Chapter 5 - Raising From The Ashes
Back at Eolande’s house, Lilly and Mia were looking at Beak, who was sitting on the table in the living room. He was trying to stand, but it seemed like an impossible task with such small and undeveloped legs.
“Can he understand us at all?” Mia asked, smiling as she watched him fall back down again.
“If he can, he’s not letting us know. I think he understood me pretty well before the rebirth, but he doesn’t respond to anything we say now…”
“How about his nest? Does he need something warm to sleep on?”
Lilly sighed, considering going to the library to see if she could find anything helpful. “I’m not sure. He might prefer it, but he seems fine with normal temperatures.”
Mia looked at her for a moment, asking a question without words. Lilly understood what she was trying to ask, but she also knew she was nervous to bring it up.
“I’m not asking her for help unless it’s the last possible way,” Lilly replied sourly.
Mia shook her head gently. “No, I didn’t expect you to… I’m sure we can figure this out on our own.”
Lilly got out of the couch. “Are you fine watching over him for a bit while I head over to the library? Or do you want to go?”
Mia hesitated slightly before answering. “I think I’ll be fine, as long as he doesn’t start bursting into flames or anything. I should be able to handle it either way with my bracelet, but I wouldn’t know how to make him stop.”
Lilly thought about it for a moment. “How about bringing him to your forge? He won’t be able to cause any damage there. You might even get some help lighting the forge.”
“Yeah, that should be fine. But…” She reached out to touch the little red bird, but Beak evaded her by rolling away to Lilly’s side. “He really doesn’t seem to like me…”
Lilly sighed, looking at Beak and wishing she could communicate with him. “Beak, this girl is your second mother. She’s very nice and will do everything she can to protect you. Do you understand?”
Beak only kept trying to learn how to stand, ignoring Lilly completely.
“You’re not getting any more food if you don’t behave!” Lilly said, hoping to elicit a response.
Still, no visible reaction could be seen. Instead, he started chirping towards her like he had done earlier, trying to get back to her chest.
Lilly felt a burst of frustration, wishing she could transform into that bird thing again so she could try communicating that way. She had tried, but it seemed to only be possible when she was feeling intense emotions.
Bringing him to the library was obviously not possible, considering the priceless collection of flammable books.
“I’ll be fine, Lilly. You just go find some information to help us deal with this little monster.” She reached out to Beak again, but this time she didn’t stop trying after he refused her.
She picked him up gently, ignoring the incessant chirping in protest, and put him on top of her chest like Lilly had done earlier. There was more space there, so he shouldn’t complain about that, at least, Lilly thought to herself.
“There, now he’s secured. I’ll bring him to the forge, so just come by when you’re— Aaaah!”
A sudden but small burst of flame erupted from Mia’s chest, igniting her top. Beak had created a tiny flame in protest. Mia wasn’t hurt at all, but she might need a change of clothes before going outside again. She was patting the top to put the embers out, stopping them from spreading too far.
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Lilly couldn’t help but smile, recalling all the clothes she had lost due to flame-related issues. “Are you still sure you’ll be fine?”
Mia was looking down at the little bird with furrowed brows. “If that’s the worst he’s got, I’m more than happy to let him cause trouble. I might not have many clothes on when you return, but I’ll handle him.”
Lilly looked at Mia fondly, imagining her dealing with their children in the future. She would be a great mother. “Okay, I’ll trust you to handle this, dear. I’ll try not to take too long.”
“We’ll be fine! Good luck in the library, love.”
As Lilly walked past Mia, she leaned over for a kiss, finding her to be as lovely as ever. The day wasn’t getting any younger, so she felt a bit of urgency pushing her out the door.
Lilly decided to take a new shortcut she had recently discovered; through the air. She loved seeing the city from the sky, looking at all the people buzzing around and living their lives, and the peaceful streets winding in every direction.
A hint of pride formed in her chest, knowing all these people trusted her to keep them safe. ‘This must be what Selene felt—and will feel again! I’ll be damned if she’s supposed to just accept her new position.’
Selene was still around, and had yet to decide what she would do when her recovery period ended in a few days. She was supposed to leave for the war, but that was before she learned of the king’s betrayal.
Having her stay would ring some alarms, but having her go might put her in danger if the king knew more than he let on. He probably didn’t know of Eolanathel’s demise, or even how much control he had over the assassins, so there was a chance he didn’t know his plot was revealed.
But the risk was too high. And underestimating him seemed like a bad choice.
‘On the other hand, Selene would be a great asset in the war. Even if the king betrayed her, she wouldn’t mind fighting for the people… I’ll have to discuss it with her tomorrow.’
The library didn’t hide among the city's other structures; instead, it proudly presented itself as the ancient and vaulted monument to knowledge that it was. It was one of the larger buildings in the city, both in height and in area, storing an impressive collection of books and tomes.
Lilly remembered her last visit clearly, feeling intimidated by the guards and the mighty structure as she had entered. But this time felt different.
She landed near the entrance and watched the guards bow to her, making no move to stop her as she walked towards the entrance. The heavy oak doors weren’t nearly as heavy as last time.
Once inside, she looked to the desk on her left, recognizing the same librarian that had received her last time. The man looked up from a heavy book, still with the bored look from last time.
“... Do you have a reservation?” he asked, showing no sign of caring about who she was.
Lilly felt a bit sheepish as she replied. “Oh, uhm, I didn’t think I’d need one.”
“Oh, really? It hasn’t been that long since your last visit. Have you forgotten how this place works already?” He looked annoyed now, like he was looking at someone wasting his time.
“... Have you… not been outside since then?” Lilly asked, thinking this man might not know who she was. His reaction made it seem like she was the same young girl that entered last time, but that could hardly be further from the truth.
His eyes sharpened, but he seemed to recognize that her question carried a heavy implication as he answered seriously. “Not much, to be honest. I live inside this library and get food delivered every day. Have pigs started flying?”
Lilly smiled now, finding this librarian quite interesting. “Well, no, but I’ve become the protector of the city. Princess Adelia came here to give me a title and a medal after I protected the city from an invasion.”
The man was about to smile, but stopped himself and studied her for a while in silence. “... The Vermilion Flame?”
‘This guy is sharp.’ Lilly was impressed by his ability to connect the dots and not dismiss her statement outright.
“Indeed, I came here last time to investigate an amulet. That amulet turned out to be what I needed to awaken the flame.” She demonstrated by making a flame with her hand, hovering quietly above her palm.
He looked at it with raised eyebrows, forgetting himself for a moment before getting back to business. “Well, in that case, I welcome you, My Lady. I’d be honored to help you find whatever you’re looking for, but please don’t create any more flames in here.”
Lilly closed her palm and stopped the flame in an instant. “That sounds great! I helped a phoenix go through rebirth earlier today, and am now raising it, so I was hoping you might have some knowledge that could help me.”
His eyebrows rose even higher, but he managed to keep a professional attitude. “A phoenix, you say? They’re quite famous beasts, but I don’t think many people have ever raised one. Although it reminds me of an old story called ‘The Girl and the Little Red Bird’.”
“Yeah, I know that one. That’s how my bloodline started.”
“Right, it’s probably not accu–” He stared at her again, needing another moment. “...Yeah, that makes sense. I see... Well, we have some books on mythic-class creatures that could help, as well as a bunch of books on rearing birds. Where would you like to start?”