A gift and a promise

Nadani "Cherish" Malafonte is a Celestial Warlock and has gathered enough experience on her travels to be bestowed a Celestial Tome by her Patron Keahiel. This is how she received the Tome one night:

The forest is quiet this night. Peaceful. You have fought valiantly these last days and you and your companions are weary from the day’s efforts. But you have prevailed and rid the world of a small evil. Now it is time to rest. Your companions are fast asleep as you keep watch over them and you regard their resting faces as they lie around the campfire. You have grown quite fond of them and realize that you would go to great lengths to protect them. But you feel in your heart that there will be no need for that tonight. Wrapping a blanket around your shoulder you stare into the fire, listening to the crackle and occasional hiss of a log breaking. You watch the fire dancing and begin to let your mind wander. The fire has always calmed you. As a child you would make up stories from the shapes you could imagine in the flames.

Your gaze goes wide as you continue to watch the fire. Flames and embers. Ash and coal. Woosh. Flickering. Dancing. Woosh. Moving. Watching. Woosh. You hear an occasional powerful pulse. Or rather more feel it. Buffeting your body. Woosh. The flames. Woosh. A face! Woosh. Two golden eyes, impossibly bright! Woosh. Giant fiery wings! Woosh. You find yourself in the presence of a mighty winged creature. A being of pure flame. Graceful. Powerful. A Sun Phoenix!

Even though you are hardly able to avert your gaze from this powerful being you manage to take in your surroundings for a moment. You are floating! In a sunless space of pure light. In the distance you can see brilliant palaces, impossibly large. Translucent spires of pale blue glass. Winged creatures. The phoenix opens it’s beak, commanding your attention, and you hear a mighty screech. It terrifies you. But the voice you now hear in your head is kind and all fear is suddenly gone:

“Do not be afraid, child. You are safe here, though there is much in your world that may be feared. And you should fear that which is not of your world even more. For you are marked, child. You have been chosen by forces sinister and malevolent to carry out a dark plan even I cannot foresee. These are the powers vying for dominance over your very soul. You have felt this... But do not give in. You are resilient. You are strong. You are faithful and you are good. Your actions have shown me that above all you carry compassion in your heart. And great potential. For bringing the light. Or the dark.... I will call on you again. Until then: Go out and grow, child. See the world. Seek out its mysteries. Learn. Protect your friends. I will leave you with a gift. And a promise: All will be well....“ Woosh.
With a start you find yourself sitting in front of the campfire. Your heart is beating rapidly in your chest. You look around and see yourself surrounded by the familiar sleeping forms of your companions. In your lap there is a book. Your tome of light.