The empress leads their remaining forces back to their home, they sung songs of victory with smile of their faces. A great wind Spirit-kin would play the flute and used the wind to let the music travel far and wide, it was a joyous moment.
Emmanel walks beside her mother the empress, chatting as they went. In the distance, they notice a battle ensuing. Emmanel turns to her mother, "Mother, I-" The empress nods with a smile looking at Emmanel, "Take 3 generals with you." Emmanel smiles bowing to her mother, "Thank you mother!" she gets up and starts running towards the next battle, 3 generals tag along with their armies in tow.
Emmanel jumps riding the wind, her army also find a way to follow. The earth Spirit-kin make the earth move as they ride rocks, the fire Spirit-kin propel themselves with flames and the water Spirit-kin are sliding on ice. In a few moments, they arrive to see desperate sight.
4 Phoenixes are being attacked by centipede-like insects penetrating from the ground. Each centipede was wide as 7 meters, their length could not be seen since they were attacking with only their heads. The phoenixes were about 20 meters in size, one phoenix was gravely wounded bleeding out. 2 were entangled by the centipede monsters on the ground and the last phoenix was fighting as hard as it could to save its family.
Emmanel raises her spear to the sky with a loud shout, "Death to all Subterrax!" she jumps in the winds and dives from the sky, her army also join her with the chant *DEATH TO ALL SUBTERRAX!* Emmanel dives through the sky swinging her spear *SLASH* she carves a deep wound on a centipede monsters *KRRREEEEE!!* Emmanel jumps back with her hands pointed at the monster, she makes giants earth spears and launch them at the monster.
One powerful earth Spirit-kin actually jumped high landing close to the hole the centipede monster was poking from and smashed the hole forcefully beheading the monster and closing the hole. The earth spirit-kin bellows, "OHHHH!!!!" he runs towards centipede monster swinging a heavy punch *BOOOM!!*
A wind Spirit-kin flies to the mouth of one of the centipede monsters as it tries to swallow her. The wind spirit-kin makes a pulling gesture causing the centipede monster to bloat, she pulled further and the monster vomited its organs dying a horrible death.
They cleared the centipede monsters in mere moments saving the phoenixes. However, one phoenix was in a desperate situation. The leader of the phoenix rushes to the dying phoenix pleading in tears, "My daughter, please stay with me!" his tears flow like the river/lava river. The father phoenix tried to share his life with his daughter but another phoenix spoke, "No, it won't save her." This words felt like thunder to the father phoenix and the second phoenix spoke, "My niece is poisoned…." This one starts weeping, "*Sobs* Giving her your lifeforce is *Sobs* extending her pain."
Emmanel watches the sight before her with a heartache, she turns to her generals, "Is ther-" The generals shake their heads with sad demeaner and one speaks, "If we had gotten here earlier, we could have controlled the poison out of her body."
The dying phoenix slowly pushes her eyes open, she sees Emmanel in tears before her. The phoenix moves its wing to Emmanel, "Please….." an egg is on its wings as it brings it close to Emmanel, "My child...Please.....My child….." Emmanel glances at the other phoenixes who are shocked to see their family with child, but did not stop her from giving it to Emmanel, a Spirit-kin.
Emmanel takes the egg, nodding and hugging it as her tears flow down her face to the egg. The dying phoenix sighs in relief, "Thank….." the phoenix couldn't even finish before dying. Emmanel hugs the egg, "I'll watch over your child." The dead phoenix's body slowly turns to light leaving a feather behind, Emmanel takes the feather along with the egg.
The phoenix family grieves, their screech spread across the mountains. Their heavy heart is felt by anyone watching. The phoenixes bow to Emmanel and she bows back to show respect, irrespective of Emmanel's identity. Emmanel invited the phoenixes to join her, however they politely refused because they had a place they wanted to go. They bid farewell and each go their way.
Emmanel arrives before her mother hugging the egg, "Mother…." Her mother, the empress turns to see Emmanel and the egg, "Ohh!" she gasps in shock but she could tell what happened from Emmanel's demeaner. The empress takes off her royal cape and wraps it around the egg, "This will warm it." She places her hand on Emmanel's cheek, "Daughter….." The empress couldn't say anything. Emmanel leans her head into her mother's hand while hugging the egg. The phoenixes are one of the few remaining races in the Celestial realm nearing extinction.
Even if the Spirit-kin won the war, their heart are heavy due to the death of their own and the phoenix. They agreed to raise a monument for their fallen comrades and the phoenix when they returned.
The Spirit-kin continued their way back to their home, occasionally engaging in fights with enemy monsters that had survived their march. After what seemed like a month of marching, the Spirit-kin finally see their home in the distance. A regal kingdom, beautiful and elegant, flowers adorned the walls and birds sang soothing the people.
The army enters the city, they meet their loved ones and mourn for their loss for 3 days. Afterwards, they celebrate with a grand festival that lasted for 5 days and nights. Emmanel keeps the egg with her all the time in any situation.
A few days later, in the palace of the Spirit-kin. Emmanel is seated beside her mother with the egg on her laps. Suddenly, a young spirit-kin barges into the palace, "Your highness! Your highness! Please help!" the guards made no attempt to stop the young Spirit-kin since he stopped and bowed before the empress.
The empress asks with worry, "What is the matter, young spirit?" The young spirit-kin speaks with sorrow, "Your majesty, "I recently ascended from the Mortal realm to the Celestial realm to seek you aid. The princess of Azuria is severely unwell and hasn't been able to get out of bed for almost a month now, that has never happened!"
The empress looks at the young spirit displeased, "A human? Why should I help when my people are tortured and killed by humans!" she slams her hand down on her arm rest enraged.
The young spirit speaks, "Your majesty, this human is unlike the others. This one saved my life!" He lifts his head to look at the empress in the eyes. The empress feels his emotions and concedes, she glances to her side, "Emmanel, my daughter. Go to the Mortal realm, to this princess. I want you to see if she's worth my kindness before healing her."
One of the generals hear this and protests, "Your majesty, surely you jest. Humans are hateful greedy creatures! They forget their Maker and do evil against themselves. If not defending my homeland here, I would personally erase these sore existences from the earth!"
Another general of water speaks, "I agree with you however, you must reconsider. I believe this is the same princess who helped our younglings reach the Celestial realm by providing a safe haven for them. Because of that, we can recover our numbers and try to restore the Celestial realm." She looks at the empress bowing, "Your highness, though humans have oppressed our kind for many many years. One human stand for us on the entire earth, we cannot let her perish."
The empress sighs, "My decision remains the same. I do not pay kindness with evil. The princess helped my people, and I will repay her for it. That is my decision!" Everyone bows and the empress nods slightly. The empress glances at the young spirit-kin in thought, "A human helping our people? The world must have been turned upside down. I'll ask the young spirit-kins about this princess and learn who she really is."