Reincarnated as a Phoenix

Chapter 132 – Old Wounds

"You..."

"No words for me Petra, other than you? It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

All of sudden still right in the middle of town, Petra's aura as well as her eyes turn black and she charges towards the vampire armed with her blade aiming for the vampire's throat. Melinda manages to equip a hidden dagger just in the knick of time blocking said attack.

Of course, the reaction I'm going to have is of pure shock, Mute the dragon shares the same sort of reaction too, why the hell are they fighting? Is this supposed to be Petra's ex or have I just brought her someone she despises?

Again, Petra goes in for another merciless attack towards the neck with pure hatred on her face while the vampire just keeps blocking, this fight almost looks like a blur due to how quick both sides are able to react.

"You really hate me this much? I'll repay the favour then since you started it"

"..."

Whatever is going on, I can't just stand around and gawk while Petra's getting more and more angrier, even the vampire looks to be swinging for Petra's neck now. Normally, I'd step in to help her but this doesn't feel like I should be this time.

"Petra, calm down! There's people here!"

"This woman needs to be destroyed Ikarus"

"After how many years we spent together, this is how you greet me once again? You forgetting the oath we swore together Petra? Or did that cave in you purposely brought down on my head cause you to forget?"

"..."

Once again, another strike with intent to kill flies towards the vampire with the ponytails and she blocks it again. This woman clearly is as skilled as Petra but this fight cannot be allowed to continue for too long, the ground itself looks to be cracking from the sheer intensity right now. I don't even know how that's physically possible but not the time. People must be idiots as well; a small crowd has started to gather obviously not realizing just how dangerous this current fight actually is.

Damn this fucking lack of information, is this woman Petra's ex or not though? Every time that's been brought up, Petra always gets depressed so now I'm thinking this is someone else but at the same time, this has to be her, right?

"For the love of God! Can we try and settle this situation amicably? Calm the fuck down, both of you!"

This time around, I've jumped into the middle of the battle and that finally seems to have stopped it briefly. At least it's a good sign both parties are willing to reason if I throw myself into the middle of it like an idiot.

"See? Even your current lover is willing to see sense Petra"

This vampire is starting to piss me off a little but I've got to calm Petra down, those black eyes in particular are always a bad sign. This woman can't be that evil that she needs to be purged, right? She seemed relatively alright but we've got to handle this in a different way.

"You don't know her as well as I do Ikarus, but for your sake, I'll lower my blade... for now"

Thankfully, I still hold Petra's heart but this situation does need to be sorted. We can always kill the vampire if she really is despicable but this bird needs some goddamn information right now.

"Can someone please tell me just what the hell this is about? Why the hell are you two fighting?"

"You really haven't told her anything Petra it seems"

"..."

Every time this woman talks, Petra's bloodlust grows stronger, just what the hell happened between them for this sort of friction to occur?

"Then how about I give you a little? You already know my name Ikarus since we had a quick chat at the café, but I was Petra's first love and someone she swore an oath too. It's a little hard to believe seeing how rabid she is towards me right now"

For someone who's staring at death right in the eye, she really doesn't seem that concerned knowing all Petra wants to do is kill her. If I wasn't trying to resolve this, I'd have hit her for calling Petra rabid though but Petra now seems more focused on something else.

"You did what with her, Ikarus?"

Ah crap, Petra's getting her samurai blade out again. Now she's probably going to misunderstand something and try attacking again.

"Petra, put down your sword down and let's go have a discussion somewhere a bit more private, we really need to sort this out. Both of you give me your blades as well, please?"

We could probably do without having all the onlookers and Mute staring at us so something like a neutral place where we can sit might help, maybe like that café again. Thankfully, both of them do as asked giving me their weapons so hopefully I can understand what's going on a little more now.

'Looks like it's the third time I've gone to this café today...'

__________

"You two have done pretty well running this place, it's quite nice really... still can't believe you neglected to tell her about me"

"..."

Now at the café for the third time today, I'm the only one eating while black eyed Petra stairs deep into the soul of the vampire Melinda. It's a damn shame I can't properly enjoy this cake since Petra is in pain right now, somehow that effects my tastebuds but maybe it's just an anxiety type of thing? I hate seeing her uncomfortable and I probably shouldn't be eating but this is stress eating!

I should probably try and steer the conversation every other bite or so though.

"Can we just do this nice and simple? If you two were a thing and now not anymore, why the immense hatred? What happened?"

I mean, Petra's normally justified to kill someone on the spot but this seemed different than usual, almost as if she was letting her emotion get the best of her. We've always got the option to kill the vampire after but can't exactly say that will be easy if watching that last fight was anything to go off.

"I'm just as confused as you, we we're going through a rough patch and Petra's solution was to kill me apparently"

"A rough patch? You describe what happened as a rough path? *Sigh*... why are you even here Mel?"

Every time this smiling vampire says something, it just causes Petra to either get more stressed or angrier but at least she's willing to speak with her a little more now though.

"Other than to see your angry face once again? Main reason being curiosity really. I heard the rumour the legendary hero Petra had settled down and with another women no less. I wanted to see personally what she was like"

"You dare say anything bad about Ikarus, you'll lose more than just your tongue"

'I do like Petra being protective but not really the time for it'

"You can relax Petra; I do see the appeal in her... Although, I seriously doubt she could ever compare to some of the stuff we did, but I'm also guessing you didn't tell her that as well? Things really did get wild and she seems a little tamer than I was expecting, but that's necessarily not a bad thing"

Tame? I'm apparently tame? I really should take that as an insult but I'm guessing she's talking about sexual stuff? Ah, why am I even thinking about that? I really don't want to know what Petra and her ex got up to behind the scenes, not because of the perverted nature of it but do you really want to imagine your current partner getting it on with an ex?

"You came all this way just to cure that curiosity? Spill the truth or something else will spill"

'Damn Petra, she really can make insults seamlessly'

"Well... there was the matter of the guild stuff as well but that's was always less of a concern, really was just curious but it wasn't the only reason I suppose"

Wait, this woman came over here on guild business? Was she supposed to be the representative sent over by the Adventurers guild? Even Petra's clocked on to what was just said.

"You're the person who was sent to take control of the Adventurers guild?"

Not enough gets said about the Adventuring guild simply because they're the same as the Magi. I never hear anything about them other than the occasional drunken brawl but they really do like to keep to themselves for the most part. They always end up paying for it as well as other services so the agreement works perfectly, we give them a place to set up shop and they give us a hand when we most desperately need it.

If I'm trying to be pedantic, both of the guilds only real use is for defence and the adventurers have already proven themselves in that regards, should also probably mention they're converting one of the old warehouses into an actual guild building as well right now.

"Don't look too surprised about it Petra, a lot has changed since we were last a thing, haven't had a sip of blood in decades as well. You really don't need to worry that much though, was always planning on turning the gig down but the boss said at least have a looksee around the island before you do in case you change your mind. It's pretty damn obvious me staying here was never a possibility"

"Why the Adventuring guild out of all things though?"

"Eh... I guess you could say it's making up for a lifetime of mistakes but it does feel better to do something nice for a change. You were always right about the easiest option isn't always the best but enough about all that, imma head off now since it's obvious I'm not welcome just from your eyes alone. Hopefully, you can forgive me someday for everything... oh, and nice to meet you Ikarus. Look after her for me, alright?"

"..."

"Okay?"

And just like that, the vampire Melinda also known as Petra's ex leaves the café and presumably from our lives all together. We'll probably meet again someday since this world does tend to feel pretty small at times but maybe it might be better not to if Petra's reaction is anything to go by. Maybe killing her could've been the better option.

Now alone with just us two... there's so many questions I have yet I'm unsure just how much Petra would be willing to answer on this.

"Sorry about that Petra, didn't realize something like this would happen"

"Why are you apologizing Ikarus? Would've sensed her aura sooner or later anyways"

"But still, would it have been better if I tried to get rid of her or something?"

"Ikarus... what you did was perfectly fine, stop worrying about it"

I guess her black eyes have gone so at least the killing intent has faded, Petra does seem calmer now I suppose. It's still not great what just happened.

"I'm still way too confused though. If you hate her so much, then why all the sadness when it's been brought up in the past?"

I can't get my head past this fact, Petra's always said she's dead and seemed down as hell when it was brought up in the past. For all I knew earlier on today, Petra's ex was dead but is yet alive in the flesh... even if being a vampire doesn't really count.

"Because, I've been trying to shut all the unhappy memories out Ikarus. For every moment of passion, there was a burial ground of innocents, that was even literal for a time. It's how you've described Zeki and the dryad's relationship before to me... it was toxic"

You know what they say, love is blind and all that... I'm ignoring the obvious pun with Petra being here.

"But you even said once you went on a vampire crusade in response to her death? You did say something like that, right?"

"Heh... wouldn't say it was a crusade but the hunt was to kill her after she did something unforgivable. I wasn't technically lying though; vampires did corrupt and kill any resemblance of the person she was and the group she belonged to despised anyone not cold blooded. Thought the cave in did kill her but obviously not"

So, by the sounds of it, they loved each other originally but Melinda kept committing evil deeds that made Petra grow to hate her? Then, Petra started to hunt her down as well as other vampires and that ended with her causing a cave to collapse apparently killing her but actually not then. It's actually surprising the vampire really doesn't hold any grudges towards Petra especially considering the fact she doesn't even know the reason Petra hates her. She must've done something really bad to make Petra despise her then.

"What was it she even did Petra?"

"That's... better off left unsaid Ikarus"

Oh great. Normally, I wouldn't press especially when Petra gets down about something but this time, I kinda need to understand the situation a little more. I stuck my beak in between those two so I'm part of it now.

"Petra, normally I'd agree with you not bringing up the past but this time, it's kinda needed just so I can paint a full picture of what's going on"

Petra pauses from my comment, then seems to actually agree with me giving me a tiny nod.

"Fine then Ikarus. Melinda... tried to turn me"

"She tried to turn you? To what? Oh, you mean into a vampire?"

"Yes. It may not sound like a big deal but had told her for years previously had no interest and that was the final straw. In the end, her eagerness for it nearly ended up killing me, phoenix blood and vampire cannot be mixed so what she did was the equivalent of poisoning someone, then leaving them tied up for days in hopes they turn. When I didn't, she realized her mistake and tried to apologize profusely but the damage was already done"

Damn... I've always heard vampire rituals can be pretty gruesome and brutal but what happens when one goes wrong? I can see why she hates her now though, it's a pretty dick move forcing someone to do something they really don't want... say, I wonder if the vampire was trying to give Petra immortality? Vampires are known for being immortal and maybe Melinda wanted them to live together forever?

"You think she did it out of love or something like that?"

"Probably... while her intentions might've been pure, her methods always leave much to be desired. Vampirism made her twisted so she used to consider doing despicable things even you and I would see as twisted"

She was that evil? I'd like to know what she actually did but this might be something best left unsaid if even Petra used the word despicable. She's pretty flexible when it comes to stuff like killing but normally tries to be good. Me, I just couldn't care.

...

You see, now I'm worried about something else. All this talk has made me think about us, would Petra try to kill me if I turned evil? It sounds like it but with the way I seem to be slowly turning, it could end up being a situation where we end up killing each other. It would make for a brilliant twist in a story but fuck that, I couldn't bring myself to hurt her so I'd be the one dying in that situation...

"What does that mean for us though? What would happen if I started turning bad?"

My concern swiftly gets cut down by Petra though, she really seems to think that there's really no possibility of that happening.

"Ikarus, you and her will never be the same... speak honestly to me, have you ever enjoyed killing?"

"Well... yeah! That's the problem! Nuking those paladins and pirates in particular was pretty fucking dope"

It sounds bad enjoying taking someone else's life but it's not like a feeling that can be avoided. You start off hating it, then slowly get used to it and then even start to kinda like those moments when you defeat someone or enact revenge. I don't enjoy it all the time but it would be impossible to switch it off.

Despite my anxiety though, Petra seems to chuckle a little and even agrees with me.

"Heh, the thing is Ikarus, so have I. Sometimes, you can get swept up in the fight and that's normal but an ounce of morality or empathy always remains. I've seen her slaughter innocents because they smiled at her or complimented her Ikarus, entire families ruined all because of a simple hello"

Well great, looks like we probably should've killed her then. Shouldn't I have been able to detect that from her though? Her aura would've been sinister yet it seemed kinda mellow, maybe a hint or two of nastiness but nothing like what you would expect from someone evil. Remember that princess that me and Petra slaughtered? Hers was pure evil and the vampire's wasn't close to being comparable.

"She seemed pretty chill now though, you think she's changed from her evil ways?"

"I'm not sure... she seemed different, calmer perhaps but any trust that was there is completely gone. It's sad how all happy memories can be destroyed by negative over time but it's just the way of life I suppose"

"Do you still want her dead?"

"Honestly... I don't know. There's definitely something different about her and if she has turned her life around, then it might be wrong to do something. The Adventurer's do tend to only hire people that have good intentions and she never had any mind controlling abilities so it should be safe"

"Ah, think you said once master vampires can control minds"

"Yeah..."

Despite now knowing a lot more, all this talk has made me feel a little depressed now, would things have gone better if we had killed that vampire just to remove that potential risk factor? Petra says it's okay but you never know... it might just be best to leave this up to Petra's judgement though.

...

Crap, there's another damning silence as well now, what can I say to cheer up the mood? Something stupid always works but I'm tongue tied right now, there's nothing from the purposely stupid Ikarus saying book I can think of.

Thankfully, Petra breaks the silence only with something really ominous sounding.

"Now Ikarus, be truthful with me for one second..."

'Oh God, having her sound this serious is scary'

"...She didn't try anything on with you during that lunch you had together, right? If she did, we definitely are hunting her down this second"

Wait... Petra's worried she tried something on me? Huh, at least this changes the topic to be a little more light hearted now. Apparently potential murder due to jealously is a better subject...

"No, why would she? I thought you might get jealous from me meeting up with her alone or something"

I mean, Petra is the jealous sort even if she'll deny it adamantly. It's not like there's anything to fear, it's just that I'd rather Petra always be happy and smiling like she is now.

"Heh, funny Ikarus. There isn't a single woman on this entire planet that could avert me from your gaze"

Hang on... is she being this arrogant? I don't care if it's true, false or even just being playful, I could look away and even cheat if I so wanted! I even remember looking at that purple haired dragon Esmerelda once before and thinking she was beautiful, only in human form though. I ain't into dragons.

"That's just not true! I look at other people's beauty too... I've just realized how incriminating that is but it's fine to look as long as you always stay loyal, right?"

"Heh... feel like I'm not doing enough to keep your attention then, looks like I'm going to have to step it up a notch"

"How is my Petra going to do that then? Distract me by teasing even more? Blind me so I can't look away? My heart may be reserved for you but my eyes have a mind of their own"

I get that this is playful and all but goddamn it! I'm not that loyal to Petra! I have cheating dragon blood in me as well so there's always the chance I could stray... why am I getting so fixated on this? I don't want to stray but it's the principle! I'm never going to cheat but still!

"Heh, no. Clearly that's not working enough. To start with, looks like we'll have to be together every second of the day now otherwise you'll look away. Could also do something like only wearing lingerie when we're out and about, then you'd have no need to look elsewhere ever again, right?"

Haw haw Petra, I'm calling you out this time around. There's no way you'd run around the settlement only wearing lingerie...

"Yeah yeah, go nuts, you haven't got the balls to do such a thing"

"Heh... well I'm already dressed for the occasion so why not now then? Just let me take this off quickly"

The second I say that, Petra with a deadly serious face starts to undo her disciple's robe right inside this café for all to see! I didn't even realize she had that black lingerie set on underneath today, why the hell did she put that on? Has she started to wear it most days without me even realizing!?

The stupid thing is after witnessing it ever so briefly, it was only a second or two away from other people seeing and I actually had to physically stop her from undressing! There's calling someone's bluff and all but don't be doing something like that! That sight is only for me!

"Wait wait! Damn it Petra... were you actually going to do that!?"

"Heh, there's a simple solution to fix this problem then Ikarus"

"What am I supposed to do then? Every time another woman enters my sight, close my eyes, put my fingers in my ears and start screaming la la la?"

"Heh, that sounds like a good start. Might have to blindfold you as well if your eyes can't be trusted"

It's a freaking good thing I can tell she's joking because this would just come across as extremely possessive to anyone who didn't understand the situation. She IS joking... even if that joke still has an element of truth in it, I'm just lucky Petra isn't a full blown yandere otherwise I'd be screwed. Let's just hope deep down, she really isn't that bad...

It's funny how such a depressing day learning about Petra's ex can end with such a weird situation, Petra was supposed to be spending it with Mute but things never go to planned.

"Why the hell do I love you so much? Sometimes you really make me wonder..."

It's also just occurred to me, we've basically just left Mute alone...