Phoenix stared at the ceiling. Today was her thirteenth birthday, and the day she would leave for the fledging center. She groaned and rolled out of bed, trudging into the kitchen where her mother, Dragoon, was making breakfast.
"Hey. Breakfast is almost ready, then we need to leave."
"Mung." Phoenix wasn't at the point where she was able to have a coherent conversation yet.
Dragoon looked at her daughter, still in pajamas with bedhead hair sticking out around her face like a halo. "Go clean up. I won't have you seen in public like that."
"Mrmh." Phoenix turned around and went to her room. She got dressed and fixed her hair, then came back to the kitchen. "Better?"
"Yes." Dragoon offered a plate of eggs and toast to the girl. "You did pack last night?"
"Yes Mom. Got the bag right here." She held up a red backpack, tattered from years of use.
"Good. Hurry up, the lines will be getting long at the registry."
Phoenix shoveled more eggs into her mouth. "Hurrying!"
Dragoon stood up. "The center is open now, people will start to come in. We need to leave."
"Coming, coming." Phoenix jumped up, hitting her knee on the table. "Gah!" She grabbed at her knee, but continued moving out the door. She sat down in the car, breathless.
"We're walking." Dragoon reminded her, "It's like two blocks."
"Mom!"
"Get out of the car."
She slowly got up, unbuckling and sighing. She headed east, her mother following close behind. When they arrived, Phoenix tilted her head.
"That- that's a Watrea girl. What's she doing here? Mom, this is the Firii fledging center. Right?"
YOU ARE READING
Elemental
FantasyIn a world inhabited by personifications of the four elements, a teenage girl must face something more difficult than anything ever attempted: unifying the Elementals.
