Prologue
The sun’s light began to dim, its circle interrupted by darkness at full noon. All people in the great empire of Igniris stood silently, staring at the darkening sky.
In Cintris, the seat of the emperor, the proud citizens watched their god disappear from the sky. The day of ages had come, the day their god was to abandon them for a few, terrifying moments. The whole city was on edge, fearful of what could possibly happen, but confident their Emperor would protect them.
Scattered shouts rang out, as people noticed strange shimmers in the sky to the south. Low murmuring rose in the streets as more people looked southward. What looked like desert illusions in the sky seemed to be growing larger, gaining form.
As the darkness faded from the face of their god, the people began to see the distant shapes more clearly. The sun revealed the serpentine creatures, scales glittering, bodies cutting through the clouds, quickly approaching the great city.
Screams erupted throughout the city as people pushed their way inside, away from the terrors in the sky. Chaos reigned as people scrambled over each other, thinking only on their lives. Within minutes, the streets of Cintris were deserted.
High above, the emperor stood alone on the balcony of the Imperial Palace. He was an elderly man in pure white robes, a golden diadem on his white hair. He stood silently, hands clasped behind him, watching the creatures come ever closer. He recognized them from descriptions of the pagan elders of the south as their gods, their saviors. Dragons, they called them; lords of the deep. The emperor had expected them, and he knew why they were coming.
They were coming for him.
The dragons reached the outskirts of the city, and as they past the distant quarters, the emperor saw flickers of movement from curious onlookers. There appeared to be fifteen of the long, four-legged creatures, ranging from deep, ruby reds to a pale blue, almost white. They slowly descended as they approached the palace, heading straight for the silent emperor.
He calmly watched them come, only his eyes moving, following their course.
“Your time is finished, old man.”
The lead dragon looked him in the eye, his voice like river rapids, cascading from his mouth.
“So be it.”
The emperor bowed his head.
In a moment, he threw his head back, his arms out, then exploded into flame.
The dragons immediately surrounded him, shooting water at full force from their mouths at the burning man.
Except, he was no longer a man. As soon as the water came near the flames, it turned to mist. The flames rose, wings extending outward as the phoenix soared up and away from the palace, and his city.
The dragons swiftly followed him up towards the eastern volcano, {insert volcano name here}. The phoenix landed on the rim of the crater, waiting for the dragons to reach him. As soon as they were close, the volcano erupted, lava showering the beasts above. The phoenix flew swiftly southward as the dragons struggled in the fire and ash. They left two of their number behind on the slopes of {volcano!} to follow the phoenix towards the glassy lake on the far side of Cintris.
He waited over the center of the lake, once more watching them approach over its eerily still waters. The converged around him, the Flame of Exuros, Emperor of Igniris, and pushed downward. Four above and four below sprayed him with jets of pressurized water, attempting to extinguish his brilliant flames. Two circled in the waters, creating a whirlwind, pulling him down. Three sacrificed themselves, grasping and holding him with teeth and claws, dragging him into the whirlpool below. The fierce flames scorched them, burning their scales. Their scales fell like snow onto the water, exposing raw flesh beneath to raw fire. One fell, screaming, into the water, leaving only the steam on the surface.
The phoenix did not fight against his captors, he did not struggle as he was pulled into the watery depths. He simply burned.
It is said that just as he touched the water, he shone more brightly than the sun above, a flash of blinding white light.
Then there was darkness.
Down he fell, suffocating in the deep. Water was burned away, but it kept coming. His two captors pushed him farther and farther, black water slowly putting out the unquenchable flame of the phoenix.
The people once more watched in silence from the shores of the city, watching their beloved emperor allow himself to be defeated. What did it mean? Why did he not destroy them, as he had hundreds of enemies before?
After the flash of light, sounds of mourning filled the air.
The Empire of Igniris was finished.
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