A Game of Chi Book III: A Sword of Dust

Chapter 1: Eris I

ERIS

Eris was soaring through the clouds, looking down at the Seven Animal Kingdoms below her. A familiar sight, she thought as she flew over Mount Cavora, veering closer to the ground. As she neared the earth, an icy feeling began to overtake her wings. Not again! she thought frantically. As she began to freeze up and fall towards the ground, she remembered who she was. I am Eris, she remembered. I am the Queen of Fire. I can burn. I am free! Spreading her wings to their fullest extent, the ice melted off her feathers and she soared higher and higher into the clouds, until the land below her was a speck of dirt. Above her, the blackness of space was lit by millions of stars, twinkling like diamonds, while the sun burned bright overhead. "You're right, Eris," the familiar voice said. "You are free. Now, your firedreams will be a blessing, not a curse." Eris looked at the sun, which didn't burn her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked, looking for the source of the voice. "And where are you?"

"Ah," the voice began. "Both are interesting questions. And their answers are intertwined. Shall I reveal myself to you?" Eris nodded enthusiastically. Despite not flapping her wings, she was comfortably floating in space, staring at the sun. "Very well," the voice declared. "Here I am." Eris watched as a winged figure slowly emerged from within the ball of fire, flying towards her until they were close enough to touch. "Whoa," Eris murmured. "Indeed," the mysterious bird agreed. Floating before Eris was a large, beautiful phoenix, the likes of which Eris had never seen. He reminds me of the artistic renditions of the phoenixes in the Eldon Collection, Eris thought, but even better. The phoenix' feathers were the deepest, fullest shade of red Eris had ever seen, while his armour shone brighter than any gold in the world. His impressive wingspan was nearly double that of Eris', and he wore a golden crown encrusted with rubies atop his head. His yellow beak was long and slender, and he wore flowing red-and-gold robes which billowed behind him. Despite the bagginess of his clothes, Eris could make out an incredibly muscular physique; he was almost as chiseled as the marble statues which decorated the Great Library. His eyes were a fierce shade of yellow, with an erudite and powerful mind behind them. He was truly the most magnificent sight Eris had ever witnessed.

"I am Fluminox I," the phoenix explained. "Fluminox I? As in the phoenix who conquered Chima?" The exquisite phoenix nodded. "Yes. I conquered the Seven Animal Kingdoms three hundred years ago, and died as the most powerful being to ever live. And yet, I'm still here, three hundred years later."

"But how?" Eris asked. "Is this the afterlife? I don't remember dying..." Fluminox let out a melodious chuckle, deep but kind. "This is not the afterlife," he declared. "This is what we call the Forever Sun." Fluminox must have seen Eris' eyes light up, because he nodded. "Yes. The same Forever Sun that our empire was once called. Names have a purpose, Eris. Words carry meaning, even when we think they do not." Eris looked at the gigantic sun behind Fluminox and gawked in awe. "So how do things work in the Forever Sun?" Eris asked eagerly. "How are you here? How am I here? How do—"

"Shh," Fluminox said, and Eris found herself complying. "Follow me," he said. "All will be revealed." He began flying towards the sun, and Eris quickly followed behind him. "Are we going to fly inside?" she asked, suddenly worried. Won't that just burn us alive? Well, I guess this is metaphysical, but still. Won't this hurt? "Fear not, Eris," Fluminox assured her. "You're one of us. You'll be fine." Nodding uncertainly, Eris watched as Fluminox flew straight into the humongous ball of flame and disappeared without a trace. Well, here goes nothing, Eris thought. Taking a deep breath, Eris plunged into the flames without hesitation.

As soon as she crossed the flames, Eris found herself standing in a beautiful green meadow. The green of the grass was milder than the harsh greens of the scales of the Crocodile Tribe, yet deeper and more profound than the waters of the Swamplands. The sky was a wonderful shade of blue, and not a single cloud dotted the sky. Fluminox was standing before her, his robe no longer billowing in the air. "Is this still the Forever Sun?" Eris asked, looking around her. "Everything here is the Forever Sun," Fluminox replied. "Think of it like a book. That's a metaphor you'll appreciate. This is one page of the book. Where we just were is another. But the entire book is the Forever Sun. Do you understand?"