5 Ember Flowers

"What happened?" Oxoluz asked as his feet met the land of Feirnon.

Farah wiped the tears streaming down her face before answering Oxoluz, "our enemy tricked us. The scroll wasn't true, it was probably made out of her own magic. Used to tricked our mind. Only one being can pull such plan and power."

She turned her gaze to Oxoluz who's standing behind him, "Ysandria, the Queen of Hell." Farah said and Oxoluz asked.

"Do you think she's our enemy, and she is the being Gazaria trapped in the forgotten land?"

"No, I am certain Ysandria is our enemy here. Follow me, let me show you something," Farah said and walked slowly.

Oxoluz's eyes were settled on the beautiful red flowers with exactly eight petals each which looks like feathers. "What are they called again?" Oxoluz asked which caught Farah's attention.

A genuine smile painted in Farah's lips. Her smile was so beautiful and genuine that it made Oxoluz smile as well. "Beautiful aren't they," said Farah and Oxoluz nodded as a response.

"Sadly, the story behind these beautiful flowers is a such a tragedy," she added and her smile widened.

"They are called Ember flowers," she started with a smile and sat on the ground beside the flowers.

The wind played against her light caramel hair with light waves and Oxoluz saw the beauty in Farah's sapphire eyes. "They're beautiful just like you," Oxoluz said and a chuckle escaped Farah's mouth.

"Silly," she said and played with an Ember flower.

"It's been so long since I've seen one of these," Farah said and looked at Oxoluz.

"About five hundred years ago, was the last Ember flower that was buried in this land. It's both good and bad to be honest. It was said that when an Ember flower blooms in one's land, it shall bring peace and the bad news, it is a life of a Phoenix," she said which made Oxoluz held Farah's hand.

He stood her up from the ground and locked her in her arms, "come here, let me hug you first," he said and Farah hugged him back.

Their embrace lasted for a few seconds before Farah pulled back and turned her attention back to the road. She again continued walking and spoke, "if Ysandria wiped out the Rifnes, then we already lost one stone."

"What do you mean?" Oxoluz asked Farah.

"I know Ysandria's powers. If she just escaped yesterday, she couldn't kill all of the people in Feirnon using her own power. She might have used the fire stone to do it," Farah said as she tie her hair into a messy bun.

"You mean, she was behind all of it from the beginning?" Oxoluz asked and after Farah finished tidying her hair she nodded.

"I wasn't sure yesterday, but now I am. From that loud crash we heard from the forgotten land. She planned it, left the scroll there to trick us that she will attack Aironia, but she took Feirnon first," she answered and stopped walking.

The two stopped in an empty arch way and Farah turned to Oxoluz. "Hold my hand," she said and Oxoluz obliged.

He took Farah's hand and her eyes started glowing. Suddenly, a battle between Fellion and a woman wearing a black suit that fits her perfectly played in his mind. In the end Oxoluz saw Fellion's death and how he lost his life and the stone.

After that, Farah let go of his hand and sat on the ground. She tried her best pulling back those tears until she couldn't. Tears escaped wildly from her sapphire eyes.

"Fellion is gone," she said and slowly wiped the tear in her face. Forcing herself to stand she did even if her heart is still in pain for losing a friend.

She raised both of her hand and chanted in an ancient language, "wasiya hinatis levion, zoro vianto gita."

Her hands then started creating a ball of blue light and Farah threw in the sky. The ball of light exploded and divided into smaller pieces. Her eyes turned back to normal and looked at Oxoluz before speaking, "There is no longer any body in here. Ysandria must have took Fellion's body along with the stone."

"But there is something I felt though. A dark energy is in here somewhere," she said and suddenly they heard Ysandria's voice.

"Indeed I am here," Ysandria said and revealed herself.

"Ysandria," said Farah firmly as she clench her fist.

"Hey there little lady, it's been a while, I see you did great, pity I'll destroy this in a few days," Ysandria replied a few meters away in front of Farah.

"I see you brought a friend, son of Ellenia," Ysandria added and chuckled.

Ysandria rolled her eyes as she reads the rage burning inside Farah, and spoke "oh please Farah, don't be mad at me. It's not my fault the fire Phoenix was weak."

"You killed him," Farah replied and revealed a sword clenched in her left hand.

Ysandria raised both of her hands as if she's surrending, "now, now. I'm not here to kill you yet, I'm just here to show you my first achievement after centuries."

She waved her hand and revealed the fire stone, "beautiful isn't it?" she said and smirked.

"Give me back the fire stone," Farah commanded firmly.

Oxoluz prepared himself for anything that might happen. He accessed his power and revealed his weapon, a spear. Farah then revealed a shield and prepared for battle as well

"Seriously? I don't want the both of you to die early, I want to watch all of you slowly suffer and lose hope. I want to see the light disappear from your eyes, and I'll be laughing that finally, Gazaria will be gone," Ysandria said and flicked her finger. With that the fire stone disappeared and she laughed.

"Anyway, that is all I needed. Nice meeting you again, new faces and ages, but the same personality years ago. Still weak, arrogant, don't expect a change in history," Ysandria said and Farah was about to attack when she suddenly disappeared.

Her laugh echoed in the land with nothing but houses and the ground was filled with beautiful... Ember flowers.