The Phoenix and the Lamb

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Cult of the Lamb. I am simply a fan of the game. I was inspired by Jbrine061. Please check out her story. She is amazing. Now onto the story.

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I never thought things would change... I knew they would, but not in this way...

"Oh mighty Bishops of the Old Faith! We ask you to accept the sacrifice of this wretched soul!"

I never thought in a million years I'd thought I'd end up here...

When did it happen again? Oh right... When they took my little sibling away...

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Her name is Ebany Rose Phoenix, a phoenix hybrid living alone in cottage. Well, not entirely alone for she lives with her sweet little magic wolf cub, Rune, and her familiar fairy, Benjamin. They live peacefully, surrounded by a large forest. The days were the same; they woke up, ate breakfast, went into the town nearby for work, then go home for the day. It was the routine for so long that a change never seemed possible... Until that fateful day.

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I walked home with Rune at my side and Benjy on my shoulder. It was a busy day at the store this time. The owner, my boss, was kind to me, and would give us any leftovers her wife made. It was the case this time as well. They would always make food for Rune too, making sure it was animal safe. If you asked me, they're the sweetest bears you'll ever meet. The sun was setting as we made the journey home. It was a mile away, but still a bit of a walk. I decided not to fly as often since I needed the exercise.

Rune would sniff along the path, here and there, barking when she found something. She did the same today and found something... Unexpected. I heard Rune bark and looked to see what it was this time. I expected to see a large stick or branch but it wasn't.

I saw a body sprawled on the road. The body of a lamb...

I ran over with my companions and turned them over onto their back. They were sheepkin, still a lamb, a child practically! What were they doing out here?! What happened?!

I shook them gently and called for them to wake up but they didn't. I checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. Based on what I saw, the lamb was exhausted, slightly bruised, and looked like they ran the biggest marathon of their lives. I had heard rumors of their kind being attacked, but never knew the reason. Regardless, I had to get them home! Carefully, I picked them up, surprised by how light they were, and headed home.

The rest of the way back didn't feel as long. Benjy flew ahead of me, unlocking the door and opening it. I hurried in with the lamb in my arms, telling Benjy to close the door quickly after Rune got in. He did as I said and flew to my side as I laid the unconscious lamb on the couch. I told Rune to stay with them while I went for my first-aid kit. I rarely had to use it and I'm glad. It meant that there would be plenty of things to help patch up the little one.

I worked gently, making sure all the wounds I found were clean before applying ointment and bandages. Once those were done, I casted a healing spell upon the lamb, to alleviate the pain. I could have just healed him right off the bat, but I always felt that the body wouldn't become stronger if it was healed with magic nonstop. That, and there was a chance of immunity to magic happening.

I looked at the lamb after I had finished. They were still unconscious, but was still breathing. Curiosity filled my mind, wondering what exactly happened to them. I looked at their clothes, seeing that they were tattered and ripped, but not from age. The damage looked like it was done on purpose, as if someone ripped them, or it was done while running away from something terrible. I wouldn't get any answers until they woke up. I picked up the lamb and walked to a guest room I had set up. Benjy once again opened the door for me.

I entered the empty room and laid the lamb on the bed, making sure it would be comfy for them. Since they hadn't woken up, they might wake up tomorrow morning. I tucked them in before leaving the room. I walked to the kitchen and figured that I may as well start on dinner. Rune whined and I turned to her. She pawed at me, so I lowered down to pet her.

"It's ok, puppy. We need to help them. They were hurt," I told her.

Rune tilted her head then looked at the meal, still packed in the containers. I got to work and prepared the dinner. Not knowing when the lamb would wake, I made a small meal for them. Some oatmeal would help and be easy on the stomach. It's what I always ate when my stomach felt weird, aside from my mother's rice pudding. In fact, I'll make it tomorrow since it's my day off. Good thing too, it took a long time to make. At least, the way my mother would make it.

Rune, Benjy, and I ate the meal my boss had given me. Once again, it was delicious as always. After we had finished, I put the dishes in the sink and took the cooled bowl of oatmeal to the lamb. I checked to see if they were awake, but they hadn't stirred. I turned to leave, but heard a small noise, the sound of a little lamb. I looked in again and saw that they were waking up! I walked back in and called to them.

"Hey, can you hear me? Are you waking up?"

I put the bowl on the side table and turned my attention to them. The lamb slowly opened their eyes, and blinked - their eyes adjusting to the light. They said nothing and looked around. When they heard me, they turned towards my directions.

"Hello there. I'm glad to see you're awake," I smiled softly.

"W-Who are you...? Where am I...?" Their voice was little more than a whisper. It was obvious they were scared.

"My name is Ebany. You're in my home. I found you on the road on my way back. I brought you home and patched you up. I didn't think you'd wake up until the next day," I told them.

"... Did... Did they follow me here...?" They asked.

"Who did?"

"... No, nevermind..." They turned away.

"Well, you can tell me another time. Are you hungry? I made some oatmeal for you," I picked up the bowl again. The lamb looked like they wanted to decline, but a convenient rumble of their stomach said otherwise. Sheepishly, no pun intended, they accepted the food. Once they had a taste, they ate quickly. I rushed out and came back with some milk, as I had forgotten to prepare a beverage. My mother would tell me to always have one to alleviate thirst. The lamb finished quickly and accepted the milk. They must have been quite hungry and thirsty if they didn't ask of anything was poisoned.

"Thank you..." They said, their voice sounding a bit better.

"You're welcome," I took the dirty dishes. "rest now. We can talk more in the morning. I'll be going to bed soon. I have a wolf pup and a familiar fairy with me. If you need anything, my room is down the hall. It's the door with the purple rose engraved on it. The restroom is across from this room," I informed them. "You're safe here. I'll make sure of that."

With that, I left the room and closed the door, leaving the lamb alone. I walked to the kitchen and got to washing the dishes. I thought about how the lamb looked as I told them what happened. They didn't look too scared, perhaps they were relieved that a kind stranger took them in. I hope I didn't scare him. Heaven knows what happened to them... After setting the dishes to dry, I headed to my room with Rune and Benjy following suit. I got dressed into my sleeping clothes and got into bed. I didn't feel like reading like I always did so I tried to sleep instead.

If only I had known the truth right then and there, then maybe things would have been different.

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The lamb sat on the bed in the guest room. Did that person really help them? Did they escape their pursuers? They must have, or they would have been there by now, taking him away like they did their family. Perhaps they're in the eye of the storm and can have a breather. Would they tell... Ebany about what happened? Should they? She looked like a nice person. There was no malice or hidden intent behind the heterochromatic eyes she had. Maybe... Maybe this was a break from the whole ordeal?

They looked at their body and saw the bandages. They were well done and handled with care. Yes, perhaps they found a good person after all. There was nothing of the Old Faith in there either... They could finally rest as sleep took them over once again. A sleep that would bring nightmares

Yes, they were safe in the physical realm, but not in the dream realm. They were safe...

For now...