Chapter 12.2: Landsfield, the place where it all begins

"If your parents aren't putting so much pressure on you, why are you doing so?" Jason asked, knowing he could have found the roots to the cause as he watched her trying hard to hold back her tears while staring up at the sky.

"I wish they did…" She said as she turned to look at him. "Except they left me when I was a toddler to my grandma who passed away a few months ago." Ivy looked back up at the sky, admiring the little glitters of stars from afar while a few tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Ivy. I…" Jason apologised at her unexpected answers as Ivy interrupted him. "You didn't know. It's alright." Ivy looked back at his direction with a sad understanding smile as she finally let her tears flow and wiped them away.

"If you want, I could teach you on accounts or I could also add that section into your job scope on weekdays. Anyway, what's your debate topic?" He asked while offering her tissues and trying to change the topic to lighten her mood.

"The pros and cons of using technology." She was indeed more relieved after sharing her issues with him as she wiped her tears away.

"That's easy. And you're at the..." He prompted. "Pros" She smiled as she finished his sentence for him as though she was able to read his mind.

"I'm sure you will do well." Jason comforted as he finished his glass of wine while she wiped her face.

"I will shower first. Enjoy the wine." He said leaving her for a moment as she appreciated his gesture of letting her have her own personal time.

While she continued to admire the beauty of the bright city skylines, her phone rang and the caller ID was Andrew.

"Ivy!" Andrew cheered. "I'm adding Sandra into this conversation."

Ivy wasn't in the mood to entertain them and decided not to say anything as she waited till she heard both of them.

"Ivy, on Math homework. Question six, how do you get the answer?" Sandra asked instantly when her call was connected.

"I don't have my book with me." Ivy said while rolling her eyes as she sipped her wine and enjoyed the breeze.

"Grab your books. Come on! Where are you?" Andrew asked.

"The balcony." She randomly answered them and they both knew she was fooling them.

"Alright, look I applied the formula exactly what it was but I just don't understand how you derived the answer. It's such a huge difference." Sandra explained.

Ivy knew instantly that these two had calculated using the calculator wrongly again.

"Well you just get your formula in place, key in to your calculator. Do it part by part. Bracket first then outer bracket then the outermost bracket. Tadah!" Ivy explained as she had a vague idea of where those two were heading.

Andrew and Sandra would always consult her on math and theoretical related subjects such as languages, history or moral studies while she consulted them on the science subject. She lamented that no one she could consult on her accounts other than her reference books but was glad with Jason's offer earlier.

"Alright, alright. Let me try." Andrew said.

She put down her phone on the table while switching them to loudspeaker as she plugged her earphones on both sides and played her favorite list of songs from her music player to lighten her mood. She wrapped her head with her scarf to keep the brightness dim.

She closed her eyes and downed her wine as she knew those two would be wise enough to find their answers.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the violet plains of irises and instantly recalled her grandma's charming guest, Phoenix. She took a few steps forward and saw Phoenix was surrounded by guards. She quickly hid herself behind a huge tree to eavesdrop as she felt a piercing pain on her right arm. She recalled her last dream where she was close to an arrow shot. She realised she must have been injured.

"My lord, you need to finish your mission and leave for home immediately." One of the guards echoed.

"But I don't remember who I am. I have my chosen one to protect here, how can I leave her and her kingdom?" Phoenix echoed as sounds of gasp were heard among the guards. Ivy noticed his guards looked like him in their human form except their skin didn't glow like his. She wondered if it was because he was a king of another kingdom. They all echo when they speak, which was a comfortable humming sound she had grown to love listening to.

"My lord, it is impossible for your enemy to be the chosen one! You are on a mission to assassinate all of them in this kingdom to rule over as one of our allies if they do not submit to your decree!" Another guard echoed as he knelt down. Ivy was caught by surprise when Phoenix's warning turned out to be right when he told her about helping him to find his pieces of memories to initiate the protection shield.

"No! Never will I assassinate my family!" Phoenix raised his voice in anger as the guards prepared to fight.

"Family? The chosen one? What does he mean?" Ivy questioned herself but she knew Phoenix would be in great danger having to fight ten of them. She put her arm out to summon her sword which flew to her as she ambushed all of them. In the midst of her ambush, she recalled the favor she promised him.

"Stop there! If you dare to hurt my fiancé, all of you will perish in my kingdom!" Ivy defended as she went closer to Phoenix who was in his defensive mode. "Ivy, you shouldn't be here! They will never be able to defeat me…" Phoenix echoed as he got in front of her trying to protect her but she stood still preparing to fight.

"All of you shall be the guests of our kingdom until Phoenix regains his memories. Only then shall we talk about his missions." Ivy finally said after thinking hard of ways to delay the guards.

"Aren't you worried they might injure you?" Ivy whispered to Phoenix while the guards were echoing among themselves on her decision.

"You're the chosen one, how would they hurt me if you're protecting me?" Phoenix echoed.

"Who ever said I am the confirmed chosen one? What does that even mean?" Ivy mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear as the guards were alerted and positioned themselves ready to launch an attack at her but Phoenix stood in front of the guards, hindering them from making any move.

Ivy ran off to the other side of the plains where Phoenix had replenished them with white irises after the purple ones were charred during a fight with the serpents.

"All of you may take a seat on the ground as we think of ways to solve my memory loss problems with this portion later. We will collect the venom of the serpents whenever they appear. Your help is greatly appreciated my fellow guards." Phoenix instructed in a very stern voice as he kept the portion of memory recovery which was missing several ingredients given by the guards earlier in his pouch. The guards obeyed obediently although hesitantly as they sat on the ground waiting for Phoenix.

Phoenix could see Ivy was walking slowly down an overgrown white iris patch as she plucked one stalk and mumbled to herself while dropping one by one of its' white petals. Phoenix carefully followed her trail as he turned a bouquet of white irises into yellow ones and caught up with her.

She was upset with herself for making her decisions in a rush. "Stupid Ivy! What if he kills me and destroy the kingdom? What if even grandma is gone, especially when she is so vulnerable now?" Tears sprung her tears at the thought of losing her grandma again as she squatted down in defeat to her fears.

As though knowing she needed comfort, a gentle and soft tune was serenading her chaotic thoughts. She inhaled a denser sweet scent of iris wafting around her and knew it was yellow iris as she kept her eyes closed. She wondered who was playing before abruptly standing to check her surroundings.

She finally saw a familiar figure she had gotten used to, Phoenix from afar was serenading her with his golden harp. Watching his nonchalant charming self again, was easing her worries and captivating her at the same time. She was reminded of the beauty of his glowing skin as she walked closer to him.

He let the harp continue the tune by itself while he stepped forward with his yellow bouquet of irises hidden behind one arm.

"Princess Ivy, I am sorry for the ways my guards have hurt you." Phoenix echoed as he gently laid his palm over her injury and healed them. Ivy blinked from her embarrassment of him noticing her being too captivated over his beauty.

"It's fine. How are you going to find your missing pieces of memories?" Ivy asked out of curiosity as she told herself to snap out from being captivated any further.

"My guards have brought me a memory-recalling portion but it seemed to be lacking several important ingredients." Phoenix looked up at the sky.

"What is it?" Ivy quickly stepped closer to him for fear another portal of serpents appeared again.

Phoenix caught her in his arms as she stepped in, which Ivy blushed. "It's the venom of the serpents we killed and ..."

"The more they appear, the more destroyed this kingdom would be. But if they don't appear, we will never harvest enough for your portion." Ivy figured as Phoenix watched her worrying, which brought him to his next intention and held back on telling her the last two ingredients.

"Princess, the chosen one is my responsibility to protect and so is anything associated with the chosen one." He explained as he held Ivy closer that she could hear his heartbeat. She hesitated for a moment as she unexpectedly blushed. "But… it was only for a show…" Ivy stuttered.

"With this, would you accept this bouquet in return for my eternal protection and gratitude for your humble help?" Phoenix presented to her the bouquet of glowing yellow irises.

Ivy admired the bouquet in amazement and knew yellow irises meant passion followed by his declaration pledged to her and her kingdom in the white iris plains of purity. She decided if he was this passionate about returning the gratitude and that's the only way to save her kingdom, she should agree to it.

"When all this is over, I promise to let you go freely from this pledge." Ivy said as she accepted the bouquet.

"You don't have to Princess…" Phoenix frowned.

"I want to… I should… let's settle for it to be this way for now." Ivy smiled as Phoenix sighed in defeat and nodded in agreement. They enjoyed the sunset sky while letting the harp continue resonating the calming tune.

"Princess, to figure out if you're the chosen one, this can only be fulfilled with the dance of the phoenix ember." Phoenix echoed.

Ivy was enjoying the sight of the sunset sky while sniffing the yellow irises bouquet. "How do we fulfill that?"

"Time will tell when it's right." Phoenix smiled as she was mesmerised at his first close-up smile. It only made her long to see his face behind the mask even more but she knew it's only a matter of time before she could.