Whispers of a Dead Empire

With an ear-shattering roar, the Phoenix exploded in a radiant fire that engulfed the entire stage.

A grunt filled the air as Alessia appeared and was thrown backward. She slammed into the ground and rolled three times, kicking up stone and dirt as she did so. Flames lapped at her clothing and crept up the back of her legs. Her hair danced on the current of the wind as she flew backward, and I felt my heart lurch painfully in my chest.

"You know the rules of the play, Alessia," Kharon spoke up as the song's tone deepened. Streams of flame poured from the bird's wings and fell to the ground in a torrential downpour.

She rolled once more before she caught herself. The constant rolling put out the flames spreading up the back of her legs. "What's with you and rules, you stuffy old man?" She stood up, placed her swords down, and patted the rest of the flames on her shirt.

"Every act tells a story. To know the story, you must follow the script. To wander is a crime against the art." The music pushed into his words, and for the first time, I finally heard something more than just monotony. This time, it was a projected voice. The one you would hear from an actor on a stage.

She rolled her head and picked up her swords. "Have it your way, then."

The song took a slower pace as the flames rushed towards the ground and coalesced into a single humanoid form composed of orange flame. It stood roughly the same height as Alessia and held a single curled blade that dripped globules of fire.

The flame-like being flourished its blade and took a step forward as the song took a different tone, as sadness became more prevalent. The heat died slightly as the tip of the fiery blade was pointed towards the ground. Each step the being took was slow and purposeful as if it were walking to its death.

Alessia glanced toward me, and I saw something flicker in her eyes. It was almost as if she were telling me to observe. I flashed her a small smile as I wrapped my arms around Nyx a little tighter, pulling her further into me. Already, the song that was playing was pulling at my

heartstrings. It sounded like the dirge that played earlier against those shadow creatures. But this was more akin to a lamination. This was the fight of a powerful being, its last fight, to be exact. Fear lathered the notes that danced through the air. Fear of the coming darkness, fear of the oblivion that would surely take hold of it if it didn't fight here.

My eyes pulled away from my lover and towards the fire creature. Each step it took melted the stone underneath it slightly, and heat radiated off of it in almost imperceivable waves. The flames danced around on its face in tune with the song that was being played, and I could hardly make out a face.

It froze after a few heartbeats and stared at Alessia until it flicked its wrist, and the sword expanded into a long spear. In the blink of an eye, it lunged toward her. It forced Alessia to twist her body as the spear rushed past her. Embers were kicked up into the air and floated like flower petals on the surrounding wind.

The two danced around each other, with neither having the upper hand on the other. But it was clear Alessia was forced on the defensive. Not to the difference in skill but by the sheer number of attacks coming at her. Each thrust of the spear smoothly flowed into a swipe, which then morphed into a thrust. With the ease with which the flame moved, it was predictable what was going to occur next, Yet; it looked as if it were extremely difficult trying to counter.

They danced around each other, with the embers building in the air. But just as it seemed to have come to a stalemate, the bieng flicked his wrist, and the spear retracted back into a sword. It took a step in, and its thrust became an arching swipe.

Alessia's eyes widened in shock as the sword arched up towards her face, and she barely had the time to twist her body to the side. The flaming sword lit up as an inferno followed its path, stretching the range by almost a foot. The song changed once more to something more intense and faster paced.

The swordplay reflected that as the sword hummed brightly with fire. The air was torn asunder as flames lashed out, desperately trying to defy a death that was coming. Strikes that were once graceful became heavy and slow but no less powerful. Alessia had an easier time dodging them, but she was still on her toes. It was like they were locked in a dance with each other.

But as that thought crossed my mind, I realized what was unfurling. Up to this point Kharon was playing music to get a desired effect. This time, it was a song that reflected a play. It forced you to act it out in the smallest detail. Otherwise, it would punish you, but the next question was, what's the endgame?

Strikes came out in a flurry as the walking flame pushed its advantage. Ponderous strikes rendered the air, and flames leaped from the ground as the music twisted and churned through the air. Alessia quickly had to roll to escape the ceaseless barrage of attacks

.

But with each passing second, the figure was dimming. Once radiant, orange flames shifted to yellow before fading into dull red. The harsh, heavy swings became slower, and ash formed in the air and rained like snow. The song became sadder and slower, and a part of me knew that the song was finally coming to its end. But lay just beyond that, I wasn't sure. I was rife with anticipation, and based on how Nyx felt underneath me, so was she.

A dull thud filled the room as, for the first time, they crossed swords. The flaming sword was now ashen and glowed even more faintly than before. A smile broke Alessia's face as she pressed her advantage forward. Her swords glowed with silvery energy, and it sounded like small thunder strikes each time her blades slammed into their foe.

Before the first strike slipped from the guard, the flame held for a few heartbeats, and the blade sliced across the thing's chest with liquid ease. Ash was blown away from the body, and a grunt radiated from Kharon was still floating above the scene. His black coat now bore a fresh scar across its surface.

My eyes quickly bounced between the two as I realized what was happening. Kharon was waging war through a proxy, and now the aspect was powered down. It was easier for Alessia to fight him. The two danced around each other for a while, with damage stacking on her foe. Ash leaked from the cuts like a perverse version of blood.

The music grew slower and sadder as the last bit of embers faded away, and the sound became more like a quiet hum. The creature froze mid-swing and became like a statue. Seeing her chance, Alessia rushed forward and sent her swords through her foe's chest. They sunk through it straight to the hilt, and she pulled them free with a jerk.

The statue crumbled into dust as the last of the fires faded away, taking away all the heat. Kharon grunted as his wings faded away and fell to the ground. His body was limp as he plummeted ike a meteor. It was a strange feeling watching him fall. In fact, I wasn't sure what I was feeling at all at that moment. The music was still playing as he fell, but it tugged at the emptiness in my chest.

I felt like I was facing the end. It was warm, and it sapped any sense of urgency that I had. In fact, it made me really sleepy. My eyes grew heavy, and I had to force myself to stay awake as I watched Kharon fall.

But then I felt it. A small candle in my chest was ignited. It was so tiny against the feeling of emptiness that seemed to stretch into eternity. It flickered and danced, and it slowly grew. Alessia must have also detected the change because she took a step back and looked around. The pile of ash on the ground flickered, and a small bonfire lit in its place.

The warmth in my chest grew with unbearable strength as the air flickered. The hum that radiated from Kharon's violin pulsed. At first, it sounded like a heartbeat trying to find its rhythm. It was tentative and nervous, but it grew. The sound came out in two pulses, faster and faster, as it found its place. "Now, I rise from the ashes." Kharon stopped mid fall as he slid the bow across his violin, striking two strings simultaneously as his tempo increased.

Alessia glanced between him and the pile of ash. Which was becoming a conflagration as a burning hand reached out from it. Flames rose from the grounds like pillars as embers kicked on the draft. A blast of wind slammed into me, followed by a gust of almost unbearable heat. Even more so than the last time. Alessia spared one last glance towards the man that was crawling his way out of the ash before dropping her swords. "I yield Kharon. If this goes on any longer, one of us may end up getting hurt."