"Unforgivable." it speaks, the voice barely more than a whisper, but a voice nonetheless. A sound containing far more emotion than what any monster has the right to posses.

Unbelievable.

A hot bead of sweat streaks down the back of my neck as I plant my feet and raise my weapons. What am I doing here again? Something incredibly stupid. I'm sure. But I don't really have a choice about it, do I?

"So you can speak, huh? Bloody fantastic." I gripe aloud, lowering my stance and twisting my hips despite the aching in my bones. Readying an attack.

The bright red bird doesn't respond to the remark, it doesn't even blink. It just stands defiantly at the base of a tree, seething with rage. A firestorm of hurt and fury kindling behind its sad, golden eyes. One swelling in size with each passing second, and threatening a wrath upon the world. Yet the bird continues to stand still, refusing to either attack or flee. Instead, choosing to bide its fury.

A sitting duck... no pun intended.

Although admittedly, it might be bit harder to hit since it's smaller than most beasts, but thankfully it's neither airborne or very far away. And it's not moving. Killing it wouldn't take much effort. A few swings and a few skills and it's done. I just gotta get it over with. Sooner rather than later would be nice, or while it's still standing there at least.

I lift my foot. Or at least, I try to lift my foot. Only I'm met with a flat-out refusal from my leg.

My body does not want to move. Am I waiting for something? Am I having a stroke? Hesitating? Only an idiot hesitates. An idiot, or someone who's about to have their face ripped off by a raptor. It must be using a skill on me. With its eyes? Those swirling flames a sight to behold to be sure, but I don't feel like that's it. Something else then?

Fear. It must be fear. I'd almost forgotten what fear felt like, but now I recognize it. And with the recognition of my fear. I finally recognize my adversary.

A pheonix, that is what I'm pointing my weapons at. Not a common bird. Not a mindless beast. But a living, breathing, and apparently thinking aspect of nature. A creature that once rivaled even the legendary Heroes of old in strength, and will forever be remembered as such too. Forever known as flying disaster capable of razing entire towns, cities, even small kingdoms to dust! A nearly unstoppable threat.

I would be right to show fear. Fear saves lives. This isn't a creature I should engage, and my body is trying to tell me as much too. It's suicide. And I've spent my whole life avoiding suicidal actions.

Yet...

Despite what the legends say... I was able to shoot it. Twice in fact. Me. Old and weary me. If any other Silver rank could pick up a bow and shoot a bloody pheonix, then I wouldn't have as many bedtime stories to tell my grandchildren of, would I? No. And I know the reason why.

It's young. And if I were to judge from its feather size, it's barely more than a fledgling. A newborn even. If there were ever an opportunity to kill this threat before lives are lost, it would be now. Before it can mature and grow to become something truly invincible. I might be putting my own life at risk, but for the sake of thousands? This is the perfect chance. And I'm not about to waste it.

I'm decided. Time for these young'uns to see what a real fool looks like. Death or glory... or whatever it is they shout before dying. Not that I'm going to say it myself.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I take a steadying, deliberate breathe, and then...

"Opening Step" I gruff, breaking out of fear's grasp and lifting the clever-like blade in my right hand.

Many steps merge into the span of one. I traverse the distance separating the pheonix and I in an instant, trailing a slight gust of wind behind me. Before the pheonix can process the sudden movement, I swing my hefty blade down, down towards its head with tremendous speed.

Quick as a literal flash, the carefully kept edge of my weapon whistles through the air as it arcs along. But somehow, it is not quite quick enough. The pheonix, unmoving until now, screeches in alarm and jerks to the side, igniting its wing feathers at the same time. Bright flames dance into the air, pushing the pheonix up and away from the slash and saving its head from being split in half.

38 Slicing Damage

Pheonix Suffered Bleeding

But not its wing.

My blade meets flesh, then bone, then air. With barely any resistance at all, I slice cleanly through the fragile base of the pheonix's right wing, leaving the fabled bird confused and aghast midair. Perfectly incapable of dodging the second, much thinner blade in my left hand, already following up the first with an even faster horizontal swing to the neck.

Another deadly whistle cuts through the air, higher in pitch. The bleeding pheonix flaps its one useful wing in attempts of escape, spraying more bright flames, but the attempt is next to useless. My dagger is too quick, and the pheonix is helples-

A splash of orange light springs up from my left. The tiniest of distractions, barely more than a blip in my peripheral. But enough. Involuntarily, my eyes dart towards the strange light, seeking the cause.

Fire. Close. Hot.

"Oh-"

Suffered 22 Fire Damage

Suffered Minor Burn

Before my dagger can steal the pheonix's life, I retract my arm and cover my face as fire suddenly appears from nowhere. The explosion slams into me, shoving me aside and setting my shirt alight in an instant. I grunt in pain as the wind is knocked from my lungs and as the fire burns my skin.

The Bloody Hell was that? That wasn't from the pheonix!

Suffered 5 Fire Damage

I reach to my shoulder and tear off the flaming sleeve of my shirt, throwing it to the ground and stomping it underfoot. My head whips left and right, searching for whoever caused the explosion. The pheonix, unable to fly with one wing, drops to the ground and shrieks in pain.

Who? Or what? The person I hit with Crippling Blow? No, he wouldn't be up yet. Don't tell me there's another pheonix nearby. Its parents? Escal help us if there's three pheonixes here.

I swing my head upwards, expecting to see another pheonix descending, bearing a hellish inferno with it. But nothing. I see no one. Just stray sparks leftover from the explosion and ashes. A handful of glowing, yellow ash, wafting down to the ground and setting forest alight where it lands. But that's it, no other pheonixes, only myself and this pheonix.

It was the wing. It exploded. Of course it did. I should of known something like that would happen. I just didn't expect an actual explosion. I should remember that.

I switch my focus back to the pheonix, bracing my weapons for a counter attack of some description. But it's unneeded. My fingers relax their grip by a fraction.

The pheonix is back on its feet. Not focusing on me, but looking back and forth between the small, scattered fires on the ground and the bleeding stump where its wing should be, seeming to be in disbelief. It tries to flap its stump of a wing, but the uneven weight causes it to tumble to the ground.

A tormented scream fills the air as the pheonix's crippled wing is forced into the dirt by its own body. Loud enough to make me wince sympathetically. As it scrambles to its feet, a golden steak rolls from the pheonix's eye.

A tear? An opening? Why? Surely it knows that I could sprint over and cut it apart with ease? It isn't anywhere near as fast or powerful as I expected to be, even as a fledgling. And it won't be saved by an exploding wing again. I could kill it. Easily. But it almost feels... too easy? Is this all a legendary creature amounts to? Weaker than a hobgoblin? A few burns on my arm is nothing.

I take a step. Then another. Then I stop. Against my better judgement, I stop and strain my ears to listen as the pheonix's yellow beak parts open by a crack. It's about to speak again, I know it. Will it cry for help? Will it do something I wont like? Probably. I shouldn't give it the chance to do so, but... just one more time. Once more. I need to listen to the voice that shouldn't exist. No matter what it is.

It whispers only a single word.

The sound strikes like thunder in my soul.

"Immolate"

A heavy presence settles over the forest. Nature is silenced, and the air is pressured under an unseen, yet crushing weight. The pheonix looks at me. But it's not the same pheonix as before. It has changed. Not in appearance, but in demeanor. What looks at me is a completely different creature. Every fiber of my being screams at me to do something, but the message is unclear. Fear and awe rush through my body. Terror and dread. Reverence too. So many emotions that my body goes despairingly limp under the barrage.

Its golden eyes blaze mutely as they lock with mine, but there's no hate in the gaze like before. There's no emotion at all. It's the same look a giant would give to an insect. Or an immortal to a mortal. Looking, but not seeing anything of worth. A look of disregard.

Then, as if it were nothing but an illusion, time resumes to normal and the oppressive weight over the forest lifts, allowing life to breathe once more. Left behind is a fleeting memory. A lingering scar on my soul. And a cold sweat on my forehead. It's only when the fiery bird lifts its one remaining wing, do I remember how to think.

Bloody Hell. Not good. Might've pissed it off... yes, I did. Shouldn't have let it speak.

It's pissed.