Profit
Legacy Name: Profit

It started with a spark.

Ada peaked one sleepy eye open to understand: the flames were tearing her house down, caving it in around her.

While she heard her mother screaming in the distance, she focused on finding her most valued possession: "Smushy," her THX beanie baby. She had always called it variations of "Smushy"--"Smush", "Smushes", "Smooky"--but never it's official name: Brrowl.

She snapped her gaze to the left and instantly grabbed Smushes by the wing. Her relief flowed through her body, and she took a glance toward the bedroom door. Although closed, she realized her mother's screams were fading.

Her mother was all that was left of the family. Father was a trader and--perhaps--a conniving one, at that. But Ada had never once had an ill thought of Father. She adored him, and every time he returned home, Father would shower her with presents. Unfortunately, the last time had been with her was over eight months ago.

Evaluating the space around her, Ada realized there was one opening towards the sun-facing wall of her room. She whispered a small saying to herself--one her mother had once told her: "To succeed, you must set yourself on fire"--and darted towards the view of the sun-crested hills, framed by burnt wood and incinerated wallpaper.

The beam crashed down before she could register what was happening, forcing Ada to the floor and Smush to fall away from her deathly grip. When her small eyes opened again, the heat was overwhelming. She strained to find her little bird, but she was overtaken with exhaustion. In Ada's last moment, she stared at the one thing in front of her--the last gift from her father, a gold bracelet inscribed with the word "Profit."

§

One thought: nothing.

As her last breath was sucked out of her body by the fire, the last memory was nothing more than a dark void.

Time passed--days, months--continued on, ceasing to matter, ceasing to be counted or cared for.

And then, a flash.

The ground flared up like a firework; the light zig-zagged around the small pile of ashes that remained from the Brrowl. As the light seemed to liquify, two small wings appeared. Followed by a flowing tail and two sharp talons. The color changed from the bright flare to a deep scarlet reflecting flecks of gold: the colors of a Phoenix.

§

The green Kora readied her bow toward the furry squirrel. Their small fuzzy bodies disgusted Profit, and she nodded toward her Phoenix friend, Lively, to light the arrow with the tip of her tail.

However annoying the animal was, the squirrel drumsticks were quite amazing. Profit's greasy face gave way to a small smile as she caught sight of her small bracelet: the only clue to her mysterious past.