You saw how it all started, now be there for the end of all things... http://darthside.blogspot.com/
*sob* It's REALLY good. Just read the last post and you'll see what I mean.

Now, on a possibly lighter note, the link above got me in the mood to try my hand at another short story. It's inspired by an Elfwood original (www.elfwood.com) which I'll see if I can get the rights to post here. Enjoy!

____________

The girl didn't realize what she had done.

The beast knelt at her feet, haggard breaths moaning out of its clenched jaws like the smoke that fizzled away from it's nostrils. The large wings that drooped down its back shown like crimson waves in the light of the faraway flames, fluttering for a millisecond before the creature let out a sigh and collapsed.

And with that, the giant phoenix died.

She sheathed her steel, the clang ringing in her ears as the sword locked into it's leather home. Blood dripped from her arm where the creature had scratched her; the hurt aching like an echo- far away, distant. She did not pay any mind to it. Her focus was on another matter.

There were footsteps coming from behind.

They say that once you have killed the servant of the Fire God as payment you must take it's place to serve the term until someone else frees you. Until that time you are a slave to his will and his power fills your soul with the blood of the ones that have been killed before you. You transform, becoming hideous, dangerous and vile. Your body splits into pieces and sticks back together as something new. Your heart and mind break with the insanity, your screams fill the sky, and all the while he eats the power from your pain. The lifeless, crumpled body lying at the girl's feet had once belonged to the servant of the Fire God.

The Fire God tortures you for an eternity. Once he gets his hands on you, you are lost forever. But he must catch you first.

She burst into a sprint.

The trees behind her crashed loudly, forced apart by something big. She ignored it and kept going. She could not look back. The field that she threw herself through was bathed in a hellish red light flickering from the flames off of the burning buildings miles ahead. Her bare feet found footing that she could not see, her nose smelled scents that did not exist. Half a mile away was the border of the elf wood. If she could reach that then she would be free. Her strides became strained, her thighs tight. Her body held it's breath.

The thing behind her was getting closer.

The girl was a bounty hunter of the 'here be'. Here be dragons, Here be devils, Here be demons... name it and she had her price. Strangers regularly called her, asking about here bes that they needed to rid themselves of. Most jobs were easy, but she made sure to set her price high. If the jobs proved more difficult than she forsaw she would make sure to snatch a few extra 'prizes' without the owner's knowledge.

The little dark man that called her this morning had, he said, "aquired the means to hire the best."

"That's what they call you," he had said, his large, grubby hands holding up a worn-out coin purse. "The Best." He wore a skin around his waist, held up by a belt with pockets full of foreign things.

"Yes." she said.

He had grinned at her then, his little teeth dirty and sharp. "All I want is the best."

He warned her about the dangers of this one. Retrieve the scales of the phoenix (the ones that make a difference, at the base of the neck, shining gold instead of red), avoid the rath of the Fire God, and gain 300 emerald rupees. Her asking price for phoenix scales was usually only 100 rupees.

Now here she was, running for her life in the middle of a field. Maybe, she thought, she would wrap her hands around the little man's neck and see what she could find from that belt of his for the extra trouble. She took a chance peak behind her and caught a glimpse of a large shadow barreling in her direction before her left foot snagged on a rock. Blood gushed from the new cut. She gasped and tumbled to the ground.

The big thing rushed at her. Her sword was out in an instant, slashing at the air about her, as she struggled to get back up. A smelly grunt from close by told her her sword had found home.

"Don't hurt me," a deep voice said. "I am here to help you."

"Like hell you are." She said. Her free hand found a hold- a large weed. With all her strength she pulled herself toward it and used her good foot to get back up. A hand grabbed at her leg and she recoiled with a hard back kick, again finding home. She turned and ran.

The edge of the elf wood was close by. In the dimness she could see a small fire a few yards away, right at the entrance to the wood. It was the little man. As she got closer she thought she saw the little man walking out of the fire but shook the thought away. It was dark, after all.

The running behind her had stopped. She reached the fire in safety. The little man looked at her greedily.

"Did you get the scales?" he asked.

She dropped them at his feet, then unsheathed her sword and pressed it to his throat. For a second a look flashed over the man's face- happiness, or hunger- and then it was replaced by fear. She smiled at him.

"You can take the scales," she said, sliding the sword lightly against his skin. "But I think I deserve more than you have offered."

A twig snapped behind her. She almost turned to look, but stopped herself. The little man was smiling. Something stabbed her in the back.

"Actually, girl, I think you are right." he said. She dropped to her knees, shocked. A knife was ripping from her back through to her chest. The sword at the little man's neck slowly lowered- her strength slowly fading away- and he took two soft steps toward her. "I think you deserve more than 300 rupees."

In his hand he held the phoenix scales. He walked towards her. She felt a jolt and looked down. Another knife was sticking out of her body.

"You see," he said, gesturing at the field around them. "You did not reach the safety of the elf wood."

"What?" she gasped. The red fire in front of her started to turn a dull grey. Her eyes were feeling tired.

The little man stepped in front of her. His sharp teeth grinned hungrily at her. His hands placed the scales around her neck. He leaned forward.

"You are the best." He whispered. "And I must have the best."

A scolding hot feeling ripped up her spine. Her face, hair, and skin started to burn rapidly, uncontrolably. She let out a cry but to her dismay she could not hear it. All she could hear was the roar of the flames around her as the Fire God folded her in his embrace.

_____________________________