Chapter 98: And A Bonfire Is A Signal

They didn’t speak in my mind, nor did they open their mouth. Rather, the flames around us crackled and burned in such a way that they started to produce sound, to produce words that flowed into the air. It lifted me up into the air, staring straight into my eyes with its own as if it was studying me for a moment before it dove straight down, dropping me before flying back up into the air, landing on a perch.

“Y-Yeah, that’s me… You’re the Firebird, right? The Phoenix, the Golden Sparrow… The Bird of Rebirth. I can’t believe it- uh oh yeah-“

I looked around, patting myself down as I tried to find the apple. 

“Ah, here you go.” Koschei spoke out as he reached into his broken face, grabbing something out of his hollowed out body, which apparently was a golden apple he had hidden inside.

“Uh… T-Thanks?” I took it and examined it to see if it had, like, I don’t know, brain guts? Brain juices? On them. Luckily, neither seemed to be the case, but it was still super damn weird.

I raised it up to the Firebird, which grabbed it with its beak before sundering it in its flames, yet it didn’t turn to ashes; rather, it became golden sparkles that flew into the sky, almost as if it became one with the stars above.

“Whoa… So uh, yeah… Sorry, this is weird… I don’t really know how these blessings things work, but I mean, I actually did it, I’m here, and uh, hi.”

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself as I cleared my throat.

“Sorry about that, just a little frazzled with all the walking, but greetings, oh Firebird. You who are about rebirth and renewal, sitting upon the temple of spring… We have ventured far and wide and now… I hope you can grant us the blessings we seek!”

Man, I really hoped that didn’t sound so imposing or pushy, but… We deserved it, right? I mean, we came so far, and if the Firebird won’t help out, then we might as well make it chicken!

The flames cackled, laughing and guffawing as I felt like I saw the Firebird’s beak smile. 

The Firebird disappeared in a bout of flames before appearing first in front of Koschei.

Suddenly, the feather from before floated towards Koschei's hand. He smiled and bowed as he took the gift. “Alas… I know what to do, and I do have the strength to light any flame that needs it. I humbly say my thanks to you, oh great Firebird.”

Then, the Firebird appeared before Charlie in a bout of flames, startling her as she fell to her knees

The talons of the Firebird reached out into the air, and flames manifested in the form of a shawl that was wreathed in flowers and vines. 

Charlie took a deep breath, taking a proper knee as she bowed her head. “I do.”

The shroud then wrapped around Charlie’s body, covering her in divine radiance and a chilling aura, mixing in like a strange miasma of life and death.

Then, the Firebird came forth to me, staring into my eyes.

To return… Sounds like a nightmare dressed as a daydream. I had everything I could have ever wanted, the world was at my fingertips… What a complete and utter joke. I know what I was sent here for, and I know what I must do. This is my destiny, my story, and my victory. Nobody shall ever take that away from me, not now and not ever!

I stared straight up at the Firebird, grinning ear to ear as I shook my head. “I’m not returning until I get all that I need! So no, I humbly refuse.”

The Firebird spreads its wings out again as the flames roared.

The flames around my body wrapped around me, smothering my skin like a blanket as images and forms appeared in the fire. I saw… Myself, rising from the ground like a Phoenix as I spread my wings of flames. 

I saw a younger version of myself, standing all prim and proper, wearing a uniform. She was burned away.

I saw myself standing with Samantha, Franklin, and so many others in the Choir. We, too, burned away.

And I saw myself in Ephitet, chained, naked, strapped to machines and tables of rituals. And I, too, burned away.

Everything burned away. My flames cleansed everything, from the sky to the earth and to the sea. Nothing was safe, nothing could be safe, for I was making sure that they would be safe. It was me, all me.

My mind seared, and everything began to go both light and dark. I couldn’t understand what was happening at all, but I felt it. A flame that ignited deep in my soul and mind itself, burning across my memories. It was like receiving a Name, only this time, it was my own. A Name that called out and branded itself deep.

The entire mountain top glowed, and the fire erupted upwards like a volcano. The clouds evaporated, or rather, they quite simply disappeared, removed from the world as the flames completely and utterly eviscerated them until there was nothing left.

A flower-like plume of orange and red enveloped the mountain, then the valleys around the mountain, and then all across Stavrobash. For a moment, I was the fire, I was the flame. We were in the same ritualistic cleanse. But then, I found myself.

I looked down at my hands as they flickered, my fingers literally transforming into tongues of fire as my body started to feel wispy. All at once, I crumbled, my legs faded away, and my chest disappeared. I could feel my hearing and my sight jumble with my taste and touch.

I was the flame itself, I was the fire itself. I did not command or make it; I am it, and it was me. I was stronger, I could feel it, as strong as I was when I fought Zmey… Maybe even stronger. It was power overflowing, like I was just a phone hooked up to the outlet, and now I was the generator, I was the source.

I raised my arms up into the sky, and pillars of flames shot up instead of my hands. I laughed, but instead of my voice, it was the flames that crackled and popped, mimicking the sound.

I then focused, calling all of the flames to me, sucking them all in like a vacuum as they flew through the air, coalescing onto myself. I became a giant, a tower of gold and red that swirled like I was a sun. Godlike, that was the best way to describe this feeling. I felt like a god, like I could do anything, be anything. 

But I had to control myself, maintain myself. This was just the first big step towards Ephitet. I focused on me, Jane. Remembering how I looked, maintaining it as much as possible as the flames condensed even further, slowly and surely forming it back into a humanoid-like form.

Then, I opened my eyes. I saw myself, standing over Charlie, Koschei, even Sil, all of them looking in awe. I gave them a cheeky little grin, and finally, the flames around me went out, and I glided gently onto the floor.

And with that, the Firebird soared up into the air, flying higher and higher until none of us could even see it anymore.

“Fly high, you giant bird… Fly high…” 

I looked at my hands again, and without even thinking much, flames caught on. I then looked at my legs, and they, too, caught on fire. I actually focused hard, trying to mold them to that strange fire amalgamation I was before, but in doing so, I nearly fell over as my legs disappeared.

I focused back as quickly as I could, reforming my legs as Charlie caught me in her arms. “A-Are you okay? You went all fiery for a bit…”

“Y-Yeah, I am, just wow, I feel amazing now…”

“I bet. You got yourself a whole new makeover.” Sil raised up a mirror for me to see as I gawked at myself in my reflection. My hair was a gradient of white, orange, and red. I looked… Older? Definitely sexier, I even checked myself out as it looked like I got taller.

“Wow… I did not know this came with benefits; that’s awesome.” I laughed and looked out of the mountain top, getting an idea as I started to walk backwards.

“What are you doing, Jane?” Charlie asked with a worried look on her face.

I simply gave her a smile and started to run. “I’m gonna fly!” 

And without any hesitation, I jumped off the mountain, spreading my arms wide as I focused… Then, fiery wings bloomed from my back, causing me to soar into the sky, taking in the view from above as a brand new woman.

Look out, world… Ephitet… I’m coming for you!