The Scrap Tamer - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: The Phoenix’s Test [2]: Mind

“Time for round two” Vivian said.

The knight didn’t need to be told twice since it had already lunged at her the moment she had the spear in her hands.

She stood still, her spear in hand as she calmed her mind waiting for the Knight’s attack to arrive.

This was a mid battle meditation technique taught to her when she was little. The technique boosts her focus to the max, making even the slightest opening visible to her.

The knight was greatly relying on its speed and reflexes so she decided to rely on her skills and which better way to do that than to maximize her focus.

The entire battlefield seemed to go quiet and nothing else was in Vivian’s sight except the approaching knight.

She was currently ‘in the zone’.

The knight arrived in front of her and swung its sword in a vertical (downward) slash aiming to split her in half.

With calm movements, Vivian used her spear to redirect its sword towards the ground. Web-like cracks were created on the ground when the sword touched it.

She then swung her spear at the knight, forcing it to utilize its speed to block the attack which turned out to be a feint.

Vivian had faked attacking its left side, only to attack the right side when it moved to block.

For the first time since the fight started, she finally landed an attack. Her spear slashed upwards, separating the Knight’s arm from its shoulders.

The flame knight jumped back in surprise, looking at its arm that dissipated into ash and turned back to its opponent.

Vivian’s expression remained the same, not even smirking at finally being able to land a decent attack. Her eyes were staring intensely at the knight waiting for its move.

The knight stared back, reassessing its opponent. They stood at a temporary stalemate before Vivian decided to make a move.

She dashed forward with a speed which the knight was able to track since it was a bit faster. Her attack aimed for the side with the cut arm but the knight quickly moved its sword in her attack’s path.

Strangely, instead of the clanking of two weapons colliding, the knight’s sword fell alongside its other arm.

Vivian had used a feint again and it had worked. Now standing with no arms, the knight was off balance and couldn’t dodge her next attack which aimed for its head.

Her spear passed through its neck and with a slight delay, the head fell off. The headless body dropped to its knees before exploding in a rain of ash.

Vivian finally dropped her focus, letting the exhaustion wash over her as she dropped to the ground.

“That was intense” she breathed out, sweat dripping down her face, her body still in pain from the knight’s attack and a couple of bruises on her face and arms.

“Congratulations on completing the first trial”

In a spectacle of flames, the Phoenix appeared and congratulated her.

“Thanks” was the only thing Vivian could manage to say due to the exhaustion she was currently experiencing.

The phoenix looked at her before deciding to help.

“W-what the hell is going on?” Vivian suddenly burst out in flames causing her to painc but she quickly calmed down when she noticed that the flames were not hurting her.

Instead of the normal reddish orange color, the flames were green and they gently heated her skin.

“Healing flames” the phoenix informed “it burns out exhaustion, wounds and any type of injury”.

Vivian nodded and thanked the phoenix as she felt the heat on her bruises and her exhaustion reducing.

A couple of minutes later, she felt as good as new and the flames fizzled out as she stood up.

She stretched a bit, faced the phoenix and asked “What’s the next test?”

“I’m glad you asked” the Phoenix said and with a cry, its flames grew brighter and brighter causing Vivian to close her eyes and shield them from the bright glow.

“Good luck” the phoenix’s voice faded “and remember, inorder to pass this test, you must be willing to leave behind everything that comforts you.”

Vivian opened her eyes, they were a bit blurry but that was because they hadn’t adjusted to the lighting yet.

The first thing she felt was hersef laying on something soft, probably a bed. Her eyes cleared up and she discovered herself back in her room in the mansion

“I’m back?” She questioned, confused since the phoenix said she was supposed to go through another test.

She stayed in the bed trying to figure out what was going on when the door to her room suddenly opened.

“Mommy?”

A cute voice sounded as the person entered. Vivian recognized the voice and was even more surprised.

The person was a white haired, blue eyed child who looked no older than five. The child walked up to her and climbed up the bed, hugging her.

“Good morning Mom” The child greeted.

“R-Reid?” She asked, unsure of what was happening right now.

“Yes mommy?” Little Reid answered, his big blue eyes staring at her.

Not long after, two other kids walked in the room, one looked to be in his teens while the other looked like he was just a few years older than Reid.

Behind them walked a white haired man. They were all, including little Reid, dressed in casual white shirts and black pants.

“Good morning honey” the man walked forward and placed a kiss on the forehead of the still confused Vivian “are you okay?”

She snapped back to reality when a younger looking Maximus asked.

“I’m fine, I guess I was having a really long dream” she said and everything seemed to fall in place. The words ‘long dream’ echoed in her head as she was convinced of exactly what she said.

Because how else would she explain the feeling she got from Maximus’ kiss or the warmth from Reid’s hug.

“What was it about?” Maximus asked as he sat on the bed and took Reid into his lap.

Vivian massaged her forehead as she tried to remember what the dream was about. She could have sworn she remembered just a few minutes ago.

“I don’t remember” she said.

“Then don’t worry about it” Maximus said as he patted her hair gently.

“Come on, get dressed” Maximus said as he stood up, putting Reid on his shoulders “we were invited to a party by the Blackwood’s”.

“Bye Mama” Reid said as he, his brothers and father left the room.

Vivian nodded as she watched them leave before sighing. She felt like she was forgetting something important but she just shook her head.

Another knock came and with her permission, her maid, Ellie, entered.

‘she looks younger than I remember’ Vivian thought which occurred as strange to her since it was just last night she saw Ellie.

“Good morning Mistress” Ellie greeted with a bow, before she straightened herself “I’m here to help you prepare for the party.”

Vivian nodded and they walked towards the bathroom where she took her bath with Ellie’s help.

_______

A month had passed in the blink of an eye, since Vivian woke up from that weird dream she could never remember.

Her life had been as happy as she remembered. Her kids were her bundle of joy and her husband loved her much more than she could imagine.

She was happy, satisfied and even fulfilled but something always felt missing. A nagging feeling that rose by the day, a feeling that she didn’t belong here.

She had been trying to locate the cause of such feeling but all her efforts were in vain, that is until today.

The full moon hung in the sky, shining brightly. Its light spilling through the open window of Vivian’s room.

She peacefully lay on her bed alone, for a reason unknown to even her, she and her husband slept in different rooms.

Vivian kept her gaze on the ceiling tuning out the sound of the crickets in the night or the wind howling as it forced itself through small gaps.

She was completely focused, her thoughts still lingering on the feeling of not belonging.

“I really messed up, didn’t I?”

She jolted when she heard her husband’s voice. She looked around thinking he had come in without her noticing, only for her to discover that she was still alone.

“I must be imagining things” she concluded as she lay back down but she was proven wrong when the voice came again.

“Where did it all go so wrong?”

She noticed that the sound was directly in her head, so she just lay down and quietly listened.

“Reid was right” her husband sounded sad, his voice filled with regret “I am the biggest failure of all.”

‘what’s going on?’ she asked in her head ‘why would Reid hate you?’.

Vivian had observed it herself, Maximus has always been a great father to their kids so why would Reid hate him.

“How do I even start making it up to you?”

There’s nothing to make up for, she wanted to say but a sudden wake of headache hit her causing her to grip her head in pain.

The voice in her head continue and the more it did, the more images flashed in her head. She now understood why she felt like she didn’t belong in this world.

This world was never real to begin with, this was one of the phoenix’s tests. Her real family was waiting for her and she had to find a way to get back to them.

She quickly remembered what the phoenix had said before the test started. “In order to pass this test, you must be willing to leave behind everything that comforts you.”

And that was exactly what she was going to do.