Editing Resplendent Aria of Flame (section)

== Phoenix Rising ==

Tepet Rimara was of an old bloodline, but a disgraced one, a doomed campaign in the North leaving it a shadow of its former self. Like many of the remaining Dragonblooded heirs of House Tepet, Rimara struggled to restore her families glory through her actions. In her case she pursued her duties as magistrate with literally religious zeal, racking up accomplishments and hunting down Anathema throughout the Northwestern Threshold.

One particular Anathema she chased for over six months, as it proved maddeningly difficult to track. The demon - a Blasphemer, by eyewitness accounts - cut across the wilderness without any regard for roads and thoroughfares, and did not leave a single trace nor footprint in its wake. But Rimara was able to follow it, nonetheless, as it left a different kind of trail.

A village formerly troubled by a wandering beast (that the Anathema had slain). A ramshackle town in a dangerous area where the guards had arms and armor whose quality would not be shameful in the Legions (apparently provided free of charge). A village until recently extorted by their local god (who had since ceased his heresy). A village with a brand new copper mine (excavated in the mountain via the use of explosives). Rimara learned the signs of the Anathema's passing, with time.

She also began to grow very irritated, for a number of reasons she wouldn't have been fully able to articulate.

Rimara caught up with the demon once. Passing through a town that had been having trouble with nearby bandits, Rimara had a good idea of where her quarry would be found. Unfortunately she was a bit too early. While the Wyld Hunt was well-equipped and well suited to slaughtering a bunch of bandits, they were still in no shape after the battle to fight the demon-goddess who strolled into the bandit camp afterward.

It was the first time Rimara had met the Anathema face to face. The descriptions had not done her any justice. She was like a goddess out of a sculpture or a painting, a beauty enough to make one's heart stop... where they not aware that this was a demon wearing that flawless face like a mask. The Anathema regarded her with terrifying intent, and Rimara felt that her death had come. It raised its weapon, and Rimara was left to no choice but to trust her armor's protection against fire - one of the reasons she had taken it upon herself to spearhead this particular Wyld Hunt, in fact, as the demon was known to use a firewand - and to her luck. A thin stream of fire shot past her left ear, immolating the last remaining bandit that had been sneaking up behind her.

Rimara's eyes met red ones that burned like fire, and she got the sense that the demon was reading her down to her very soul. Apparently liking what she saw, the demon gave her an approving smile that gave her a surge of pride despite herself. Giving Rimara a playful wink, the demon turned and was gone. Rimara sank to the ground, in no shape to chase after her.

She was getting really, really irritated.

Then her quarry's behavior changed. Instead of wandering randomly about the wilderness, she started to travel with a merchant caravan. This gave Rimara pause, as she had not brought even troops to assault it (and she was well aware that the Blasphemers could ingratiate themselves into any group - she couldn't count on the caravan to not resist). She resigned herself to following from a distance - at least it was easier to track than the thing itself.

And then one fateful day the caravan rolled into a small, sleepy village, and Rimara camped near the outskirts, out of sight. Then there was confusion and battle and the march of the unquiet dead. And when it was all over there was Rimara lying on the ground bleeding out her last, and the Anathema watching over her with sorrow. The sight of that face contorted in grief would make the stoniest heart melt (again, were one not aware that it was actually a hideous demon on the inside).

"I'm sorry." It said, head bowed. "If I had known you were there, I could have saved you."

"..." Rimara said nothing, too busy bleeding to death. Blearily, she thought back on her life and all the things she had accomplished. There were fewer regrets that she thought, really. Only... this land was clearly tainted by the Underworld...

"Your corpse will not rise as a hungry ghost." The Anathema assured, as if sensing the direction of her thoughts. "Your soul will find its way to peaceful rest. I swear it, by the Five Dragons... and the Unconquered Sun."

"Heh." Rimara managed a choking laugh. "You know, for a Blasphemous demon-goddess destined to bring ruin to the world, you're not so ba-"