Tomoe's search for her companion began in the palace halls. Perhaps he’d chosen a comfy vase to hide in? It wouldn’t have been the first time.

It wasn’t too unusual for Phee to wander away, but Tomoe rarely had any trouble finding him. Though she didn’t exactly have a point of reference for how rambunctious fire spirits tended to be given that she’d only ever met the one, there was something about the way Phee behaved that gave her the impression he was especially curious, even among his own kind.

For as much as Asahi and his peers fretted about Phee setting fire to something by accident, that had never actually happened, so Tomoe wasn't worried. She knew all too well that his flames were real, but it wasn’t quite that simple. They never seemed to burn things that shouldn't be burned, for example. The girl had no idea how he worked, but there was no way she’d be without singed fur if he really was a danger to anyone.

She preferred not to think about it too hard. Phee was just… Phee. Why worry if nothing had gone wrong yet?

“Pheeeeeee?” Tomoe called, voice echoing through the wide halls. Humming uncertainly, she leaned against the nearest window, looking out into the snow-laden palace courtyard. With the skies dark, the snow reflected the warm glow of small lights sat snugly amongst bushes, decorative stone formations, and koi ponds. The courtyard was wide, spacious, and vibrant with flora, a veritable botanical wonderland despite being boxed in on all sides by the palace.

That was when it hit her: the shrine! Hopping to her feet, she dashed out into the biting cold. The shrine was an elegant building situated in the middle of the courtyard, not so large that it towered over the palace that surrounded it, but certainly large regardless. Ever-blooming flowers trailed lazily up its walls, the mighty oaken doors intricately carved and inlaid with gold leaf.

There were other, smaller shrines to Suzaku dotted around the wider palace grounds and Namitori beyond, but of all of them, this was the greatest. It was also the first as well as the most revered, for it was where the union between animalkind and the Great Phoenix was enshrined, marking the beginnings of the same dynasty that Tomoe herself now stood to one day lead.

The mighty doors opened with a creak. As familiar as she was with the shrine, something about the atmosphere made Tomoe feel strange; in many ways, it felt like walking out of one world and into another, especially when the land outside was blanketed in snow. This was a solemn place. The vermilion carpet underfoot invited those who trod on it to approach the sanctuary at the back of the room, a raised area housing a mighty and towering statue of Suzaku, the Great Phoenix, wings spread wide over all in its presence.

The scene was lit only by the errant flickering of light from rows of lit braziers, the nearest of which was being tended to by a graceful young wolf, a flame priestess. She looked almost ethereal, clad in light sashes, her long, fluffy grey mane adorned with flowers.

“Lady Tomoe,” she greeted, curtsying the moment she heard the creaking of the door. Her voice was gentle, like a lullaby.

“Hana!” Tomoe smiled. “Fancy seeing you here!”

"You wouldn't find me in many other places,” she laughed softly. “Are you looking for—”

“Phee? Yeah. Have you seen him?”

“I have, actually,” the taller woman said, gesturing toward the large statue that lorded high over the interior, “but I didn’t wish to disturb him.”

“Great! Thanks.” Tomoe cleared her throat, casting her gaze aside. Hana was nice and only a year or two older than herself, but for some reason, Tomoe always struggled to start a conversation with her. “Um… well, I’ll go disturb him for you, then!”

The priestess nodded and returned to renewing the braziers’ flames with a smile.

It was a dwindling belief, given the elemental unrest, but Tomoe had learned that some believed fire spirits to be a holy symbol of Suzaku, and a sacred creature worthy of respect. The fact that they were rare to see only seemed to bolster the belief amongst those who still held it. No doubt that was why a flame priestess like Hana treated Phee with such reverence.

Tomoe followed the carpet to the sanctuary, walking past dozens of places on the ground designated for prayer. The shrine's sanctuary was a peaceful place, hidden away behind tall shrouds of colourful blossoms and maidens' tears, quiet save for the sound of running water from the streams that flowed along the back wall on either side of the statue. In fact, it was only when she made her approach up the short steps that lead into the sanctuary's heart that she saw him -- bobbing up and down softly like a sailor riding gentle waves, the only hint to his presence for anyone below being the gentle light he shed.

Phee was an unusual little thing, a hazy, flickering form like a lit flame given life, and only about the size of Tomoe’s head. Perhaps the strangest thing about him was the peculiar facsimile of a face at the center of his form. Large exaggerated eyes, and a mouth that didn't quite seem to lead anywhere.

“There you are!” Tomoe whispered loudly.

The spirit had been gazing up at the statue as if entranced, but his attention broke at the sound of her voice. “Preeee!” Came the spirit’s cheery chirp. He wasted no time in floating over to take his usual spot hovering somewhere around her shoulder.

“I wonder what goes through your head, sometimes,” Tomoe grinned, happy to see her friend in good spirits, but his preoccupation with the statue hadn’t escaped her notice. His jittery, erratic nature seemed to calm in the presence of that man-made depiction of Suzaku, its metal surface darkly somber in all but the places where it reflected the light of the braziers.

This wasn’t the first time they’d found each other in the presence of Suzaku. Back when Tomoe was but a kit and had encountered Phee in that snowy clearing outside of Namitori, her fur frosted, shivering and huddled up against the snowed-in shrine, some had viewed the meeting as auspicious. Surely if she were graced by the companionship of a fire spirit at such a dire moment, she was destined for great things! Tomoe was simply happy to have a friend, even if they couldn't speak the same language.

“What’dya say we go raid the pantry for some real food?” The girl said, glancing at Phee with a devious grin. “By the way, you didn’t miss much earlier. I got called for dinner, and it was sparkeel… again.”

Phee’s expression morphed into one that, in a word, could be summed up as ‘bleh’.

Hana greeted Tomoe as she stepped back out, head bowed respectfully. “Will you stay and pray, my lady?”

“I… shouldn’t, sorry,” Tomoe said sheepishly, scratching at her cheek, “Asahi has been riding my tail about staying out late.”

“I see,” Hana smiled, humbly. “Well then, my lady, take care. May the Phoenix watch over you.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Thanks… you too.” She made to leave, but stopped, turning on her heel. “Uh, um, Hana?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“I was wondering— well, I mean, I’d been thinking— do you want to hang out sometime? Maybe we could be friends, and… we could read together? Do you, uh… do you read much?”

“… My lady,” Hana started, the hesitation clear in her voice, “you should know that I am but a humble flame priestess, a servant to your family and the Great Phoenix. I think it would be inappropriate for us to spend time together—“

“No, no... I get it. You’re right.” Tomoe felt the immediate sting of regret as a heavy silence fell over the shrine. “Sorry, Hana, um… goodbye, then! Thanks for… all you do. With the fire, and… yeah. Night!”

As Tomoe scurried away with her tail between her legs, Phee spared one last glance at the object of his fascination.

[https://i.imgur.com/j6ZLfDr.png]

For as much as the snowfall was picking up and the skies were dark over an increasingly chilly courtyard, the pair’s walk back to the palace was far from brisk. The nature of the courtyard's beauty shifted with the seasons, and this early in the year, it offered powder silence and the rhythmic sound of wood and water.

The fennec let out a heavy sigh, arms behind her head. No way was she sleeping soundly tonight after that. Maybe the quiet was beautiful to some, but all it did for her was allow her to think too fast, and that was a winding path to frustration.

Stooping, she picked up a handful of snow, barely bothering to form it into a proper ball before launching it at whatever target was most obvious. An innocent weather vane, in that case. The projectile disintegrated long before it reached its target.

As the implement went unharmed, she was struck with an idea, mischievous eyes landing upon a particularly hefty pile of snow sloped up against a covered landing that lead into one of the palace's foyers. “Phee, let’s make a snowman!” She paused for a moment. “Well, I’ll make a snowman. You’re gonna like what comes after, though!”

A few moments later, a crooked snowman stood not-so-proudly in the courtyard with rocks for eyes, a stick for a nose, and a droopy maiden's tear for decoration, of course.

“Eh… it’s… we’ll work on it,” she said, reaching down to her waist to unsheathe a short blade that looked as though it'd been pulled straight out of the armoury. “Now, I know, I know. I’m not supposed to have this. That’s what you’re thinking, right, Phee?” She winked at him. “Heh. Of course not. Anyway, c’mere! In front of the blade, like… yeah, like that.”

Tomoe held the blade out in front of her, gripping it tightly. Phee flitted over in turn, floating a few inches away from the cold steel. “Pree?”

“See that snowman? We’re gonna slay it!” She beamed, planting her feet firmly in the snow. “I had this great idea for a new technique — I call it the Snowman Slayer! If you were to, say… how do I put it… ‘enchant’ my weapon, and make it burst into flames, we’d melt that snowman down to a puddle! Even better, we can practice it on snowmen for now, but one day we may be able to use it on a banther, or maybe even a big icicle dragon… err, if those really exist, which I hope they do.”

Because The Many Misadventures of Kal’fjor wouldn’t have lied to her, would it?

Phee seemed enthused by the idea, practically vibrating with excitement.

“I knew you’d like the sound of that!” Tomoe smiled, before holding the blade out steady in front of her. “Alright, on the count of three! One, two… three!”

Right on cue, Phee smashed into the blade in a burst of flame. Even though it happened at arm’s length, Tomoe didn’t flinch. She could barely even feel the heat emanating from the blade that was now shrouded in flickering flame, extending far past the tip of the metal. Phee’s big oval eyes sat around the blade’s guard, giving the snowman who dared to cross them a fearsome glare.

“Ohhhhh, that’s— AWESOME!” Tomoe yelled with a wide grin, bounding towards the snowman. “Take this, evil creature—!”

The snowman never stood a chance, the arcing flame cutting straight through it like a hot knife through butter. What remained of its head dropped to the ground, leaving rocks and a single seared flower sat upon a pile of melted snow and steaming water.

“And the day is saved! It worked, Phee! You’re so awesome! We should—”

Suddenly, voices.

As enthused as Tomoe was, it didn’t stop her from having a good sense of hearing. They were getting closer, too, step by step!

“W-Wuh-oh… someone’s coming!” The fennec realised she couldn’t dash inside — that’s where the voices were coming from — so she swung around to look for an alternative. “There! Behind the bushes!”

Phee slipped away from the blade, reverting back to his usual state as the two of them dove behind the nearest bush just in time. It wasn’t much cover, especially given that it was dead, but it was better than nothing, at least!

“Y-Your fire’s lighting up the snow! Um… oh! In here!” She whispered hurriedly, the spirit burrowing his way into her spacious sleeve just as the voices entered the courtyard.

“… and as a result of the damages, Lord Fumito has begun to realize the possible ramifications of remaining impartial on the matter,” came a stern man’s voice.

Tomoe gasped quietly. It was Asahi! If he saw her out this late, much less playing around with snowmen, she’d never hear the end of it.

“As well he should after so long,” replied an airy, dignified voice that Tomoe only vaguely recognized. “Far be it from me to speak ill of him, but recent events have only proven that we have more to lose than gain by remaining entrenched in old ways—”

“And, Amiya,” Asahi interjected, “I implore you to voice those concerns when the court of advisers convenes. I realise we have had our differences, but on this matter, we are united. I believe we can put those differences aside and convince his lordship to reconsider his stance on the summit, and that is a tremendous first step into the realm of the much greater matters you speak of.”

The woman named Amiya didn't sound convinced. “We shall see, Asahi. First steps mean little when they are not the beginning of a march. The people of the Vermilion Isles will only turn to the Phoenix for salvation and be met with silence for so long.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “I assume the heir will not be sitting in on this matter?”

There was a tense silence. The fennec was worried they’d hear the thumping of her heart… and even so, she chose that moment to peer out from her hiding place. She could only barely see them, standing a few paces apart on the landing. Amiya was a tall feline woman, even taller than Asahi, garbed in elegant finery of midnight hue. Her long dark locks were held up by golden clasps into an intricate hairstyle that looked as uncomfortable as it did breathtaking.

“… As expected. You are far too soft with her, old man.” Amiya’s tone shifted, openly mocking. Derogatory. “Will you be so keen to coddle her when she is responsible for leading this great land into the jaws of ruin?”

“Amiya…! Mind your tongue!” Asahi rarely raised his voice. Tomoe ducked back behind the bush out of instinct, ears flat against her head. “It is... late. There are matters I must see to before the end of the day. Phoenix watch over you.” In the end, there was no great rebuttal to Amiya’s harsh criticism. The old attendant’s words were simply weary and exasperated.

“Indeed... goodnight, Asahi.”

The sound of Asahi re-entering the palace was followed by the crunching of footsteps upon fresh snowfall. Tomoe scrunched her eyes and held her breath, as if that’d make her any smaller and less likely to be noticed.

“My, such an ill-groomed tail...”

The woman’s words trailed into silence as she chuckled, crossing the courtyard and past the shrine, out of sight. Even with the sound of crunching snow long gone, Tomoe waited and waited, until she finally peeked out to see a courtyard as empty as it was silent. Letting out a sigh of relief, she shook her sleeve, prompting Phee to flutter out.

“That woman… just who is she…?” Asahi had always seemed so severe, and for him to be put on the back foot like that surprised the fennec. Phee trilled quietly, echoing the sentiment.

The words she'd overheard did sting, but the weight of knowing she didn't meet expectations was one her heart was already familiar with.

Beginning to feel the cold get under her fur, Tomoe shivered, and there was no better signal that it was time to head back inside. Her mind raced with possibilities as she made her way through the quiet palace halls toward her preferred sitting room, falling into a heap in front of the roaring fireplace. It was only her favourite because she regarded it as being the warmest. Otherwise, it felt just as large, empty, and boring as all the others, despite containing so many fancy decorations and ostentatious baubles.

As she cuddled up to Phee, she wondered about what everything could mean. The royal court of advisors were convening to discuss a mysterious summit! Well, perhaps she’d prove Amiya and her fellow naysayers wrong — perhaps she’d find out about this summit, and then when it turned out to be a matter of grave importance requiring a hero’s skills, she’d rise to the challenge, and…!

The fennec imagined a mighty quest into the world beyond as she gazed into the fire, and just like that, her worries and burdens were smothered under a blanket of warmth and exciting dreams.

She hadn’t even remembered to raid the pantry after all.