The Phoenix Prophecy

The Phoenix Prophecy

Book II – Chapter 1 – Part 3

Sunday, August 16,^, 1998

Alec: (7:30 AM)

I awoke to find myself sitting upright in the middle of the bed, breathing hard, and drenched in sweat. This was the fifth morning in a row that I had been awakened by horrible nightmares. Ever since the elves had released me from their care, I had been having vivid nightmares in which I was constantly being pursued by basilisks. The end result was always the same. I would die a horrid death as they sunk their poisonous fangs into my flesh over and over again. These nightmares were really beginning to annoy me. What really irritated me about them was that I had no idea how to make them go away.

I slipped out of bed after my breathing quickly returned to normal and headed for the bathroom. After peeling my sweat soaked nightshirt over my head, I started filling the tub with warm water. While I waited for the tub to fill, I walked over to the washbasin and looked at my face in the mirror. My eyes were a little red, but that was not what drew my attention. I did not look like myself, or at least the self that I remembered. Staring back at me from the mirror was an older me. The change in my facial features was subtle but definitely noticeable. For starters, my hair was darker and I needed a shave. Having only shaved once before in my life—and that being more from ego than a real need—I felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of this part of manhood. Looking closer, I realized that my jaw was more pronounced and my skin seemed tighter. I almost felt as if my dad were staring back at me from the mirror.

While I was feeling the stubby growth on my cheeks and jaw the water flowing into the tub shut itself off. I quickly immersed myself in the water and for the next several minutes I was content to just float, moving as little as possible. Having never been a person to spend a long time in the tub, I was startled when I suddenly realized that I had been floating long enough for the water to cool off noticeably. I washed up quickly and dried off in half the time it took to wash. While I was drying, I noticed that my face was not the only part of me that had changed. My whole body was different. Gone was the last of what mom called ‘baby fat’. My arm, legs and chest were lean, but distinctly muscled. Something had definitely changed since leaving the farm. I suspected that the time I had spent on Eden had more than a little to do with the changes my body had undergone.

Abruptly, I felt a little sheepish for being so caught up in myself and the changes in my body. ‘Vanity is one vice you definitely don’t need,’ I told my reflection in the mirror. Returning to the bedroom, I quickly dressed and headed for the common room to see who else was up and about. I expected to find mom as she was normally up with the twins by this time of the morning, but she was not there. The room was completely empty, which seemed a little odd. As usual, the elves had set out a small table of food and drink that contained far more than I was used to having for breakfast. After filling a small plate—as I wasn’t all that hungry—I poured a glass of apple juice and headed outside. I knew that the sun would already be shinning on a spot that overlooked the magnificent valley in which the elves made their home. Following the winding path to the edge of the plateau, I quickly reached the entrance to a private little spot where I liked to be alone to just sit and think. Slipping through a narrow passageway between two large rocks, I stopped dead in my tracks.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded rather loudly.

“Waiting for you,” Nicole replied. “No need to shout. I’m not deaf, you know.”

She was sitting on a large quilt in the middle of the small grass covered area between several large formations of rock. The rocks formed a small cove from which the entire valley was visible. Beside her on the quilt, I spotted a small basket.

“Please, sit down,” she said after I just stood there looking down at her, unable to believe that she was in my private spot.

“How did you find this place, and how did you know that I—

“If you would just please sit down, I would be happy to tell you,” she interrupted. The frown on her face instantly changed to a warm, friendly smile as she patted the quilt beside her.

I had been looking forward to coming to this spot where I could sit in solitude and think about the events that had transpired over the past few days. Finding Nicole here was the last thing that I had expected. She had barely said ten words to me over the past five days. When I had asked mom about it, she had told me that Nicole was having a difficult time adjusting, but that she would come around in time. Looking down at her smiling face, it was apparent that she had ‘come around.’ I was annoyed to find her in my spot, but yet, I was also happy to see her. Suppressing an impulse to turn and leave, I sat down facing her. For some unknown reason she made me nervous. I was just about to stand up and leave when she started to speak.

“I see that you have brought your own breakfast,” she began. “If you want more, just ask as I brought enough food for the both of us. As to how I know about this place, I followed you yesterday morning when you left the tree house. I wanted to talk with you but I lost you when you left the path. It took me awhile to find this place, but by then you had left.”

“If you wanted to talk with me, why didn’t you just come up to me in the tree house?”

“I wanted us to have a chance to talk alone. The tree house is always so crowded. Catching you outside seemed like a much better idea. Once I found this spot, I knew it was just the place I was looking for.”

“You didn’t find this spot, I did,” I replied testily. I didn’t know why I was upset, I just was.

“You are quite right. You did find this spot first. Please don’t be angry with me?” The smile on her face was gone. She looked like she didn’t have a friend in the world.

“I’m not angry with you,” I replied softly, feeling guilty for having been rude to her. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. After everything you have been through lately, you don’t need me adding to your grief.”

“But that’s just it, you have—

“I said I was sorry,” I interrupted.

“No, I didn’t mean…

Tears began to well up in her eyes and she quickly covered her face with her hands. I knew that she was crying but I was uncertain as to what to do about it. Why did girls have to cry over everything anyway? I was totally confused as to what I should do. Part of me felt that the best course of action seemed to be to sit still and wait until she was through crying. Another part of me wanted to do something to ease the suffering she was going through. Remembering what it felt like when I thought that both of my parents had been killed, I began to get an inkling of what Nicole must be going through.

Cautiously, I moved over next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. I must have startled her as she jumped when I touched her. Instinctively, I yanked my hand back when she jumped. Uncovering her face, she looked at me with big, sad eyes that were even more blood-shot than my own. Before I could say that I was sorry for having startled her, she laid her head in my lap. Now I really didn’t know what to do. After a bit, I began to caress the top of her head while running my fingers through her hair. This seemed to help as she stopped crying almost immediately. We remained in this position for several more minutes without talking until she pushed herself into a sitting position and smiled warmly at me.

“Feeling better?” I asked, returning her smile.

“Yes, much, thank you.”

“I am truly sorry for upsetting you,” I replied even though I wasn’t sure exactly what I had done. Somehow, it just seemed to be the right thing to say. I didn’t want her to start crying again, especially on my account.

“It wasn’t your fault, really. What I tried to tell you was that I was terribly upset and frightened when Lemke brought you and your dad back in such horrible shape. I don’t know what I would have done if you, or your dad, had not survived.”

“It takes a lot to kill us,” I replied. “Dad was much worse off than I was and he didn’t die. He has only been up and around for a day and already he is pretty much back to normal.”

“Yes, I noticed that. I overheard your mother saying something to Madelyn about him, but I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I’m sure she didn’t. Mom and dad love each other very much, but occasionally one will get on the other’s nerves. Nothing very serious and it never lasts long.”

“You are very lucky to have such loving parents,” Nicole added, a noticeable sound of despair in her voice.

“Yes, I am…Nicole, I know everything in your life has been turned upside down, but mom and dad will be there for you just as much as they are for me and my sisters. Don’t ever have any doubts about that.”

“I hear what you are saying, but life has taught me that even the best intentions sometimes have a way of falling short.”

“Believe it. You are part of our family and always will be.”

“And I will always be there for you too,” I added without thinking.

“We should eat before our food gets any colder than it already is,” Nicole added quickly. Her mood seemed to lighten considerably as we ate. By the time we had finished, her tears seemed a distant memory.

“The view from here is truly magnificent,” she said after putting the remains of our breakfast back in the basket she had brought with her.

“Yes, it is. Plus, this place is quiet. A good place to be alone with your thoughts.”

“Do you like to be alone?”

“Sometimes, but mostly I like being around other people.”

“Do you like being around me?”

“Of course I do,” I answered immediately. The vulnerability in her voice was unmistakable. Even if I didn’t enjoy her company, I would have lied and told her that I did. Right now, she needed to feel as if she was part of our family.

“I’m glad,” was all that she replied and looked quickly away.

“Are you all right? You’re not going to start crying again, are you?”

“Yes, I’m fine. And no, I’m not going to start crying,” she replied lightly after turning her head back to look at me.

“Nicole, I will try to always be there for you.” I wasn’t sure why I said this again. For some reason it was important to me that she knew this.

“You know, like a big brother,” I quickly added when I suddenly felt self-conscious for some unknown reason, which probably had something to do with the way that she was looking at me.

“Thanks, Alec. I appreciate that.” She patted the back of my hand and I felt a tingle shoot up my arm.

“What do you think about when you come here, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Mostly I just try to make some sense of the events that have happened to me and my family over the past couple of weeks…and that includes you as well,” I added quickly.

“Ever since Tom—he was my brother—was killed by a snake, our lives have been anything but quiet and peaceful. I am not trying to make light of what you have had to endure, but we have been through hell and I have no idea when all of this is going to end.”

“Have you made any progress so far?”

“Not much. What I really need is to talk with Harry and Hermione to see if we can figure out just how we managed to change ourselves into a dragon.”

“You what!” Nicole gasped, immediately covering her mouth with her hand.

“Yes, it does sound a bit ridiculous, but that is what happened. And a good thing too, or else the three of us would be deader than a doornail.”

“Alec, you have got to learn to stay out of trouble. I don’t want to lose you.” Nicole punctuated her statement by suddenly throwing her arms around my chest, clinging to me tightly.

“I don’t plan on getting lost,” I replied flippantly, trying to alleviate her fears, and mine as well, for I knew only too well what she was getting at.

I was about to add that Blyth’s have an excellent sense of direction when I realized that she was trembling noticeably. Unsure of myself, I did the only thing I could think of. I placed my arm around her shoulder and hugged her to me. At first, I felt as though my arm was shaking as much as she was. This was nothing like hugging one of my sisters when they were in need of comfort or reassurance. I felt an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, and at the same time, I felt exhilarated because I was able to comfort this strange but enchanting girl.

“Promise me that you will be careful,” Nicole asked after her trembling subsided.

“Yes, I promise,” I replied after I let go of her so that she could sit up. “If I get myself killed, mom would never let me hear the end of it.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I, Nicole. You don’t know mom. She really would be most unhappy with me if I let anything happen to me.”

“Do you have any idea when I will be able to start learning how to do magic?” she asked after a short silence in which neither of us said anything.

“No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

“The sooner I learn how to do magic, the sooner I will be able to help protect you.”

“You don’t know the first thing about magic. This isn’t something that you just learn by reading a book. It may take you years to learn it. As for protecting me, you may never be able to do that. I have inherited my magical abilities from my father and mother, both of whom have very powerful magical abilities.” I was completely taken by surprise by her attitude that she would quickly learn enough magic to be able to protect me. She had no idea as to the depths of evil that inhabited this world, and I prayed that she never would.

“I never said that I thought learning magic would be easy or quick, but I will learn. Just because my parents…Oh, never mind.” Nicole jumped to her feet and fled from the clearing before I realized what she was doing.

“Nicole, wait,” I called out as she disappeared between the narrow opening in the rocks.

I was angry with her for being so naive about magic, but I was just as angry with myself for having said what I did and in the way that I said it. Even though the idea of her protecting me seemed ridiculous, I knew that she just wanted to help. For a couple of seconds I debated with myself as to whether I should go after her or just let her be. I had no idea what I would say to her if I did go after her, so leaving her be seemed like the best course of action. Then I remembered that mom and dad’s worst arguments were when they didn’t talk to each other after they had a disagreement. Sighing deeply, I jumped to my feet and headed after Nicole.

“Nicole, where are you?” I called out when I reached the path and did not see any sign of her.

I was just about to follow the path to the tree house when I glanced in the other direction. Harry and Hermione were walking towards me along the path. They were so busy holding hands and looking at each other that they didn’t even see me until they were right next to me.

“Oh! Hi Alec,” Hermione said when she looked up and noticed me standing just in front of them.

“You two are up early. I didn’t expect to see you guys up so soon.”

“Well, you can’t spend the whole day in bed, can you?” Harry replied.

“I did, for two whole days,” I answered.

“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked, a puzzled look on her face.

“I spent two days in bed after Lemke brought me and my dad back from Eden. I’m surprised that you two are up and walking around after everything that we went through inside the shield.”

“Oh, that. I guess it didn’t hit us as hard as it did you,” Hermione said after glancing at Harry.

“It would seem so,” I replied, not quite sure what to make of their strange behavior towards each other. If they got any closer to each other, they would only need one set of clothes. “I really would like to talk about what happened inside the shield, particularly about how we managed to change into a dragon.”

“Sure, Alec. We are just as interested in that as you are, but right now we need to talk with Hermione’s grandmother,” Harry replied. He almost sounded nervous, which seemed a bit strange to me.

“Maybe we can get together later?” I suggested.

“Yeah, maybe later,” Hermione replied noncommittally and then they continued along the path towards the tree house without saying another word.

‘Boy, are they wrapped up in themselves, or what?’ I said to myself as I watched them walk away.

When they disappeared from sight, I suddenly remembered Nicole. Had she gone back inside, or was she somewhere outside. My guess was that she was off somewhere by herself and that I should make an effort to find her. The plateau was quite large. Finding her could take all day if she really didn’t want to be found. At least the weather was going to be pleasant today. The sun was shinning brightly as I left the path in search of Nicole and her hiding place.