A Spot of Red in the Darkness

Phoenix waited for an eternity it seemed for the puny boy to aim his arrow and wait for the command to shoot. She knew who the boy was, saw him multiple times throughout her time back at home. He was truly a great archer, but would never be as good as she was. Even if she could do something about her predicament, she wouldn't. Her life had been worthless and been a hellhole from the age of five. She won't live anymore of it when they willingly offered her peace and quiet. Elliot would be fine and would take care of himself. Her will was on the top shelf of the bookcase in the family room, hidden in one of her favorite childhood books.

She knew she'd die at some point in her revenge craving. She got Elliot so she'd have someone to look after her house and belongings, someone she trusted who wouldn't take them for granted. He was her surety that when she died, all was not a loss. He was her freedom to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, even dying at the hands of a puny boy. He was her heir, since she had no children, or next in line, since she had no siblings. He would get everything she owned, including Tarek.

Neclord held up a fist with his thumb up in the air, then brought it down like he was pressing a button. Xinth made his final calculations and pulled the trigger. The wooden arrow sliced through the air, and made its way through the bars to hit its target. The arrow head gleamed as it soared as fast as a bolt of lightning.

It never made it to Phoenix though.

Before anyone could register what had happened, the arrow was shot out of the air and a dull thud was heard beside Neclord's head. He turned and saw the arrow skewered by another, much thinner, arrow that quivered in the wall. The head of Xinth's arrow was pointing at his nose, barely an inch away. When he turned back to his victim, he saw the window behind her was splintered with a hole in the middle.

Phoenix opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, calculating what happened and why she hadn't felt pain before death took her in its grip. When she learned of the attack on the arrow, she turned and crouched into a ball just in time before the door shattered, splinters going everywhere. A new arrow was shot, this time into her leg. Phoenix cried out while a screech was heard. When she looked up, metal was being sawed apart, bars falling to the ground within moments. Bleeding and unable to get to her feet, Phoenix watched as a familiar black clad face ran into her cage and hauled her into his arms.

Onyx tried to make his way to stop the intruders, to stop them from taking Phoenix away, but he was too late. A man – the man from the day Onyx took Phoenix to get healed – picked her up and spun on his heel, disappearing into the darkness. Onyx growled and went after him, Ecthrois and Advandth behind him. He could see the man, running swiftly through the streets and leaping over obstacles, Phoenix's hair the one spot of red in the complete dark, the one thing Onyx could depict easily.

Phoenix was stunned into silence, immovable thanks to her body's paralyzed state. Not only that, but her leg screamed in pain with every step the man took. They were running through town to somewhere unknown, somewhere she doubted would be any better than the Ironshade's establishment. If anything, it might be worse.

"Put me down!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "I can walk on my own!"

The man chuckled and panted, "I don't need you walking. I need you running, which you can't do, so I'm carrying you."

"Not my fault you shot me!"

"I don't need you fighting me right now. I need you to shut up while I run. I have three pursuers on my heel and I rather hoped to lose them before we get to our destination."

Phoenix glanced behind him, and saw what she had dreaded. Onyx was after them, with Ecthrois and Advandth alongside him. Onyx looked pissed off, his face in a hard glare towards her and the man. Advandth, to Phoenix's surprise, looked worried. Though, for who, she did not know. Ecthrois, on the other hand, was determined. For a bulky man of his size, he ran pretty fast. Phoenix hated all of them, most of all, Onyx.

"I'll get them off your heel if you stop and turn around so I can face them," she hissed after a moment.

The man gave a wheezy laugh and shook his head. "No! I know you'll try something to escape. I'm not doing it."

Phoenix clenched her fists. "You can hold me captive, but just let me talk to them. You saw me back there. We're enemies! I'm going to escape from them."

The man kept running, silent and contemplative. His eyes glinted in the sudden moonlight that shown through some clouds. When he looked down at her, his mouth was set in a firm line. "I'm not happy about this, but you're right. Besides, I need to do something with your leg before you lose too much blood."

"Great, you can do that while I guard your back," Phoenix breathed, and the man stopped, bending down to set her on the ground.

"Try anything, Phoenix, and there'll be a knife in your back before you raise your hand."

She smirked, "Have people watching?"

"Always," he hissed, then ripped a section of his shirt and started binding her wound.

A few moments later, Onyx and the other two slowed to a stop a few feet away, taking care not to get too close, less something happened to anyone important. Phoenix stared at Onyx with dead eyes while he stared back at her with regret. He said, "Phoenix, you need to fight your way out of this. You can't give yourself up to this piece of filth."

"So, I should give up to you and your oversized boss?" she snarled. "I don't think so."

"Phoenix, please—" Advandth pleaded. Phoenix looked at her, about to snarl something about having been in a gang, but paused when she noticed her eyes wide with fear and something else…sympathy?

"I am not going back there," she said calmly to the brunette woman. "They had their chance to kill me. It won't happen again. When I'm healed, I'm going to come after every one of you, starting with Xinth. When all of you are dead, I'll go for Neclord and his fat ass." She looked at Onyx and her hatred for him flared. "Then, I'm coming for you last!"

"Phoenix, let me explain!" he hissed.

The man finished binding her leg and picked her back up, settling her against his chest. Onyx noticed she didn't struggle, didn't scold him for touching her. Something in him burned red hot then, and he wanted the man dead, this instant. Phoenix said, "I'm done, Onyx. I'm not your friend, and I am not your ally. You had your chance and ruined it. If you wanted my friendship, you should've never come after me for something you think I did."

"It's not his fault!" Advandth shouted.

Phoenix, Onyx, and Ecthrois looked at her in confusion. Onyx about how Advandth knew this was true. "He is part to blame, Advandth. He did not consult me about it, did not try to stop everything that happened. He is to blame for a lot of things," Phoenix sighed.

"You realize what you're doing, right?" Ecthrois asked, speaking for the first time. Phoenix looked at him in startled surprise and shook her head. Ecthrois took a step forward and held up his hands, showing he wasn't going to do anything. "You're trading your life from one enemy to another. I know who this man is, and what he is capable of. Neclord may have put you up for execution, and Onyx trapped you in an electrified cage, but he is worse. Once I turn away, I will not help you out of your situation. And I will not allow these two to help either."

Somewhere deep inside, Phoenix felt his words ring true, but she couldn't go back to Ironshade. She couldn't bare to see Onyx again. She couldn't bare to face the house where the ghosts of her parents live, knowing that she failed. She said, "I do not want your help. I do not want their help. I do not want sympathy or pity." She glared at Onyx and turned back to Ecthrois. "Do not let him out of your sight. If he comes near me, I will kill him on sight. No questions asked. His life will end if I see him ever again."

Ecthrois stared her down for a long minute, searching for any doubt in those blue eyes. But he found none, and therefore, turned his back, dragging Onyx away with him. Advandth looked at Phoenix one last time before following behind.