Deep someplace in a cave, darkish, damp, rocky, echoey, and really, very a lot chilly… one thing inside violently quaked, then a flash of sunshine – a bizarre gentle. It was swirly, it was vivid, and it was additionally very, very popular.

The sunshine was the primary she noticed, the very first thing she felt, and it was overwhelming, it was scary, and it was additionally the very last thing she noticed, the very last thing she felt – the sunshine slowly stopped swirling, the brightness steadily dimmed.

It was chilly once more.

Excellent earlier than demise, merely however a second, she heard for the primary time too – a wierd noise, a wierd phrase. She did not know many issues in her temporary time current… however in that point, she did handle to be taught one factor.

“SHIT!”

That phrase sounded humorous.

——–

A decade later, it occurred once more. Shattering home windows, rupturing decaying floorboards, a quake rousing mud and filth to sway within the barrenness of an empty residence.

Dwelling?

How does she know what a house was? 

There was that gentle once more, scorching once more. Ever swirling, ever vivid… ever burning. 

Burning? 

That is it, that is what it was doing earlier than. It wasn’t scary in any respect. Not like final time. Her second sensation, the second factor she noticed, heard… as soon as earlier than, it did not final lengthy. 

Not lengthy in any respect.

However lengthy sufficient to see the swirling gentle slowly fade, fading to a cease, the burning stopped – and so did she. In her final moments as soon as once more, briefly, a thought popped into her head.

Possibly she was the sunshine that had been burning all alongside. It was a foolish notion, however on the very least… it supplied some inkling of amusement in her closing few moments. In spite of everything, how can one thing burning be residing?

That sounded humorous too.

“Failure once more – am I critically nonetheless shocked?” spoke that voice once more, a pointy hiss following shortly. “Have a look at this mess… cannot proceed right here, villagers getting suspicious.”

It sounded a lot older.

“One other cave, possibly?”

———–

It was not till a full century after that it lastly occurred once more – inside a kingdom but to be absolutely developed, in a township but to be absolutely settled, in a faraway dilapidated property identified just for its silence – for the primary time, stirred life in its partitions, within the type of a violent quake.

She was incorrect all this time, really. It was by no means a quake, she realized. It was an explosion. An explosion of sunshine.

Burning gentle. It was burning her… dawned one other burst of realization upon her. The swirling gentle, the virtually hypnotic sway of it throughout her was her. The glow, the heat. They weren’t in any respect scary. They had been right here.

However what was she?

So many ideas, so many concepts, realizations… abruptly they got here at her, like birds pecking at her head. It was complicated, disorienting, and most of all, very, very annoying. 

New sensations, far too quick, far too many. She tried to take a step ahead to flee them – that one step tripped her, and he or she fell ahead, her arms she tried stretching out to interrupt her fall. It did not work.

She did not have arms.

When the bottom inevitably, swiftly, got here nearer to her than it rightfully must be… aching and stinging incessantly, she got here to be made conscious of only one thing more. 

Falling in your beak hurts very, very a lot. 

She tried yelling, considering she may, in fact, she could not. Foolish of her to assume. What bellowed out of her as an alternative was a piercing screech that shocked even her to a sudden abrupt cease.

It was in all probability essentially the most stunning revelation to date to her. Greater than hearth, greater than beaks – actually, she seemed like utter shit. 

Shit.

There’s that humorous phrase once more. 

She was seeing lots, listening to lots, undoubtedly feeling lots too. The swirling, burning round her wasn’t stopping. Loss of life wasn’t coming. Not that she knew what that was, in fact. She by no means did.

Abruptly, the floorboards began to shake. From someplace, footsteps rumbled in the direction of her. A darkish shadow started to loom over her, and he or she raised her head, her aching beak, directing her sights up, method up – realizing only one thing more as she did. 

She was small. Very, very small.

At the very least when in comparison with the towering determine that stood earlier than her, over her, and looking out down at her. She’s by no means seen him earlier than, however instantly she knew simply what he was. 

A person. An previous man. Possibly. He had wrinkles, he had creases, his face was folds on prime of folds. A thick bushy silver beard protecting most, and withered, lifeless white hair barely clinging on prime.

Sure, He was an previous man by means of and thru, save for his eyes – his vivid crimson purple eyes, but to lose its luster, its spark, burning as vivid and youthful as any of the younger, particularly as soon as it met hers.

“You…” His chapped, dry lips slowly shaped right into a smile. “You are fairly a loud one for a small one, aren’t you pricey?”

She acknowledged that voice, feeble because it sounded, gruff because it was, there was no mistaking it. He was the identical shit-talker from earlier than, solely a lot, a lot older than now.

He spoke to her, and he or she needed to as nicely, tried too – solely to finish up simply squawking at him, making him barely wince, and squint his eyes.

“Shh, shh,” The previous man positioned a thin finger to his lips, nonetheless with a smile on his face. “You will have lots you wish to say, I am certain… and in time, I’m certain to listen to all of them.” 

She cocked her head at him, confused.

“There’s one factor you must know firstly,” He stated, cautiously on method. “You aren’t alleged to exist. You’re being that goes towards the very nature of residing, the desire of the Divines. Your creation is an affront to them – sure, you had been created solely simply then, barely even moments in the past… and I’m your creator.”

Her head stayed tilted an angle, her eyes caught solely on him… as he drew close to, as he bent ahead, as he reached out and lifted her with each his arms, elevating her up till there was nothing to see however the joyous smile on his weary face.

“Should you’re the sentimental sort, I suppose you can too confer with me as your father.”

Father. 

That phrase sounded comforting, it sounded mild. 

Mild?

That phrase additionally sounded… nicely… mild, however not as a lot as ‘Father’. For some cause, she did not know why… however she appreciated that phrase. Possibly much more than she did for ‘Shit’. 

Possibly.

“They stated it could not be finished, they stated you had been an impossibility, an insult,” He spoke once more, his eyes staring so tender. “No, no you were not, you are not. You are residing proof centuries within the making of what we will really obtain with out them. You’re humanity’s creation, not their creation. You are particular… you are divine.” 

She screeched once more. She wasn’t understanding in addition to earlier than. He was talking too quick, or possibly talking an excessive amount of. Regardless, if it was one or the opposite – her questions nonetheless weren’t answered.

What was she? Who was she? 

Her wings gave a flutter, vivid embers sputtering from her ruffled feathers. And there goes one other.

Why does she have feathers?

The person simply continued to smile, elevating her even greater. 

“I suppose, one thing as divine as you is in want of a reputation… you are a brand new species by no means earlier than seen, in spite of everything,” He stated, pausing, considering for a second, then slowly he shook his head. “Maybe another time, for now… nicely, you may name me Torem.”

She screeched once more, making an attempt to say his title… in fact, she could not, not but. However maybe in time, maybe with some apply… the previous man appeared assured, appeared amused.

“Good attempt,” He stated, nodding his head. “Strive once more, oh, and by the way in which… that is Torem Ignis to you.”