tan skin, and golden eyes sprinting toward him. She didn't look too happy.
"Honey, why are you dipping your toes in the lake? That's our water source!"
Phthonus' eyes widened in shock. He knew that this would be a bad idea, yet he did it anyway.
(Oh no.)
As he heard the loud thumps of the woman's sound from behind, Phthonus swiftly pulled his feet away from the water and jumped up. As she sneered at him, Phthonus scratched his head and mumbled.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Chanda."
While her palm was close to his cheek, she suddenly stopped and giggled. She shook her head and sighed, resisting the urge to slap him. She patted his back and wrapped her arms around him. Then pushed him to the water and cheerfully hollered.
"Phthonus, you're always so naive, haha! Don't be scared, sweetie; your ignorance is what I love about you, after all. If it wasn't for you, I would've never escaped the Queen's side."
Phthonus nodded his head and stared at Chanda's gleaming yellow eyes. While getting trance from her pretty irises, Phthonus returned to reality and responded.
"Yeah. Maybe being naive was good. Now I wish I were trapped on the Queen's side. The King's side is just sand from every horizon. Not to mention, the heat is unbearable."
"Stop whining! I love the heat here!"
"You can't be serious!? Really?"
Chanda covered her mouth and then smiled at him.
A gentle hush fell as they gazed at each other, wind weaving through their hair and tropical sounds whispering around them. Phthonus's hair, shorter and brighter than, framed a face as striking as Chanda's.
As their faces warmed up, both of them awkwardly turned their heads away from each other and broke the silence.
"Never mind about that. Guess what day it is?"
Phthonus replied with a confused tone.
"A Thursday…?"
Chanda shook her head.
"WHAT?! NO! Today is our thirteenth anniversary! I can't believe you forgot about it… again!"
She giggled again and sighed. She pushed her dark hair from her face and then kissed Phthonus on the cheek.
"It's fine; this isn't TOO out of your character. Since it's been a while, how about I give you a cool anniversary gift?"
Phthonus raised his eyebrow.
"A gift? I thought I was the one who was giving the gifts?"
Chanda suspiciously squinted at Phthonus. She knew that Phthonus was sarcastic.
"You forgot about it, haha! Let me be the one to give you the gifts!"
Phthonus mumbled.
"Okay…"
From there, she pulled out a slim brown book covered in unknown runes, dust, and sand. She carefully placed the book in Phthonus's hands, then remarked in a serious tone.
"This is a book from my ancestors. It's an important book containing the hand magic from the Rulers. It can enhance your stamina, endurance, strength, and speed for an extended period. My parents used it when they tried to escape the King's side, then gave it to me because they were going to pass away...
She took a deep breath.
"They said to me while I left their house, 'If you ever find someone you deeply entrust, make sure to give the book to them. They will need it more than you do. All you need to do is follow your heart,' and that's where I lend this to you."
After that, they sat down and leaned against their small house. It wasn't too impressive. It was just made of lumber, a few sticky substances, and stone. Phthonus and Chanda thought it was enough to dwell in any case.
While Chanda leaned against Phthonus' arm, he continued to examine the book. He tilted it left and right, peered his eyes inside, and tried to find words on the pages. However, there wasn't any of it in there. Phthonus asked.
"Why are there no words in the book?"
Chanda's eyelids slowly parted. She released a loud yawn and rubbed her eyes. Chanda noticed Phthonus hastily flipping the empty pages. She hurriedly answered.
"H-Huh? O-Oh… right, that. Well, for that book… You have to make the words yourself. It's not an actual book with information on it. It's a substitute for a magic wand."
Phthonus' orange eyes broadened in realization.
"Ohh, now that makes sense."
As the memory started to fade away from Present Phthonus' mind, his past voice slowly vanished.
"So, Chanda, how... do I use this book?
. . .
A sparkling luminance shimmered underneath his chin. Phthonus found himself falling toward the kitsune.
"The book. I remember now!"
As he was moments from hitting the ground, he tore another page off it and tossed it below him.
"I hope this works."