From the Ashes

Chapter 31 ~ The First Phoenix

"Tarion!"

He jolted to his feet as Morana burst into the room, out of breath and clutching an unfamiliar book to her chest. Tarion rushed over to her, already searching her for injuries. He saw none except for the bruise on her neck. The wounds from his fangs had already closed.

"What? What is it?" He urged, catching her by the elbow when she stumbled.

Morana gulped down a few deep breaths and set the book on a table. When she looked up at him, her gray eyes were wide and frantic, but with excitement, not worry. "I saw one of the Little Gods down there."

His brows lifted in surprise. "A Wisp? I had no idea there were any left. I haven't seen any since I was a child."

"It was a Wood Wisp. There was no mistaking it. And it knew what we were looking for. It gave me clues about a question to ask and when I did, a secret compartment in Drenusha's altar opened and I found this inside." She laid a palm on the cracking cover of the book. "I can't make out very much of the writing though."

Tarion frowned and turned to the book. Carefully, he opened the cover and began to examine the pages. "It's the Old Tongue, Asterria's dialect from the Elder Age. The original language of our people. Over time, it developed into what we speak today."

"Well, that explains why I could only understand a few of the words. Can you read it?"

Tarion nodded. "My parents taught me. This speaks of the gods and how they came to Asterria."

The tale was reminiscent of what he already knew of his kingdom's history, but given in more detail, as though it had been written by someone who had witnessed every moment of what they recorded. Perhaps it had been. Morana listened quietly while Tarion summarized the chapters one by one.

It told of how Nepenthe created her four wards, her children, though they shared no blood. It shared how they descended to live amongst the first mortals and further shaped the world. Here was the record of Drenusha blessing some Fae with the gift of transforming into animals, thus creating the Shifter Fae.

There were stories of the first deaths and the comfort Durga brought when she sent their souls to the Eternal Haven, there to dwell with Mother Nepenthe. There were dozens of chapters which spoke of Asterria's first wars and the foes Hadeon waged against for his people. Not a warmonger, but a defender.

There was the story of Oriana and her poet, and the daughter they bore who would become Queen. Then, the book began a new section. Tarion cocked his head, his fingers skimming across the bold words emblazoned on an otherwise blank page.

"What does it say?" Morana asked.

"Of Demi-Gods and God-Spawn," he answered. "I can guess what it means by Demi-Gods, but I've never heard of God-Spawn."

"Keep reading," Morana encouraged.

The book spoke of Demi-Gods exactly as Tarion had expected. Like Demi-Fae, these were the children of the gods and their mortal mates. Five were named. Idalia, the daughter of Oriana and her poet. Venya and Chantrea, the twin daughters of Drenusha. Damaris, the son of Durga. And Janus, the son of Hadeon. The first of each god-bloodline.

Faded portraits of each were found below their names. Tarion found himself looking between the portrait of Janus and his female counterpart who also seemed to notice the resemblance.

"I suppose there's no doubt about my bloodline," Morana remarked, glancing at Tarion from the corner of her eye. "So many generations have passed, yet I look like I might have been born directly from Janus. I wonder if the other Phoenixes looked like us."