Perspective 1 - Dusk of the Phoenix

Far in the countryside, a house too modest for it’s inhabitants sat.

???: Papa! Look I made a sword out of fire! Check it out!

A little girl, one enamored by magic, sought out her father’s attention.

Papa: Wow! Very impressive Ash! My little girl has finally achieved elemental armaments! Quite the prodigy eh?

With those comments, the little girl started beaming with joy. Her happiness was bright such that her father could barely look at her without being blinded by cuteness.

Such was simply part of daily life for the remnants of House Phoenix. Though once a great house, focusing all of their efforts on magic led them to being outwitted politically. Thus, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere in far too modest house. Truthfully though, the former Baron and Baroness didn’t really care. As long as their daughter was safe, and they were still able to practice magic, they would be happy.

You would be correct to call them foolish and ignorant. Refusing to pay attention to anything but their own happiness, they neglected the duties that were required of nobles. Even after being punished for their negligence, they continued to live as if nothing had changed.

They never even saw how much danger they were putting their precious daughter in.

Once again they would be used by another noble family. This time as a scapegoat, the very people they had once neglected would be turning their ire towards them.

From the perspective of Ash’s Papa and Momma, it just looked like a bunch of farmers and peasants busted down their door in the middle of the night out of nowhere. It would have been easy for two high ranking mages to kill all of the peasants in an instant, but instead-

???: -Icicle Fortress

???: Papa I’m scared. What’s going on?

Ash’s father had never killed anyone before. He was just a researcher of ice magic– there had never been a reason for him to ever fight. Therefore, instead of fighting, he chose to build a wall around those he wanted to protect.

Papa: Ash, everything is going to be alright

???: We should run towards the woods.

Papa: you’re right. Here, take Ash. I’ll hold them off and then come after you guys.

A good, calm assessment of the situation led the Baron to this conclusion. It was a good plan –except that he had failed to realize that it was not just peasants and farmers who were attacking them that night.

Leaping over the Icy wall and out of their house, the family landed in the lawn outside.

Papa: Veil nos with thine well –Fog Recluse

With this spell, the baron covered the entire area with a thick fog. Without missing a beat, he then summoned dozens of Ice walls between them and their assailants.

Papa: Run. I’ll be right behind you.

???: I love you

With that, Ash’s mother took her daughter up in her arms and ran full tilt towards the forest.

Ash: Momma, what’s going on? Why is this happening?

Truthfully, Ash’s mother didn’t really know why this was happening herself.

Momma: Don’t worry sweetie, everything will be all right.

Weaving between trees, the pair ran. The baron’s fog spell was strong enough that it penetrated deep into the forest, making it hard for Ash to see even a few feet in front of her face. Yet somehow, Ash’s mother managed to skillfully navigate the dense forest.

???: That’s as far as you’ll go

Finally, the factor that House Phoenix had failed to calculate revealed itself. 10 men dressed in all black surrounded the pair. The fog that had been shrouding them somehow disappeared. Though Ash had recalled being unable to even see mere moments ago, now even the skies were completely clear and the moonlight shone bright enough to illuminate the shadowy figures before her.

Ash: Why are you doing this?

Somehow finding courage within herself, the little girl shouted as hard as she could.

Shadowy figure: What are you talking about? We aren’t doing anything. –It’s those peasants that are going to kill you. Officially, we’re not even here.

With that, the shadowy figure leaped in with a dagger. Immediately conjuring a spear of Ice, the Baroness parried the attack. The rest of the figures moved in to attack and a fierce battle began.

All little Ash could do was cling to her mother whose defenses were slowly getting chipped away.

The baroness was quite skillful considering the fact that she was carrying a child while fighting 10 skilled assassins. However, there was no way she would be winning this fight.

Well, that depends on how you define winning in this scenario. To the Baroness, all she needed was for her precious daughter to survive the night. Thus, from the moment the fighting had begun she had been chanting a spell that if finished would guarantee her victory–

Momma: -Thus, having given my all to your heavenly grace I beseech thee protect that which is my salvation –Impenetrable Sanctuary

Ash: MOMMA!

An Ice sphere several meters thick appeared and wrapped itself around Ash. In casting this spell, the Baroness left herself completely open and was instantly skewered from all directions by the assassins. However, she had won.

Moamma: Be a good girl Ash. Grow up well– That’s all I ask.

While the Baroness said her final farewell to her child, the assassins did everything in their power to chip away at the Ice blocking them from their mission. However, the ice regenerated faster than they could dig and started arguing amongst themselves once realizing how fruitless it was. Ash, alone in her sanctuary, was rapidly losing consciousness due to the cold.

Ash: I want to wake up from this nightmare.

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???: So you’re the last Phoenix…

The Baron of House Phoenix had one last contingency in his plans. That was to break a twinstone that he always kept on his person. This certain stone was special because it came in pairs. Once one stone was broken, it’s pair would also break. The one who had been the owner of the pair to the Baron’s twinstone was a longtime friend who would one day father a “fraud” named Adam.

???: Don’t worry my old friend, I’ll protect her as best I can.

Thus, the Marquess sheltered the little girl in his own estate. Training her as a maid and helping her to one day avenge her parents.

Perhaps the Marquess wanted to prevent Ash from going down a dark path, or maybe he just wanted the world’s strongest maid to protect his son. Either way, he ended up assigning Ash to be Adam’s personal maid against his wife’s wishes.

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Ash: Sorry Adam, I lied to you.

Truthfully, Ash had known the identity of the assailants. They were the same assassins that she had met years ago (though currently greater in number), and through her investigation, she found that they worked for Duke Lagrimas.

Ash: I’m glad that my revenge decided to show up on my front door. Saves me the trouble of finding you myself.

???: You seem to be mistaken missy. You’re all alone now. Don’t you know that you’ll be dying here tonight?

Ash: You don’t have to worry about me getting lonely. I know at least you’ll be keeping me company in hell.

Naturally, Ash couldn’t help but be reminded of the similarities between this situation and the one her mother faced all those years ago. Surrounded, and trying to protect someone extremely important to them. But this scenario was slightly different. Adam was already safe as long as no one got past her.

Ash: So all I have to worry about is killing these sick fucks.

In that moment, one of the assassins got a bit too hasty and went in for an attack from behind. Ash skillfully dodged the knife, conjured a sword of fire, and stabbed the man in the neck. In that same moment, she also cast a spell:

Ash: –Golden Phoenix Raindance

Instantly, the room was completely set ablaze. Using the raging fire as a cover, she killed five more assassins. But looking down, she noticed that there was a knife sticking out of her leg.

When had she been stabbed? Was it a spell?

She hadn’t recalled anyone chanting anything though…

Deciding to change her tactic, she changed her flame sword into a whip and swung it in a wide arc around the room.

???: Eminence of the Moon –Shadow Gauntlets

Catching Ash’s whip in his hand, the man who had been taunting Ash earlier made his move. Then, he pulled the whip towards himself, breaking Ash’s stance. Ash instantly dropped the whip, but In that moment, another assassin moved in and sliced Ash’s wrist clean off.

Calmly, Ash assessed the current situation. Then, in a fraction of a second she came to a conclusion and committed to it completely, sneaking back into the raging flames.

???: Just give up nicely now and I’ll make it painless. I know you’re not fire proof either, so this helps no one.

The lead assassin was correct in that Ash was, in fact, not immune to her own flames. However, to Ash it didn’t really matter if she got a little burnt as she continued chanting her spell.

Hearing Ash’s mutterings, the lead assassin noticed a little too late what she was trying to do.

???: EVERYONE GET HER RIGHT NOW!

Ash smiled at that response from the lead assassin, and mostly dodging the simultaneous attack from over 10 assassins she managed to finish her chant:

Ash: …thus the Phoenix has found her nest. Yet beyond the dusk of the Phoenix lies the dawn of hope --To you, my rose

Everyone in the room was instantly eviscerated. After the bright flash of light faded a bit, a rose of fire bloomed from where the estate once stood.

Its a victory for Ash.