Blackden Barrens #atozchallenge

 

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm having twenty-six flash fiction pieces from my Foxwick Kingdom and its surrounding neighbors. Soon A to Z Flashes of Foxwick will be available in e-book format. You can add this to your Goodreads list here.

B

Blackden Barrens

Sparse grasses swayed like a metronome. Stunted trees, blackened from fire’s fury, poked from the ground. A lizard crept over rocks and scurried into a crevasse as the phoenix glided over Blackden Barrens. Men did not belong to this wild place, and yet they marched in a quest for one item: a feather. But it was not an ordinary feather from any bird. The phoenix feather was a granter of dreams, of fortunes, of magic.

The brilliant bird’s shadow crossed over its territory. Its song poured into these men’s souls, tempting, lilting, loving. The creature begged them to forget it, for being the bearer of the phoenix feather was an arduous task. One filled with immortality mixed with painful endings and beginnings.

In a flash of flames, the phoenix plummeted to the cliff’s edge. Ashes mingled with the dry dirt. The sea’s spray could not reach the Barrens.

How long had it been since the rain?

A breeze scattered the ash and uncovered a single flower, a daisy with its snow white petals and sunburst center. Beside it, a downy-coated baby phoenix chirped.

Now if you want to learn more about authors, I’m featuring up to three per day on my blog Surrounded by Books Reviews. To find the other participants, click here.