The Phoenix and the Lamb

Chapter 29

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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Ebany's health did not change much since she got the letters from her friends. She did develop a fever from the sudden stress. Her health was slightly weakened from the The Burning and the illness took advantage of it. Kallamar made sure to keep her fever in check, as did Benjy. She was physically fine after a day or two. Ebany's emotionally and mental health were a different story. Back in Noonveil, Ebany had several friends that she saw as sisters, but there was someone else she was friends with. He was a boy from the same clan as Ebany, who loved her dearly.

Rich Stoneheart is a shape shifter of Phoenix descent. The official founder of his bloodline was Nox's adopted daughter. The girl was a shape shifter adopted by the leader of Phoenix Clan some time before Rose had her first child. Nox could not have any children himself, so he proposed to his wife to adopt a baby and that's what they did. They adopted the little shape shifter as an infant and she had grown quickly. Unfortunately, the child had fallen fatally ill and would have died had there been no intervention. The disease that plagued the girl would be cured with a blood transfusion with Nox being the donor.

This was before new rules and laws were made about who in the magical world could donate blood and who would receive it. Neither Nox or his wife knew what phoenix blood could do should it be used in a blood transfusion. The child received the donation and survived her illness. Nox's Phoenix blood had mutated his daughter's DNA, making her the first ever shape shifter of Phoenix descent. It was then that Nox and the other Phoenix kin learned of what happened. Measures were instilled with Noonveilian Department of Health to ensure the safety of all Noonveilians.

To avoid safety risks, Phoenix kin could only donate to other Phoenix kin. Nox's daughter was lucky that her blood bonded to her father's, but others were not so lucky. Phoenix kin blood burned upon contact with any surface, it burned especially so if someone was very powerful. Richy's ancestor was considered incredibly lucky that she survived and even became a new species of shape shifter!

Rich Stoneheart is a direct descendant of Nox's adopted daughter and had phoenix blood in his veins. Such blood had magical properties which emerged in Richy, making him a mythical shape shifter. He has the power to shift into mythical and magical creatures but that was not all. Richy could use elemental abilities while shifted thanks to the magic in his blood. He and Ebany checked thoroughly to see if they were related by blood and found that each time, they were not.

Ebany had wandered to a place in the temple that was full of crystals. They shone magnificently in the light. For the first time in a few days, Ebany's expression turned from depressed to wonder. They were beautiful, reminding her of the crystal and gem caves her godfather would show her. Ebany sat down in the middle, watching the crystals shining in the light, reflected in the water. She found them relaxing to watch. Ebany stayed for a long while, not noticing Kallamar enter the room. Kallamar had worried where she had gone, but was relieved that Ebany was safe and seemed to be a bit better now. The Bishop of Pestilence walked to her side.

"There you are..." He said to her. Ebany had turned once she heard him walking toward her. Ebany looked up, feeling smaller from where she was seated. "Are you all right?" Kallamar asked her.

"... Not really." Ebany looked back at the crystals. "Stuff's not good at home... People are dying and I can't do anything."

"Perhaps not here, but there are other methods you can utilize to aid your people. For example, I sent supplies to Noonveil thanks to Benjamin's help. The Clans should be receiving them any second now." Kallamar informed her. Ebany's head shot back up and looked at Kallamar wide-eyed.