Not a Thief, a Hero

Shen's eyes were glued to the huge fireball that had grown in the north. The angry orange light painted the clouds and pulsed against the night sky. The knot of fear in his stomach got tighter. Kelly. Fenix. In the middle of all that chaos, they were there. He thought of a thousand terrible things that could happen, each one worse than the last, but the Warlord's calm voice cut through his thoughts.

"How can we ever get to them in time?" Shen's voice was strained, and the worry he tried to hide came through.

The Warlord's lips curled into a strange half-smile. "Patience, Shen," he said in a strange, comforting way that sounded like both authority and comfort. "I have a way."

The Warlord put two fingers to his lips and blew a loud, sharp whistle that seemed to cut through the air. Shen was confused and followed his gaze up into the dark. A shadow broke away from the stars and grew bigger and clearer at an impossible speed. The moonlight caught its shape, showing the amazing outline of a huge bird. A huge hawk came down from the sky and landed in front of them with a grace that seemed impossible for something so big. Shen instinctively stepped back and reached for the hilt of his sword. The hawk landed on the stone floor, its huge body balanced by its beautiful wings. In the dim light, its feathers shone like polished silver, and its smart, piercing eyes seemed to shine with ancient wisdom.

The Warlord climbed onto the giant bird's back like he was getting on a horse. He turned and held out his hand to Shen. "There's no time to waste. Come.

Shen's mind was racing with a hundred questions, but he didn't let them get to him. Getting to Fenix and Kelly was the only thing that mattered. He took the Warlord's hand and pulled himself up behind him. The hawk sent them flying into the air with a strong downbeat of its huge wings. As the wind started to whip at Shen's face, the force of the ascent pushed him back. The hawk flew through the night at an amazing speed, soaring above the huge dunes of the desert. The sands below turned into a rippling, moonlit sea.

Shen's worry grew with every second they flew. The hawk was so fast that its wide wings cut through the air without making a sound. But as they got closer to the northern city where Fenix and Kelly were praying, the scene below turned into a nightmare.

The whole city was on fire. Imperial soldiers flooded the streets like locusts, and as they broke into homes and stores, their torches made the fire worse. A thick, choking cloud of smoke and ash rose from many burning buildings, along with the sounds of destruction and despair. The city was a war zone, and it felt like the fight would never end. His heart sank further with each passing second, until he saw a flash of movement that looked familiar.

There. It was those people.

Fenix and Kelly were stuck in a small courtyard with no way out, fighting for their lives. Fenix was hurt badly; a deep, bloody cut ran down his left cheek, and he moved slowly and with pain. It was clear that he was getting worse quickly. Kelly stood next to him, trying to protect him from the Imperial soldiers who were getting closer and closer, their blades shining in the firelight.

Shen felt a rush of pure adrenaline when he saw them trapped like that. He didn't think twice. He pulled out his sword with a metallic rasp and leaned toward the Warlord, his voice full of urgency. "I need to get down there!" Now!

The Warlord looked back and saw Shen's eyes for a moment. He then nodded sharply. "Brace yourself," was all he said. The hawk turned sharply and dove down toward the mess below. It flew low over the courtyard with a terrifying screech, and its huge wings made a wind that blew soldiers off their feet. The Warlord told the hawk exactly how to attack in a scary way. There were screams as deadly wing strikes and huge talons cleared a path through the flashes of silver feathers. Shen jumped off the bird's back in the midst of the chaos.

He landed in a crouch, sword ready, and charged the soldiers closest to him right away.

Kelly's head snapped up from the middle of the fight. "Shen!" she yelled, her voice full of shock and overwhelming relief.

Shen stood between his friends and the enemy and pointed his sword at the soldiers who were coming toward him. "Get Fenix out of here!" he yelled in a deep, growling voice. "Go! "I'll hold them off!"

Kelly thought about it for a second, but when she saw the determination in Shen's eyes, she nodded. She lifted Fenix's arm over her shoulder and started to move him as quickly as she could toward the alleys. Shen focused all of his attention on the group of soldiers rushing at him, and his sword became a blur of steel as he met their charge. He had one goal in mind: to keep his friends safe.

For every soldier he killed, another one took their place. Shen blocked, dodged, and hit back with all his strength. His muscles were screaming in pain, and his body was begging for a break, but he wouldn't give in. This was a fight to stay alive, a fight for Kelly and Fenix.

The Warlord came down into the fight just as his strength was starting to fade, his arms were getting heavy, and his vision was getting blurry at the edges. He landed without making a sound, and his sword was already moving. Shen's fighting was desperate and brutal, but the Warlord's was an art form. His movements were smooth and deadly. He deflected a soldier's axe with a flick of his wrist that was almost invisible, then ran him through. His strikes were always on target, and his parries were always easy. His blade found the weak spots in enemy armor as if it were drawn to them.

Shen and the Warlord became an unstoppable force when they fought back-to-back. The battle changed very quickly. The sounds of battle started to fade as the Imperial soldiers fell to their twin blades one by one. The Warlord stood still and shook the blood off his sword when the last one fell. His face didn't change. Shen finally let himself take a break after being tired and out of breath.

The immediate danger was gone. Shen dropped his sword on the stone ground and ran to Fenix's side. Kelly was already kneeling next to him, her face full of pain. Fenix had fallen down because he couldn't hold up his own weight anymore. He was breathing shallowly, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Shen knelt down and held Fenix's head in his lap. "Fenix, just hold on," he begged, his voice full of fear and hopelessness. "Stay with me." "Everything is going to be fine!"

Fenix's lips curled into a faint, painful smile. He struggled for a breath. "Shen..." he said in a hoarse voice that was barely a whisper. "Let them remember... a hero, not a thief."

Fenix's breath shook one last time, and the light in his eyes started to fade. As he breathed his last, his body went limp in Shen's arms. Fenix was no longer there.