The phoenix in the Wind

Ch 2: Father

Everything is dark around me. I am guessing that my body is resting while I am awake. So Xavier and Sky, they were saying something about Father. Who was he again? Oh! Yeah, he's my father as well as theirs, but no not theirs, they came much later. Yeah, that's right.

Father! Father! Father!

Ah! Yes, I remember, he was not very nice. Not to me, not to Xavier and certainly not to Sky.

Sky! Sky! Sky!

I don't like her. I never liked her. She was way too bubbly and always came between me and Xavier. And when I told her off for that, she'd make a pout and act like I was bullying her in front of Xavier and Father. Because of her, I had to be punished and grounded by Father way too many times. I had to stay in my room all alone, without Xavier, without my plants and without food sometimes too. My punishments resulted in closeness between that annoying girl and Xavier.

Why! Why would he do that when he knew that she got me in trouble with Father? It seriously escapes me why he got close to her. He and I were together for longer, we went through so much together and she came much later when Father's training had stopped. I think that the reason Father didn't punish Sky that much was because she was in some way useful to him. It is all becoming so clear now. Oh! It comes to me now that we are running from Father. Yes, we ran away from him using a portal in the Room of Doorways. But why are we still running. Hmmm... must be because he's still chasing us. No, he's not the one chasing us. It's his pet. Yeah, his demonic cat for a pet. It is a very frightening creature that my father made years ago when I was much smaller and Xavier and Sky were not there.

Shit!!! That damned creature is hunting us now. This is bad, Very Bad. Being the prey of such a creature, I mean. It's not like anything normal. It's a very terrifying thing. That thing is capable of giving you petrifying nightmares and even more horrifying death.

Between my panic, I hear Sky calling me. It's time to wake up huh. Hence, I open my eyes and my bodily senses return. I feel parched. My throat is dry. I need water. Seeing the look on my face Xavier gives me some of the saved fruit from before saying, "Make do with this right now, Sky has found a river nearby. Let's go towards it." After reaching the river, we finally drink some water and clean ourselves a bit. I clean my wound on the shoulder and hair. It was all dried and dirty. Ugh, I hate this long hair. Why in the world do I have it, I wonder.

I am sitting on a rock by the riverside with my feet dangling in the water. I see my companions together in the waist-deep water, giggling and splashing water on each other. I feel like such a third wheel because of them. Now they are looking at each other. From my point of view, they both look like they are in love, which they are, with each other I mean. I know it; it's just like how I read in the books. They were romantic stories. We had lots of books in the house, in the grand library, my second favourite place after the outdoors. Anyways back to Xavier and Sky, I don't like this, me and Xavier we grew apart because of Sky. I wonder if he has forgotten that I am his best friend. It makes my heart ache really.

It is evening now. "It's getting dark, we should rest here for the night and move along the river from tomorrow onwards" I suggest. Xavier agrees with me and adds, "Yeah we should do that, although we should sleep on the tree branches as it could be dangerous to sleep on the ground". Good idea. I reply with a nod. We catch a small animal that had come to the riverside to quench its thirst, after grilling it in the fire made by Xavier, we fill our stomachs. The fire, Xavier made with his bare hands, he has control over it, he can bend it to his will as well. I and Sky have control over the elements of wind and water respectively. I believe our kind is called elementalists. That is why Sky was able to locate the river. My ability hasn't come into use yet, but I believe that soon I will have to use it for defence and combat too maybe.