Prologue
I received my Phoenix burn on my thirteenth birthday. It was a mark in the shape of a soaring Phoenix and it covered most my wrist. My mom cried all that night worried I would become one of them. She was wondering if I will join this mad war between Phoenix Summoners. I told her that would never happen. I knew that me becoming part of this war might hurt her. My father died in that war. Me, being a part of it, just might kill her as well.
My Phoenix arrived to me when I turned fifteen. It was the coolest thing that I had ever seen. He was young and very small. I used to laugh when he would hiccup and fire came out of his beak. I was attached to him the moment he flew and landed on my Phoenix burn. The burn lit up in recognition and my new Phoenix spread opened its wings. I could feel what he felt and at the moment he felt awakened.
Chapter One
“Vergos! Stop playing games. We have to finish your training,” I spoke to the Phoenix. I watched as he continued to flap his wings toward me. It was his way of clapping. I grabbed the bucket of water that sat next to me. I held it up as if threatening to throw it on him. He seemed to take this very seriously and he stopped playing around. I beckoned him with my hands and he obeyed. I placed the bucket back on the floor.
“Vergos, fire wall,” I commanded. He spreads open his wings and let out a flame wall that separated the two of us. I walked right through it without getting burned. I smiled remembering when we first tried the firewall. Vergos blew to hard and fell backwards. He hit me with his wings when I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. Now he is getting better. “Very good Vergos.”
I could feel the satisfaction he felt. It’s amazing. To know what your Phoenix is feeling and them knowing what you’re feeling. To know that a creature like this actually has feelings is extremely amazing to know. I pulled my bandage out of my pocket and wrapped it around my left wrist so it completely covered my Phoenix burn. It had spread and become bigger as Vergos grew older and stronger. Pretty soon I won’t be able to hide it.
“I have to go Vergos,” I told him. I could feel his disappointment but he nodded knowing I had to go. I rubbed my hand over his smooth beaks. I led myself out of the cave I hid Vergos in when he came to me. My mother told me that she didn’t want anyone to know that I was Phoenix Summoner. I told her pretty soon they will find out. They will look at the list of past Summoners and research whether they had children or not. You would have to be born a Summoner. You don’t just become one. My dad was a Summoner and so is his brother. I haven’t met my uncle yet but I know that him and my dad didn’t get along. The fought on opposite side of the war. I was never told if he was still alive but that honestly didn’t matter. He fought against what my father spent his life fighting for. My father’s brother is no use to me.
I walked through the woods cautious of anyone that might have followed me here. The woods were quiet and I always loved walking through it. It helped me think of things that I couldn’t think of when I was home with mom. Things like what if I could end this war between the Summoners? What if I was in this war? Could I pick up where my father left off? Could my mother respect my wishes if I wanted to join this war? I know the last question would be a no. My mother couldn’t even bear the thought of me being this never ending war of bloodshed and death. All I want is for it to end. I want it to finally come to a stop. I am willing to do anything to put an end to this war.
Coming out of the woods should have been more than this. The streets were deserted and I knew what that meant. The Night Blades were here and they were striking fear around the Vestara. Vestara is the small town I grew up in. Mom loved it here and that’s why she didn’t want us to move. I spotted a friend of mine and she seemed to be running my way. I gave her a confused look when she stopped in front of me, gasping for air.
“Lena? What’s wrong?” I asked her. She took a minute and swallowed hard.
“The Night Blades are looking for you,” she said. I groaned and shook my head. I knew this day would come but I didn’t know it would be this soon.
“Where are they now?” I asked her.
“At your house with your mother,” she answered.
“Can you come with me?” I asked her. She nodded and we began to run toward my small house in the middle of Vestara. We stopped to catch our breaths before we went inside.
“Alec? Is that you?” my mother asked and I could hear the warning in her voice. It was a warning telling me she was hoping I didn’t forget to bandage my Phoenix burn.
“Yes, mom. It’s me and Lena, actually,” I answered her with my ‘I know already’ tone.
“We have visitors,” she said. I followed my mother’s voice into the kitchen. She sat there across from a large man I recognized immediately.
“Ramos,” I greeted him with a respectful nod.
“Hello Alec. You’re just the man I came to see,” he said with a grin. I saw something moved at my right and wasn’t surprised to see Yvette. She leaned on the sink and stared at me with a smile at her lips.
“What can I do for you?” I asked turning my eyes back to Ramos.
“Can we talk a little more privately?” he asked. I glanced at my mother and she looked like she was frozen in place. I nodded and gestured for him to follow me. Lena grabbed my wrist and squeezed tightly before letting it go and walking over to my mother’s side.
“How have you been Alec?” Ramos asked me.
“I’ve been well,” I answered him cautiously.
“You look well,” he said nodding. We walked outside, behind my house.
“What did you want to come see me for?” I asked sounding confused even though I knew what he wanted.
“According to the records you were born into a family of Phoenix Summoners,” he spoke with a curious tone.
“Does that automatically make me one?” I asked matching his curious tone. My Phoenix burn was tingling which meant Vergos sensed something is wrong with me. I tried to relax a little.
“I don’t know Alec. You tell me,” he said looking at me.
“It doesn’t matter if I were to become a Phoenix Summoner. It would mean nothing to me. My father lost his life because he was one. I won’t do the same,” I lied easily. Ramos nodded and I see he bought the part about me not wanting to become a Summoner because of the way I lost my father.
“If does happen you know where to find me. That is if you change your mind about not coming one,” he said patting me on the back.
“I will if anything is to change,” I said nodding. I watched as he walked away. He called for Yvette and she danced her way to his side. She turned back to me and gave me a little wave but I didn’t respond. I waited until they were out of sight before I threw my head back in frustration. My wrist had stopped tingling but my head had started pounding.
“Alec,” Lena called me. I shook my head and walked toward her. She followed me inside where mom was still sitting at the table. She was holding a glass of water in her hand but she couldn’t keep her hand steady enough to put the glass to her lips. I grabbed the glass from her hands and put it to her lips as she drunk from it. This reminded me the day they told us my dad had died. Mom was shaking uncontrollably and I was only seven so I had no idea what to do. It was when I was seven that I promised I won’t do anything to hurt her. I never wanted to see her that way again.
“What did he say?” Lena asked from behind me.
“He said when and if I become a Summoner and decided that’s what I want to be, to let him know. That’s all,” I said placing the glass on the table. The room was silent and that bothered me. “Lena, where’s Grace?”
“She’s with my mother. She’s been asking for you a lot lately,” Lena said and that made me smile. Grace was Lena little six year old sister. She was the first person that Vergos would actually go near. I guess the truth of the world is that you can only find innocence in the young.
“I haven’t seen her in a while. I made something for her. Can you come with me to get it?” I asked her without looking at her.
“Sure,” she answered.
“I’ll be back,” I told my mom and she nodded. I pulled Lena by her arm and led her to my room. I pulled her in and closed the door behind her.
“What’s wrong Alec?” she asked me.
“It’s only a matter of time,” I answered.
“Don’t say that. That’s not true,” she said.
“Yes it is, Lena. The Night Blades came to my house. It’s only a matter of time before my father’s friend’s start looking for me,” I said dropping heavily on my bed. “The gift for Grace is behind you.”
She turned around and picked up the canvas that was sitting under a sheet. She moved the sheet and gasped at what she saw. I knew what she saw. It was picture drawn picture of Grace when she was younger. That memory of Grace was so easy to picture that it was almost easy to draw.
“How did you do this?” Lena asked.
“It was just a memory I remembered very well. Nothing impressive,” I said shrugging.
“This is impressive. I remember this day. You were at my house that day. It was the day you father died,” she said remembering. It was the day my dad dies. Mom went had some things she had to get so she dropped me off at Lena’s house for the morning. She picked me up that afternoon and it was later on that evening that we received the news.
“I guess it was,” I said staring out the window. I stood up and ran a hand through my hair. It fell in my eyes now. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
“The perfect gentlemen,” Lena teased. I chuckled and held the door open for her. She gave my mom a quick hug before we left. She didn’t live that far from me. Only seven houses down but I always walked her home when she came over. It’s just something that I have always done without being asked. When we were younger she would ask me if I was following her and I would yell saying ‘can’t a man walk a girl home without being a psycho stalker?!’
“Grace is going to be happy to see you. Here, you can give it to her,” she said handing the picture to me. I held it gently in my hand. It was impressive. Grace was like the little sister I always wanted. She looked up to me and that was something I never had being an only child and all.
“Alec!! Alec!!!” her little voice said. She was running toward me and I opened my free hand out for her.
“Hey Gracey,” I said when she was in my arm.
“Where were you Alec? I haven’t seen you in three days,” she said.
“I know. I’m sorry; I was just kind of busy lately. I have something for you though,” I said putting the picture in front of her. She smiled at it and then frowned.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“That’s you silly,” I said chuckling.
“Really?” she asked. I nodded and handed it to her. She held and hugged it. “Thank you Alec.”
“No problem. Go inside and show your mom,” I told her. She waved at me and ran inside.
“I should probably go. My work here is done,” Lena said walking toward the house. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Thank you for finding me today. I wouldn’t have known fast enough if you didn’t,” I said letting her go.
“Your welcome. Get some sleep. You’re starting to look old,” she said smiling. I didn’t leave until she was safely in her house. I walked home and thought about what was yet to come. I still didn’t know what exactly that was.

Chapter Two

Mom was waiting for me when I got back. Her eyes were filled with tears and I panicked just like I did when they told me my dad had died, when she completely broke down. I stood, unmoving and not breathing. She wiped at her tears while I just stood there.
“How long do you think it will be?” she asked me. I shook my head lightly. She nodded and stood from the chair. I have noticed lately that mom had started to get thin but I didn’t say anything to her about it. She would say that I am worrying too much about her. But is it wrong to worry about my mother? She thinks it is. I guess she feels that if I worry about anything else I might lose focus on staying alive but the only lives that matter to me is hers and Lena’s family. They’re the only family I have and I would die for them at any cost. “How’s Vergos?”
“He’s getting better in his training,” I answered finally letting out the breath I was holding in all this time.
“And you. What has his training given you?” she asked me. She was referring to the powers that I received being Vergas’s Summoner.
“Fire doesn’t burn me. At all,” I answered.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“I can Shadow Wing now,” I said looking at her closely. She looked like she might fall over. “Mom, are you alright?”

“I’m fine Alec. Don’t worry about me,” she said giving me a weak smile. I tried to smile back but when she started tumbling to the ground I dove to catch her before she fell. I caught her before she hit the ground. She was breathing fine but she wouldn’t open her eyes.
“Mom!! Mom!! Wake up mom!!” I said shaking her gently. She couldn’t hear me. I picked her up and with her in my arms I ran. I ran to Lena’s house first. Her mother was a nurse for people in the War of Phoenix and the people of Vestara. Lena’s mom opened the door immediately and let me in. She ordered me to put mom on the couch and I did what I was told.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked hearing the emptiness in my voice.
“Your mother is sick Alec. She didn’t want you to know even though I begged her to tell you,” Lena’s mother told me.
“Sick how?” I asked.
“She’s dying Alec,” she answered in a whisper. I could feel my body as it went complete cold. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
“No,” I whispered.
“Alec?” she asked.
“No!!!!” I screamed. My body was shaking and it wouldn’t stop.
“Alec?” Lena asked coming in the room. She glanced once at my mother and gasped. She shook her head once and reached for me. I pulled away and felt my body temperature heat up until I was cover in flame.
“Don’t touch me!!” I yelled. She jumped back in surprise and hurt.
“Alec, this isn’t how your mother wants to see you when she wakes up,” Lena’s mom said.
“Will she wake up?!” I yelled the question.
“I don’t know,” she answered putting her head down in defeat.
“What did I do wrong?! I took care of her!! I made sure that I did!! Was it not enough?!” I screamed. My phoenix burn was tingling but the flames that covered me made it hard to notice.
“You were the perfect son. She wouldn’t like to see you this way,” Lena said.
“I had to something wrong. I did something wrong…”I whispered. The flames faded and I fell to my knees. I guess the flames were the only thing holding me up. Lena’s hands wrapped around my shoulder and her head rested on mine.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she cried. I held on to her arms and bowed my head. I don’t know how to cry. It’s something I never did as a child. It was something that I could never do, no matter how bad things get, tears never came. For this once I have a problem with not being able to cry. My mother deserves my tears.
Lena and her mother left me alone with mom for a few minutes. I sat and waited for mom to wake up. I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands. A few minutes later, I felt a warm hand touch my face.
“You’re burning up,” my mother said.
“I’m fine. How are you?” I asked.
“I’m fine. I guess you know now,” she said.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked holding her hand to my face.
“You don’t need to be worrying about me right now,” she said. I shook my head and she gave me a questioning look.
“You are the only thing in this world that I need to worry about mom,” I said.
“No. You have Vergos to train. You have Lena to protect. You have to become a full Phoenix Summoner,” she said.
“I don’t want to be,” I whispered.
“That’s not up to you and it’s not up to me. Phoenix Summoners are born not made and you were born a Summoner. I know that I tried to keep that away from you but now I know that my decision was wrong. I shouldn’t have kept that away from you,” she said. I blinked at her and wondered if I was hearing correctly. “I want you to leave Vestara. Tonight.”
“What?” I asked sitting up straight.
“I want you to leave. I need you to finish your training. You have a purpose to this war and you must fulfill it,” she said pulling her hand away. I know what she was trying to do and I wasn’t sure if I could do it. She didn’t want me to watch her die so she is sending me to train with Vergos.
“What about you?” I asked her.
“Don’t worry about me. I need to speak to Lena now,” she said. Lena came in before I called for her. I stood up and walked out the room. I stood in the next room and listened carefully.
“He’s going to need you Lena,” my mother said. Lena didn’t say a word. “Alec is a special boy. He only cares for others. He doesn’t think of himself anymore and that concerns me. You seem to be the only person that can give him light when his world is too dark. You mean more to him that he will ever know. I know this very well. That’s how I met his father. Like father, like son is what I always tell Alec. He would never know what that means. You are what that means.”
“How do I help him?” Lena asked. I heard the strength in her voice and my eyebrows rose in surprise.
“You’ll know when the time comes,” my mother told her. I walked out the front door silently. It was dark and the moon was the only light of the night. My arm was still tingling but this time Vergos was calling for me. He wasn’t in danger because then my mark would be burning until it was unbearable to handle.
“Here,” Lena said from behind me. I turned to see her holding a saddle in her hands. I looked down at it and hesitated when I took it from her hands. “You can take Becks. I’ll take Night.”
“Thanks,” I said. We walked to the small stable behind her house. Becks and Night were two stallions that Lena’s mother bought when we begged her to one day when we were kids. We were surprised when she finally said yes. Becks has always been my favorite. He was just very loyal to me but Night was less afraid of Vergos than Becks. We saddled our horses and rode off to the cave where Vergos called for me.

Chapter Three


When we got there, we could see flames from the mouth of the cave. We tied the horses tightly to a tree and ran to see what was wrong. When we finally got to Vergos, he was taller than earlier today and he was completely covered in flames. He had gone through another growth spurt and he was stronger than before. I looked at my bandaged arm and saw that my Phoenix burn had expanded and the bandage around my arm no longer completely covered it.

Impressum

Texte: My original idea
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 07.09.2011

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Widmung:
To Verbayne who demanded this book when I turned it away (not finished yet, sorry) :)