The Night, Phoenix Nightshade [story reading txt] 📗

hair was too much to bear, and I couldn't speak with my neck stretched at an odd angle.
"Sister, you are choking the poor child," Teren thankfully pointed out before I passed out. Keren let go of my hair, and my head bounced off the floor. I slowly pushed myself up in time to hear the Hall's door fly open. "Keren, what

is the meaning of this?"It was my mother, thank Calera. "I gave you permission to train her, not try and kill her!"
"Oh, little sister, how nice of you to join us," Keren sneered. "Your little princess here can't even keep up her energy to knock out a few targets."
"She is a future Dual Goddess," Mother said. "She has to learn how to balance the two energies out. That is how she has been taught for the past seventeen years." She stepped closer to her sister, and lowered her voice. My heightened senses made it easy to hear her, however. "If I ever find out that you have hurt my child like that again," she threatened. "I will kill you myself. Now, you and Teren had better leave, because Calera has given me permission to take over her training."
"W-what?! Why in Drakorin would she do something like that?" Keren was shocked that Calera would allow my mother to train me, since most parents were never allowed to train their children.
"Well," Mother said, breaking me from my train of thought. "It would more than likely be because I know what kind of training she needs. I am the one who has been teaching her all these years, not the two of you." She turned her attention to her brother. "If you wish to assist me, then that is acceptable. I do not have to worry about you harming my child." Teren bowed, and the two of them hurried off.
Mother extended her hand to me. "My poor little Phoenix," she whispered. "Here, let me help you." I let her pull me up and help me to a bench. Then she handed me a cup of green liquid. It was what we called "Listeria," which meant "energy." It was a drink often used by my mother and her family so that they would not expend their energy in the middle of a battle.
I drank the bitter, smelly liquid and handed the cup back. "I failed you," I muttered.
"You did not fail me, Phoenix," she said. "You and I both know that using only one type of energy will tire you out faster. Your abilities stem from two types, not one. So you have to have balance, you see?"
I nodded, glad that it was my mother teaching me and not someone else.

Chapter Two

True to my word, I met Typhon at the peak of Fire Mountain a little before first light. I had, obviously, been taught to always be early when meeting someone. It shows interest.
Typhon was there waiting, of course. He knew how we both had been taught. "Looks like I beat you for once," he laughed when I landed in front of him. "I thought you hated flying around here?"
"I do," I replied. "But there are more thermals around the mountain than on the lower plains. It's easier to fly up here." Typhon nodded. Unlike the other Gods, I didn't fly by levitation. I flew with actual wings. They were bird-like and bright red, the color of my hair. I got that trait from both my parents.
My mother, known for her black, feathered wings, usually only used them in the human realms. Father, who had wings almost as red as my own, used his at all times. That was his trademark, and no one ever really complained.
"Well," Typhon said. "When we're on Earth, you might want to hold the wings in. You want them to think you're human, remember."
"I'm aware of this, Typhon," I said. I had to force myself not to snap at him; he was only trying to help me. I glanced around at the massive volcano I was standing on. The lava flowed down the sides, not harming any of the Gods below, but it formed a beautiful picture in my mind. I smiled as I watched Typhon open the portal to the Mortal World.
"What's that goofy look on your face for?" Typhon said. "Are you that excited to go to Earth?"
"Huh? Oh, I was just looking at the sunrise over the mountain here. It is kind of beautiful." Typhon nodded and held a hand out to me. I took it and we stepped through the portal.


We stepped out inside one of my father's temples. I figured it was in the Eastern Sector, since the temple had more gold and silver in it than most of the others I had seen. The East was the place where all the humans worshipped Krilia, the Goddess of Wealth, more than the others.
"Welcome to the Human Realm," Typhon said. I looked up at the statue of Father. "Yeah," I muttered. Honestly, my heart wasn't in this. I had no yearning to be in this realm. But, I sucked it up and moved behind my brother as he left the Temple.
"This is the Eastern Sector," Typhon said, stating the obvious. "The humans here know about your father, of course, but they're not as warm to him as they are to Krilia and Lox, the Gods of Wealth and Merchants."
"Why, then, couldn't we have landed in the Northern Sector?" I grumbled. "At least there they wouldn't be gawking at my red hair." I pulled my hood over my head to hide the curls, and trudged behind Typhon. This may have been where his mother was from, but I wasn't comfortable here. I wanted to be somewhere that I would be accepted and even looked at as human. This was not the place.
"You need to be somewhere that your abilities are going to be questioned. You can't expect everyone to follow you at all times. You have to be able to face opposition better than Jet."
I winced at that. My mom was known for striking down her opposition with holy dark fire that could (and often did) destroy entire villages. Yeah, Typhon had a point.
He led me to a small hut just on the outskirts of town. "This is the home of Coraline," he said. "She's the local oracle, and also the daughter of Lisera. Try and be nice, OK?" I nodded as he knocked on the door. Soon after, a young woman with hair the color of willow bark opened the door. "Typhon, come in," she said. "This must be the young Goddess." She bowed respectfully and ushered us inside. Inside, the cottage was well-furnished. It felt like a home, and that's apparently how she felt there. She began to bustle about,

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Publication Date: 10-01-2012

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