Ryna skidded to a halt, her metal boots scraping on the stony ground.

A single figure
blocked the path ahead. He wore nothing but a torn pair of trousers, his only equipment a
longsword that glimmered in the noonday sun. Fit for his middle age, with the body of a well
trained soldier, the man stood relaxed and confident. His face gave away no emotion.
Ryna glanced up at her husband, Gabin. His eyes were wide with fear and desperation.
How could one man cause such a reaction in him? And then she saw it. The man’s eyes. Dark,
circular pupils had been replaced with a bumpy gray mass. It looked as though a pebble had been
inserted into each eye. The man was an Awakened.
Despite having never met the man, Ryna knew who he was. Sabbian Forgeman, the
everlasting mountain, come personally to put an end to them. She now understood her husband’s
face. Gabin had led them here, and this one man meant their end. Only a few awakened existed
in the world, each an army in and of themselves. Having truly mastered the connections with
their patron Gods, these individuals were as close as a mortal could be to Godhood. Ryna closed
her eyes for a small moment, feeling the bond with her own Patron. As alway the Burning
Phoenix wrapped her body in gentle warmth, calming her nerves and giving her strength.
Sabbian’s powers were well known despite his recent awakening. Unrivaled strength, and
a body impervious to wounds; if such a thing was even possible. It was said that during his
awakening a ballista bolt the size of a small tree had hit him straight in the chest and had not left
a mark.
Ryna turned to look back at her companions. The some dozen soldiers had their heads
down, all were breathing heavy and look in various states of falling over. Vivian only met her
eyes for a moment before looking away. She had a strange look of relief on her face, like she was
relived the running was finally over. Freema was guarding the rear. She and Ryna made up the
two strongest of the group, though Freema did not look it at the moment. Holding a bleeding
side, the woman limped along, occasionally growling under her breath. None of them were ready
for a fight, none except Ryna.
Gabin made to move forward. He was an intimidating man with his height, and jet black
hard eyes. The previous look of shock had been replaced with grim determination. Gabin would
stand no chance against most others with Patron bonds, and would be barely a distraction to an
Awakened. His talents lay in healing wounds instead of making them. Ryna smiled to herself, she
could read Gabin pretty well, and could imagin his thoughts. If he surrendered she and Freema
would be ransomed. A princess and the daughter of a great house would fetch a hefty price. The
soldiers would be sold into slavery, better than death at least. Did he care what happened to
Vivian? One thing was for certain though, Gabin would be executed.
Ryna gently press her gauntleted hand into Gabin’s chest, stopping him. He look down at
her, his eyes saying he had to do this. Ryna only smiled up at him. The man who had given her
the strength the defeat her brother, breaking free of her fate. He had brought her across the sea,
gave her the adventure of her dreams. It was sweet he wanted to sacrifice himself for her, but that
was simply unacceptable.
 Impervious to wounds. Was it possible for human flesh, or anything for that matter, to be
indestructible? Ryna supposed it would be best if someone found out. She brought her metal
helmet down over her head, carefully tucking in her long, bright red hair. As she went forward
Gabbin’s hand closed around her armored wrist.
“You can’t...” His words cut off.
Ryna turned to gaze at him one last time. “You know me Gab. I always need to see what’s
beyond the next mountain.”
Closing her eyes, Ryna brought her consciousness to Elmeer, land of the Gods. Blackness
surrounded her, dim stars flickering from all directions. Ahead of her stood her God. It’s size
greater than any living creature, the Burning Phoenix. Wrathed in golden flames, the deity gazed
down at her, no feature on its face to betray an emotion. Time moved slower in this place, and
Ryna took a moment to bask in the motherly warmth that washed over her. After a moment she
drew power for her patron, as much as she dared.
When her eyes opened Gabin was already jumping away, the heat exuding from Ryna hot
enough to burn. Small grass buds and weeds on the ground around her burst into flames, quickly
turning to ash under her Patron’s gift. Ryna felt her body grow light, the steel armor no longer a
burden. The hotter she got, the stronger her body would get, and she could take levels of heat
that would kill others. Right now she took in as much heat as she could handle, becoming
uncomfortably hot, her entire body stinging slightly.
With one last look a Gabin, she slammed down her helmet’s visor, and set off to meet
Sabbin. The Everlasting Mountain’s expression remained a solid rock as he came forward to
meet her. As those eyes locked on her, Ryna almost lost herself. The pressure that exuded from
the man made her feeze for a moment. Maybe they should surrender. Now that they were married
perhaps her father would ransom Gabin as well. And yet in the back of Ryna’s mind there was
still that burning question. Can anything truly be indestructible? Is there something I cannot
burn?
Ryna’s hand went to her sword, a relic of her family, and blade of her God. She drew the
weapon in a smooth motion, as she had thousands of times before. Sabbin had closed on her now,
and rased his blade. She knew now it would be similar her hers, a heirloom pasted down through
the generations, able to withstand impacts that would shatter mortal steel.
Sabbin’s stance was solid yet simple. Ryna felt herself pulled forward, wanting to charge
before her will to fight was dragged away. Years of swords practice forced her to be cautious.
She fell into a defensive stance, sword held forward, pointing downwards.
Lunging forward, Sabbin swept down at Ryna’s head with a lazy strike. She swung her
sword up to parry the blow. Would it be this easy, parrying a sloppy strike, then a solid thrust to
her opponent's eye. Shurly with her inhanced strenth...
Ryna’s sword met Sabbin’s. Her’s was swatted away. Only turning her body saved Ryna,
causing the sword to slide off her armor. A direct blow would have cut cleanly through the steel
plates. Sumbling back, Ryna raised her sword again, and again it was did little to stop Sabbin’s
assault. Already after two blows, her arms were numb, and shoulders felt like they were pulling
from the socket. Ryna was fully on the defense. Each attack desperately held off. At yet as the
defining sound of metal of metal filled the air, she fell into a rhythm. Sabbin’s attacks were
simple swings and thrusts, easy to anticipate, near impossible to block. If she was patient and
endured, and opening would come.
It was not long before Ryna’s entire body screamed in pain. Each one of Sabbin’s blows
reverberated through her. Her arms felt like lead pipes, with hands barely able to grip her sword.
And then as Ryna was close to collapsing, she saw it. A slight stumble in Sabbin’s movements.
He noticed it and tried to speed up his next strike, but it was too late. Ryna struck out, knocking
away his sword, then swinging for his exposed neck. She mentally called out to the Phoenix,
pulling in more heat, more than her body could handle. It felt like being hit in the face with
boiling water. Her armor glowed with the heat and she screamed out as she put all her might into
beheading Sabbin.
A sound like metal on stone echoed through the mountain pass, slowly fading into
silence. Ryna stared down her quivering arms at her sword blade, the gleaming metal meeting
Sabbin’s pale skin. All of her strength had not even left a bruise.
Ryna tried to move back, but something was holding her. Looking down she saw half of
Sabbin’s blade. The other half was rammed threw her gut, her steel armor had done as much to
stop the strike as simple cotton shirt would have.
Once again Ryna tried to move back. Her trembling legs gave out, and she fell to her
knees. The shock hit her like a boulder. It was all she could do to close her eyes, her
consciousness fleeing to Elmeer.
With desperate eyes Ryna gazed up her Patron. The Burning Phoenix looked down on her
as it always did, showing no emotion at Ryna’s quickly approaching death. It was then Ryna
realized how foolish she had been. There had never been any hope of win with half measures.
And now, with her death all but assured, there was nothing holder her back. The girl who had
entered this fight was dead now. All that remained of her would see this to the end.
With red eyes locked on her Patron, Ryna drew in more heat than she had ever before.
She felt no resistance when drawing the power. The Burning Phoenix would let her burn as
bright as she could.
Ryna’s eyes opened and she cut off her own scream. Sabbin was pulling his blade out of
her wound, though that pain was nothing to seering needles of pain that burned her body. But
even as she burned, she felt a strength build in her greater than ever before.
Her gauntleted hand closed around Sabbin’s sword, holding it in her wound. The metal of
her armor was glowing white hot now, and as she stood on solid legs. With one arm she raised
her sword, slamming it down on Sabbin’s shoulder. Once again the sword would not cut his
flesh. But this time a single red line stood out on otherwise unblemished skin.
Ryna smiled to herself. That’s one question answered.
Sabbin put one foot against Ryna’s gut, using the leverage to free his sword from her. The
two fell away from each other. Ryna stopped herself before charging forward. Her vision had
become obscured. With one hand she pushed away her visor, and her entire helmet fell to the
ground in a heap of molten metal. As her metal armor melted, she could see blisters form, then
pop on her sink; blood evaporating the instant it left her.
The wound in Ryna’s gut had been cauterized by the heat, yet if she did not end this quick
she would burn to death. As her hair ignited on her head she charged at Sabbin. The Everlasting
Mountain stared at her with that same even expression. He was sweating though.
This time Ryna met his sword evenly with hers, matching his strength, and far exceeding
his skill. Sabbin was on the backfoot now, only able to parry her blows. Soon an array of welts
and bruises marked his body where Ryna’s sword had found flesh. Eventually she would wear
him down, though each time she caught a glims of her arms they were more burned and ruined.
The price of her new strength would soon be her end.
Ryna caught the edge of Sabbin’s sword as he was drawing it back, making him stumble.
Throwing all her weight forward, Ryna thrust. Her blade cut along Sabbin’s ribs, leaving a
shallow gash. Finally she had drawn his blood.
It was too late when Ryna had realized her mistake. She was far more skilled that Sabbin,
yet she had never faced an opponent who could afford to take a sword blow. Sabbin had not
stumbled, he had drawn backwards preparing to strike. Before Ryna could bring her blade back
up, Sabbin cut down in an arch, scoring a clean slice down her chest. And once again she fell to
her knees.
Ryna looked down at her chest. The wound yawned open, showing shattered bones and
flesh that began to cook from her own heat. She should be death, only her Patron’s strength
keeping her ruined body alive. Her eyes went up to Sabbin, who was bringing his sword up to cut
off her head. She brought herself to Elmeer. There was only one path left, and she felt a warm
peace as she walk up to her God. The Phoenix brought down its head, and Ryna placed a gentle
hand on her Patron’s beak.
“You never held anything from me.”
Ryna’s soft words range out through the black void.
“It was alway there for me to take, I just never saw it before.”
Words blossomed on Ryna’s tongue. A name unknown to her a moment before was now
her most precious memory.
“Alzinya the Everburning Flame.”
When Ryna’s eyes opened, Sabbin’s blade was already coming down towards her neck.
She raised one hand to meet it. Just before metal met flesh, she pour Alzinya’s power into her
arm. She watched as the skin pealed off her, fading to nothingness in the air. With a wave of her
destroyed arm, Sabbin’s sword evaporated; immortal metal becoming dust. Sabbin’s even
expression faltered, and Ryna used the moment to gab onto his wrist with her other hand.
As she once again got to her feet, Ryna drew power from Alzinya, pulling endless heat
into herself. The skin that was still left on her turned black. Her entire body went numb. She
could feel nothing, and yet as Sabbin tried to pull away her strength was unyielding.
Ethereal flames formed in the air around Ryna, the boundary between Elmeer and her
world crumbling. Wings of flame enveloped her protectively.
 Sabbin had given up escape and now slammed his fist into Ryna’s blackened face. The
blow that would shatter rocks did not move her an inch. For this moment she was immortal,
standing here for all time and just a moment. Even so, desperate blows rained down on her. All
outward calm had vanished from Sabbin, and he fought madly to free himself.
With the last remnants for her will, Ryna pulled even more from Alzinya. The flow of
power came to a sudden end, and Ryna knew she held all of Alzinya’s strength. She took that
endless ocean of heat, and pushed it into Sabbin.
The man died in an instant, his body turning to ash, then that ash turning to nothingness.
Her task finished, Ryna’s vision went black.