The Phoenix's Soldier's War

Facing Fears

    We reached the northern lands only a few days ago. We met General Hera on the shorelines. She took a disliking to the trainees rather quickly. "Are you sure you want them coming with us? It's dangerous and they might do something to ruin it for us." General Hera said, looking at them in disgust.

    "Are you questioning my orders?" I snarled. She flinched and bowed her head. 

    "My apologies, Commander Moon." She whispered. I nodded and turned to my trainees. They looked at me, waiting for answers. 

    "As you know, General Hera found some rather odd looking plants. Joseph, since you work with the earth element, I want you to identify the plant. I gave you that book. If the plant is useful, you will write it down in the journal I gave you. Understood?"

    "Yes, Commander Moon." Joseph answered.

    "Good. Come along now." I ordered.

    We entered the area where several types of plants are located. General Hera walked over to a black flower with silver flecks on the petals. I nodded to Joseph to go over and check out the plant. I stayed back while the others followed. I've seen the plant before. It is one of the tortures I was often under when imprisoned. I do not want to get near such a thing. Don't get me wrong, I know I should tell them, but sometimes they need to know what they need to face. Facing their fears is one of those. 

    General Hera looked at me and then back at Joseph. I beckoned her over to me. When she was close enough, I put a shield around us. "Commander?" She asked.    

    "I know you know what that flower does. I know what is does. I have no desires to be under its affects once more. Do you understand?" I asked. She nodded. "I learned to face all my fears, General Hera. I have new fears now, but those involve my family."

    "Won't they be upset with you?" She asked.    

    "They will understand that my intentions are good. Jenna has a special spell on her so that her child won't be affected by the stress. I hate to do this to them, but it is part of their training. If one cannot face their fears, then how do they expect to get stronger and face the war."

    "I never thought of it that way, Commander Moon. I guess you would see it that way after everything you've gone through. Do they know everything that you have been through?" 

    "No, no they don't, General Hera. I expect it to stay that way too." I said. "Very few people have the honor of knowing my darkest secrets. It took me quite sometime to tell my husbands of it. I hope my kids never have to go through what I have gone through."

    "With you as their mother, I doubt that they ever will." She muttered. I chuckled. That one, she may be right with. "I wish my mother was as caring as you. All she cared about was money and her looks."

    "Same. I was supposed to run the family business, but I chose to leave instead. My parents always put me down. They didn't like that I wasn't like them. Of course I never really cared. I chose to be what and who I wanted to be. I never had my parents love. I never worked for it. I didn't care. Do you still try to get your mother's attention?" I asked. She blushed faintly. "Don't contact her anymore. If she notices that you stopped contacting her, then she cares. If she doesn't, well, do what you want. Don't impress her."

    "Thanks for the advice. I'll do just that." She said.

    "I apologize for my anger towards you earlier. Lately everyone seems to be questioning my methods, so I took a slight offence to it." I said.

    "Slight offence? You snarled like a dragon." She laughed. "That does make sense though. You are Lady of the Dragons and you have a dragon form. Therefore, you would sound like a dragon." I nodded my head in agreement.    

    A scream interrupted our conversation a moment later. I cringed as I saw Adrian fall rather hard onto the ground, silver smoke floating around him. The others joined him moments later, crying out in fear and pain. Smoke hit my shield, causing General Hera to flinch slightly. "I know you are afraid, but you've already conquered your fears. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Stand strong. I know that they are suffering, but all must face their fears at one point or another."

    "What did you do when you faced your fears?" She asked.

    "Me? Well, at the time I didn't have any memories. So the people I saw getting tortured, I didn't know. I didn't know they were my friends. In the back of my mind, perhaps I did. I was under the affects for a week before seeing them get tortured no longer bothered me. It sounds heartless, but it is the way it went. Looking back on it now, if I had my memories then, it would have broken me. I would have been nothing but an empty shell. I faced my fears without really knowing that they were my fears." I explained.

    "How could we use this plant against our enemy?" General Hera asked. I didn't answer. I thought and thought and then smiled. "Commander?" She asked.

    "Smoke bombs." I muttered. She looked at me in confusion. "We will make the flower into some sort of powder. The enemy breathes the powder in, and bingo, we got ourselves a weapon." I declared. The both of us cringed when Neil let out a shriek. "The affects should be wearing off soon."

    Another thirty minutes before the affects wore off. Joseph glared up at me. "My intentions were pure. Now, tell me about the flower and what use it can be." I ordered.

    "Well, it clearly makes us see our worst fears. You knew that though." He accused. I didn't reply. "The flower can be useful though. We can make the flower a liquid or a powder. The powder may be more useful though."

    "Glad we agree. Congratulations, you have successfully faced your fears without breaking. You have passed your first test." All looked at me in confusion before the dawning realization came upon their faces. "You will never know when I test you, so, don't ask me on that topic. We will look more into this plant and how it will help us. For now, let's get back to base so that you may rest for the day."