Tafel whistled as she wrapped strand after strand of red hair around her sword, Chi’Rururp. By her side in the hollowed out tree, there was a bald elf with an aggrieved expression on her face. “Thanks, Lady Persephone,” Tafel said when the hair completely obscured Chi’Rururp’s blade and hit. Not even its eye was showing. “I’ve been looking for someone like you for forever now.”

Laughter filled the air as the baby phoenixes pointed at Persephone and whispered to each other. Emile was rolling around on the ground, kicking his little feet while flapping his wings. There were tears forming in his eyes as rapid chirps escaped from his mouth. “P-Percy’s finally been punished!”

Persephone stared at the empty space in Tafel’s hand where her sword had just been. Space magic? she thought. “I, I know you’re the phoenix matriarch’s guest, but don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”

Tafel patted Persephone’s shoulder. “Hair grows back. Besides, you said you’d do everything in your power to help me.”

But I didn’t think you’d shave my head! Persephone bit her lower lip, her eyes blinking rapidly. “I, I did, didn’t I?”

Tafel nodded and tickled Emile’s belly before picking him up and placing him in her lap. “How long does your mom stay out for?”

“Not long,” Emile chirped. “She usually never leaves the nest.”

Tafel pursed her lips. “I see,” she said and ran her fingers through Emile’s feathers. “Do you know where she went?” After the phoenix had dropped her off, she told Persephone to take care of her and flew off, leaving behind a smiling demon and confused red-headed elf.

“Dwarves are in the process of adopting our culture by assimilating elven families into their homes while taking a tour through our lands,” Persephone said. “The matriarch most likely went to have a pleasant chat with their leader that may lead to some celebrations including fireworks and games like dwarf hunting.”

“Does she always talk like this?” Tafel asked, lowering her head to meet Emile’s eyes.

“Yes, I’ll translate” Emile said with a nod. He sucked in a deep breath, puffing out his feathers before shouting, “The dwarves are invading the forest! Elven families are being kidnapped and turned into hostages or slaves! My momma went out there to kick their butts!” His body deflated, and he blinked twice. “Exactly like that. You can tell she’s shouting on the inside when her voice becomes softer.” He narrowed his eyes at Persephone before flying onto Tafel’s shoulder and whispering into her ear, “So if she says I want to clean you in a really soft, coaxing voice. You have to run away because she’ll try to murder you.”

“What are you saying about me?” Persephone asked with a frown. She sighed and met Tafel’s eyes. “The matriarch’s children are still young. Sometimes they come to incorrect conclusions. If they’re telling you strange things about me, please, don’t take them to heart. The matriarch wouldn’t keep me around if I had bad intentions. Phoenixes have an innate gift to read people’s hearts.”

Tafel swallowed. Did the matriarch already know she was here for an imprint? That wasn’t a bad intention, right?

“Don’t trust her,” one of the phoenixes on the side said. The matriarch’s children had gathered in Persephone’s hollow tree to see the new guest their mother brought back. “She’ll hurt you with good intentions.”

Tafel stared at Persephone, who averted her gaze, before looking at the phoenixes around her. “Then what about me? Do you think I’m a good person?” she asked.

Emile rubbed his head with his wing. “You’re a good person,” he said, causing Tafel to beam. “But you’re very insecure.”

Tafel blinked. “Huh? Insecure? Me?”

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A few phoenixes chirped in agreement. One of them spread her wings out to the side. “About this much,” she said with a nod. “Well, it’s more, but my wings can’t stretch far enough.”

Tafel furrowed her brow. Am I really insecure? While she was thinking, one of the phoenixes blinked and raised his head. “Mom’s back!”

A blazing red light filled the room as a fireball descended from the sky. Before it could set the tree on fire, the fireball shrank and condensed into the shape of a bird. It was bigger than the other phoenixes, but not by much.

“Mom?” Emile asked, tilting his head before hopping off of Tafel’s shoulder. “You became smaller.”

Persephone bit her lower lip, sensing the phoenix’s dark expression. “Matriarch?” she asked in a soft voice. “Is everything alright?”

“The dwarves had two dragons accompanying them,” the matriarch said and spat out a ball of flaming blood. It landed on the ground, but the tree didn’t catch fire. “Only one of them fought, but I still lost.”

“W-was it the holy dragons?” Persephone asked with wide eyes.

The matriarch’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the sky. “One of them was,” she said. “But the one that attacked me was an ice dragon—a very strong one.” She sighed and looked at Tafel, who seemed lost in thought. “What’s wrong?”

Tafel blinked and raised her head. “Nothing,” she said. “I was just thinking about what your children said to me.” The matriarch stared at her, waiting for more, causing Tafel to scratch her head. “They said I was insecure.”

The matriarch raised an eyebrow. “And what do you think? Are they right?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Should we really be talking about this right now?” Persephone asked before Tafel could respond.

“Yes,” the matriarch said. Her gaze remained on Tafel. “So?”

“I really don’t want to admit it, but they’re right,” Tafel said and sighed. With Vur as a husband, who wouldn’t be insecure? It was a good thing his dragon aura made other women too scared to approach him. What if he met more people and realized she wasn’t that great of a person? There were tons of people with better personalities and looks than hers. Some were stronger too. If she hadn’t met him when they were children, would he even spare her a second glance today?

The phoenix matriarch nodded. “If it’s you, then I think it’ll be fine,” she said before hopping in front of Tafel. Though she had shrank, the matriarch was still twice Tafel’s height.

“It’ll be fine for me to be insecure?” Tafel asked, furrowing her brow.

The matriarch shook her head. “Take care of my children,” she said and smacked Tafel’s head with her wing. “If you can bring them to the place where your stepdaughter-in-law is, that’ll be even better.”

“Mom?” Emile asked, tilting his head. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Mm, for a bit,” the matriarch said and withdrew her wing. A golden mark with a red hue in the shape of a fireball was left behind on Tafel’s forehead.

“This,” Tafel said, touching her hand to the rune. Her eyes widened as mana surged through her body, causing her insides to burn. “Why?”

“Because Emile trusts you. And you’re able to acknowledge your own flaws,” the matriarch said. “Leave this place. My final stand against the dragon will be held here where my power’s at its peak. I was caught off guard by gravity magic last time, but it won’t happen again.”

An ice dragon with gravity magic? Tafel thought. It can’t be, right? The phoenixes flocked around her, interrupting her thoughts.

“Older sister,” one of the phoenixes said as she perched on Tafel’s horns. Her head tilted. “Smells like bacon.”

“Matriarch!” Persephone said, biting her lower lip. “Why did you imprint a stranger but not me?”

The matriarch raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I already say? Because Emile trusts her. If I can’t believe in my children, then who would I ever trust?” She sighed at Persephone’s expression. “And you tried to wash Emile with water. Really, Persephone? My lineage would have no chance of survival with you at its head.” Persephone’s face contorted even further, causing the matriarch to sigh again. “I can’t imprint someone who worships me. How can someone who sees themselves as beneath phoenixes be worthy of standing among us?”

“I will never forget this, matriarch,” Tafel said, dropping to her knees and lowering her head. “Thank you.”

“Raise your head, my daughter,” the matriarch said. “You’re a phoenix now. Now, you really must go before the dragons arrive.”

“You can’t leave with us?” Emile asked, furrowing his brow. “Why?”

“There’s still another cluster of eggs that have yet to hatch,” the matriarch said. “They won’t survive if I leave this region.” She smiled at Emile. “Don’t worry. Unless my ashes are scattered, I’ll see you again.”

Tafel sighed as she stood up. She had always wanted an imprint, but receiving one in this situation—wasn’t it a bit too tragic? “Matri—, Mother,” Tafel said. “I’m not sure if it’ll help or make things worse, but you can say the green dragon Nova will definitely seek vengeance for you. He’s my husband’s grandfather.”

The matriarch blinked and smiled. “I understand. There’s more to you than what I expected. I’ll definitely survive and come find you after the battle is over.”