A Gray Phoenix’s Daily Strife

On the day where the hatchlings became six years old, they were taken to the Moonlight Hall alongside other families' fledglings to receive the ability blessing of the Lunar Orichalcum that was seated in the center of it all. The families gathered around the hall and sat down in their seats in front of the table with freshly made lunch as the gathering went on.

The nannies brought the phoenix children to their seats next to either their mother or their guardian as they await for the clan head to arrive. One of them was a girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes, with a visible gold feather mark on her forehead.

"Haifeng, here's some white pear for you."

The girl's nanny quietly gave her a plate of peeled white pear slices and she thanked her kindly as she nibbled into one.

"Thanks, Terri. You're the best."

"Haifeng, you said I was the best. . ."

Haifeng turns to her nanny's husband who was frowning pitifully.

"You are the best butler I've ever seen, Terrace. And my only best butler, okay?"

Terrace looks at her with an earnest smile and taps her nose.

"I know. No one will be as good as me, who's Haifeng's butler~"

His confidence made Haifeng shake her head, knowing that he was just being petty over her preference for Terri.

"You two behave yourselves here. This isn't an event for the two of you to goof around whenever you want." The stern voice of Haifeng's blue-haired guardian had her and Terrace silent, yet annoyed at their party pooper.

She then felt an unnecessary gaze from another lowborn phoenix like her, whom was in the same class as her. If there was a personal description that describes them it would be more accurate to say that they were of similar personality to those who wear pure faces.

Tanwen was a white phoenix born with exotic dark facial features from her mother, dual colors of blue at the top and green eyes at the bottom of her irises, and wavy dark brown hair that ran down her shoulders. If she had been born high, her foreign beauty would've skyrocketed more by the noble society itself.

The exotic girl looks away from Haifeng with a 'hmph' when she caught her gaze, but the latter didn't care if she did that.

'Let's get this over with.' Haifeng thought, sighing.

The conversations died down as the servant announced the clan head's arrival. Everyone stood up to greet Clan Head Fengyue as he walked majestically graceful to his seat in-between the families' sides.

"You may all sit down."

And so the families did.

They first enjoyed entertainment and food for awhile, laughter and smiles all around. It was truly a joyous family event but Haifeng wasn't as interested in her surroundings than picking up apple seeds that were dug out by her nanny Terri to feed her bunny-shaped apple slices and chucking them out towards her guardian's face one by one.

"Haifeng, behave."

"But it's boring here."

"Even so, behave."

"Don't wanna."

"Then I'll tell Terri and Terrace to withhold the desserts for tonight."

". . .!"

Haifeng pouted cutely in defeat and ate her apple slices as he looked at her with a small grin. None of the people here would believe she was a misbehaving girl who often finds a way to enjoy his reprimanding in every way possible. Such memories made the man sigh in what went wrong with her head. The only way to make this pesky girl listen was to simply take her food away and she'll behave, which he was glad that was only a normal response.

"What do you expect to gain when you touch the Lunar Orichalcum?"

"Midas Touch, so I can make things into gold and get rich when I sell them-"

"Even the Lunar Orichalcum is sentient enough to know that is such a bullshit thing to have."

"It's alive?"

She wasn't kidding with those wide eyes in surprise on her face she had towards him.

"Did you not listen at all when they taught you about how all living and non-living beings have energy?"

". . . ."

Haifeng's silence and her head turning away from his stare only confirmed it all. Goodness, how did he end up with such a rebellious brat like her. All that damn clan head's fault.

And as if on cue, Clan Head Fengyue sneezed.

"Bless you, clan head."

"Thank you."

The phoenix lord nods with a smile as the clan head raises his wine glass in the air.

"It is about time we have the children receive their blessings, starting with the direct bloodline!"

The direct phoenix bloodline in fact, who are closely related to him, and also the phoenix lord's children. As his children aged six rose up to form a row in the center, the Lunar Orichalcum shines splendidly like it finally got to bless the bird children after seeing everyone just have fun in front of it. Some of the families got nearly blinded by the sight of the luminosity.

One by one, each touched the Lunar Orichalcum to obtain their blessings marked into their foreheads varying from flowers, diamonds, leaves, orbs, feathers, or bird forms.

Strength, speed, water, earth, fire, air, light, healing, defense, and ability boosting. The rest after that flew over Haifeng's head as she waited for her turn while eating more apple slices.

Until she became interested in a white phoenix's turn.