Snippy Liz and Planing

All I feel is the heat from the fire surrounding me.

My mind cleared as the blaze around me calmed down.

I said of course not expecting anything but it seems she wasn't lying as the flames went away I felt far better than I ever felt before.

I stood up but I'm far shorter than before. "Brother?"

I turned over to my sister who looked at me with apprehension. *Caw?*

'Caw?' I glanced at my arms but what I saw were wings that emitted flame.

"Do you recognize me?" Sammy was still crying and nodded. She looked relieved but I still heard crying. 'What am I?'

'What happened to That Liz person?' I tried to find her but I saw Sarah crying over who I think is Liz.

"She's alive Sarah, she just lost consciousness from the pain." Rick was trying to get my niece to calm down.

"But we made her go through that! Waaa!" She didn't stop crying, she started to cry harder.

'God what a mess... Why do I want to help her?' I have the overwhelming need to help her far past gratefulness can achieve.

.

..

.

"Hm." Liz tried to roll over but couldn't.

"Arg." Liz's head ached, forcing her awake.

Liz opened her eyes still groggy and saw Sarah laying on her with swollen eyes. 'Did she cry herself to sleep on my lap?... God my head hurts.'

Liz scanned the room and didn't recognize it. 'At least the bed is nice.'

Liz carefully shifted Sarah on the bed and got up. She was hit with a wave of nausea that almost made her throw up. 'I hate this feeling.'

"Just got to get something to eat and drink." Liz opened the door and realized that she in the room across from Sarah's. 'Do they even have plumbing?'

Liz slowly made her way down the stairs to avoid falling. 'They have guns so they do... Right?'

"Lass! your up." Temarick who was playing cards with a bird was happy to Liz up but he noticed she had a sour expression.

"Yep." Liz made eye contact with the bird. No, she knew that was a phoenix or more precisely Ben, the person she used her skill on. 'Good it worked.'

"How long was I out?" Liz slowly walked over to the kitchen.

"only three hours shockingly." Ben said as he struggled to flip a card without damaging it before Temarick flipped it for him.

"just two? explains why I'm still so nauseous." Liz saw they had a frigid opening it to see what was in it.

Temarick was about to answer when she answered Ben. "Did you just understand what Ben said?"

"You can't?" Liz pulled out carrots, parsnips and potatoes out of the fridge.

'Ok? Is it because of the pain?' Temarick thought as he watched as she rifled through the cupboards and pulled out a cup and a pot.

"Sam won't be mad I cooked something right?" Liz sat the pot under in a sink and turned on a facet hoping it would work.

"No she wouldn't as long you make enough for Sarah." Ben commented as he flipped a card by himself.

Liz Pleasantly surprised when water actually came out. "This water is safe right?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Temarick didn't understand the concern. He turned back to the card game and realized he was losing.

"I guess you wouldn't know since you only seem to drink vodka." Liz took the pot out, placing it on a stove top and filled the cup before drinking it. 'Hm... nothing wrong.'

Temarick blinked at unexpected insult. Ben started cackling.

"Whatev- Oh there it is." Liz leaned into the sink and threw up the water she just drank plus some bile along with it.

Ben shut up seeing this. "should you be up?"

"Haa... Noone else knows how cook here and I need to replace the blood you took." Liz washed her mouth out before doing the same with her hands.

"Blood? What happened with your skill?" Temarick never heard about that.

"I accidentally activated it before it then told me that it's description was wrong and if there wasn't enough fire it would take my life force as a substitute." Liz turned on a burner and started wash the stuff she took from the fridge.

"It was wrong? Wait life force?!" Ben stopped to turn to Liz.

Liz finished washing the food, putting it on a cutting board and started peeling potatoes. "It named it that because it was the most fitting name for my atp, blood, protein and calories. I'm surprised it didn't try to take my liver as well."

"What is atp?" Temarick never heard the word this time.

Liz glanced at Temarick and saw he was serious. "It's what makes everything in your body work."

"Isn't that blood?" Ben mumbled as he walked closer to Liz to see what she was making.

"It's what's... you know what? Ask me when I'm not so lightheaded. does she have salt?" Liz moved on to grabing a kitchen knife and cutting the vegetables into thin slices much faster then you would expect.

"Sammy has a small amount." Ben replied as he clumsily jumped up on a chair next to the kitchen to help point it out.

Liz stared at a glass container holding what would be at most be a gram of salt. "She can keep it... Where is Sam?"

"Sammy is out front, she isn't sure

how to feel about this situation." Ben watched as Liz finished chopping she went over to the pot that wasn't done heating up and stuck hand in the fire the burner was making.

Liz felt her headache fade and felt bad for what she said to Temarick. "I'm sorry Temarick. I'm sure you drink for some reason but I've always hated that stuff."

Temarick realized her sour expression was gone. "It's fine but what made you feel better?"' 'I should stop drinking...'

"Fire, it seems that fire helped me recover somehow, I'm probably going need change my instincts when it comes to fire now. By the way if I'm going to do that again we're going to need more fire... A lot more." Liz held her hand in the burner flame as they talked.

"So you'll do it? I thought you might not considering your screams of pain last time." Temarick mulled over ways to get around the cost of life force.

"Yeah, I think it'll be better next time but I'll see how Sam feels about it. Tell me when the water reaches a rolling boil please." Liz went out to the front and saw Sam sitting at one of the tables.

As Liz got closer she smelled wine and that Sam was talking to herself. "I'm soorry James I killed someone becauuse of my oown desperatioon."

Liz knew this would only get worse for Sam. "I'm not dead though."

Sam turned around letting Liz see that she has emptied a bottle of wine and was halfway through another. "See Jaames she's a ghost aas well!"

"I think you should stop with this." Liz took the wine from her.

"Nooo~ you beecame a polltergeisst." Sam tried to reach for the wine but couldn't even keep her head straight.

"Do you still want me to Phoenix rebirth Sarah?" Liz checked the front door but luckily it blocked off with one of the merchandise shelves.

"Of coorse annything for my baby but your dead and suffered." Sam slumped on the table and fell asleep.

"Definitely going to have to ask again later but we can start planning at least." Liz shifted Sam into a more comfortable position.

"It's boiling moth- Miss." Liz turned to Ben who was next to Temarick. 'Did I miss hear?'

"Temarick could you take Sam upstairs please." Liz walked to the fridge and placed the bottle of wine in it.

"Sure... oh, she got into the wine." Temarick gingerly picked Sam up and went upstairs.

Liz slowly dumped all the chopped up food in the pot and turned to Ben. "Did they tell you that you can take a human form?"

Ben's beak went ajar. "Really!? How?"

"Sadly I don't know the requirements the skill have set but my guess is something to do with level. How do you even level up?" Liz grabbed a spoon and stirred the pot.

"The easiest way currently is to dispel curse's. Wait you don't know how to?" Ben answered before he understood what it meant.

"I have a iffy teacher and didn't they tell you my background?" Liz put her back in the fire.

"No, is it that important?" Ben felt like she was important but he's been feeling that ever since he changed.

"I'm someone from a different world who is currently inhabiting the body of the mother of phoenixs so yes, important." Liz walked over to the couch and sat down.

Liz and Ben heard fast thumping heading down the stairs. "Miss Phoenix!"

"Ouph! Hi Sarah." Liz was tackled with far more force then last time.

Liz felt water on her stomach from where Sarah buried her head in. 'She's already crying again.'

"I'm fine now Sarah, it doesn't even hurt." Liz rubbed Sarah's head to calm her.

Sarah calmed down and mumbled from Liz's stomach. "You don't have to do that for me."

"It's fine Sarah, it was my fault I got hurt." Liz let Sarah stay there and switched to talking to Temarick who just came down the stairs. "Did you think of a place?"

Temarick looked at Sarah then back to Liz. "Yeah, there's a lumber mill in town."

"Nice, that should work, where is it?" Liz noticed they had map set out.

"Although there's a problem with it." Ben chimed in.

"What?" Liz stared at the map that had lumber mill, super market, town hall and several spots outside town was marked with black circles.

Temarick pointed at the mill. "A curse pillar was placed here."

Liz felt wrong just hearing about it. "Curse pillar?"

Ben hopped closer. "They spit out any goblins we kill."

"We can break them right?" Liz was met with nods.