Fortunately, I was spared from having to focus too much on Hot Type’s remark. Or try to find a way to respond to it. Instead, my attention was drawn toward Roxa as the other girl asked, “What exactly does it mean to be the ‘Flame of the Phoenix?” Her hands flailed a little bit, half-gesturing to Avalon. “Because seriously, if she''s about to get red hair and telekinesis just so she can keep dying and coming back all the time, I think we all deserve some sort of fair warning.”
Jessica gave a soft snort, her eyes rolling with faint amusement. “Okay, well first of all, it''s not exactly the same as those comics. But they did have a few of the right ideas. Especially when it comes to the power and responsibility that comes with the position.”
Before even thinking about it, I found my head start to shake. Oh, right, I really wasn''t thinking about it. It was Hot Type who was shaking our head. Just like she was the one who spoke up with a flat, “Nah, actually power and responsibility is that other guy.”
Avalon very pointedly cleared her throat to stop anyone else from piping up with more comments, while her hand grabbed mine and squeezed it tightly. She hadn''t stopped staring very intently at Jessica the whole time. When she spoke, her voice caught slightly. “Let me be very clear about this. I spent my entire life, up until the end of last year, with people trying to kill me just because of who my ancestor was. Everyone wanted to control me or ruin my whole existence simply because I could get into a magic vault for them. I thought that was over. But now, if you''re going to tell me that I’m supposed to take some sort of connection to this Phoenix thing just because my ancestor happened to be--”
Jessica raised a hand, her expression serious. “Gonna stop you right there. This isn''t about your ancestors, any of them. Well, technically I suppose it kind of is. Because this is about who you are and what you''ve done. It’s about the person you are. And you are that person because of what your life has been like. You were forged in the fire, Avalon Sinclair. A fire that burned away the person you once were, Hannah Owens. You have lived more than one life. You have reinvented yourself. You have experienced hardship, and come through that hardship stronger. You could have fallen and shattered at any time, but you chose to persevere. You acknowledged your weakness and sought to burn it away. You took the person you were and fought to become better and stronger. The fire could have tamed you, but you tamed it instead. You mastered the fire and wield it in spirit. Now, the fire would have you wield it in truth. That is why you have been chosen, because you are fire.”
A very short moment of silence passed in the wake of that dramatic announcement before Avalon gave my hand another squeeze and spoke to Jessica again. “That’s very impressive-sounding. I’m sure we’re all suitably awed. Now maybe you can be a little more specific about what you''re asking me to do. And for the record, it better be a request. If you think you can tell me to accept something, especially before I understand it, then you really don''t know me as well as you apparently think you do.”
I saw those flames dance over Jessica''s eyes, not in anger, but delight. Her voice crackled with power. “Believe me when I say, the Fire doesn''t choose to offer itself to one who is easily controlled. That would go against the entire point. The one who wields it must be strong enough to guide the Flame, without being burned by it. If you were weak enough that one could demand you accept the responsibility, you would have been too weak to use it. The Fire would have turned your soul to ash.”
Thankfully, she didn''t just leave things there. The woman actually began to explain, with some details. “As I said, there is a Phoenix for every star, and they are the direct children of the Creator. In the very beginning, the true beginning, there were two, the Creator and the Destroyer. The Creator locked the Destroyer away, but she wanted some part of him to continue on. She created the Phoenixes, children of the stars, as a connection to both herself and her brother. They live, die, live, die, onwards forever. Even when the stars they are attached to fade, the Phoenix live in some other fashion unknown to us. Eternal life, linked to eternal death. They live to burn away and are reborn. They destroy what is around them, yet their flames bring the sort of warmth and healing that is almost unknown to this universe. The Phoenix serves as a guardian to their solar system. That is their calling, their responsibility. And the mortal being it chooses to bond itself to is an extension of that calling. Right now, the greatest threat in this universe, the greatest threat to the Creator’s vision, are the Fomorians and their fledgling alliance with Tartarus. Left unchecked, they will snuff out each star. Other Phoenixes are making their own alliances, their own attempts to discover the best way to prevent absolute calamity. Perhaps they will be successful. Perhaps not. Some have even decided that the best course of action is to flee these connected universes and take their chances far beyond the easy reach of those creatures. Clearly a delaying action at best. But ours, the Phoenix for this system, our star, has decided the best chance is to join with the soul-gatherers, the ones who call themselves Roundabout.”
My head bobbed as the others looked at me. “Right, that''s what I''m calling our Necromancy school. I guess I really shouldn''t be surprised that some uber powerful firebird that lives in the sun knows about that. And now it wants to work with us to stop those evil fucking things? I um, well that’s one pretty big vote of confidence, at least.” My voice cracked slightly as I managed to get that much out. I didn’t know what else to say.
Avalon, however, did. “I don''t want to be chosen because of her either.” She gave me a quick look, mouthing an apology before pushing on. “I love Felicity, absolutely. I adore her, in every possible way. But I''m not going to take this just because I happen to be in a relationship with her.” Before Jessica could respond, she added, “Then again, from what you said, that wouldn’t work out very well anyway. But let’s be completely honest here, my connection to Felicity is at least a decently sized part of why this is even an option. There’s plenty of people out there in the world who have been through more than me and come out stronger. There are better choices for this, if that was the only criteria.”
“Well yes,” Jessica agreed while shrugging one shoulder. “There has always been one Bonded to the Phoenix, one responsible for standing against those threats as they rise. Someone has always filled that role, since the beginning of life in this system. In this case, you are the best choice because you have the best combination of the desirable traits. You are strong enough to wield the Flame, to withstand its burn and embrace that responsibility. You are in the proper position to benefit the most from it. Your relationship with Felicity Chambers-- with Jacob Donn-- is precisely what is needed to make this alliance work. Two who stand between life and death, each in entirely different ways. Both of you are needed. Both of you can be the ones who help stop those creatures before they take this universe into eternal darkness. Working together, Felicity with her power of death and Avalon with the power of life, you may stand against Tartarus, the Fomorians, and all else that would destroy existence.”
“But uh,” Sean put in while giving a light slap to both of our backs, “no pressure or anything.”
Jessica actually chuckled at that. “I''m sorry about that. Honestly, it''s been a long time for me, a long time since I had this talk with the person who recruited me to replace him. I suppose I''ve fallen into his speech patterns, trying to get across how important it is. Because it''s definitely not something to take lightly. It is a great and awesome responsibility, in the original meaning of those words. Let me put it as plainly as possible, or at least try. The Phoenix will, if you will allow it, Bond to you. It will take years before this Bonding is complete and you may actually wield the full extent of the power it can offer you. But even from the start, you will be very strong. When you wield that power, you will be expected to use it for the benefit of this solar system. You will be expected to protect the star and the planets within from those who threaten them. This responsibility will take you to many places, and you will find yourself facing dangers the likes of which you cannot possibly understand right now. Tartarus and the Fomorians are only one such example, though the most dangerous thus far. You will be expected to use that power in defense of life within the solar system for as long as you are capable of doing so, before passing that power on to another, as I am doing now.”
She paused before amending, “As I am attempting to do, should you accept it. Our line extends back to the birth of this solar system. There has always been one connected to this star, a Phoenix-bonded. Some were of those we call the Primals, others have been visitors to this system who chose to stay, and still more have been natives. One at a time leading back to the beginning. Though there has always been one, sometimes they… ahh… have other responsibilities, taking them out of this system. But wherever they are, whatever they are doing--whatever you will be doing if you accept, it is ultimately for the overall protection of Sol and her planets.” Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Roxa quickly spoke up. “You’re saying that just because this ‘Phoenix-Bonded’ is responsible for protecting Earth and all the other planets doesn’t mean they’re always physically present in this system. Protecting the solar system might mean going to where the threat is and dealing with it before it can come here and become a real problem. And that’s why sometimes things can be a threat to this system without the Phoenix-Bonded showing up. Because they’re busy dealing with something else.”
“Or they know the threat is already being handled,” Jessica noted with a wink and a small smile, which immediately faded. “Or they’ve been killed and need time to… recuperate. Make no mistake, you will be strong and very difficult to kill in any permanent sense, but you will not be completely invulnerable. The threats that come against you will be quite dangerous. You will have a target on your back, if you accept this Bonding.”
I could almost hear Avalon’s eyes roll as she muttered, “So what else is new? I’ve had a target on my back forever. And--” She glanced over at me, then to Sean and Roxa before turning her attention back to the scarred woman. “And I want to be able to do something about the threats that are out there. Felicity has a plan for stopping the Fomorians. I would’ve helped her with that no matter what. But now you’re here, telling me I can really help, but the cost is being in danger? That’s not even a choice. Whatever it takes, whatever sort of target it puts on me, I don’t care--no, I do care. I accept it. I accept the cost. I want to be able to protect the people I care about.”
There was a lot I wanted to say to that, but it wasn’t my place. This was Avalon’s thing. This was her decision to make, not mine. How could I even think about telling her that it was too dangerous when I was doing the things I was doing? It wouldn’t be fair. So, I simply nodded when she looked to me, and tried not to think about how afraid I was.
Now I guess we know how Mom and Dad feel all the time whenever we do anything or go anywhere with all the targets on our back, Hot Type put in, sounding a bit introspective.
Jessica, by that point, was nodding slowly. “Believe me, I understand that desire. And--well, you should know that it’s not always only about protecting. The Phoenix is fire. It is anger. It is destruction. But it is also life. It is a balance of those things. As its Bonded, you will be expected to embrace that duality. You will heal and you will destroy. You will create, and you will erase. The cleansing flame is equal parts life and death.”
Avalon straightened to her full height, gazing right back into those seemingly-burning eyes without flinching. “Then I accept both life and death. And I accept the cost.” Immediately after saying that, however, she turned my way, our gazes meeting. “But this isn''t just about me. It''s not just about my life, my choices. Gaia isn''t here right now. I can''t ask her.” The way her voice cracked a bit through that made it very clear that she was far from okay with that fact. “And Aylen isn''t here either. But you are, Felicity. This affects you too. I need to know if you''re alright with me making this kind of choice.”
My mouth opened and shut, and I felt a bit of guilt run through me. I had made plenty of choices about what I was going to do without Avalon or Shiori. But I hadn''t really had a choice at the time. Just like the way Gaia and Aylen weren''t here now, my girls, my entire family, weren''t there when I made those choices. Coming up with the plan for starting the Roundabout, for setting up a whole Necromancy school, had been a very big move, a big choice.
In the end, I reached out and gently touched both sides of Valley’s face. “I know what you''re saying. If you accept this, you''ll have responsibilities that can take you away from here, I mean, away from Earth. Just like she said, there will be other things to do far from home. But you''ll always come back here. Earth, this solar system, is what you''ll be protecting. Besides, you heard her, they expect us to work together, the Phoenix and the Necromancer. Two sides of life after death.”
Letting that sit for a moment, I gently traced my fingers over her face, feeling her shiver a little from the sensation. “I will have my school to run, but not constantly. Whenever I can, I will go with you. And so will some of the others who need to learn. You can be the head of planning field trips.” Saying that, I winked. “And when I can''t go with you, I''ll be waiting for you to come back. Because you''re Avalon. You''re amazing. This Phoenix thing would be lucky to have any sort of connection to you.”
Roxa and Sean, even Vulcan, Gidget, and the tattoo animals (Moondoggie the cougar and Lightwing the owl), added their own bits of encouragement. They all promised to help Avalon whenever and however they could. Then they made a point of promising me the same thing.
I could tell that there was a lot the other girl wanted to say right then. Even after almost two years of all this, she still wasn''t accustomed to having so many friends who would immediately drop everything to help her. And to be honest, I wasn''t accustomed to it either. Both of us had spent too much time keeping ourselves isolated in very different ways.
Finally, she turned to the woman who had been standing on the other side of the room that whole time, patiently waiting for her to make her decision. “Whatever it takes, whatever we have to do, if you think I can help stop those monsters before they completely snuff out the entire universe, then fine. I accept the offer. I accept the responsibility, all of it.”
Yeah, something told me that we would be looking back on this moment, this decision, for a long time. Maybe forever. Avalon was making a choice now that would completely shape the rest of her life.
Jessica didn''t respond immediately. Instead, her head tilted a little as though she was listening to something or someone else. That Phoenix, I was willing to bet. I still wasn''t sure how that whole connection thing worked, or how similar this type of Bonding was to the human version. It obviously wasn''t the same, if other species could do it. Either way, the whole situation was far different than what I had ever expected to walk into when we had all descended into that canyon to look for the rift.
Of course, because it was the way these things always tended to work, the moment I had that thought, the entire office seemed to abruptly shake. At the same time, the cityscape visible through the nearby windows vanished to reveal a rocky wasteland with several dangerously smoldering volcanoes spread across it. It was all much more intimidating than the view of the city had been.
As the animals bounded to the windows to stare nervously and anxiously at the changed scenery, Roxa pivoted toward our host. “What the hell is that? What just happened out there? I thought this whole place was basically like one of those Reaper archives, like a virtual reality thing that you control inside a pocket dimension.”
For her part, Jessica was grimacing. “The egg is partially controlled by both the bonded and the Phoenix itself, and also by its own feelings. It is a living thing in its own way. When it’s feeling threatened or angry, the scenery it presents can change. And right now, it''s feeling a lot of both.”
My mouth opened to make an easy guess at what was going on, but Sean beat me to the punch. “It’s the rift out there, isn''t it? One of those monsters managed to find the right area, even with the egg shielding the place. The whole situation just got worse. That tends to be how this sort of thing goes.” After saying that, he amended, “I mean, not that we''ve ever experienced this exactly, but still.”
“Yeah,” Roxa murmured, “things really don''t tend to go according to plan around Avalon or Felicity. Put them together and I really hope you’re good at improvising through all the panic and excitement.” With that said, she offered both of us an apologetic shrug. “I totally love you guys, that''s just how it is.”
There really wasn''t much I could say in denial of that. She had a fair point. So, I just offered a weak thumbs up before turning back to Jessica. “Okay, so is Sean right? Did they find the rift out there?”
The woman gave a heavy sigh at that, easily answering my question before ever speaking a single word in response. “Unfortunately, yes. They''ve located the right mountain and all of them are starting to close in together. Worse, they''ve started trying to send a call to whoever created them. The egg is blocking their messages so far, but it won''t last forever. And the creature who created those things can''t be allowed to reach the rift. It would be the end of everything if he does. They’ve been specifically created to explode if they get to it. Which could do incalculable damage to… everything.”
I swallowed. “It''s Maestro, isn''t it? Godfather. He''s the one who made those creatures, the one who wants to find the rift to the Fomorians. He-- we can''t let them get that message to him. He can''t find the rift. I have to get out there. I have to go through it.”
“We need to do the transfer,” Jessica informed us. “The rift has already been tainted by their energies. Their power has twisted the rift. The only way you can survive going through it is if it is purified by the Phoenix. Avalon and I need a few minutes to make the transfer so she can help you.”
“Which means the rest of us need to get out there and deal with those monsters,” Sean finished for her, his eyes glancing toward Roxa and me. “Well, what are we waiting for?
“The whole reason we signed up to this whole job was to kill monsters, so let''s get out there and kill some monsters.”