Book 5: Chapter 38 (1/2)
Vur’s fist crashed through the purple barrier, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces. A gust of cold air surged past the group, causing the two phoenixes to shudder. Tafel took a step back and shivered, a chill running down her spine. It wasn’t just the cold. There was something about the air that made her want to retreat. She took a step to the side, blocking half her body with Vur’s. She peered through the hole left behind by the destroyed barrier and frowned. There were dozens of bones belonging to various birds. White frost coated the surface of the bones, causing them to appear sharp and jagged.
“Are those … phoenix bones?” Emile asked and gulped. He flapped his wings once before settling them back against his sides, not caring about the fact he threw the Recordkeeper’s hair into disorder. “But that’s impossible! When phoenixes die, they turn to ashes and come back to life!”
“Is it because they’re frozen?” Susan asked. “Maybe the temperature was too low for them to burst into flames.”
“Do the two of you really think phoenixes are immortal?” the Recordkeeper asked, her head shifting from Emile to Susan. “If that were really the case, where did the phoenixes go? If they were immortal, they would be the only creatures left in existence. They’d reproduce nonstop, and eventually, there’d be enough phoenixes to blot out the sun.”
“But, but our mom told us so,” Emile said. “If we die, we’ll burst into flames, become ash, and come back to life as a baby.”
“Yes, you’ll burst into flames, turn to ash, and from your ashes, you’ll be reborn,” the Recordkeeper said. “But what do you think will happen if your ashes are scattered before you can be reborn? What do you think will happen if you’re unable to burst into flames? It’s possible for phoenixes to live forever, something that very few creatures can boast about, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for your existence to cease.”
Emile fell silent. “There’s other creatures that can live forever too?”
“Some jellyfish, some turtles, some flatworms. It’s really not that impressive when you think about it,” the Recordkeeper said. “Phoenixes are just known for it because most of the other creatures that can live forever live in the ocean. They just aren’t noticed.”
“We’re only as special as turtles…?” Emile asked, his voice drifting off. His head hung downwards, and his tail drooped. A moment later, he raised his head. “I’ll show you ceasing to exist! If I melt the ice, I can bring all these phoenixes back to life!” He flapped his wings and jumped off the Recordkeeper’s shoulder. He took in a deep breath and exhaled out a giant ball of phoenix flames. They surged into the hole and washed over the frozen bones, but nothing happened.
Emile frowned. “What kind of ice is this?”
“If it was cold enough to prevent the phoenixes from bursting into flames, what makes you think you’ll be able to melt it with your flames?” the Recordkeeper asked. “You’re not even an adult yet. If you want to melt this ice with your own ability, you’ll have to be even stronger than your mother.”