Talene
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Talene wailed loudly in grief, her tears sizzling over her beak and falling hot to the ground. Her crimson tears stained the earth beneath her feet in uneven patches of red. Talene's mother, the Obsidian Finch with its red and white feathers, lay nearby, utterly still. The demon was the culprit of this tragedy. Her mother had fought it to the death to protect Talene, and in the end, fell exhausted and breathless. Talene was overcome by a grief she had never known before. The Obsidian Finch is a spirit bird of deep emotion, far more attuned to the world than any human. In the age when dragons soared across the skies, the Obsidian Finch was a rare and precious creature capable of matching even dragons in wisdom. Talene began weaving a carry-net from vines, just as her mother had once taught her to weave a nest. She laid her mother into the net, took the net in her beak, and flew eastward. She was going to bring her mother to the Obsidian Finch's sacred burial ground: the Solaran Furnace. Even as a hatchling, Talene had often heard her mother speak of the legend. The ancestors of the Obsidian Finch were born from the blazing fire at the heart of the earth, a place known as the Solaran Furnace, and it was there that the souls of the Obsidian Finch returned. When each Obsidian Finch neared the end of its life, it would fly there alone and cast itself into the flames, letting the fire consume its body, its soul merging with those of its ancestors and becoming part of the blaze itself. This journey back to the origin was known as the Soul Burial, yet Talene's mother could no longer make the journey on her own. Aside from her mother, Talene had never encountered another of her kind. This already rare species had been pushed to the very edge of extinction. Loneliness occupied the deepest part of Talene's memory. And so she made up her mind that she would see her mother returned to the embrace of their ancestors, and would not let her soul drift alone through this lonely world. Obsidian Finch's bodies would not decay after their deaths. Only the fire from the Solaran Furnace can reduce them completely to nothing. After countless days and nights of flying, Talene was finally at the crack that led down to the core of the earth. Heavy smoke smelt like sulfur and burning lava were emerging from the crack, fending off whoever dared to come near. Yet Talene had no hesitation. Carrying the net where her mother's body rested, she plunged into the crack. Compared to ordinary creatures, Obsidian Finch had a greater tolerance of heat, yet as Talene travelled further down, even she started to find the rising temperature suffocating. The net, made from vines, also started to crack under the heat. Talene had to get rid of the net and gripped her mother with her claws as she descended. The temperature kept rising. The heat quickly drained Talene of her energy. Her feathers smelled of burnt. In extreme exhaustion, Talene's wings were unable to keep her in balance. She tipped over and fell into what seemed like a bottomless hole with the body of her mother. When she woke up, she found herself amidst a borderless sea of flames. Strangely, she did not feel the heat at all. Rather on the contrary, the warm flames made her feel calm, peaceful and secure. Then she heard the singing of birds. Following the sound, she saw numerous Obsidian Finches, whose bodies were made of flames, hovering above her. Among them, she saw her mother. "That must be the souls of my ancestors. This is the Solaran Furnace." Talene realized that she had completed her mission. "My child, the last of our bloodline," said a voice from above. It was her mother, and her voice was echoed by the voices of all the ancestors: "From this moment, you are on your own in this world. But don't be afraid, my child. We are always with you. Flames will rebuild your wings and give you eternal life; flames will be part of your blood and bless you with divine power. It will be your mission as an Obsidian Finch to use this granted power to protect Esperia. The brightness of the flames will nourish every good thing in this world; the power of the flames will burn down every evil thing in this world. We believe one day you will be welcomed by all living things in this world." The hovering Obsidian Finches let out a loud cry together, and flew towards Talene. They surrounded her and then dived towards her. Their bodies, made of flames, penetrated into Talene's body and into her veins. Talene's form began a metamorphosis. Her claws and beak were disappearing, and her wings growing bigger. Her form changed completely into a human-like figure with burning-red wings. At the same time, a vision rose before her eyes: a range of snow-covered mountains, where the gods were waiting for her to join them. "In eternal flames, I am reborn."
Title
The Rising Phoenix
Max ascension
Ascended 5★
