Chapter 14 - Phoenix Tears

I am so anxious to succeed with the Phoenix Flame that I've decided to make some copies of the recipe. My mind keeps conjuring possibilities where I lose the book and cannot complete the potion. Besides, I plan to give one of the copies to Ycarus.

And ironically, gathering the ingredients will take me back to Soren.

I was discussing the complexity of executing this potion with Twyla when I mentioned that I would need phoenix tears.

"I have no idea where to find a phoenix," I heard the unhappiness in my own voice.

"Phoenixes are difficult birds to find," Twyla agrees, while searching for a book on the shelf. "They are born when a large amount of magic acts in some place."

Impressive.

"Do I need to find such a place? Are these places known?"

"No, it's not like that," Twyla turns to me. "A phoenix emerges when someone performs a very powerful spell, or when a very powerful wizard dies, or where there are wars among magical people. All of this involves a great deal of magic and usually only results in the birth of a single phoenix."

Then I remember that Twyla is a phoenix sorceress.

"Why are you called a phoenix sorceress?" I ask on impulse.

"Well, there are a few reasons. Phoenixes are solitary animals. They do not mate or have offspring because they are born of magic. Phoenix sorceresses also do not have companions."

"You can't have relationships?"

Twyla seems to think of a way to explain it to me.

"I don't need to. I feel no attraction to other people, nor such needs."

Wow. That must be wonderful! I feel a bit envious, after all, I fell in love with the first man I interacted with.

"Have you never been in love? I still can't understand this."

"In a way, no. Not like you and Soren, for example. I form strong bonds of friendship, but without sexual interests."

I don't know what to say. I never imagined something like this.

"Besides, I can die seven times."

What?!

"Die? I mean, literally?"

"Yes. I have seven lives. As long as my body is burned."

My jaw drops, and I can't close my mouth.

"It's a great privilege. Adding up all the lives, I might be in this world for a very long time."

"And how did you become a phoenix sorceress?"

"Almost the same way you became a chimera. I was born this way, but I was born of a witch who died while casting a powerful spell."

Will magic ever stop surprising me?

"So, she's your mother?"

"In a way, yes. A phoenix never has a family, but in cases like mine, I carry characteristics of that witch. If it hadn't been like that, I would have been born a phoenix."

"If you hadn't inherited anything from that witch, would you have been born a bird?"

"Yes," Twyla laughs amused. "But I prefer the way it happened."

Me too.

"And who took care of you? Did you have an adoptive family?"

"I was never a baby. When the spell happened, the witch died, and I appeared. At a common human age, maybe I would have appeared at the age of 12. That's the appearance of a newly born phoenix sorceress."

"That's amazing!" It's the only thing I can say.

"Magic is amazing, Thalassa. And we don't know everything about it," Twyla says wisely. "But I have great news for you. I know where there is a phoenix in perfect condition to provide tears for your potion."

That's great. Great!

"Where?" I ask in a grateful tone because it's really great news.

"Right here. There's a phoenix in the palace. It belongs to Soren."

Damn!

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Soren's phoenix lives in the king's wing. Normally, only the king and his personal staff can enter there.

Twyla talked to Soren, and then he scheduled a day for me to collect tears from the phoenix.

Doing this is a process with some steps, so someone will help me with it. After all, it's my first time doing this job.

The tears must be collected at sunrise, so I have to get up very early.

It's still very dark when I start getting ready to go to the king's quarters. My pride demands that I look good and smell nice. Even if Soren and I are not destined to be together, I prefer him to see me like this. Although I don't know if I'll see him today.

At the appointed time, I walk to the king's wing. The castle is illuminated by lit torches and candles that never melt.

I get a little nervous as I approach. The possibility of meeting Soren is still a problem.

"Okay," I tell myself. "I'll be ready to leave this castle and live my life soon. Life won't always be this agony. It's just a phase."

A man waits for me at the king's wing door, where two guards are stationed. The man has long silver hair, tied in a braid. I've heard of him; he's Mason, responsible for the entire king's wing. One of the most respected people in the castle, according to Lumina and Veridian.

Mason smiles when he sees me.

"Welcome, Thalassa."

He doesn't offer a handshake or anything. So, I respond with a simple "Thank you."

He guides me inside, and the king's wing surprises me. I expected a luxurious place that demonstrated the great wealth of Soren's kingdom. But the word is clean. The decoration is somewhat minimalist. Elegant and pleasant, each item seems to serve a purpose. There are parts of the palace with much more imposing decoration than here.

I pass by a few paintings on the walls, always representing places in Eldoria and the surrounding villages. The wing is large and has a garden, a library, and a garden overlooking Eldoria. I can't resist taking a look at the city; the view is beautiful since we're in the highest part of the castle.

We reach a door with beautiful carvings of leaves and branches. Mason opens the door and gives me passage. The room is beautiful.

An exquisite spherical cage is suspended on one side. The golden bars of the cage are adorned with intricate patterns resembling dancing flames, capturing my gaze immediately. A part of the cage has no bars, and through it, I see an oval nest, from which some long feathers in shades of red, orange, and gold emerge. I can't see the whole bird, but judging by the long feathers, it must be about two meters long.

"She will wake up to greet the sunrise," Mason tells me and leaves.

I was so absorbed in the beauty of the cage that I didn't react. But now that Mason is gone, I realize that I'm struggling. First because I have no idea how to collect phoenix tears. And second, because this bird is larger than me. Could it simply wake up and get annoyed that I'm here and decide to kill me? The memory of an illustration I saw in a book doesn't help, as I remember the sharp claws the bird has. I walk to the door determined not to become phoenix food, and when I open the door, my heart races.

Soren looks at me from the other

side, first surprised by the abrupt opening of the door, then he looks at me fondly and gives me one of his beautiful smiles. I try not to melt.

"Have you met Solaris?" he asks me in a whisper. I try to understand what he says, and then I realize that Solaris must be the name of the phoenix. Soren enters, and I step back to let him pass.

"She's still sleeping," I reply softly, but I don't like the sound of my voice. Why do I always speak like a frightened maiden when I'm with Soren? I am a maiden, and I am scared, but I don't need to show it.

Soren looks to the side, and then I notice a large opening that leads to the sunrise. In fact, there are only columns, and there is no wall on this side of the room. Someone could just fall there. I imagine that it's like this so that the phoenix can come and go as it pleases and also have a perfect view of the sunrise.

"She's about to wake up," Soren whispers to me. We are very close, and I can feel the warmth of his body. "The sun is already rising."

Indeed, a brightness begins to break against the darkness. But we'll still have to wait a few minutes to see the sun. On an impulse, Soren pulls me toward him. My back sticks to his chest, and he buries his face in my hair. My whole body shivers. I should run away; I shouldn't allow him to do this.

But I stay there, warming myself in his body's heat. I wasn't cold, but now I feel like I would freeze if I moved away. Soren hugs me, and we stand there quietly waiting for the sunrise and Solaris to wake up.

Every now and then, Soren kisses my face or smells my hair. And I simply can't stop him.

But then we are interrupted by the bird starting to move in the nest. And when Solaris gets up, I have the most beautiful sight I've ever had in my life.