Chapter 48 - Bennu
Thundrel looked exactly the same as it did before Lilly left, only covered by the dark of night. The glowing crystals normally illuminating the roads were dimmed, giving the city time to sleep.
Lilly descended right next to Eolande’s home and greeted the two guards taking the night shift. They both seemed surprised to see her. “Lady Lilly, how is the war going?” one of them asked, too curious to stop himself.
Lilly smiled a tired smile. “It’s over as of today. Or yesterday now, I guess. But let’s hold the celebrations for tomorrow, alright?”
The guards were stunned, unable to understand how it could be resolved so fast. But they respected her wishes about delaying the celebrations, keeping their volume low. One started bowing to her, followed by the other, both showing their respects to her.
“Thank you for keeping the city safe while I was gone, guys. You can rest for a while now because I’m not leaving any time soon.” Lilly closed the door behind her, longing to find her bed and melt in Mia’s arms.
The house was dark, but she found her way to the kitchen where Beak usually slept. She looked at him lying on the marble bed she had finished only two days ago. He wasn’t sleeping, it seemed.
Two eyes looked back at her, glowing deep red now instead of their usual black color. He moved to get up, surrounded by motes of flame swirling in the air, but Lilly signaled for him to stop. “No, let’s do this tomorrow, okay? I really need to sleep.”
Without even looking at him again, she continued on her way to the bedroom, leaving the god behind to wonder where his grand status had disappeared.
‘Uhh, Lilly? Are you awake?’ Myndia asked, sounding unsure. She had probably never seen anyone treat a divine being like that before.
“Right,” Lilly mumbled, more to herself than as a reply, and removed the amulet from her neck, putting it on a small table in the hallway.
The path from the hallway to the bedroom, to getting undressed and finally getting into bed was a blur, but then she regained some of her faculties. She reached a hand around MIa and pulled her in gently, resting her face on her shoulder.
“Mmmnh… whuh… Lilly?... Lilly?!” Mia started, looking at Lilly like a ghost as she sat up in the bed. Her volume was a bit too loud for Lilly’s taste.
“Noooo, sleep now,” Lilly replied, keeping her eyes closed. “Long day… Come sleep with me.”
She had to imagine Mia’s reaction, but she felt like she knew exactly what kind of face she was making. One of confusion and outrage mixed with hesitation and love. It made her chuckle.
“Lilly, you can’t expect me to just go to sleep like this! What happened? I heard something about an explosion.”
Lilly answered with slow and dragged-out words, “Don’t worry! The war is over. Sleeeeeeeep.”
A moment passed before Mia let out a sigh and laid back down. She wrapped her arms around Lilly and kissed her forehead lovingly. “Then I’ll let my little hero sleep. But I expect a long report tomorrow, alright?”
Lilly only had the presence of mind to nod, falling asleep right after. Somehow, those arms made her feel safer than anything else.
----------------------------------------
The sun was annoyingly bright the next morning as it shone through their window, illuminating the white bedsheets. It was likely already way past the usual time they would get out of bed, but Lilly had good reason to sleep in.
Mia had likely struggled more with getting back to sleep after Lilly arrived, so she was also covering her eyes with the pillow. “Mmmh, let’s get lightproof curtains in our own bedroom, Lilly.”
“Agreed,” Lilly replied, muffled by her pillow. She slowly let her eyes adjust to the light and opened them ever so slightly. The lovely sight of Mia made it easier to keep them open, which made it the ideal way to wake up.
“You can ask about what happened now if you’d like, love.”
Mia raised her eyebrows in realization but kept her eyelids closed. “Right! So the war is over?”
“Yup.”
“... And you had a hand in that?”
“Yup.”
“Would you like me to haul the words out of you?”
Lilly smiled, briefly wondering how she would manage that. “I went to Dortfell after the explosion happened. It forced us to take drastic measures. I got there, confronted the king, attacked him after he refused, was stopped by an ancient demigod, we agreed to a deal where we stopped the war in return for giving Dortfell some protection, and then I beat him in arm wrestling.”
“Oh, okay.”
“... No follow-up questions?”
“Nah, sounds like you dealt with it. I imagined something like that after you fell asleep. The demigod was a surprise, though. Is the aegis still fine?”
“Yeah, it survived my full power for a second… Oh, and Beak is the Divine Phoenix.”
“WHAT?!?”
Mia nearly jumped out of bed in shock, looking at Lilly like she had swapped heads with a dog. “What do you mean?! Beak, the little phoenix we’ve raised, is an actual god? Myndia’s father?”
Lilly just smiled and nodded, looking at Mia as she absentmindedly stared out into the room. “Ahh, it even makes some sense now that I think about it… But I… I bathed him… And you fed him chewed meat!”
“Trust me, I am aware,” Lilly replied. She briefly recalled Beak trying to show her something before she went to bed, but she had decided to ignore it. “Hmm, I might be in trouble.”
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“What for?”
“Well, I sort of ignored him when he seemed to be about to tell me something when I got here. I was– don’t look at me like that! I was super tired, okay?”
Mia looked at her like she had two dog heads now, with her mouth hanging open. “Y– you just ignored the god living in our kitchen? Maybe we should greet him, then? And beg for forgiveness!”
Lilly felt it would be fine, but she should probably get up in any case. At least she was awake now, ready to meet the new daily life awaiting her. A life without having to worry about war or stupid rulers deserving of a beatdown: it was bliss.
“Oh right, the clothes Elly brought were a bit old, so I decided to torch them,” Lilly said, looking at the new set she had brought from Dortfell. A slight panic filled her as she remembered the ruby lying in one of the pockets.
Mia was also getting dressed, at a faster pace than normal. “Riiiight, you decided to torch them. That’s how it usually goes. But don’t worry, I sent the ones I liked the least for that exact reason.”
To be on the safe side, Lilly decided to pick out a new set of clothes from the closet, pushing the Dorthian clothes to the side. “I guess we should do some shopping together soon, then. So you can pick something I don’t have to torch.”
“Good idea! The wardrobe in our new house is way too big for your current collection, so we’ll have to spend a few days on that.”
“I can’t wait!” Lilly lied. She usually enjoyed buying new clothes, but now she was the most famous person in the city. It changed everything about shopping, which she preferred doing without all eyes resting on her. And things would not improve after yesterday.
Once she was dressed, Lilly took a moment to collect herself. She was nervous about meeting a god, even if they had technically raised him for a while.
Mia gave her a supportive nod and stood behind her in front of the door. Another deep breath later, Lilly opened it.
They both walked to the kitchen, where they stopped at the entrance, shocked by what they saw.
A perfect-looking boy was sitting by their table, leaning back with his eyes closed. His red hair made it obvious who he was, but seeing him suddenly in human form was still a shock. He held the amulet Lilly had left in the hallway and smiled peacefully.
His eyes opened slowly as he turned to them, revealing the most piercing golden eyes Lilly could imagine. His presence was incredible, both regal and divine.
“Greetings, dear mothers. I was conversing with my daughter while you slept. I hope you will excuse my borrowing of your amulet.”
Lilly found it hard to accept the way he addressed them, even if it might technically be true to some extent. She was nervous to speak but figured it would be worse to stay quiet. “Uhh, you made it, after all. Why would I mind?”
He laughed lightly and nodded before replying. “Indeed, I did. But as a gift given long ago, it belongs to the descendant of my dearest daughter. I thank you for your care during my rebirth, both of you. It is a bothersome ordeal, but it feels positively divine to receive a new avatar.”
“Mmm, you’re welcome… I hope we didn’t offend you in any way during our care,” Lilly replied, hoping he understood their situation.
“Ahaha, I told Myndia about how you chewed my meat before feeding me. She laughed quite hard at that.” He smiled as he looked down at the amulet, radiating the love of a father. “But do not worry, I am not easily offended. You did what you thought you had to do, even at the cost of your own dignity.”
Lilly took a breath of relief, feeling most of her worry dissipate. “I’m glad you see it that way, uhm… Do I call you Beak?”
“Haha, that’s mostly a nickname from my daughter. My actual name is Bennu, but you may call me Beak if you prefer.”
“... Bennu sounds more fitting, thanks… Will you be staying for a while, or…?” Lilly didn’t quite know what to do. The situation was too unusual. But asking him to leave seemed rude, even if she had difficulty dealing with his presence.
“Oh, no, I should be going quite soon, actually. I was just staying behind to speak to my daughter. And to offer you two a gift.” He got out of the chair and walked over to the middle of the room, standing straight in front of them.
“Myndia has told me about your actions these last days, Lilly. You have truly impressed me with your righteous heart and desire for peace, even managing to make a son of that stubborn rock see reason. Is there anything you desire?”
Lilly was lost for words. Nothing she thought of was important enough to ask a god for. “... I guess… not? I’m very happy with everything the way it is right now. I would love to see my family again, but I will once the time is right. A long and happy life for both of us is all I can ask for, honestly.”
Mia took hold of her hand as she said that, giving her a bright smile. “I think the same way, Bennu.”
He put a hand on his chin and looked to be deep in thought after hearing their words. “Hmm, long and happy life… Difficult, difficult. Is it fine if I use the heart I gave you?”
“Sure,” Lilly replied, suddenly feeling excited. She didn’t expect that he had the ability to help them with that wish, but perhaps he had an idea.
“I was thinking of making a pair of rings, chaining the souls of the wearers together, and offering a pool of vitality for you to share. This would heal any injury as long as it lasts, and allow you to use your own life force to save the other in desperate situations when the pool is empty. You would also be able to feel each other's emotions, if that is desirable.”
Lilly was overjoyed, feeling that his suggestion was perfect. She looked at Mia, who had a very similar expression to her own. “That’s amazing! I’ll gladly take that!” she exclaimed.
“Hmm, it will take a day or two to complete. I’ll have to make some luminite first. Oh, it will also make you both immune to heat…” Bennu smiled and closed his eyes, “Now that I think about it, you’re not getting many abilities you don’t already have, Lilly.”
“That’s fine! I’m planning to pass the flame on in the future anyway, so it will be nice to still have some of my powers.”
He nodded and took a deep breath, holding the amulet close to his heart with closed eyes. “Well then… You will find the rings once they are done, but this will be the last time we meet in this life. I hope you will keep taking care of my dear daughter, as well as each other.”
They both smiled at each other, stroking each other’s hands lovingly. “Of course we will. Myndia has some heavy burdens to carry, but I’ll try to help her put some of it down. And thank you, Bennu. If I didn’t have this power of yours, I would be powerless to do anything in this war.”
He shook his head. “Ahh, that is not something I can take credit for. Listen well to my old words; The Vermilion Flame lives on in the hearts of the worthy, always striving for justice and peace. That is why you should be proud. It was no accident that it ended up with you, nor should you think of its power as belonging to someone else.”
Finally, Lilly managed to accept the flame as her own. It wasn’t some power that randomly showed up in her; it was something she had earned through her beliefs and identity. A sliver of pride landed in her core, countering the worst of her insecurities.
“Even still, Bennu. Thank you. I’m glad to have met you.”
Bennu smiled again and threw the amulet to Lilly. As soon as she caught it she felt a reluctance to part coming from its core, making it obvious that Myndia wanted him to stay longer. Even back when she had called Bennu her pet, Lilly got the impression she regretted his quick departures.
“Me too, Lilly. I am glad to see that people continue fostering the light within them. Goodbye!”
With a final wave, he disappeared from view, and Lilly knew she would never see him again.
She looked down at the amulet, hearing a faint crying sound. There was little she could do to comfort her, but it was worth a try.
‘I love you, Myndia.’
The crying halted, but it was hard to say if it was due to surprise or confusion. It was the first time she had told Myndia those words, so it was about time, Lilly thought.
A sniffle was heard before the reply, ‘I love you too, Lilly. You’re everything I could ask for.’