The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Avril felt embarrassed, heat rising in her reddening cheeks. She had responded how she would regarding Oscar but didn't expect her habit to spill out her inner thoughts, like being naked before a crowd. Renn and Gloria smirked and quickly hid their lips behind their hands, their eyes, however, gazing at her with a playful gleam as if they had found a new toy to play with. Looking at Remulus, who sipped his tea silently, she pouted and cursed him inwardly for corrupting her children. Her mood improved upon seeing Erden's warm smile, gratitude creasing his furry face.

"I am moved, my Lady!" Auren applauded, completely serious and not playing a joke. She couldn't handle his ardent bow and shout, and buried her head in her arms and knees. "When I return to everyone else, I will relay your gracefulness and astounding love for our Lord to them. I'm sure they will follow you as I do."

"Forget what you heard…." Avril mumbled, sighing at her blunder.

"I'm afraid I can't. I remember everything, no matter how minute the details. Forgive me." Auren said. "But, I'll keep some parts a secret. You can trust me. After all, I kept your existence a secret for many years as my Lord commanded." He rose and came closer, Renn and Gloria tensing and gripping their armaments. A soft thud landed near her, and Avril lifted her gaze and saw Auren kneeling, hands clutching the knee by his lowered head. Losing his liveliness, he spoke solemnly, his tone deep and expression mature, "I, Auren the Seventh, hereby pledge my loyalty to you and my Lord. No matter who he becomes, I will serve."

Renn and Gloria eased up and laid the weapons to the side. Avril patted Auren's head out of an urge, his brown hair silky smooth, the opposite of Renn's sharp hair. "She's honored by your vow, but please don't easily give your life up. Stay alive to help Oscar."

"I will, my Lady. But that may not go so well with the others." Auren shook his head and groaned, scratching his head. Clearly, the others he spoke of were not of the same type. He quickly cheered up and straightened his back. "However, I will do my best. I should leave tomorrow, or else they might commit a few massacres looking for me."

"Oh…." Learning of his departure, Avril had an idea and glanced over Renn and Gloria, pointing at them. "Can you take our children, too? She imagines them as the noble children who must learn how to spread their wings."

Renn and Gloria nodded in agreement so easily she believed she had imagined it. Gloria seemed to sense her confusion and giggled, "For thirty years, we've enjoyed your company, Mom. We should step aside and let you have your time with Dad."

"And you're right," Renn stated. "We can't rely on you and Aunt Maia forever. I should become stronger to fight alongside everyone."

"In that case, can Master protect them on the way?" Avril said, brushing her hair to the side, giving a clear view of the side where Remulus frowned. She smiled and bowed to the old Pavilion Master. "I am grateful for your teachings, caring for Renn and Gloria, and protecting us. She wants to hug him but holds back because she'd cry. Oscar and I will be fine here. Please protect my children."

"Right! Grandpa also used to be the Pavilion Master. He can lead Dad's new academy!" Gloria laughed and puffed her chest, clear pride in her voice. Renn scoffed at her, and she tugged on his ear, pouting and shouting in his ear. "He can be called Headmaster!"

"Headmaster…." Remulus frowned deeper and rubbed his bald scalp, more deep wrinkles, akin to chasms, lining the skinless head. As Gloria's expectant, shining blue eyes locked on him, he groaned and let out a weak chuckle, "Alright. I'll train Oscar's forces well." At that moment, Avril grinned while everyone cheered, Auren eagerly calling him Headmaster.

The night dragged on, the luminous rays from the small holes starting to split and move slowly as the moon journeyed across the stars. The stems hanging from the ceiling emitted a bluish glow, offering a soft light, just enough for one to read or write as it cast its light on her rough, wrinkled pages. Avril scribbled in her book, the cover nearly breaking from the seams, every shake threatening to tear it fully. Her hand gripped the pen, words drawn from its ink.

She started to jot down the details from when Oscar first descended in a shower of flame. Her handwriting worsened when she wrote about Maia's sacrifice and completely halted at Lelith's shadow. On the page was only the letter 'L', the first one in Lelith's name. She clutched her face, both hands shaking, the one holding her pen creating a mess on the page, crossing entire paragraphs. She felt the scars from the past come back, Lelith's scythe too real in her mind; it cut her face. They should be gone, but the pain, the chill of the blade slicing her skin, felt too real, her palms wet from sweat.

She stayed up all night, looking at the page, ink scraping over every word, rendering them unreadable. But the letter 'L' was clear, stuck in her gaze. Tearing off the page, she ripped it into smaller pieces, and her Ein finished the job, grinding them into dust. The chamber quaked as loud footsteps echoed from the entrance. Hons, in his black gorilla form, yawned and asserted that they had to leave now. Avril lifted Maia and Oscar onto Erden's back and hurried outside, following behind Hons's broad back. Time was fading fast, and she had to save them.

Auren, Renn, and Gloria said their farewells. Avril hugged and kissed her children on the forehead, stopping herself from lecturing them. She would be talking for years if she had all the time in the world to speak her worries. Remulus clasped her shoulder, his green eyes flickering with regret and worry as they glanced at Oscar. Avril hugged him and said to everyone, "Don't worry. I promise we will be back, Oscar included. Go and work hard! Ready?"

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"Ready!" Renn and Gloria answered, an arm from both raised.

Avril watched as Remulus formed a bubble of Ein and carried everyone else away, their figures diminishing into the distance and hidden behind the clouds. If they all stayed alive, there would be a chance to reunite later. Hons carried them on his back. She felt like a small child clinging to a father. The winds scraped her skin, pressing her dress against her body, an immense force from Hons's leap making her hands clench on his black fur. She couldn't hear a damn thing.

The azure forests blurred past, the world itself moving at incredible speed. Avril couldn't keep her eyes on a single object; the farthest tree already behind her. A visible curtain of rain and dark stormy clouds swept past, drenching her clothes and hair, and the rush of wind instantly dried them. Hons had handled Maia gently, so she was stumped at his crass flight while carrying four people. The expanse of night spread over the blue sky as stars wheeled over her head, streaking in beautiful lines. After a few days of this nauseating yet beautiful journey, the azure forest ended, and…fire now?

Hons finally slowed down, and she could see the true form of the flames, a forest brimming with leaves of red, gold, orange, and yellow, the primary colors of fire. The trunks and branches shone in a crystal white, dazzling like the finest gems one could see. Flowers bloomed, numerous and widespread like grass, their petals and shape akin to fire. Hons tapped on her shoulder with his giant finger and pointed forward. She followed his gesture and widened her eyes at the blaze that pierced the blue sky, its roaring clear to her ears now.

"That is the home of the Phoenixes, The Beak of Ra, the first Phoenix, a great mountain forever burning since the olden days. It is welcome to all who share in the flame of Talos. The Phoenix Primaere, Solara, awaits us near the mountain's base." Hons explained, grinning.

"Amazing. Amazing." Avril praised. The air didn't burn in the stench of horrid fumes, nor did her body reel from a searing pain. How was the area so normal? Hons landed with a loud crash, the earth quaking her creaking bones. Coughing, Avril jumped off Hons and gasped for air, breathing easily despite the Beak of Ra a mere leap away.

Hons bowed, digging his head into the ground before the woman, who smiled gently. Her long dress swayed, bright rainbow colors shifting along the fabric. She lightly brushed her rainbow hair and had gorgeous rainbow eyes. "Welcome to my home, young human. This is the second time we have met, a rare chance for a human." Solara moved elegantly, precise and slow steps forward, an act unbefitting of a beast, yet Avril was moved, charmed by the gracefulness Solara carried.

"It's nice to meet you again…." Avril bowed and blushed, and Solara laughed as if teasing a daughter. Calming herself, Avril pointed to Maia and asked, "Can she be saved?"

"Ah, this child used primordial flames gifted by an Ancient." Shockingly, Solara, the Phoenix Primaere, lowered her head, bending her back. "I greet the Ancient of Fire; we, the Phoenixes, are your loyal servants."

A multi-colored flame appeared, and Hons also bowed toward it. Ignyres cackled and raged, "Damn! That Esteres must have given you a way to detect me! Whatever. Whatever!" His voice grew more aggravated. "Help this girl. And let these guests live here for however long they need."

"As the Ancient wills, so shall we act." Solara moved her hand, an invisible Ein lifting Maia off Erden. "The flames of the Beak of Ra can help stem the burns in her, but for a full recovery…there can only be two ways. Child, I will speak frankly. Each is highly risky and may kill her. Knowing that, will you still agree?"

"What are they?" Avril asked, nervously tapping her feet on the ground, crunching a flame flower under her shoe.

"The first is very unlikely even to start, the same method that child–" Solara pointed at Oscar, "-accomplished, a Blood Transmutation."

"That's impossible." Avril gasped. A Blood Transmutation required a beast and a human to place their lives on one, fully sharing their senses and other aspects. However, a strong bond was necessary, and Maia was in no condition to care after a beast, and that did not even account for the rarity of success amongst even the closest pairs. She gritted her teeth and asked, "What's the other option?"

"Phoenix ashes. Our kind procreates in two separate ways, one by mating and another by burning our bodies into ashes. Older Phoenixes at the end of their life will use this method. An egg will form from the ashes and birth a new Phoenix." Solara's voice turned stern as if speaking of grave matters, and Hons's shout behind her amplified that notion.

"Great Primaere!" Hons shouted again. "Is it wise to share this secret with the humans?"

"I agree to it, you little oaf! Keep talking, little bird!" Ignyres cackled.

Solara inhaled and blinked, clearly shaken by the secret. "Before the egg forms and after the ashes pile up, another beast or human can enter and attempt to revitalize themselves with the powers of a phoenix. If this one undergoes this process, she will most likely die from the powers laden in the ashes, but if she succeeds, she will become half-phoenix and half-human."

"Like the experiments of New Dawn?" Erden asked. "They have been trying for perhaps centuries."

"I know of them. Their foul experiments can't come close to what we do. This is to be reborn in ashes and flame." Solara turned to Avril. "Do you agree?" Avril nodded, not a hint of hesitation slowing her. Maia had sacrificed everything to save her, so she believed in her success, knowing her friend would survive, like the day on the beach.

Solara gave a wry smile, seemingly not optimistic about Maia's chances. "Very well. I will take her in." She regarded Erden and spoke softer, "Little Prielapos, your ancestors call you to join them. They await you on another continent. Learn from them and become stronger."

"I shall." Erden brushed his antler wings on Oscar, like hands patting a loved one.

"And to you, little child, you are welcome to stay." Solara reached out, trees breaking off their roots in clean cuts, stones bursting from the ground, and flowers floating around. In one clench, they all clattered together, forming into a house. It had walls of white, wreaths of flowers outlining its doors and windows, and a roof of red tiles. "Live here and help him."

Before Avril could thank her, Solara vanished, taking Maia with her. Avril carried Oscar, opened the door, which did not creak, and peeked inside. The interior lacked furniture, showing a clean white wooden floor, but it had the essentials like a basin for a sink. In the center of the empty living room, she sat and hummed, undoing Oscar's blindfold and unplugging his ears. Shyly, she smiled until the dimples formed on her pink cheeks, "Hubby, we're home."

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