Edekarlan, Torn Between Sky and Sea: Story: To Find a Phoenix

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Mechanics | Skeleton | Story: To Find a Phoenix

  Warning: I do not know how to write fiction. I also cannot figure out how to format this.<br>

This bird woman, she wasn’t like us you know- definitely not from here, not with her size. Bigger than you, without her wings she’d be around your size. The bird woman, Paulina- that’s her name, Paulina thought she could rule the skies here. Now the sphinx kings haven’t been great in a long time, and honestly, the descendants of the sphinx kings are so filled with resentment of themselves and everyone else because they believe that they’re both true heirs of power on this world and that they were nothing but fools to think their idle haughtiness meant they could maintain the title of World Titan, so I could see Paulina defeating the last of the sphinx kings, not that Paulina’s magical knowledge and capabilities were in the right department to take over the little remnants of society the sphinx kings still held. Nokoli, a splendid friend of mine, she’s a fantastic singer by the way, you should hear her sing “The Last Blossom Dance,” if you can, Nokoli did take issue with some strange looking, snack-sized outsider showing up in our skies claiming that she’d bring power and order. Now Paulina was making these promises to humans, like you, but unlike you, humans here aren’t very smart. Now Paulina seemed silly, but Nokoli simply was not having this stranger around in her skies, just as she won’t have those moon-skin oranges because their seeds are too big and skin too thick. Nokoli thinks how strong can someone of your size be? Well, a single peck from Nokoli and the bird woman was dead, pecked Paulina’s head right off and the bird woman fell crumpled to the ground. Of course Nokoli thinks that’s the end of it, wouldn’t you? I mean, anyone except me probably would have, and at the time, even I don’t know if I’d have thought otherwise. The woman used fire magic, now that’s strange for a human, again here at least, but as a dragon I can say that fire magic is nothing special Paulina was also pasty, a little more angular than yourself and the humans here. Maybe she’s not a human, but something humanlike mixed in with the angel and phoenix? Anyway, for a bird woman though, there was something Nokoli didn’t consider, and even I hadn’t thought of right away, and that is fire magic with bird anything may suggest a phoenix. Now again, Paulina was only partially bird, maybe half-bird? I know she had the wings and legs, but I was told she had a humanllike head and still had arms. As you should know, phoenices can rise from the ashes, from the dead. Paulina did just that, except she got a knack for how our world works. Paulina came back bigger, more powerful, a little smarter I’m sure. Our little humans ran completely ran from her this time, and Nokoli returned and Paulina and her fought again. Again, Nokoli triumphed, but only barely. Nokoli is the second-fastest being I’ve known, the first being old Kemahi, and it was just being slightly faster and her resistance to fire magic that gave Nokoli the edge. See, accounts of those nearby say that Paulina’s larger form was almost as fast as Nokoli. With Paulina’s speed, Nokoli had to be smart, dodge and deliver blows without taking Paulina’s talons. Nokoli could take some flames, yes she’s a bit resistance to fire magic, but not immune. Nokoli will heal from burns, eventually. Nothing would save Nokoli from talons in her throat or chest. Well, Nokoli did tear Paulina apart again. With the humans having run away from her, Paulina just left when she came back to life again. I did mention Nokoli killed her a second time, right? Nokoli did manage to peck and Paulina’s wings and break them, finishing the victory with traumatic head damage as Paulina was falling to the ground again. But yes, after resurrecting a second time, Paulina, the bird woman left. Oh, and your name, what is it traveler- traveler from far away, another world likely, like the brief World Titan, Drenth, not the briefest, no, that would have been Kholyan of Uyongel, who was a World Titan for mere seconds before dying.

  Veerpal rose from the ground and dusted herself off. The planeswalker had been listening to Sarjin speak for hours, but the story was worthwhile. Perhaps the dragon knew of other relevant stories, but Veerpal could neither listen to the hours it would take to learn anything from the dragon sage’s nor was she stupid enough to anger a powerful dragon.<br>

“My name is Veerpal. Thank you for your time Dragon Sage,” Veerpal said quietly and curtsied.

“Haha, to have a human curtsey to me. Visitors of your kind are rare here, rare individuals already, but Onar is not an ideal place for little humans such as yourself.” Sarjin began.

   Veerpal smiled, but she knew there was at least another hour before she could planeswalk away.<br>

   By being born, Veerpal had been pushed along by the clock of life. The hands ticking towards death was not what Veerpal feared, not entirely. Everyone must die, that seemed mostly inevitable, and continual eternal life was likely a curse in ways she couldn’t imagine. However, Veerpal’s clock was a little different. The Time of Weakness was different. Mortalkind was at their weakest during the Time of Weakness, and the Time of Greatness, where mortalkind was strongest, would come once the Time of Weakness ended. The rebirth of Veerpal’s plane was a whole rebirth, no life was spared. How others could be content to live in mediocrity when successors would be born brilliant and wondrous by nothing other than time’s operation was a cruelty Veerpal could not forgive. <br>

   And Veerpal’s plane’s cycles would call her, regardless of whether or not she was traveling planes. That expiration date was embedded into Veerpal’s body when she was conceived. Phoenices are constantly reborn, and if Veerpal couldn’t use that magic, she’d definitely use most similar magic that she could craft; magic to intertwine and bind fate. <br>

   So where did Paulina go? Veerpal hadn’t gotten that answer from Sarjin, if the dragon sage even knew. However, it did seem like wherever Paulina came from, the phoenix-lady wanted to rule, or at least probably believed that ruling over mortals was her right and duty. Such an unappealing style of taking charge, but that was something Veerpal could work with. If Paulina wanted to be a queen who presents herself as the symbol of her own reign, then someone working from the background, working through others to sow pandemonium should be sufficient enough to make an enemy of Paulina. Well, Veerpal had already happened herself into a similar circumstance on Deshub, and hadn’t heard of this phoenix lady, so that was one plane down.<br>

   The coin of luck split, landing Veerpal in a place with the answers that she sought, but also with blades to her throat. Two faeries had their tiny swords poking Veerpal’s throat. If the planeswalker moved against their wishes, she’d die.

“State your name and your business.” A small voice, likely another faerie, spoke from behind Veerpal. “My name is Veerpal. I’m looking for information on a traveler.” Veerpal stiffly responded, annoyed that she needed to introduce herself a second time in less than a day.
Veerpal screeched and as her bodily reaction moved her head forward. The faeries with their swords at the planeswalker’s neck moved their blades as if by habit, not wanting to kill their target yet but remaining ready to do so. Someone was boring into Veerpal’s mind rifling through the recent thoughts and memories. Caught by surprise, Veerpal couldn’t guard her most recent thoughts. “Do you work for that dragon.” The voice asked?
“No,” Veerpal responded cooly. Whoever the mind reader was, their craft left much to be desired.
Veerpal found the point of a tiny blade on her brow and small weight on the top of her head.
“Your interrogation is flawed.” This voice from the top of Veerpal’s head was feminine and annoyed. “Why do you seek the traveler. Mindreader, did you see the traveler?”
“I see the mind before I can hear it, and the traveler wasn’t there. Perhaps I could have heard them if you gave me time.” The tiny masculine voice grumbled.
Blood began to drip into Veerpal’s right eye. “This isn’t severe, yet. I suggest you tell me about the traveler you seek information on and why you’re seeking information about them before I actually blind you, or kill you if you actually possess any capability of danger. Now,” and Veerpal felt the tiny blade dig further under her skin.
“I seek Paulina, a phoenix woman.” Veerpal blurted. Honesty could often be the best way to confuse others. “Are you an ally or friend of Paulina?” The voice atop Veerpal’s head asked, unfazed.
Veerpal tried to think how she’d answer that question, but brief moments of thought was something that the faerie on Paulina’s head though was too long a time, and Veerpal felt a slick, cutting pain as her right eye was covered in blood, blinding her vision.
“Do I look like someone who follows a phoenix woman?” Veerpal hoped she sounded clueless enough to the truth while still not lying if anyone else was listening that Paulina couldn’t see.
“Finally, she’s honest. Don’t remove you blades yet, I haven’t determined whether or not she’s a threat.” The feminine voice’s face finally emerged, sliding off of Veerpal’s black hair. Hovering centimeters from her face, bloody sword in hand, was a pale blue faerie with long black hair in an unremarkable black dress, with cold black eyes. “Paulina isn’t here anymore. Are you going to leave?”
“To search for her, yes, I am going to leave.” Veerpal showed more weakness than she had in her. The faerie before Veerpal had seemingly driven the mind reader off, even if she hadn’t Veerpal could cover her thoughts now. Veerpal would make them think that she sought Paulina out of revenge, not entirely a fabrication, just that Paulina was a tool to get revenge against fate rather than the object to serve revenge to.
“I forced Paulina from this plane. Where she went, I don’t know.” The faerie said coldly, still staring Veerpal in the eyes. Faking blushing, Veerpal responded, “I envy what you’ve done. She is part-phoenix, she can’t be easily killed. I want to be thorough though. My revenge must make Paulina equal to myself. Do you know where she could have gone.”
The faerie seemed annoyed, but not like earlier. Perhaps the faerie had been bothered by the mind reader’s incompetence. Now though, the faerie wore a look of disrespect. “If you think you can kill Paulina, go ahead and try. I know Paulina mentioned ruling sky kingdoms. Whatever delusions Paulina has, they involved uniting the living under the sky, including the seas which she spoke negatively of. I do not know where that is.”
“Then I will search.” Veerpal let the desperation fill her voice.
“Now, leave Greycloud, leave this plane.” the Faerie said. “But should you kill a phoenix, let me know how. Loathe as I am to admit it, there are entities that I have trouble taking care of. I’ll even apologize for today.”
“Thank you,” Veerpal smiled. The planeswalker had at least found a key to finding her personal unicorn, or phoenix rather in this case.

Updated on 19 Apr 2022 by Sorrow