Chapter 518: Interlude - Auri - The Phoenix Peaks II

Chapter 518: Interlude - Auri - The Phoenix Peaks II

Sasha was fast. It didnt take long until we were over blessed dry land again, and no longer over the killer water.

The Peaks were interesting. A whole range of mountains, with a few of them glowing with active lava. My totally expert eyes from seeing the Tears of Vulcan up close and personal suggested that most of the mountains were volcanic, but most of them were dormant.

I hoped I got to see one go boom while I was here!

Errr

In a totally safe and not ruining anyone elses day way, of course.

Gouts of purple flames from one mountain clashed with the orange flames from a second. I couldnt see the phoenixes in question yet, but their impact was unmistakable.

Some mountains were rocky, some were fresh and green, and others were coated in burnt trees and a thick haze. Interesting! My claws tightened in anticipation.

I was about to meet more phoenixes!! What were they like? Were they nice? Were more of them like Ra, or like Petri?

Oh holy mango juice. If they were all like Petri I was out of here.

As Ive mentioned before, each phoenix has their own peak. Sasha explained. You can move to another mountain if youd like. You dont need a reason. Perhaps the view is nicer, or its about to erupt. The golden eagle likes to hunt a herd of deer, and will try to muscle out any phoenix who gets in his way. The crane is feuding with the albatross, and relentlessly chases her off her peak whenever she settles down and claims a place.

Some are just wet drips. Petri said.

No.

Really.

I am so surprised.

That was awfully rich, coming from him. I half-expected he was one of the wet wipes who went around bullying everyone.

There are a number of traditions and customs around the practice. Ra said. Suffice to say, there is both a grace period after moving away from a mountain, and more peaks than there are phoenixes. You should never find yourself without a home.

The mountain range took on new meaning.

From countless peaks, there suddenly werent nearly enough.

That was it?

That was all the phoenixes in existence?

More people went through my bakery on a given day than there were mountains here, and that was a single bakery in a single city. Yes, it was the best bakery in a major capital, but

There were just so few of us.

Ra started to explain some of the cultures and traditions, but I was lost in thought, trying to count how many mountains there were.

Petri shot forward, the flames on his body surging as he got about three miles ahead of us. He threw his beak back and let out a triumphant shriek.

Home! He shouted.

How - OH!

Sasha passed some invisible line a moment later, and both of our fires flared up as well.

The Phoenix Peaks felt incredible. Like Id been a banked fire my whole life, and now the vents were open to let air in. Like Id been a dimmed fire, and a fresh log was thrown on. Like a bunch of wet logs had been replaced by perfectly dried ones, I felt like a million rubies.

Whoa! I put words to my feelings. This is great!

Petri chose that exact moment to fire off a half-dozen fireballs into the sky, punctuating my statement. The three of us started to dive down towards the Peaks.

Bye! Auri, Ill see you around! He said, speeding off into the distance.

Ugh. If I could never see him again thatd be great.

A blue flame caught my eye and I peered down, hoping to catch my first glimpse at another phoenix!

A penguin phoenix was standing at the very edge of the shore, looking forlornly at the waves lapping the shore. The waves receded, and he waddled forward a bit, then the wave crashed back in as he darted back, flapping his flippers as gouts of steam erupted where water met fire.

To go swimming would be a death sentence.

Ooof. I knew each phoenix reflected another bird, but Id never imagined what would happen if one of us became a water bird.

Wait. WAIT! Wasnt there a special type of fire that burned underwater? Yes, yes there was! Id seen it at the School! In the Museum of All Things that Burned! I should tell the penguin about it! Maybe he knew already, maybe it would help!

Sasha clearly noticed who I was looking at. Somehow. Even though I was on his - who was I kidding, the owl was almost level 4000, of course he could know what I was up to on his spine.

I noticed he had slowed down a bunch, and I hopped off his back, spread my wings, and flew under my own power.

Naturally, one way to be uncontested on your peak is to have an undesirable one that nobody else wants. Was Sashas only comment on the phenomena. An empty peak has been picked out for you to initially find your wings as you settle down, but naturally, you are more than welcome to move to any one you wish to. As long as a nesting couple isnt there, you are welcome to contest it.

Are any of the active volcanoes empty? I promptly asked. I wanted flowers, yes, but Id just gotten [Molten Mythwing], and wanted to work on the class for a bit before my next upgrade.

Ra chuckled.

Little one, youre not the only one with a Lava element. You can ask nicely and see if anyones willing to share, trade embers, or see if you can kick anyone else off the peak. There arent many active volcanoes, and Lava is one of the more popular Fire elements here.

I looked to my left again, seeing the faint glow of the burning lava. Made sense. If the phoenixes were living their entire lives here, being drawn to Lava was only natural.

What did phoenixes do all day?

I flew to a nice big tree that overlooked the meadow, perched in a nice branch with a good view, and started thinking.

I had no idea what phoenixes did all day. Burn things? Tend to their peak?

Thank goodness for Bridget, my teacher and caretaker at the School of Sorcery and Spellcraft. Shed helped me get the idea of becoming a [Baker], and I had no idea what Id do with myself on a daily basis without it and my friends providing structure.

I had no idea what to do with myself. I was supposed to be the [Lady] of this area, maybe I should fly around the mountain and look for problems?

WAIT! I needed a nest! I had no nest! No lovely arcanite reflecting me from a thousand angles, no hallway of mirrors showing me a million times over. How was I supposed to get any of that?

Oh! Obsidian could be nice! I just needed to find a nice patch, melt it with my flames, then [Lava Manipulation] it into a nice shape.

Was there any obsidian here?

What was on my mountain anyway? I should do a patrol, just to see what I was working with. What resources I had. Where I could find some nice flowers to drink nectar from, and what insects were tasty.

I took another look around, remembering something else.

It was late summer in Exterreri. Meant it was deep winter here. At this temperature, winter was wonderful. I put another point in favor of the Phoenix Peaks being so close to the coastline, even though there was so much water there.

Then I should make an oven! Or maybe a kiln, depending on the material. Uhhh was there a difference between the two? They were both decent for baking

A kiln it was!

Okay!

Explore! Strategize! Make a nest! Make a kiln! Dont starve! I had a PLAN! I had things to do!

I zipped around the mountain, trying to take notes about what I saw. Trees! Blackberries! Bears!

Wait. Something didnt make sense. Pine trees and tropical weather? What? My bond let me steal some of Elaines knowledge, and that didnt sound right at all.

I missed her. I wish she was here so I could ask her all these questions.

ah well, mysteries of the Phoenix Peaks. Carrying on!

Rabbits, owls, raccoons, foxes, dinosaurs of all stripes! Archaeopteryxes, compys, gallimimi, pegomastax and achatina! Badgers and songbirds, fruit trees - with no fruit, booo the season - and a big stream with fish. The sabertooth salmon looked delicious! Ant hills and termites, some troodons and oh! There was a tiny herd of wild horses! I zipped into some natural caves and found bats and axolotls. Clever-me followed some bees around, finding hidden flower patches. A few small ponds had fowl. Hare-brained hares darted out of their holes when I went in to explore. I was just saying hi! A skunk was warding off a curious bear cub, and I had to wonder - did I really want skunks on my mountain?

OOooooh! Clay! It had clay! I needed clay to make a kiln!

Or was it that I used clay in a kiln?

This survive in the woods alone thing sucked. Maybe Id be returning sooner than I thought

No! That was Quitter talk! I wasnt a quitter! I wasnt going to let the first obstacle drive me away! Everyone else lived like this and made it work! I was going to make it work as well! Who knew, maybe Id find it fun.

I summoned my [Mage Hands] and got to work.

The moons were up as I finished my work, patting the last of the clay in place.

Perfect! Beautiful! I was the best!

Okay, okay, now I had to fire the clay!

FIRE!

The kiln exploded spectacularly, shards going in every direction.

[*ding!* Whoops, [Phoenix Rebirth] leveled up! Lets not tell Elaine, okay?]

But but I wanted to tell Elaine about it

In the shattered remains of my first big project, I started to cry a little.

It was just so unfair! It was just so hard! I just wanted a little oven to pretend I could bake here! Just a little slice of home away from home! Was that too much to ask for!?

A pair of flames came over the peak in a nearby mountain. From where I was in the meadow, I could see them blazing down the mountain, then back up my mountain.

Oh! Visitors!? I was having visitors!

I looked around the utter disaster of the mess Id made.

Quick! Clean up before guests come over!

BURN THE EVIDENCE!

[Auris Meteor Storm]

A second later, and the only trace of my ill-fated adventure was a smoking crater.

Two phoenixes ran up, one black and white, while the other had feathers of green and blue. An ostrich and a velociraptor. They tilted their heads at me in perfect unison.

Hi! You must be the hummingbird weve heard so much about. The ostrich said. The raptor snapped at her.

Of course shes the hummingbird weve heard so much about! She snarled. Better question is - want to go to the Dungeon with us?