Phixa enjoyed her desert walks. They were usually peaceful and relaxing, especially during sundown. Even though she would be in a weakened state soon, the colors of the sky were just heavenly. It had a shade slightly darker than dusty blue that mixed with red, orange, and yellow to create an array of colors surrounding the Sun. The clouds were wispy like feathers with the tips slightly pink. She came to the desert everyday to say goodnight to her family and friends in Paradise and to admire its natural aesthetic. She knew they couldn't hear or see her, but it was better than nothing. She watched the Sun as it preached up on a jagged cliff hanging above the crystal like sand and scattered cacti. Each day, she savor this moment because it wasn't often that she felt at peace with herself. But with the smooth, fresh air it was hard not to— the place just took away the stress and worry.

Just as the Sun was about to finally depart, she heard heavy, unfamiliar footsteps from behind her. She turn around slowly and first saw a man with a dirty wife beater and baggy black cargo pants. His muscles were well defined, tattooed and wet with sweat. The other 10 men behind him looked similar.

He flashed his yellow teeth and said, “Well looky here fellas, we got ourselves a desert-lover. Shouldn't you be home, little girl — It's almost dinner time?”

She glanced back at the Sun and it was almost completely gone. She had to make this quick. “I already ate, I was just here to look at the sunset.”

He chuckled a little which made her feel slightly uncomfortable. “Figured much, it's beautiful. Pretty soon, people will be able to enjoy the sunset from the comfort of their homes.”

“What do you mean?”

“We're building a city here. A big lively one. We're starting at night when it's cool out here.”

“W-why? Is it overcrowded?”

“Nope, we just want a city out here. I came up with the idea and everything. I can tell you right now, it's going to be one hell of a city.”

Her brows lowered in anger. This land — this desert — had a charm that deserved to be untouched by humankind. It was a home of animals, plants, and peace. Just the thought about how they planned to steal its lands sent a rush of anger through her veins.

“No,” Phixa protested, “if a city isn't needed then there's no need to build it. Who gave you that right anyway?”

“Me, myself, and I,” The lead man scoffed. “With my power, I don't need to ask permission for anything. And judging by those flaming wings you have there, you can just fly away to a new desert.”

Her wings. Usually people were left in confusion about them, but rarely did anyone look at them normally — unless they had powers as well. Her survival instincts rushed in and she stood on her feet on guard, but she was too late. Out of nowhere, a random man with a furry body and sharp claws jumped up from what she assumed was the foot of the cliff. He grabbed her by her arm and flung her off sending Phixa crashing on the cooled sand. Pain wrapped around the arm he threw her by, but she stood back up — her body trembling. Just from the grab alone, she felt how strong he was. If the lead man had ordered him to, he could've killed her. Phixa fought down the anxiety rustling in her stomach and looked back on the cliff she was on. They were gone.

“You're probably wondering who we are,” A voice boomed from behind her, “Well I will be happy to tell you all that.”

Phixa turned around and tried to stare at the man with a mean glare, but it turned out to be an expression of distress instead. The man smirked, finding pleasure in her expression.

“We are animal sorcerors,” he said. “We specialize in spells that give us the powers of any animal we choose. We don't completely take the form of the animal but we do take on a similar appearance. I'm the leader of our little sorceror pack. You can call me Dale.”

“My men's animal is a lion, king of the jungle— prideful and powerful. Mine is just as strong, so I'll give one more chance to leave this here desert, or we will make you.”

Phixa knew she should run, she was outnumbered and weak, but she felt a strong attachment to the desert. Is that attachment really worth it though? Animal sorcery was hard to learn, so they must've been skilled. They must've known a lot about their animals — its limitations, their best abilities, their flaws — everything. Being a sorceror of any kind was quite impressive, as a matter of fact. In order to become one, you had to have wide range of knowledge and be strong physically and mentally. Even if they weren't complete animals, they still outmatched her. She was supposed to be a fearless Phoenix, but there she was, stiff as a board with fear. Phixa knew she should run before she humiliated her people.

But she couldn't, and because she couldn't, the pack of sorcerers prepare to fight her. Phixa closed her eyes, and let the thought of the desert flood her mind and wash away her fears and insecurities. In her pocket, she had a special flame resistant dagger, but she couldn't apply enough fire to it for the technique to be good enough. It was better than relying solely on her fire. The first man came rushing at her with their overgrown and muscular furry body. She quickly took the dagger from her skirt pouch and applied as much fire as she could. The dagger was barely hotter than the desert during the day.

She wanted to throw it on the ground, but Phixa got over her shame and prepared to fight. The first sorcerer aimed his sharp claws towards her face and barely dodged it. Despite being big, he was fast but his attacks were repetitive. He would aim at her face first with his left claw then try to scratch her stomach and sides with his right. Once she got into the rhythm of his attacks, she figured out a counterattack. With her empty left hand, she grabbed his left wrist when he attempted to attack Phixa's face. She gripped it as hard as she could and spun around, taking his arm with her to dislocate his shoulder. When her back was to his, she plunged the hot dagger into a non-vital point in his back. With a painful grunt, he fell to the sand with blood staining his shirt.

Another man came at her to avenge his fallen comrade, but she ducked beneath his claw and drew a deep cut across his stomach with her dagger. They were all muscles and no technique. Phixa quickly slashed her way through the other 8 men, leaving them alive but likely scarred. The only one left was Dale, and after defeating 10 animal sorcerors with nothing but a scratch on her cheek to show, she felt confident.

“So you can fight,” Dale said amused. “I should've brought my skilled men with me, but I didn't think we would have to deal with some freaky desert-lover.”

That explained why she took them down easily, they were only beginners. Her pride took a slight blow after hearing that.

“You have no right to build a city here. Power isn't an excuse to do whatever you want!” Phixa yelled. “I bet the real reason why you're doing this is to flex your strength, raise money for yourself, then become even more powerful! You're destroying natural beauty for your own selfish desires and it's disgusting!”

Dale stared at me with a devilish smirk. "Oh, and you're going to try to 'set me straight?' Make me see the 'error of my ways?' Why should I have to live like all you commoners when I have the power to obtain what I want? Do you feel so inferior to the point where you must drag people like me down to your level? You can lecture me all you want, that's going to do nothing but get you killed."

A purple aura formed around him like a flame. When sorcerers can reveal their aura, it meant they were incredibly powerful. His muscles expanded and his veins popped around his body. Phixa urgently stared at the sky to see if sunrise would come soon, but the full moon still glowed its peaceful color showing signs of it barely moving. Her flight instinct kicked in and she expanded her wings to fly away. Dale was too strong for Phixa. She couldn't fly fast, high, or far, but she should be good enough to get herself back to Phoenicia. As she tried to take off, one of Dale's hurt henchman tackled her to the ground with his heavy body. When her wings were pinned, he started clawing at her back. She gritted her teeth to bare the pain, but she could only take so much of the feeling of her back ripped.

She applied all her heat to her wings. Luckily, they were hot enough to make him spring up and burn his knees. Phixa gripped her dagger and cut off the man's ankle. He screamed then fell for the last time. Her back was bloodied and burning with pain. She cursed herself for staying, but like a proud Pheonix should, she sought her decision out until the end. She got up even though her back begged her to stay down. Phixa saw Dale in his final form and a sense of dread and overwhelming strength crashed into her. He was a little bigger than before, but his most notable changes were his antennas and wings.

"What are you?" She asked.

"The most resilient, most annoying animal to exist," Dale answered. "People fear me, hate me, but little do they know, they are looking at sheer power. My animal is the flying cockroach."

Phixa glared at him in disgust as he began to laugh. His body was covered in dark fur and his eyes sparkled with amusement.

“This is your last chance, run now or forever hold onto your pride,” Dale smiled.

With a determined look on her face, she faced Dale again with her fists clenched at her side. This wasn't the end. She had to prove herself to them, to herself. She wouldn't back down like this, not without a fight. There was no stopping the battle that would surely ensue. Phixa had to win this fight to show them that she belonged here, to the tribe, to them.

She wouldn't allow an arrogant pest like Dale invade the desert. Even if her back was bleeding, she wasn't going to go down.

“Show them how strong the Phoenix really is!” She shouted to herself.

Her opponent charged forward, Phixa was prepared to stab him, but as quick as lightning he dodged it and struck her bloody back. It was a perfect hit, and a direct hit at that. As soon as she fell, he turned back to her with his fist raised.

Phixa glared at the animal sorceror, irate. She gritted her teeth and wince while she tried to get back up while he flew above her and laughed. “I knew I'd be able to defeat you!”

Dale descended over the phoenix hybrid, his feet crunched in the sand, standing between Phixa's shoulders as he crouched down and lowered his face near her brown hair as he bragged about the city he planned to build. “And I'm just getting started. It won't take long for the architects and engineers to map the logistics of this desert. Soon, I'll have the greatest city ever built using the finest materials made with the best quality.”

While he rambled something along the lines of constructing buildings made out of pure asphalt, adobe or some other compound that the ancient pyramids were made out of. Phixa languished as she kept holding her dagger from under her bosom. She wanted to get away from him but she was already disoriented from him babbling about monoliths. How was she going to save the desert if she can't even get away from an irritable louse like Dale?

“We'll build our own monoliths! Our own pyramids! With the tools we invented, we can build anything! I'll bring my men together with the engineers and they'll create an amazing monument! All of it, will be mine! Are you even listening?” Dale demanded, she laid immobile.

“Mother, is that you?” Phixa mumbled, Dale furrowed his thick eyebrows before he lifted her up from the sand, insulted by the fact that she was ignoring him.

“Look at me when I'm talking to you!” The sorceror spat before Phixa grabbed one of his antennas, then squeezed it tight before using the dagger to cut it off.

Dale let out a blood curdling scream. But the phoenix wasn't done yet. She jumped, swung her feet, and landed on his back, wrapping herself around his neck. With all the strength she had, she squeezed her legs tighter around his neck and pressed her arms against his ears in hopes he'd lose consciousness. He struggled, trying his best to break free, but it was too late. He was already starting to choke. Phixa didn't let go, and he was slowly losing consciousness. Then the wind picked up suddenly. A great gust of air blasted the two apart and sent Phixa soaring several feet away. She hit the sand and rolled down it until finally coming to a stop, coated in sand. He collapsed in a heap, twitching once.

All around her, the sky was filled with the stars.

The sound of engines could be heard from afar. The front lights of all-terrain vehicles could be seen driving from afar. Dale coughed as he reverted back to his human form in his weakened state.

“Don't you see..” He wheezed, “my men... are coming... and there's nothing...”

Phixa got up as the cold breeze caressed her scarred back, though the bleeding diminished, the grains of sand caked on her back itched.

“Nothing you can do... to stop...” He winced as he tried to speak. Phixa hobbled with her dagger in hand, the blade was smeared in blood. “Me...”

He breathed as he saw the trucks park neared the other ones that were stationed there. Then turned his bruised head as he saw Phixa's wings give a faint glow as she hobbled closer.

“Even if you... kill me. It won't stop... my men... from building this city.” Dale rasped while the men dismounted their vehicles, turned on their flashlights as they waited.

“Play nice and I'll consider... allowing you inhabit my city. Who knows? Maybe you'll have... a special place... in a zoo.” Dale smiled wryly as Phixa fumed. One of the men spotted a flame, a feint one.

“There's someone over there,” said one of them.

“Who in their right mind would start a fire in the middle of a desert?” Another one asked squinting at the distant flame. “Looks like the flame is moving.”

“Let's go check it out,” said another. They all walked toward the direction he pointed to.

Phixa placed her foot on his chest to keep him pinned against the ground, one hand tugging the collar of his shirt while she raised her dagger with her right hand. The pain was immense, but she couldn't care less about it at the moment.

“You won't get away with this. I'll make sure of it.” Phixa gritted her teeth. She put all her effort into crushing his ribs together so he wouldn't die immediately.

“What is that?” One of them asked, noticing how the flames hovered on Phixa's back.

“Is that Dale?” Another asked as he recognized him before Phixa slit Dale's throat.

“Dale!” They shouted in unison as they saw Dale clutch the gaping wound with his hand whilst Phixa turned pale at the sight of them.

She hobbled away as fast as she could while they ran towards Dale, though one of them went after the injured phoenix hybrid.

“Get back here, you freak!” He chased Phixa before a sandstorm approached.

“Let's get out of here before the sandstorm hits!” The man on Dale's right said while the others helped lift Dale off the ground.

The one who was chasing Phixa begrudgingly stopped, turned back and ran away from the phoenix quickly before the sandstorm came. The veil of sand made the flame from her wings disappear out of sight as the 4 men brought Dale to a truck as quickly as possible.

“You're… you're… not…” he choked on his own blood, “a girl… you aren't... a human either…” Dale closed his eyes, and he was almost silent.

“We need to get him to the hospital.” One of Dale's workers said though his voice sounded distant.

“Hold on, boss.” Another said while Dale's vision started turning white as he slumped down to the backseat of the truck. Everything was a blur. Dale slowly closed his eyes once more. The light disappeared and his heart stopped beating.

Phixa felt tears flowing down her cheeks as her shoulders shook. She felt powerless. There was no way she could prevent them from building a city in a desert she was trying to protect. She had to find a way to stop them, find a way to buy enough to stop them. But how?

A/N: I would like to thank ADav62 for writing the original fragment months ago. I decided to edit the original story for a more suitable ending, instead of the signature cliffhanger.

I also accepted to follow Aquarisla's suggestion of adding Phoenix from League of Legends as Phixa's theme because it fits her character arc perfectly. If I hadn't heard the song, I wouldn't have gotten back to finishing the story. Better late than never. Enjoy!