[h1][b][i][color=ff3333][center]Icarus Candor[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h1]
[color=772222] "I will not die until I achieve my goal. Even though the journey is one of hardship, I will never give in...therefore, I will die with no regrets."[/color]



[b][color=777777]Current Day, Uncharted Location - Former Capital of Westmarsh[/color][/b]


The cold morning wind drifted down from the snowcapped mountain peaks, the icy air rushing down the rocky slopes as they carried the frigid temperatures past the bounds of the mountain. Brushing past the trees dotting the landscape, leaving a rustling of leaves and a bending of branches in its wake. Drifting over the scattered settlements while villagers did their best to numb the bite of the cold air the breeze headed deeper into the wilderness, the paths and buildings giving way to land that had been claimed by nature’s rampant overgrowth. 

It was deep in this wilderness that the breeze swept over a long forgotten location, marked only by fragmented ruins that could barely reveal the extent of the proud city that had once stood here. And at the centre of this ancient location, where a patch of scorched earth still lay barren, that the rushing wind stirred awake a sudden visitor to this location. 

For what had felt like an eternity, he had only known the feelings of warmth and heat, unburdened and free his sight had always been overwhelmed with the sensation of light. Yet now new sensations flooded his mind, the biting wind chilled his armor and cooled his flesh. The heavy metal of the armor pressed down against him making its weight known while the light he had become accustomed to fled all at once, leaving only the darkness cast by his closed eyes. For a minute the man lay there unmoving, perhaps challenging reality by ignoring the current events and seeing if he would return to his previous state. But as time passed the burdening sensations become stronger as other senses returning, the rushing breeze now reaching his ears and carrying the faint cry of bird songs from the nearby countryside.

[color=ff3333][i]”What is going on...where am I?”[/i][/color] Icarus thought to himself as he glanced around the unfamiliar landscape. These scattered stone that had been reclaimed by the grasping roots and grass of nature seemed alien to any of his memories. Wrenching the helmet from his head, the cold steel of his gauntlet held his face up as he searched his brains for an answer. What he found though was a familiar presence, one that ignited a trail of memories in his mind and one that he had not felt in an eternity, the one of the Phoenix. As the presence settled within him a fire ignited deep in his soul, flooding heat through his body and driving off the cold and restoring his vitality while strength surged through his body. 

With his restored strength Icarus pushed him up from the cold and damp grass while turning his attention inwards. [color=ff3333][b]”Solaris what is happening here, how did I end up in this place?”[/b][/color] Icarus asked of his other half. Though the Phoenix had never required the concept of a name Icarus had dubbed it with ‘Solaris’ soon after they were joined and it seemed to have accepted the name without complaint. A wave of thoughts answered his question, the array of images loosing conveying the thoughts of the divine creature - [color=ffccaa][b]”You perished during battle - extinguishing yourself and your enemies in one blazing moment”[/b][/color]

The answer awakened a flood of memories that all at once rushed back to Icarus, the most prominent of those being that battle in which he fell.



[hider=The Past, 8996 Years ago]
[b][color=777777] 12th Day of Spring - The Capital of Westmarsh[/color][/b]  

The clashing of steel and the cries of men that had filled the air earlier that day had subsided. Now there was an uneasy silence save for the hurried footsteps and crackling of flames, drifting upwards with the trails of smoke from the burning fortifications that had once been this Citadel’s main gate. The cobblestone path lay littered with the bodies of those that had already fallen, the slain forming a map as to where the conflict still raged. At the end of this trail of the perished, at the centre of the Capital upon the steps of the King’s tower was the only remaining point of this day-long conflict. Encircled on all sides the forces of ‘Iron Gate’ had dwindled to the last man who now held the hopes of his fallen comrades.

Despite having the advantage of numbers, the Westmarsh defenders kept their distance as Icarus slowly advanced on the towers entrance. This lone soldier had become a manifestation of their fears and dread, his body was peppered with arrows and bore the wounds from spears, swords, mauls and flails but still the knight refused to fall. Each of the defenders had seen many of their fellow soldiers fall before both the blade and flame and thus their eyes darted rapidly between each other, none wanting to be the first to make the charge, the first to earn this Knight’s wrath.

Icarus could hear their hushed whispers of fear as he continued forward [b][color=aaeeee]”H-He’s a monster, no man should still stand with his wounds!” “It’s a demon, you’ve seen the fires he commands!” “I trained to fight soldiers not...this!”[/color][/b]. An officer barked a command, trying to retain order and prevent the rest of their morale from being broken and leading to a rout. A scurrying of footsteps against the stonework ground alerted Icarus to a charge from behind him, a few of his opponents finding the resolve to attack him while they thought he was unaware. Pivoting on the spot, facing down the three soldiers that had broken from the loose circle he raised his sword and shield and let them approach.

The two at Icarus’s left and right struck first, timing the strikes of their swords to cover each other’s opening while the third stayed back, spear held tightly as they waited for an opening in the Knight’s defenses. [color=ff3333][i]’A good tactic - but only so long as I stay on the defense’[/i][/color] Icarus concluded as he waited for his opening. Then the swing from his left came to strongly, perhaps frustrated at being unable to overpower the shield, presenting the opportunity that was needed. Twisting his stance, the man’s longsword glanced against the shield rather than being deflected, the momentum behind the strike carrying the soldier forward and out of position and blocking the line of attack for the Spearman.

Seeing the danger, the swordsman to the right increased his aggression and stepped closer to keep Icarus’s blade occupied from striking the longsword wielder's vulnerable midsection. With a shove of effort Icarus threw his shield forward and sent the first swordsman body crashing into the spearman, the two landing in a tumbled heap as the second swordsman now found himself with no support and overextended. Unable to match up to Icarus’s strength as their blades crashed, the opponent’s blade was flung from the force of Icarus’s swing moments before the Knight’s blade struck through the man’s chest.

However as Icarus wrenched the blade out from the dying man a flare of pain erupted from his back, a strong force pushing him forward a step before he caught himself. Two more spearman had used the cover of their comrades to sneak up and strike, one scraping off the armor but the other finding a gap in the armor and sinking into the soft flesh beneath. Channeling the pain into anger Icarus pivoted once again to face the new opponents, the speed of the movement wrenching the spear embedded in his body from the soldier's hand. The Dragonwurm blade cracked with embers as Icarus raised it, a look of horror crossing the spearman’s face before a gout of fire erupted from the tip of the sword. The fire roared forwards towards the two of them and seemed to wrap itself around them like a blanket as they writhed on the ground - their screams only disturbed by the shuffling of feet as the defenders began to step away from Icarus.

[color=ff3333][i]’Just a little more and their morale will break and this will beat an end[/i][/color] Icarus though as he looked at the terrified faces of his opposition. He knew that fear would be his only method of victory this day, Solarius had already warned him once that there was only so much power he could pull from and many times this day already he felt that the well of power had almost run empty. As he went to step forward once more, and he put the weight of his body on his injured side - his leg collapsed under him, seemingly unable to hold his weight. Catching himself on one knee and his hand Icarus could hear the murmurings in the crowd change - this was the first time he had shown any kind of injury, any kind of possibility that he could be hurt and they were quickly beginning to seize a hope of their own.

Forcing himself to stand back up, Icarus felt pain wracking through his body and leg - the wound from the spear still ebbing in pain as though it was not closing. Icarus searched inwardly for an answer as the resolve of his enemies rebuilt [color=ff3333][i]’Solarius what has happened, have I exhausted the power?’[/i][/color]. A picture of roaring fire that dwindling too but a twinkling ember was his reply. [color=ffccaa][i]”You have done more than empty the pool of energy. It ran out long ago”[/i][/color]. Another way of images came back, showing his allies and enemies falling into the ember, letting it grow for a moment before it returned to its ember form. [color=ffccaa][i] “- but you wished to fight on so I aided you by replenishing it with the life energy that I could. Still you burnt through all of that and yet still you wished to fight on...”[/i][/color]. 

As the flame flickered softer, a final visage appeared above it - One of Icarus himself. [color=ffccaa][i]”And thus, I used the only life force that could still fuel the flame. But that too is now at its end[/i][/color]. The realisation of what had happened shocked Icarus for a moment, looking around he could see the commanding officers mustering the troops once more. Now that they had seen a chance of victory they were going to go for one last attack that would overwhelm him. Despite the commotion of noise that registered in his ears, internally the silence for his other half felt like a deafening isolation. [color=ff3333][i]’...Is there anything more that can be done?’[/i][/color]

By now the soldiers had begun their charge, the thundering footsteps and cries of victory as they closed the circle broken by the reply of an image - showing only Icarus surrounded by a raging inferno that consumed everything...including himself. Even if Icarus did not know how it would work the result and the consequences were easy to understand. As the steel of his enemies drew within inches of his face he gave his reply [color=ff3333][i]’Do what can be done, I understand the price’[/i][/color]. There was no reply from the Phoenix, but a strong burning sensation began to grow in his chest. Even as the blades of his enemies struck his body, piercing deep in his flesh from all angles, the pain of his wounds paled in comparison to this heat that was growing.

As his ears rung with jeers and cries of victory from the Westmarsh defenders, a cry of alarm interrupted the others as the heat continued to intensify. More people began to cry out and quickly back away from Icarus, the Knight slumped to his knees - no longer held up via the numerous weapons stuck within his body. Glancing down, Icarus could see the armor on his chest beginning to glow white hot at the centre. Beneath the armor he felt as though his skin had become fire itself and the heat now burnt down to his very soul as pain like nothing else coursed through his entire being. As his whole armor and body itself seemed to radiate an intense light, blinding Icarus himself, the inferno inside bubbled over, seeming to tear through his chest and his body himself. There was a moment of intense pain as he felt his entire body consumed and torn apart - but then it faded into the welcoming warm light as the Phoenix completed its part of the trade.
[/hider]


Icarus spent a silent moment mulling over the memories, and more importantly what that meant for the present. [color=ff3333][b]”So I perished that day, so then I take it that this -”[/b][/color] he asked the Phoenix as he gestured around the alien landscape [color=ff3333][b] “- is the result of what you did? That Westmarsh fell on that day? If so...then how long have I been gone for it to become overtaken by nature? And more importantly why am I back, I thought you mentioned that despite rebirth being a part of your cycle, my body was that of a mortal and thus could not be reborn like yours.[/b][/color]. 

A strong emotion of frustration came from the Phoenix as despite the two of them being joined in one body, it was still a divine creature and could grow annoyed at the curiosity of its more mortal half. [color=ffccaa][b]”Yes - this was my work, and yes you were gone long enough for many of your kind’s empires to rise from the earth and fall back to dust. And yes I did tell you that rebirth of your body was beyond my power! It still is”[/b][/color]. The Phoenix left the comment to hang there and burn Icarus’s curiosity but the Knight knew better than to ask it’s divine half, if it wished to tell him it would have. Solarius often refused to tell him things he should already know or information that was not meant for a mortal. [color=ff3333][b]”Well if it was beyond your power then...It could only be the work of Vis[/b][/color].

Though Icarus was sure that was the correct conclusion, as who else could have such a power but the Goddess herself, that only raised even more questions. Sighing he shook his head [color=ff3333][i]’If there’s a good reason for this I am certain I will be told. For now I think it’s long past time I left this city behind[/i][/color]. Standing up and dusting his armour off, glad to know that the equipment he had perished in had been returned to him, he asked the Phoenix [color=ff3333][b]”Very well, I won’t be getting my answers here so let us be off. I may need you to guide me as this is very different from how I remember”[/b][/color].

His reply was that of a city he had never seen - showing him the path across the land there [color=ffccaa][b]’You are needed at Bervenia, I will tell you that much and show you the way there. It is best not to keep them waiting[/b][/color]. The last statement was too much for his curiosity to ignore [color=ff3333][b]”Them? What do you mean by them Solarius, are there others or did someone summon me?[/b][/color] Icarus demanded from the Phoenix but his only reply was the directions across the landscape to reach Bervenia. [color=ff3333][b]”Blast you Solarius, I forgot just how frustrating you could be!”[/b][/color] He replied angrily to the silence before letting out a soft chuckle [color=ff3333][b]”...but, it is good to have you back. Let us see what is in store for us at Bervenia”[/b][/color] Icarus finished as he made his way through the wilderness back towards civilisation.