The Phoenix's Prophecy

*Chapter Seven*

*Chapter Seven*

The next day I woke up at early in the morning. I went out to the balcony and a wave of fresh water and forest scent hit my nostril. The sun was just rising, and the buildings and landscapes were casted with rays of red and orange. It was a rare, beautiful scene. A few runars were already up and were chatting animatedly with each other.

I went back in the room and decided to take a walk in the castle. I saw servants bustled about in the castle. It took me a few turns and twists in the tortuous corridor to get to the hall where they served breakfast. The room was huge, and it was decorated in a modern way.

Melody sat on the front of the table with Ace to her left and Ashling to her right. The sunlight streamed in through the window, giving the whole place a warm look. A variety of all kinds of food were served: bread, toasts, pancakes, eggs, and sausages. It looked like one of those breakfasts you would expect to see every morning in the mansion of a rich family. It looked perfectly human. I tentatively took my seat next to Ace and saw that the servants were pouring a deep, thick liquid into the glass for Ace, Ashling, and Melody. I had a vague idea about what that liquid was.

“Is that...?” I trailed off.

“It's human blood,” Melody answered easily like we were talking about today's weather. “We drink blood although we can survive on human food.”

“Why would you live on blood if you can survive on human food?” I asked confused.

“We can survive on human food but that makes us extremely weak. Blood can be easily found, and it provides high enough energy for us to use our power freely.”

A question was just starting to form in my head when Ashling answered the unasked question.

“No, you don't have to kill someone to take his or her blood if that was what you were going to ask.”

Those people were sure creepy.

I heard footsteps echo on the immaculately clean marble floor and saw Ray enter the room. His eyes swept through the room, and he paused on me. The frown on my face was definitely getting deeper as he walked towards me. He casually pulled the chair out from right next to me and sat down. I rolled my eyes at him and tried to ignore him. A servant came and began to pour fresh human blood into the glass before him.

“You never told me this,” I started. “What are you?”

Curiosity was burning inside of me. He didn't answer but took a long drink from the glass.

“You wouldn't want to know,” he said with a small smirk.

“I do!” I protested.

“Learn your manners,” he answered curtly before shooting Melody a look.

“Amy,” Melody said in a perfectly calm voice, “I can't help you on this,” she gave me an apologetic look and explained. “It is considered rude to ask a being what that person's species is if you are not close to that person.”

“But I've known him ever since...ever since I had any memory!”

“I'm done. Thanks for the meal, Melody,” Ray said politely before excusing himself.

I groaned. Now that I think about it, although he's been my neighbour for all I know, I barely even know him at all! I mentally reproached myself for even letting myself to think about him. He wasn't worth my time. After downing a few slices of toasts and pancakes, I excused myself.

“Wait, Amy,” Melody called. “Your training will start in half an hour, go change your clothes. You wouldn't want to train with Ashling wearing a skirt.”

I looked down at my attire. I had picked the first thing I saw in the closet, and it was a white blouse with a black polka dotted knee-length skirt. Well, I have to admit that it wasn't something you would wear to go for training.

Half an hour later, I stood in an empty yard with Ashling facing me. As far as I knew, I've never seen her smile even once ever since I came here.

“Good luck,” Ace called out to me.

“Ashling may be a bit strict, but she's a good fighter,” Melody assured me.

I tried not to let the way Melody had said a bit, and Ace's sympathetic look get on my nerves. Melody had to go after a messenger had came and reported to Melody that there were a few missing cases in the outskirt of the city. Melody had to return to her study to take care of it. Ace stayed to watch me by the side. He had insisted that he wanted to watch, but I think it was more of the fact to not let Ashling kill me during a fight.

I started with running ten laps around a huge four hundered meter race track. I was panting when Ashling yelled at me for getting up.

“Stand with your legs apart,” Ashling commanded. “Not like that. Have you never went for a single martial art lesson in your life?”

I tried not to let her attitude bother me and did as she told. Another half an hour later, I looked like I had just gone for swimming with my clothes on.

“What is this? Your stamina is so weak.”

Right, I thought sarcastically, I'm still human just so you know.

She tossed me a wooden sword, and I forced myself to face her while still panting.

“Hold your sword with your left hand behind your right,” she demonstrated the move. “Stand with your legs slightly apart.”

She made sure that I had the right pose before she lunged at me. Totally taken by surprise, I side-stepped to the right which earned me an angry growl from her.

“I want you to attack me not dodge me! Get it?”

I nodded my head frantically.

“Again,” she commanded.

This time, I didn't dodge but raised my own wooden sword to meet hers. Her force shocked me, and I suddenly lost my grip on the sword. The blade of the wooden sword bit into my shoulder, and I knelt down in pain.

“Get up,” she said coldly.

“Ashling,” Ace said in an alarmed tone, “that was too much. her body is still human.”

“I'm training her, Ace.”

Ace got the point and stayed silent.

“Watch your opponent closely,” she instructed.

I used my sword to help me get up. This time, I used my entire concentration on her. I focused on her body stance so that I know where I would attack.

There was a slight dip of her body before she attacked me. I brought my own sword in front of me just in time as hers came crashing down. I knocked her sword away and aimed for her chest. She easily ducked it and swiped my legs out using her right leg. I tumbled to the ground.

She took her position again, and I slowly got up to my feet. This was going to last long.

*

“How was it?” Melody asked when she saw me coming in to the house.

My body was sore from head to toe. I have purple and black bruises that were just forming, and I knew that there would be a whole lot more tomorrow. Ashling was beyond strict. From the way she attacked me, you would think that she was going to kill me. Ace had said some soothing words about how I did a great job as the first lesson and how Ashling was just abnormally strong when it comes to physical fighting.

“Melody, it was hell. You would think that she was going to kill me.”

Melody chuckled.

“Ashling sure can be scary when she fights.”

Melody called a healer, and my wounds were healed in an instant. I was extremely grateful to that because I know I would need plenty of healing to get me out of this alive.

I focused my thoughts on Zach. I convinced myself that I was doing all of this for Zach. I can't give up now that I have a way to get him back.