Chapter 135 - Dragons and Phoenixes
This past month has been incredibly hectic with all the preparations. Not only were Chloe and I getting ready to head to the Apsalon Academy, but even my mother and some of the servants were organizing their temporary move as well. Apsalon, being a neutral zone, didn’t allow soldiers from any kingdom within its borders, making it an independent city with its own economy and task force to deal with local issues.
I would be spending the next five years living at the academy, while my mother would be staying in a house nearby, close to both me and Chloe. My aunt Margie, on the other hand, had to stay behind at the duchy with the other heirs, managing the responsibilities of our territory. She promised to visit us from time to time, and we would also return to the duchy during the holiday periods that occur throughout the year.
“Make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. We don’t want something important to be left behind, or you’ll have to wait days for it to be sent to you,” Aunt Margie said, always mindful of the details.
Our school supplies had already been sent ahead to the academy. Some of it was purchased when we enrolled, but there were still things we needed to bring, like everyday clothes and special formal outfits. Being from a high noble family, I didn’t have much to worry about, as I had a house in the city. But common students, coming from far away, had to make sure they packed everything necessary for the school year.
“Don’t forget anything, Nate. Have you double-checked your storage bracelet?” my mother asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“I’ve checked it twice in the last few minutes. The Cursed Blade is always with me,” I replied, thinking she was referring to my weapon.
She tugged at my cheeks in a playful yet affectionate manner.
“I’m talking about emergency clothes, food, and potions… not your weapon,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I’ve checked those too. They’re all in my storage item,” I assured her with a grin.
Magic certainly had its perks, and one of the most convenient was storage items. Thanks to my storage bracelet, I didn’t have to carry heavy bags by hand, which made traveling much easier. Unfortunately, these items were extremely expensive, and not everyone could afford them. The price also depended on how much storage space was available inside. Mine, for example, had 10 slots, allowing me to store almost anything as long as it wasn’t a living thing.
“Nathan, I’ve already spoken with Professor Adrihna about your hair situation,” Aunt Margie said suddenly.
A part of me felt relieved. "Did you manage to get the hair dye?"
“We did,” she replied. “The dye will be available in your room, but you can also buy more from a specific shop in the city. It’s a place frequented by noblewomen for their cosmetics. Don’t worry about the cost; your professor has opened an account there in our name. Whenever your dye starts to run low, it’ll be your responsibility to restock.”
Just then, my mother appeared and ruffled my hair like she always did.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be around to make sure you never run out of dye. We’ve stocked up both at the mansion and in your room at the academy. But remember, never stop dyeing your hair, got it?” she said sternly.
I nodded, though the thought of being a general who had to dye his hair regularly made me uneasy.
"I think it’s cute, Icarus. If you want, I can give you some tips on hair care," Athena teased, laughing beside me.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
I chose to ignore the goddess and her jabs.
“Finally, we’re heading to Apsalon,” Chloe said excitedly. “I’m so looking forward to starting classes!”
Aunt Margie heard her and hid a smile.
"Excited to leave me behind, huh?" Aunt Margie teased.
“N-no, that’s not what I meant, mom!” Chloe responded, embarrassed.
“I know, sweetie,” Aunt Margie reassured her with a gentle smile.
Before we left, we made one final check of the storage bracelets that my mother had packed, making sure all our important items were properly stored.
“Are the extra swords packed?” I asked, still double-checking everything.
“They’re all here,” Chloe replied, holding the storage bracelet in her hands and glancing through its contents.
“And the bows and arrows?” I continued, making sure nothing was missing.
“They’re here too,” she confirmed calmly.
As I reviewed the weapons and other gear, I knew we had to be fully prepared before we left for Apsalon.
“The academy allows students to bring intelligent animals,” Aunt Margie noted, always paying attention to the details. “They can stay with you, but have you spoken to Cylla about her size?”
Cylla had disappeared a few days ago, asking me to stay away from her lair.
“She said she’d return to her phoenix form,” I explained, though I still felt uncertain about the situation.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” my mother said, her voice laced with concern. “What if she goes through another of those transformation phases? Even I was shocked when I saw her like that. It’s not safe for Cylla to be seen. If anyone finds out that the phoenix grows into a dragon… she could be in danger.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Aunt Margie declared, clenching her fists with determination.
We had gotten used to Cylla’s transformations over the years, but it hadn’t been easy. When she first assumed her quadrupedal beast form and gained serpent-like traits, it became clear that the phoenix was evolving into something closer to a dragon.
I vividly remember when Sifu, my old mentor, told us that phoenixes could grow so large they’d claim entire castles as nests. And when Cylla developed those serpent features, we realized she was becoming something even more terrifying. At that time, she grew rapidly, reaching a size that would intimidate anyone.
Everyone had been on edge when they saw her in that draconic form, though she was only slightly larger than me at the time. We had expected her to grow eventually, but the truth of what she was shocked everyone. I was the only one who didn’t feel fear because I could understand her words. To me, Cylla wasn’t a monster, but to the others, her growls and unsettling noises painted a different picture.
My aunt had to gather the legacies, and during that tense moment, it was Sifu, the old monk, who managed to calm them down. Even Sifu was surprised to learn that the two most deadly creatures to ever exist — the phoenix and the dragon — were, in fact, one and the same. He had told me about the Song Dynasty, whose emblem was the face of a dragon. Thousands of years ago, these creatures ruled the world, and the Emperor Song chose the dragon to symbolize his empire’s power. But the dragons from their culture were different — wingless, serpent-like beings, similar to the giant serpent now slumbering within me, which had become the symbol of the Song Empire's might.
I decided not to tell my family what I had discovered about Cylla’s true race. It was better for everyone if I kept that secret to myself. Besides, I still didn’t fully understand what Sisika had tried to warn me about regarding the prophecy and my future — a future involving a war with a looming darkness, one that seemed to have five heads.
I sighed, recalling my conversations with Sifu.
He had shared ancient legends about these mythical creatures, and I could see the excitement in his eyes. It was as if he had uncovered something his old masters could never have imagined. Much like the dragons, phoenixes were thought to have gone extinct long ago. The only remaining proof of a dragon’s existence was a skull, preserved in the crypt of the emperors of the Song Dynasty.
In my continent, dragons are known as legendary magical creatures, but they have been extinct for centuries. Across the world, any remnant of these creatures has become an object of desire, but over time, the search for them turned into nothing more than children's tales.
An ancient legend once said that whoever earned the friendship of a dragon could rule the world. And upon hearing that, it became easy to connect it with another myth — one that spoke of phoenixes befriending emperors in the distant past. Both myths were, in fact, about the same creature.
Cylla, in truth, is a phoenix. But the three World Destroyers bestowed their powers upon her race, and the merging of these powers allowed them to reach the beastly form of a dragon. So, what truly is Cylla's race?
That was a question I had been asking myself for years, yet I had found no answers.