Kael had spent most of his morning in a small secluded corner of the Sect library. A faintly lit lamp illuminated the area around him. It was quiet. Today was a busy day for the disciples so no one was in the library except for him. He flipped the page of the worn book. Stopping only to inspect the text and vigorously jotted down notes in his notebook.

The notebook—bound red with his father's name embroidered on the leather—was down to its last few pages. Kael had filled the last half with descriptions of beasts: their habitats, their diets and their contract circles. Something that fascinated him after he had seen a strange but beautiful beast on his eighth birthday. After that day, he immersed himself in books.

The first half, however, was filled with strange symbols. Not of his own writing but of his father’s. His research. The symbols were scratched so close together it was impossible to read half of them. The ones Kael could read made no sense. By this point, he had figured that the cryptic writings were in code an impossible to decipher. At least for now.

Kael glanced once more at the notebook tracing his father's name with his index finger. He then riffled through the first few pages wondering what secret the wild dark black symbols. What his father had discovered. He sighed. I wish could read it, he thought. I really do. He stopped on the final two pages his father wrote. One held three large symbols etched in a broken way as if the brush had run out of ink mid-stroke. To Kael, it felt intentional. The other was much different than the rest. It only held a large and rough sketch of a spiked feather—etched in red ink. Kael looked at the feather every day, wondering why he had painted it red and not black like the rest.

Is it related to the phoenix story? Kael thought.

 It was said that the founder of the sect had tamed the legendary phoenix—an immortal creature of immense power. One legend states that the founder stumbled upon a bird with a broken wing and upon nursing a back to health it surrounded itself in flames and spoke to him. Another stated that he tamed it just by petting the creature. Of course, not many believed the legends. They deemed them a hoax or heavily exaggerated, claiming that if they were true the sect would still have a living phoenix.

His father believed it. He used to tell him that he would one day awaken the slumbering phoenix and tame it. The last few stories he told always brought up the phoenix. He could still remember the way his father smiled and acted when he told him the stories. Kael smiled then shook his head trying to forget. He's not here anymore, Kael told himself. You won't hear any new stories...

A tear found its way to his lips, the saltiness only making him hurt more. His father had passed away a year ago when he left on an expedition, leaving him alone. Well, not really alone.

Kael shifted his vision looking for Leggy. Finally, he spotted the small white spider resting peacefully on a shelf. She was an odd one. He had searched many books for what kind of spider she was but never found anything close. Her white tipped legs merging to a dark black and her deep violet eyes hadn't been recorded in the encyclopedias he had searched.

He still didn't worry about it too much as she was his tamed beast. He, however, had not bonded it. His father had. The last thing he did before he died. He smiled at that, more tears falling.

His father was a genius. His understanding over binding beasts was beyond that of all the elders. To this day they still wondered how he had managed to bind a beast to someone else—without harming them. It was one of the reasons why Kael spent days in the library researching. He had to live up to his father's legacy. He had to make him proud. He had to awaken the phoenix.

No more crying, he thought. You have to study, master binding and decipher his notes.

He wiped the tears clear of his eyes then returned his focus to the worn book. He turned the pages and stopped on an illustration spreading across the page. A contract circle—designed to tame bird-like creatures. One of the hallmarks of the Reigned Phoenix sect. It was not the first one Kael had seen, but every time he stumbled upon a new contract circle he was fascinated. He engraved it in his memory. The drew it in his notebook.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

The outer layer of a contract circle always changed as it had to be tailored to the specific species undergoing the binding. The core, however, remained the same across every circle. Kael had read it was because the core holds the contract that forms the link between beast and man. He often wondered how people figured out what symbols to draw for the different species. Did they go through trial and error? Or did they theorize and then test?

Having memorized the symbol, he sat back into his chair and stretched. "Hopefully, they have left without me." He said wishfully.

Kael was not in the library just studying. He was hiding. Today, every twelve-year-old in the sect would go and capture a beast. It was a rule that every disciple would have to raise a beast and test their aptitude for taming. The aptitude measured how closely you bonded with the beast among other things. The sect would then allocate resources depending on how well you did.

Kael thought it was a stupid test. He already had a beast. Their bond was strong and he would not replace her. His vision landed on Leggy still in her little corner strangely curling into a ball.

She has been doing that more often, he thought. I wonder why...

A sudden noise broke his train of thought. He jolted and tuned his ears to the noise.

"Are you sure he will be here?" a voice asked.

"Yes, he always spends his time here." a second voice responded.

Drat! He cursed to himself. They found me. I should have chosen another place to hide. Unfortunately, it was too late now.

He stood and rushed to one of the bookcases. Placing his back against it, he closed his eyes—focusing on his spiritual link with Leggy.

Wake up! He commanded telepathically. One of the benefits of taming a beast. If you were even more talented, you could feel the emotions and understand your beast. Almost as if they could talk back.

Leggy jumped, shocked at being suddenly awakened. She looked confused for a moment, taking glances to each side then finally spotting him. He could swear she glared at him and sent her displeasure. Crawling on the side of the bookcase she reached the top and spun her web—covering the gap between her legs. She jumped off and soared through the air, gliding towards him.

She landed gently on his shoulder, giving a soft dark glow that caused the web to melt off her. Lifting one of her legs, she poked his neck multiple times; mad at being woken up so suddenly.

Not now Leggy, he sent. They are here. Look for a way to escape.

Leggy gave a nod, climbed the bookcase, ran across the top and disappeared.

A while later, she returned and pointed to the left isle. Kael nodded and ran in the direction Leggy pointed. Rushing into the aisle, he tripped over the mess of books he had made earlier.

Damn it, he thought. I should have picked them up earlier. He instantly regretted that he hadn't.

The voices grew near.

"Did you hear that?" the first voice said.

"He's over here!" a boy screamed.

Kael scrambled to his feet, commanding Leggy. Look for a way out. Quick!

Leggy rushed, jumping and soaring as she looked for a way out of this mess.  Kael struggled to keep up with her but pushed on. He didn't want to be forced to go on the mission. Nearing the exit of the library, his mouth turning into a grin.

"You won't catch me!" he yelled, celebrating.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." A calm controlled voice came from the door.

Kael slowed to a halt and stared at the figure blocking his way. His best friend Nar.

"Why are you with them?" Kael asked

Nar strut forward elegantly. "To catch you, of course."

"So, you betrayed me, what a friend you are."

"I did not betray you. I'm just following the elder’s orders. If you have any complaints take them to him."

Kael fumed, tightening his hands into fists. He hated this part of Nar. The way he carried himself when on an errand by the elders. His calmness just set him off, especially when he placed orders before friendship. Kael sometimes asked himself why he was friends with him.

Kael looked around hoping to find a gap in the encirclement, but the other three boys had done a great job cutting off any escape routes.

Guess there is only one way out of this, he thought as he took a battle stance.

"Be careful," Nar told the other boys. "He has a tamed beast."

The boys cringed back slightly, fear could be seen appearing in their eyes.

"Yea, that's right," Kael grinned. "Leggy come here."

She responded immediately, gliding in the air and landing on his head. The boys finally gave to fear and retreated.

"Kael, just give up!" Nar said, growing mad at the sight of the boys giving in to fear so easily.

"Never," he smirked. "Leggy! Bind him with your web."

Nar took a fighting pose, but nothing happened.

"Leggy?"

Nar's laughter filled the room. Kael reached over his head and understood why Nar was laughing.

Leggy had curled into a ball, sleeping.

"Looks like even she agrees that you should give up.”

Why at this time? Kael thought.

"I can still take you on." He said.

"You could," Nar nodded, "but you can take on all four of us. Can you?”

Kael turn noticed the boys inching forward, anger on their faces.

"C-can we talk about this?" Kael said, his voice quivering.

The boys shook their heads and closed in on him.