Sixteen years ago, a new son had been born into the head of the Phoenix-angel clan. His cries could be heard throughout the house. Once both mother and child were cleaned by their servants, Chieftain Hondo had come to see them.

Hondo Phoenix-angel had been known throughout his country as a frightening man. He held a good build to him; clearly a skilled warrior. His crimson hair had been well groom into a knot, hard features with burning orange eyes which felt like they would consume you if you looked into them.

He made his way to the bed where his wife held their latest child. He gazed down upon the beautiful sight of a mother holding her baby in her arms. A mother’s love had never been more clear in those stunning blue eyes. She gently rocked the crying infant as she lightly hummed to sooth him.

“What have you decided to name him?” the chieftain questioned.

“His name is Obi, I believe he will be the heart of our family.” The mother at last looked up at her husband. Sunlight shined upon her form and that of her son.

Hondo sent his attention over to the door. “Come and meet your new baby brother.” At the door were Chieftain Hondo’s other three children. His oldest at eight and future heir Bakari followed by his daughter Fujo at six and lastly his second son Neema who was only two held in his sister’s arms. In a small army file they approached the rest of their family.

The young group of siblings all gazed upon the latest member of their family. They soon found themselves on the bed to get a better look. Neema, curious reached out to the new born. His hand constantly being in the younger boy’s face caused the infant to cry.

“Neema, stop that,” his mother instructed. She began to rock Obi again to calm him.

Fujo pulled Neema away so his hand would stop slapping against the infant’s face. The young girl held her wiggling brother tightly so he stopped moving. “He cries a lot.”

“That is because he is new to the world,” her mother answered.

“So long as he does not grow weak,” Hondo spoke. “Remember to have him ready for our meeting with the oracle. You have one week.”

“Yes, dear.” The mother continued to cradle her newborn son until he at last fell asleep. Bakari continued to watch the sight, taking the most interest in his newest sibling.

Just as Chieftain Hondo stated the family of six all left their city, Kalaziel to meet with the oracle at her temple. It was a stunning sight that only a few knew about in all of the kingdom. They left their carriage and headed up the road to the temple.

The monks of the temple all bowed to them. Before they went inside the mother wished to see the garden to which her husband granted. Lady Taaliah headed around the temple with her children close behind.

Brick walls covered in all colors of flowers surrounded the garden. Crystal clear water took up the center which formed a pound. Walkways stood against the walls so one could admire the trees and flowers around them; the statues of angels stood against the temple so all could pray to them.

The mother and children stood in front of the middle statue. She nestled her baby boy as she looked upon the angel. “Can you see it, Obi? This guardian angel is here to protect you.”

Fujo pulled on her mother’s dress. “Momma, can we go inside now?”

“She raises a good point, dear.” Hondo had arrived. “I wish to know what the angels have in store for this one.” He turned and led his family inside. They traveled down the hallway before they at last reached the oracle’s room.

The double doors spread open. The oracle lied across her marble stand where she slumbered. “Oracle,” Hondo called to have her slid off the bed and onto her feet. She walked toward the family.

“Chieftain Hondo, do you have another I must read?”

“Did you not say I would have seven. This is only the fourth.”

“Indeed. Come on, come now let me see him and see what the angels wish to say about the little one.” The oracle held out her arms for Lady Taaliah to give her the infant. She brought the babe to her breasts. She shut her eyes as the angels drew near to whisper.

She slowly nodded as the family waited to hear of their child’s future. At last she opened her eyes. “This boy will be the death to all that you know. His strength when he comes of age will be unmatched like a wild fire that cannot be contained. The terror it will create will-”

“Enough!” Hondo cut the oracle off from saying anymore than she already had. He stepped up and took his son back. He narrowed his eyes toward the now sleeping infant. “I have heard enough. I will come back when my next son is born.” He turned around and began to exit the room when-

The oracle grabbed the back of his robes. “Hold on, I have not finished speaking what the angels have told me. You must listen. That boy will kill the phoenix and then-”

Hondo smacked the woman’s hands off him. “I said enough.” He rushed out of the room along with the rest of his family.

The oracle kept her arms stretched out. “You are a fool, Chieftain Hondo. A fool doomed to not realize his own mistakes!”

The Phoenix-angels returned home after the events which transpired at the temple. They had all gathered in their living room. Lady Taaliah held her youngest son in her arms as the rest of her children were gathered around her. Hondo glared at his newborn son with hustle anger.

“That boy is a bad omen,” the chieftain said at last. “He must be destroyed and replace with another.”

Neema obviously played on the ground near his mother’s trembling feet. He looked up at her to see her fear and confusion. He looked over at his father and could feel his overbearing strength and murderous intent. He fell back into his mother.

Fujo hide behind one of her mother’s legs as if she were the one responsible for her father’s anger.

Where as Lady Taaliah said nothing the young Bakari was of a different mind. He boldly stepped forward. “You can’t kill him. He’s your son!”

Hondo glared down at his eldest son, barring his teeth like a chaos dragon. Heated flames seem to radiate off of the man’s body. “What did you say?!”

Bakari almost took a step back, but managed to steel himself at the last moment. He balled up his little fists and tried to match his father’s gaze. The result was Bakari’s Phoenix-sight activating for the first time. “He’s my brother. You can’t kill him I won’t let you.”

“Bakari, apologize right now,” his mother warned.

“Won’t let me?!” Before anyone could even register what was going on the grand chieftain lifted Bakari off the ground by his shirt and threw him straight into the wall that was to the right of him.

Bakari’s back smashed against the craved artwork that stood there. He screamed out as his body went limp and crashed to the ground. The young boy’s body trembled in pain from the assault.

The rest of the family looked at the sight in horror. “B-big brother,” Fujo tried to run to her brother, but had been blocked off by her mother’s hand.

“You dare defy me!” Hondo marched over to Bakari and grabbed him by the hair, lifting him off the ground. He wrapped his other hand around the boy’s face and squeezed it. “I should kill you too for daring to say such words to me.”

“Dear, please stop,” Lady Taariq spoke at last. “Remember Bakari is the future of our clan.”

Hondo released Bakari, letting him fall to the floor once more. He turned around. “You are right. The one who needs to be dispose of is the one that is in your arms.” He stepped toward the rest of his family.

His eyes widen as he felt something tug on the bottom of his pants. His eyes narrowed and shifted backward. “Are you really trying to test me?”

Tears welled up in Bakari’s eyes as he struggled to hold onto his father. His face filled with pity and pleading. “You can’t. There has to be another way. Please, don’t kill my brother.”

“A boy that you’ve barely known for a month is worth your life?” Hondo questioned.

“Yes, because I’m his big brother.” Bakari tightened his grip on his father in pure desperation. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want just don’t kill him.” The tears began to fall.

“Dry your tears,” Hondo said. He shifted his eyes toward the infant. “There is another way to deal with this problem. Just remember what you said, Bakari.” After that Hondo left the room.

For the next several months, Hondo remained busy as the rest of his family rested in peace. However one day when Bakari came to his mother’s room to visit, he spotted his mother lying in her bed alone. The confused young Bakari walked further into the room. “Mother, where is Obi?”

Lady Taaliah who had been staring out of the window looked at her son. She stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

Bakari’s heart skipped a beat. He dashed out of the room and through the hall in bated breath. A thousand thoughts ran through the boy’s mind. He looked everywhere until he at last found his father in the Meditation room. He slid the door open with all his might.

He charged toward his father who sat in the middle of the almost empty room. He grabbed a hold of his father’s sleeve, looking up at the man with tears in his eyes. He shook him with all of his strength. “You said that you would not kill him. You promised not to hurt him!”

Hondo opened his sharp gaze. With one shift motion of his hand he knocked the nine-year-old on his back. He gazed down at the boy as if he were a bug. “I said I would not kill him. I said nothing about not harming him.”

The chieftain stood up, being as stiff as a board. “That boy has been locked away for the protection of the clan and you my son as promise are not to speak of it again. Your duty is to protect your siblings that matter and this clan so remember that or I will beat it into you.”

He turned to face the shivering boy. “Now get out, I was in the middle of meditation and do not need the cries of a little girl distracting me.”

And so the young Obi had been transferred to an underground cell where he would live out his days. Hondo did not expect him to live long even with the small amount of food he provided weekly. All members of his family had to stay away from the area or pay dire consequences.

As the young boy grew he had only been provided with one set of clothes to wear for his many years of imprisonment. Whenever scraps had been brought to his cell the eunuch’s face had always been covered by a black hooded mask so he could not even have the comfort of seeing another person’s face. The person was also always silent so the boy had no idea what another person sounded like either. Once he grew even bigger he had been chained to the back of the cell as he slept. This would be the boy’s life for sixteen years, not understanding any of it only accepting it as he knew nothing else but this harshness.

*

After those sixteen years and Hondo having had his three remaining children with his wife, he returned home from some business in Chayyliel. He dismounted his horse with two of his men standing by to lead the horse back into the stable.

A soldier walked up to the grand chieftain and dropped to a single knee. He placed his fist over his heart and bowed his head. “Your wife and your children Bakari and Fujo await you in the meeting room, Chieftain Hondo.”

Hondo looked down at the man. “What has happened?”

*

The main door to the meeting room rushed open. “What is this?” the chieftain yelled as he entered the room. “How could you let him escape!” He glared down at his two eldest children and wife who bowed low before him.

“Forgive us, dear husband,” Lady Taaliah said. “We had no idea the princes would commit such an act against you.”

“Useless! Every single one of you! I leave for ten days and this is how I am greeted. None of you could hear their escape?” He glared down as if he was ready to light each of them on fire while they still drew breath.

“Father, allow me to go after him,” Bakari spoke. “I will bring him back and-”

“No, it is clear to me now that I have been too soft in all of your training,” Hondo voice became dark along with his blazing orange eyes. “I will correct that. I will send men after this bad omen and have it taken care of. You and your siblings prepare yourselves.”

*

Bakari and Fujo exited the house to enter the outer courtyard where the rest of their siblings waited. Yafeu took a step toward them. “What is father so angry about?”

Bakari and Fujo stopped in front of the rest of their brothers and sisters. Bakari spoke for both of them. “The less you know about it the safer you will be.”

“But,” Yafeu took another step forward when Neema grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Listen to what our big brother is telling you,” Neema said. “We keep our heads low until father has time to cool off.” He looked to his elder siblings for support.

Both of them nodded with grave looks on their faces. Things would be harder for the six siblings from now on. Silently Neema cursed himself for not stopping the prince from taking their long lost brother. Now all of them would suffer for it.