Chase had stopped breathing, his mind was racing with both questions and far too many answers.
The flames around him danced like a thousand warriors of old.
It was like a tornado of divine fire had been casted down onto the mortal planes by a god of righteousness.
There wasn't anything Chase could do but burn brighter.
Burn hotter...
Burn more, and more, and more, and more, and more.
His body screamed, his soul ached, and his mind had been lost.
The world around him ceased to exist from the catastrophic calamity that had ensued from the battle of father and son.
Chase knew that it hadn't been a true reunion, yet his heart felt inclined to believe that this was his only chance to ask the questions that had been killing him.
'Why!?'
He tried to scream the words but they seemed to burn away before they could reach his throat.
The battle axe descended upon Chase once more, and the only thing he had spotted with his blurry vision: Was the sight of a much younger and stronger Blaze grinning ear to ear.
Chase would have lied if he told you that he wasn't smiling as well.
After all... What was the point of all of this revenge and hatred, if his father was right here before him.
It was okay if he had to die here.
He was happy for the first time in so long.
Not only was he content about falling to the man he had betrayed as a son his entire life, but he was fighting back at an equal pace.
Chase swung Hero's Fang upward, his body was levitating through the air with his back facing the ground. Or at least what he had thought was the ground.
Knocking the axe back, he pushed even further.
More flames shot from the bottom of his feet, and the small of his back.
The air burnt brighter, and his soul screamed in agony.
But he ascended, launching attack after attack.
Laugh after laugh he fought back against his own flesh and blood.
After all, he had finally learned who he was...
He was the last heir of the House of Phoenix, him...
The Stray who had survived The Dark Forest, The Nameless boy who had defeated the Manticore, The Scumblood who stared back at The Queen of Frostfang...
It was him... Who was battling his own father to the death.
And enjoying every second of it.
It was almost euphoric.
Until it wasn't...
He closed his eyes for only a moment, and when he lifted the lids of darkness... All that he could see was a dim fire burning in the stone fireplace.
It was quiet, so quiet that Chase began to hear ringing in one of his ears.
"It's quite brilliant... Isn't it."
A familiar voice said calmly, from behind him.
Chase turned to meet his father, who was seated on the tattered couch within his childhood home.
Blaze was sitting motionlessly with his extended outward.
A beautiful creature beyond comprehension was glowing so bright that it had made the blazing fire look like a candle light inside of the small room.
The bird had flaming wings, and its topaz eyes were blinking slowly as it nuzzled its head into Blaze's cheek.
"A Phoenix..."
Chase said, his voice full of amazement.
It wasn't every day that you got to see a creature that was either said to have never existed, or had gone extinct in the time of the gods.
Blaze nodded, a gentle smile forming on her older face.
"The last one died around the time that I had bore my only son."
He said somberly.
Chase couldn't tell if it was just sadness, or maybe a hint of guilt leaking into his voice.
"I know you have far too many questions to ask before the veil breaks... But may I ask my son an honest question?"
Blaze said, his eyes meeting Chase's.
A tear traced down the cheek of the once thought to be Stray.
He nodded.
"When you take the life of The Wendigo... When you kill Lady Rhysara... What will you do next...?"
Chase tried to speak, but his words had once again seemed to burn away within his throat.
He stood there, with his mouth open and yet not once did he speak a word.
In all honest he did not know.
"What do you think you will feel, when you avenge my death?"
Blaze asked, a tear seemed to burn away before it could ever leave his eye.
"Nothing..."
Chase said honestly.
"It pains me to see you like this... The boy who loved to read stories, the boy who cared only about which way was the easiest to get out of school..."
Then the house shook, and the ceiling began to tear apart.
Flames broke through, as the windows shattered.
Screams could be heard from the other side of the walls of his home.
A chill ran down Chase's back as he realized what was going on.
This was no illusion...
This had actually happened.
"What is this?"
Blaze shook his head denying the boy's question, while looking around the quaking room impatiently.
"Answer the first question..."
Chase tried not to cry.
"I don't know, I will go off and have a family or maybe become a Paladin for The City of The Sun."
Blaze once again shook his head, the orange hair gently swayed with the wind of the outside of destruction.
Sparks flew from his sickly face.
"You don't believe that..."
Chase took a deep breath.
"I do!"
"Then prove it!"
He yelled, holding out a familiar blade.
It was the same one that had collected dust above the fireplace since before Chase could even remember.
"Strike me down! Show me you are ready to move on when the time comes!"
Blaze sobbed.
Chase swallowed his cries.
"Fine..."
Then he took the soft handle of the blade within his grasp.