With a conflicted face, showing the traces of tears willing up in her eyes, Perdita started on her third life on the sides of the blocks…She randomized how she wrote her third life, whether it was to hide it a bit from the dragon king or to take longer in writing it, she didn’t know.

She wrote down that she had her creature out at fifteen, and that her Phoenix was caged by her master, by the name of Sharlae. She wrote down about meeting her beloved dragon for the first time and how much of a blessing she thought it was. She wrote down that she wanted to become stronger and used the voice telling her that she was not worthy to become worthy!

She didn’t want to lie to him, that she wanted to learn things and try things and not be abandoned any longer…

She wrote down everything!

 

Upon the last sentence being written…Perdita felt some of her break away, seeing her ash flying off…

So…She was right…

Dropping the feather, that she was writing with, the name Duke had the e drop down further then it should have, then she fell to the floor and crawled as quickly as she could to her nest.

Transforming to her Phoenix, though slowly becoming ash, she still saw that her feathers had become more colorful now. So vibrant and full. Yet, soon, it all started to disappear to the plain sight of grey ash.

Before all of her scattered away, the last word, and first word since being back, was…

“Duke…”

 

***

 

Sharlae was stunned.

Suddenly it just snapped!

What did that mean? Because it can’t be…

Looking up, still stunned, she felt glad that the Dragon King wasn’t looking at her but suddenly looking out the window.

“Finally!” With no time to speak further to others in the room, Duke raced out, going towards the link of his Phoenix.

Not long after he left though, the link disappeared, making him stop.

He thought his Phoenix had just taken out her creature, so she should be living…Not…Disappearing!

Quickly, he raced to where he felt the link last and flew around the area.

…What stood out was…

Landing on the cold, hard ice, Duke took in the sight and didn’t have a good feeling.

 

Slowly seeing the nest, he saw feathers and some other smelling things, then to finally see that the ice blocks around it had words on it.

Did she…Die then?

Was she again enslaved?

Duke picked up a feather and widened his eyes…

No…

She’s free…

Standing up, holding onto the beautiful Phoenix feather, Duke could feel her ashes slowly moving around…

He could feel her…

…Immortal Realm!

She had made it to the Immortal Realm!

 

Putting the feather to his face, Duke let out a small laugh.

He’d completely forgotten about his Phoenix…

He had only been thinking and wanting Perdita…

…How cruel!

Suddenly, he felt a bit refreshed thinking about his Phoenix as…The last two months were hell!

Sharlae did not tell him anything and he couldn’t kill her either!

He had even attacked her two times last week in a fit of anger!

But…She, an immortal that doesn’t die, always came back and always stated that Perdita had died…

 

He hadn’t believed it but…He had never found Perdita when searching for her again!

Sleep wasn’t something he could easily get now because his dragon and he yearned for Perdita. Food wasn’t good, where he was…It wasn’t with her!

They missed her, her presence, her eyes, her looks, her touch…

Where had she gone then!?

But now…Now with where he was and feeling his Phoenix…Perhaps it was time again to be with who he was supposed to be with. Especially now that the feather could help him be linked to her.

Looking at the feather, it seemed like it was magically prepared just for this moment and…His dragon roared inside of him, telling him that his essence was faint, but it was there.

Had they helped her then, somehow?

 

It was obvious wasn’t it, but how? When?

The only one that he had consciously…

Perdita…

Did Perdita give the Phoenix what they had given her?

…What was going on?

Sighing, never letting go of the feather, Duke finally started to read what was on the ice blocks that circled the nest.

Reading upon the inside, it seemed a big…Long story and Duke tried to figure out where it started from and came to realize that everything written…Was what Perdita had said!

 

And it was so…Detailed…

Perdita knew about Edna, Perdita knew about the little hut…

The writings even talking about the father, making Duke even more sure that whatever Perdita had stated about his Phoenix, was the truth! Perdita hadn’t lied after all!

He was…So glad…

He had thought the worst of her, for a time, but now…Forgiveness was already there, like it was nothing…In fact, he felt like he had nothing to forgive her for.

Wait…Then, if she hadn’t lied, then why had Sharlae said that she was a liar?

And…Why was he thinking of Perdita right now, when…

His Phoenix’s story was here, he was very interested in it yet…All he was doing was thinking of Perdita…

 

Duke felt terrible!

He needed to, at least for now, read this and think of his Phoenix, for her…Perhaps afterwards he could try to come to terms with Perdita with something but right now, he needed to be loyal to his soulmate, his destined mate…His other half!

Taking a deep breath, Duke tried to put away his thoughts of Perdita for now…

His dragon and he had spent so long looking for the Phoenix and now, now she was here, not long ago. His Phoenix had even made it to Immortal Realm, yes…

Nodding to himself, he was proud, so proud of his Phoenix!

Now, he should think of his Phoenix first. He had a direct link to her now, so…

 

Starting to read the outside of the ice blocks, finding where it started and continuing on, Duke was then completely informed.

Now he knew what she had gone through and it was really surprising on how Perdita had gotten so many of the facts right!

She was indeed a baby in the middle of nowhere, then became a maid and did marry someone.

But what he hadn’t gotten from Perdita, were the thoughts and feelings that his Phoenix that she had written down.

She wrote down too that she had seen him, had seen him flying towards her just as she had turned to ash.

Duke remembers that day, as he had been too late.

He had not known how she came to that state then, but now he knows. He knows that she had been kidnapped and she had fought her master, so that she could make a nest.

My poor Phoenix, he thought.

He wished that he could have protected her, so that no one would hurt her…

 

When reading the side of the ice blocks, Duke started to get a strange feeling overwhelm him.

‘It was one or the other, with a master that was in the Immortal Realm. Tell me what I should have done? So, I choose to marry, at least then I can try to keep my body innocent and not have something that could depress me. I didn’t want to lose my faith on getting stronger, I didn’t want to dive straight into the ‘slave’ type of thinking again and get depressed. Forgive me.’

Shaking his head, Duke moved to another block and tried to make sense of it.

‘The wolves have a sweet way of life, and I want to remember that. They do everything together as a pack and I couldn’t help but want to be a part of it. I heard that the Nature’s Call Clan isn’t the only one…’

Duke widened his eyes, he knew that name!

 

Upon reading further, Duke quickly read the rest and tried to find the next block that continued the story. ‘I was really about to leave, but it had happened so fast! A woman takes my creature out and enslaved it straight away! I really couldn’t do anything! Looking back, I doubt I could have fended her off or ran away from her and that gives me this feeling she already knew where I was and who I was! After she enslaved me, it wasn’t long after that Duke came and asked all these questions…I was still very confused and conflicted at the time. I still didn’t trust people because of my previous life’s…’

Duke stopped reading, finding himself on the ice a moment later, having fallen down.

 

‘Duke came’

‘asked me all these questions’

The memory invaded him about asking a particular person questions.

Breathing heavier, Duke closed his eyes and remembered those days, over a decade ago.

How he had seen her for the first time, how she had looked and flinched and had…

Right, so she had just been taken and enslaved once again…The reason she had those headaches? The reason that she left? The reason why she…The doctor had even touched her. Did…Did the Phoenix get caged or something so that when the doctor touched her, he wouldn’t know?

Was it all because her new master had done all that? Her new master had given her headaches to…Hurt her? The reason she left…

 

Then…Duke finally become fully aware that…

He…He had been right all along…

Perdita had been his Phoenix…

Looking at the ice blocks, his heart ached so much that he put a hand to his heart.

He heard a lot of what happened to her already but these, these feelings of hers were crazy.

She really felt so much and now, upon meeting him the first time, she didn’t know what to do…

As much as he wished that she had told him straight away that she was the Phoenix, he could understand why she didn’t. After all, she hadn’t really known him and she had also not been treated very well but…If she had, he knew that he would stop the enslavement straight away! To that thought, he suddenly felt like he understood why the master had kept Perdita away from him and why Perdita had all those headaches…The master was probably telling her not to tell him that she was the Phoenix…

 

Putting a hand to his head, Duke lowered it in defeat.

No wonder I was taken so much by her, he thought.

No wonder I wanted to live the rest of my life with her, he thought…It was never her life, it was mine! I wanted to be with her for the rest of my existence! I hadn’t wanted her to die and I would have done all I could to get her into Immortal Realm!

Duke grabbed at his hair, mad at himself.

Breathing heavily, he continued to read and fill in the gaps on what was in his mind and finally understood…He understood everything.

His poor Phoenix…

All those times that he had even disliked her was because she hadn’t been herself! All the times he had questioned her, she had been defensive and worried that she wasn’t worthy!

Holding the feather firmly in his hand, not having let go of it once this whole time, Duke finally understood why they couldn’t connect that time, why he had wanted her so much!

 

Looking at what looked like the last written thing by his Phoenix, his Perdita, Duke lovingly touched it with his finger…

‘Forever yours, my dragon, my man, my mate, my Duke.’

“Forever is a long time, Perdita…” Duke stated.

He wasn’t sure if he was asking if that was ok and he could be with her that long, or willingly stating that as a promise to her…Or both…

Not even caring if he ever makes it to Ascension Realm anymore, Duke just wanted his Phoenix back!

Standing up once again, Duke smiles and looks at the feather in his hands. “I’m coming, Sweetheart!”

Not a second had gone before Duke was following the feather and where it would lead him too.

But of course, at this moment, the Phoenix was still ashes…

 

***

 

Sharlae had been trying to find the Dragon King for months, when the Phoenix suddenly was felt once again, well it was more so the curse that she had given the Phoenix that she felt.

Reborn! The Phoenix had been reborn!

Quickly flying off towards her curse, where the Phoenix would be, Sharlae wondered how this life of the undeserving Phoenix would be like.

If she was a baby…Then wouldn’t she be able to do whatever she wants?

While Sharlae was flying, she raised her eyebrows in thought and wondered if the Phoenix remembers their prior lives?

Trying to remember what Perdita had acted like and said, Sharlae wasn’t even sure.

Well, it would be great if she doesn’t remember me! Sharlae thought. As it would be a lot easier!

 

Perhaps she could get the Phoenix on her side and even somehow get her hating the Dragon King!

How could that work though?

What would she have to do to get her to hate her own destined mate?

These thoughts kept her company as she got closer and tried to find where exactly the curse was, it really wasn’t that hard as you got closer and closer though…And as she got closer and closer, Sharlae got more and more excited…

If she couldn’t enslave the creature, it wouldn’t be so bad. She could bring up the Phoenix as her own and even use her as a weapon to get her man to do whatever she pleases!

Her future seemed to be a lot more brighter in her eyes now, then it did a month or two ago!

All she had to do now was find that undeserving thing!

 

 

Sharlae thought that it was pure luck! She was so lucky to come across the undeserving Phoenix so quickly!

Rushing up to the area, she found a little, colorful Phoenix jumping like that a baby would…And with nobody else around!

“Oh…So…Not desirable!” Sharlae stated and then laughed. So what if the creature was already out, it would save her from having to pull it out herself later!

It was pure luck that she had come here, like it was fated that the Phoenix would always be beneath her, always be her slave!

She wasn’t too sure if she could enslave the Phoenix so early, as she hadn’t been sure if the creature would even come out so quickly after being reborn…But enslaving the Phoenix was probably a better idea anyway, at least then she would have more control over the damned thing!

 

Whispering a chant, a link was made, and the Phoenix was then enslaved, making Sharlae laugh wickedly.

What stopped her from continuing to laugh though, was that the Phoenix grew and flared up, showing fire everywhere in the near vicinity.

A golden glow was seen around the Phoenix, making Sharlae quite surprised. She was able to do a golden type glow as well but not as grand as this and thinking that made her angry that the Phoenix was trying to copy her!

What’s going on!? Sharlae thought, ready to take full control over the Phoenix.

After a large chirp, or whatever it was, Sharlae watched as the Phoenix sent fire balls up to the sky.

Sharlae felt like she was being mocked by the Phoenix, as she couldn’t do fire balls, as her power was mostly upon using air.

Yet…

Only thinking now that this behavior of the Phoenix was just plain strange, Sharlae sighed and went to order the Phoenix to stop, but…

 

Clouds rushed to form above her, and thunder was heard, making Sharlae widen her eyes and remember the lightning strike that had happened to her, that had nearly made her lose the link between her and Phoenix once before.

Narrowing her eyes at the Phoenix, she sneered, “So it was you who struck me with lightning!”

Vexed, Sharlae raced up towards the Phoenix, producing her fangs and ready to poison!

Whether she forgot that the Phoenix could heal herself or that she didn’t know that the Phoenix was now in Immortal Realm, Sharlae was not thinking straight.

All she wanted to do was make the undeserving Phoenix pay! Pay with her life, pay with her blood, her tears!

Sharlae wanted her gone forever! And to never return!

 

The Phoenix flew, which made Sharlae just change completely into her Golden Winged Serpent creature and follow the Phoenix in the sky.

Continuing to follow the Phoenix, Sharlae suddenly saw the Phoenix get struck by lightning and then she stopped, wanting to laugh, until…

Pain surged through her then and her mind got boggled. The link between her and the Phoenix seemed to crack and break within moments and Sharlae felt herself unable to stop from trembling. This was different to last time when she had gotten struck by lightning…

Last time she was able to handle the link but this time, the lightning had struck the Phoenix and not her…Making things happen without her being able to stop it in the slightest!

 

The serpent let out hissing noises and wiggled about crazily, while the Phoenix screeched once and tried to be calm as it was falling to the ground.

A roar sounded out across the land and out of the clouds raced a dragon, whom quickly picked up the Phoenix gently into his claws and carefully went the rest of the way to the ground.

“Your…Your Excellency!” Sharlae stuttered through the pain, clenching her teeth. “I…The…The Phoenix got struck by lightning, I was trying to save her!”

 

Changing to human form, both the Phoenix and Dragon were now holding hands and walking determinedly towards Sharlae, whom was now a bit of a wreck on the ground and also in human form.

With a handout, the Phoenix throw out a fire ball, and with one of his hands out too, Duke gave the fire ball lightning…To entrap Sharlae!

“What…What are you doing!?” Sharlae yelled, unable to get out of the fire and lightning trap.

If she moved in the slightest, she would be zapped, and pain would flow through her entire body. The heat from the fire was driving her creature into more of a frenzy, like it could hardly breath!

Duke nodded to a scared looking fellow to the side, and he did some type of spell, to which took a couple of minutes.

In those minutes, Duke turned to Perdita and took her into his arms, “Are you ok?”

Perdita nodded, “Mmm.”

He hadn’t liked the idea of Perdita being bait but at least then they would have caught Sharlae in the act!

It was done!