[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BAgBnCI.png[/img]
[color=7ea7d8][h1]Alfred Gunther/The Frostbite[/h1]
[i]Never One...

Without the Other[/i][/color]

[u][b]The Phoenix Lodge, Mount Saint Helens, Washington State (Five Minutes Remaining)[/b][/u][/center]

The Phoenix Lodge was a peculiar location, though the outside appearance of a somewhat ordinary, if not rich mansion might tell otherwise. It serves as the meeting place of all the phoenixes scattered throughout the world, and was thus made to be as hidden and inconspicuous as possible in order to avoid detection from even the magical hunters of the Cabal. To this end, it is rigged to teleport to a random location in the wilderness every single hour, though its keeper, the aptly named Dominus Astra and the first of the Phoenixes, is able to warp the whole mansion to another place should the situation necessitate it. 

Alfred knew of this place only from memories derived from Frostbite’s previous hosts. Until this day, he had never set his eye on it, let alone set foot within its hallowed halls. Now, though, he was here, thanks to the portal of his primogenitor.

The Machine God quickly morphed into his human form; a young man with swarthy skin and a rather… luxurious sense of fashion. It seemed like that whatever time he didn’t spend on technological shenanigans would be dedicated to getting the best tailor around. As for Dominus Astra, the great celestial phoenix did not morph, for he did not choose a human host, and probably never will. Instead, he simply flew off to another section of the gigantic mansion without a word.

“Well, brother,” the human host of the Machine God turned around, willing the lights around them to come to life, “I haven’t been introduced to you yet. I’m Kareem. The rest you probably already know, since I’m the only one that was recently hosted, along with you, Alfred was it?.”

“Uh huh,” Alfred nodded, still unsure on what his reaction should be despite his derivative memories telling him that this was the annoying brat of the family. “Well, who else is here? I don’t imagine everyone is here now, right?”

Kareem nodded, the phoenix within him urging him to press on with those burning questions. “Well, Blaze is here, along with Naturespawn, Joygiver, and uh… the Artisan.”

“And look at who is here.”

The fluttering of wings coincided with the harmonious clanging of bells and chimes, as the Joygiver landed upon the nearby perch, staring down upon the two humans. “The Machine God, and the Frostbite. It has been quite a while my brothers, yes?”

Now, the Joygiver was different from the rest of them. While most of the Phoenixes ranged from apathetic at best and chaotic at worst, the Joygiver is a heroic character. She is part of one of those superhero teams, and because of that, the Cabal cannot touch her without inciting the wrath of her compatriots. Now, many of her siblings have done the same and gain the benefits of having allies, but the others are far too arrogant. Others have done bad things and thus could never be inducted into a team like hers…

“Yes, sister,” Alfred nodded, recalling this phoenix of festivity and explosive firecrackers from the memories of previous hosts as well. “It has been a while.”

“Oh, I fret at your prospect, brother Frost,” the Joygiver continued, slightly giggling as she spoke. “You destroyed the sorcerers that held you in chains, and the people now see you as a villain for it. And they’re now looking for you…”

“I know,” Alfred answered, and fell silent for a few moments. “Either way, do you know what happened with the family I left behind in Juneau?”

“Relocated to the city where I hold jurisdiction," the Joygiver replied, sprinkling magical glitter that coalesced into a scenery of the other Gunthers doing business as usual in what looked like to be an island. "The Cabal cannot move in Puerto Rico. I will make sure of it, so you need not worry. But I wonder what you'll do now. Those sorcerers might not be able to chase your family, but if you go to them, my compatriots and other heroes will surely know to hunt you as well."

"Perhaps you can finish what you started."

Summer Blaze, ever the pyromaniac, came down upon the immaculate wooden flooring, which was unharmed by her flaming form. "It is what you want, after all. They threatened your family and your friends. Not that the rest of us should be involved, but yeah."

Alfred shrugged. That is indeed what he and the Frostbite wanted. In some places, those duplicitous sorcerers, who stole vast portions of Dominus Astra's energy to create the other phoenixes, have sunken their claws deep into civil governance. He was already seen as a villain, and no amount of public explanations will change that. He will just have to live it out.
.