Chapter 510 - Interlude - Auri - Extended Relatives (Patreon)

Quick note! BTDEM Book 10 - Under Ashen Skies - is up on Audible! https://www.audible.com/pd/Under-Ashen-Skies-Audiobook/B0CP6T2DQP

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Life was good!

Life was great!

I was suspicious.

That meant life had an ambush waiting behind a bush somewhere.

Old Auri would’ve spotted a tree and burned it to destroy a dozen ‘ambushers.’ Old Auri would’ve pretended that the dozen notifications from birds and the nest of badgers at the base of the tree would’ve been a success. That the snake was filled with deadly poison, and that I’d just saved the day.

No more! I’d turned over a new feather!

I held my beak up high, sitting on Wren’s spear. All the fancy banners and symbols of the Legion had gotten packed away. Something about ‘diplomacy’ and ‘not being an invading army’. Bah humbug! That meant less attention on us! Fewer people to admire me! Fewer flames to show off!

How could I possibly show off my fire before adoring crowds of thousands if - oooh, honey!

“Brrrpt!” I told Wren, fully knowing he couldn’t understand a word I was saying, so I said brrrpt to mess with his head. Then I flitted off through the woods to find the delicious smell!

Honey, honey, an excellent reason for not burning flowers! More flowers meant more honey!

I made it to the hive and hovered, studying the flight patterns of dozens of busy bees buzzing around, trying to find a way in.

I could just burn them all, but no, no, I was no lumbering bear. Mass murder for a snack?

Old Auri would’ve said yes. Old Auri would already be beak-deep in honey, drops of it crystalizing on my wings.

Better Auri couldn’t find an easy way to get that sweet, sweet honey, and the poor baby bees needed it as well…

Better Auri went home with no honey.

Sometimes being better sucked.

Spear or wagon, spear or wagon… hmmm… who was carrying me today…? Purple-hair always had a pouch of treats he was willing to share, while Ms. Deerkin liked singing. Elaine’s [Batteries] were good for showering praise on me, but Legata Katerina sometimes had fun missions and things to Properly Burn…

Belly hungry! Time for second breakfast! Treats it is!

I flew over to Purple-hair and landed on his spear.

“Food?” I asked, doing my best to look cute, hungry, and feed-able. I knew he couldn’t understand me, but the way I stared at his sugary snacks made what I wanted clear.

Purple-hair laughed, and soon I was eating honey-encrusted sweets with no issues about how it had been obtained.

A crackle of Lightning made all my feathers puff out, and I turned my head to try and follow.

Quick! Fast!

A man in black armor was talking to Katerina, and a woman was sitting on his shoulders, holding an umbrella angled in a way to keep the sun off him.

Interesting! Fun! I wanted to know what was going on!

I zipped over! Zoom! Yay! Flying was great!

One of Katerina’s aides pointed to me, and everyone turned and looked at me.

Uh oh.

There was being the center of attention, and there was being the Center of Attention. This did not look like the good kind.

UH OH. That was a Sentinel. Looking for me?

Elaine was okay, right? RIGHT?

I pulled up my status sheet, letting off a relieved ember when our bond skill was still there, still intact. She was alive, at least.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Sentinel Spark, this is Auri the phoenix.” Katerina quickly introduced us. “Auri, Sentinel Spark would like you to go with him.”

The man nodded as he turned to me. The woman riding on his back flawlessly kept the umbrella between him and the sun.

“You’re needed urgently back in Sanguino… ma’am?” He hesitated over the last part.

I looked at Katerina, who nodded at me.

“Alright! Let’s go!” I said.

The Sentinel opened a bag, and I gave him a disgusted look before remembering just how fast he was. Maybe the bag would be a gentler trip? At the very least I’d be sheltered against the wind…

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Four barfed-in and burnt bags later, we made it to Sanguino. The spinning top of the bag opened. Up, left, right, it just wouldn’t stay still.

Stupid moving bags! Every effort of mine to get out resulted in me hitting the sides, and I burned the bag in pure frustration.

He clearly had spares, it wasn’t special.

I was getting better at this, but I wasn’t perfect.

“Elaine!” I said, trying to fly to her and hitting the wall instead. “I’m back!”

Elaine laughed and stepped over, picking me up off the ground.

“I want to get off this ride.” I moaned. More Elaineisms!

“There there.” She put me on my favorite spot - the shoulder! - and looked to Sparky.

I sunk my talons in so I’d stay on.

“Sentinel. A thousand and twenty-four thanks for your assistance in this matter.” She said, half-bowing.

Noooooooooooooooo why did you have to tilt like - hurk.

This suuuuuuuuuucked.

Sparky rolled his eyes.

“Piece of advice to you. Never become the fastest Sentinel. Sentinel Arachne and the rest will have you running ‘critical missions’ all over the world instead of doing what you actually want to do, and ignoring half the support staff dedicated to the task!” He complained.

Bah humbug. He got to see me! Not only that, but he got to run around and see the whole world!

It kinda sucked being so small at times. There was no way without Fenrir and Elaine that I could see nearly as much as I did.

Elaine and Sparky talked for a little longer, the woman who’d been riding on his shoulders sliding down and leaning on him. How come she was fine?! This was totally unfair!

Elaine’s eyes went wide.

“Wait. Nobody told Auri!?” She said.

“Tell me what?” I asked.

“There’s a trio of phoenixes that came looking for you!” She explained.

“WHAT!” I shouted into her ear. “Why didn’t anyone tell me!?”

Quick! Time for next-level Auri thinking! Burn away the nausea! Why hadn’t I thought of that before?!

Maybe because the room wouldn’t stop spinning long enough for me to think…

It sadly didn’t work. Elaine and Sparky stopped talking, and Elaine started jogging through the city with Iona.

“Tell me everything! What class did you get? What have you been doing? What are the phoenixes like? Are they nice? Are they hummingbirds like me? What flames do they use? What kind of fire? How long have they been here? Who…?”

I had ALL THE QUESTIONS! I needed to know it all! Learn it all! Elaine was smart. She started talking and answering my questions as I asked them, the two of us flawlessly communicating over each other.

“[The Arbiter of Life and Death]. Sentinel Dawn upgrade class. Mostly moping around, classing up, and getting engaged. They’re… interesting. A little arrogant. I don’t want to color your perception too much. They’re not hummingbirds. One’s an owl, one’s a heron, and the last one is a tupandactylus. Pyronox, Radiance, and Inferno. I couldn’t tell if any of them were a particularly special type of flame, but I suspect the heron was using sun-fire. I don’t know how long they’ve been here. Atlas-”

One of Elaine’s answers made its way through my flaming brain and connected two sparks together.

“You got engaged!? YAAAY! Congratulations congratulations CONGRATULATIONS!!”

I summoned a ton of [Mage Hands] and started clapping.

Yay! They were getting married! Tying the knot! I couldn’t wait to see it!

I had to remind myself - it was going to be their day. Subtle! Hidden! Out of sight! That was the goal for me. Make everyone pay attention to Elaine and Iona!

Oh, it was going to be so much fun! It was going to be great! What would Fenrir do? How would he participate? Was there something interesting for him to do?

AHHHHH! My bakery! I could make the cake! I was totally going to make the cake!

“Dibs on making the cake!!” I yelled. “I’m making it! Please? Pretty please with a flower on top?” I asked, fluttering my eyes at Iona.

The couple traded an amused look, Iona’s shoulders shaking with barely-contained mirth.

“Of course you can.” Elaine said. “I couldn’t imagine anyone else for it.”

“YES!” I did a little happy flip, somehow landing back down.

Oh. Hmmm.

Humans tied the knot. How did phoenixes do it? Did they mingle the flame or something?

I was going to meet some phoenixes! At last!

It… it was a little lonely sometimes, being the only one of me.

Ahhh it was unfair! Too many exciting things happening all at once!

“We’re here.” Iona said, halting at the edge of the park. “You two ready?”

Was I ready? WAS I READY!? I wasn’t ready! Not by a long shot! My sparks were dull! My talons needed sharpening! My beak wasn’t shiny enough! My…

“As ready as we’ll ever be.” Elaine said, stepping into the park, completely blowing past my concerns.

Mmmm, yes. There was wisdom in those words. I was as ready as I’d ever be.

The moment we stepped into the park, I felt it. There were powerful auras at work here. The flames that were my body flared up, eagerly responding to the call of fire that was going on. My entire body felt lighter and stronger, and I felt like I could fly a million miles an hour.

I felt more. I felt great! Amazing! Wonderful!

We arrived without fanfare. There were no trumpets declaring that they were here. No heavens opening up.

Just… we went over a small hill, and suddenly, I could see them.

Three flaming birds, sitting up in a tree. An owl, a heron, and a tupandactylus.

They looked at me.

I looked at them.

“Hi!” I said.

“It really is a phoenix…” The heron squawked.

“A hummingbird too.” The owl said.

“Higher level than the story suggests. Perhaps it was a lie?” The dinosaur suggested.

The owl shook his head.

“No, from my understanding companion bonds keep the two at the same level. It is only natural that her level is close to the human’s.”

“Hey!” I protested. “Elaine isn’t some human! Elaine is the best!”

“Truly?” The owl asked. “How are you certain that is the case? From our understanding of the story, she was the first one you met. The one who hatched you, who fed you. Are you absolutely certain that there was no underlying influences on you to create a bond between you two? No clever manipulations?”

I started laughing at the idea of Elaine manipulating anyone, let alone me.

“Ha! No way! She couldn’t manipulate her way out of a stack of dry twigs if she tried!” I said.

The underlying thought worried me though. The manipulation? No way. The impression?

I… couldn’t say no.

“Hmmmm. Well, that matter can be put aside for the moment. We should leave for the Phoenix Peaks, where we can discuss further and introduce you to all the others. This is no place for a phoenix to live, and we’ve been here far too long already. The sooner we can leave, the better.”

“Agreed, agreed.” The heron said. “They’ve blocked out sunlight here, the heathens.”

The dinosaur shuddered.

“Far too cold. Let’s return to a civilized place.”

Hmmm.

“Can Elaine come with us?” I asked. We’d just come back from an adventure, but it was time for another one! Bit of a quick turnaround - my poor bakery was going to get even more ruined - but hey! Phoenixes! New friends! Distant relatives! Let’s meet them all!

The three looked like I’d suggested we all go for a swim or something.

“The phoenix lands are primarily for phoenixes.” The owl explained slowly, like I was some idiot child.

“But the wedding is soon!” I protested, then turned to Elaine, who’d been an utter saint this entire time. I knew how hard it was for her to just stand still like this, especially when we were talking about her.

It just confirmed what I said earlier - Elaine was the best.

“When is the wedding?” I asked her. She shrugged.

“We got engaged today.” She said. “We haven’t had time to start discussing it.”

Ooops.

Wait! This wasn’t my fault!

“The wedding doesn’t mat-” The tupandactylus started to say, but the owl cut him off with a wing.

“Is this… wedding… hugely important to you?” He asked.

I nodded.

“Of course! Elaine and Iona are getting married! It’ll be so much fun!” I said. “Oh!! You should all meet Fenrir as well!”

An idea came to me. A brilliant idea!

“Hey Elaine, can the phoenixes be invited to the wedding? They’re kinda like distant relatives of mine, of a sort. Please?” I asked.

Elaine promptly nodded.

“Of course they’re invited!” She said. “I’d be happy for them to attend.”

“Hmmmm.” The owl mulled it over for a moment or two while the other two shifted from talon to talon. “I would be willing to attend, under one condition. Come to the Phoenix Peaks for a time after the event, and see what life is like there. I am confident that once you are among your own, you will find it a paradise like no other.”

I did want to see the Phoenix Peaks and meet other birds like me.

There were others just like me!

I quickly explained it all to Elaine, who slowly nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine with that.” She said, then switched to English, which was like our private language!

“I’ll need Iona to sanity check me, but something I’m worried about - if they don’t want to help you come back, what happens?”

I repeated Elaine’s answer back to the phoenixes while I mulled over her question.

That made two deeply disturbing questions I’d been given.