THE DRAGON AND THE PHOENIX: BOOK THREE OF THE REALM OF ZERROS SAGA

by Shoraz

  Meanwhile, also not too far away from them and catching up fast were Mikaelos and Astaria along with Stryker, Sarah, Max, and John as they ran at a torrid pace in hopes of reaching the Phoenix so that they may save her from the incoming army of Zerros.

  As they ran they knew that time was of the essence and there was no way they would give up their search, and then in the distance they saw them, and Mikaelos shouted Qabreal’s name and as Qabreal looked back, he was in shock to see Mikaelos and Astaria along with the survivors from earth looking for them.

  “Mikaelos, why have you come here?” Zrakil shouted.

  “They know that the Phoenix has returned to Zerros, they have sent an army to find her, and they are scouring the forest of Zerros at this moment. We must keep the Phoenix safe,” Mikaelos answered.

  “How do they know that the Phoenix is in Zerros?” Qabreal asked.

  “We don’t know but we must be on the lookout for them, as there are thousands of them in search of her,” Astaria replied.

  As the sorcerers spoke; John, Sarah, and Max walked towards an unconscious Ava who was being carried by Zrakil and as they came closer to her Zrakil lay Ava down gently on the ground and Max sat beside her.

  “What happens to her now?” Sarah asked.

  “We have to continue onto the edge of the Ocean of Eternity, and there she will summon the energy of the Phoenix, and she and it will again become one,” Qabreal replied.

  “What happens if she is captured before she becomes the Phoenix?” Sarah asked.

  “Then all hope is lost, and Venetia will continue her tyrannical rule of Zerros with no end in sight,” Astaria answered.

  “Then we must continue on; we cannot leave her in this state,” John said.

  “Yes, you are correct, and we must continue on,” Zrakil said, and as the group of sorcerers and survivors from earth continued their march towards the edge of the Ocean of Eternity, all they could see ahead of them was the forest of Zerros. And then out of nowhere a barrage of arrows came flying towards them and as Mikaelos and Astaria saw the arrows, they used their magic, and in an instant, the arrows fell to the ground.

  Then, as they looked in the not too far distance, a group consisting of hundreds upon hundreds of royal guards and sentinels came running towards them with their swords drawn and ready for combat.

  As the group of royal guards and sentinels ran towards them, Mikaelos and Astaria along with Zrakil and Qabreal continued using their magic upon them and one by one the royal guards and sentinels began to disappear.

  But the group was too large and as Mikaelos, Zrakil, Qabreal, and Astaria valiantly fought to protect their newfound friends, which included the Phoenix; the royal guards and sentinels quickly surrounded them and as they realized that their magic was of no match against the sheer number of the group of royal guards and sentinels they were quickly overwhelmed and captured by the army of Zerros.

  “Where is the Phoenix?” the leader of the group shouted, and as soon as Mikaelos was about to answer, Sarah cut him off and said, “I am the Phoenix, and I have returned to reclaim my throne,” as Stryker, John and the rest of the group looked on in confusion.

  “It is me who you want, so leave my friends alone and I will not put up any resistance,” Sarah said as she walked forward in hopes of deceiving the royal guards and sentinels so that perhaps they may let Ava and the rest of the group go.

  “This is the mighty Phoenix?” one of the leaders of the royal guards sarcastically said.

  “Yes I am the Phoenix and the powers of Zerros course within me,” Sarah said, and just as she said those words Astaria used her sorcery and grabbed Sarah and teleported them both away from the large group of the army of Zerros and as they both began to run away, the majority of the group of royal guards and sentinels began to run after them while a few of them stayed back with Mikaelos, Zrakil and the rest of the group including Ava – the Phoenix.

  As Sarah and Astaria saw the large group of royal guards and sentinels they started running, and as they did so Sarah tripped and fell to the floor and as she did so one of the royal guards fired an arrow towards her and it hit her directly in her leg, and she winced in pain, and then within seconds the royal guards and sentinels surrounded them.

  Then, one of the royal guards said, “You are weak, you are not the Phoenix,” and as he said so he raised his sword and Sarah knew that this was the end, and as she looked in the not too far distance at Ava laying on the ground, the fear of the situation overpowered her thoughts, and her anxiety overcame her and she closed her eyes to calm herself and waited for the sword to strike the blow of death down upon her.

  Meanwhile, as Ava lay on the ground in the forest, something inside of her somehow felt the fear of Sarah, and as she felt it, she knew that she had to help her friend from earth. And then her body began to violently shake as it lay on the ground and upon seeing that one of the leaders of the royal guards pointed to Ava and said, “She is the Phoenix! Kill her now!” and with that, one of the royal guards who was standing not too far away from Ava began running towards her and as he did so he pulled out his sword.

  As John saw that he also began to run towards Ava and as the royal guard readied himself to strike Ava with his sword; John, the one whose soul followed Ava from life to life, and from universe to universe, jumped in front of Ava and the sword struck through his chest instantly killing him. And with that, his pact with the One Great Creator was complete, and he had fulfilled his purpose in life – which was protecting Ava and making her realize who she was meant to be – as his soul left his body.

  As Zrakil saw John fall to the floor, she ran towards Ava as well, and as she did so, a group of royal guards ran towards her.

  As the sorcerers saw that, they did what they could to help, but the force of the army was too much, and as they battled, Zrakil was killed, and somehow Ava felt the pain of her friends as their souls left their bodies, and then in an instant and in the most unlikeliest of scenarios, the life, the soul, and the almost boundless energy of the Phoenix was breathed into Ava.

  Then, as the magical, mystical and nearly immortal powers overtook her body, she rose to the sky in a way that only the Phoenix could, and as she did so every thought that went through her head manifested itself in reality and the group of royal guards and sentinels disappeared as if they had never even existed at all.

  Ava the Phoenix then looked down at the forest below and saw the dead bodies of her friends, John and Zrakil, and as the soul and energy engulfed her body, the Phoenix shone brightly, and loudly shrieked as her voice was heard throughout the magnificent, mystical, and vast Realm of Zerros.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Far and wide across the great Realm of Zerros, every Zerrosian looked on in awe and astonishment as the magical Phoenix rose high above the skies of Zerros.

  Meanwhile, as Jinnack, Manaka and Yokelis saw the majestic Phoenix rise into the sky, that was their signal that the time had come for them to begin their march towards the Grand Castle in what was sure to be a clash for the ages against the army of Zerros.

  “The time is now my friends, the Phoenix has returned home,” Manaka shouted to the army that patiently waited to fight for the Phoenix.

  As the soldiers prepared themselves and readied their weapons, they looked to the sky and knew that only the Blue Dragon would be able to save Venetia from the fury of the Phoenix and the time had now come for them to begin their march to stop Venetia from releasing the mighty Blue Dragon.

  Meanwhile, outside the imposing gates of the Grand Castle stood the army of Zerros who looked up to the sky above in terror as they knew that at some point they would have to defend their ruler – Venetia – against the powerful and mighty Phoenix. Unknown to them however, Jinnack’s army was beginning their trek towards the Grand Castle in hopes of helping the Phoenix reclaim her throne.

  Meanwhile, on the edge of the forest of Zerros, the clan of sorcerers along with Usain and Roma looked on in delight as they saw the Pho
enix rise to the skies above.

  “She has returned,” Zurial said, as she looked at Usain and Roma.

  “She is above the forest; she didn’t make it to the edge of the Ocean of Eternity. How is this possible?” Thenor asked.

  “The power of the Phoenix is great, and she has returned to reclaim her throne,” said another sorcerer, and with that, the sorcerers quickened their pace towards the Grand Castle in hopes of rescuing Razen before he released the Blue Dragon.

  Meanwhile, as Zerrosians all across Zerros looked at the magnificent Phoenix, many of them were unsure of what to make of the magical bird who once ruled their realm, and on the outskirts of the Grand Castle many Zerrosians began running towards the Grand Castle in fear in the hope that being within the majestic structure would save them from what lay ahead.

  As a confused and bewildered Venetia rushed to the window and looked outside and saw the Phoenix, she somehow felt that her time as the ruler of Zerros would soon come to an end as the Phoenix had returned to reclaim her throne. Venetia also knew that there was only one thing she could possibly do in order to prevent the Phoenix from reclaiming her throne and that was to have Razen release the Blue Dragon.

  She then quickly called Alkazar and said, “Alkazar, command your royal guards to bring the Zerrosians inside of the Grand Castle. Tell them that we wish to keep them safe from the Phoenix,” and with that Alkazar commanded his royal guards to head to the gates of the Grand Castle and bring the Zerrosians inside in hopes of keeping them safe from the mighty Phoenix, who in truth posed no threat to them at all.

  Then, as Alkazar was about to leave with his fellow royal guards, Venetia stopped him and said to him, “Come with us,” and together with Yram they all walked to the dungeons of the Grand Castle to where Razen the tortured sorcerer was being held.

  Venetia then requested that Leonis go and tell the royal guards to bring the Zerrosians into the Grand Castle, while she told Zalde to go to the top of the Grand Castle and wait for the hordes of Zerrosians that would soon be allowed to enter the confines of the Grand Castle.

  As Alkazar, Yram and Venetia made their way down to the dungeons to find the mad and tormented sorcerer – Razen – there was an eerie feeling as they entered, and upon seeing them the royal guards stood at attention and welcomed them and then promptly opened the door and as they did so Razen scrambled to the corner of the dark room and cowered in fright.

  “Get up you fool, the time has come,” Venetia said.

  “For what has the time come my majesty?” Razen said in a frightened voice.

  “The Phoenix has returned to Zerros, and now it is time for you to release the Blue Dragon as you have promised me you would,” Venetia said.

  “No my majesty I will not do it, the people of Zerros will surely be destroyed by it and its diamond army,” Razen said.

  Venetia then nodded to Alkazar, and he quickly grabbed Razen, and he violently pulled him so hard that the chains that bound Razen to the walls of his cell broke free and he cringed in pain.

  Then, as Alkazar held him by the chains, Razen resisted and struggled to get free and Venetia then looked at him and said, “My sentinels are stationed at the portals Razen, and I swear to you that if you do not release the Blue Dragon I will command them to destroy every universe in existence, and one by one, everything within the Realm of Creation will perish because of you.”

  As Razen heard those words, he looked at Venetia and he saw the conviction in her eyes, and he then suddenly stopped struggling as he knew that her threat was real. Then, as he, Venetia, Yram, Alkazar and the two royal guards made their way to the highest point of the Grand Castle, Razen had no idea of the evil and sinister scheme that Venetia had waiting for him.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Back in the forest of Zerros, as Astaria conjured up her magic and used it to heal Sarah’s wound from the arrow, Mikaelos, along with the survivors from earth looked on in awe at the magnificent Phoenix as she brilliantly descended from the sky above, and it was as if the trees of the forest had moved to make way for her. But those thoughts of astonishment were soon overcome by thoughts of sorrow as the dead bodies of Zrakil and John lay on the ground.

  Then, as Sarah’s wound magically healed, she asked, “Can you do anything to help them?” and the Phoenix looked in her direction and said, “Their time has come, their destinies have been fulfilled, and their souls have moved onto what lies beyond.”

  “My majesty, we must go. Venetia has surely seen you, and she will soon have Razen release the Blue Dragon, and once he is released, he will search all of Zerros for you until he finds and kills you,” Astaria said to the magical Phoenix.

  “We must go to the Grand Castle and find Razen before he releases the Blue Dragon,” the Phoenix said, and with that, she waved her wings and magically held the sorcerers and the survivors from earth and began flying towards the Grand Castle to stop Venetia from having Razen release the mighty and powerful Blue Dragon.

  As the Phoenix rose to the sky and saw the Grand Castle in the distance she began flying towards it and as she did so she saw the army of Jinnack standing not too far away from the castle and making their way forward and she also saw the forces of the army of Zerros that stood outside the gates of the Grand Castle ready to defend it.

  As she looked towards the outskirts of the forest, she saw the band of sorcerers also making their way towards the Grand Castle in hopes of saving Razen – the tormented sorcerer – from the clutches of the evil Venetia.

  Then, the Phoenix flapped her majestic wings, and as she approached the Grand Castle the army of Zerros began to fire upon her and as the arrows and balls of fire came towards her she swooped out of the way and as the great balls of fire landed in the midst of many unsuspecting Zerrosians they began to burn as the land around them became engulfed in flames.

  The Phoenix then landed close to Jinnack’s army, and as she did so she dropped off the sorcerers and the survivors from earth from beneath her wings, and Manaka and Yokelis ran towards her in admiration and astonishment.

  Mikaelos then also ran towards Manaka, and as they embraced each other, they both thought of their friend Galiac and wished that he was here with them in the fight against Venetia and her clan. For it was Galiac whose plan they were following, and it was Galiac who had introduced Mikaelos to Manaka a very, very long time ago, and little did they know at the time, but it was all a part of Galiac’s master plan.

  “Now is the time Mikaelos, we must attack,” Manaka said, and with that, he signaled to Jinnack who then signaled to his commanders and Jinnack’s army then began their charge towards the Grand Castle to clash with the army of Zerros.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the Grand Castle, the band of sorcerers secretly made their way to the Grand Castle in hopes of surprising those within the Grand Castle and saving Razen from unleashing the wrath of the Blue Dragon.

  Back in the forest, a few royal guards and sentinels of the army of Zerros still remained, and among them were the three covert sentinels; Galtra, Sevki and Shonar, and as the royal guards and sentinels hid, they stayed in the forest with them and waited for their chance to escape and help their friend – the Phoenix.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  As Alkazar, Venetia and Yram made their way to the highest point of the Grand Castle, Razen was pulled along by Alkazar and as they reached their destination, to Razen’s surprise, he could hear many voices and as Alkazar tore off the covers that kept his eyes shut since his capture and forced imprisonment he saw many royal guards and sentinels already there and each of them held an innocent Zerrosian in one hand and their sword in the other hand as Leonis and Zalde looked on.

  “Your majesty, what is this?” Alkazar shouted.

  “It must be this way Alkazar, it is the only way to make sure he does not use his sorcery against us and only uses it to release the Blue Dragon,” Venetia stated.

  As Razen looked at the Zerrosians being held against their will, he pleaded with Venetia to let
them go.

  “Venetia these Zerrosians have done nothing to you yet you wish to kill them,” he said to her.

  “There is no time to waste Razen, the Phoenix is near, and you must call the Blue Dragon now,” Venetia screamed.

  Meanwhile, not too far away, the Phoenix spotted Razen high atop the Grand Castle, and she came flying towards him, but the army of Zerros kept her back with arrows made of ice. As the volley of thousands of arrows made its way towards the Phoenix, she stopped them in their tracks, and as she looked at Razen, she knew that she had to get to him before he used his magic to unleash the Blue Dragon.

  Then out of nowhere, Venetia nodded her head to one of the royal guards and without hesitation he sliced his sword through an innocent Zerrosian, and as the Zerrosian fell to the floor, Alkazar looked at Venetia in disgust and horror at the crime that she had just committed.

  Then suddenly one of the innocent Zerrosians broke free of a royal guard that was holding her, and as she tried to run away, another royal guard reached for his sword and quickly sliced through the innocent Zerrosian as Alkazar screamed for him to stop.

  Then, as the Phoenix swooped down close to the battle below she could see Jinnack’s army was close and was ready to strike at the army of Zerros and as the two sides ran towards each other Manaka was one of those who was leading the way in the battle. Meanwhile, Jinnack stayed far behind and well away from the soon to be clashing of the swords and the sharp pointed edges of the arrows.

  As Manaka saw the Phoenix, he somehow sensed that her power was being drained and she needed to have it replenished. Little did he know that the Phoenix was indeed losing some of her powers as Qabreal and Zrakil did not make it with Ava to the edges of the Ocean of Eternity, for if they did and she was fully replenished with the energy from the Ocean of Eternity she would have destroyed anyone and anything that stood in her way.