Chapter 21 The Fire Speaks
Their house was burning.
Klishei was able to get out of time just before the structure collapsed. She screamed for help. Then she remembered. Their house was alone on this part of the mountain. They had no neighbors and her parents were on the other side of the mountain, probably still in the middle of their rituals.
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the two-storey house crumble. Her grandparents took great lengths to construct it, using whatever little resources they had due to them being banished.
What was taking them so long? It was already past midnight. They should have returned by now.
Klishei heard the howls. It triggered something in her brain and made her remember everything about the werewolves. She had just escaped from the clutches of Daevar. She remembered going back to the sanctuary with Yeseus.
She looked at her hands. What was she doing here? And why was she aware that she was dreaming about her childhood?
“So this is your past,” an ancient voice of a woman bellowed.
Klishei looked around. There were no other people around. The howling of the wolves also seemed to become distant.
“I’m here,” the voice spoke once again.
Her eyes went back to the burning house. It was slowly eating away the wood. But strangely, she did not feel the heat when she was so close.
“Are you…” Klishei could not make out the question.
The flames flickered. “Indeed, I am her. The Phoenix Bride.”
Klishei felt the urge to step closer. She could not see anything past the flames but she could feel that someone was truly there amidst the flames.
“This is our first encounter with each other although I believe you have been hearing snippets of my voice. And I have to apologize if I am only able to speak to you now.”
So the second voice that she had been hearing for some time was not her own conscious. It was the goddess herself.
“You see, it takes some factors before you are able to tap into me. You just turned eighteen, the awakening age. Of course, it will take time for everything to sink in so I could not rashly enter your thoughts or else I will cause your death.”
Klishei was taken aback. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, sorry, that was harsh of me, but it’s the truth. I am a millenia-old deity and you are a young human who just reached her age of maturity. My existence inside you puts your body at risk. It’s the price for hosting a deity of the cosmos.”
Klishei felt herself wanting to punch the fire. “Are you kidding me? I did not choose any of this!”
The flames cooled from orange to yellow. The Phoenix Bride hummed. Klishei did not know if it was just in her mind but for a split second, she saw an apparition of a woman smiling.
“That’s where you are mistaken, my dear.” The fire cackled softly. More than a destructive force, it seemed to wrap itself around the house who was keeping the house from collapsing.
“You,” the goddess started, “chose me out of your own will. Although I am mandated by the Cosmos to appear every half a millennium, I do not control who will be my earthen vessels. That choice is left to the humans who are gifted with a heart for greatness.”
“Every generation, there are those distinguished individuals who go out of their way to make the world a better place. They do not wish anything in return. They take on the role, not because they are told to, but because they know they can handle it. You are that kind of person, Klishei. I came to you because you have a strong and understanding personality.”
Klishei put her hands up. “Wait, wait, wait. A heart for greatness? A strong and understanding personality?” She scoffed. “I did not even know of these things until Daevar and Yeseus appeared. How bold of you to determine my whole well-being.”
The flames danced. The goddess took her time in answering. “And what if I tell you that your existence is for the sake of the world, no, the whole universe?”
It was her turn to be quiet.
“See? The fact that you are not rebelling or rejecting whatever you have learned so far is already proof of your heart. You have now known the secrets of your world. But I do not see you running away from your calling.”
“Back up,” Klishei interrupted. Any more of the goddess praising her and she would feel the ick.
“Before I get cringey with all that you’ve been saying about me, may I clarify something first? I read that you visit the earth occasionally. You also said it yourself. But why?”
“You are a goddess. Why do you have to walk among us and expose your powers?”
For Klishei, it just made no sense that a deity would manifest herself without any reason.
“My dear, I am the goddess of fertility of the Entities, not just the werewolves, if that is what your initial notion is. Ever since the creation of the universe, there has been a rise and fall of Entities. My role is to be a symbol of hope to those who are vanquished by unfortunate circumstances.”
Klishei’s eyes went big. “That sounds like a huge pain in the ass.”
She could hear the goddess chuckling, the flames beating according to her laughter.
“It is. But that’s my duty. Although I can’t help every Entity, those who are able to endure and wait for me have something to look forward to. My power is something that others crave. Whatever Entity is able to get to me first, I will bow to them, whether it be the werewolves or not.”
“However, there are also instances when I am not sought for. This has already happened in the past. Even with my appearance, no one seeks for me and so I simply return to the Cosmos. I guess that is what your self-proclaimed protector, Yeseus, is trying to do. He must have read it, how the past Entities have gone over the boundary with my powers. If we fall into the wrong hands, I would be overused and you will be simply discarded.”
The fire sighed, mimicking a mother’s voice when she explains something to her child.
“Klishei, we will be speaking more in the future but for now, you should rest. Whatever happens, know that I am happy that you existed because without you, I would not be here.”
The fire started to fade.
“Wait!” Klishei cried.
“Yes?” The flames stopped disappearing. They cackled in anticipation.
“This calling of mine, tell me, what should I do now, then? If I am that useful in your sight, I should not feel this lost. A pack of werewolves is after your power. You should at least tell me how to save you from being abused.”
Again, Klishei saw an apparition of the goddess’ smile through the flames.
“You are not meant to be locked up. Get out of there."
Klishei scoffed. “I was already planning to, even without you telling me.”