I jumped to my feet, my chest rising and falling so fast it was hard to breathe. I whipped my head around trying to see. I finally was able to see, nestled in the corner in the shadows was some kind of bird.

I didn't feel a threat from it. It seemed old and feeble. And it didn't feel any kind of threat. I slid my feet slowly and cautiously forwards.

"You...you know who I am? And...you can talk to me!"

"I can always, here, sense some kinfolk of the sun, lil lady!"

The voice was scratchy and old but with a south hick type of accent. The bird was sitting in a nest in the corner, it was smoldering and glowing like hot coals in a fire. He was about the size of a grown man. Huddled in the nest his head was a little taller than me when I stood straight.

The bird shifted, and sounded like he squeaked like he was in pain. I could sense the pain from the bird. The closer I got the more I could see. It looked like he once had  bright shinny glossy feathers. But now he looked drained of colour and his feathers were maulting. But I could still make out the Reds, oranges, yellows and gold from his feathers.

His beak was sharp and pointing. Despite his appearance his eyes were intelligent. I slid a little closer and I could see that both his wings were sitting at a bent angle. And I saw a dark black chain clamped around his foot and attached to the wall.

"You're hurt!"

"Hey ya lil lady! Those little whippersnappers keep me nice and snug down here in this little dugon."

"You mean your a prisoner too?"

"For the time being. But now...we might just stand a chance of skeedadling outta this darn place, right quick."

"What in Hades are you talking about?"

"You know right well who has ya stuck like a big in a ring, ya?"

"The Titan Hyperion and Hecate." I answered. I had slowly sat down at the edge of the nest. It wasn't burning me like I expected. As my eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, my glowing ability shut off. I wasn't sure what was wrong, but it was hard to see now that I didn't have that.

"Your wings are broken. They must hurt."

"Oh. Ehy." The bird agreed.

"I- I can help. Or at least try. I've never held a broken bone, or helped a bird, but I can try..."

"And why in tsrnashion would you help this ol' bird out?"

I paused and looked at him. He looked so broken and pathetic. My heart hurt for this bird. I had no idea how long he had been held down here, but he looked to be on his last legs and I couldn't just not try. I held my hand out and I slowly reached out. The bird regarded me with his beedy and intelligent eyes. He ducked his head and let me pet his head. My fingers tingled and I felt a warmth run from where I touched him up my arm and I to my chest. It was like a warm hug to my heart.

I smiled. "I can'tet a noble bird like you sit in such pain. I'm not like them. If I can help I will. If you will allow me "

"Well! Gosh darn it Lil Lady! Y'all got me blushin' harder then a single lady on Valentine's Day!"

I giggled. This bird had a real thick southern accent. I slowly stepped over the edge of his nest and slowly stepped closer. I took a slow steadying breath. My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking.

"Have some right courage Lil Lady."

Apollo, father, please help me. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I took a slow deep inhale and let it out. I took the birds wing in my hands. He squaked slightly.

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't listen to this here ol' fool!"

I smiled as gently as I could and closed my eyes, holding his wing in my hands and felt the tingle in my hands and the heat spreading through my fingers and up my arm into my chest and from there it exploded through my body. I could feel the glowing healing flow through my veins. I felt it leave my fingers and flow into the broken wing. I could feel the bone mend itself, I felt everything knit back together.

I definitely felt the dip in my energy. And my head swam for a minute. My breathing became more ragged. But the last of the small wing bones clicked back into place.

"Gosh Golly that feels better already!"

"One...down...one...to...to..."

I let go and dropped to one knee, panting hard. I was sweating from the effort. I shook my hands out. I shrugged my backpack off and took out one of myast Nectar Aid juice boxes. I drank about half. Feeling better, but still shaky I stood up and shook my arms out. My head wasn't spinning but I could have laid down and had a nap. But instead I took a deep breath and took his other broken wing and closed my eyes and concintrated. I felt heat spreading. The tingling and heat, it flowed through my veins, making my glow. The light seeped out of me and I felt the power travel down my arms and explode out of me and into his wing. I could feel everything mending and shifting and knitting together.

My head was spinning and I couldn't breath properly my lungs restricted and I was struggling. I felt sweat sliding down my face and back. My legs shook my vision was cloudy I dropped to one knee. I was almost done. But I couldn't let go, not yet. His wing was still not perfect. My head was spinning, I had to let go with one hand to hold myself up.

"Lil Miss! You gotta stop!"

"Al- almost...almo...st...."

My world went black and I collapsed.

🔆

I can around with something nudging me. I groaned. Or as best I could. I blinked slowly trying to focus on what was around me. There was a bird hovering over me. His dark intelligent eyes stared at me, blinking slowly in the dim light.

"Ahh Lil Miss is alive!"

"Nope. I died. Definitely died. I'm absolutely dead."

"Nah. Don't be joking about things like that." He scolded. He nudged me again. And I slowly sat up. I picked up the Nectar Aid and finished the juice box and pulled out one of the pre wrapped Ambrosia cookies.

"While you fixed my wings you also got the chain to let go of ma chicken leg! And that was some right daaaark black magic!"

I smiled. Still feeling exhausted I leaned my head back on the nest wall. I groaned.

"Well my lil whippersnapper, this ol' bird is just about ready."

"Ready for?"

"The next great adventure."

"What?" I sat up straight. The only time I've ever heard that saying was when dad's mom was dying. I frowned at the bird. Despite all the healing I had channelled into him his colour was even worse and there were more feathers falling off of him.

"Why are you maulting?"

"Its ma time dear child. Ain't stopping the process of time."

I could feel the heat intensifying. Whatever remaind of the birds feathers started smoking, the smoke curled and twisted into the darkness and then disappeared into the black shadows.pp

"I must worn you child...as soon as this happens we won't have much time. They will know."

"When what happens?"

Before he could answer there was a wild whoosh of fire. The entire cell lit up with a wild fire and I tried to scramble away. But I couldn't. I could feel the fire swirling around me, I could feel the fire swirling inside me. Tounges of bright hot fire licked my arms and up my body. But it didn't burn. My veins glowed and I saw Greek symbols all over my skin. I saw symbols of fires and suns and sunflowers, music and healing. I saw Greek and Roman words all over my skin. I had no idea what was happening. The bird let out a wild song. It was sweet and sorrowful but sweet and peaceful. It filled me with equal parts joy and sadness. It gave me courage. But it didn't last long. The bird burnt up. And the the fire died out. And there was nothing felt. I sat frozen in solid blackness. After the wild brightness of the fire it was dark and silent. It pressed in around me. And I was alone. I sat feeling scared and alone.

I was only alone for about 10 seconds. From the ashes of the burnt up bird and nest something was stiring. Something was working its way out of the dead and burnt.

A red and gold head. It looked like an Eagles head, but it was bright red and gold, and glowed like polished gold in the fire. There was a beautiful noise, a song that came from the bird. I couldn't exactly hear the song, but I felt it. It was beautiful and it filled me with hope and a deep drive. It made me think of the good and hope in the world, of all the people I loved and cared for. It made me smile. I watched it spread its glossy  wings, his wings span filled the entire cell, shaking the ash free. It's red and gold, bronze orange and yellow wings shown and glowed, giving the dark dungeon cell a warm glow. The bird flapped its wings spread and intense heat as he did. When he stopped, in front of me stood a beautiful brand new fire bird.

I should have known. I had just witnessed the reincarnation of a Pheonix. I was part of the reincarnation of a Phoenix.

"My dearest Lil Lady."

"You're... you're a Pheonix."

I couldn't wrap my head around this.

"Darn tooten lil Missy!'

I couldn't remember much of the Phoenix's myth story except their reincarnation didn't happen often!

"Ya lil lady, I got me a real hankerin' to skeedadle this place!"

"Yes me to. But...were locked in here."

"Ahhh. But those whipper snappers ain't be workin' with all them screws! They threw ya in me cell. The perfect weapon against the mist."

"The...what?"

"Mist. Mist little lady. The stuff Miss Hecate's in charge of!"

"Mist?" Give me a break I had just been bathed in tongues of fire, my brain was having a hard time keeping up! It took a second for my brain to start braining again. "Oh! The stuff that makes mortals think somethese else? The veil that separates the mythical world from the mortal world?"

"Yeee Haw! The very same!"

I frowned I had no idea what he was saying. But i could feel the vibration of a lot of big and heavy things coming this way.

"Not to rush ya lil lady, but we need that Sight now. If ya wanna live."

"I don't know what your talking about."

"Ya got the gift of sight! See past what those boozos want ya ta think!"

"You mean..."

"Yes ma'am! But now would be good! The sun will guide you."

I picked up my backpack and shouldered it. Closing eyes and trying to ignore the vibrations of the floor as what felt like every monster in the area was storming towards us. I took a steading breath the song of the Pheonix filled me again with hope.

Awake the flame within.

My eyes flew open as fire erupted from inside of me, I opened my eyes and I felt the glow of the fire, of the sun. I felt it heat my body and stir my soul. I would not be put in a cell. I would not be pushed around and be used. I was something to be used and tossed away like a tool or a toy. I would not let these monsters and titans destroy my home and my family. I may not agree with the gods, but I loved the demigods, they were my family.

I turned and I saw the solid cell door was no more, vanished like it was...magic. Like a trick of the mist. I cursed. No wonder. The dungeon was Hecate's doing. I ran straight at the empty hole. There was no hallway anymore, the doorway led to nothing but black. However, without hesitation I turned to the left. The opposite way of how I was brought in.

"Where in tsrnashion are you goin'?

"Following the sun." I could see a shinning path, like a beam of fresh bright summer sun. It expelled the shadows and cleared the mist that swirled.

"Darn tooten, okay!"

He spread his beautiful wings and glided after me as I ran. I took a sharp turn as I pulled my twin blades out of my holsters. Spinning them like Raph taught me I slid to a stop. I held them at the ready. Standing directly in front of my was the crule looking son of Ares, the one who brought me to my cell.

I spun them one more time and brought my blades up. The Phoenix landed on my shoulder. His form had shrunk, but he was still heavy, the song still echoed off the walls and filled the inside of my head and my soul.

The son of Ares slowly raised his hands, indicating he had no weapon. And to my shook started singing.

"You were taught by a child of Ares."

I nodded.

"I can tell in the ready stance and the style how you spun the blades. My brother taught you well."

I barrd my teeth and spun the knives one more time, indicating I didn't have time but I'd fight if I had to.

"I admire your courage, daughter of Apollo, and with your new bird friend I don't stand a chance. Quickest way out is through the thrown room. Though it's just as dangerous."

I signed with my knives still in my hands, but he seemed to understand the words.

"I'm Deimos. God of terror, panic and dread." He made a mock bow. "My father is Ares. My mother is Aphrodite."

I tried to growl. It must have shown in my face. He gave me a twisted smile.

"I heard what you did."

"What?" I sighed, frowning and scrunching my forehead.

"Cussing out my mother for my little brother's sake. It was great. The fear in you! The fear in Apollo! And Artimis! The fear in my own mother! Ahh. It was glorious. There is nothing like fear and terror in the name of Love!" He grinned, the scar twisted on his face.

"I like you girl. You got guts. I helped ya twice. And the last time will be now. Rescue one more. And then we call it even. I help you three times for scaring the living daylights outta three big gods and I help you three times outta this place."

"How do you know sign?"

"Many of my soldiers lose their hearing on the front lines in combat."

I nodded. The god twisted and vanished. I gripped my knifes tighter and ran ahead. The bird glidding behind me again.

"What did he mean by helped me three times? And who is this other one that needs rescuing?"

"He placed you on my cell. He told you the way out and this other rescue might help you."

There was a thunderous boom as we turned a corner. I felt it rattle my bones. I staggered and stumbled into the wall.

"What...?"

There was another boom. Like something huge was slamming into a door. Like a battering ram on a gate of a stronghold. There was a shimmering bright light that was peeking through the cracks in the door.

I stopped in front of the door. The loud boom made my bones raddle again. Definitely coming from inside the cell. Well what else could go wrong? I lunged for the lock and used my knives to slice it. It fell to the ground and dissolved in smoke. The door slammed open and I dove to the side. The door was kicked off its hinges and shattered against the blackness.

Brilliant white dazzling light exploded into the dark. Like the morning since dispelling shadows. I held a hand up and blinked. Standing fromed in the door was a brilliant white horse. It's coat was so white and shiny it looked almost blue, but it's main was gold; flecks of gold and fire flew and sparked off. The horse whinnined, throwing it's head.

"Freedom!" It cried. It had a smooth gentle velvet voice, the horse was female.

"Yes. And we're gonna have to book it if we wanna live!"

"A daughter of Light and a Pheonix." The horse state. I bowed my head.

"Get on little one. We must rid like the sun."

I didn't stop to question it, I sheathed my knives. I don't know if it had something to do with the horse or the Pheonix reincarnation or maybe it was an Apollo thing, but I took the few long striding steps and swung gracefully up onto the horses back.

"Hold on!"

She reared up on her back legs and charged ahead. I ripped my bow off my bracelet. She stormed down the hall. Monsters finally came crashing out of nowhere. I pulled arrow after arrow back and let them fly. She stormed and crushed any monster that came our way and got too close, sending them back to Tartarus in a blaze of fire. While the Phoenix's song filled me with hope and courage. She stormed up a set of roughly cut stone steps and kicked a door down, it crunched and the splintered wood exploded everywhere.

We were in a huge thrown room. A blast of cold air hit me as we emerged. We were standing near the top of Mount Tam. The Pacific Ocean spread out below, gray under a cloudy sky. We stood at the end of an oversized mausoleum, with walls fifty feet high. I had no idea how mortals could miss the fact that it was here. But then again, everything below the summit seemed fuzzy to me, as if there were a thick veil between me and the lower half of the mountain. There was magic going on here—really powerful Mist. Above me, the sky swirled into a huge funnel cloud. I couldn’t see Atlas, but I could hear him groaning in the distance, still laboring under the weight of the sky, just beyond the fortress.

I glanced around quickly and recognized the black coffin only a few feet from me. It was from my dream just last night, Kronos's Coffin.

But it was empty.

🔆

Nora Post Phoenix reincarnation