Chapter 2228

Syn was still fuming. Jennifer felt it running through her in waves. She also felt uncertainty from her goddess. Like she didn't know what to do next and Jennifer felt her heart freeze.

Syn is never uncertain and if she feels that way now, what does that mean?

I'm sorry, my Jennifer, came a shocking response in her head.

Syn! Syn is talking directly to me!

Yes, yes. I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me. I knew what to expect here but seeing it... it has overwhelmed me with the tragedy of it. Over four million lives were lost here. Fae, dwarves, gnomes, humans, animals of all kinds, trees, flowers, insects. All destroyed. I have never seen such an injustice.

B-by what?

This is the result of a Phoenix going through their rebirth. The male Phoenix. It is always violent. Always. But the Phoenix knows this and

always finds a place to be reborn where the damage will be limited. Usually in the heart of deep, underwater volcanoes. This time it chose to do it in the centre of a massive city. It did so with such great anger.

Do you know why?

No, and yes. I sense the female Phoenix was here, too, as her egg. This is expected. The male finds the female egg and is reborn. For a time, they are united, free to express their emotional and physical love for each other. The female is born anew as a Phoenix and the male returns to the egg. This is the cycle. It has always been this way. One rises while the other sleeps.

What was different this time? asked Jennifer.

I cannot sense the male Phoenix egg.

Something terrible has happened here.

Something interfered with the natural order of things. A grave injust ice has occurred. The male Phoenix was betrayed.

Jennifer grew silent and tried to understand. She felt like she was failing her goddess.

Worry not, my young paladin. If I do not understand this, no r should you. You have never failed me.

Those words almost had Jennifer crying in joy. She loved Syn so very much. What next, my goddess? What would you have me do?

Syn went silent for a long time. Jennifer sat up and looked back at the centre of the crater. In the middle was the impression of an egg, smooth and unmarked. Clearly an egg had lain here and had been removed by someone or something.

Syn spoke again. Head back to Whitehaven. Join with Daniel and his circle. Grace, Jason, and Brian will also be there. You will all come together and investigate this further. Find out what happened here. Find out what happened to the male Phoenix. Recover the female egg. It is with King Arbuckle. I charge you, Jennifer Jousts, with this task. Do not fail me. This has repercussions across the world.

Of course! replied Jennifer. I live to serve.

Syn laughed a little then. I do not want blind

obedience, my little paladin. I want followers who think for themselves. I am not to be worshipped. Only obeyed so that my justice may be served. I only ask for your love, if deserved, in return. For I do love you, Jennifer Jousts. I love all my children, adopted, or otherwise. But I sense time is short. The Fae will go to war as they must. They are already blaming the other for this terrible loss and amassing their strengths. The natural balance has been altered. It will drag in the other races. I cannot abide this injustice, and it claws at me. I feel such hatred for this crime.

Hatred? Jennifer trembled. Syn was the Goddess of Love and Justice.

Yes, Jennifer. I am capable of both. Love and hatred are both sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. This is the natural balance of life. Hurry back to Whitehaven. Join the others. You have much to do. Like the Phoenix, you all must rise to this challenge.

Jennifer nodded her head."As you wish."

Brian gasped at Jennifer as she finished her tale.

"And Syn just spoke to you? Just like that?"

Jennifer nodded and wiped her tears away. They all sat at the dining table. Bitty had put out food and drink. The food was mostly untouched, but empty wine bottles littered the kitchen counter.

"What did her voice sound like?" asked Brian.

"Oh Brian, it was beautiful. Rich and feminine.Sultry."

"I wish I could hear her," murmured Brian.

"She told me she loves us."

Brian's face lit up with joy and he clasped Jennifer's hand and they stared at one another, lost in their love for their goddess.

Grace was watching Jennifer, and Daniel noticed.

"What's up?"

Grace stirred."What Jennifer says is true. I was also in Yanwey. I lost many, many friends when the city was levelled. The male Phoenix evolved

but failed to turn into the egg. He appears to be lost. The female egg was extracted by Eric, and it was Daniel who recovered it from him."

"So it's true? There is only one Phoenix at atime? Either the male or the female?" asked Jasmine.

Jennifer nodded."So I am made to understand."

Grace nodded.

Bitty was sitting with them in a chair stuffed with cushions to raise her up. Her expression changed to the lecturing one they all knew."The gnomes spent time researching the Phoenix cycle. At one time, we hoped they could provide insight into our curse. We were very desperate, as you know, and reached out for anything. Any clue on how to break the curse. We learned the cycle of the Phoenix is quite simple. One is alive while the other is an egg. They cannot both be alive at the same time. Every couple of hundred years or more, they are drawn together for a short time. The egg erupts into a full-grown Phoenix and the other is diminished into an egg. There is a massive exchange of power when it happens, both erotic and chaotic. Which is

why we examined it. Erotic power is a rarity. Only the Phoenix has ever wielded that power. Until Daniel came along."

Everyone stared at Daniel.

Daniel put up a hand."I have no idea, so stop looking at me."Daniel then looked at Grace. "Actually, Grace is kind of similar, no? We allknow the power of her..."

"Pussy," declared Jasmine and Amy at the sametime. They looked at each other and grinned.

Daniel chuckled."Yes, her pussy. It's addictive."

Grace blew out air. "Like your cum, mister."

All the girls nodded their heads vigorously. Jason looked wistful.

Daniel pushed his wine glass around on the table for a time."So now what?" He looked at Jennifer. They all did.

"Syn has sent me to join your party. I will bewith you for many years, it appears. I am very pleased. Syn has rewarded me greatly for my

service."

Grace grumbled."Nine. Fuck me."

There was a quick flash of light and Grace gurgled and flopped backwards.

Brian chortled."Divine Fuck. Love it."Brian helped Grace back to her feet.

Jennifer lacked the normal confidence she usually did. They could all feel it."Syn said to come here and that we all need to join up. We need to locate the male Phoenix and the female egg."

Grace, Jason, and Brian looked at one another and communicated in the way only seasoned adventurers could. Brian nodded, and then Jason did.

Grace looked at the others."This aligns with my task. I need to take back the egg I gave the King. My oath to Arbuckle is over, and I have my orders. I can't tell you much more than that. It looks like we form a large adventurer party. That's the simple part. Noobs and veterans."

Daniel nodded."Then we need to go see King Arbuckle. Explain to him what has happened. I mean, stealing it won't do much good. It won't explain everything he needs to know. But would he understand if we tell him the Night Fae and Syn have sent us?"He was looking at Grace. He always seemed to be when she was around.

She shook her head."He said he was hiding it for the safety of the Realm. I no longer believe him. I am worried. Things are not quite right."

"How do you mean?" asked Amber.

Grace ticked off her thoughts on her fingers one at a time. "One, why was the female egg in Yanwe y to begin with? How did it get there? Two. What drew the male Phoenix there? Three. What caused the rebirth to explode out into Yanwey and destroy it? Four. Who removed the egg from the crater? I assume it was Eric, but how and why and where was he taking it if not to the King? Five. Why is the female egg still an egg? Six. Where is the male Phoenix? Is it alive or an egg? Seven. Who killed Eric for the egg?"

Grace looked away from Daniel. She didn't know how to tell him that King Arbuckle had

sent his parents into the Wild to recover the female Phoenix egg. She didn't see the need to open that wound just yet.

Jason spoke into the sudden silence."I find Eric puzzling. I agree he was an asshole. A large gaping, stinking, hairy..."

"Yes, we get it," murmured Grace.

"..., shitty asshole, but he was a good man downinside."He raised a hand to Grace."Yes, and very rapey. I won't deny it. He's hopefully burning in the fires of Hades. But he was capable of good. Remember when we were looking for the egg? We met in Acron and looked everywhere. Then Eric took off. Sudden like. We just thought, oh look, there goes the asshole being an asshole again. But then he ends up dead outside Acron with the e gg on him. Right? Why did he go back to Acron? If he was bringing it to the King like we swore we would, he wouldn't be in Acron. I think he was heading to the Wilds."

"Why?" asked Brian.

No one had an answer.

Jasmine looked thoughtful."The King sent you to find the egg, correct? It seems to me that he might be behind all this. It's in his hands, after all, just like he wanted. Everything points to the King. So,I say we ask him. Daniel is right. He must have answers to some of this, right? Why don't we just ask the King? How would we get an audience? And make him listen to us?”