One after the other, from the flames… much more flaming hair, much more crimson eyes… they seemed simply as younger as Latrissa… some even youthful. Totally different heights, totally different sizes… women, boys…

“Latrissa…” spoke one short-haired boy to the proper, taking one step ahead. “Second time in a month. Mother informed you already – “

“I do know!” Latrissa impatiently snapped. “However that is totally different.” 

A lady with bangs veiling her eyes timidly approached, cocking her small head at her. “Totally different, how?”

An impish-looking boy gave a chuckle. “Who’s that there? A human? Uh oh… somebody’s getting in hassle.”

The one beside him, a bit woman, the smallest of the bunch, was rubbing a pair of heavy eyelids, her solely enter being a small squeaky yawn.

As for the remaining… I could not hear the others too properly… everyone was muttering, whispering… most notably they had been pointing, darting fast glances… their eyes staring perplexed on the one amongst them that was clearly not considered one of them.

-“Human…”

-“One other human…”

-“Latrissa’s achieved it once more.”

-“Mother’s going to be upset.”

-“Possibly there’s others too…”

-“We’ll have to run once more.”

-“We’ll want to cover once more.”

Felt like I used to be standing on stage, and so they had been each my viewers and my highlight.

What’s a time period for a gaggle of phoenixes? I do not assume there was one. I feel I simply got here up with one, proper then… from how they checked out each other, from how they seemed to me.

A bunch of phoenixes was referred to as a household.

And on the head of it, materializing from the largest, brightest pillar there was – out walked a determine all too acquainted…

Clad in crimson, at simply the proper dimension, at simply the proper peak – there was no mistaking who this one was. The way in which these glimmered calmly and twinkled with mischief, how these lips all the time bordered near a snide grin. How her lengthy flaming locks burned a hue of crimson so vibrant and vigorous.

Similar to the way in which they had been once we first met one another.

Ria…

There she was. 

“Oh-ho okay!” Proclaimed the fevor in her voice, waving her arms within the air in an exuberant playful method. “Who squawked the squawk? Who opened up their tiny little beaks this time? Come out, come out… promise I will not chunk ya…”

Latrissa took a step forth, a motion that didn’t escape Ria’s watchful eyes.

“Properly, properly, why am I not stunned?” Ria had that signature smirk of hers on full show. “The eldest little missy, tooting the horn as soon as extra – tsk tsk. Okie-Dokie then, so what do it’s important to say for your self this time?”

Latrissa did not look to be in a jesting temper. “Truly, Riri… I feel maybe, I needs to be the one asking that query this time.”

“Hmm?” Ria cocked her head. “Me? Are we enjoying riddles once more?”

“It is this human,” Latrissa pointed her finger squarely at me.

I may hear Ria’s breath stiffen. “Human?”

“It isn’t like final time, mother! That is totally different,” Each their eyes slowly shifted over at me. “He says he is aware of you.”

“Is aware of me?”

She sounded confused. 

I used to be too.

Ria wasn’t smiling anymore. She took two steps in direction of me, squinting these scarlet eyes… earlier than abruptly stopping in her tracks. She stared at me with indifference again then.

This time was totally different. 

She nonetheless wasn’t smiling… her flames had out of the blue misplaced their vibrant glow… I’ve by no means seen her take a look at me this fashion earlier than.

Like I used to be unwelcome right here, like I used to be intruding… I most likely was.

The insufferable quiet… because the title implies, was one thing I could not bear with any longer. I spoke out.

“Ria…” There have been so many issues I wished to say, and out of the blue I could not say it. “Do you… acknowledge me?”

For a quick second, I feared that she did not. She was already a tough particular person to learn earlier than, being in right here was even worse – right here she was virtually a Rubix dice… and I used to be colorblind.

“You are fortunate I do,” She muttered, her lips barely transferring. “I can not imagine what I am seeing… I should be dreaming…” 

A joke? I feel it was…

“You might be dreaming,” I stated. “Fairly some time now, truly…”

“Sure, I do know,” She spoke once more, her tone sharper. “Don’t be concerned, I do know…”

I do not assume she was as happy to see me as a lot as I used to be seeing her… removed from it.

“So many issues have occurred since,” I swallowed. “And you were not there for many of it.”

Ria seemed away from me, and slowly nodded her head, “Yeah, I do not forget that. Are you… upset?” 

“I’m upset.”

The phrases left my lips earlier than I may assume twice about saying them out loud. It was like impulse.

“Ria…”

She took a step again, her eyes nonetheless failing to fulfill mine.

“You recognize, you…” Her voice sounded so distant regardless of our brief distance, and I did not like how grim her phrases had been. “You are not alleged to be right here…”

Not one bit.

She was all the time smiling round me… I’ve but to see her truly indignant. This second right here may be the closest I’ve ever gotten to that impact.

The opposite phoenixes, they stood and watched… Latrissa, the closest, the oldest, spoke up as soon as extra.

“Mother… who is that this particular person?”

“Nobody, darling… he is…” Her eyes discovered mine once more, only a transient gaze, a fast gaze… an empty gaze. “He is nobody…”

The smallest phoenix waddled by way of the useless grass, and ran as much as Ria’s legs, clutching onto them tightly… peeking a curious eye at me, like a child chook behind its mom wings.

“Is he one other unhealthy man?” She requested innocently. “Will we’ve got to run from the unhealthy man?”

Ria gently sailed her fingers by way of the kid’s hair, producing tiny child embers swirling within the air like mud.

It was a young contact, a mom’s contact, Ria smiled a reassuring smile. “No, we do not have a run. He is not one of many unhealthy males.”

Then one other voice, the short-haired boy once more, spoke, “However he is human, Mother. You stated we should not – “

“I do know what I stated, Lent,” Ria interjected, nonetheless with that tender tone. “Look, it is okay. Let me take care of it. Bear in mind, I will not let something occur to anybody of you. Come now, you all belief your mom, do not you?”

Everyone nodded. No one even hesitated. The ring of flames slowly drew nearer to at least one one other. Such a tightly knit bunch…

Ria Ignis. The primary and final of her form. 

I am trying, and all I may see had been kids… kids barely even half my age. The youngest… nonetheless stumbling over her phrases, watching me with these massive wide-open stuffed with harmless marvel.

What occurred? What transpired to earn you such a lonely title, Ria? Do you even wish to inform me? Will you ever inform me?

You do not seem to be you wish to…

“I do not understand how you bought right here,” Ria spoke, her voice going chilly as soon as extra. “And truthfully, I moderately not have to consider it… or the rest concerning what’s on the market, you recognize?”

“Why not? Ria, you’ll be able to’t simply keep asleep and – “

“I simply stated I do not wanna hear it,” She drew her eyes again up, her head shaking barely. “I am sorry, I do know your intentions are good. They all the time are. In all probability have an important speech rehearse as you valiantly dove in right here anticipating to save lots of me… you most likely went by way of nice lengths simply to even get that likelihood. Mr. Hero all the time itchy to play the hero.” 

Did not like the place she was going with this, the way in which she sounded so accepting… and but so dismissive.

“I already informed you to not get into it, I already informed you I did not want saving. Did not I say that? Could not have been that lengthy since we had that dialog. Hear, I do not wish to say it once more… I’m not your damsel to be saved. I do not want you to save lots of me.”

“What does that imply, then?” I took a step ahead. “Do not inform me you are staying. Look, I do not know what has occurred to you, and I definitely ain’t ready to start out emphasizing on issues I barely know something about – however you already know this can be a dream, do not you? This is not actual, you recognize this is not actual!”

Proper then, Ria smiled once more… nevertheless it wasn’t like those earlier than, it did not appear to be those earlier than. For the primary time, there was a tragic look on her face, a way of sorrow tinging her phrases. 

“I do know,” She stated, her smile stayed. “However does it actually must be?” 

Took one other step, however I assume she’s determined that is already far sufficient. “Simply depart. You do not belong right here.” 

“Neither do you, Ria.” 

She scoffed. “So says you.” 

“Should you’re staying, I am staying,” I proclaimed, staying put the place she was staying put. “You slept for lengthy sufficient… if that is what it takes, then – “

I by no means acquired to complete. I remembered taking one other step ahead… however I did not keep in mind ending that step. I used to be blinking, confused… questioning for a second why the world out of the blue seemed so massive, why the withered blades of grass poked at me like they had been shut.

That is as a result of they had been. That is as a result of I’ve fallen. Within the blink of a watch, I used to be on the bottom… and there was a well-known aching in my legs once more… those I get once I went strolling past my limits. 

The ache got here again, as did the suffocating feeling once I first acquired right here… I attempted to talk, however the phrases did not come as phrases – extra grunts than something…

“What’s… occur… ning?” I requested, simply as a pointy stabbing ache in my throat began to floor. I may really feel my coronary heart beating quick, I used to be starting to panic.

Ria seemed over at me… and he or she did not appear as if she may care any much less. 

“As soon as once more, you all the time have your manner with timings do not you?” She was strolling away from me once more. “You are waking up. You are saying goodbye.”

I do not wish to say goodbye. I do not wish to go simply but.

Do not let me depart.

However what I wished to occur was past my management… the whole lot slowly began fading to a brilliant empty white, first to succumb had been the deep blue of the skies… then left the colour of the timber… the inexperienced within the leaves… the various faces that surrounded me – Latrissa too, they had been all leaving.

Ria was leaving. Gone with phrases that did not echo, that did not even sound like phrases… and but I heard all of them the identical.

“Do not come again.”