Phoenix of Hope: Complete Series — Books 1-4

by Zora Marie

  “I’ll stay up with her,” Johnol offered. “You guys go get some rest.”

  “I’ll take second watch,” Dotchavitch said as he stood. “Come on guys.”

  They all spread out to sleep. The two new boys slept off to the side, farther away from the dragons. While the others slept against and under the wings of their dragons.

  Zelia and Johnol sat side by side, looking down at the trees with the volcano at their backs.

  She laid back and looked up at the sky as a chorus of snores filled the air.

  “Not going to sleep on me now are ya?”

  “No, just wishing the clouds would dissipate so I can see the stars.”

  “I take it you like to look at the stars.”

  “Yes, though what I see is different from what you see.”

  “How’s that?”

  “I see many more stars than you and I can see the planets that circle them when the air is clear.”

  “Uh, so… you’re like Lumid, the ever-watching guard of the passage?”

  “Kind of. You know, I trust him more than Yargo.”

  “What? Why? Yargo is the highest of all the gods.”

  “Yargo is a seeker of knowledge first and foremost and I’m a mystery to him. At least Lumid just wants to protect me and is curious about my sight.”

  “So, you were serious back there, you have met them.”

  “Yes, and then I hurt them. I tried not to, but I couldn’t stop it.”

  Johnol fell silent, and she forced herself to search for specks of stars through the clouds to keep her mind from wandering. Some time and many clouds passed before Johnol shook himself awake.

  “You keep watch. I’m going to go wake Dotchavitch. You can come join me once he gets up here.”

  He watched her until she nodded before starting down the hill. A few minutes later Dotch plopped down beside her.

  “So… I didn’t want to ask in front of the others, but how did you end up here? I mean, why are you not still with Yargo?”

  She sat up and stared at the flames, part of her wanting to reach out and let them burn her.

  “I lived with them as family. They saved me, and I nearly killed them. No one around me is safe, not as long as they can control any part of me.”

  “Who?”

  “The Wizard Guild. They created me, to kill everyone I care about. I’d kill myself again, but I already know I’d just come back. I always come back.”

  “I might know of someone who could help you. If they don’t run us off their island first.”

  “No one can help me, not even those you consider gods.”

  “Maybe, but we should at least ask for their advice. Fairies are magical creatures after all.”

  “Wait, there are Fairies out here?”

  “Well, not here, but not all that far from home either. You go get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

  “I… Dotch, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, now go on.”

  23

  Her mind replayed the same scenes from before, only this time there was no one to wake her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  The ice jumped through the man and ended his pain in an instant, his face frozen in that pitiful stare.

  Asenten slammed the butt of his staff into her side.

  She gasped for air and froze when she realized where she was. Stars twinkled in the sky above her as she slipped from under Johnol’s arm.

  So many lives. She could almost hear their screams and she rubbed her side, where she had just been struck in her dream. No, so many deaths. She heaved a sigh and with a short climb up the hill, found the twins taking their turn keeping watch. When she tossed another piece of wood on the fire and sat, the twins fell over each other as they backed away from the crackle of the log burning in the hot coals.

  “You two should go get some more rest. We still have a while before the sun comes up.”

  “But it’s our turn—” Sligh protested until Senth’s elbow connected with his chest.

  “I can’t sleep, anyway. And if I’m awake, you two might as well get some rest.”

  With shrugs and tired grins, the twins lumbered off down the hill where they fell atop each other as they lay down. Their snores began as quickly as they had fallen.

  The flames and glowing embers took to the air, and she recalled the screams of the Darkans as they burned all around.

  The longer she sat, the closer the flames drew to her. Her subconscious called to the fire she had hurt so many with. She edged closer and held out her hand, letting the searing scorching flames lap at her fingers.

  She sighed as her mind continued to torture her with images of men, women, and children dying by her hand. Their screams and pleas pierced her ears, sending chills down her spine. Yet she sat, still unmoving, while the heat of the flames welcomed her with a twisted sense of warmth, pain, and comfort… Though her mind still wandered through some of the worst parts of her past.

  With no warning, a hand gripped her arm and yanked her away from the flames.

  “You have a death wish or somethin’?” the wiry boy voiced.

  She jerked her arm out of the boy’s grip, and he staggered back.

  “H… how aren’t you burnt?”

  “I am, just not on the surface.”

  The boy edged away from her, before sitting in the grass. “So… How did you sleep?”

  “Not all that well.”

  “Your heart?” he asked, seeming to be genuinely concerned.

  “No.” She heaved a sigh. “Dark memories from days long since passed.”

  “Nice to know I’m not the only one who’s haunted by the past.” His eyes flashed wide when he realized what he had just said. “Not that I’d ever wish for something bad to happen to anyone.”

  She gave him an understanding, though pained smile. “You know, I never got your name.”

  “Oh, I’m Kafthry, and he’s Keller. I overheard the others last night. They only just met you?”

  “I’ve only been in this part of the world for a few days now but I’m afraid it won’t be long before I’ll have to leave. I don’t want to hurt anyone else.”

  They sat in silence as the sun broke the horizon. With the beautiful golden sunrise before her, she pulled herself from her dark thoughts to enjoy the view.

  “You sure are fond of looking at the sky.”

  “You learn to appreciate it even more, when you’ve spent most of your life trapped in the dark.”

  “Sorry, but just how old are you? You act so much older than you appear.”

  “I’m not sure exactly. I couldn’t track the days or the years when I was in the cave. Though I do know I’m somewhere around five hundred years old. Eleanor could tell me if I ever see her again. But age is just a number to me, since I don’t age like any being here.”

  “You’re how old?” Kafthry stared at her as if she was crazy.

  “I didn’t stutter, and neither of us is insane. Well, for my part, I suppose that’s debatable.” I am connected to Rog after all. She saddened at the thought. She hadn’t felt Rogath’s presence since he had blamed her and while she longed for his companionship, she dreaded facing him again.

  Kafthry let her words sink in as the others stirred.

  She stood and turned towards the trees. “You stay here and keep watch as the others wake. I’m going for a walk.”

  She made it only a few paces before Raven asked, “Where are you running off to now?”

  “For a walk.”

  “Want to go for a ride instead? We can make a lap around the island.”

  “Sure.” She climbed onto Raven’s back and they took off. “Raven, do you think the Fairies can help me?”

  “Maybe, but they still follow the old ways. So, do you want to go fast or slow?”

  “Slow, that way it gives everyone time to wake up. The Fairies, do they still speak their ancient language here?”

  “Ancient language? I’ve only ever
known them to have one main language, so I suppose so. Why?”

  “Because I know it, or at least, I used to.”

  “Alright.”

  They looked out over the treetops towards the others.

  “Looks like the boys made friends with Elm and Evergreen.”

  “Sounds like you did too,” Zelia teased.

  “I always make sure the other dragons brought home are safe.”

  “Why is it Dotch said you don’t like people, even though you’ve been protecting them?”

  “Because I’m old and they’re young. Dotch wanted to be my rider, but he was meant for Stardust, not me.”

  “What will you do when I leave? You know I cannot stay, right?”

  “Why do you feel you need to leave?”

  “I…”

  “You’re not bound to the mainland; you can stay here.”

  Zelia ran her hand across Raven’s smooth scales. “I…”

  “You still feel you are bound there, just as I am bound here. I understand.”

  Raven swooped down and skimmed the water, then spiraled up to meet the others coming off the island.

  “How about you give the boys the names of their dragons, before they come up with some strange name like Gulepia?”

  “I happen to like my name,” Gulepia almost growled. “Besides, what type of names are Elm and Evergreen?”

  “The names our mother gave us when we hatched from the very same egg,” Evergreen replied.

  “You should tell them that! It’s rare you know.”

  “Keller, Kafthry, would you like to know the names of your dragons?”

  Both Keller and Kafthry nodded in reply.

  “Kafthry, you’re riding Evergreen. Keller, you’re riding Elm. They say they’re brothers, twins to be exact, hatched from the same egg. That’s rare for any egg-bearing creature, let alone a dragon.”

  Kafthry and Keller exchanged a grin.

  “What are you two smiling about?” Dotch teased.

  “It’s just ironic. We’ve always felt like brothers. You see, Keller was an orphan long before our earliest memories. His father died at sea when his mother was pregnant, and she died not all that long after he was born. The entire village took him in, but he spent most of his life with my family. If we hadn’t been a few months apart, there might have been a rumor that we were twins, as we looked a lot alike when we were younger.”

  Kafthry’s story of Keller’s past reminded Zelia of her time as a small child, and she lost herself to her memories.

  “Starjaina!” Zelia called from her post on the vine fence.

  The pure white horse lifted her head and galloped across the pasture.

  “Want to race?” Alrindel asked as he rode up to join them.

  “Are you not supposed to be at practice?”

  “One quick race will not hurt. Come on, even Starjaina wants to.”

  The horse shook her head and eased alongside the fence. “Come on, let us show him what we can do.”

  “Let’s give him at least a fighting chance, shall we?” Zelia teased as she climbed on and grabbed a clump of her horse’s mane.

  “Ready, set, go!”

  They thundered across the pasture, Starjaina always keeping just a little ahead. Starjaina pranced as she came to a stop and Alrindel slid off his horse to rub its head.

  “Either you are getting faster or Starjaina is getting slower.” Alrindel told his horse, who shook his head in response. “No? You think she let us keep up?”

  Zelia’s smile beamed as Alrindel looked up at her, neither of them noticing the approach of another horse.

  “What do you think you are doing? You are going to give Eadon a heart attack,” Koin scooped her off Eadon’s horse. “Now where is Alrindel? He is missing practice.”

  “Here I am.” He ran up and jumped on Starjaina. “I was looking for Zelia.”

  “Sure, you were. Come on. And you, young lady, are supposed to be practicing your writing, if memory serves.”

  “But Eadon got called away.”

  “You can still practice, can you not?” Koin asked.

  “Yes.” Zelia lowered her head.

  “What are you so deep in thought about?” Johnol asked, startling her after she had been in her own mind for a while.

  “My early childhood.”

  “What do you mean? I thought you said you were created by magic?”

  “I was, but I had to start from the beginning just as any other creature. From what I understand, when they decided that they should not age me with magic, the Elven Queen Eleanor took me in as the other wizards traveled far too much to bother with such a young child. In turn, Eleanor handed me off to her trusted guard and friend Eadon. Even if he didn’t want me in the beginning, he took me in as his own. I was the first outsider to learn among the elf children. Eadon has always had a soft spot for orphans. My elvish brother Alrindel isn’t his son by blood either, his parents died towards the beginnings of the old wars.” She let out a soft sigh. “I learned a lot alongside Alrindel, everything from language to how to fight.”

  “Okay… now I’m confused. You said life hasn’t always been kind, yet it sounds like you had an awesome childhood.”

  “It was, until that day, until my first death. I only spent one hundred and forty of my five hundred years with the Elves. And my time with the Elves only made the next few centuries all that much harder. They taught me that all life was worth cherishing and then Asenten forced me to tear men, women, and children apart piece by piece for the enjoyment of my captors.”

  “But you just said the Elves taught you to fight, how could they cherish all life if they train to kill.”

  “There’s a difference between killing for selfish reasons and killing to defend yourself and the innocent. The line may not be clear cut, but it is there, and I have crossed it many times.” Her gaze fell, and she slipped back into her self-hatred, the very thing Zivu had ordered her to leave behind.

  “So… tell me, what are they like? The Elves I mean?”

  She shook herself from her thoughts. “Elves? They’re lovers. Lovers of beauty and knowledge, of all that is kind and beautiful in all the realms. Most of all they love music, the stars, their children, and their one and only soulmate. Even in death their souls are bound to one another.”

  “They sound beautiful, what do they look like?”

  “Why is it that everyone wants to know what Elves look like, but they never want to know what, say, a Dwarf looks like? Is it because the women look so much like the men? They may not be beautiful to the eye, but their souls are as deep as their halls.” A slight smile played across her lips and she glanced at her friends. “But yes, I shall tell you. They all have long flowing hair as fine as silk and eyes that pierce into the depths of your very soul with nothing more than a glance. Their skin glows in the light of the stars, to the point that they need no fire to see by on moonless nights. It’s for that reason, they can often be found dancing under the stars.”

  “They... they sound beautiful,” Kafthry breathed, both he and Keller were awestruck by her description.

  “They are, even in heart and soul. Or at least most of them are.”

  “Why didn’t you return? You speak as though you love it there,” Johnol said.

  “I... I do love it there.” A feeling of love and longing of the purest sort washed over her but she shook it off. “But I can’t let them put themselves in danger for me.”

  “You know, you can’t run forever. Maybe you should go back. Not that we’re trying to get rid of you,” Dotchavitch raked his hair back, “it just sounds like you miss them. Like you belong there far more than here.”

  “You’re right, they are my kin. I’m just not ready to face the wizards. I may never be ready.”

  “Maybe not on your own, but I have a feeling you won’t be alone.”

  “Now who’s being the wise one?” She forced a smirk.

  The chain of islands came into view on the horizon, she could jus
t make out a ship docked in the harbor.

  “Dotchavitch, were the men of your village due to return today?” she asked.

  Dotchavitch shook his head. “Not unless fishing was unusually successful. Why?”

  “There’s a ship docked in the harbor, similar to the one we saw yesterday.”

  “Stardust and I can fly faster than the others. Maybe we should fly ahead and check things out?” Raven asked and Stardust eagerly agreed.

  Zelia relayed the message.

  “We should stick together,” Fifthry protested.

  Dotchavitch squinted at the dark masses of the islands on the horizon. “Zelia and I will go make a pass by the island and circle back for you guys.”

  He glanced at Zelia with a grin. “Keep up if you can. Come on Stardust.”

  Stardust sped up and Raven took off after him.

  “Oh, that little… you have yet to see fast. Zelia, you’d better hold on.”

  Zelia tightened her grip on the ridge along Raven’s neck.

  “Ready whenever you are.”

  Raven gave one hard flap of her wings and shot past Stardust and Dotchavitch. Dotchavitch’s mouth gaped with shock. It’s a good thing there are not any bugs through here, he’d be catching a few.

  A moment later, Dotchavitch’s jaw set and he leaned forward with a tightened grip. “Come on Stardust, let’s show them what we’ve got.”

  Stardust sighed and picked up pace. He knew good and well he couldn’t beat Raven with her wide wingspan, but he gave it his best effort.

  They both sped along, leaving the sound of their beating wings far behind them. Dotchavitch and Zelia couldn’t have spoken to each other even if they had wanted to.