The heat of the volcano was unbearable. The very air seemed to burn in Raigor's lungs as he advanced among the incandescent rocks, searching for the fragment of Veran's soul.
But he was not alone.
From the crater of the volcano, a gigantic silhouette silhouetted against the fiery sky. Two immense wings made of pure flame opened, and a cry rent the air like a divine thunder.
The Phoenix of Rebirth was before him.
Its golden eyes stared at him sternly, and its voice resonated in his mind like an ancient echo.
"You seek that which has been buried by the fire of the gods… But the fragment you want is bound to my essence. If you want it, you will have to prove that you deserve its power."
Raigor gripped his weapon. "I will not back down."
The Phoenix spread its wings and the fight began.
The Battle of the Eternal Flames
The Phoenix swooped down, a firestorm swirling around him. Raigor narrowly dodged, feeling his skin burn from the heat alone. With a roar, he swung his sword, but the creature's flames pushed it back.
"You cannot hurt fire with steel, mortal," the Phoenix whispered, coiling him in a fiery spiral.
Raigor knew that strength alone would not win. He had to adapt.
Concentrating, he summoned the Reaper's strength, the dark power he had gained in his quest. The black energy enveloped his weapon, momentarily extinguishing the flames around him.
With a leap, Raigor leapt onto the Phoenix's back, gripping its neck with all his strength.
"I fight not to destroy, but to save!"
The Phoenix screamed, and with a burst of light, it knocked him to the ground. But when Raigor stood up, the creature regarded him with respect.
"You have withstood the flames of judgment… You are worthy."
With a flap of its wings, it dropped something in front of him: the second fragment of Veran's soul.
But not only that.
Next to the fragment was an egg.
A luminous sphere, pulsating with life, wrapped in a reassuring warmth.
"Take it with you." said the Phoenix. "One day, this egg may become your greatest ally… or your downfall."
Raigor picked up both objects, his heart still shaken by the battle.
Now he had the second fragment.
But what did that egg mean? And why had the Phoenix entrusted him with such a burden?
His mission was not yet over.