Thud...
Thud.....
Thud....
A pack of Fire Breathing Wolves fell, one after another. These were a group of legendary beasts which were creating havoc in a nearby village.
Nicely done my boy. 14 Wolves under 6 minutes. The old man clapped at the young boy's work.
Smiling, Pheonix wiped his blad on a nearby dead wolves fur, cleaning the blood from the blade and sheathed it.
"Master Bulan, why don't you stay with us in our Mansion. I can even build you the same type of house like the one in the forest. Please,....." Pheonix begged the old man for a hundredth time since past few days.
Pheonix was about to turn 15 in a couple of weeks. And the start of the academy was also nearing.
Both Master and the disciple were making their journey back now. Only a few days away from their destination.
Bulan smiled and ruffled the hair on Pheonix's head. "No my child. You have to be on your own from now on, atleast for next few years. And I need to be on my own." The sadness on the old man's face was clearly visible to Pheonix. Unfortunately he couldn't do anything. He just gritted his teeth and nodded his head in sadness.
----------------------------------------------------
An evening, inside a Mansion five people sat around a dining table, ready to have their dinner. "Fiona dear, what's wrong, why are you looking so sad."
Fiona who was deep in thought about something suddenly snapped out of it and looked around and then smiled sadly. "It will be brother Pheonix's birthday in a few days. I wonder, when he will be back grandma?"
"I am already her, How can I make my dear sister wait and be sad." A deep voice sounded from the entrance of the dining hall.
Almost all of them jumped in shock and turned towards the source of that voice.
A tall, strong looking handsome teenage boy was standing there, folding his arms infront of his chest. Even though his cloths were old and worn-out. The noble aura he was exuding was majestic.
"Pheonix is that you son?" Simon was the first one to speak.
"Yes Father, it is me." The teenager answered with a wide grin.
Brother..... Fiona dashed into his arms and started crying. "I missed you so much brother. I missed you so much."
Pheonix hugged her back. "I missed you too my sister. More than you can imagine."
"Pheonix.....," everyone came to him. His mother, father, grandfather and grandmother all came, surrounding him and hugged him one after another.
"My boy, how tall and strong you have grown. Where is Master Bulan?"
"He went off to a journey father. I did my best to convince him to stay with us, but he didn't agreed."
"It's not your fault my son. He was always like that." Simon Patted his son's shoulder. Gods, boy, you are already as tall as me. Even muscular than me." Simon was amazed and also felt jealous of his own son's physique.
"Yes indeed.....!!!" everyone agreed and were scrutinizing Pheonix from head to toe looking impressed. He felt somewhat awkward and a blush was creeping onto his chin.
"Come dear, let's have the dinner." Martha took pheonix's hand to dragged him to the table.
The maids and the servents were looking at Pheonix in shock and awe. "Ma... Master Pheonix, is that really you?"
"Yes Humma, it is him." Look how tall and handsome my grandson had became....
"He truely is a handsome boy my lady." The old maid bowed and started to serve the food.
After the dinner, the whole family sat and talked for a long time. The conversation came to an end when Fiona fell asleep next to Pheonix, listening to his story.
It took almost an entire night for Pheonix to fall asleep. After 5 years of sleeping on a rope cot with a thick blanket as a bed wherever possible. If not, the soft earth, the hard rock, the springy grass and the swaying tree branches were his beds. Getting used to the soft matress was difficult. He then slept on the floor of his room and by the time he was up, it was already time for lunch.
"So, finding it hard to sleep on the cot, son? Don't worry you will get used to it within a few weeks."
"Yes father, I was feeling like sinking in the lake, so slept happily on the floor."
"Brother. You slept on the floor!!! How can you!? I tried once and the next day I was aching all over."
"Ha ha ha... laughter rang out inside the dining hall, at Fiona's innocence.
"You will get used to it if, you sleep everyday my dear. Your Brother was having his training inside the forest and where can we find the soft matress there? Whatever is available in those conditions, we have to make the living out of it."
Even though, Fiona nodded her head to her father's words, it was hard for the little girl, who, almost all of her 10 years had spent inside a huge mansion with all the luxurious that can be had. She was unable to digest the fact that, her brother had lived in wilderness for almost 5 year and slept on floor.
"Simon, when is the academy's entrance exam held?"
"Father it will be in 10 days. We need to leave the city in 6 days."
"Well then, why don't we all go to the Academy town with Pheonix? It will give us a few more days to be with him."
"Yes grandpa, it's a great idea, I can be with brother for five more days." Fiona face lit up with exitement. All the others also nodded in agreement.
For the next few days Pheonix was completely occupied, relaying his adventurs to Fiona. She was the best audiance anyone could hope for. She gasped, got angered, laughed and cried at appropriate places.
Pheonix then went to meet his friends. Even though everyone had grown up tall and strong, no one came close to be as strong as him. They all went around the city as they used to do in their childhood. It was a nostalgic feeling for Pheonix. He also got to know that few of his friends had also enrolled in the academy a couple of years ago. Pheonix was delighted to here the news and planned to meet them once he reach the academy. After spending the whole day with his friends, Pheonix went back home after saying his goodbyes again.
A family dinner was arranged that night to celebrate 15th year of Pheonix. All the relatives were invited. The environment was festive and everyone there were in awe of Pheonix's growth and wished his good luck for his academic studies.
The next day all the family members started their journey towards the Academic Town.
"Father, why it is called Academic Town? Isn't there a proper name for the town?"
"Actually, it's not a proper town my dear. Initially it was called Azure Academy, started in the middle of the wilderness, far away from any human intervention to provide its students proper wilderness training, educate them in essential subjects and make them reach great heights. As the popularity of the academy grew, more and more people started to get attracted towards the academy. Even from other Kingdoms. Now many permanent shops, inns, Taverns and markets had sproute out all around the Azure Academy. So now it's called Academy Town. And the Academy itself is known as Azure Academy.