Fate of The Blue Phoenix

Chapter Four: This Is Who I Am

Elves are ethereal creatures. The beauty of the elves will always be unmatched and last of all, they're immortal creatures bound to nature. They sing to the trees, to the flowers to the animals around them, and humans who come in close contact to them. The elves never chose to go against the true image of how the forest was created but instead, they learned to accept them and incorporate their homes to how the world was naturally constructed. Their elven tongues are like songbirds to humans, and to the untrained mind, they may get too intoxicated and poisoned by those who weren't trained in magic.

Elves have strength and their closeness to nature allowed them to use its energy to do charms.

Humans see their abilities as 'magic' but to them, it was normal and a huge part of them. The charms they use were expelled through their own energies and if they need to replenish their own, even if they don't want to, they take energy from the animals and plants around them.

Alex opened his eyes.

A new dawn has arrived.

As best he could, he tried to endure the curse inflicted on him. He remembered that he instinctively created a mist around him as it was all because he was afraid of what might he might experience if he didn't make it and so, his healers awakened him at his own forced hibernation. The silver liquid he was drinking helped replenish the magic that drifted away during the time he was attacked and the other potions brewed by Glen and Jane gave him temporary relief from the terrible pain on his chest. He was mostly asleep and choose to drift on his dreams but at that day, he saw his father's anxious eyes. He sat on his bed slowly and buttoned his white shirt to hide the huge, black curse.

"Dad, I'm fine," Alex swallowed his saliva. "I won't die."

"You only said that to calm me." Normandy grinned at him. "I'm still glad to see you awake."

Alex wanted to stand up and go around the resistance tower but then, the curse attacked him. He grunted in pain again when the black curse on his chest began drilling on his skin until he howled in pain. He collapsed back on his bed and began shaking uncontrollably with his mouth bubbling sour saliva.

His father could not make it stop but to prevent him from biting his lips, his father placed a white towel in between his open mouth.

Alex folded his legs and hugged them while his tears were falling down his eyes after the attack was over. He went on a very tight ball and wondered when his healers would come back. He was already safe but the curse on his chest kept on bringing him sorrow. He had only stopped crying when his father wrapped his arms around him.

"Dad, it hurts so much! Maybe... Maybe... Will the God of Death would take me?"

Normandy wiped his tears on his cheeks. "You will survive, Alex! Son, have faith! Remember that I am here."

The two of them began staring at the door when a knock soon interrupted their conversation.

Normandy opened the door and even by that slit opening, Alex discovered that Anastasia's in the resistance tower.

"Thank you for bringing bread and water, Anastasia," Normandy said to her after he took the tray. "I know that you want to visit Alex but I think this isn't the time for—"

"Please, let her in," Alex croaked after he took some water. "I want to see her."

Normandy nodded and opened the door much bigger to get Anastasia to enter the room. As expected, his father knew that she will gasp in surprise after seeing how his son truly looked like.

Anastasia saw his pointed ears, and he looked very different from the 'Alexander' she knew. He wasn't wearing eyeglasses and she felt weak after seeing his dark blue eyes. His eyes may tell that it's obvious that he's weak but no person would not feel that he's not someone who should be insulted. He has an intimidating aura, strength, and power.

Normandy sighed. Pureblooded elves glow and their skin's unblemished, meanwhile half-elves like Alex, as explained by the elves working for him only glow faintly but at that time, the glow he's emitting wasn't white nor gold. He was emitting a silver light and a dark hole was still drilling deep n his chest.

Alex sighed. "Are you shocked by how I look like, Anastasia? This is who and what I truly am. Castillene Empire wasn't where I was born but in the Kingdom of Silvia."

Anastasia wanted to say 'no' but she knew that he's staring deep into her gray eyes. "Forgive me, Alex. I was really surprised by how you look today."

"Have you always been resisting the empire like many people here?"

"I've always been fighting them, Alex," Anastasia said as she played with her gold hair after that and touched her soft locks. "I'm only a mere magician who could appease humans through music."

Normandy exited the room when he saw his son's anxious, dark blue eyes. He knew he would want to be alone to talk with Anastasia. It was obvious in his face that his son likes the beautiful girl but the emotions towards her may be overwhelming for him to admit.

...

Alex grinned happily even if his whole body was aching so badly. He could not place his joy anywhere when he realized that the woman before him who usually plays the violin was the most beautiful pureblood female human he met in his whole life but as much as he wanted to go for her, he was afraid since humans have a very short lifespan. They can only stay on earth for less than a century.

"You're happy to see me, are you?" Anastasia chuckled. "I can see through your eyes."

Alex's cheeks went red. "How can you tell that I am happy? We're friends in school."

Anastasia began to be disgruntled. "If only James and Sasha could be here, they'll know what's going on your mind."

"Forgive me, Anastasia but—" Alex straightened his blue eyes at her own eyes. "Tell them to forget me."

She froze in surprise and her hands began to become huge fists as if she wanted to punch his face. It was clear to him that she was hurt by what he said. "Why?"

"I am a half-elf," Alex cried out. "The empire is looking for me!"

Instead of a punch, he received a sharp slap from Anastasia and a tear had began to cascade down her right cheek. "We are your friends, and if you truly see them as the same, isn't it much better to protect them?"

"I want to cast some magic— an incantation on—"

Once again, he received a slap coming from her, and now, he saw her small orb-like tears fall on her cheeks and she cannot stop them, at all. "Alex! What are we to you???"

He closed his eyes, drank his bitter potions and laid himself back on his bed. "You're a witch, Anastasia. I can accept your friendship but not to those who might be afraid of me."

Anastasia dried her tears but at the time she saw Alex covered himself with his blankets and was shivering, she stopped talking. She knew that forcing him to accept his childhood friends would not help him recover. He needs to recover and after he's recovered, she knew she had to confront him about it again.