Merlin 3:33 "Sojourner"
~ @mjbanks
A vast circle of dryness surrounding the site seen by Troy, master of a phoenix, Lugh of the white fire, flying on his firebird overhead eventually lands on nearby rocks, waiting and in watch before going to the abandoned and dry, vacant and desiccated city. Soon, eagerly, he climbs onto Alerion and flies to the town and lands on a flat patio roof, quick to dismount and both to crouch, looking down to the street he sees vendor carts with dried viands withered in the heat too quickly to rot, phoenix peeking with him closely sentient. He wanders the rooftops looking for trouble with his bow and arrow drawn. His boots brush rubble of a ledge as he climbs into a balcony above a lower jetty room, finding footprints in the dust he climbs the adjacent ledge and continues on further rooftop stealthily to seek Nickolas. He arrives outside where the vampires hold Nickolas at the time of his almost escape, peeking aside the small hole in the wall. The phoenix Alerion leaves its roost and lands in the street, scampering around the desolated thrufare and eating from the dried vegetables for seeds and the mounds of dried breads in piecemeal and crumbs. Troy turns to see the bird make a noise that echoes in the streets and ponders ploy, looking back to the hole and hearing the villains indoors. As they begin rebinding Nickolas, Troy notices his friend it is, and fires an arrow to phoenix.
The bright sunlight of rustic red atmosphere gloaming, a clouded day a third of fog overcasts, Troy hesitates before launching the arrow at his phoenix, his pale white fingers and leather bowman glove release an arrow, curving to aside it strikes a vendor cart to not hit Alerion. In much woe, he aligns and draws another arrow, the string stretches and arrow flies, this time hitting the phoenix in its hip. Silver arrowhead collides without damage, cut, or blood. However, the surprise startles the phoenix very much, making it angered and offended, it sees the first arrow lodged in wooden handcart, overturns it with a thrust of its beak then spreading its wings in umbrage butts, and dishevels things in great commotions. The noise a loud chaos enough to garner attention from the paranoid and intoxicated vampires, in an act of espionage they hurry down stairs into hallways to doorways near it, watching concernedly, plotting against it.
Back to the wall with the small opening Troy goes and puts his boot thru it, breaking it enough to enter, only one thereby vampire attacks and defenses delivered of combat, pulling Troy by his foot thru the wall, he begins kicking the undead fiend and releasing one of Nick's hands. He releases himself to rise again and fights with Troy against Custodius, kicking him into the sunset light. The vampire laughs in the light, not bursting to flames Nick takes a spear and pierces the vampire, holding the spike and running him to the wall, lodging him and the spearhead to the font of divine day, where the sunlight eventually begins to set the creature afire.
Nick: “We should go, now.”
Troy: “Together we can slay them all.”
Nick: “Ungraceful fie, siege I excel, and decidedly could not, we go, now.”
Two allies reunited, spiritually and tangibly, continently invigorate and brute vampires astray watch the phoenix take flight once sensing their presence, of evil it opens wings and rises from flowing orange flames that flush the doorway and dissipate quickly killing one, leaving the dryness drier and the warmth warmer. The shadows begin to grow in afternoon light, and one of them sees the hole in the upper building's wall, and the intruded face of Troy thru the dying flames and soulless embers of a phoenix counterpart. Watching vampires with hopes to fight them, Nick pulls Troy from the open wall. They rush returning, in duplicitous nature, which they are allied with roving chaste assigned duly, impure sensualists, harkening apace, wiry witnesses to fomenting familiar and inquisitive antagonists. The time is as they say in Midgard, an hour, until sunset. Troy hands Nickolas a small magic potion of power and one for himself they drink and embolden, readying themselves for combat.
Matteus and his inner circle of ally cadre run diligently, the shadows of the city cover more recesses as the other lesser caste of new vampires begins to wake, chosen by station to feed only when ordered they thirst for the immortal blood. As Matteus and the others reach the feeding chamber Troy is outside-on his phoenix, wings spread lifting into the air, seen thru the broken wall over the charred body, his arms spread reach for saddle horn as he leans forward, eyes certain and closing and looking to the sky.
What's This ?