CHAPTER 37: AN INVITATION!

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"This," she said softly, "is a Token of Cinder. They’re rarely given. Fewer still accepted."

Zephyr eyed it but didn’t move.

"What’s it for?" he asked.

"It marks you," she said. "As one the Phoenix Ring is watching. A possible candidate for sponsorship. Entry. Influence. Training. Protection. You’ll have access to facilities others can only beg for, and a seat at the table of Emberfall’s power games. We don’t offer this lightly."

"And what do you want in return?"

"A deal," she said simply. "You’ve earned eyes. That means risk for you and for us. We’d rather have you inside our halls than outside, making waves we didn’t stir."

Behind him, Fenna shifted. Zephyr could feel the tension radiating off her. His eyes returned to the token, then to the woman. "So this is about control."

She smiled finally and this time, there was a hint of fire behind it. "It’s about mutual benefit. But call it what you like."

Zephyr didn’t respond right away. His mind raced behind his still expression. "If I walk away now, I will make an enemy too early. We’ve barely begun. But if I accept..."

He thought of Star’s injuries. The weight of 200 silver coins he needed. The guild charter. And the eyes now watching them from the crowd, the boards, the scribes. One battle had made him a name but names drew danger.

Carefully, he reached out. She stepped forward, and without a word, let the bronze token slide into Zephyr’s hand. It was warm, almost hot and heavier than it looked, like it carried more than just metal.

"I’m not agreeing to anything yet," Zephyr said, voice even. "I’ll hear you out."

Her flame colored eyes glinted. "That’s all we ask. Attend our guild hall tonight," she said. "Sponsorship discussion, ifyou are brave enough."

The tension in the air coiled like a spring.

Fenna stepped closer to Zephyr, her hand brushing his arm. She didn’t speak, but her body was angled protectively, and her glare toward the woman was sharp.

"What does the Phoenix Ring want with us?" she asked tightly. "Sponsorship comes with terms. What’s the price?"

The emissary turned her head slowly, regarding Fenna with the calm of someone used to opposition and the power to ignore it.

"The Phoenix Ring doesn’t take risks for free," she said. "But we do reward those who rise above the ash."

Her gaze returned to Zephyr. "Consider it... a rare opportunity. But it won’t be offered twice. It’s up to you. We won’t force anyone to join us."

Then, with the air of someone who always got the last word, she turned on her heel and swept back into the corridor, her cloak catching the light like wildfire. Moments later, her cloak caught the torchlight in gold red waves until she vanished.

For a long breath, no one spoke.

Zephyr turned the bronze token in his hand, the metal warm as if it had just left the forge. The phoenix emblem gleamed. He stared at it, unreadable thoughts flickering behind his eyes.

Fenna finally broke the silence. "You’re not actually going, are you?"

Zephyr didn’t answer at once. He looked down at Star, who returned the gaze with calm, quiet, but watching him closely.

"She’s right about one thing," Zephyr said. "We’re not normal. And the world’s going to keep noticing us."

He looked back toward the corridor where the woman had disappeared. "We don’t have to accept anything," he added. "But it doesn’t hurt to hear what they’re offering."

Arlen crossed his arms, lips pursed. "Just keep your wits about you. The Phoenix Ring isn’t some cozy tavern guild. They’ll raise you high then scorch you if you don’t play their game."

Zephyr nodded slowly. "Then I’ll go. Just to listen."

Fenna didn’t stop him. But the crease between her brows deepened.

He tucked the token into his pocket (again), and rested a hand on Star’s neck. The dragon closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

The fire of victory still glowed in Zephyr’s chest but now, a chill crept beneath it.

This wasn’t just about proving himself anymore. It was about navigating the storm that would follow.

Emberfall’s city halls sang with a deeper rhythm that evening.

By the time the sun dipped beneath the jagged skyline of chimneys and flame towers, the streets buzzed with carriages trimmed in brass and silk. Attendants in phoenix patterned robes lit floating lanterns along the inner ring of the city’s upper tier, each flame hovering with quiet precision. High above the ash markets and training pits lay the Phoenix Ring’s seat of power, a sweeping manor carved directly into the black rock of Emberfall’s volcanic ridge.

Zephyr stood at the edge of it, cloak pulled tight, Star coiled like a scaled satchel around his shoulder. The bronze token pressed cold against his palm, heavier than silver coins, heavier than his thoughts.

He had intended to come alone. But as soon as he had mentioned that he would go alone, Fenna had crossed her arms with a glare that could melt steel. "You’re not going without me."

Flashback!!

The candle flickered low in Arlen’s attic, casting lazy shadows across the warped ceiling. Zephyr sat cross-legged on the floor, bronze token spinning between his fingers, its phoenix emblem catching every shift of light. Star rested curled nearby, tail twitching slightly in his sleep, the steady rise and fall of his breathing the only sound in the quiet room.

Zephyr had just finished applying healing paste polishing Star’s harness when he turned to find Fenna glaring at him, arms crossed, brow furrowed with suspicion.

Fenna sat opposite him, polishing the edge of her dagger with a scrap of cloth, her eyes occasionally flicking toward him.

"You’ve been turning that thing over for half an hour," she said, voice tight.

Zephyr looked up. "I’m going to the banquet alone."

Fenna stopped polishing. "Excuse me?"

"I’ll go alone," he said again, more firmly this time. "The Phoenix Ring wants to talk. They’re offering resources, connections... I’ll just hear their offer and return."