3 THE SILVER PHOENIX

Everyone was flabbergasted upon hearing her words.

"Tala, you want to nominate yourself? Did I hear you wrong?" Eya reacted first.

"I mean what I say," Tala bit her lower lip. 'They might not understand my reason even if I explain it to them.'

A fourteen-year-old girl wanted to venture the outside world to find someone and prepare for war. Who would not think that it is not insane?

"TALA!" Eya's face was red and couldn't be drawn. Steam of air puffed out to her nose and ears. "Take your words back! How could you nominate yourself. Are you insane? Or you couldn't understand what it feels like out there?"

Eya nagged her as if there was no tomorrow.

Her deafening tone tensed up the other guardians. Even Adasa was affected to it.

The Guardians could only bit their lips in displeasure while enduring her sardonic tone.

Tala diverted her gazed to another direction to avoid Eya's piercing eyes, but Eya put her hands on her cheeks, twisting it in front of her face. "Take it back!"

"I can't. I already said it." Tala hardly pronounced those words.

"Enough!" Tris bellowed.

"The nomination was now equal to three between Tala and Adasa. We just need to have a second nomination between the two," Siya suggested with self-composed.

Siya's words lighten up Eya. She kissed Tala at her forehead, then she put down her hands.

"_" "What's that for?" Tala asked.

Eya didn't mind her. Without reservation, she said, "Siya was right. Now let's begin the second nomination."

"I object!" Adasa knew that he wasn't in a good situation. If the nomination will continue, he sure will be the one to descend.

"What then?" Eya was enraged upon hearing Adasa's objection.

Everyone prepared their ears secretly in order to not earned displeasure of Eya.

They can accept to fight anyone on their class, but not Eya. Just Eya's deafening tone made them endure so much.

Adasa looked at Tala and said, "Tala, let's decide it in a match tomorrow. The one who lose will be the one to descend to the human world." Adasa knew that he could not win in the nomination, but in a match, at least he has a 40% chance to win.

"Okay." Tala couldn't be bothered with it anymore. She'll just need to volunteer when the time comes. No one will object if it was a volunteer, right?

Although Eya will surely hate her decision, she will support her in no time.

"That's settled then," Sadam heaved a sigh of relief.

"Dismissed!"

...

'Its time to work!

'I need six feathers of the Heavenly Phoenix, but the Head will not allow me for sure. In that case, I need to do it myself. I have time right now, I should head on.' Tala dashed towards a certain direction without a second thought.

In a mountain foot, a little girl, wearing a white dress was making her way to the mountaintop.

She discreetly marched up not to bother the beasts roaming around.

A moment later, she arrived at a mountaintop and saw a magnificent gazebo similar to the gazebo at Feathers Courtyard; just bigger and wider. Inside was a resting Silver Phoenix.

"Good evening sir Enix," the little girl uttered, full of respect.

The Phoenix slowly opened his eyes with full of doubt about the sweet young voice. Upon seeing a little girl, he was startled.

The Head should be the only one who can visit him, but what would a girl be doing there and she knew his name?

Being alone in front of him, sir Enix deduced that the little girl's appearance was not known by the Head.

Although the mountain looks like an ordinary resting area of beasts, it is actually the place of the Species of Phoenix.

The only way to enter the Phoenix den was to get permission from the Head. Without permission, one can't enter the said place. Whatever they do, all they can see was an ordinary resting place of beasts, that's because there was certain energy lingering around that separate the resting place of Phoenix to the real world.

"How did you enter here?" The Phoenix asked doubtfully. The girl seemed not surprised by his existence. As far as he knew, his existence could shatter the worldview of guardians in this era where his species almost gone extinct.

"I know that you are perplexed. But sorry, I can't tell you how for the time being," the little girl sincerely apologized.

"My name is Tala. I have a request to sir Enix, I hope you can help me," the little girl spoke sincerely as she clasped her first and bowed.

'Request.' Sir Enix admired her guts of entering the forbidden mountain and even meeting him. And now, she also asked for a request? Doubtful he might be, but he wasn't that stingy towards guardians who he should serve.

"Oh, what can I do for a little girl then?"

Although the girl couldn't tell how, she only means for the time being which means, she will tell it when the time comes.

"I... I request to sir Enix to lend me six of your 'Guiding Silver Feather'. Don't worry I will compensate you in the future."

'Guiding Silver Feather? Oh!? I didn't know that this kind of stuff was already thought to this young mind.'

Anything related to him was a high information and need a high reasoning. To be able to recognized him was already shocking, but the girl knew about other stuff too.

"In the future?" Repeated by sir Enix. He thought of provoking the child if he will have a chance.

"Yes. In the future! I don't have anything right now." Tala scratched her head while saying those words. She's just a mere 5th class guardian. Nothing in her possession was eye-catching for a Heavenly Silver Phoenix.

"Ha ha ha!" Sir Enix laughed heartily upon seeing Tala awkwardly saying those words. "I had never seen any guardian as gutsy as you."

Tala just smiled awkwardly. She knew that her request was something so much for a mere guardian like her, but she doesn't have a choice. She needs those feathers to find 'them'.

Sir Enix could see the sincerity on her eyes, but he wanted her to prove that she deserved those things. "Answer my question first. If you give me a considerable reason, then, I might considered you request."

Seeing the little girl nodded, he continued, "If you are stuck in saving only one life, who will you save, your friends or your family?"

Just as his words fell, he felt the sudden sadness that surround the child. It felt like it peirce through him too.

The child look at him with a faint smile, but the solemnity of her soul was reflected on her eyes.

'How could a child felt this way?'

It was like she experienced a war that killed all of her loved ones.

"I will do my best to save both," she tried to sound like a child, but her feelings of sadness made her words heavy on Sir Enix ears.

"What if it will claim your life?"

"I will make sure to have strength before it happen."

"What if you are late to gather those strength?"

The child felt silent. The question of Sir Enix was like a boulder that made her realized her fault in her previous life. She was late of strengthening herself and that claimed her life and annihilation of the their kinds.

Sir Enix realized his question that seemed went far. He decided not to dwelt to that matter.

"For your courage, I will give you two," The Phoenix handed over two feathers to Tala. "You may go!"

Upon hearing this, Tala fell daze. She needed six, but what could she do? 'That's right. I know where I can find that thing. If I can promise to hand it over to him after 5 years, he will give in to my request.'

Tala cleared her throat. "Sir Enix, I have a clue to the location of the Phoenix Crown. If you give me 4 more feathers, I will not waver to find it for you," Tala was totally eager to have the feathers in her possession.

"As far as I know, the result hasn't been decided yet."

The Phoenix Crown was said to be in the human world, and the guardian who will descend was not yet decided. He knew more or less about the event outside the mountain for Head Araw sometimes talked to him about such matter.

"Yes!" Tala nodded. "I am thinking to volunteer."

"The feather can't locate an item. You know that, don't you?"

"I know sir Enix."

"In that case, how can I ensure that you'll be able to find it?"

"I read a book and found a clue about its location, but I am not certain. If I can access the library of human and find a confirming clue, then I am 100% sure to find it. I promise to sir Enix to obtain the Phoenix Crown within 5 years."

Of course, Tala wouldn't say that she found it in her previous life. That she was sent back from the future? Will the Phoenix believe her? That's out of the question.

The Phoenix fell silent.

"Do you need an assurance?" Tala asked as she saw sir Enix in silent. She was a little nervous. 'What if sir Enix does not believe my words? I can't think any other solution to obtain the "Guiding Silver Feather".

She's just a poor block guardian after all.

"Ha ha ha!" The Phoenix laughed enthusiastically upon seeing the nervous little girl. "No need, I trust every guardian. Guardian maybe arrogant sometimes, but they can be counted in terms of needs and never broke any promises."

"That's true," Tala nodded as she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Here!" Sir Enix waved his wings and 4 more feathers fly towards Tala.

"Thank you so much!" Tala clasped her first and bowed with gratitude.

The Phoenix nodded in satisfaction, "What if the Head found out your unceremonious presence here?"

"That will not pose a problem if sir Enix did not talk about this," she moved her eyebrows up and down.

Sir Enix chuckled, "What a sly brat."

"I have a request to sir Enix. I hope you can take care of it!" Tala said with an innocent smile.

"Another!? And what would it be?" Sir Enix asked.

"You'll know it sooner," Tala just smiled.

"And what made you think that I will take care of it?" Sir Enix asked with knitted brows. 'This child is being arrogant. What made her think that I will do what she asked? I am not just an ordinary Phoenix. I am a Silver Phoenix.'

Tala chuckled as the Silver Phoenix gazed with knitted brows. "I know what you're thinking. I am telling you, I am not arrogant. Well, actually it's your choice to respond to my request or not, but I will tell you now. You will find your answer to my request."

"I thank you again!" Tala clasped her fists for the last time. There's no time to waste!

Tala bid farewell to sir Enix and headed towards the heavenly library.

"Huh! What answer she's talking about?" Sir Enix murmured as he watched the young girl vanished.