"Tanwen, Tanwen!" Besides the dripping sound, I can't hear the sound of birds like the time I woke up before. I see ice crystals pointing out from the ceiling with shimmering shine and breathing out warm ice aura. Mother!
"Thank god, you finally woke up!" with tears of joy, Ladon pressed my hand lightly and gave me a bowl full of soup to drink. "Where is Draco?" Looking around, I can't see him, and sudden rush of panic arose sending the flames in me to go violent, and I squirm in pain.
"Draco is human right now… So he can't enter this place… The medicines aren't doing much help, and you've been passed out for three months straight now. After you didn't wake up even after a month, we had to bring you here."
Seeing my perplexed look, Ladon continued, "Nuri… I am happy you remember your mother's place… You were still such a young child when she would bring you here. You got beauty from your mother and strong authoritative tone like your father."
How could I forget this place… Mom always brought me here whenever I was sick, she said these crystals are my guardians… I walk around to lean against the wall where my mom carved a heart shaped crystal with my name in it. It still resonates her love. For a moment I felt like my mom wraped her arms around me. Never thought I'd be here without her… Ladon took my hand and slipped my mom's ring in to my finger;
"Nuri was very restless that morning, I had never seen her in such a rush; she visited me early in the morning, handed me the ring and said, 'Give this to my Sunshine when the time is right.' She made me promise to keep this just between us, and that very night the tragic event…" I kiss the ring, trying to feel the warmth of my mom.
"Wasn't there a way to avoid all this, that she still be with me, with us… She could see what was coming then why didn't she…"
Ladon hugged me and caressed my back, "We can't change our fate even if we know dear. We can only make the preparations to deal with a situation, like her trusting me with Azurite ring for this moment, but there is no escaping our destiny."
"Mom… If you can hear me, I really need you, I miss you, I love you. Please come back to me"
"Nuri is always by your side, my love. In every breath you take, she is with you."
"I am human too now, aren't I?" I change the topic trying to break free from the creeping emptiness over my heart…
"Your case is different from Draco, He was born as human, but you… it's something like phoenix rebirth, I can't really explain it to you, as I don't know. You are a dragon inside the human body, not born as a human…"
"What do you mean, is the human I'm in dead… Did I kill her..." suddenly I regret asking that question as I feel much worse now…
"No honey, you didn't kill anyone," he hugged me acknowledging how I felt but not knowing how to reassure me. "Yvri may be able to answer some of your questions."
The ace of phoenix clan, next in line to be the King of Phoenix clan, why would he answer me… "He is with Draco? Where is he?" Before he could say anything I take us out of there. I can't lose Poco again, I can't. "Pumpkin," to my relief Poco is fine. Then I notice a tall slim figure, well-toned body with wild fiery eyes. I would have imagined Yvri to be dressed royally in the finest of fabric with phoenix crest robe but he was dressed in plain white shirt and navy blue pants. My mom's crystal ball! I snatch it out of his grip. "Where did you get this?"
"You're rude to your fiance on the very first meeting, but I forgive you. Let me formally introduce myself, I'm Yvri, your fiance," I slap away the hand he stretched out to me. I look at Ladon for an explanation who just shrugged, "Well, you weren't supposed to know it that way, but Yvri is telling the truth."
My jaw dropped; what do you even mean by that! Taking this chance of momentary confusion, Yvri went down to his knees, took my hand and planted a kiss, "I'm honored to finally meet you, my Sunshine." I shake off his hand and quickly wipe it against my skirt, "Don't call me that, only my mom…" I hear Draco giggling and look at him to scold him, "You're supposed to be by my side Poco!"
"But you're bullying him on your own, you don't need me."
"I don't get it, my mom, you… us… our world felt apart because of phoenix, and you still chose to trust the phoenix standing in front of us." The room fell dead silent. Yvri avoided my glare and spoke with his head lowered, "I… Your hate for us is justified, and I won't expect you to forgive us or accept us. It's my duty to protect you, please let me help you now, and I will go away once I've fulfilled my promise..."
"Oh really… where were you when my mom was killed by you all. Where were you when the war was raising on between dragons and phoenix with many lives lost?" I scorn as Yvri turned and left with Draco following behind him.
"What's wrong with Draco, why is he going after that phoenix?" This whole thing is just outrageous.
"We need to get you back in Cave Nuri first," he said with urgency in his voice, as he sees my aura dimming, and tapped mom's Azurite ring. He breathed a sigh of relief as my pain eases and my aura seems more stable.
"It must be daunting to be suddenly thrown in all this chaos, I can't go in to much details, as we really don't have time. We have to focus on healing you fast, you have to master to balance the phoenix flame and ice chakra before the flame consumes your ice veins completely overpowering your ice chakra…" With a sigh, he continued, "Yvri is telling the truth. Even before you were born Nuri had fixed marriage for you and him. Nuri didn't want this to be public knowledge, and we were going to tell you about this when you were of age, but.." I listen to him without saying anything even though I'm can feel my blood boiling at the absurdity of facts.
"Your father, Etoirir, isn't aware of what's truly going on with phoenix clan... He has been blinded by his hatred and grief of losing Nuri. He is only focused to annihilate all phoenix from this world. I faked my death to infiltrate phoenix clan. My only regret is I wasn't there to protect you, I'm sorry…"
"It's not your fault, please don't be, and didn't you say it yourself, we can't change our fate," I squeeze his hands, "I'm just so glad that you and Draco are with me."
"I hope you won't be blinded by hatred like your father. Listen to Yvri once at least before you draw the conclusion."
"Since Yvri claims my mom trusts him, and you too believe that, let's put him on test. I will choose to believe him if he is allowed in here."
"But no one besides dragons can enter here," Ladon said baffled. I simply motion him to touch the heart-shaped crystal. "This is! Impossible!" he exclaimed astonished.
"Mom is dragon-phoenix hybrid, so if there is a phoenix my mom trusts, he should be able to enter. I also could sense Yvri's phoenix soul even when he was in human form, and also Draco's dragon soul whereas I had failed to sense it in the past."
"You've recovered your dragon instincts! We can go to Sky Tower soon then."
Yvri was sitting with Draco with StarEye crystal. Ladon had took it from me and left it behind. "Honestly, I thought you'd have been far gone and I wouldn't have to see you again."
"Pumpkin, go a little easy on him." Draco put both his palms on my cheeks. I can't help but laugh at his cuteness, he is so tiny now that he had to climb on bed to reach my cheeks. "Just you wait, I will be tall and strong once I recover dragon body in Sky Tower."
"Don't underestimate my queen, she will be much stronger than you even if you may be taller than her." "Not you queen in this life phoenix," I'm seriously second guessing my decision to choose to believe him if he can enter mom's place. What if he can…
"I will make up for my incompetence in the past, just give me a chance." Our eyes met, and he looked so earnest. I reach out to hold his hand and tap ring.
"Never thought I'd be here without Nuri." He looked around and squeezed my hand, "Thank you!"
I'm still at loss that he can enter here and moreover, he has already been here before…