No, this isn't one of my best. But the voting asked for a fantasy- so I thought to fix up a story idea I had a year ago; so the first page or so may be a bit of a different style. I edited it up though, so don't mind that.
Oh and this story is a mix of too much anime, last year's Social Studies class, and my first shot at some mythical beasts. Near the end, you've got two mythical creatures, but I won't reveal much. Sequel material? Perhaps.
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These airships... Most I know hate them, feel sick or whatever, but me? Nah, the wind in your face, watching the people below go about on their daily lives as you float high above, and the freedom of it. Beautiful.
Enter the Firebird, probably one of the most sought after airships of these seven skies. But the two of us pilot it, two lost soldiers, two with the worst pasts... No matter, those sad days are behind us. But we get reminded every day.
Me? My name is Nicolai Troy, But I’m usually called Nick by Cornelius Kennan, my good friend and partner. I call him Ken, by the way. His first name is a bit of a mouthful.
We live a carefree life of sailing the skyways, and occasionally picking up someone and getting them somewhere where they need to go, just like a taxi- carriage. We get paid a small fortune, probably because some of our customers want lifts out of a country. One wanted a lift from Scotland to South India, once! We ate well that night...
You need more info, listener? Well, I shall try.
Our pasts... Well, we were part of the Jade Bullet, a group of mercenaries that has recently taken over a small African country. We were part of them when they were just fighting for cash.
I was nothing more than a squad-man when all the insanity came around. The Jade Bullet were experts at magic, and several types. They needed better, more vicious troops. So they started changing killer animals into humans for troops. Full humans, and with most of the two dozen tests, it didn’t work. Most of them were trying to claw up a chair with cut fingernails, and some would naw on the limbs of killed enemies. They’d never speak, they were also terrible shots with a musket, and they occasionally ate the dead, so the project was stopped, and the transmuted killed. All but one. Cornelius.
What he was before... I don’t know. I’ve asked, he never said. He’s silent when he wants too, and then the center of a party the next. He’s ferocious in a fight, and the sniper training that he got made him even more deadly, especially with his modified musket. He was thrown into our barracks one day, and nearly everyone gave him the same treatment as the others transmuted- beatings.
A couple of troops would block him from passing through a hall, or they would purposefully bump him. I’ve seen them knock over his food and one even went after him with a knife. He’s got a thick skin, so the whippings the squadron gave him didn’t harm as much as they should’ve. But he still wears the scars.
I was the one who helped him. I learned that he could talk- quite well, actually, and told some of the higher ranks that. They gave him sniper training and his own gun- a high power and high capacity rifle with a adjustable scope, top of the class. Used magic to work, too. Then a firefight started between me, Ken versus some of the squadron. We were placed in front of the high command, and we had a trial. They put curses on us. They did nothing much apparent, but they do have the occasional effect. They will slow us down sometimes, make it hard for us to fight, but we live with it. Live with it while everyone we knew died...
We tried to run from the blighters, but they caught us within a short time. But then they put the curses on us and then kicked us out. They said that they were curses, but I wouldn’t know. This happened at least 30 years ago, and we haven’t aged at all...
And now... Well, same old.

Ken was at the wheel.
'Nick! How close are we to the nearest town?!’ He shouted. I looked over the rail, at the ground I could see a small town in the distance.
'Just keep on going for another 50 kilometers or so!’ I shouted. I watched his jacket flap in the breeze. He wore some thick, battered pants and an equally thick leather jacket. He had his trademark rifle on his back, and his dark blond hair fluttered in the wind. The wind picked up, and I had to hold my multi-colored long-coat on. I’ve been mistaken for a minstrel in this thing, but it works. It used to be made of leather, but it was mostly patches now- just shows the things I’ve had to do. Very warm, very good looking. I had my sword sheathed on my belt. I walked over to Ken.
'This town... What’s it called?’ Ken asked.
I looked at a small map I had with me. 'Vicksburg.’ I replied. Ken groaned.
'Another? We’ve been to five of the damn things ever since we’ve gotten the airship!’
'Of course, one was a large city...’ I replied.
'Yeah, I remember that. Even that snake tamer there.’ Ken replied.
'Oh, still going on about that, huh? Well, this one’s a small town. I’ve heard they’ve been needing some food.’ I replied, grinning. We had a grain and food cargo below our feet.
'Ah, making some cash. Good.’ Ken replied as he steered the ship. We were silent for another few minutes.
'You don’t suppose this has some of the J.B. lurking in it, do you?’ Ken asked.
'I damn well hope not.’ I replied as we descended.

We landed in a barren rocky field outside of town. A small group of townspeople started approaching us as I dropped the board to allow us down.
'Sad place...’ Ken muttered. 'Smells like death...’
'Yoohoo! Sirs!’ One of the townspeople shouted. It was an old, balding man in some battered -but somewhat respectable- clothing. A farmer, perhaps? He was quite short.
'You two wouldn’t happen to be selling any types of food would you? We’d pay handsomely for it!’ He said once he reached us. A group of people followed him, all looking hungry. Some type of leader person. Political, perhaps.
'Actually, we have a good sized shipment.’I responded. ‘Name’s Nicolai, Call me Nick. And this is Ken. What you willing to buy?’

We managed to sell off most of the cargo, giving the town enough food for several weeks and enough seeds for the next season for a nice price which didn’t harm the town and gave us enough money to eat a fancy meal. But we sat at a bar, talking about past ventures.
'We’ve traveled for so long... 30 years, you, me, the Firebird, and the soaring wind. Selling foods for a living, traveling all over the world... Ah, this is the life.’ I said, sipping my drink.
'Indeed. But don’t you think that it was a little odd that they bought our whole shipment? I mean, that was half a ton of wheat...’ Ken said.
'Eh, that’s no surprise. This area’s been suffering a bad drought for the past few months. Those fields were dry as the desert.’ I replied.
'Nick, those trees outside the building in the square were green and leafy. Hell, didn’t it rain just last night?’
'While we were in the Firebird, a good several hundred miles from this area. Something’s up.’
I leaned over and spoke in a hushed tone. 'You don’t suppose that the Jade Bullet has something to do with it?’
'I wouldn’t be surprised.’ Ken replied, taking a swig from his bottle of booze. There was a loud Wham! behind us as a young girl- about 16, long black hair, and clad in an expensive red robe- crashed in. She was sweating and looking around, like she was being chased. She quickly hid in one of the booths.
'What do you reckon that was about?’ I said, watching the girl wipe some sweat off of her forehead.
'Something’s up. We may have to fight; keep your hand near your sword.’ Ken replied. I lowered my hand to my lap, near the handle of my blade. The girl was arguing furiously with the bartender, who was trying to get her to leave. I was about to approach the man when two others entered the bar. They wore the dark green embroidered long coats that I recognized so well- Jade Bullet Mercenaries! Both of them carried a musket that had a special barrel that had a ring of jade at the end- it supposedly made the shot fly straight and true. They were both gruff men in their forties, one had a short brown beard, the other was clean shaven. The one with the beard wore a black beret.
‘Has anyone seen a young, 16 year old girl with black hair and a red gown? She may have passed by here.’ One of them said. The bartender- a 60 year old man with a long, grey beard- pulled the girl up by her hair.
‘This her, fellas?’ He said. The bearded J.B. mercenary started towards her, but I quickly stood up and blocked his path. I kept my hand on my sword.
'Out of the way, peasant.’ He said. I turned to the girl.
'I suggest you run.’ I said, before turning to the mercenary and drawing my blade. Due to how the sheath is designed, the friction from yanking out the blade at a high speed ignites the wood in between the dual blades; thus, a sword of fire. The mercenaries gasped.
'It’s Nicolai Troy! Get him!’ The bearded one said. They both raised their muskets. I nodded to Ken- he then bashed the clean shaven J.B. thug with his rifle, and I went after the bearded one’s leg. The clean shaven one crumpled to the ground, out cold. The bearded one fell over, batting at his now flaming robe. His shot went astray into the ceiling.
'You cater to these hoodlums?’ I said to the bartender.
'They’re paying customers- and can you not fight in my bar, please?’ He said. I snuffed the flame on my blade and then knocked the other mercenary out.
'You best get rid of these guys.’ I said to the bartender, before turning to Ken. 'Ken, we best move. See if we can find that girl.’ I said he followed me to the back of the bar and out the rear door.

We entered a rather disgusting back alley that had pools of some liquid that wasn’t water. the girl was cowering in a dark corner.
'Hey, it’s just me and a friend. We aren’t going to harm you.’ I said, sheathing my sword. I offered her a hand, which she took after hesitating.
'Name’s Nikolai. Call me Nick, though. My friend’s called Ken. Why were those crooks after you?’ I asked, intrigued.
‘I don’t know... They mentioned something about me being ‘special’, like I was some five year old. Name’s Dawn, by the way. Dawn Hall. Have you heard of me?’ She said, pulling herself up and brushing herself off.
‘No, should have we?’ Ken asked.
‘Eh, some people know of me in some circles. Nothing important. Thanks for dealing with those guys, by the way.’ Dawn said.
‘Do you have some parents somewhere?’ I asked.
‘Hey, I’m not some lost toddler! I’ve sustained myself for a long time, hell I have a good bit of cash.’ She replied, annoyed.
‘Sorry for saying that, then.’ I said. Ken nudged me aside.
‘Can we give you a lift anywhere? We have an airship- we tend to travel all over the globe. It’ll cost you something and it’ll take awhile, but we can take you, well... pretty damn near anywhere. Pardon my language.’ Ken said. Dawn was silent for awhile.
'You know what, that’d be quite nice. I need to get to somewhere I can hide. Any suggestions?’
'The New World, easily. The British colonies there are a very sleepy place, and far away from the Jade Bullet mercs.’
'But how much...?’
'Only about 500 pounds. Not much for that ride.’ I said
'I’ve only got 600!’
'Commercial companies will charge you 1000 for that type of trip, stuff you in a crowded, run-down airship, and not even give you the same magical protection Ken and I can give. Also, the 500 pays for bed, three meals, and a nice place out on deck if you choose. Travel from the Britain to their colonies in the new world’s going to take about... What do you reckon, Cornelius? 3 days?’
'Cornelius?’ Dawn asked.
'My real name, my lady.’ Ken said.
'Oh, how fancy!’ Dawn exclaimed. Ken confirmed my question- three days. Dawn agreed, and we were off the next morning. Everything seemed to be going just fine... Until the J.B. started going after us again.

The first two days went perfect. Dawn was great, polite company. She enjoyed the trip, too. But when we sighted the glittering shores of the New World, we also sighted a pair of Jade Bullet airships, their cannons ready, their green balloons reflecting the sunlight. I was in my cabin when Ken called me on deck. I ran up. Dawn was out on the front deck, watching the airships approach. Ken had his rifle ready- the Firebird had but one cannon, mounted under the front deck.
‘Dawn, get below decks, now! This is going to be a hell of a fight!’ I shouted to the lady.
‘I can fight too, you know! Just tell me what to do!’ She shouted back. A cannonball flew past the ship, falling away. They were attacking!
‘Alright, get below the front deck, there’s a cannon on a pivot down there! You know how to use it?’ I replied.
‘Actually, yeah. You can count on me!’ Dawn said before running down the stairs to the lower deck. I turned to Ken, who was at the wheel.
‘Ken, you ready to fight? I recognize those things; they’re more than just attack vessels, they’re J.B. Devastators. They’re made of solid metal...’
'So it’s time, huh?’ Ken replied.
'Unless we want to crash and burn.’ I replied. 'Keep the old girl on course, I’ll activate the flame systems.’ I said, running over to a knob built into a wooden box. The Firebird hadn’t been called that for no reason, you know. She was built just for me and my special... magic, as it were. I use it when needed, but every time, it feels like I’m slipping away...
I guess that was my curse.
Two handles slid out from the floor in the front of the ship. I ran over and grabbed each, standing in the center. These handles took what magic I put into them and ran it through the ship. I can easily cause some serious damage to our attackers. One of the Devastators had already put a cannonball through the deck behind me, and a second one almost tore a hole in the main balloon. Dawn was launching some cannonballs of her own back- they weren’t doing anything to the ships themselves, but they were aimed to the upper decks. I saw one cannonball send two green-clad goons tumbling off the side of one of the ships. Girl’s a good shot.
I clenched the handles as Ken swung the Firebird to where her starboard side was facing the ships. I winced, and summoned some magic into the handles. I opened my eyes, and things had changed, like usual. I called it the Nether.
The Firebird had seemingly been set well alight- flames everywhere. I was standing in flames as well, but they weren’t hot. Ken wasn’t at the wheel, but another being. Reptilian in nature, but I couldn’t quite see what it was due to the flames. What I could see was the creature standing right in front of me. It was bird-like, but made of what seemed to be but fire. It was humanoid, but had a pair of wings- massive ones, with a wingspan of nearly 20 feet-, they seemed to be made of flames as well. It also had a sharp, angry beak, and the eyes flickered with blue fire. Every time I used the Firebird’s magic amplifiers, this happened, but lasted for about a minute. Usually, this creature watched me for that minute, but this time it spoke...
'The end is coming, young Nicolai. The Jade Bullet may just cause it...’
'And how do I stop it?’ I asked.
'Follow what you belive, and use your own abilities. Your curse will help, in the end. The Jade Bullet unwittingly destroyed themselves when they gave you it. Call it a... Blessing.’
I suddenly snapped right out of the Nether as a massive ball of fire formed around the Firebird, rapidly expanding and vaporizing the Devastators. I blacked out.

I woke up slumped against the railing next to Ken, who was still at the wheel. I groaned and staggered up. Ken looked over.
'Damn, I thought I lost you that time.’ He said.
'Not yet. Where’s Dawn?’ I asked. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
'I think she’s in her berth. When you caused the fireball, it caused a hell of an explosion, vaporizing the J.B. ships. They were close enough to where we could see the skeletons of the mercenaries on the ships as their flesh was ripped from them. You best check in on her, try to explain.’ Ken said.
'Ugh... Good idea.’ I said, clutching my head. Creating those fireballs caused one hell of a headache. I walked down the stairs and behind them to the individual berths; there were four. One the Ken and I shared, and the other three for passengers. Dawn was in the one across from ours. I opened the door, and found her crying on the hammock. I walked over.
'You alright? I’m sorry you had to see that, but there was no other way...’ I said. 'The Jade Bullet’s after me and Ken too, you know. Have been for many years. Ken and I were actually ex- Jade Bullet mercenaries, you know. Left them when they became tyrants. Cursed me and Ken- that was supposed to be my curse. Fire. Thing is, they may have gotten it wrong. I always seem to use it against them, and get the better of them. You’re not used to combat, are you? Too young...’
'You act so old...’ Dawn sobbed.
'That’s the other half of Ken’s and my curse. Damn near eternal life, to watch everyone that we know and love die of old age while we remained young. The J.B. have been around for so many years, ever since the Chinese created gunpowder. We’ve been around for about that long, you know. God, that was so many years ago... Ken didn’t have a family, but I did. A mother, father, two brothers, and several children. I watched every single one of them die. I’ve tried killing myself, you know. Doesn’t quite work. Just causes me extreme pain. Ken’s the only friend who’s stayed with me. Never changing, never aging. We’re de-sensitized to the violence. You’re going to have to hang in there, young one.’ I said. Dawn sobbed again, and then hugged me, still crying. I hugged her back.

We soon landed in a small town up in the Rockies. The wind was blowing hard, and the townsfolk were in their cabins, warm by their fires. No one saw us land.
‘Are you sure this town’s safe from the Jade Bullet?’ Dawn asked me.
‘It’s our best bet. It’s hidden, high up, and rather sleepy. The J.B. are going to be after us for the next several years as well; we haven’t had to do that sort of fighting for a good few years. They’re going to want revenge, so it’s unlikely that anyone’s going to go after you. Just live here for awhile, they Jade Bullet should forget about you in time. Keep a low profile. They’ll forget about you in a few years.’ I said.
'And try not to hide anywhere you can’t usually go anyways- that’s easily the worst type of place to hide.’ Ken said.
'A few years? Come on, this place is tiny!’ Dawn said, annoyed.
'It’s the best you’ve got.’ I said. 'Come on, shall we go find some food? I’m buying.’

We entered a small tavern called the Road’s end. We entered, and a small, round man in a white coat greeted us from behind a bar. I guess they allowed younger people in here, because he looked quite happy to see us.
'Greetings, welcome to my little tavern at this end of the road.’ He said, twirling his large, grey mustache. I looked around, there wasn’t anyone here. It was indeed a small tavern, but it was totally empty.
'Whatever you’re willing to make’s fine with me.’ I said. Ken said about the same thing.
'How about some stuffed turkey?’ We nodded. He turned to Dawn. 'And you, lady?’
'Just some onion soup for me, thanks.’ She said. The man nodded. 'That’ll add up to... Nine dollars, fellas.’ I handed him the cash, and he went to the back kitchen. We were silent, so the man began talking.
'So, where you folks from? Your accents make me wanna say you’ve come a long ways.’ He said, his own accent showing.
'Britain, getting away from the hostilities there. Things are starting to get hectic.’ Ken replied.
'Well, how everything’s been happening, you may want to stick around here. The dayum Brits- pardon me, lady- may end up just causing a revolution. Hope ya didn’t take offense.’
'None taken. I never liked Britain anyhow.’ Dawn said.
'Really? Revolution? I’m interested.’ I said.
'Yeah, there’s been constant fightin’ out in the big cites and the like.’ He said. 'Name’s Matthew. And you kind folks are...?’
'Call me Nick. My friends are Ken and Dawn.’ I said.
'Glad to meet ya, and I’m glad that you came! With all of this talk of ta revolution, everyone’s afraid to leave their houses! It’s bad for business, ya know.’ Matthew said.
'Anything we can do to help?’ Ken asked.
'One wouldn’t know. It’s becoming a warzone, ya know. People are scared to leave their homes.’ Matthew said.
'A warzone, huh...? Matthew, you heard of the Jade Bullet?’ I asked.
'Ah, yeah. Small army of mercenaries, right? Tend to be right loons, and worship jade, yeah?’ He asked.
'That’s them. What’s your opinion on them?’
'They’re obviously going to join in the fighting with whoever pays them first. And whoever pays them the most is likely to win.’ Matthew said, shrugging. 'I just hope Benjamin Franklin or someone in America buys them off first.’ He brought out two chicken breasts and a bowl of soup. 'You guys enjoy, hhmm?’ He said, smiling. We ate our food, and then later went to sleep back in the Firebird, only because Matthew had to close up shop once we were done. I went to bed with thoughts of revolution stuck in my head.

We left the next afternoon without Dawn. She didn’t say much of a goodbye...
We floated over some of the mountains, keeping a watch out for attacking ships. I was at the wheel, my jacket fluttering in the wind. It was snowing a bit, but I wasn’t even cold. Ken looked practically frozen.
‘Ken, why the hell haven’t you gone down by the igniters for the balloon, where its warm? I can handle it up here.’ I said.
‘I know you can, its just... I have a feeling that something’s going to happen. Something big, and soon.’ He replied. I was silent for a second.
'...Remember yesterday, when I had to destroy the two Devastators?’ I asked Ken. He was shivering in his thick coat, gloves, and boots.
'Of course, bud. Wasn’t that long ago.’ He replied.
'Remember me mentioning the Nether before, and that creature?’ I said.
'Of course.’
'Yesterday, it spoke...’ I said, turning the ship around a mountain top.
'Really? What’d it say?’ Ken asked.
'It pretty much said that our curses will soon become blessings.’
'Think it has something to do with the possible coming revolution?’
'Likely.’ I said. There was a loud crash from under our feet,a nd Ken and I looked at each other.
'You didn’t turn hard enough to cause something to fall...’ Ken said.
'Stowaways?’ I suggested. Ken nodded. I gestured for him to take the wheel, and he did. I climbed down the stairs, to where the crash came form. Sounded like the kitchen.
I drew my sword. We’ve had stowaways before, and they’re usually dangerous.
Our kitchen wasn’t much; just a gas-powered oven and some crates of salted, preserved foods. I cracked open a crate and almost swung my sword down, if it wasn’t for Dawn holding up her arms to protect herself. I sheathed my sword and offered her a hand. She slowly took it.
'I thought I told you to stay in that town...’ I said.
'I’m not a small town girl, Nick. I need to be out there. I want to stick with you guys.’ Dawn said, wiping the fruit off of herself.
'But you’ll age, Ken and I won’t.’
'I don’t care; there’s not really anything left for me out there. I have no family that cares about me, no personal belongings but the clothes on my back, and no intentions out there. I’ve got no where else to go, and I don’t really care what happens now.’ She said.
'It’s dangerous, you know.’ I said.
'As I said, I don’t care.’ I sighed.
'You best come up to top deck, then.’

We stepped onto top deck when Ken noticed us.
'Dawn- why... I thought you were going to stay at the town!’ Ken exclaimed.
'She also wants to stay with us.’ I said. Ken was silent for a moment.
'Last time someone stayed with us, it ended badly...’ Ken muttered. I nodded solemnly. Last time someone traveled with us, it was an African woman looking for a land where her people weren’t enslaved. She never found it; the slavers found her first.
There was a large gust of wind as a large amount of snow was blown into our faces. We all turned to see where the blast came from, just to see four small J.B. airship, all coming towards us! These ones were powered by massive fans to give them propulsion, so they’re easy to spot.
'You know, I sometimes wish that we had more normal weapons...’ I said, running up and turning the knob to deploy the magic amplifiers. I ran down to them.
'Ken, keep the ship away from the attackers! Dawn, just stay out of the way...’ I shouted before grabbing the handles. This time when I grabbed them, magic didn’t flow out from me, but it entered me...
I opened my eyes to the Nether, again. The bird-like creature stood in front of me, very close.
'Your curse shall become a blessing today; for you, and for Cornelius...’ It said. I then, all of a sudden, could feel the fire that consumed the ship... I let go out of the pain, but I was still in the Nether. The bird creature was gone, and the flames didn’t hurt any more. I raised my arm towards the attacking ships- not under my own volition, I may add- and let loose a ball of fire. I don’t know how, or why, but it happened. One of the ships exploded in flames, and the others opened fire.
I dodged a cannonball that was aimed directly at me and actually caught it. I didn’t even try to, it just happened!
Learn to trust me, Nikolai. I will be your savior in these dark times.
I swung myself around and threw the cannonball back at the attacking ships. It fell short. I saw Dawn running past me, looking perfectly normal. Ken wasn’t, though. He was still at the wheel, wearing the same clothing. But he wasn’t the same. A reptilian creature stood in his clothes, long tail thrashing behind him. His long face looked angry, and his large, bat-like wings moved slowly, looking like he was ready to fly away. His claws scratched our old wooden wheel.
I let loose another fireball which scorched another ship, igniting the balloon. A second ship crashed down towards the mountains.
Another cannonball flew right past me, crashing through the deck, sending burning wood everywhere. Of course, it wasn’t actually burning...
Was it?
I launched another fireball, destroying the third ship. The fourth one turned around, and with a last cannonball, it flew off. I staggered, fell down, and then blinked; I had left the Nether suddenly. I had control over myself again. Ken rushed over to my side.
'Damn it, Nick! What the hell did you do, that wasn’t even with the amplifiers! How did you do it...?’
'I...don’t... know.’ I responded, very tired and very sore. I collapsed.

I woke up. Sort of. It was the Nether, but just all flame. Flame as far as the eye can see, and a black sky full of stars above. Brighter than even the darkest night. I was standing on an old, rusty platform in the shape of a cross, and I was right in the center of it. I could see the flaming bird-creature standing on the long end.
'War is coming, Nikolai.’
'Obviously. Where are we, and what the hell happened?’ I asked.
'I helped you in that fight. Sorry for the discomfort of not being able to control your own body, but it was needed.’
'You let one go. The whole Jade Bullet is going to be hunting me down now.’ I responded.
'But they cannot fight in the oncoming revolution, if they are going after you. The Americans are fighting their own war; you must fight yours.’
'You’ve got a point there... Alright, I’ve got a few questions for you. What are you, who are you, where are we, and why have you taken such a liking to me?’ I said, counting off the questions on my fingers.
'Nicolai, you are a good man. All of those years ago, the Jade Bullet put this “Curse” on you because you showed compassion; that was a thing nearly unheard of in those days. It was to make you watch all of your loved ones die, while you remained young, yes? There was more. It was for you and Ken to fall into bestiality, to where you would either destroy everything, destroy each other, or the Jade bullet would put you down themselves. I was supposed to cause that, but I shall stop it. It’s not a punishment you deserve for having compassion. I can stop your losing your mind, but not your human form. Cornelius may not be so lucky...’
'What do you mean?’ I asked.
‘When the leader of the Jade Bullet put the “curses” on you two, he did two different things. For you, he put my essence inside of you. He didn’t expect my intentions to change. With Cornelius, it’s quite different. He used to be a creature, so he already had bestiality. All they had to do was bring it back, stronger than before.’ The bird said.
'What was Cornelius back then?’ I responded.
'Back in those times, so called “mythical” creatures were common. But the Jade bullet and others hunted them down, which included myself and what Cornelius used to be. I was a Phoenix, and your body will change into one as well. And in the Nether, one’s true form is shown, not just their physical shape.’
'So... Ken used to be a dragon...’ I muttered, shocked.
'Yes. He is one of the last ones left alive now; the others are in hiding. The dragons were intelligent, civilized creatures, but the Jade Bullet didn’t care. They killed ones that didn’t run and hide...’ The Phoenix said.
'Alright, next question. Why have I been in the Nether for so long?’
'Your body is being repaired and being prepared. It is actually nearly done- that is good because there are Jade Bullet mercenaries attacking your ship at this moment.’ I heard a grinding noise behind me, and I found a door standing alone on one end of the cross, behind me. 'That door shall lead you back to the ship. And know this, Nicolai. We are one, we have been for much longer than you have known. Come next time your magic is needed, your body will change. I cannot stop this. Now go, Nicolai.’ I nodded and ran through the door. I found myself in my hammock, and I could hear fighting on deck. I drew my sword and dashed up to top deck.

I jumped out of the top of the stairs to see another Jade Bullet airship nearby, its grapplehooks wedged in the Firebird’s deck. Ken was fighting off a couple of mercenaries savagely, and Dawn was being held over a large, bulky mercenary’s back. she was kicking and struggling.
'Let me go, for god’s sake!’ She shouted. I leapt down from the piloting balcony and landed on the main top deck, quickly dodging a sword from a mercenary. I slashed him, my blade on fire. He tried to bat himself down, but fell off the side of the ship in the process. Ken pretty much roared at some mercenaries before putting two shots into each of the three attacking him. He joined me just as the bulky Jade Bullet goon was hauling Dawn onto their ship. I was about to use the Firebird’s amplifiers, but the mercenaries had smashed the handles.
'Get back here, damn it!’ Ken cried out, letting off a few shots. He nailed a mercenary, but didn’t do much else. I snuffed out the flame on my sword before slamming it into the ground; the airship had let go and was already flying off, with Dawn! I turned to Ken.
'Get on the cannon, we’ve got to make chase.’ I said. He nodded and ran down to it. I leapt onto the wheel and turned the Firebird sharply, making the front face the fleeing airship. The wind was behind our backs, so we were moving fast. We were also in the rockies, so it was going to get dangerous with all the cliffs around. We weren’t anywhere near a Jade Bullet base, so where...?
There was loud clanking as a dozen highly armored troops jumped onto the ship from the cliffs. Ken dashed up, pissed. These troops were clad in green-painted medieval armor of an unknown design, helped by some magic. Each one carried a musket, but these weren’t of a design akin Ken’s. They were slow firing, common models. Ken quickly shot through one’s helmet, and then took out another with a shot straight through the chest. I had to pay attention to my piloting.
I managed to just barely float the Firebird out of the way of a mountain, scraping the side in the process. Ken killed two more troops and threw a third one off with good marksmanship. One approached me, musket ready, but I lit my sword and slashed him down. A second one approached me, but he got sent flying off when one of Ken’s musket shots nailed him right in the chest.
The fleeing ship flew out above the forest on the other side of the Rockies and it quickly... vanished. It just faded away. Ken dispatched the remaining troops as I halted the Firebird.
‘Where the hell’d they go?!’ Ken shouted.
‘I don’t know...’ I said. Ken walked over to me, panting form the fight. His eyes looked enraged; no, different. Reptilian. He's changing.
'There’s got to be a magical barrier around this place! How else?!’ He exclaimed. Ken looked pissed.
‘Calm down, Ken. We’ve got to figure out something. But first... When I was knocked out, I was in the Nether again.’ I said.
‘Was that creature there?’ Ken asked.
‘More than that, he explained a lot of old questions. And old mysteries. You could have told me you used to be a Dragonkin, you know.’
Ken looked shocked.
'My kind were despised. Hunted down for their scales. I thought that would change your mind about me.’ He said.
'And how, exactly? You’re my best friend and damn near brother. Feels like that, anyhow. I knew you weren’t some normal creature before, I just didn’t know what.’ I said.
'And of course, reveal just has to be now... forget the dragon thing, what else did the creature tell you?’ Ken asked.
'That things will seriously change. Your human form will wear off soon too- if you could see them, your eyes have already changed.’ I said. Ken was silent for a second.
'...And what’s going to happen to you?’ He asked.
'The Phoenix will. Its essence was merged with mine years ago, so I’m stuck with it.’ I replied.
'A phoenix and a dragon. Damn, what the hell was the J.B. thinking when they did that?’
'Maybe the leader was drunk?’ I asked. Ken laughed.
'Heh heh, maybe. God, I miss those times. Come on, into the breach once more, huh?’ Ken asked. I nodded and got the ship moving again. We floated above the forest... and at one second, it was just forest. Next second, there was a massive oriental-designed building in the forest, reaching out above it for a good hundred feet. It had huge flags hanging from it... Jade Bullet flags.
'But... I thought the Jade Bullet was based in China.’ Ken said, confused. This building looked rather like the old fortress that served as a main castle for the J.B. years ago. But that was in Ye province, China.
'They must have moved when the New World was discovered. Damn, I feel so old now.’ I replied.
'We are old. But yeah, you must be right. We’ve got to attack. It doesn’t matter if they have some way of killing us- probably do- but we may not have another chance like this again. We may just eliminate them forever...’ I said. I piloted the airship towards the docking bay which was built into the side. The airship we were chasing after had already docked.
I started lowering the ship when a couple mercenaries ran out from the large doors, firing at our ship with muskets. Several shots pierced through the balloon while we were twenty feet over the docking bay! The crippled Firebird was quickly falling to the left, away from the bay.
'JUMP!’ I cried out, leaping from the side. Ken did the same... And he sprouted large wings half way down. Scaled, dragon ones. His magic was starting to take effect, returning him to his dragon form. I rolled and smacked into a barrel, knocking it off of the dock- it fell a good fifty feet to the ground. I drew my sword and started running towards the mercenaries, but Ken’s sudden wings got him there a lot quicker than my tumbling. He had killed the four that had shot down the Firebird.
Ken and I looked over the edge of the wooden dock to see the burning wreck of the Firebird.
'Damn, I’m going to miss her.’ I said, shedding a single tear. 'And why did those just sprout?’ I asked Ken, nodding to his pair of grey, large wings.
'My previous life wants me back, it seems.’ Ken said. 'I’m welcoming it.’
We ran towards the doors, kicking them open. Behind them was a massive hall- pillars on either side, a green carpet running down the center, and a pair of double doors at the other end. There were skylights letting in the natural daylight into the hall. We started walking, but we stopped due to what was guarding the doors.
I drew and lit my sword just as Ken and I jumped behind two pillars. The thing in front of the door was massive; looked like a suit of giant armor. Of course, the legs were double jointed and pipes ran through this thing. On its back was a massive boiler that connected to all the pipes and gently expelled smoke. I could see a man’s face behind the thick visor on the suit’s head, too. But the thing’s weapon...
I’m not quite sure what it was. Its body was a good three feet long, and the six barrels on it were about the same length. The massive size of the weapon complemented the gigantic size of the suit, too. The gun was wood-paneled and the barrels seemed like they could spin. The man in the suit clenched one of the handles and the barrels did start spinning... fast.
'Come on out, you traitorous bastards!’ The man in the suit shouted as he slowly approached our position, his gun ready. I signaled for Ken to attack from the left, and I’d attack from the center. He nodded, and we attacked. Time to use some magic, no matter what happens.
I dashed out, sword ready. I leapt into the air using some magic, just dodging the bullets from the rapid-fire gun. I prepared to cause the flame on my blade to be ultra-hot and powerful... and then time seemed to slow down, while I was in mid air.
'It is time, Nicolai.’
I know. Do what you will.
I felt a brief moment of burning all over me before it stopped. I slammed my sword down on the attacker’s head, and the flames exploded everywhere, enveloping me and the guard. I felt sudden wings shove themselves out from under my jacket, tearing holes through it. I landed on the ground, and my hands seemed to ignite into claws of flame, same with my feet. Of course, the boots caught on fire and were shredded. The flames quickly spread up my limbs from the hands and feet, sort of taking the shape of vague feathers that flickered with my every move. One they reached my waist, several plumes of fire extended out like tail feathers, thankfully not lighting my jacket on fire. I felt the “feathers” spread up my torso, and then my neck. I almost screamed in agony as a beak broke through my face, lighting my whole head with those “feathers”. I got back up, looking rather like the Phoenix in the Nether, just wearing my coat.
So, we are finally, truly one. After all this waiting, revenge can be taken against the Jade Bullet.
Yes, indeed it can.
Ken walked over to me. In the brief seconds In had changed, he had changed a bit as well. His tail had grown in, causing him to have to hold his pants up. All over him, skin was falling off and revealing scales. His face was longer and his teeth were sharper now.
'So, our last traces of our humanity are gone...’ I said, looking at my new hand. The fire was burning bright, and bones could just barely be seen through it. I clenched it and then grabbed my sword from where it was on the ground. When I picked it up, the blade vanished under the flames, which burned brilliant blue.
'I don’t mind; I was never human to begin with anyhow.’ Ken said, throwing his rifle over his shoulder. 'So, we attack?’ He asked, with a slight hiss to his voice.
'Indeed we do, my friend. Just don’t hurt Dawn; she’s in there somewhere.’ I said, opening the next double doors. We entered another hallway- a normal one this time. It was lined with doors down its three hundred-foot length. The end of the hall was dark, but there was a large door at the end of it.
'So many doors... How are we going to check all of them?’ Ken asked. When he said that, a dozen mercenaries piled out from one of the doors on the left.
'No need.’ I said, raising my sword to point down the hall. I caused a pillar of fire to arch down it, knocking over all the doors and killing the attackers. Problem is, I didn’t do that under my own control...
Phoenix, stop taking control, will you?
Oh, but its so fun to have a physical form, you know.
But this is mine.
It is both of ours, Nicolai. Get used to it.
I chopped down a mercenary that got in my way, and then Ken shot down another. I swung my sword, and a blast of flame ignited some of the walls. We pushed ahead, fighting on. We entered the throne room.
I saw the ruler of the Jade bullet standing from his massive green throne, commanding a couple of goons to do something. I could also hear a girl getting taken through some side doors.
'Get her back to England; the royal family’s paying nicely- So I get to meet the infamous pair, huh...?’ He said. The ruler was dressed like a ruler of ancient China- large green robe, frilled pants, and that odd hat that Chinese royalty wore. But he wasn’t the slightest bit Asian, and he carried a rough looking chain-and-sickle, instead of anything anywhere near ceremonial. He also had a slight southern accent, oddly enough. The goons saw me and ran away scared.
'Ken, get after Dawn and those mercenaries. I’ll get the head honcho.’ I said. Ken nodded and started running after Dawn. The rest of his human skin fluttered off behind him as he ran- the last traces of our humanity.
'I’ve heard of ya, you know. Some scribes wrote about your exploits, and every ruler has to read them. I know of ya! I know your secret.’ He said, smiling.
'That your predecessors merged me with a Phoenix, or that Ken and myself can’t die?’ I responded, angry. I swung my sword, but he erected a barrier of green energy that blocked the fire. He shook his finger at me.
'Not yet, Nicolai.’ He said. Cocky bastard.
I swung at him again, and he put up a shield again before lashing out with his distinct weapon. It knocked me down, causing me to slam right into the floor. He pulled out a musket pistol- but this wasn’t a normal one. It was significantly larger than a normal one- it also had two barrels and the handle was made from jade.
'You can die, you know. It was a failsafe my predecessors put in. A weapon that is made from Jade will act like any normal weapon on you two. You never did learn why the Jade bullet is so revered, did you? It’s because you can kill anything with it, ya know. I can kill you and your dragon-y friend, easily.’
'I will not allow that.’ I said- no, the Phoenix said it. I tried to slash at the ruler, but my arm wouldn’t move!
Phoenix, this is my body. Give it back.
Sorry, Nicolai. But I’m not getting killed here.
My arm roose up and blasted the ruler of the Jade Bullet in the face with a burst of fire. He staggered about, clutching his face. Then my body- now seemingly the Phoenix’s- grabbed the pistol that he was going to use against us and unloaded the two shots into the man’s head.
Phoenix, this is wrong.
I am making sure that this form survives- I shall rule now.
I tried to reach for the gun and the extra bullets in his belt to end this once and for all, but the Phoenix wrestled control from me. I felt like I was the passenger now... No control at all. The Phoenix slammed the blade into the floor and sat down on the ex-ruler’s throne. He touched the ground, and lit it on fire, and the fire spread quickly. But nothing burnt down.
'My temple of fire. Ah... This world shall burn for what they put me and my kin through.’ The Phoenix said. I was unable to do anything but watch, and pray. I had no body of my own now... What was going to happen to the world- and everyone else, for that matter?