Princess Taken!: The Phoenix Flies To The Rescue.

The Start!
The day was a usual mid summer day on the island of Mochina, the people were going about their business and the soldiers & police were making sure they were safe in this turbulant time. At eastern edge of the capital city the Twilight Phoenix Guild were training and having a laugh. Markus was busy training with his clone Dark Storm.

"Come on Dark you can do better!" Said Markus avoiding a kick from Dark countering with a blast of thunder from his magic. "One point to me."

"Tch it's only the beginning of this." Said Dark getting up.

A tall blond man suddenly appeared in the place, he was holding a bag of jewels as it seemed "Ugh, finally, another mission is done!" He shouts and yawns loudly.

Markus countered Dark's assualt with little effort. "You would be?" He said looking at the man. "If ya on my property you either want something or offering a job...Which is it?"

"Damn it!!" Said Dark as he got pinned to the ground by Markus. "Who are ya as well?...names are welcome here kid."

"My name is Jake D. Draco, and well I ain't a kid" Jake laughs "I'm 19!" Jake makes a face fault as he notices it was a 'curse' "Oh wait you two are older than me"

"Technically Dark here is only 17....But has the maturity and appearence of someone my age." Said Markus letting Dark up who popped his shoulder back in place like nothing happened. "So what do ya want?"

"I'm looking for a good mission through here, but I don't know if they give missions to Independent mages" Jake said while waiting in the bar.

"The Magic Council doesn't have any power in this region Jake....We get jobs from anyone who needs help...Most come fromt he Military High Command and Royal Family these days." Said Markus sitting down. "Though we got a rule here....Ya can't get jobs from our board unless your a member....Want a quick easy job go check out the 4 Lion Guild, we're specialists."

"He's right we're one of four guilds that come under the "Special War Powers"....Meaning we can act as an indiependant military unit in times of war." Said Dark grabbing a tray of food. "Hey Markus notice something about his Magical Power?"

"Yep." Smirked Markus.

"Huh? My power?" Jake asks confused

"We're Phoenix Slayers...We can see the magical power and spiritual energy of all living things....Slayers give off unique aura's thats different depending on the style." Said Markus taking a bowl of ramen. "So what element are you?"

"100 Mochina Jewels on Fire." Said Dark.

"200 on a element combo." Said Markus.

"Hmmm a Shadow Flame Phoenix Slayer" Jake says while grinning.

Markus smirked and took two 200 Mochina Jewel notes. "so your parent was Pyrdow then?" Asked Markus. "I know the names of most of the Phoenix Nobles. We're both Storm, Dark was created via a black magic spell."

"I'm basically darkside!" Smirked Dark as a beautiful woman with blood red hair appeared. "Hey Sakura."

"Hi hi lads!" Said Sakura hugging Dark and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Who this?"

"Again I'm Jake D. Draco, the Shadow Flame Phoenix Slayer" Jake says looking and squeezing Sakura's hand gently "Yeah, I didn't live too long with Pyrdow, he was sick after all."

"Heh didn't know that...Well he's immune to the Black Feather Virus so he should be fine." Said Markus finishing his meal. "Anyway if you want a job...As I said ya got two options, go check out the 4 Lions or join us the Twilight Phoenix Guild....Up to you."

"You should join Jake!" Smiled Sakura. "We're a fun lot to be with, plenty of fights and fun to be had."

"Hmmm I ain't sure to be honest" Jake says with his thinking face.

"Well then hang around and see what ya think....We ain't gonna force ya to join but ask to at least see what we're like." Said Markus standing up and requiping his usual outfit as he walked off to into the mansion.

"Come on we'll show ya around." Said Sakura dragging Jake and Dark along.

"Alright then, what do we have?" Jake asks Sakura

"Well this is the Hotaru estate....Markus is head of the clan and Co-Guild Master of this band on nuts, warriors and renegades." Smiled Sakura. "He went into the main house and over there are the dorms for the other mages.....The building infront is the Dojo where he trains us in the basics of Twilight Phoenix Kenpo."

"The pit there is the Battle Zone....Were we can spar and hold friendly competitions with the locals." Said Dark smirking alittle. "The forest there is the Hotaru Sanctum....It's where all the past clan members are buried....It's sacred to this family."

"Now now, this seems interesting" Jake says with stars on his eyes "Hope you aren't being cocky because of it!"

"Kid i'm the Guild Ace....I don't need to be cocky." Said Dark as they followed Sakura inside the mansion with loads fo the guild members walking around, talking and laughing.

"Dark! You got my money?! You lost the bet!" Called a short heavily scared man walking up to Dark.

"Eh? Did he do it?" Asked Dark looking puzzled.

"Yes! He finally admitted his feelings to Lilly from the market." Said the man

"And?" Asked Dark handing voer 5 money notes.

"Her boyfriend chased him off." Said the man taking the money and walking off.

"Dark sucks are making bets....." Said Sakura. "He's lost 1/8th of all his earnings on them."

Jake just look and sweatdrops at the scene.

"Dark! Just got work from a Wolf, got a King's Gathering to attend....You can come as well Jake." Said Markus leaping fromt he top floor and landing effortlessly on the ground infront fo them. "Apparently the President of Gradines called it.....Again."

"Shit wonder what he wants again....Probably complaining about the patrol routes of Yokohama Empire and Odawara Principality again....Paranoid scum." Said Dark rubbing his eyes. "I'm bored with that lot why can't we just go in and remove that tyrant?"

"Heh give it a bit long remember the King sent Hawks to check things out." Said Markus leading Dark and Jake to the palace.

"Hmmm who is this President?" Jake asks with his arms on the back of his head.

"A paranoid dog who treats his people like dirt....Stealing their food, life and free will to maintain his power." Said Dark clenching his fists. "One word out of turn out there and your executed for "attempting to start rebellion" Even if you just say something like one of his lackies was alittle stupid doing or saying something."

"They have no allies and no trade.....the other leaders of the Archipelago have been looking for a reason to eliminate him but we need a really good one...." Said Markus. Luckly he also starves the lower ranking soldiers and gives all the food to the generals and admirals.....So would take me, dark or a small team of soldiers to take the island."

"And he has the nerve about his troops lacking support when he's put a ban on all outsiders entering the waters of his island and it's colonies." Said Dark. "I can't wait to see the day when the rest of the archipelago can make it better."

"Ouch, he seems more like a motherfucker" Some veins pop up on Jake's forehead.

"Oh just wait." Said Markus leading them a small door to a opera box like room overlooking a room with a large table shaped like a Heater Shield. "Ok at the top we got Mochina's king with Hyunga's President on his left and Dragon Sword's King on his right. Going from Dragon Sword we got the Odawara Chancellor, The Yokohama Emporer, the Rising Sun Prince, The Shadow King of Kagaryu, The Hunt Lord of Drake-Bane, The High-Mind of the Mino Technocracy and finally the guy facing behind us is the President of Grandies. Each with their ministers and councilers of defence." Said Markus pointing to each one respectivly. "Grandies is in his seat to show how much he's hated....The others secretly don't really care if one of the guild masters, who sit up here, were to kill him....He's hated that much which is saying alot for Mino."

"They're a very logical lot....Not ones for down right hating someone." Said Dark sitting in his usual seat and waiting for the meeting to begin. "Take a seat Jake and get ready for a laugh....Despite all his arrogance and paranoia the scum bag has great stand up comedy material."

Markus chuckles and sat down and waited for afew minutes before the meeting started.

"Now that Markus and Dark have arrived we can begin." Said the Mochina king.

"I dont' see why they are here! They cause nothing but trouble!" Said the President of Grandies. "I demand they leave!"

"When you are in my home under my roof...You follow MY rules and don't speak ill of anyone i invite to these meetings Mr President....Understand!" Said the king glaring at the man sitting opposite. "Now if you ahve any other complaints outside the subject we have come to discuss....KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF!!!"

"He doesn't like me or Dark as we have both punched him in the face at one point or another." Markus whispered to Jake. "I hit him cos he insulted my family's name and Dark hit him...Just for the hell of it."

"And what kind of mission or whatever you guys think he will give us?" Jake says while laughing a bit "I just hope we have some fun upon meeting this guy."

"Well if they agree on a course of action the Twilight PHoenix Guild could get afew raid jobs on the outposts on the archipelago borders...." Said Dark looking at Jake. "Knowing President Dogface there he'll complain saying his apparent eleite yet starved forces could do the job alot better.....Only time i've seen a starved man fight well over is a scrap of food...."

"Yeah....Then again the only land his country own thats got good yeild in farming are his colonies and they don't generate enough for the main island." Said Markus.

"My king!! My King!!" Called a messager who ran into the hall in a panic. "Terrible news! Terrible news!!"

"Calm down...whats wrong?" Asked the king.

"Send that peasant out fo thei hall King...." Said the Grandies Predident only to get a silver cup thrown at his head.

"The Crown Princess has gone missing!" Said the messenger followed almost instantly by a sudden change in the air pressure and the feeling of two monsters in the room.

"That was quicker than expected." Said the king looking up at Markus and Dark who's Magical Auras were clearly showing. "Markus, Dark bring your friend and meet me in the private chamber....This meeting is over until further notice."

The three mages made their way to the chamber with Markus and Dark leaping down.

"I seriously should ask my cousin for missions, this one here should take a time..." Jake sighs

"Don't even go there kid.....You won't last long even if you are a Phoenix Slayer..." Threatened Dark as they entered a large ornate office.

"Ok whats going on?" Asked Markus leaning against a bookcase waiting for the king to speak.

"A cult loyal to the seven has taken her to sacrifice her......She's joined the long list of children taken." Said the king looking at the message from the police. "You have to go get her back.....And kill the cultists....All of them."

"Of course....Any clues to their location?" Asked Dark taking an apple and taking a bite from it. "Though hunting for them will make me killing them alot more enjoyable."

"They went north thats all we got." Said the king handing Markus the message.

Jake closes his eyes as the the scene turns and goes inside his ear, everything turns to the negative tone in Jake's mind as the scene changes to a first person view, then it flies towards the north passing through the mountains and forests, then it reachs a certain big mountain where various dressed men were walking while holding something, Jake was hearing their steps, the scene goes flying back really fast to Jake as everything goes back to normal "I heard their steps, they were weak but I heard"

"Thats too obvious any idiot would see heading north past all the patrols and watcher stations.....They're heading south, we have no influence in the southern regions outside the Archipelago's territory." Said Markus going over to a map on the wall. "Kingdom of Ciel Rouges......They're heading there....."

"How come?" Asked the king. "They're trade partners with the archipelago."

"The king of Ciel Rouges doesn't control his kingdom like you do.....His dukes manage their own territory while he has the power to strip them of their titles and lands." Said Markus turning around with a smirk. "Luckly i know someone who has some impressive influence.....Rebecca Richelieu."

"She's the top duelist on in that kingdom ain't she?" Asked Dark finishing his apple.

"Yep wandering mage....Old friend and former royal guard." Said Markus with a smirk.

"She sounds wild" Jake hears further at the south while saying.

"Nah she's fine....Just dont' say she has bad cooking...." Smirked Markus leaving the room with Dark following. "Meet us at the estate Jake.....Go get supplies as well."

"I may need to ask Grandpa for them, thank you, I will" Jake grins back just as he begin to shift into a cloud of fire.

Markus tosses Jake a bag of money. "Use this....Can't waste time waiting for you..." He said walking out with Dark before both vanishing in a flash of lightning.

"That can help...through I prefer grandpa's" Jake disappears in the sky. After some time, he would be only waiting in a certain road leading towards the south, he was waiting the Phoenixes.

Both Markus and Dark came down the road with small bags and already wearing their combat gear. "Ok guess we're all here....We'll be meeting Rebecca at our destination." Said Markus setting his bag down. "We'll be arriving in the lands of Duke Reno....He's an asshole who isn't well liked, his men are thugs so be ready to dish out some independant justice while we're there."

"Fine by me...." Grinned Dark. "Will be a decent warm up."

"You guys can do it by yourselves?" Jake asks with a sweatdrop.

"We could probably take over the island by ourselves." Smirked Dark grabbing his bag and following Markus toward the ship that would take them to their destination. "But we're not going there for that.....Plus Markus has a habit of bringing new friends along on these kinda jobs....Dunno why so don't ask."

"It's 'cos i like the new company." Said Markus handing a note to the ship's captain who let them on to the massive transport ship. "Come on our cabins are this way."

Jake just confirmed with his head as he followed the duo.

"It'll take us two days to reach Ciel Rouges so i sugest we work on a plan and train alittle. This cult is relativly unknown i'd like to be ready for a tough fight." Said Markus throwing his bag into his cabin.

"Ya won't hear any complaints from me Markus....I got some new techniques i wanna test out on your skull." Smirked Dark doing the same with his bag. "Though glad to know we got first class on this junker.

"This ain't a passanger ship Dark....Just be glad we got cabins." Chuckled Markus.

"Two entire days? Hell...and yeah I agree with Mark, be glad we got cabins at the least" Jake said as he entered his own.

"With luck we'll take on a Sea-Drake on the way....." Said Dark slumping in a corner annoyed at their bad fortune. "Please spirits let me have that one!"

"Ok take note if we see a Sea-Drake leave it to Dark....." Smirked Markus checking his bag. "I'm gonna look around abit."

Markus left leaving Dark and Jake alone in the small cabin.

"Ugh, I'm lucky I didn't receive any call from my family..." Jake murmurs while making a dumb face fault, as he would sit on his bed.

"Atleast ya got family kid. Take heart in that....Me i'm just a copy of Markus made by Dark Magic.....He's basically the closest thing to family i got....I'm a tad more bestial that him though." Said Dark with a grim smirk. "So your a Shadow Flame Phoenix Slayer? Markus said the Phoenixes had some weird magics compaired to the other Slayer Magic giving creatures."

"Being a Shadow Flame is rather ironical for me" Said Jake with another face fault "My cousin is a Shadow Flame Dragon Slayer" Jake opens his eyes "Phoenixes are weird but I like them anyway, and don't say you are a copy, I mean, sure you were created from him, but you are separated from him, you two are not the same, each one of you is a different individual"