Eventually, with a full stomach and tired soul, Enoki curled up, head on Mo’ton’s lap. Ze was vaguely aware of him and Li’tiana talking and poking around in hir bag. Before ze could think about stirring, it felt like ze was falling down into an orange sky. Enoki watched the purple pink clouds pass by, feeling less fear this time. After all, ze survived the last fall.

“Hey, if this is a dream can we have less falling?” Ze rolled over in the air, watching hir hair fly upwards towards the stars. 

If you wish, little chick. 

Everything slowed down as familiar blue sparks showered over Enoki’s body. With a bit of struggle and flailing of hir arms, ze righted hirself to come nose to beak with the Phoenix. There were so many things that Enoki wanted to say and do. What came out however was. . . 

“Boop.” With a small tap on the beak with a gloved finger. 

A musical laugh rang in hir head. I see the purge of emotions helped. This is the playful chick I saw in the other world. The Phoenix leaned forward, giving a gentle preen to a long piece of hair over Enoki’s right ear.

Enoki let out a laugh before crossing hir arms and trying to take a more serious look. “I’m still mad. This is crazy. None of you have to kill people for a meal you know. I never even got names like yours, which I guess is Cycle.”

The phoenix gently rested upon a cloud and settled in as if making a small nest. There are many names the ones where you are now call us. None of them are true names. That would require sight and understanding you can’t have yet.

“Ok, so what do I call you?”

The name currently used is fine. Even if I am the wrong color for a Phoenix.

“Alright. Cool. But the feast and the killing? Like, I guess we kill even plants for meals but do you really need to wipe whole races out?”

We do not wish this. But it happens because of the cycles we have to follow. We fight to break them in our own ways. But I’m sure to a chick it can look quite cruel.

“No shit.” Ze started swinging hir legs back and forth, ending up gently swinging around in a full loop. “So. You gonna give me any more help or do I just have to suck it up and go someplace else?”

You are free to do as you see fit. If you deem the world not worth saving you can let them all perish. But I would prefer you go to the elves since you are already in their lands.

“That’s it? No help or advice?”

The cloud floated over and the Phoenix extended a wing to stop the spinning. You need none right now. I will come when needed. Or if a message must be passed. One of which I am to give to you.

“And that is, what? I gotta find a mariachi band? Because I think that’ll be a bit hard to book for your zip code.” Enoki gave a bit of a smirk as ze spoke. At least this one seemed fine with some sass. And ze was in a sassy mood after everything.

You have 390 days left as the years are longer here. And to please avoid cursing our names again in the future.

Enoki blinked a bit. “Did— did I nearly get a smite or something?”

No. But your gifts may choose to misbehave if you act up too much. You are talking poorly about those who gave the materials I needed to create them, after all.

Hir eyes went a bit wide. “I’m not sure how I feel about having sentient underwear.”

It’s fine. They aren’t directly inside the gifts. It’s more complicated than that. It gave itself a quick preen before pulling off a chunk of the cloud. For a moment, it didn’t look like a cloud but like something else a bit more terrible. A bit more sinister. Like flesh and space intertwined. It quickly ate the piece and looked to hir.

How rude of me, did you want some, little chick?

“I am good not having a snack that changes when I look at it. Pretty full anyway.” As ze spoke the world started to become darker and hir hands more transparent. “What now?”

You are waking up. I shall see you again little chick.

Enoki carefully closed hir eyes, willing hir real ones to open. Instant regret came forth as sunlight streamed in through the tent flap. The sounds of chatter came from outside the tent and the smells of breakfast. Maybe eggs? Oh Ze wanted eggs. And bacon. Maybe pancakes. 

Instead of food, ze was met with a chuckle. “Ah, dreaming of cooking perhaps?”

“What no I—” Enoki was interrupted by hitting hirself with the frying pan that had formed in hir hand when attempting to rub hir eyes. “Ow. Shit. Ok. I’m fine.”

“Mo’ton! You said you were making sure ze was fine.” Looking up, Enoki could see Li’tiana’s frowning face, half glaring at Mo’ton

“Enoki is fine. Aren’t you? Not even a mark.” He gently brushed hir forehead, doing a quick check. “But I think ze is ready to help cook again.”

“Of course. But the meal will just be some porridge we started with the leftover stew. It’s very filling for a long trek ahead. It will be ready soon. We need to make sure you have what you need for your travels.”

There was a small gesture to the opposing side of the tent. Enoki mumbled an oh right under hir breath as ze went over to it. Ze carefully set the tools down that were stubbornly refusing to go away before starting to pull things out. There had been the letter of course and the two magic curtains. After that were some basic necessities: soap, a wash cloth, a brush and toothbrush and a paste ze assumed was for hir teeth, a bedroll, a bowl and some basic silverware, a waterskin, a flint and steel, and even some basic spices and salt. 

Ze chuckled. “What? No rope? Like someone who played adventure games made this.” 

“It is no game. These things shouldn’t all fit in your backpack. There isn’t enough room. If you think there should be rope perhaps check the front pocket.” Mo’ton was looking with amazement, his eyes quite literally glittering with stars in the widening pupils.

“Right just. . .  back up a bit.” Enoki carefully opened the front pocket and there was a very nice looking rope. Even a small bag with something that jingled inside of it. “Wait, am I not broke?”

“You are most likely not rich. But when we checked last night to see how we could help you, the bag appeared empty. Even as you took things out, it didn’t look like there was anything in there.” Li’tiana let out a sigh of relief, gently putting her hand on her own cheek. “Thank the gods. We should have trusted in the Great Cycle, of course. But you were so distressed last night, we feared the worst.”

Enoki looked at them a moment before throwing hir arms into the air. “You thought they fucked us all over and weren’t going to tell me?!”

“Well it’s not our place to—”

“I was going to tell you and tell you to run fast.” Mo’ton interrupted. He ignored the glare from Li’tiana as he continued. “But stories said some gifts remained hidden. And they are sometimes more literal than we like.” 

He hopped to his feet and started out of the tent. “Now, I’ll leave you both to pack and Li’tiana to give you the things she has with her. It’s time for her to do her last motherly duty before your time of mourning is over.” 

As the tent flap closed behind him, Li’tiana sighed and pulled out a small vial. “The morning after the tears, we give our children a drop of what is in this bottle. Because this journey is long enough to last a few pregnancies, we happened to have some.”

Reaching for the bottle, Ze’s hand was gently swatted away. “Sorry just, what is it? Like a special blessed water? Or some sort of milk?”

“Hardly. It is a special herb we feel helps open the mind of the child so they become that which they will most want to be.” As she took out the stopper, a rancid stench began to waft through the tent. 

Enoki couldn’t help but cover hir nose. “I think you got a bad batch!”

“No it’s just a bit young. The smell should be much stronger. Now just a drop on the tongue will help. I hear tales that the shapeshifters we shared this with found it easier to hold a preferred form with this.”

As Li’tiana moved towards Enoki, ze was torn between being respectful of another culture or refusing on the basis of being a grown ass adult. Sadly ze was too slow to decide and had hir hand removed and nose pinched as three horrifically sour and bitter drops landed on hir tongue. Ze doubled over and was trying not to vomit. After a moment the taste faded and hir whole body felt warm. 

The changes felt subtle. Hir limbs got a bit longer and stronger as hir hair shifted around to be different lengths as if it couldn’t decide what it wanted. By the time ze sat up properly, a small hand mirror was floating in front of hir. Ze could see at least 6 stripes of hair and hair textures, going from long and waving to a short buzz cut. Each stripe had turned a different shade of red or orange. Hir clothes shifted a bit as well, going back to the outfit from before when this all started rather than the more comfortable pajamas. Enoki’s skin was still the nice tan color ze had grown up seeing in the mirror, but hir eyes were now a bright red.

“Now that you are dressed in mind, body and spirit; let us put away your things and you can make some breakfast.” Li’tiana thankfully had put the bottle away and the scent was disappearing with it. “If you’re good I’ll get you something sweet.”

“Sure, mom.” Enoki rolled hir eyes as ze set to work.