by Ephie Risho
“Then it’s settled. We’ll get our fastest pixies to lure them into the trap. Those in the valley will remain hidden and not fly at all. The illusion will show three pixies flying through the valley, somewhat slower than normal. And we’ll attack them with crossbows and hurl rocks—or even create an avalanche if need be—as long as we’re protected.”
She wiped her hands, and all the pixies immediately got to work.
The bows took the longest time to build, but thanks to the pixies with power over plants, the group had four large crossbows within an hour. Flurry flew to the valley with a dozen other pixies to scope out the area. There were some large rocks above, and she imagined having them rise from the ground and go flying toward targets below. The imps might see them coming, and they were quite fast, but she still thought she had a good chance.
The pixies all found hiding spots behind rocks and tree branches, then stopped flying. And waited. Over a dozen pixies had been sent to lure the imps their way. Flurry hoped they were okay.
The day waned, and the sun grew warm. It would have felt like a beautiful day, if not for the imminent danger.
All at once, a pixie mind-spoke to all the pixies in the area: Three imps coming.
The illusion of three pixies standing in the middle of the valley suddenly appeared. They weren’t flying in the illusion, so the imps wouldn’t be keyed into the fact that they couldn’t sense them.
A moment later, two imps zipped into the valley. Their intensity and speed were startling, even to the pixies who’d seen imps before. They lunged toward the pixies in the illusion, and the fake pixies scattered and hid under the rocks. The third imp remained unseen, and Flurry was unsure whether to wait or attack.
Her mind raced and imagined a dozen options in a matter of seconds. The imps are distracted. It’s now or never.
She focused on loosening the largest rocks directly above the imps and sent them rolling down the hill. They gathered other rocks and dirt on the way, creating a landslide. As expected, it was near impossible to guide them once they’d left the earth, but thankfully she had sent them hurtling in the right direction.
Now, she thought, I just hope the imps don’t see them.
Thankfully, the imps had scrambled onto the rocks and dug their claws into the holes where the illusion pixies had gone. They screeched oddly, like injured birds.
Flurry kept her focus on the rocks, then switched her focus to the imps. One of them had its hand deep in a hole, and she caused the rocks around it to close in, trapping it. It squawked and tried pulling its arm out. The other imp looked up at it with a quizzical expression, then the rocks hit.
The two imps were buried in the landslide, covered in five feet of rocks and dirt. The rocks settled, and the dust flew into the air, obscuring the entire area.
The pixies all waited in silence.
Flurry focused on the entrance to the valley where they’d come from. The trees were thick there. She mind-spoke: Where’s the third?
Still here. Watching, a pixie replied from the woods. Flurry could sense he was just at the edge of the trees. He continued: It looks like it’s smelling the air. Nobody fly.
The sun beamed down, warming the earth. The pixies without shade shifted and wiped sweat off their brows—but never left their crossbows. Hours passed, and the sun finally dipped lower in the sky.
Flurry’s mind wandered. How many imps were still after them? Besides the two in the area, of course.
Vibrant rose colors filled the area as the sun set. However beautiful, the wait was painful, and the valley grew darker and darker.
One of the pixies in the valley mind-spoke to everyone: Is it still there? Should we do something? We won’t be able to see it soon. I know they see better in the dark than we do.
Flurry replied: Yes. It’s still in the same spot.
The other pixie continued: I think it’s going to wait until one of us moves or flies. If I risk it, you’ll have to be fast.
Even in mind-speak, Flurry could tell the pixie was nervous. Then she had an idea: Can you get ahead of it, coming toward us? You’ve seen how fast they are. Can you outpace it?
There was a pause as the pixie thought about it: No. I don’t think so. Maybe we can make an illusion. I’ll fly as fast as I can toward you. When it’s close, I’ll stop flying and drop from the sky. If you can hide me as well as possible at that point and make it look like I’m still flying, we can lead it to the crossbows.
Silence rang out in the darkening valley. Then the first pixie mind-spoke again: This will only work if it’s true about them not seeing us when we’re not flying. And you’ll have to risk hitting the ground—that could kill you. But you’ll need to wait to fly till the last minute.
There was an awkward pause, then the pixie closest to the imps replied: Understood. Is everyone ready?
A chorus of pixies mind-spoke. All were prepared. The pixie suddenly darted from the trees toward the valley, the imp instantly behind it with ferocious animosity. The pixie was still far from the ambush when it shimmered briefly, then appeared to speed up. The illusion was convincing—it did appear to be the same pixie flying.
Puzzled, the imp faltered for a moment, then squawked and dove toward the illusion. Just as it was about to grasp it, the arrows flew, two from each side of the valley. The pixies with plant powers focused all their might, and one of the arrows hit the imp solidly right through the chest. It gave a startled gurgle and dropped to the ground.
We did it! A chorus of pixies rang out. They emerged from their hiding spots and stretched their limbs and wings, then fluttered together at the center of the valley to ensure everyone was present. The moon rose, casting a beautiful glow over them. All had survived. They had defeated three imps.
Flurry felt her heart lift. With their new knowledge of the imps, and working together, it definitely seemed possible to make it to the Great Stone Tower. She thought of the friends and family she hoped to see again. And how they could use the power of the tower to learn more and deal with the attacks properly. She’d never been there before, but it was legendary—a strong source of mana.
It might take weeks to get there, but she would try. The biggest challenge, in her eyes, were the fires. They had no way of dealing with fires. Something had to be done to stop them . . . and soon. Or the pixies would be killed all along the sea.
For a brief moment, she wondered what Amber was doing. Could she help stop the fires? Has she discovered her special powers yet?
23
Phoenix Rising
THE PHOENIX TORE INTO THE DEER CARCASS with its massive beak, pulling the fur off and eating the meat beneath. Amber, Theo, and Basil crouched behind large rocks scattered around the cave, afraid to show themselves even the tiniest bit. The smell of blood filled the spacious cave.
The enormous orange-and-red body rippled with muscles, and they could feel heat coming from its body, as if it could burst into flames at a moment’s notice. The phoenix’s body was covered in both scales and feathers, part lizard, part bird. Its beak was sharp and curved like an eagle’s, and covered in blood.
Amber had a flashback to seeing an owl tear into a mouse once, and this felt very similar, only on a completely different scale. The deer, and all of the youths in the cave, were incredibly puny compared to the massive creature.
The light from above created scary, stark shadows on the gruesome dinner. The sound of the phoenix tearing into the flesh echoed around the cave, and the three imagined their bodies being next. Theo steadied himself and took a deep breath, the image of being eaten alive ingrained in his mind.
Before the phoenix had finished eating, they heard loud flapping from outside the cave. The phoenix raised its head and stood. Was there another phoenix they had to deal with?
The trio watched from their hiding spots, trying to stay as invisible as possible. A large creature landed at the cave entrance and walked inside. It had the backside of a brown horse and the frontside of a gigantic golden eagle. Its be
ak and front claws looked incredibly sharp, menacing, and powerful.
But what was even more scary was the man who was riding it.
He was encased in sinister darkness and wore all black—tall boots, riding pants, leather armor, long gloves, and a flowing black cape. He had a large beard and a scowling spirit about him that seemed to emanate evil. He had a short sword on one side, a wand tucked into his belt, and a silver rod in a holster, strapped to his other side.
As the trio watched him dismount from the flying creature, they all thought the same thing: this most definitely is an evil wizard.
The dilemma of their situation began to sink in. They were three kids stuck hiding in the cave of an already fearsome beast and now joined by a powerful wizard and his imposing steed, a hippogriff.
None of them dared move even an inch for fear of making the slightest noise.
The wizard strode over to the phoenix, pulled the scepter off his side, and held it up. It was elegantly designed—a dull, smooth metal that seemed agile and light with a simple, somewhat curvy shape. The top was ornate, with a bulbous spot to hold a small stone that shimmered purple when it reflected the light.
“It is time,” the man said in a bold voice, “to attack the next village.” The tip of the scepter glowed purple briefly, and the phoenix calmly watched the man with alert eyes. “Go at dusk to Port Turnwater and burn it down.”
The phoenix gave a slight nod of its head, and the man nodded at the same time, then put the scepter back into its holster. The man’s scowl turned into a nasty smile. He turned, walked to his hippogriff, mounted it, and flew away. And just like that, he was gone. The phoenix stood for a moment more, then went back to eating its deer, as if nothing had happened.
Amber’s heart raced. The pure fear the wizard had brought into the room stayed with her. She was already so scared of what the phoenix could do to her. But this was a different challenge altogether.
Maybe we just need to leave, she thought. We’re way out of our element here. We have no idea what we’re doing.
She tried figuring out how to communicate to Basil and Theo that she no longer felt ready to do the plan. They couldn’t do it! How could they? She needed more time to figure out a better solution.
The phoenix finished eating and walked over to its nest, near the rock where Amber hid clenching her fists and trying to feel invisible. It turned in a circle and lay down. Amber kept crouched behind the rock, thinking of ways to escape. She wondered how long before the phoenix would smell her and kill her.
Her legs were getting extremely uncomfortable, and she felt like she had to change positions. Don’t move! she told herself. But it seemed like the phoenix was going to sleep. Maybe it would sleep, and she could creep out?
Time passed, and her leg started to tingle—pain stabbed at her, and she could no longer ignore it. She moved slowly, trying hard not to make any noise, but as she adjusted her leg, she scraped the cave floor slightly.
The phoenix lifted its head abruptly. It turned toward the rock she was hiding behind.
Oh no! Amber thought. I’m done for!
“Yaaaaaaah!” Basil came running out from behind his rock yelling, his short sword glowing bright orange.
The phoenix jumped to its feet and turned toward him, letting out a piercing caw. Basil raised his sword above his head to attack.
Amber watched the events unfolding as if in slow motion, then jumped into action. She clambered to the top of the rock, leaping toward the phoenix just as it started to spit fire.
She held the chain of the amulet out in a loop, trying to put it over its head. But it was impossible with the phoenix moving so much. Amber landed on its neck, missing the head completely.
On the positive side, her cape whipped around just as the phoenix’s fire flamed toward Basil and landed on the enchanted cape, which doused it instantly.
The phoenix shrieked and shook its head wildly.
Amber held on, the amulet in her right hand. She tried inching the chain up and around the phoenix’s neck but couldn’t free her hand enough to move it that high. She continued her tight grasp around the neck.
The phoenix continued shaking its head, and it was all Amber could do to keep from being flung across the cave. With the amulet swinging around wildly, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to finish her mission.
“Toss it here!” Basil yelled.
Amber was being shaken like a rag but held on to the phoenix’s neck while lightening her grip on the amulet enough to release it. The necklace flew out of her hand, across the cave and onto the ground. Basil sheathed his sword, dashing toward the amulet.
The phoenix saw him and spat fire, but Basil instinctively created a wind current that blew the fire just to his right. His arm got slightly singed, but he made it across the cave, scooped up the amulet, and hid behind a rock.
He peeked up.
The phoenix frantically swung its head back and forth, trying to shake off Amber. Basil ran back toward the gigantic scaly bird with the amulet chain opened.
Amber gripped the neck of the phoenix and gritted her teeth. The phoenix spat fire again, but her fluttering cape blocked most of it. The cape smoldered and was hot on her back, but she ignored it, holding on for dear life.
“Caaaaaw!” the phoenix complained and gave an even more intense shake of its head, sending Amber flying across the cave.
Her head collided with the stone wall, and she slumped to the floor, dazed and unmoving. Her head started bleeding, and she saw stars.
The world grew dark.
“Amber!” Theo jumped up from behind his rock and ran over to her. He dragged her behind a nearby rock, out of the phoenix’s sight. “Please be ok!” He crouched down and placed his hand with the ring over her head.
With the phoenix still distracted, Basil clambered up the rock behind it. The creature whipped its head around, searching the cave for another target.
Basil took a deep breath and leaped with the chain outstretched.
Out of pure instinct he drew from the internal mana inside and leaped far higher than humanly possible, whipped up by a gust of air.
When the phoenix saw him, it opened its giant beak to attack, but Basil managed to loop the chain partly over its head. A large feathery ruffle at the top made the chain catch.
Basil held on with his left hand and tried jiggling the chain over. The creature jabbed at him, slicing a long gash in his arm.
“Aaaaah!” Basil yelled as his sleeve ripped wide open and blood spattered into his face.
But he kept holding on fiercely and stirred the wind to push him. He swung around the phoenix, feeling the chain cross over the ruffle and drop a bit lower onto the feathers and scales around its neck.
When he was certain the chain had completely surrounded the neck, he let go and dropped to the floor.
In an instant, the phoenix calmed down and looked around, blinking, as if in a daze.
Basil lay on the ground, gripping his left arm and writhing in pain. He rolled around for a moment, then weakly stood and stumbled over to Theo.
Amber blinked her eyes groggily. Theo was blurry but starting to come into focus. She closed her eyes, then looked again. The pain began to subside. She slowly lifted her head. Did they do it? What was going on? She felt confused.
She leaned on Theo and wobbled to her feet, then stood on her own. Theo turned toward Basil, whose arm was gushing blood. He grabbed Basil’s arm, putting pressure over it while simultaneously using the ring’s healing power.
Basil’s face was wracked with pain.
“Please be ok, Basil,” Theo pleaded.
He focused, and soon Basil’s face went from deep pain to calm. Another minute, and the wound closed over.
Amber shut her eyes, took a breath, and opened them again. “Come on, guys. Let’s finish our healing later. We need to do this now.”
She grabbed Basil’s hand, pulling him to his feet. The three struggled over to the dazed and confused phoenix and stoo
d before it.
Amber cleared her throat. “Hello. I’m Amber. And this is Theo and Basil.” She gestured toward her friends. “We’re here to help.”
The phoenix looked at Amber carefully. She went on. “An evil wizard put a spell on you, and we’ve just broken it with a special necklace.”
The creature looked down at the amulet hanging from the chain around its neck, proving to her that it did indeed understand some of what she was saying, so she went on.
“Under the evil spell, you did some bad things, like burn the fields in my village. But now we could use your help.” She took a deep breath. “We’d like you to help us stop the people who put you under the spell. And help with the other creatures they’ve influenced. We can’t do it by ourselves.”
The phoenix stood silently for a moment, then let out a piercing shriek.
“Is that a yes or a no?” Theo asked with raised eyebrows and a smile toward his friends.
The phoenix approached Amber, and she inhaled deeply, seeing its large menacing beak come toward her. It proceeded to nuzzle her, and she put out her hand to touch it. Whatever its intentions were before, it was definitely a friendly creature now. She looked at the amulet and wondered about the power in that one small piece of jewelry.
Basil and Theo reached out their hands and touched the phoenix’s beak as well. It acted much like their horses, with no intent to do them harm.
“I can’t believe we did it.” Theo patted its beak and neck.
“Yeah,” Basil said wearily. “It’s a good thing you’ve got that ring though. I doubt we’d have survived otherwise. By the way, I’m going to need some more healing in a minute. My arm feels awful.”
“Of course.” Theo looked at him concerned, then smirked. “Although I don’t think the ring can heal your awful handwriting.”
Basil let out a chuckle. As soon as the ring was on his arm his face relaxed. Then he smiled wryly. “I wonder if it can heal your awful taste in shirts.”
Theo laughed and turned back to petting the large bird. After a few moments, it looked at them expectantly.