The Phoenix Queen looked into the mirror and saw him laying down, bloodied, at the hands of Fate. Rage flashed in his eyes at the defeat. His summoned energy sword fizzled out next to him. Fate laughed. Then all at once the Chaos Mage looked through the laughing Fate and saw the truth. This was not Fate. It was an illusion. He recognized the shimmering magic, and besides, Fate does not laugh. Eternity does. His hand clenched into a fist. If it is but Eternity, he could definitely win that fight.
He had gone to the Gardens of Eternity to find Fate, and to fight her on a suicide mission fully expecting to die. Goading death, he laughed as he was kicked around and beaten on the steps of the fiery temples. And yet, this was a mere disguise. He let out a yell. How dare his fight with Fate be ruined in this way! As Eternity laughed above him, the Chaos Mage summoned an energy sword and in a quick flash, turned and stabbed him right in the solar plexus.
“Eternity,” he grunted, staring deep into the golden eyes that faded from blue.
Chaos Mage, Eternity wheezed back at him.
“It’s been a while,” said the Chaos Mage.
That is has. Glad to see you haven’t lost your touch.
“Oh, well I’m not glad about it.” He sighed as he kicked Eternity off of his sword and wiped it on his bloodied robe. “Tell me where Fate has gone. I would have words with her.”
Ah yes, words. Is that what you children call your fists and weapons these days?
She has gone far away from here. I’m not sure you would be able to find her. Eternity sighed and turned to dust drifting away in the winds. He always had a flair for the dramatics, thought the Chaos Mage as he glared at the firelight dancing upon the sands. He felt the chains of Fate that bound him and longed so desperately to be free. He briefly considered chasing Fate down through the dimensions, but then thought better of it. He would be chasing her for the rest of time, which was nothing but an absolutely useless trap.
He pondered what the old oracle had whispered to him in his home world when he was still just a boy. Are we a slave to chasing our fate because we want to overcome it and be free to live, or because we want it to destroy us so we can be free to die? He had suggested that the answer should be neither, but she laughed her ugly laugh at him. Someday you will understand, she said. Someday you will know.