Aldric had found himself in the library with Moxxy most days during the lunch hour. He'd found a sense of peace within the confines of the quiet space. He'd also found an odd caring nature from Moxxy, who'd often check in on his studies, offering snacks and drinks as needed.
He knew it was odd, the maternal feelings he held for an ape, but he found comfort in his love for the primate. Though they started on the wrong foot, he and Moxxy had quickly grown an appreciation for each other. Over the years, she'd even begun opening the library after hours, allowing Aldric to study, sometimes into the morning.
All the while, she stood by, watching his tired face scour the pages of ancient writings and obsolete runes.
"Don't you think it's time you stopped fixating so much?" Moxxy asked, placing half a sandwich beside the boys' out-rolled scroll.
"I'll stop fixating when the rune makes sense," the boy said, grabbing the sandwich and ripping a large chunk with his teeth.
"There's nothing to make sense of, child. These runes have been studied and attempted. They don't have any casting ability, and if they do, their activations offer very little, if any, support," Moxxy insisted, scratching behind her ear.
"They can't just mean nothing, Moxxy. They exist; they were drawn with the intention of casting. So why wouldn't their casts work? If they truly had no benefit, why'd they waste the paper to print them?" The boy asked, his frustrated tone breaking with hints of optimism.
Moxxy nodded and smiled slightly before returning to her shelving.
"I know you want to master all runes, Aldric, and I know that if anybody could do it, it would be you. All I'm saying is that in maybe hundreds of years, these runes have never been activated. As far as studies find, they are useless. So, try to give yourself grace, it isn't easy being a trend setter," with that notion, the chimp had vanished into the shelves and left Aldric to his reading.
He sat, dragging his fingers along as he read aloud to himself. He reassessed the lines of the rune as well as the elements within it. He mapped out the meaning of each line, and he tried to make sense of the ancient casting techniques. With a loud huff of frustration, he swiped the table-top, and his studies were swept to the floor.
The papers crashed with a wicked thud in the otherwise silent library. An inkwell tipped over, painting the grain of the desk with a large blotch of black ink. Aldric's frustration got away from him before he knew what was happening. When he came to his senses, the damage was done, and Moxxy was no longer as patient and kind.
"What have I told you?" She shouted, leaping from the high shelves, and down beside him. She quickly began collecting the scrolls and books with a grimace on her face.
"You have done enough!" She shouted as Aldric attempted to lean in and help. She shoved one of the ruined scrolls into his chest and pushed him out of the door. He turned back again, attempting to mutter an apology, but the wall sealed quickly behind him.
He dropped his head and turned back toward the phoenix den. His eyes felt heavy as he'd realized he hadn't slept more than a few hours in the last week. He felt a jolt of unsteadiness as he stumbled down the empty corridor.
He fumbled past the other dens, all with two sleeping boys inside. He tried to count the rooms when he'd pass them, but every day it seemed another pair received their den. The tower felt more alive now that the other boys had begun advancing.
He didn't get to see much of the growth during his training and studies, so the short walks he got late at night allowed him to take mental notes of the changes. Unfortunately, with his studies taking over most of his life, he hadn't been awake enough to note significant changes.
The last mental update he'd made sure to notate was when Rhys and Jasper were awarded their den. He didn't harbor any bitter feelings for the two ravens, but it seemed they held them for him. He'd catch them often watching him, like he were a thief in a bodega.
Of course, when he'd meet their gaze, suddenly, there was something else more interesting to look at. Harden had told him during shared lessons that the pair would remark on him. This didn't bother him much, seeing as whenever he was close enough to hear them, their unsavory words vanished.
When Aldric made it to the main entryway and toward the front doors, he noticed that the sky was beginning to get brighter. He sighed heavily as his hand slipped limply off the doorknob. Quickly, he spun around and began toward the lower levels.
He was set to meet with the architect soon, a man who, above all else, didn't like to be kept waiting. Aldric's pace swiftened until he was nearly jogging down the stairs. He maintained his pace, trying his best to keep his breathing steady.
When he reached the architect's office, he caught his breath and brushed dust and grime from his slacks. He folded up the ink-stained parchment and placed it in his cloak's inner pocket. He inhaled deeply and exhaled until his lungs were flat.
The eagle's claw glistened in the light as he hesitated for a moment longer. Then, with all of his nerve, he gripped the talon and knocked against the grain twice.
Thunk..
Thunk…
It was silent, and the air felt stale for a few moments. Then, with a loud creak and steady tremble, the door peeled open. Aldric slowly entered the office and stood patiently while the bricks sealed behind him like a zipper. This was it, the moment he became more. The day he became the true phoenix.