Chapter 3
She Witnessed His Eyes Open
Ten summers ago in the Year 860, the Keeper of the Phoenix Flame was saved from the ruins of Phoenix Gate. However, it was not death that would come for the young prince but the Undying who had been secretly underground in preparation for the Rite of Ancestral Communion. Jote's childhood memories of those initial years were spotted. They were fleeting images without much context yet some of them stood out clearer than others.
The statue of the young prince in Rosalith's town square surrounded by candles and flowers while the tear-stained Rosarian faces mourned his death. Undying members fleeing the war-torn city in the dead of night with their unconscious prince to the foreign nation of Dhalmekia before he could be discovered by Sanbreque. The mayor of Tabor welcoming the Undying by providing residences for them in exchange for their medicines and their labor.
The foreign smells of the arid land in contrast with the nostalgic scent of Rosaria's green countryside. Undying Elders counseling little Jote, their youngest acolyte, in the most serious tone that she would be attending to the sleeping Phoenix as a companion while the physickers took care of his needs. Many evenings sitting on a footstool by Joshua's bedside and reading tales of Valisthea to him by candlelight.
The night Joshua awoke five years later marked Jote's memory the greatest. She was the first witness. The moment she observed his dulled sapphire eyes flutter open and turn slowly towards her was when she had just concluded reading aloud a Valisthean epic of two brothers. After her initial cold shock, her heart raced as she fled from the room and down the hall to call upon her brothers and sisters.
That night brought an all-consuming joy to their residence – an overwhelming emotion that had to be kept at bay for they had to tread carefully with the fragile prince. A full evaluation would be needed to assess his emotional and mental state now that he was physically conscious. The last time he was cognizant was in the mind and body of a ten-year-old and now he was fifteen.
That very night, Jote was whisked away into an assembly with the Elders. Since she was close in age to Joshua, she would devote her life to becoming his attendant and protector. She had direct orders that her duty must always come first - no matter the situation. And, if absolutely necessary, her life may be sacrificed to prove her faith. This was a pledge that she acknowledged with the highest honor though she was but a girl of eleven years.
Little did Jote predict how her unforeseen friendship with Joshua would impact her as she devoted each day of her life to him and the cause. The moment of revelation that their relationship would hold greater meaning in her life was when Joshua shared his closest thoughts with her - of missing his older brother dearly and of the enigmatic Dominant of Fire which had nearly killed him. Shortly upon his awakening, he asked Cyril and the Undying to search for any information regarding this Dominant of Fire. He also requested that they find his brother, assuming he was still alive.
Memories of their recent years together cascaded to the front of her mind. The physickers commenting on Joshua's remarkable mental and emotional strength despite the trauma of the past. Though physically weak, his Grace is strong in the spirit, they would say. Joshua gradually gaining back his strength each day and eventually training in the art of swordsmanship. Joshua continuing his quest for knowledge by avidly reading through the countless books in the Undying's Archives.
She would observe his sword training in hidden locations of the Krozjit Echoes and Drakos Deep with Undying members including Sulien. In addition, Joshua would practice casting spells, both spoken and unspoken, and his Eikonic abilities. Jote will never forget the admiration she felt when she witnessed Joshua manifest his first Eikon ability since his awakening – Radiant Flare. He unfurled his ethereal Phoenix tail, levitated gracefully into the air, and summoned a devastating pillar of fire that obliterated all in its path.
His capabilities advanced and flourished with each passing moon. Over time the Undying witnessed their savior not only recover miraculously from the lost years but become the magnificent Dominant of Fire he was destined to become. He also had a protector by his side whose abilities were becoming more unparalleled with each passing day.
There were many times she trained alongside Joshua under the careful guidance of Sulien and members of the Undying. A training regimen was instilled in her over the many years - she mastered the art of knife-throwing as well as creating and administering medicines. There were a couple of somewhat awkward moments when Sulien suggested that Jote and Joshua spar with swords. It would end up with Jote shyly holding back from fully executing her moves as to not harm him and Joshua offering her gracious smiles in return, letting her know he would be all right.
Jote fondly recalled the softer moments with Joshua. His compassion when an Undying brother or sister would fall ill or become injured including herself. Much to their chagrin, no one could stop Joshua from curing the Undying members of their ailments. Their concern was not only that he was still regaining strength from his lost years but of the Crystal's Curse. Though he was a Dominant the curse would not make an exception for him if he pushed himself too far. His blessed gifts, though divinely given, were not limitless.
A particular memory that Jote reminisced over was a late summer night (or rather, early morning) when she awoke and sensed there was something amiss. She had taken her lamp down the hall to find Joshua's room empty. She ran to the main room to find it empty but luckily it dawned on her to search for him in the Undying's library.
Leaving the headquarters behind, she scaled the stone steps under the moonlight to the Archives located above their abode and opened the hidden door. Her light revealed his own lamp where the candle was burning low. His head laid upon his folded arms in the depths of sleep, surrounded by stacks of tomes on the table and on the floor around him. It tugged at her heartstrings to see his perseverance.
He was so adamant about discovering this Dominant of Fire that had torn him apart from his brother and his world. He had conversations with her throughout the years – some thoughts he kept to himself while others he pondered aloud. There were times when she sensed loneliness in him. To witness the brutal death of his father and unexpectedly burst into an Eikon only to be mercilessly slaughtered by another Eikon to the point of death and then wake up years later in a foreign environment surrounded by complete strangers…it was truly a phenomenon that Joshua had kept his mind intact. Something she deeply admired in him.
Lastly, she remembered those evenings where Joshua and the Undying would spend supper breaking bread and sharing stories. Of course, it had taken time for their young lord to adjust to his new life and the new family in the first few months of his awakening. The controlled but sincere mirth among the members had slowly come with time over the years in Joshua's presence. If it were not for him, the atmosphere would have been just as serious and ritualistic as the day a newborn Jote was adopted into the Undying. In the dim abode of the Undying, he was radiant like a beacon of sunlight.
"How privileged we are to be blessed by the presence of the Phoenix each and every day. If only all of our Undying brothers and sisters had the honor," Merle the Elder always said and other members would echo her sentiments.
It was true that many Undying members lived in the other nations and not all had the opportunity to cast their eyes upon their redeemer. The pilgrimage to Tabor alone would cause suspicion to outsiders. The Undying members living outside of Tabor would still perform their duty of being the eyes and ears of its central base.
Letters bearing the Undying seal of the Phoenix feather would appear underneath the door with the latest findings of the Twins - landmarks, politics, the plight of Bearers, and other noteworthy information. The letters were never signed with names – only ended with the line, "May the Firebird's Flame Burn Ever in your Heart." But names were no matter. Every Undying member would give up their birth name upon entering the guild and choose a new name. Jote was given her name upon arrival as she was but an infant. She never knew her birth name.
The phrase that Merle had previously mentioned never sat too well with Jote. Hearing it gave her an uncomfortable feeling, some nameless emotion. Over time this nebulous feeling turned into a thought which then solidified into a conviction. Though Jote promised herself this conviction would never be written upon parchment lest she was caught.
Some members of the Undying were obtained from the dregs of society, the marginalized, and the forgotten but they were given a second life with renewed purpose when they joined the cause. Some members were tied to the Rosfield bloodline and thus were distant relatives of Joshua.
Should the worst-case scenario befall him before he produced an heir, the hope was that the Phoenix would manifest in an Undying member's offspring. But it was just that…loyalty to the Eikon. They were protective of Joshua but at the same time had an alternate plan should the worst happen.
In contrast, Jote felt very different on the matter. She had grown to see past the Eikon and focus on the human beyond. To see him as he truly was especially after spending so much time with him.
…Joshua...
Just saying his name mentally without the dressings of formal titles made it seem far too intimate. She wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to say his name aloud let alone in her thoughts. It felt too sacred. Her internal conflict was a constant struggle and it was something she knew was absolutely forbidden to reveal to her brothers and sisters.
Jote truly felt she noticed details others neglected to see. The shape of his tender-eyed cerulean gaze framed with black eyelashes when they looked upon her in earnest. His soft but remarkable features. His beaming smile when he mastered another Eikonic ability which rendered him stronger so that he can protect others. How he always seemed to hold back from harming her or others in training even if he could easily heal their wounds later. How he reached out to connect with others through his hands whether it was the Rosarian handshake or taking her hand to direct her attention. How he turned his head away to cough in his hand but was actually hiding his laughter when overhearing colorful conversations from Tabor's residents.
His calm yet resolute directives he issued when he felt an Undying Elder was being too strict with the younger acolytes. His sense of wonder at the world around him as he quietly observed and learned about its every workings. The weaving of his words that demonstrated proprietorship of a wisdom far beyond his years. His kindness, compassion, humility, and his unyielding strength in the spirit.
There were, however, a couple of bad habits from childhood that he never outgrew. His disdain for carrots and the consumption of medicines. Though he was the Phoenix, Joshua ironically was born with a weak physical constitution and had residual coughs throughout the years. The Undying physickers urged him to comply with taking his medicines which often times led to no avail. Even Jote had attempted to beseech him to take his daily tonics and medicines. It was almost as if he were the younger of the two! Though she noticed he was more likely to take the medicine when she pleaded. Another detail in which she secretly (and shamefully) delighted.
As for the carrots - during mealtimes, Jote had grown accustomed to stealthily taking the neglected vegetable from Joshua's plate. They would glance at each other from the corner of their eyes and Joshua would give her a furtive smile of silent gratitude. Another aspect in their relationship which Jote was ashamed to admit she enjoyed. Eventually when they were caught in the act, the cooks gave up and made sure to "abstain from placing carrots onto his Grace's plate."
Throughout the ten summers together and especially with the past five, the Undying viewed Joshua with the utmost veneration and affection as they raised and honored him. They beheld him with such wonder as they witnessed him reborn from a debilitated creature of the black ashes to a fiery symbol of hope. Joshua had every opportunity to become arrogant and self-centered under the care and protection of the Undying. Yet he chose humility and even self-sacrifice. This brilliant quality set him apart from every person Jote had ever come across in her lifetime. It was with this understanding that she found herself becoming more drawn to his presence and more attached in many senses of the word.