Phoenix: Genesis (Phoenix #1)

By Christian Warner

Enter the world unseen and cross paths with those who sacrificed body and soul to protect everything from the impending darkness. Darkness willing to swallow up the universe and see to its obliteration. Follow each of their stories as everything they know comes to a screeching halt, and the fate of all life is placed in their palms.

Introducing the new epic fantasy series Phoenix. Fantasy fans enjoy the spectacular new world complete with a creative redesign of everything you know.
**EBOOK FORMATTING IS MISALIGNED. EXPECT AWKWARD SPACING*

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365512643

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Phoenix: Genesis (Phoenix #1)

PHOENIX GENESIS

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by

any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any

information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author,

except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Copyright © 2016 by Christian Warner  

First Edition, 2016

Published in the United States of America

The legend begins with you

Dad

Who inspires me every day to

Do something great

CONTENTS

1} Where I should go_____________9

2} Live to risk my life____________26

3} The Beginning_______________39

4}The Beginning of the battle_____55

5} One by One_________________66

6} They fall Down______________78

7} Starry Eyed_________________94

8} Vector to the Heavens_______109

9} Coda_____________________125

10} Music is Mine_____________131

11} Sword Dance_____________147

12}Your Beat, My Melody______181

13}Unravel_________________207

14}Uncharted_______________232

15}Freefall__________________242

There was once an entity that threatened the existence of the entire universe; not only would there be the destruction of all life but everything that exists now would have never been…

If it weren’t for the group of beings willing to sacrifice their own life, soul, and hearts to stop this threat.

They fought physical and internal battles with themselves and others on their journey to grab hope by the shoulders and hold it tightly in their embrace.

Soon these beings became hope.

Their worlds clashed together and their fate became everyone and everything’s own fate.

See the events unfold as they happened in their eyes, for their story is inscribed in the souls of every living creature of every living world.

That story Awakens now….

PART 1

DARKNESS

1} Where I should go

CHRISTIAN

No one knows what the future holds. Every day we move forward without one hundred percent certainty of whose clutches we’ll end up in: Light or Darkness? Life or death? This is the question I ask myself when I see someone headed down his or her path. Are they certain of the decision they’re making or do they grope around for an opportunity as I do. Honestly, I can never tell. In the end I must worry about myself, and my well being; whether I’m making the correct decisions or not. Oh, my bad, I don’t think I introduced myself.

I’m Christian Phoenix. The first narrator of this story. One of a few actually, but let’s focus on my beginnings right now.

In my wolf clan I go by the name Darkwaters.

Yes, I’m part of a pack of wolves called the Shadakai, an elite group of Hybrid Human-wolf-dragon beings that can control shadows and darkness. We were not genetically engineered; we evolved from previous creatures just like everyone else. Many creatures similar to ours exist in this universe. Creatures you may have heard of like Fairies, Dragons, Wizards and more. You name it, it most likely exists. We all surround the sun on our own realms, more commonly known as planets. The only exception is Earth. Earth exists as a safe haven for many beings to live freely, even though humans are of the majority there. They remain oblivious to our existence, as our planets are unseen by them. I have no idea what the deal with that is, I’m not a scientist and I’ve never been to Earth.

But back to my story. Shadakai life is complicated. Even I haven’t learned everything and I’m 15. In human years that is. Our life revolves around the moon and strength. There aren’t a lot of us so we live in one giant pack. I guarantee you we’re all related somehow. Children are born by our lunar calendar, and if you're born just at the right time, you get the gift to control one of the four elements. These lucky children are called Lunar-Born and usually get the special treatment around here. Even as our science progresses we still believe that Flames, Liquid, Force, and Earth are the four basic building blocks of all life, and the Lunar-born abilities stay true to this.

From what I know about my birth, I was born a bit to late to be a Lunar child. Apparently I was born as the full moon receded back into darkness as it does after every cycle, so if I have any elemental abilities they haven’t shown up yet. 

Anyway, in terms of how we’re living now, we’re preparing for the possibility of war. Long story short our leaders picked a little fight with the Half-Dogs, a race similar to ours, and we're probably going to end up facing their wrath on the battlefield. It really makes me mad because I didn’t have faith in our leaders to begin with.

I was told my parents went out on a mission some higher ups had assigned them a long time ago, and they never returned. This was when I was four so it doesn’t matter now. But that story has rooted a seed of cynicism in me, and I don’t really trust our people in power anymore.

Up until now, everything’s been a blur. A huge pile of the same thing every day. Rarely anything happens here if you're not involved in the government, which you aren't allowed to be until you’re older. Not that I want to join those stuck up jerks.

I can’t give you any backstory because there really isn’t anything there. For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived here in this cave, letting time pass each and every day. Empty days became weeks. and those weeks turned to years. Fifteen years of nothing but mundane activities to keep me busy.

When my parents died, our Alpha Wolf, Icarus Kraken, adopted me. From then on the only thing he ever gave me was the title of the Alpha’s son, which even then didn’t truly belong to me, but his biological son. I received all the perks that came with the title, but that didn’t mean anything to me.

In the end I was just searching for who I was. There was nothing there to develop my character. I didn’t have real parents to help me grow into a specific person, and when you’re the son of the most powerful wolf in the pack, you can’t integrate into society.

I felt like an empty shell as far as personality went.

Maybe I did have some character, longing for something to happen. The only thing I could rely on was my feeling of what’s right and what’s wrong, but I wanted to experience something so I could exercise that feeling. I wanted something to surround me, and make me choose where to go next. And that choice would have to change my life forever.

Then I got my wish.

On the fifth night of the waxing crescent moon, the Shadakai nation was sent into a state of panic.

We were going to war.

And that’s when I was forced to chose a path, a path that would sprawl me into a whole new reality, and tie my decisions to the fate of the universe.

This is where the real story begins.

A nation that was feeling the pressure of war, and a nation that was preparing for the upcoming battle.

Icarus Kraken had gathered up all of the lunar-born and began to train them. They’ve been working hard for the past month every single day. We’ll start there.

The Lunar-born had begun today’s training session in the practice field a few minutes ago. I usually head in there to do all kinds of stuff as entertainment. We don’t have any electricity so we don’t use any of the stuff I’ve heard about like Computers, Televisions, or whatever they’re called. We use Lunar Power. The moon charges any necessary equipment like touchscreen tables used to plan events, organize troops and what not. So we don’t have any electronic entertainment. We usually fight and roughhouse in our free time and whatever. It gets boring sometimes.

Like I was saying, Kraken had just started a training session with the troops and Lunar-born, and hastily ran me out of the practice rooms. I was walking out and realized I had forgotten my normal clothes in a locker by the shooting range. I quietly let myself back in, careful not to disturb Kraken’s instruction.

Alright, now that everyone’s spread out, you will take turns shooting your element at the target. Kraken was telling the trainees. You must shoot with the intent to kill. Aim for the center and the rest will follow. This will hone in on your pinpoint accuracy aiming. He then moved himself out of the firing path. He was wearing black armor over his gray long sleeve shirt and thick pants. His face was worn and rough, showing he’s had his fair share of battles. His eyes were dark red and always squinted in either anger or disappointment, if you could see them behind his midnight black hair. It was long and flowing just like his beard.

He barked the command to start. Begin.

All at once the first row of trainees shot their element in a straight path toward the targets about 30 feet away. After each rotation, the targets repaired themselves automatically. All of the guys in the front row did pretty well. They didn’t hit the target completely but they got the idea. Kraken on the other hand looked displeased. Of course he did. He acted like a drill Sergeant. Which he was….bad analogy.

Center people, center! The earth must pierce their heart! The ice must engulf their core! Focus! 

I couldn’t stand his yelling, so I quickly strode to my locker, no longer paying attention to the trainees at work.

I had gathered my things and was on the way out when one of the ice user’s techniques caught my eye. He had made ice shards and was flinging them like shuriken, but kept missing every time.

Yeah, good luck with that crap... I said, louder than I intended it to be.

Everyone stopped and turned toward me. The room became silent and Kraken looked ticked off.

No going back now.

Yeah you. I continued, pointing at the trainee.

He looked at me like I had just called his mother fat.

Why’re you talking to me, normal-born? He responded insultingly.

Well I was trying to play nice, but ok.

Because your technique is garbage, lunar-born. I said back. He then dropped all his ice shuriken and turned around to face me.

What’d you say you little…

Soldier! Kraken stopped him. That is enough from you. He said. Then he turned to me. Then referred to me in my wolf name. Darkwaters, I suggest you remain silent since you lack the possession of elemental abilities.

Sure, but make sure your soldiers can at least fight at a distance. I responded, and began walking out. As I hit the door I heard Kraken say, Do you believe you can do better?

I walked back in and set my clothes on a bench.

I know I can do better. I responded. I walked over to the trainee I was arguing with and held out my hand for his ice shards.

What? No way, mutt.

I shrugged of the insult and said, Just give me the daggers.

Kraken nodded and said, Give him three.

I took the three in my hand and held them as if they were throwing discs. I flung the first one with ease. It whistled through the air and hit the target directly in the outer ring. I was still off. I flung the second one with more direction, and it landed right on the edge of the center.

Hah! The trainee said. Not so easy is it?

It’s because the form of these things suck! I turned to him. Did you make them just with the purpose of it being sharp? They don’t have any harmony with the air at all.

The Lunar-born shrugged. What does that matter? As long as the target is hit it’s fine right?

Kraken stepped in. No, Darkwaters is right. The form of your weapons needs improvement but you have time to do so. Now if you’ll let me continue my class, he said turning to me.

Just let me get one more shot. I said preparing to step forward. Kraken stepped in front of me.

Leave now. You’re being a disturbance. You aren’t Lunar-born and you’re only going to disappoint us so exit now.

This comment upset me, not only because of the remark, but this guy spoke as if he was my real dad. He barely raised me! He didn’t have the right.

I didn’t know what I was doing but in one swift movement I had stepped around him and held out my hand to shoot the target. I summoned what I thought was an arrow made if darkness. My vision became clear and I focused on every target in the room. I released the dark energy in my hand and it shot forward in every target’s direction. Upon impact, ice swallowed the walls of the entire room, freezing the targets and stopping them from resetting.

Even I was taken by surprise; it was ice I had summoned, not dark energy.

We all sat there in shock. I looked around to see if anyone else had fired but everyone stood still. I was the only one with my hand out.

Then I processed what this meant. I was Lunar-born after all.

It’s ice. Someone finally said.

Did you summon all of this? Kraken asked looking at me.

Uh…I believe so. I responded still not moving.

Why did you cover the walls? Another trainee asked.

I...don’t know myself. I was just trying to hit the targets. I answered.

A fire user walked up to the wall nearest to her and attempted to melt the ice.

What the heck? she said after a few seconds of torching the wall. This ice...it won’t melt.

Impossible. Kraken said turning.

The fire user cranked up the heat in her hands, making her flames a bright orange.

Well it’s starting to melt now, but just barely. She continued. And my flames are as hot as the surface of the sun right now. She continued to cover the ice in sun hot flames. Trying to melt it. Kraken walked up to the target in front of me.

It seems your ice is fused with your darkness. Black-Ice. You’ve harnessed an ability it took me years to accomplish. But yours is perfect. Kraken said. He then turned to me. Can you turn it to water?

I tried to process his question.

I tried to liquefy the black ice but it wouldn’t budge. Kraken turned to another water user and told him to do the same. The water user easily turned part of the ice into water with one swift hand movement.

N..no...I can’t

Try using normal ice, Kraken told me.

I tried focusing on creating only the ice this time. I shot another shard, but it emerged as black ice as well. Kraken swiftly reached out and caught it.

Well then… I said putting my hand down.

You’re definitely lunar-born. Kraken said examining the shard. But it seems you can control an element ahead of your experience. Have you used this before?

No not at all. I said.

Tell me, what does it feel like?

I held out my hand and tried to do the same thing again. Just as I had done before, I began summoning darkness, but I concentrated on morphing it into a physical state to have an impact. It worked. I shot another shard of ice forward.

All the other trainees began whispering to one another.

"It just feels...natural. Like I’m still summoning darkness, just in a physical form..

Honestly, Kraken said walking up to me. This makes you the most powerful and advanced Shadakai here.

I almost choked upon hearing those words. Kraken admitted I was the best underage Shadakai here!

What? the trainee asked Kraken. Sir this must be a fluke! He’s tricking us with some lunar device! A device he probably stole from the weaponry!

You will be silent! Kraken commanded him. He gave his attention back to me once more. You will report here tomorrow to begin training with the rest of the class. You will work your way to the top of the ranks and help me lead this pack into war.

Normally I would’ve thrown anything this guy said to the side, but I did want to test my abilities and this was the best way to hone in on them.

Fine. But don’t expect this to be bonding time for you and me. You’re just my caretaker, and now, military Sergeant. I said.

So be it. Kraken said not changing his expression an inch. Session dismissed. Be in bed before curfew, we’re running laps after breakfast tomorrow.

Yes sir! They all announced simultaneously.

The ice trainee approached me while everyone else was leaving.

I will not let you get to that top spot, mutt. Got that?

Sorry but I’m Lunar-born. You couldn’t possibly be referring to me. I said smirking.

He growled and then walked off.

I then grabbed my clothes and walked out of the room. 

I wove my way through the crowds and busy pathways out into the forest.

Our pack lives in a network of caves, each one used as a shop or living quarters for families. The main cave is where all the important stuff goes down, and where Kraken and I live. It acts as our capitol and can be seen high above the trees, touching the moonlight.

I started on the dirt road leading to the main cave and got to the edge of a shop site. There I saw some cubs around a campfire. They were hunched in with worried looks on their faces, science books and history textbooks scattered around them.

What’s going on? I asked nonchalantly, This looks like an emergency meeting.

We’ve just discovered that the day of the war, one kid said, "is during the period of the eclipse! That the Half-dogs will be totally powerless, and