Chapter 23 Chapter 23: The Phoenix's crazy idea

Chapter 23 Chapter 23: The Phoenix's crazy idea
∆§∆ LUNARA'S POV ∆§∆

I took a step forward into the temple. Then another.

The entrance was just a doorway with no door. From outside, I could see the darkness beyond and the silver light glowing from somewhere deep inside.

"This is a terrible idea," I muttered to myself.

Behind me, the phoenix screeched. Like it was saying "I know, now go."

I glared back at it. "If I die in here, I'm haunting you."

It just stared at me with those molten amber eyes. Completely unbothered.

Fine.

I walked inside slowly. My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light.

The inside was smaller than I expected. Maybe the size of a classroom with a single chamber.

The walls were covered in carvings just like the ones outside.

I had never seen anything like those symbols before. They all glowed faintly with silver light.

But what caught my attention was at the center of the room.

On a stone pedestal sat a red jade stone. Small like an egg or maybe the size of my fist.

It also had markings on it. The same markings that were on the jade whistle.

The whistle that turned into the phoenix outside.

"What the hell?" I whispered.

The stone was glowing and vibrating softly on the stone pedestal.

It was like a heartbeat.

I felt pulled toward it. As if something inside me was being drawn to the stone.

My feet moved on their own. I was halfway across the room when I heard the roar.

It was so deep. It shook the entire temple. Dust fell from the ceiling. The walls trembled.

"Oh no. No no no."

Another roar rang through even louder this time.

The floor beneath me shook so hard I almost fell. Whatever made that sound was BIG.

And it was here. I need to run. But my mind screamed at me: Get the stone. Get it now.

I sprinted across the temple and grabbed the red jade stone off the pedestal.

The moment my fingers touched it, everything became disastrous.

The shaking got worse. Huge cracks appeared in the walls. Pieces of the roof began falling.

I turned to run for the entrance.

But suddenly, the entrance that didn't have a door got one and slammed shut.

"NO!"

I ran to it and pushed as hard as I could but I couldn't. I slammed my shoulder against it.

Yet nothing gave way. Shit! I was trapped.

Another roar filled the temple. This one was so loud my ears rang.

And for the first time in my life, I felt real fear.

"That stupid phoenix," I said through gritted teeth. "That conniving, manipulative bird. I'm going to pluck every feather off its smug face if I survive this."

I looked around desperately for a weapon. Anything.

I saw a sword stuck in a stone block in the corner of the room

I ran to it. Without thinking, I grabbed the hilt with both hands.

I pulled but it didn't move.

"Come on!"

I pulled harder. Using all my strength. The blade shifted. Just slightly.

"Move, damn it!"

I braced my foot against the stone. Pulled with everything I had.

The sword finally came free.

I fell backward, hitting the ground hard. But I had the sword.

It was heavier than I expected. The blades were etched with the same symbols on the walls.

Another loud roar reverberated through the room.

This time, I saw where it came from.

It was at the far wall. A section of it crumbled away.

And through the opening came a creature from nightmares.

A gigantic serpent. Easily thirty feet long. But its head wasn't a snake's head.

It was a wolf's head. Huge. Fangs dripping with blood. Eyes glowing red.

A wolf-headed serpent.

"What the actual fuck," I breathed.

The creature's eyes locked onto me.

It hissed. A sound that made my skin crawl.

Then it lunged towards me. I rolled towards the side, barely avoiding its strike.

Its jaws snapped shut where I had been standing. Fangs sink into the stone, instantly cracking it.

I scrambled to my feet and gripped the sword tighter.

"Okay. Okay. I am not dying here. It's time to use Uncle Kael's training."

The creature pulled its head from the stone and turned toward me.

"First technique," I whispered. "Always go for the jugular."

But this thing didn't have a normal jugular. It was half wolf, half serpent.

Where the hell was its weak point?

It lunged at me again. I dodged left and swung the sword.

The blade connected with its scales. Unfortunately, it barely scratched it.

"Oh great. It's armored."

The serpent's tail whipped around, I dodged it but it hit me in the side.

I flew across the room and slammed into the wall.

Pain exploded through my ribs. Shit! I definitely cracked something.

"Get up," I hissed at myself. "Get up or die."

I gritted my teeth and stood. I tasted blood in my mouth.

The creature, regardless of the fact that it was crawling, was fast and it was coming again.

When it got closer a little, I started backing away, then it slowed, as if it was toying with me.

"You think you've won?" I said. "You think I'm just going to lie down and die?"

It hissed in response.

"Wrong."

I ran toward it. Not away. Toward it.

Uncle Kael's second technique: When facing a larger opponent, get close. They can't use their size advantage.

The serpent reared back, surprised.

I slid under its body. Dragged the sword along its underbelly as I went.

The sword went through, there were softer scales there. I cut deep.

The creature screamed. A horrible sound mixing wolf howl and serpent hiss.

Black blood poured from the wound.

But it wasn't done.

Its tail wrapped around my leg. Yanked me up.

I hung upside down. I gripped the sword strongly in my hand.

The wolf's head came closer. It's jaws opening.

I could see down its throat. And even inhaled stenchy
breath.

"Not today!"

I swung the sword. Hit it right in the eye.

It shrieked and released me.

I fell. I hit the ground hard. I heard another crack, this time in my shoulder.

I ignored the pain. Rolled away from the thrashing creature. Blind in one eye.

But still alive. The temple is shaking even harder now. Pieces of the roofing fell everywhere.

"I need to end this. Now."

Uncle Kael's third technique: Find the pattern. Every creature has one.

I watched it move. Thrashing, lunging, retreating.

Every time it lunged, it pulled back the same way. Left side exposed for just a second.

"One shot. That's all I get."

I positioned myself and waited. The creature lunged at me on its right side.

I dodged Left. Exactly where it was expected. It pulled back exposing its left side.

I swung forward and drove the sword into the base of its skull, where the wolf's head met the serpent’s body.

I pushed with everything I had. The blade sank deep, all the way to the hilt.

The creature went still and then went limp.

Dead.

I pulled the sword free and stumbled backward.

My whole body was shaking. Covered in blood.

I was alive. I didn't die, twice today, I have defeated death.

"I did it," I whispered. "I actually—"

I rejoiced too quickly. The temple shook violently.

It seems without the creature, whatever was holding it together was failing.

The entire structure began collapsing.

"Oh come on!"

I tried to run for the door. But my leg gave out.

And I fell to my knees. I tried to move again but I couldn't. Everything hurts.

I couldn't move anymore.

The roofing was no longer falling in pieces. It was coming apart with huge stones dropping down.

This is it. I survived the fall. Survived the creature. Just to die here. Crushed to my death.

My vision was going dark, my consciousness slowly slipping.

Just when I was about to give up, I heard a loud screech.

That damn phoenix.

The sealed door exploded inward with fire spreading everywhere.

The phoenix flew through the flames and went straight toward me.

It landed next to me. It looked at my pocket.

The phoenix opened its beak. Snatched the jade stone right out of my pocket.

And swallowed it whole.

"Hey," I tried to say. "That's... mine..."

But I couldn't finish the words. I was too weak.

The phoenix's body glowed and became brighter. Does that mean the red jade stone makes it stronger?

It grabbed me gently with its talons and lifted me.

Just as the entire temple came down. We were already in the air.

Flying through the debris. Dodging falling rocks.

The phoenix carried me out through the hole in the wall, into the open air.

I looked back and watched as the temple crumbled into nothing.

"I hate you," I mumbled to the phoenix.

It screeched. Like it was laughing.

My eyes closed. I couldn't keep them open anymore.

The last thing I saw was the forest below with trees rushing past.