Author: Pyzis, Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:05 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis watched as Andraejen appeared back out of the door and handed her a single rose. It was one of the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen in her life. The base of each petal looked as if it were dipped in silver-white paint, while the tips were a stunning shade of red. When he offered the name Osiria, her heart melted and her hand went to her flat belly. It was as if something clicked into place, almost like the name had always been the right one and had simply needed to be spoken aloud. Though when he mentioned the purity and rebirth she was surprised that the two were used to describe her. 

"Andreajen, it's perfect," Pyzis wondered, her yellow eyes going round and watering. It wasn't often that someone gave her a gift such as this. Not to mention he was to be the child's Grandfather. He was already a gift in himself, a family member, something Pyzis had never had before in her life. "Thank you," she ended breathlessly. He swept out the doorway in a small could of flour and a smile crept to her lips.

"If it's a girl may we please name her Osiria, Thyme? I feel like it's the name she has always had," Pyzis said, realizing she slipped and was already calling their child a girl. "It's fitting somehow, the uniqueness of the rose, combined with its beauty." She stared at the rose in awe before handing it to Thyme for a better look. She couldn't wait until she could watch him hold their tiny baby in his strong arms. It was hard not to stand there in the throne room and daydream about it. Pyzis shook her head and brought herself out of her reverie. 

"Angela, what do you think of the name?" she asked, wondering if it fit well with the Rosenite traditions. She assumed so since it was a plant name, particularly a rose one. It meant a lot to her to have the approval of the Mother, Angela had gifted her a child, the least she could do was have her blessing on a name. 

Author: Porthyrius, Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:34 AM, Post Subject: Clergy

Drae suddenly reappeared again, and walked up to Pyzis, still covered in flour. He'd been struck with sudden inspiration and he wanted to divulge it before he lost it like the flour he planned to wash away. He leaned in, and raised a finger to her. 

"Osiria," he said simply. It was one word. "Consider the name Osiria," he said, and in his hand appeared a very unique rose. He offered the bloom to Pyzis. "Osiria is a rare and unique breed of rose. While the inside of the petal can be any shade of red varying from blood to blush pink, the outside of the petals are always a silvery white," he said showing off the blood red and silver-white flower to her. "Blood Rose, like Thyme, but also purity and rebirth, like you my dear," he explained. "Osiria."

He placed the stem in her fingers and then once again swept away, the flour cloud greatly lessened this time, and he vanished from view. 

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Thu Feb 9, 2017 7:35 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis had learned better than to ask after the sometimes odd circumstances here in Angela's realm. In the eighteen month's she had been here she had yet to meet The Mother's husband Drae. Thyme had mentioned him to her, but in the vastness of the realm, neither of them had run into each other. She couldn't say she wasn't busy working on alchemy or playing with Thyme. They had spent almost all of their time in the many gardens, studying the plant life or running through the trees. 

When Drae kissed her knuckles and left a smudge of flour, Pyzis let another giggle escape. It was hard not to laugh when a tall muscular man covered in flour kissed your knuckles. Especially when this one was scolding a fiery Goddess that looked five years old. While he didn't look old enough to be a grandparent Pyzis knew it wouldn't make a difference. She herself was over fifty years of age and looked only nineteen. At least their child would grow up in a place surrounded by family members, something Pyzis had never known.

"It's nice to meet you too Adraejen. Thyme has told me about you too, but it's nice to finally meet you face to face." she responded with a smile. "I can't wait for you to meet the new addition, though it will be a while. Perhaps all of us could have lunch some day soon and get to know eachother better?" Pyzis bowed her head to Andraejen polietely. While he wasn't exactly royalty, she wasn't sure how to address him since he was the Goddess' husband.

Pyzis watched as Adrajen left in a cloud of flour and locked eyes with Thyme. She burst out laughing in the throne room, hands pressed against her belly. The ridiculousness of all of it was too much for her. Pyzis wiped her eyes and walked up to Thyme and ksised him chastely on the mouth. Nothing was ever dull here.

"If it's a girl she will have many aunts to keep her company here. At least I wont have to worry about her being lonely, she will have an Uncle only almost two years older. Thyme, what was it like having so many siblings around? I only had my parents and left when I was pretty young." she asked as she stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his muscular waist. He dwarfed her in size and she peeked out at Angela from behind him. Pyzis just wanted to touch him and share this amazing moment with him. She concentrated and tried to memorize the events of the night. The bubbling happiness and the joy of their new arrival made this moment special to her. Pyzis was surrounded by her family, in a place she could honestly call home. This was the first time in her exsistance that she felt accepted and utterly loved. 

Author: Porthyrius, Posted: Wed Feb 8, 2017 9:54 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Drae's eyes widened slightly as Angela licked his nose with her chocolate covered tongue, and he recoiled almost violently, and wiped the chocolately saliva from his nose with a white-covered sleeve as she frowned at him in a rather adorable fashion that made his anger melt away. He sighed in frustration, but leaned in close again as Angela began wiping the flour from his face, explaining that she only got into the pantry when no one was around. That didn't help his mood, but she was rapidly changing the subject, and he turned and looked at the woman that Angela motioned to and Thyme. 

"GRANDPARENTS?" he asked, practically shouting it, his face becoming visibly red from beneath the flour. "I was getting used to being a FATHER!" he sighed heavily, but looked at the young woman as Angela introduced her, and he bowed. "Forgive my outburst," he said apologetically. "Thyme has told me about you, but I don't think he paid you the credit you deserve," he said as he took Pyzis's hand and laid a light kiss to her knuckles, and quickly brushed away the flour residue he left behind. 

"It isn't up to me what you decide to name the child. Both names are fine ones, and Honeysuckle would follow the family line of names very well," he replied. He cleared his throat. "Well, I must ask you to excuse me. I would rather not stand around looking like a baker's bad day. I would love to speak to you more, Pyzis," he said grandly. He turned and looked at Iva. "Stay out of the pantry," he warned her before he bowed lightly to Pyzis and clapped Thyme on the shoulder before he left the throne room again, flour still following him in a cloud. 

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Wed Feb 8, 2017 5:36 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

“Those are good Rosenite names! Both of them.” Angela nodded in agreement with both names. “I don’t know which one I like more.” Thinking about the statistics Angela looked puzzled. “You have a good chance with Rosen blood that it is a girl.” Smiling she chuckled. “You are very welcome!” She stared at Thyme who came up to his beloved and took her hand. He was still more shocked at his mother.

Though the biggest shock was when Drae came in covered in flour. When he got down to Angela’s level she bopped his nose with her own before licking the flour off. Her eyes were speaking volumes, though. They were so soft and big as she frowned towards him. “The chocolates were a present. I haven’t gotten into the sweets closet today but the Imp she might have.” She was telling the tooth but the trouble had been caused last night. Therefore she wasn’t lying.

“I don’t get into the sweets cabinet when everyone is around. I wait until they are asleep.”  Angela took her small hands and cleaned off her husband’s face. Before he could get overly upset with her she pointed to Pyzis. “We’re going to be grandparents!” Hopefully, that would be enough to help get her out of the mess she was in. “Honeysuckle or Ember what name do you like better Drae?”

Staring over at Pyzis she frowned. “You have never met Pyzis have you? She is Thyme’s lover and she is carrying our grandchild.” It must have looked weird seeing such a small child say that.

Author: Porthyrius, Posted: Wed Feb 8, 2017 5:23 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

There was a slight commotion from outside the throne room, and quite unexpectedly Drae appeared in the door way covered from head to foot in a white powder, looking very irate. His steely eyes were flashing, and a vein throbbed in his forehead, threatening to pop. He strode towards the throne, a cloud of what would later be discovered to be flour, flying off of his black clothing as he moved before he moved past Thyme and Pyzis and leaned very close to Angela, his long nose merely inches from her tiny button. 

"Tell me you haven't been in the pantry with Iva." It wasn't really a request, for the warlock was furious. "Look me in the eyes, Angela and tell me you and the Imp have not been in the pantry so much today that your older children saw fit to booby trap the place," he ground out. 

He saw the sweets sitting nearby and and his eyes blazed. "Angela…" he said, trying to keep his temper in check. It was the first time in a long time that Drae had gotten this angry while in the shrine. The intensity of his stare made the sweets ignite and he looked back at Angela. 

"You, my dear, are GROUNDED!" 

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Tue Feb 7, 2017 8:14 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis covered her mouth as she suppressed a giggle, it wasn't often that one got to see a Goddess in child form. It was troubling though seeing as her child would be part Angela too. She could feel the light-heartedness this brought to the realm and it was possibly the best thing that could have happened after the fear had ended. With most of the staff and Angela's children, focused on keeping her from doing harm, there was little room for sadness. 

Pyzis approached the small red head and cocked her head to the side in curiosity. If anything it seemed as if The Mother had become more commanding than as her regular self. Pyzis observed the pigeon toed stance the Goddess stood in as she demanded more sweets. The smile on her face was fully visible now as she listened to Angela reprimand her son who was twice the size of her.

"We do if it's a girl, I was thinking Ember or Honeysuckle," she mentioned as she sat in the summoned chair. It didn't bother her at all to be called a savage. At this point, Angela could call her anything and she would be happy since she was alive. The future of their child was safe and inviting. This was the first moment she could actually enjoy the idea of having a baby since she found out. First Thyme had been injured and then their mourning of Angela. 

"What do you think? Thyme was saying something about Rosenites mostly being female. I knew he has many sisters, but I wasn't sure if that was because of their race or pure luck. I wanted to thank you for the gift you have given us." she said as she stood and curtsied to the pint-sized Goddess before sitting again. Pyzis looked to Thyme at the back of the room with a warm smile. He looked more shocked at the entire encounter than anything. She reached out her hand and beaconed him to come hold it. Pyzis still didn't want him far from her side. The last few weeks had made one thing clear, she never wanted to be parted from him again unless absolutely necessary. 

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Tue Feb 7, 2017 5:10 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Angela looked up from her sweets and popped one in her mouth. She let the chocolate melt in her mouth before she stood up on the throne and stared at Pyzis and Thyme. “Hello, Savages.” She waved for a moment and Thyme’s mouth dropped a bit.

She reached for the sweets and one of the clergy members smacked her hand. “Lady Angela, we’ve talked about this. Pace yourself or you’ll make yourself sick.”

Angela did a displeased noise. “You can tell that to Iva or the other savages but I am immortal. I don’t get sick.” She hastily grabbed more and sat back down in her throne as she bobbed her head. The clergy member did a defeated sigh.

“Savage Pyzis approach me.” She chuckled a bit as she addressed her future daughter in law.

“Mother please don’t call Pyzis a sa–” Thyme was cut off as he defended his lover.

“Savage, I’ll do as I please. I pushed you out remember.” The groans in the room showed that she had been difficult all day. Angela offered up one of her chocolates to Pyzis. “Are you feeling okay? You are carrying a little savage now.” Angela reached out to feel her grandchild in Pyzis’s womb and smiled. “Very healthy and strong.” She gave her belly a few pats before summoning a chair for Pyzis.

“Do you have names?”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:32 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

It was a full week that they spent waiting in fear, clinging to each other in their grief. In moments of calm, they spoke of their plans for their child as if the world around them couldn't fall apart at a moments notice. Pyzis would not stay more than an arm's length away from Thyme, she couldn't bear being without his touch for more than a moment. She was aware that at any moment could be their last if they were forced to leave. Their jungle room became the sweetest sanctuary for the couple, so long as they were within, Pyzis imagined the outside world could not harm them. 

When the knock on their door came and one of Thyme's sisters delivered her message, the two of them made their way to the throne room. For the first time in two weeks, hope made Pyzis' chest swell with warmth. A little girl with red curls sat on the throne and it could be none other than the Mother herself. With a sigh, she let go of all the tension and doubt she had had for so long. The realm would not fall today, if ever. While it was a curiosity as to why she was a child, Pyzis knew that so long as Angela lived, no matter how young, they were safe. Since the Goddess' life force was tied to her realm it could not fall. 

"Goddess?" Pyzis said breathlessly. She took a few steps toward the throne before a smile broke out on her face. The red headed girl was eating sweets. Pyzis wondered what Iva was getting into if her mother was the same age as she. They were bound to get into mischief, but Pyzis didn't see Iva at the moment.

"I'm so happy to see you here again," Pyzis said reverently. She wasn't sure just what to expect from the child Angela, perhaps she was the same in a smaller form, but those sweets hinted differently. If she acted as young as she looked she knew the clergy would be busy keeping things from chaos. 

Pyzis let go of Thyme's hand so he could go see that his mother was safe. She smiled as the two of them locked eyes and she knew this moment would forever be in her memories. The happiness in the throne room was a tangible thing, it was infectious and encompassed each person thuroughly. After the depression and enxiety that had riddled each of Angela's followers it was beautiful to see smiles once more. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:10 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme was in shock, to say the least when the news came in that his mother had passed. What was worse was when the realm decided not to fall. He stood there shaking but his mind went to his unborn child. Gently he picked Pyzis up and into his arms. “Please stay calm.” He buried his head into her. “Something isn’t entirely right about this.”

He stroked her head. “We leave the moment the realm starts to fall. Until then we are staying here where it is safe.” And stay there they did. It wasn’t until there was a knock on their door that Thyme got up from his seat. “Is it happening?” It was one of his many sisters.

“You might want to have a look at this… both of you.” It wasn’t that the realm was falling it was something else. He pulled Pyzis up from the bed and walked with her out into the throne room. A little girl with dark red curls sat on the throne now. She was getting into sweets. 

When her green eyes hit his Thyme’s mouth fell open. “Mother?!” There was no denying that smell.

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:56 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis blushed when he called her out on her impatience, but a clergy member rushed in and delivered the bad news. Angela was sick, was vomiting up the metal she had used to bind Dalenesca to her realm. How was it that a Goddess could be sick? What would that mean for her and Thyme if her realm fell? There would be no safe haven for them and their future child if they stepped outside Angela's realm. Look what had happened when Thyme had done so! He had barely managed to escape with his life, if Angela hadn't intervened he would have! Panic gripped her as she looked into his eyes and pressed a hand to her flat belly. The loss of control over the entire situation made Pyzis angry, she had no say over the fate of the man she loved. All she could do was wait.

Thyme and Pyzis spent a week waiting for more news on Angela, despite their efforts there was nothing they could do to help. Both packed up what little belongings they could in case the realm fell apart around them. Instead of reveling in the joyous news of their pending child, Pyzis was a beside herself with worry. Despite all of Thymes efforts to distract her from her fear, she spent most of her time pacing. One evening a clergy member arrived with a somber expression.

"The Mother went outside to meet Dalenesca's wrath. She is gone!" sobbed the woman, before leaving them to deal with their grief on their own. 

Pyzis felt her knees shake beneath her until she found herself kneeling on the ground. With tear filled eyes she looked to Thyme because while she loved Angela, Angela wasn't her mother. Slowly she stood and with shaking hands, she wrapped her arms around her love. The Goddess that had saved her life and set her on her current path was gone. She owed so much to the Mother and now she wouldn't get the chance to repay her for her kindness.

"Thyme, I'm so sorry" she whispered as she ran her hands gently through his blonde curls. Pyzis felt so helpless in that moment, her grief was nothing next to Thyme's. It was a time for her to comfort him as best she could. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek and rested her head on his chest, trying to hide her tears.

Author: Thyme, Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:30 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme rubbed her back and smiled. “I think she has been thinking about us all since the day it started to happen. My mother isn’t a selfish person on most levels.”  He was glad to see Pyzis so excited about everything. “I like them both and oddly enough both of them fit how Rosenites name their children so we would be keeping the tradition.”

Thyme laughed a bit and shook his head. “Not at the moment, she can’t Py. I don’t think you’ve been pregnant enough to tell but if Rosenites have their say we will have a girl.” He didn’t mind because he had rarely thought about having a child before Pyzis came into his life. “And… I know you aren’t patient. It doesn’t take a fly on the wall to see that.” He knew his lover well.

He pulled himself up and another clergy member came. “It’s terrible Lady Angela is sick!” The clergy member was in a panic and suddenly the happiness went from the room.

“What do you mean my mother is sick? She is a god!” Thyme pressured himself to get up in a panic and hurt himself a bit. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know Lord Drae has asked for no visitors while she rests. She doesn’t look good at all… She keeps vomiting strange metal and now there are chains keeping Dalanesca in her realm. I think your mother made a deal with the devil.”

Thyme bit at his lip as he looked at Pyzis. What the hell were they going to do? “I think… we need to talk about an exit plan just in case things keep getting bad.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:03 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis felt his arm wrap around her and suddenly the world came back into focus. He wasn't dying and she would not be left alone, though his comment about being calm had her in tears again for another reason. They were having a child, her hand went to her belly and hesitantly a smile came to her lips. It was an unexpected surprise, but a wanted one to say the least. Py knew that it was part of her duty to further her dying race. Now she need not fear ramifications for serving in human form so much. Other Phoenix would let it slide if she had offspring to speak of. 

"Angela had the mind to think of us during all of this?" she wondered. Pyzis looked around the room, realizing she was still naked and the infirmary was not empty. She felt flustered, not entirely sure what to do but then another member of the clergy brought her a dress which she donned silently, taking the moment to collect her thoughts. When her eyes met Thyme's as he lay on the cot she noticed the smile on his face and couldn't help but blush. 

"I guess you are going to be a Dad, I guess I should have expected this seeing as your mother is the Goddess of fertility." She said in awe as she knelt down next to him once more. Pyzis placed a kiss on Thyme's forehead, wanting to be sure she wasn't hurting him any more than he already was. They were going to be parents, the thought kept crossing her mind and she squeezed Thyme's good hand as she felt butterflies in her stomach. If this disaster didn't end soon though they would raise have to raise the child in the safety of the Mother's realm. With a deep breath, Pyzis pushed all her worries aside and basked in the glory of the new news. 

"You know if it's a girl I like the names Ember or Honeysuckle," she offered. Trying to lighten the mood, seeing as he had been attacked by a Goddess mere hours ago. At least there was something good coming out off all of this mess. Pyzis clung to that thought and laid her head on Thyme's chest. 

"What do you think? Could Angela tell us if it's going to be a boy or girl? I'm not as patient as I pretend." she giggled. The thought of being able to connect so early with her child was a beautiful thing. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 12:19 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme gave her a gentle smile as he reached out and caressed her curves. “I’ll be back even if Drae has to drag me back half dead.” It was a joke from his tone. “I’ll always come back to you. One way or another.” He squeezed her hand back and kissed it before smiling and leaning into her lips as she nipped at him. “And I love you.” 

Though he had no idea of how right he had been about Drae dragging him back. He felt Pyzis as she entered. She was so upset and all he could do was deep breaths through the pain of his broken limbs. He winced as she landed on his broken arm. Lifting up his other arm he gently rubbed her head. His feathers brushing her feathers of red and flames. “Shh Pyzis. I am fine.”

Once she was transformed back he took her with his good arm and held her close as she kissed. Her tears were helping mend the broken bones faster but still, it would take some time. “Pyzis,” he called gently to her as he wiped her tears away. “You need to calm down for the baby.”

He would wait for her to catch on before smiling up at her like an idiot. “Mother gave us a present while she let my stupid ass get carried away.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:02 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis made sure to dress slowly for Thyme, her confidence was growing the more time they spent together. She made sure to wiggle her hips as she pulled her dress over her head. A frown formed though when he told her about his idea with Drae. A knot formed in her stomach and soon the noises were again as loud as thunder. If Thyme left there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to come back at all. Either he would be taken down by Dalenesca or she would prevent him from returning to help Angela. With her back still toward the bed, she let a few small tears escape her sunburst orange eyes. It would not do to waste their time together in sadness, her last memories of him would have to be cheerful. Pyzis wiggled her hips one more time before turning back around to him and silently wiping her eyes on her sleeve. 

"You will have to come back to me," she teased. "Angela would die if she couldn't get a grandbaby out of our relationship." Pyzis went and sat next to him on the bed. She placed one hand over his and squeezed a little too tight for the light hearted things she was saying. "I love you," she whispered as she nipped his ear playfully. 

It wasn't much of a goodbye, but it would have to do. She memorized every plane of his body as he dressed and kissed her one more time before leaving. As soon as the door shut behind him she crumpled on the bed and sobbed. Her entire frame shook with the trembling of the earth around her. Pyzis couldn't stand just waiting so she decided to go walk among the fire maples. She sat at the base of one of the massive trees sketching the orange veins of the red leaves when a cleric found her. The look in her eyes told Pyzis everything. The pencil and paper burst into flames as her body became consumed by fire. She could feel her limbs shrinking and stretching until she became her Phoenix self. 

Swiftly she made her way to the clinic where she saw Thyme lying on a bed, one arm and leg wrapped up in splints. She landed beside him and for once she didn't have to try for the tears that would heal him. Her bird head rested on his injured arm and the pearlescent tears dripped down onto him. While the knowledge that he would be healed should have been enough for her, she was completely irrational. Her small bird body shook and she couldn't find it in herself to transform back into a human even though she could hear Thyme speaking to her. His words flowed over her but she couldn't make sense of what she was saying. Panic gripped her and for a moment she was afraid she would be stuck like this forever. 

When she felt Thyme's hand on her back she stilled and transformed into a human again. Her naked from clung to his uninjured arm, not caring who was present. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rained kisses on every inch of exposed skin she could reach. 

"You can't scare me like that again!" she sobbed. Her eyes were puffy and red as she finally looked into his seeing that he truly was okay. She was not going to let him out of her sight any time soon. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:52 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

He blew at her fingertips as she moved his hair. “Well, I’m glad because someone has to.” A chuckle left his lips as he watched how happy she was. It made him laugh even more when she insisted on getting out of bed and running at first light. “Alright, alright.” As if he needed to be convinced.

He lazily rolled himself over and watched her as he dressed. “You are a walking tease.” When she started to get impatient with him Thyme swooped down and slipped him arms around her. “Keep tapping your foot like that and I won’t let you leave.” He nipped at her ear and laughed more as he got dressed.

Putting his arm around her he kissed her cheek. “The Fire Maple Forest. I figured that one has to be your favorite.” They spent much time together in the forest that day. Everything seemed to be going great. Much of their free time when not being in the alchemist lab was spent either running or in bed. He wasn’t going to complain much.

When Drae approached him about finding Marth and helping end the war on his mother he was quick to accept. It wasn’t just for his mother but for Pyzis. “I’m going to be going out again with Drae,” he was putting his boots on after another long night with his love. “I’m going to try and be safe about it but Dalanesca is getting relentless.”

His words of caution were much like what actually happened. They hadn’t seen the hellfire coming. By the time they were able to ward it had sent them flying, greatly burning him, and breaking the bones in his arm and leg. His mother’s aura as angry as it was healed his burns but like Drae broken bones took time to heal. 

After moving the men to different rooms and helping them get comfortable they had noticed that Angela had vanished. When she came back she was in worse shape than they were but still Drae insisted that Angela rested. A cleric was frantically crawling the temple until she found Pyzis who was most likely trying to shut the once rumbling world out. Now everything was quiet. “Pyzis… it’s terrible. Thyme and Drae got caught in a hellfire attack by Dalanesca! He’s in the clinic.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Jan 9, 2017 1:06 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis dozed in Thyme's arms after all of the excitement was finished. Despite the occasional tremors, she didn't wake until the sun peeped through the thick rainforest canopy above them. This time she didn't jump at the clangor but rolled over and kissed Thyme on the nose. A smile crept across her lips as his blonde curls hung low across his eyes in a tangle. It was so uncharacteristic that Pyzis began to giggle. 

"I love your hair," she chuckled as she moved his hair out of his face. An idea sprung into her head as she sat up in excitement. Despite their predicament, she couldn't help but be in a good mood after the night they had. "Let's run"

That was all that was needed before she stood and dressed in the same type of clothing she had worn since her first night here in the Goddess' realm. The simple dress was an off white cotton material that was fitted through the bust and waist but flared out at her hips. It was plain, but feminine and emphasized Pyzis' curves without being inappropriate. It seemed that Angela knew what would flatter most women. Once clothed Pyzis shifted her weight on her feet, trying to be patient while Thyme finished getting dressed. It had been a few months since the two of them had gone tree running. The Alchemist work had been taking precedence over play and she knew he was feeling keyed up. Both of them needed to get out and Pyzis couldn't wait to fly again.

"Which forest will we be running in today?" she asked with big eyes. They had visited many of them, but she knew there were dozens more she had yet to explore. It seemed to her that the Realm of the Goddess was unending. Pyzis flinched as she heard more booms and the ground shook. At least from the air, she wouldn't be able to feel the rumbling. It would be almost as good a distraction as the one last night. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Wed Jan 4, 2017 5:23 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

At her, word Thyme smiled. He hadn’t ever even mentioned it before for he knew how she was. There wasn’t a time when it bothered him and he had simply thought it was the time to ask. He wanted to make sure she could drown the world out for right now the world wasn’t what they needed it to be. He softly nuzzled her forehead after their kiss and chuckled. “I love you as well Py.” 

His gaze turned soft when she asked him to promise that he would remain safe. “Don’t make promise things that you know I might break. I will try but I will not make a promise. It’s not because I don’t want to but because it just might happen.” He kissed her forehead and before she could possibly fight him, he hushed her with a kiss.

He softly tossed her back and pinned her arms. There was a moment of hesitation as he stared down at her but it was more so that he was admiring her and not because he was afraid. He leaned down and kissed her again. He was slow in most of his movements over to make sure she was absolutely sure this was what she wanted.

“Thyme,” her words made him stop dead as he hung over her, “I am not going to break and we don’t have time for this.” It more made Thyme laugh as he didn’t expect anything like that from her. He shook his head at her and brought himself back down. 

The time they spent together he made sure that she absolutely enjoyed herself. At the quakes of the realm, he made sure that she didn’t even notice. If anything he was very good at this kind of distraction. He had lots to teach her if she had the time and right now they had nothing but time.

By the end, he kissed up her shoulder and pulled her back over to him so she was laying on his chest. “Do you feel better now?” He wasn’t about to turn her down if she didn’t. “You’re all that matters right now.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Wed Jan 4, 2017 1:47 AM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis let the soothing familiarity of Thymes hands in her hair calm her nerves. It was a while before he answered her questions and in that time she could feel her body relax against his. If he thought that they would be safe they probably would be, if anyone knew what Angela was capable of it was Thyme. When he pulled the blankets to cover them she felt his body press against her back. His warmth enveloped her in a cocoon of safety. Before long Pyzis could almost completely ignore the intermittent shaking. The only thing that mattered in that moment was  the two of them.

"I'd like a distraction," she blushed as she rolled over to face him, knowing full well what it was he was offering. Despite having been an item for a year and a half, neither of them had pressured each other to be physical. Thyme was a patient gentleman who understood Pyzis' fear of anothers touch. She stared into his green red eyes and cupped her hand on his cheek. The world around them fell away and Pyzis kissed him. 

"I love you, you know," she murmured breathlessly. Her hand moved from his cheek into his shoulder length blonde tresses. This was one of the few times she had let herself say those words aloud. Pyzis knew that Thyme was very aware of her feelings, but uttering them was something she hesitated at. Most Phoenix's didn't have the luxury of love and it seemed to her that the words seemed insignificant next to the enormous feelings she had toward him. 

The realm shook and boomed as Pyzis finally realized that she may only get to have Thyme for a short time. If the Goddess' war turned to mortal fighting both would be sent out, one a healer and one a soldier. She had expected to have many years longer to get to know him, but fear of his loss pushed her admit just how much she loved Thyme.

"I never thought I'd know love in any of my lifetimes, promise me you will stay safe?" she pleaded as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Pyzis knew that barring drowning she would be reborn, Thyme was different. He had a long lifespan but if he died that was it. She needed to know that he would be there for her even if the world around them fell apart. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Tue Jan 3, 2017 8:17 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme was quick to follow Pyzis. She was now his number one concern as they traveled through the temple and got back to their bedroom. He sat on the bed and pulled her down with him so he could play with her hair and calm her. He pressed his lips to her head of hair and thought about her questions for a long time.

“As long as either can hold out. I wouldn’t worry much about it. If Mother is confident I think we will be fine in the long run.” His fingers twirled around her hair as he thought. “She… Mother was the healer on duty for Dalanesca’s baby. Something happened here and she couldn’t watch over her. She didn’t tell Dalanesca simply because she thought the baby was healthy enough and that nothing could go wrong. She made an error that under normal circumstances wouldn’t have happened.”

He reached over and pulled some blankets over them so he could keep her warm, or at least in an intimidate space. “Whatever you want me to do to make you feel better Pyzis, or distract you… I’ll do it. Just ask.” He whispered to her softly as he tried to talk during the booms so he could distract her.

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Jan 2, 2017 9:55 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis looked at the floor of the throne room, Thyme admonished her for following but there was no way she was staying alone. He kissed her head protectively and she settled a little. When the room quieted down and Angela spoke everyone in the room relaxed. Despite her appearance the Goddess was confident in her ability to keep them safe. Again the ground shook around them and the Mother threw out her powers, making it hard for Pyzis to draw a breath. In her mind she was back in the cage being squeezed until she released phoenix tears. The only thing keeping her from collapsing was her tight grip on Thymes upper arm. Pyzis buried her face in Thymes muscular chest until the crushing feelings fled. 

"I need to get out of here," she whispered to Thyme before looking up at him with pleading eyes. Pyzis knew that his duty lay with his Mother but she needed to go before another attack happened. She wasn't sure she could handle a flash back like that again so she laced her fingers in his in a tight grip and headed back to their chambers. 

When she sat on the bed Pyzis realized she was shaking, her face was pale and she began to play with her hair nervously. "What is going to happen? I have every confidence that the Mother will keep us safe, but how long can everyone stay here?" she asked Thyme. While the both of them had spent all of eighteen months within the Goddess' realm, many others came and went often. The floor shook again and Pyzis shuddered even though she couldn't feel Angela's power this time. 

"Thyme, why would Dalanesca blame your mother for the loss of her child? Don't these things happen, or is it different for a deity?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the tightening of fear in her chest. It took all her might to remember she was not alone in the darkness anymore. For the most part she feared what would happen to Thyme, he was served his mother frequently and even if the attacks ended would it be safe for him outside of this realm? Since Gods were immortal it could be dangerous for either of them to be caught by Dalenesca or any of her servants. The reality of the repercussions of this war crashed around her and the only thing that was left was Thyme.  

Author: Thyme, Posted: Mon Jan 2, 2017 8:38 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme was learning a ton of things from Pyzis. While he was still learning the herbs and how to tend to them, he had only really messed up a few times. Pyzis didn’t mind and that made him feel more confident. He showed her the tree running that he so loved and he had even attempted to get her to do it as well. They enjoyed their time together and there was even a time when he had grabbed her out of the air and she transformed back so they could kiss in the trees. If there was such a thing as young love this was it.

When they were laying in bed there was no needy touching or anything of the sort. He would tease her with soft butterfly kisses on her cheek and chin before they settled in for sleep. It was enough to tickle her and it would make them both laugh. It also helped her sleep better at night the more he held onto her.

At Pyzis’s cry Thyme bolted up and told her to stay in the room. He didn’t tell her what he thought was going on because he hadn’t a clue. He was panicked as he made his way into the throne room only to find most of the clergy and his siblings in there. Angela was sitting silently in a messed up dress and she looked calm, too calm. She was keeping the realm together.

“Mother what is going on?” Thyme went up and whispered to her. It wasn’t long before he back up so  Angela could have space. When his eyes latched onto Pyzis he was quick to pull her over to him. “I thought I told you to stay put?” He was worried and it showed by his commanding voice and the way he kissed the top of her head protectively.

“Quiet down everyone!” Angela stood up and everyone fell to a hushed voice. “We’re under attack.” The voices began to rise. “SILENCE.” She commanded and everyone got even more deadly quiet. “Dalanesca lost Katja. She is blaming me for it. Until further notice, everyone is to stay within this realm. There’s no telling what she will do to you all.” Angela winced from some of the pain from her landing and she focused herself and gave everyone a smile. “It’s just shaking but the realm will be fine. I promise you that no one will get hurt here if someone does we will make it better. However, I don’t think Dalanesca can breach my walls.” There were a shake beginning and Angela whacked her arm out. The room burst into an earthly glow as her power flooded the room, it was almost hard to breathe. The power shot out and reflected the attack back.

“I’ll do that whenever I can, but we must remain calm.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Jan 2, 2017 8:17 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis spent all of her time with Thyme, whether she was collecting herbs or sleeping she was in his presence. Over the months they got to know one another well. She learned more of his service to his mother and even witnessed some of his tree running. Their relationship was perfect, he could tree run while she soared above, watching with her keen Phoenix eyes. Thyme took her to many of the gardens and kept her company as she sketched the various plant life. Her alchemical skills excelled with the never ending supplies the temple offered. Most of the time she narrated her workings so Thyme could learn. Before long he was helping her dry the plants and keeping up her stock of basic healing salves to supply the other members of the temple staff. 

Her nights were spent in Thyme's arms, every time she closed her eyes the sound of the rainforest soothed her lingering traumas. Eighteen months passed and Pyzis no long flinched every time he touched her. There had been lingering kisses in the gardens, but not much more. Pyzis was opening up to Thyme and had even admitted she loved him. Because of the slower pace of their relationship, Thyme's sisters were unrelenting. Many days at least two came by, but Pyzis was used to their presence now. 

Pyzis was sleeping soundly in Thyme's arms, the warmth of his body soothed away the nightmares that used to plague her. At first what woke her was the sound, large booms echoed and the ground began to shake. She sat up braced herself on the bed until the violent tremor ended. This was something she had never experienced in the temple, the climate and atmosphere anywhere within Angela's domain was constant. 

"Thyme!" she shouted over the cacophony of booms that began again moments after the shaking ceased. "What's going on?"

"Stay here and wait for me to come back." Thyme ordered before getting out of bed himself, not bothering to cover his bare chest. 

Pyzis stood, panicking as a sinking feeling told her something was very wrong. This was a deities domain, the only thing that could influence it like this was something with the same amount of power. Thyme rose and left without another word which only added to the fear. Her hands shook as she quickly pulled on something to cover her thin night shift. The floor was cold beneath her her bare feet as she waited. In eighteen months he had only left her presence for very brief periods of time and had always explained what he was doing before hand. Pyzis paced back and forth for half an hour until another tremor knocked her onto her hands and knees. She was done waiting and ran bare foot to the throne room. 

The first thing she noticed was the gathering of people waiting in the throne room. The Mother sat on her throne and Pyzis couldn't see Thyme from here. She gently pushed her way through a group of people blocking her way to the center. The look on Angela's face was calm and knowing, but her dress was shredded. Something was wrong.

Author: Thyme, Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:11 AM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme chuckled a bit and smiled towards Pyzis. “It means they think we are a couple.” He had forgotten that she was phoenix and might not know simple things that they might. Once she had finished staring and blushed the half elf just laughed. He was oddly used to the staring from going to Arri. “Oh? It might be boring it might not be. To be honest, anything done with a person who is interesting is not boring at all. Like I find you highly interesting therefore spending time with you shouldn’t be boring at all even if we are getting alchemy ingredients.”

He offered her a smile as he thought about all the jobs he’s done. “I’ve done a lot of scouting in Parvpora for my mother. Gone to the depths of Laeto for actual ingredients that she doesn’t want to grow herself. She has this obsession with the real thing, she thinks hers don’t taste as good. I’ve gone to the depths of Laeto to find my sister before. Daphne is half tree nymph you see. She grows magic oaks in a place that really shouldn’t have them at all. I fetch the wood from those trees and take them back to the people who needs them. I’ve killed people who were making light of situations.” His mood darkened a tad. “Made life better for other people once they were dead.”

Thinking on his siblings he shrugged. “There are lots of them and they do various things. Nerezza is engaged to a vampire named Kaiser. She is a psionic mage. Belle is learning alchemy with my mother. Fern is still finding her grasp in life. Aelwen transports goods and people. Basselina roams the Highlands and mostly stays away. Holly and Calanthe are both bards who travel all of Revaliir. Ash is a paladin for my mother. Lucian is a squire.  Daphne is a guardian Nymph in Laeto. I’m a ranger. Aaryona is a diplomatic leader of a vampire clan in Parvpora. We all do such different things. Most of the time we do it to help Mother, other times we realize that our weakness is her weakness and we fight to get stronger.”

He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s all about what you make of yourself. We’re long lived creatures. Never do we stop to wonder what we could have done to change things. Though I’m sure there are a few that do out of regret, but regret doesn’t change anything. Action does.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 2:23 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis listened to Thyme speak, informing her that he had grown up here and that she was innocent. It was something she knew already, it was difficult to assimilate to the subtleties of the human race. She focused on her work, collecting some bark from a hue willow tree. It's branches hung to the ground and completely encompassed the two of them. The three girls were no where to be seen, but Pyzis didn't doubt they were close by. When he mentioned that his sisters thought they were an item she became confused.

"What do you mean we are an item? Neither of us is a thing, we are people." she puzzled over the comment. If Belle had seen them together in the bedroom she understood what she  must have been thinking. Pyzis was aware that men and women didn't so casually touch. It would be easy for the girls to assume there was something more to the encounter.

If he had spent nearly fifty years wandering about the Temple, he would know it well. Thankfully the Mother had sent him to Pyzis to keep her from getting lost. If there were over a hundred gardens, she was sure there would be more than one instance where she would get lost. Thyme helped her collect willow bark while she snuck a few peeks at his tattoos, eventually she noticed that beneath the ink he had a muscular chest. His shoulders were broad and he had visible abs. Pyzis realized she had stopped her collecting to stare and hurridly blushed and continued her work.

"If you want to know more about alchemy I'd be more than willing to teach you. It would be nice to have someone to help get me established. It's not interesting work, but if I am to get past making my basic stores it will take a while. What type of jobs have you done for your Mother? Have you traveled much?" she asked while determined not to look at him. She let her hair fall over her shoulder to block her view while she absently picked at the bark. This place was so strange to her and the situation even stranger. Thyme was something she had never had the luxury of encountering. Already the thought of him leaving her alone made a pit in her stomach. He hadn't left her side since they had first met.

"What is it your sisters do around the Temple? Do all of the children serve jobs for Angela or do many of them move on?" Pyzis distracted herself from the half naked man at her side.

Author: Thyme, Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:41 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme let out another chuckle. “I grew up here, I knew this place like the back of my hand. My mother used to let me free run in the gardens when I was a boy. I was always with her.” It also helped that he was in his fifties and that was a long time to learn a place. 

He stared at Pyzis as she checked him out. A laugh left his lips even more. “You, my dear Pyzis, are very innocent in your own way.” It was amusing to him to see someone with an innocent level such as hers. He let her trace the markings and didn’t even flinch at the touch. “They were trying to get you to admire me I think. Belle came into the bedroom last night while you were sleeping. They probably think of us like an item and are trying to figure you out.” Rosenites were such gossips.

Thinking on her second question he tilted his head and ran his fingers through his blonde locks. “I was twenty when I really started doing jobs for my mother. Until then I did chores around the temple and helped out the clergy. I’m fifty so thirty years.” 

This one had a lot of questions and as he moved to appease her and help her in the garden he answered her. “They are Belle and Fern, they are twins, and the third is Nerezza. Nerezza has a twin brother but Lucian is hardly a trouble maker like those three are. Rosenites, in general, love their gossip. I wouldn’t let it bother you too much.”

Scooping up some of the plants he made a face. “What I need to know to make basic healing salves, so I suppose I don’t know a lot. I could learn though if you would be willing to teach me Pyzis.” He wanted her to feel safe here and while he had no need to actually learn these plants he thought it would bring her joy to teach him.

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:36 AM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis was stunned at the boundless creation that existed within the confines of the Temple. Thyme brushed her long brown hair out gently, making Pyzis shiver. Her reactions to his simple touch were unexpected, she was used to the flinching but after her initial reaction she hadn't had that problem. Perhaps the scent of woods that clung to him made her feel safe. Pyzis followed suit and stood, feeling grass beneath her bare toes. She picked the cloak back up off of the bed, feeling unwilling to part with it, and wrapped it around her shoulders. 

When Thyme mentioned the one hundred and forty-three gardens Pyzis balked. It would take a life time to discover the potentials of one let alone over one hundred. Thankfully she was a Phoenix so her life span was a little different than average. "There are so many, how can you even remember which one is which?" she inquired as they stepped out of the room. They passed three girls, two blonde and one white haired. Thyme paid them no mind, though Pyzis would have stopped to introduce herself since she didn't recognize any of them. 

Pyzis was lead through a set of double doors into a garden with many many trees. She could name some of the plants on site,  most of them were things she had grown behind the Alchemist shop she had helped run in Hoja Mesto. This place was exactly what she needed and she went straight to work. Ash she pinched off peppermint leaves she used for a tea to cure headaches, Thyme yelled as some tree branches snapped down and ripped his shirt off. While it seemed an impossible thing for the average tree to accomplish Pyzis was reminded that she was within the Mother's realm. Thyme addressed the apparent problem which turned out to be the three girls they had passed on their way. Worried the branches may have scratched him Pyzis walked over to the now bare chested Thyme. He had intricate tattoos across his entire upper body. This time her expert healer fingers did not resist the urge to trace the black lines. She searched him for injury before stepping back to admire the entire picture. 

"I don't know how ripping your clothing is helping, but you didn't sustain an injury during the incident either. If these are all of the jobs you have done, how long have you served The Mother?" she pondered as she slowly circled around Thyme, getting a better look at all of the markings. The lines converged into a large tree on his back, the detail of the line art made Pyzis gasp in awe. "Who are the sisters that are bothering us? Also could you help me, there are so many herbs here I need and I'm not sure I can gather them all myself. How much knowledge of plants do you have?"

Author: Thyme, Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:26 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme chuckled as soon as she rolled over and stared at him. Her brown hair was a mess from her sleeping on it but with gentle hands, he moved his fingers to brush it out. “It’s not the first time I had to stay up all night and it won’t be the last. Hope you don’t mind, this was the only way I could comfort you while you slept.” Besides the forest of course but she didn’t need to be told that.

“Don’t worry about it. It is my job to make you happy here after all. Happy and safe.” Looking about the room he chuckled. “I can will it to change but it only changes because my mother lets it. This place has no boundaries to what it can’t do.” He untangled himself from her and hopped off the bed with ease. His bare feet felt the floor and still even though it was grass, it was cool to him.

“Well, we have one hundred and forty-three gardens to choose from. I think I know the best one for you, though.” He watched her bed head hair more and helped her comb through it just a tad more than he already had. “It is a beautiful spot I promise.” Thyme took no time parading her out and into the hallways. He knew he was being followed but paid no mind to the two blondes and the white haired girls following them. Sisters… What a pain.

Finally, he opened a set of double door to what appeared to be a step down herbal garden with lots of trees, possibly a forest around them. “You should be able to find what you need here.” A smile came to his lips as he brought her down into the room. He watched her with the herbs for a while before getting too close to the trees. “What the hell?” his reaction was priceless as branches came down and practically ripped his shirt off. The group of giggling girls behind him made him upset. “What are you three up too?”

“We’re helping!” His sisters giggled and ran out of the room leaving Thyme dumbstruck. 

“Don’t have sisters. Nothing good comes out of it.” His body was tone and covered in a lot of tattoos. They all interconnected through what appeared to be a tree on his back. Many different symbols and flowers were there. “Mostly stories about jobs.” He felt the need to explain. “Each picture is something I’ve done.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:54 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Half awake, Pyzis could hear the rustling of leaves and what sounded like the soft sounds of the outdoors. It was the first time she could remember in a long time waking up feeling more relaxed than she had when she fell asleep. Her eyes stayed closed as she breathed in the scent of earth, much stronger than before. Each breath brought a sense of calm over her. She opened an inquisitors eye and saw before her the canopy of a rainforest. The rich hues of red with bright flowering bushes made her smile. Pyzis swore she had fallen asleep in a room. It took a moment for her to realize that someone was touching her, but for some reason it didn't bother her. A light arm was wrapped around her middle. It must be Thyme, she thought. He must have climbed into bed with me. 

Cautiously she rolled over, the cloak fell off of her and she looked into the unique eyes of Thyme. His blonde hair didn't seem disheveled so he must have stayed awake most of the night. He had laid there quietly, letting her sleep. Pyzis wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. Thyme was being kind to her, something that had never happened to her before. He had put her needs before him and she wasn't sure how to properly thank him. 

"Thyme, did you stay awake all night?" Pyzis asked. She didn't move from her spot, admiring the smooth planes of his face. He had the longer ears of an elf and she could see black ink peeking out of the loose shirt he wore. She was tempted to trace the lines with her fingers, but held herself back. "Thank you for this," she whispered. It meant more to her than Thyme could ever know. He had shown her that light exists in the world, that there was such a thing as a kind touch. I owe everything to The Mother Pyzis thought. 

"This place, can you change it or was it The Mother that made all of this?" she pondered. It would take time getting used to all of the wonders of this Temple if that was the case. With a sigh she sat up, breaking the spell of the moment. It was her responsibility to learn about the garden here and help to heal people in the world. She couldn't' do that from here with Thyme.

"Could I persuade you to help me find the garden again? I'd like to get aquatinted with the area so I can resupply. I don't even have my basic herbs with me. I feel a little exposed, it's strange for me to not even have basic healing poultices with me." she asked as she pulled her bedraggled hair over her shoulder and finger comes it.

Author: Thyme, Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 4:43 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme gave her a laugh and tilted his head. “You do realize I sleep in trees most of the time. Beds are hardly my favorite place in the world to sleep.” He gave her a wink before helping her settle in. His demeanor changed for a moment as if he knew she was hurting. “I’m not going to let anyone keep you in the dark. Nor am I going to let people keep you inside. That is what my mother has asked me to do but also something that I want to do. No one should have to be so terrified.”

As Thyme looked around his room and got them settled, he noticed that she had somehow ended up back with the cloak. It smelled like the rain forest and he wondered just a tiny bit if that had been helping her. Rubbing the back of his neck, he let the rainforest swoop in. The walls seemed to fall and they were left with a pleasant gush of sounds. Though it was night time in the rainforest, he moved his hands and touched several different points towards the bed. Faerie Fire engulfed the objects and made them make enough light for her.

By this time she had already fallen asleep but Thyme was tuned into how much sleep made her terrified even more. The way she tossed, turned, and mostly whined. His green eyes softened and he climbed into the bed and looped an arm around her. It wasn’t too tight but tight enough to give comfort to the phoenix. He was used to not sleeping and he just stared up at the canopy that his mother’s realm had made. He would stay that way until she woke up so she didn’t get the wrong idea. She was hurting and he wasn’t about to let her suffer in silence.

After a while, the door opened and his eyes drifted. “Put it on the table. Say a word and I will chase you out.” Belle was a blonde haired beauty who stared at her older brother. From the threat of his voice, their food was put on the table and the sister tilted her head in silence. The girl ran out as if to gossip and an annoyed sigh left his lips as he looked over at the phoenix next to him. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be too harsh on her.

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:40 AM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis pondered Thymes behavior, she wasn't used to being around other people and casual touch still made her flinch. For years the only thing she had experienced had been pain. The flinch was something she wasn't sure she would ever be rid of. He spoke of something he dubbed tree running, though she had no idea what it meant. She was shocked when he mentioned having more than fifty siblings, was it possible that humans could breed that quickly? The phoenix race was a small one, not many new ones ever entered the world. Though because Phoenix's were exeeding difficult to find or kill, there weren't many who died either. The biggest problem was getting them together in oreder to breed. No master wanted to admit that their family had a Phoenix in their service, doing so could expose them to attacks for rights to the bird. 

"I have been held in prison in more than just the restriction of my physical form. I was held captive the last fifty years ago and have only been free for a year now. I apologize for flinching, the only touch I've known for so long has been one of harm and pain." She whispered, almost to herself. Thyme lead her through the maze of a temple to a chamer, large enough she didn't feel too trapped. Pyzis closed her eyes for a moment before entering, counting to herself to calm her heart rate. The Mother would not allow her to be imprisoned again and that didn't seem Thyme's motive. When he offered to let her stay with him she felt a rush of relief so strong she sat down on the bed in the room. Pyzis wouldn't be left alone, the darkness would hold no sway over her this night. 

"I thank you Thyme, I will accept your offer, though I feel awful asking you to sleep in a chair. I was also alone most of those years and being alone now still brings panic. I am also prone to getting lost seeing as I'm still adjusting to sight from the ground." she ended with a small smile. Pyzis knew enough about the culture here that his offer to let her stay in his room was not a usual one. Men and women who hardly knew each other didn't sleep in the same room. 

The simple dress she had been given was light enough to sleep in. Pyzis hadn't brought anything with her to meet the Mother, she had expected to be turned away and back at her home by now. There had been a temple entrance near Hoja Mesto. She took the cloak off and laid down on the bed feeling the exhaustion of her transformation sweep over her. The smell of the woods had left with the raiment Thyme had given her, when he was turned she grabbed it and wrapped it around herself. With a deep breath she inhaled the scent of outdoors form the cloak and promptly fell into a deep sleep. 

Author: Thyme, Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 9:11 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Thyme thought about her words for a few minutes before a chuckle escaped his lips. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall near him. “If I were stuck in a body that didn’t give me freedom, I would have done the same thing. I can imagine that it might have felt like a prison. When I can’t run in the trees I feel caged up, I can’t imagine knowing my body is a prison.” 

Thinking on the number of his siblings. “Fifty? Less? We come and go once we reach a certain age but there are always those of us who come back.” Tilting his head, he thought about her question. “Yes and no, I come and go but sometimes I do stay for extended periods of time since there is technically a forest here. While Laeto is a good place for me to tree run this tends to be a good spot as well. Many people come here to make their names. I imagine that isn’t what you are here for though based on our conversation.”

She seemed innocent and not to want. From what he heard she was someone who wanted to do a greater good. That was something not even he could ever understand. He had been raised on doing a good thing for a price, and that was what he lived by.  He admired her from a distance before leaving the wall and coming up to her. Tilting his head he thought more about what she had said. “I’m a ranger, for the most part, I look for information that my mother might want. She has the ability to listen in on anything but not the time. So it’s my job to find whatever it is she is looking for. I’m good at my job, at least I think so.”

He offered her his arm so they could walk in the temple. He figured from the way she spoke that it would be more comforting for her. From the way she hesitated, Thyme almost pulled his arm back but he found the phoenix taking comfort after an initial flinch. He had been around others that had suffered torment and he found it reassuring that she ended up here. “This is a good place to make yourself feel better about all the bad things in the past.”

He led her out into the temple and found a room for her. “I suppose,” he stopped for a minute. “That you could stay with me for now.” He wasn’t  sure why it was so important that she stayed with him. “Only because I worry about how you will take to being in such a large place by yourself. If you take the wrong turn in the temple you could get lost for days, I’m afraid my tracking abilities might not find you.” He teased her lightly. “So you can stay with me and I’ll sleep in a chair or something. I can at least make sure you don’t get lost or teased that way. My sisters can be gossips at times. Is that alright with you?”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:55 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis stood and looked The Mother in the eyes, her green and red iris' held an assurity that Pyzis wanted to emulate someday. Despite her naked form the gardens temperate environment kept her form shivering. When Angela spoke she felt a strange shift in her being. Was it true that she could be independant and charge something for the price of her tears. Most Phoenix's served one family for generations, keeping their masters healthy until they died of old age in their sleep. It would be unprecidented of her to ask for something in return of those she assisted. It was a puzzle she would have to work out another day, she could feel the weariness in her limbs. Transforming through fire was a task that cost a great amount of energy. Pyzis could feel herself swaying on her feet and didn't notice the man until he wrapped a cloak around her shoulders. The action brought her out of her reverie. 

Pyzis contemplated the male before her, he was a full foot taller than she with sun kissed skin and eyes that reminded her of The Mother. Now that she was attentive she remembered Angela had mentioned that this was her son and he would look after her. Pyzis smiled when he pulled the cloak closed, she had forgotten that it was uncomfortable for others if she was without clothes. It had only been a year or so since she had first held human form after her torment. In that time she had hardly learned anything about living outside of a family home.

"I apologize for my lack of attire, it's hard to keep clothes from burning when I transform. It's nice to meet you Thyme, I was in such a hurry to fly again after a year of being human that I didn't take my clothes off before I started changing." she realized sheepishly. The man had introduced himself as Thyme as he tossed her a plain dress over a changing panel. She unfastened the cloak and donned the dress, stifling a yawn. "So you are The Mother's son? How many of her children actually live here at the Temple? Do you live here or are you just visiting? I'm planning on staying here and becoming a clergy member, an alchemsit to be exact." 

As she pulled her long chocolate hair out of the back of her dress she realized she was rambling. It was a good thing there was a screen between her a Thyme or he would have seen her cheeks turn red. The absence of conversation or any sort of human interaction for 50 years had made her fairly blunt. Pyzis tried desperately to cling to conversation so she didn't ahve to remember the awful silence that had been her only companion. She took a deep breath to center herself before grabbing the cloak and putting it on once more. It had a scent of woods about it that made her feel more at home. She stepped out from behind the changing panel and cocked her head contemplating what on earth she was supposed to do next. This temple was huge and she couldn't sleep in the gardens, no matter how much she wanted. Outside the air moved and the breeze ruffled the tree leaves, there was ever complete silence. 

"Thyme, what is it you do here at the Temple?" she asked as she clasped her hands in front of her. If she was going to be spending time with him she might as well know a little about him. She waited patiently for his reply.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:37 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Angela knew that helping Pyzis would help others as well. As she worked she remembered that Phoenixes were blessed creatures already. Once the girl had gone through her transformation Angela just offered a smile. “Do you know why I ask for things when I do blessings? It’s because people have a tendency to have the power of gift go to their head. Young Pyzis, I try to be a good and just god in a world that quite frankly will never be able to be fully good. Sometimes it means that I need to charge a price for a good deed so things don’t go to the heads of others. You should do the same. Never let people use you as a door mat. You are a strong independent Phoenix and you should be so proud of yourself. Never let talent go for free for fear of that very mortal problem.”

Taking a moment to think about what Pyzis needed to do the Goddess nodded. “You need rest. My son will look after you while you are here. He will be your guardian and make sure that you stay safe. You are beautiful with a fiery spirit and should hold that up and be proud.”

It took a few moments for a blonde haired elf to walk in. He looked freshly shaven and as his green and red eyes stared at the naked backside of a woman he gently let out a sigh. His hands brought his cloak off of his shoulder as he gently placed it around Pyzis. “Do you do this to torment me Mother?” A light chuckle left his lips.

“Of course not! She did it to herself!” Angela gave a smile and Thyme shook his head. She knew damn well what he meant. “Could you take Pyzis to go get dressed in some temple wear and keep her safe for me? You are to be her guardian and I know that you will do well.” 

Thyme looked over at Pyzis and tilted her head. “Why would she want to be around a mutt like me?”

Angela reached over and gently cupped his chin. “You are my mutt. I think you will make a wonderful guide for Pyzis. Go on now. She is probably very tired.” 

Thyme nodded and looked away as he pulled the cloak tighter around her and fastened it so nothing was showing. “Bare with me please Miss. My mother may let you walk around nude but it might be embarrassing for the temple children.” When she was finally covered Thyme got a good look at her. She was a pretty little thing. “Come on then. Don’t get too lost.” He chuckled as he paraded her out.

Getting her to the nearest room he put her behind a changing panel and tossed over a plain dress. “Don’t worry about my cloak too much. If you are cold you can keep it with you. My mother told me you are Pyzis… but I bet she didn’t tell you my name is Thyme.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:54 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyxis felt her heart drop with the precious flower she had risked her life to acquire. While she knew she should trust the Mother she couldn't help but wonder if her dreams had shattered among the clay pieces of pottery. Not only had it taken the dangerous expedition, but the freedom and gift of a second chance at life for so many people seemed to slip fro, her grasp. When the red haired Goddes picked up the flower and took it to a work station she was relieved. it amazed her that the Mother didn't summon another to mix whatever potion she was making, she used her own hands to bless the life of one of her servants. Pyzis stood on the balls of her feet, practically bouncing with excitement when she realized this was the moment she would be whole again. Tears began to well in her eyes as Angela turned to her with a vial in hand. The fiery light emanating from Angela to the tiny glass vial seemed to surround her. Pyzis could practically feel the warmth before it faded to a gentle glow as the Mother offered it to her.

With a trembling hand she grasped the potion before pressing it to her lips and swallowing its contents in one gulp. Immediately a raging heat burned through her entire being, a human would have burst into flames, but Pyzis was flooded with joy. The warmth stoked the embers of her heart and suddenly they were ablaze. It was as if her eyes were opening for the first time. Her anchor to exsistamce was finally whole, the flames inside her raged until she could feel them engulf her physical body. Pyzis could feel the fire turn to feathers and her limbs morphed until she was finally a large red bird. She shook her head adjusting to the differences in her body before spreading her wings and flying above the Goddess' garden.

Below her the grounds spread in splendor, the hundreds of shades of green sharpening in her more perfect vision. She saw the Mother from above and felt tears well in her eyes again. This time they would not be wasted. Pyzis landed by the abandoned vial and clasped it in her talon. She brought it to Angela to hold then released pearly, luminescent tears into the bottle. When she had shed enough tears to fill the vial, Pyzis returned to stand before Angela. She stoked the flames within once more until they consumed her again. This time she stood before The Mother as a woman again. 

"Thank you for giving me my freedom and returning my ability to save those who can't save themselves. I will serve you to the best of my ability starting with that vial." Pyzis avowed. "Is there anything you need me to begin collecting or brewing as your alchemist?" 

She knelt to the ground and lowered her head before the Mother. She hadn't just granted Pyzis her life back, but had already saved an untold amount of lives in that process. The least she could do was bow in her presence. Though her nakedness was something she wasn't sure how to address. The transformation burned any garment on her body. It didn't bother her in the slightest seeing as she felt more exposed in her bird form, but she knew it was impolite to stay this way. 

"Might I begin work immediately, after I find clothes of course. I'm curious what plants you have here, not to mention finding out about the ones I don't know." Pyzis looked back up at Angela from the grass. 

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 3:27 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

The Mother watched the phoenix as the light in the room brightened. A smile came to the woman's face as with each word of Pyzis's pledge the magic got stronger. They were becoming bound together as clergy and goddess. "I name you my clergy. In my name you will do good deeds that spread life across Revaliir. You will help those who cannot help themselves. You will give freedom, NO you will be freedom for those who need it most."

The power of the goddess erupted in the room as Pyzis felt the full force of what it was like to have the Triune Goddess's power. When the oath was over Angela gave her a wink. "I can help you." She moved about once more and put the glass of wine to her lips. "You are not too blunt my child. Never be afraid to ask requests of me. This is a give and take relationship. You have pledged yourself to me and in a way already done a task."

Picking up the flower she gave a smile and looked at Pyzis. "I do know about this plant. I am the earth and the earth is me. Many people before you have come for this plant. I'm relatively young for a goddess but still much older and wiser than yourself." 

Angela ran her long slender digits over the pot before dropping it. It smashed to the ground and the dirt went everywhere. "Wild flames need to be free. In Arri the white rose often symbolizes the wildness of the flame. My own sister a fire elementalist is a white rose." She bent down after the shock went through Pyzis. 

"This plant in a way needs to be free. Let the breaking of the pot symbolize the freedom you desire." She blew on the flower and like it went through a series of hot days and nights the flower dies out. "True freedom never dies. It rebirths which is why the Phoenix is the symbol of the cycle of life." She sprung forth an a work area. "It's why you are so heavily sought after. Mortals are scared of death and seek a way to get away from it." She put the flower in her mortar and began to ground it up.

"Even some gods are scared of death. We often forget that we can easily fall and be purged. Those in Parvpora forgot and they paid the price for their ignorance." Sliding her eyes over she turned her head and looked at Pyzis. "But so did the people looking to punish them." She mixed a few other things together and dropped the mortared flower into the vial. The goddess corked the vial and shook it. Applying harsh flames to it the vial began to glow and like the fires of a re-birthed phoenix the vial came to life.

The flames from Angela died down and she offered the vial to Pyzis. "This is what you want, no? Drink it all."

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Wed Mar 9, 2016 2:44 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis listened quietly to the pledge that Angela told her it seemed a reasonable exchange for her skills and access to the extensive herb garden. Nature was something that she had always revered, especially once she had tasted freedom. Her first moments had been in a rain forest, fingers in the dirt, breathing in the fresh humid air teeming with life. The other half of the pledge about children, Pyzis couldn't agree more. Being a rare creature instilled the importance of future generations into you at a young age. The short time she had spent with her parents were filled with talks about the importance of carrying on their race. With a solemn nod, Pyzis rose to her feet and knelt before the Mother. This pledge would be the way she could gain freedom and become whole again. 

"I will take this oath and swear to you loyalty and service," she proclaimed. Pyzis heard the girl Iva yell back at her mother and a smile cracked across her face. This place was the life she wanted to live. Here was life, growth, the future and someone who understood the value of all of this. Pyzis could feel the change in the air; the scent of blooms mixed with the pungent aroma of herbs made her chest swell with comfort. 

Pyzis rose and sank back onto the fluffy pillows, the air of formality melting away. She reached for the glass of wine and sipped at it, savoring the sweet, tangy flavor that exploded on her tongue. Everything Pyzis experienced since her confinement had been heightened. Her skin more sensitive and the sunlight felt like an ember that fed the fire within her being. The crippling fear had vanished within her and hoped blossomed for the first time in a long time. 

"Please, would you tell me about this plant? If it does what I think it can, then I will be of better service to you. You will have Phoenix tears on hand. I promise to use them in particular to help children," she pleaded as she looked at the red flower at the Mother's feet. Pyzis hadn't meant to be so hasty, but she yearned for the wind in her feathers. "Pardon me if I'm too blunt with my request, but I want to serve you fully and as soon as possible. I've spent too much time searching for answers." 

Pyzis took another sip of wine and wondered what it was that Iva was doing that she wasn't supposed to be doing. If the Mother had so many children, she wondered where they were. Though they could have ben born many years ago and no longer live here in the Temple. At least, Iva would serve as entertainment when the tasks of Alchemy got tedious. Sometimes waiting hours for a potion to stew got boring. If Iva visited these gardens often then Pyzis could play with the child occasionally, though it seemed like Iva wasn't the type of child to wait for a convenient moment to wan to play. It was good then that Py didn't mind.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2016 3:51 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

The Goddess moved back to her seat slowly as she put the pledge in the best term. “A pledge is what you take. This is a rule we must not break. We must never hurt children and save them when we can. They are our lifeblood and our future. We are mothers in arms and their future is what we protect.” Listening to the girl’s words carefully as she sipped on her wine Angela began to stew. “Nature is free but we as beings that live in nature are not. We are bound by rules and obligations from the time we are conceived. Many fate strings are written out so our stories are foretold. I will not put you in a mental or physical cage, that is cruelty. There really is no peaceful freedom, something to think about.”

The question about Iva brought a smile to her face. “She is five. My child is like three hundred stone of sugar. Being around her too much might kill you and it’s not because she is sweet. She is always getting into something. Always doing something she shouldn’t be doing.” Angela said the last bit with a booming voice.

“THAT’S NOT FAIR YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE ME!” Iva’s voice rang through the temple back at her mother.

For a moment the goddess palmed her forehead. “See? It pays to be the Goddess of Earth.” She chuckled and sipped more wine. “She is but one of my children in about a hundred or so. I’ve been a goddess for a long time. Many men have made me their conquest but in the end I decide if they win or lose.”

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:35 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis felt one eyebrow climb up to her hairline as she watched the Goddess shoo the red headed child away. Before she could understand the exchange she was suddenly falling backwards onto a pile of pillows. The little girl took off and Py finally understood that the Goddess had a smile on her face. She hadn't expected to see a child here with Angela, or as she had said Mother. Though it would be counter intuitive to think the Goddess of fertility didn't have children at home. She took the glass of wine from her gladly, it was a rich wine full of flavor. This was the first glass she had had since her first life so she sipped slowly, savoring each mouthful.

"I must admit I don't now anything about the Rosenites, what pledge do they give? I am willing to serve so long as I can help heal those in need. I spent forty years caged, prevented from healing with my Phoenix tears. They were wasted upon a man who tortured me until he collected them. I want to make up for the time that I lost and use my talents I have learned since I was reborn to heal as I cannot turn into a Phoenix at the moment. I was hoping that the rumors about this plant were true. I've been told that it is used to empower Phoenix's in some way. I think that it can help me to become whole again, but I do not know how to do so. I need your help in this and if I can transform you will have a Phoenix at your service. I must mention that I will never again be imprisoned." she explained. Pyzis was sure that this Goddess wouldn't take advantage of her talents, but she needed to make her point known. It was hard to talk seriously or be expected to be taken seriously while laying on a bed of silken pillows. 

Py shifted until she was mostly sitting up and looked around at the beautiful garden before her. The bright colors seemed tame in comparison to the Mother's hair. She took a deep breath and reveled in the heady smell of flowering plant life. It calmed her and made her feel safe compared to the stuffy, dusty confines and burnt out candles. Those things made her feel on edge after so long trapped in an Alchemists workroom. Pyzis couldn't help but enjoy every second out in the sun and soon, the Mother be willing, she would be soaring through the skies. The rush of the wind beneath her red wings, seeing the world from above, having no boundaries was something she yearned for. She shook her head and opened her eyes before looking back at the Goddess. 

"Might I ask after your sweet daughter? She seems spirited like her mother and I was wondering how old she is," asked Pyzis. She admired the Mother for raising a child who was so strong willed. If the child was willing to pretend to be a Goddess, there was no telling what she would amount to one day. Those who had that kind of passion made the world go round.

Author: Angela Rose, Posted: Fri Jan 8, 2016 6:16 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Iva peeked over the book and giggled a bit before jumping off the chair. One would think the child would leave the two in peace but the little rose had a different idea. "OH! I can grant whatever wish you want!" The girl squealed as she put her hands on her hips triumphantly. "I am the great and almighty goddess! Who does not smite kittens and puppies! Who gran–"

As she was trying to finished Angela brought her foot up and placed it on the girl's back and pushed her over. "Sorry almighty goddess but I do believe you have class." 

Iva's face twisted. "No mama please don't send me back there. He is so old and wrinkly! He even smells like a rotten tomato!"

"Iva, that's not  very nice. He is old and wise, which makes for a very good teacher. He is the only person I could get to teach you since you scared off everyone else. You scare him off and I'll turn you into a living statue that stays shrimp size forever."

Iva gasped and pleaded with her mother not to eternally curse her with shortness before running out of the room. Angela closed the book and lounged in her chair. "Forgive my daughter Pyzis she is young and full of energy. Now child stand, a Phoenix is gracious and should bow to no person god or otherwise." Angela stood and gave the woman a smile.

"You can call me Mother everyone else does," she walked over to a table and poured two glasses of wine. "Do you want some? I make it myself. I could get you juice or something if you don't drink alcohol." Looking towards the plants she supposed she had to do her duty. "First thing, it's always smart coming into a god's domain with an offer. Never make it look like you could offer more. We gods can be a bit fickle. Some gods will take the lint out of your pocket! I'm not kidding, when I was entering the second decade of my rule we had a prankster god who took lint as payment for favors. If I remember right he was making a huge yarn ball out of it… and he also dropped it on the town of Egjora. All because he didn't get some kind of fish donation or tribute. Gods are fickle creatures."

Angela moved to the plant and took it from the girl softly. "Me? I could use some clergy around here. Would love a new alchemist willing to work. Maybe you could help Melina teach the little brat some manners."

"Mama I heard that!"

"Like you didn't know you were a brat." She yelled back and closed the stained glass doors with the flick of her wrist. "She's suppose to be in class in the library." She groaned a bit. "She is your ultimate challenge here." She fell into the chair with the plant on her lap. "Sit sit!" She tripped the girl into a pile of pillows that came out of no where. The glass of wine came to Angela's hand as she sipped it.

"You want to become an alchemist for me? Pledge yourself to the Mother and everything she stands for? You will take the oath that all Rosenites do when they are born? You do this and I will tell you exactly what this plant is and how it will help you."

Author: Pyzis, Posted: Wed Jan 6, 2016 6:19 PM, Post Subject: Clergy

Pyzis stepped through the stone archway covered in red roses. Darkness descends, and the only light is a green glow in the distance. Pyzis shifts the pot in her arms as she heads toward the glow. Large jade steps ascend into the open air, and she steels herself to see visions. It has been told that these steps will show a person's future children. While she had never thought that far in ahead she had always loved the idea of having a family some day Her race was a rare one, and it would be her duty to further it when she had the opportunity. Her soft-soled boots made a soft sound as her footfalls landed on each of the steps. There was a giggle from above her on the stairs, and she could see the back of a child with dark brown hair. It was only for a moment, and as soon as she had seen it was gone. Pyzis shook her head, trying to ignore the questions that filled her head.

At the top of the stairs, the darkness dissapates to reveal a crystal cavern. A gasp escaped the Phoenix's lips as the crystals filled the cavern with glittering lights. While the place was beautiful everything overlapped one another, making it hard to navigate through. Pyzis held tightly to the pot with the red and yellow flower planted inside. It was the one thing that would bring her happiness. If the Goddess could help her, then she would be able to use the plant to rekindle the flames within her. 

Once she had made her way carefully past all of the crystals, the cave opened up to an endless salt flat. The water was so still it reflected the sunlight back at Pyzis. It seemed to go on forever as her weary legs continued forward. This was a test from the Goddess and Pyzis couldn't fail. So much rode on the fact that the Goddess of Earth could help her. She placed all of her hope on this unknown entity, who would possibly change her life. After she had been walking for hours, Pyzis was suddenly standing in grass. The world around her rearranged to a beautiful farmhouse surrounded by fertile lands. An orchard rolled on before her, the trees heavy with all sorts of fruit. The scent of ripe fruit and Pyzis' stomach rumbled. She plucked a green apple from a low branch and feasted upon it, juices running down her chin. 

As she continued Pyzis found herself on stone stairs surrounded bu water on either side. She dropped the apple core in the waters and giggled as she watched it flow ahead of her. Above the sun was darkened by a thick green canopy. The light that came through was tinted green. The stairs seemed moist and were covered with moss. The environment was incredible and took her breath away.

At the end of the stairs, everything was dark once more, there was a light in the distance that came slowly toward her. The light illuminated a woodland path beneath her feet. Pyzis finally felt at home. The trees surrounding her meant freedom; the humid air brought life. She had always loved being outdoors and after being imprisoned for forty years, she couldn't get enough of it. This was part of the reason she had decided to offer services to Angela. Her extensive herb gardens would give her a chance to learn more about healing.

Before Pyzis lay an intricate bridge that lead the way to a giant tree. The view was stunning, the water trickling down onto the green branches. There were windows carved into the tree, illuminating it and bringing a sense of home. On the other side of it, the double doors opened up to a greeting room. Pyzis made her way down a long corridor that ended in double doors covered in wisteria designed stained glass. With a deep breath, she pushed open the gates and clung tightly to her potted plant. It was now or never, beyond these doors she knew Angela awaited, probably aware of her arrival. 

On the other side of the doors though was a herb garden that made Pyzis' inner scholar squeal with glee. She had to resist the urge to bring her notebook out of her backpack and begin making detailed drawings of each plant she saw. Deeper in the plants was a throne shaped the tree. Upon it sat a gorgeous, voluptuous woman with red hair cascading down her back. On her lap sat a little girl with hair the same shade, swinging her feet happily and looking at a book before her. It sounded like the Goddess was reading a story to this child and Pyzis felt her heart melt. 

Slowly she approached and waited for a break before interrupting the pair. "Goddess, I am Pyzis Lux, and I came here with a new species of plant that is said to help those of my race. If oyu can help me to return my inner Phoenix's flame, I will pledge myself to you. I am an alchemist." 

Pyzis fell to her knees before the Goddess, not knowing what to do in her presence.