The Alpha’s Phoenix

-Prelude- I can’t tell you how many times I have died. It’s not because I don’t want to, I just don’t remember. Each death ends with me engulfed in flames and burning to ashes. Sound unpleasant? The past few times it has been. You see, I’m a phoenix and each time I burn I can be reborn before the next rise of the sun, not after. Until recently I could be reborn whenever and wherever I wanted, that was before I went from being the hunter to the hunted. Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself so let me start over and tell you my story properly. - —- - - Chapter One - — - My name is Calamity. Other than my eyes, I have no distinctive appearance, height, or coloring anymore; it was lost to me after my first death and now varies with each of my deaths. I try to appear average and plain to not attract unwanted attention, most of the time. Other times I try and recreate what I would have been if my first death never happened. The only memory I have of my childhood is from the worldwide story of my village, I remember nothing before it. I grew up in the white kingdom. Its village and white palace were surrounded by rolling hills and green pastures, truly picturesque. The farmers and villagers had abundant supply of food and happiness, the golden age of the land. Our golden age was further blessed when the Queen gave birth to a baby girl, the first child born to royalty after many years. Years passed, still happy and golden until that baby girl’s sixth birthday; she fell ill with the “blue air death” where they cough and can’t breathe until their face is blue. Very few recovered from this sickness, none as young as the little princess. I could say the little princess got better and the happiness continued its rein, but I cannot since it’s not my story to tell. The King and Queen grew more desperate as the days grew into a week and their only child sickened closer to her death. The royal physician said the child would have only three more days’ breath left in her. The kingdom and its people fell into despair. On the tenth and final day, the King and Queen remained at their daughter’s bedside hoping and praying for a miracle. That’s when he came. The royal travel worn messenger had found him, the renowned healer that was known to heal any sickness, in a distant land and brought him to heal the child. The King and Queen watched as the healer checked the child, praying he could save her. The healer rose from the bedside and shook his head as he said she was too far gone from any help. The Queen fell to her knees and begged him do anything to save her daughter. The healer watched the King stare at his failing daughter and nodded his agreement. The healer remained silent for a moment as he stared at the child then said there was one thing he could do for her, but they would be unable to afford the payment. Both the King and Queen said anything, whatever it was, just to save their daughter. The payment was one of two options; Either the King and Queen had to give the healer their daughter and never see her again or suffer a blight on their land for the next ten years and see their people suffer for their daughters sickness and their selfishness. The King and Queen remained silent after the healer told them their options. Both doomed their happiness. When the healer rose to take leave, the little girl spoke in a soft whisper to the King. It was then the King turned and told the healer that they would take the blight. The healer nodded and retrieved a golden vial from under his coat and poured it down the child’s throat. Right before their eyes, her color returned and coughing ceased. Both the King and Queen turned to thank the healer only to find empty space, he disappeared into thin air. As the little princess sat up and looked at her parents, they were horrified to see her growing and maturing before their very eyes. She blinked and looked at them in confusion. Her blue eyes and brown hair had turned golden, the childish innocence left her eyes to show older eyes full of wisdom, remaining baby fat left her face until it resembled a young woman. The now grown princess stepped from her bed towards her parents, but they shrunk back from her in fear telling her to stay back and return their little girl. She pleaded and said she was their little girl even though she saw she was no longer a child. The King and Queen retreated and told her she was a demon that could never be or have been their daughter. Her heart broke as she burst into flames.