a bit long in the tooth [private]

The carnage and destruction he wrought was somehow soothing to a soul so far removed from battle. Make no mistake, Kiran didn't love or even miss the war, but his warrior nature was so engrained into his very soul that the years of peace had dusted his shelves, dulling him so gradually that it was only now he realized how alive he felt in comparison. Flames burned all around him, yet didn't hurt him. Taking off the training wheels he used for EA's combat training and unleashing a full force sunlight laser from his mouth released the tension nagging in his shoulders. He didn't care about hurting these soldiers that had kept prisoners for so long. If they died, they died. He had full confidence in his squad's abilities, so the phoenix didn't even worry about his flock. They would show the true power of their species, and why they shouldn't be messed with, let alone captured and tortured.

A new foe appeared from an above floor with a hammer. At first the ebony haired bird with the tattoos ignored the presence, more concerned with ridding these guards of their responsibilities and wits. Bodies were scorched, some attempting to claw away and some no longer having to worry about the pain. He could see the terror in their faces, but he couldn't feel it. He had no sympathy, despite these soldiers being very young and having only heard the stories of war. Somehow that made it worse. They only had the abstract idea of what it had been like and full reign to make their own decisions about supporting it. Yet here they were, seeing the glaring evidence of how cruel such a thing could be, and chose to be a part of it three hundred and twenty seven years later. How could they support the long term imprisonment of immortal species from a war so long ago, when this supposed peace had reigned for years? Disgusting. Arka bred mindless military-dogs indeed.

The more seasoned arrival didn't change his opinion of these guards in the least. "Another...what?" Kiran asked once the cocky words were uttered, whirling from fire-kicking a young soldier through one of the stone walls. A younger man with less war experience may have been intimidated by the muscular old man with the hammer, but this fire bird was much older than this human. This was nothing more than an ugly baby, too big for his breeches and thinking he had the world by the taint. These kids liked to play war, but hadn't experienced it. All the training had them fooled that they'd be ready. Well, it was about time they got a taste. If they liked to play in the disabled remnants of war, he'd proudly display that he was a war left over, as well...but not nearly as weakened and trapped as the ones they were used to!

As the man charged, he shrugged off the peculiar statement for the moment, settling for simply destroying the man to see for himself. Not a muscle moved as the hammer's blow met his chest, other than a small step backward and his face angling down to glare into the top dog of the lighthouse's eyes. "Listen here, kiddo. This is a mistake I don't think you can come back from, so make peace with your demons or your gods," he spat darkly, his body lighting up like a mini-sun. The heat would be nearly unbearable for an average human. The grin on his face didn't quite match the murderous intent in his peridot hues. The man flinched back, only to swing again thinking he had a chance. Kiran dodged the swing this time, slipping his foot under the hammer and kicking it back up into the commander's face. Gray eyes rolled back up into the dark skinned eyelids for only a second before he brought himself out, snarling in pain and rage.

It became evident what this soldier's talent was after a few more rounds of trading blows. While he was decently strong in his own right, it wasn't his training and stamina that kept him going. A green glow would happen after so much damage, healing it instantly and keeping him from dying or falling unconscious. That made him an annoying little pest that delayed his exploration of the tower. The elder human laughed, thinking he had the upper hand. "Underestimating is a rookie mistake!" he chortled, looking to club Kiran in the head. "Indeed, it is," Kiran countered. While he may be weakened in the moonlight of night, he was confident he still had more than enough power in his talent to put an end to this inconvenience. Razor talons extended from his finger tips, hot as smoldering coals and sharper than any blade. As the warhammer came crashing down, he lunged forward and slightly to the left to miss it. The two men's bodies were close for a moment as Kiran rushed by, whipping his arm out. There was a pause, both silent in the crackling of wood and flame. A dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor followed. "Heal that," Kiran spat, not even casting a look backward as he continued on his way.

A sick feeling in his stomach started to rise. Kiran had tried to ignore the words from the dead man before, but from the rooms he'd managed to search, he hadn't encountered any prisoners. Just some empty shackles covered in enough dust to tell him it had been a very long time since anyone had been in them. There were some bones of various species, but none living yet. So when this guy had mentioned being being another addition, another chicken for the lightbulb... it was sadly starting to seem that perhaps only phoenixes remained. And while he didn't have the full picture if only due to denial, it was looking grim.

"Guys!" he called out, utilizing the voice enhancement from his talent for something other than unholy, deafening screes. "Make your way to the top! I think that's where they are!" informed the phoenix, climbing up the splintering stairs by leaps and bounds.

[attr="class","trying"]