Passage through Flames

She began the ritual of summoning calling forth the great spirit Phoenix. She kept her head bowed low giving the spirit of birth, death and rebirth as much honor as she could. She presented it with a gift when it appeared. A flame made out of the remains of the silver from the blade, and the blood stones she made.

Zasha explained her concept to them all. They all seemed to accept her for her conviction and her dedication in making this blade.

Merlin came up to her first. Its challenge to her was to demonstrate knowledge and conviction. When asked of the wyrm creatures she had defeated on the island and the knowledge of them Zasha was able to relay it with such detail and exaction that the spirit seemed surprised.

“Are you sure you are Kin childe” The spirit spoke in the language of spirits unto her.

“I am spirit but just because I am does not mean I cannot fight nor honor you and yours.” The spirit shimmered and shinned at her answer.

“ You have great spirit in you. You would have made a fine theurge of Gaia’s chosen. But you are still chosen for your gifts and do her honor in your actions. I shall join with these two so long as they would have me, join them in their fight.”
The blade’s spirit nodded and made a welcoming gesture to the spirit of Merlin. The two now standing near the blade, looking to Phoenix.

“You seek to earn my spirit in a blade. I would see your conviction Kinfolk to this one whom you are making it for. Are you willing to prove this conviction?” The great bird shifted its feathers, it was easy to tell that it would not be an easy test for her like with Merlin.

“I will prove that I am worthy to have your approval Great Phoenix.” The girl set her jaw in one of determination.

“Then bring the sword with you girl and follow me.” The spirit took flight and headed towards the bridge. The girl lifted the blade and carried it the other two spirits coming along behind.

As she neared the bridge in the umbral realm it burst into blue flames. The kinfolk stopped short looking at it, she could feel the flames from where she was several feet from the bridge. She looked at Phoenix no fear in her eyes.

“If you can pass through the flames without leaving the sword behind for the one whom you say is so important to you. I will join this blade.” The eyes seemed to focus on her noticing the small shutter that left her body as she grips the blade squaring off with the bridge. “But let it be understood you may not use your gifts only that which is upon you now may be used.”

Looking at him she nodded worry slipping into her gaze but it did not make her waver, in her conviction. Holding the blade tightly she moved onto the bridge with a steady step. The flames did not lash into her as she thought it might. It was no worse than being slightly near to a large flame. She nodded at this and took another few steps. The flames began to lick at her she began to feel pain seeping up through her body through her legs.

Not looking down she focused on where she needed to go the other side of the flames. The pain was not horrible she could endure it. Moving closer to the other side she finally reached the middle. It was finally more than she could endure without showing signs of pain. Tears left her eyes and dropped onto her top as she let out a pain filled yell stumbling slightly.

Each step made the fire grow hotter and hotter. She could no longer see out of her eyes for her vision was wrapped in the blinding pain. It felt to her as if she was having her flesh burned from bone. Her tears no longer fully left her eyes being dried almost instantly in the flames wake. Her hand felt the blade catch on fire the action burning her flesh.

Every instinct in her body screamed to her to drop the blade and flee. Go back to where the flames would no longer harm her. Part of her body answered that plea, her hand loosening its hold. Reaching across herself she grabbed the blade with her other hand.
She stumbled and fell every fiber of her being on fire now. It felt as if all her hair had been burned off as well as her skin. Catching herself with one hand she pushed herself up to kneel. Upon the blade she could see that everything she worked so hard for was burning or melting away. The blade was being destroyed in the flames.

Letting out a scream she despaired. As she did the flames burned her even more deeply. She set the blade next to her but did not take her hand off its burning melting hilt. Closing her eyes she focused inwardly. Looking for her conviction, looking for anything that she could hold onto. Finally she found two parts of herself which she grabbed onto mentally. Opening her eyes she forced herself to her feet. Leaving her kneeling position left her with a sensation of what it must be like to be a slab of meat upon a cooking fire being flipped.

She hugged the blade to her. If this one melted she would make another one she thought. She would re-make it as many times as she needed. The melting metal tripped down her arm and burned into her flesh, as she moved forward.

Finally she could see the edge. The grass. She wanted to run and fling herself at it or even jump over the edge into the water to stop the burning sensation. With great force she keep her feet moving, shuffling and sliding along the bridge until finally she tumbled out of the flames, and onto the cool grass.

Phoenix appeared next to her looking down at her charred body which was barely drawing breath, to see she was hugging the sword which was burning and melting off parts of her flesh. The spirit looked to the other two. Surprised by the girls convictions to this one she made the blade for, and to prove her worth to the spirits. The ring upon her finger glowed blue a slow changing of her skins color from blackened to flesh circling out around it very slowly.

“Even though your heart is split childe, your conviction is true. You have shown how much you truly seek to walk your course.” Phoenix passed its wing over her and with a scream from the unseen deapths and flash of flames the girl’s body was whole again. The only difference was a mark upon her right arm a flame of blue and silver shining out from in the middle of 5 scars which are her marks from the spiral which attacked her.

She blinking looking up at Phoenix then at her hand to see the blade she made whole. She could still feel the burning in her being. But it was a burning not of the body but of her soul. She had the feeling that this was going to last for some time.

“I will take a place in your blade childe for your conviction is one worthy of noting, for one such as you.” Zasha got the feeling it was a back handed complimented, but said nothing.

She moved to the rest of the spirits and began to bind them into it. She banded Phoenix into the hilt of the blade yet it choose to mark the blade itself with its mark of a blue flaming feather. And put Merlin into the blade through it chose to leave its mark upon the hilt. As the spirits entered into the blade the spirit of the blade changed slightly, first adapting wings, then having a blue tinged fire look, before it as well vanished into the blade.

Versai approached after it was complete and touched the hilt giving it her mark. “ I shall watch this as I watch him. And so only as long as we keep our pact.”

With that she began the fetish rite making permanent the spirits she bound into the blade. Then with a very delicate tool she etched into the blade, Klimate Stasja. She slumped over the blade exhausted and drained her body still burning as she slept on top of the blade she had spent months building.