Chapter 154 – Phoenix

[302 AC – Dragonstone]

Sitting in a lotus position on the thick woolen carpet with Allyria and a shrunken Sapphire in his lap, his back rested against Rhaella's legs while she sat on the soft recliner behind him.

Her fingers brushed through his dark hair and over the skin on his neck, as she sat there with a book in her hand though her focus was not on it. Leaning forward, she gazed over Phenex' shoulder and watched with gentle eyes as he taught their daughter how to pet Sapphire.

"You have to be tender, little star.", Phenex voiced out quietly, as he guided Allyria's hand to brush gently over Sapphire's soft scales, who, for her part, lay draped over his knee and thigh while purring in content.

"No matter how big and strong she is, no one wants to be treated without care, so you always have to be gentle with her.", he added.

" -Ennda.", Allyria repeated with an adorable whisper, her violet eyes shining with innocent wonder as she looked at the sapphire-coloured dragon.

"That's right, tender." Phenex repeated with an endearing smile while continuing to guide her, bottomless love colouring his every word and gesture.

Rhaella found herself unable to handle the beauty of this moment, as tears fell from her eyes. Seeing him interact with their daughter so gently and lovingly, never once being impatient or selfish, it was hard for her to contain the warmth that bloomed in her heart as she watched on.

"I love you.", she whispered besides Phenex' ear, after leaning forward a bit more, which caused him to turn towards her.

Kissing away the tears on her cheeks, before placing his lips softly against hers, Phenex replied with a whisper of his own, his violet eyes aflame with tenderness: "I love you more."

…

[302 AC – The Wall]

Standing at the foot of the Wall, roughly a thousand feet distance between herself and one of the 'Wonders Made by Men', Kinvara turned around and saw the King in the North and the King-Beyond-the-Wall, both of them standing a few dozen feet away along with their subordinates.

They all stood inside the area that had been chosen for the location of the breach, alongside thousands and thousands of Fiery Hand warriors and normal soldiers. The battlements and fortifications had been built in a U-shape around the supposed breach, which was sized at roughly a mile.

Members of the Hidden Flame had already informed Kinvara that there was less than half a day left before the wight army led by the White Walkers would reach the Wall in the area around Eastwatch, so it was necessary to create the breach now and draw the army this way.

The priests and priestesses of the Fire Sword branch were already in their positions atop the Wall, along with thousands of wildlings and soldiers of the Northern Kingdom.

Except for the wind, it was basically silent as tens of thousands of eyes were trained on Kinvara's cloaked figure in the snow, waiting with bated breath for what she was about to do, most of the onlookers being nervous and fearful.

The Fiery Hand warriors on the other hand were staring at her with burning gazes, impatient and in anticipation of 'his' appearance.

Turning back towards the Wall, Kinvara raised her head and stared at the greying sky, noticing the signs of a coming storm. Closing her eyes with a gentle motion of her eyelids, she parted her full lips and whispered: "My love, it's time."

Following her whisper, nothing happened for a few moments, before the wind seemed to die down slowly and the world fell silent. It wasn't a silence that was noticeable because there was simply no sound, but one that was noticeable because there was something else in the absence of sound.

An atmosphere of tranquility spread through the surrounding land, while the dark clouds suddenly dispersed, revealing the blue sky above, as strands of tender sunlight caused the snow and ice to glitter beautifully.

A flame ignited in the space before Kinvara, causing her to open her eyes and watch as it grew and transformed into a small bird with a long neck.

Seeing the fiery bird appear out of nowhere, every Red Temple member present, warrior or priest, raised their right fist above their chest and brought it down with a small thud right above the place where their heart was located, while lowering themselves and kneeling on one knee. Their left hand was likewise balled into a fist and resting behind their backs, as they looked on with deep reverence and devotion.

It was a shocking sight for the men under Robb Stark, as well as the members of the Free Folk, to see roughly ten thousand men kneel with such sincerity. Some of the soldiers from the Riverlands and the North though followed suit almost immediately, uncaring for the gazes of those around them, as they were believers of the Lord of Light.

Raising her palms, the small blazing creature settled down on them as it faced the dark-haired priestess.

"Cya.", calling softly as it grew another few inches, the flaming bird pressed its head against Kinvara's cheek affectionately, its violet eyes filled with care and longing.

"Yes, I love you too." Kinvara replied quietly, her crystal eyes shining with a tender light as a soft smile settled on her lips.

Flapping its wings, the small bird danced through the air and landed a short distance away, its head raised to stare at the gigantic wall of ice that forcefully sealed the magic of this land.

"CYA!", its cry rang out again, but this time it wasn't one that was meant for just Kinvara's ears, but one that was filled with might and dignity, and it echoed through the land for miles on end.

A moment later, flames erupted from the small blazing bird. They wound themselves around each other. Flickering and raging, as they danced fiercely over the pure white snow, their glow brightening up the day like a second sun.

They grew and grew until finally, they fused and formed a massive winged creature with a graceful long neck and deep violet eyes, its aura simply divine.

The overbearing gaze of its violet eyes bore down on those present, making them feel exposed and judged, the flaming creatures' world-shattering power almost palpable.

Many more of the soldiers under the Young Wolf's command started to kneel down in fearful reverence, their beliefs crushed and reborn as they felt the presence of what could only be a god.

The wildlings weren't much different, not even Mance Rayder, as he remembered the young dragonrider's words from a few weeks ago. He now understood what kind of being it was that could make a warrior as fearsome as Jaehaerys Targaryen kneel down.

Not only that, he felt his own legs trembling and battled against the force that compelled him to kneel down before the godly being in front of him, though with every passing second his will for defiance weakened.

And when he saw that even his closest subordinates and friends, including Val and Tormund, had already lowered themselves and kneeled, Mance's resolve shattered as his legs gave in and he followed suit.

The King in the North, on the other hand, didn't feel compelled to fight the pressure bearing down on him and directly knelt down on one knee, though he did it more out of respect and immeasurable gratitude than reverence.

And in just a few moments after its arrival, every living man and woman in the surrounding area offered their respects to the blazing phoenix who towered above them, everyone but a certain dark-haired priestess.

Who, even if she wanted to, was raised up by an invisible force and found herself unable to do as her subordinates did.

Looking up, Kinvara met the gaze of her love, feeling just as exposed as the first time it had fallen onto her, while the ring of fire around her finger pulsed with intense love, which made her feel accepted in the truest sense.

A moment later the phoenix turned away, hovering in the air in front of the wall, the difference in size being almost negligible. And with another cry, its massive figure turned into a storm of fire that enveloped the part of the Wall that was designated to be the breach.