Phoenix Rising

by Ephie Risho

  “What do you think it wants?” Theo asked.

  “Why are you asking us?” Basil said. “You’re the one who has the gift with animals!”

  “Oh yeah!” He focused for a moment. “It’s different from other animals, but I think I can get a sense of things with him. He’s a very old, very kind phoenix, really.”

  “That’s good,” Amber said. “Although you’d have never known it ten minutes ago!”

  “For sure.” Theo patted its neck. “I don’t think he really remembers much about it. The enchantment, that is.”

  “Interesting.” Basil stretched out his arm. “What do you think it remembers?”

  Theo focused again. “I’m not sure. But he still seems confused.”

  Ambler sidled over. “Hey, Theo, maybe you can use that ring on my head some more. I have a crazy headache.”

  “You bet.” He placed his hand on her head. “So did we finish our quest?” He had a look on his face as if he knew it wasn’t true.

  “No, Theo,” Amber replied. “Think about it. That dark wizard will come back when Port Turnwater isn’t burned to the ground. We need another plan—and fast. But what?”

  Basil and Theo stood thinking. “Well, we can wait for him here,” Basil finally said.

  “What?” Amber looked at him incredulously. “He’s a powerful wizard! What could we possibly do to him?”

  “Ok, Ok. You’re right.” Basil shrugged. “But I don’t think stopping the phoenix is going to actually stop whatever they’re trying to do. Even if the amulet’s spell works forever, that evil guy looked serious. You saw him. I’m sure he’ll figure out another way to burn down the coastal towns.”

  Amber shook her head and looked at the floor. “We can’t let that happen. That’s my home.”

  “That’s what I’m saying.” Basil held his hands out in sympathy. “But I agree, taking on that wizard seems impossible.”

  They were silent in thought, and the phoenix naturally nuzzled Theo. He instinctively patted it without looking up.

  Amber felt torn. “I know we stopped the phoenix, but now we know that wasn’t our real enemy. Now that we’re this far, I can’t leave my family and friends at the mercy of this wizard. But what can we do? He seemed so powerful. With that scepter he used to control the phoenix. And he has a wand. What other stuff can he do?”

  Theo pulled his sleeve down. “That’s true. We don’t know the half of it. Sage said scepters can only do one thing, but I bet with that wand of his he can do a lot more.”

  Amber sighed and watched the phoenix nuzzle Theo happily. Her eyes lit up. “There is something we can do.”

  Basil and Theo regarded her curiously. “Look, Theo, the phoenix is already your new best friend. You can suggest things to it, maybe it’s not a spell like that evil man did, but you said it’s nice, right? We have powers. If we have the element of surprise and the phoenix on our side, I think we can surprise the wizard and get the upper hand.”

  Theo started shaking his head no, but Amber went on. “Theo, we need you. You’re the one who mastered Castles. We need some serious strategy right now. Four moves ahead, right? We can do it. We just need to be ultra-prepared.”

  Theo looked scared, and Basil set his jaw.

  “Ok,” Theo said reluctantly.

  “You’ve got this.” Basil patted his shoulder. “Besides, it’s not like our lives depend on it, right?” he smiled jokingly,

  Theo rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He would come up with an idea. And stick it out. Or die trying.

  24

  A Bigger Library

  TWO HORSES WALKED down the cobblestone road toward the large city gates. The stone walls were enormous, with turrets every hundred yards and soldiers standing watch at each one. Behind the wall, the city sprawled many stories high in all directions. The two- and three-story houses were mostly made of stones and bricks.

  Further in, an enormous awe-inspiring castle stood, with four tall towers rising far above the rest of the city, and red triangular flags with the emblem of a griffin flapping in the wind at their tops. Both men had been there enough times that they paid no heed and continued their discussion.

  “What do you mean, epicenter? What does that even mean?” Ryder adjusted his riding hat to block the sun.

  Chandler cleared his throat and spoke in a professor-like voice, as if before an entire class. “The theory goes that all mana has its origin in certain spots, like an earthquake that starts at one spot and rumbles outward, getting weaker as it goes.”

  “So does the mana grow weaker the farther it gets from the epicenter?”

  “According to the theory, yes. It does. One of the things I’d like to confirm one day. I’m most certain the library here will have the answers to that, and a great many other things I’m interested in. But what I’m most curious about is what’s going on now . . . with the goblins and the phoenix and such.”

  “Of course.” As they continued into the town, Ryder nodded to the soldiers standing guard at the gates.

  The bustle of the city was immense. People from every race and region imaginable were busily walking up and down the street, with vendors shouting and selling spices, clothing, supplies, trinkets, gear, and items with unknown uses from their stalls that lined the street.

  The crowd instinctively parted as the two horses came through, single file through the busiest of the crowd. They passed the market area to a quieter part of the city, until they reached the enormous library building. It was two stories high, with marble pillars and magnificent steps that led to large double doors.

  The windows were ornate stained glass depicting scenes from Lugo’s history, many of which included griffins. Larger-than-life statues of great heroes in regal poses surrounded the entire building.

  Ryder had walked by the building in the past, but would never have thought to go inside. He cocked his head as he appreciated the intricate artwork, noticing it for the first time.

  Chandler watched him with a smile. “First time here?”

  Ryder blushed. “No. I just hadn’t noticed the details before. So, um . . . Where should we leave our horses?”

  “There’s a stable around back,” Chandler replied, eagerness on his face. He patted his horse to move around to the right to the small building behind it.

  When Ryder stepped into the library, he was awestruck. He’d never seen anything like it in all his travels. Books and scrolls lined every wall, from floor to ceiling. The room was enormous, one big open space, with bookcases covering every open spot. Six staircases hugged the walls, and a second floor ringed the four sides, looking down to the main area in the center. The second floor was full of books as well.

  The middle of the room had a dozen tables, where a handful of people sat reading or talking quietly. Skylights above cast a perfect light below for reading.

  “Whoa. Where do we start?” Ryder gazed at the sea of books—thousands upon thousands. The task of finding any information seemed near impossible.

  “There’s a catalog system that keeps the books perfectly organized. Every book has its proper place. We simply need to check the catalog to find them.”

  Ryder followed Chandler to a wide drawer with many labels and small knobs. Chandler pulled out a drawer. It was narrow and deep, filled with small cards with information on them about the books.

  “Do you know what you’re looking for?” Ryder peered at the cards, seeing they were categorized by title, author, and keyword.

  “Yes.” Chandler pulled a card out, smiled, and took a piece of paper that was sitting on the top of the drawer and scribbled a note on it, then put the card back and walked toward the bookcases in the back.

  Ryder followed him, feeling useless. Chandler pulled a book off the shelf, leafing through the pages for a moment, then handed it to Ryder. “Take this one,” he said, looking back at the shelf and pulling out another one. “And this one.”

  He held the book out without looking, and Ryder fumbled for it.
<
br />   After pulling off four books, the two walked to a table and Chandler leafed through them.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “A clue.”

  “What kind?” Ryder opened one of the books and looked at the title. Magical Properties of Scepters.

  “Oh, lots of things, actually. Assuming there are actually evil wizards behind all the trouble we’ve been seeing.” He held up his hand and counted on his fingers as he said, “Who might be behind this? What are they trying to do? Where are they possibly located? Why are they doing it—like what benefit do they get? And also, how might they be planning to do it? We’ve got all sorts of questions, and I’m certain a lot of the answers are here in this library.” Chandler put his nose back in the book and muttered to himself as he flipped through the pages.

  Ryder looked at the book in his hands and leafed through it. Scepters seemed interesting, but he had no idea what he would be looking for. He put the book down and wandered around the library. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. He decided to check in at the courier’s hostel to see if there was any news from the other couriers.

  He walked down the street lost in thought, then turned at the old building where he’d stayed countless times. The hostel was busier than ever, with people of all sorts coming and going, mostly younger men. Ryder walked up to a front desk where a young man, not much older than him, sat and talked with another man who looked like he’d just traveled that day.

  “Where were they?” asked the man at the desk.

  “Due south of here, at Rueford. Not in the town, mind you, but not far either. The whole town is up in arms. They’ve started assembling a militia.”

  Ryder interrupted. “I can’t help but overhear. What is it you’re talking about?”

  The courier regarded Ryder. “Ogres. About a dozen of them. And they’re not just hanging back, they’re attacking people. Makes a job like ours pretty difficult indeed.”

  “Have they blocked the road?” Ryder asked.

  “Yeah, of course. I think we should send some soldiers from Lugo down. It seems serious. Who should I talk to?”

  “I’d go to the barracks,” the man at the desk said. “Tonight. Someone there will know what to do.”

  “Thanks!” The courier nodded and dashed out the door.

  Ryder frowned at the man at the desk. “How much of this news are you getting? How bad is it?”

  “Worse every day. Mostly I hear about goblin sightings, but that red dragon that people started seeing recently is now coming closer pretty regularly, just south of here, and bothering the townsfolk of the villages. Some trolls have been seen coming further down the mountain than they used to, near the villages in the foothills. And now this.”

  “Any idea of where they’re coming from—maybe one location more than another?” Ryder leaned against the desk.

  “I don’t know . . .” the young man was lost in thought a moment. “I suppose the stories are from everywhere, but if I had to say one area, I hear a lot of trouble coming from east of here. Like the mountain pass to Ballmore. Seems nobody wants to take that route these days. Goblins everywhere.”

  “I’ve been hearing that for weeks. Any news of things past Ballmore?”

  “Perhaps.” The man tapped the table a minute and gazed at the ceiling. “Yes, there was one person, as I recall. Shoot, I can’t remember. It was a month ago, and I was just listening in. I’d try asking around the couriers who usually go out that way. Larry is here . . . he sometimes does that route.”

  “Thanks.” Ryder said. As he walked around the hostel asking everyone he ran into for Larry, he smirked. Chandler may have his ways of finding out things, but I’ve got mine.

  Larry was a dark-haired young man with a slightly patchy beard and weathered clothing, except for brand-new brown riding boots.

  “Nice boots!” Ryder said as he walked up.

  “Thanks!” Larry looked at them admiringly. “I just bought them. It’s amazing what good footwear will do.”

  Ryder put his hand out. “The name’s Ryder. I hear you do the route to Ballmore?”

  “That’s right,” he said, shaking Ryder’s hand. “My name’s Larry. What are you interested in?”

  “I’m trying to learn more about the goblins and other creatures that have been sighted recently. I hear there might be more activity out that way.”

  “Oh definitely.” Larry shook his head. “It’s crazy over there. Goblins are gathering all over the place. I’ve even heard there’s a whole gang of them gathering outside. You never see that. Never more than a few at a time, but from what I hear there must be dozens, if not more. Not sure what to think, but the people of Ballmore are definitely not happy. I haven’t seen them myself.”

  “Whereabouts is this happening?”

  “Oh, quite a ways east of Ballmore, north toward the mountains. Definitely not close to any towns or anything, but still. Freaky. I’ve heard that’s where the goblins are normally from. The Ancares Mountains. Be careful if you’re thinking to head that way.”

  “Definitely.” Ryder paused. “Any other signs of things?”

  “I don’t know,” Larry said apologetically. “But the goblins have always kept to themselves before. So something is definitely up.”

  Ryder thanked him for his time and walked back to the library. Chandler’s nose was still in a book, and Ryder shook his head. Probably hasn’t learned anything yet, he imagined.

  He cleared his throat. “Any luck?”

  Chandler glanced away from his book, and his eyes lit up when he saw Ryder. “Indeed! I think I know where they might be located.”

  “What? Where?”

  “Ah, you see, there’s a possibility that they are in the same vicinity as they were in the great Wizard War, which was close to two hundred years ago. The reason I say that is because I believe the goblins are mostly coming from the Ancares Mountains, and that happens to be a mere five miles to the wizards’ previous citadel. I would wager that they’re still active in that area.”

  Ryder scratched his head. “I just learned that the goblins seem like they’re organizing themselves out in the open in those parts.”

  “Well then.” Chandler paused a moment. “That supports my theory. Or it may. It doesn’t actually prove anything, but I think it would be worth sending someone out and investigating if the wizards still have their citadel there. We need to know what exactly is happening out there so we can be ready for it.”

  The two stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. Ryder felt deep down what he was about to say, before he even thought it. “It’s going to be me, isn’t it?”

  Chandler shrugged, then pushed his glasses up awkwardly. “Well, that’s up to you. Of course. I, for one, plan to stay here and read more. I’ve got a friend I can stay with, and I’m just getting started. This is probably going to take me weeks to find all the answers I’m looking for.”

  Ryder gazed at the stained-glass windows showing a scene with a man riding a griffin, battling a large three-headed serpent which appeared to be controlled by a wizard behind it. “Well, I do travel a lot. And I can be pretty sneaky if I need to.”

  He paused, thinking of the wizard in the picture. Something about finding powerful wizards seemed intriguing to him, more than scary. “Ok. I’ll do it. Make me a map and highlight the key areas to watch out for. I’ll head out tomorrow.”

  “Excellent!” Chandler clapped his hands. “That will give me enough time to think of all the questions I’ll have for you while you’re on the ground over there. Do be careful, I’d like you to return and fill me in on all the things you’ll learn.”

  Ryder gulped. He wasn’t sure if he was crazy to head straight into the source of the goblins, and potentially the evil wizards, but seeing Amber head out so boldly inspired him. And the thought of meeting a powerful wizard, whichever side they were on, grabbed his interest. Would they know more about his powers and what he was capable of?

  He thought of the gobl
ins gathering. Did that mean they were forming an army? That would be bad for everyone. He didn’t want to see people suffer from goblins or any other threat. He could do something about it. And he would.

  25

  Magical Strategies

  AMBER, THEO, AND BASIL didn’t have a lot of ideas of how to counter the powerful dark wizard, so they decided to investigate the surrounding area.

  Along the way, Theo talked with the phoenix and visualized the evil man, helping it better understand that it had been under a spell and forced to burn down villages—and that they needed it to fight back.

  When he felt the phoenix was going to help them, he scanned the area mentally for other animals. He found some rats and bats and a few snakes but not much else. He gave the different animals a heads-up that he might need them.

  Amber found some prickly thorn bushes not too far away and asked them to uproot part of themselves and move their thorns so she could replant them closer to the phoenix’s cave entrance. Then she caused them to grow into a small bush. She also found some vines and started a new creeping vine that surrounded the area in front of the cave.

  They all worked quickly and efficiently, for fear the dark wizard might come back at any moment. Basil focused on looking for the best location to gain a tactical advantage, depending on where the wizard might land. Theo asked the phoenix how often the wizard would come by, but its memory was blurry. The best they could imagine was that he might return that day or anytime the next week. But the not knowing was unnerving.

  “Better to get more food and water now, if possible,” Basil said. “The chances are he won’t come back tonight, right? We also need to move our horses much farther away, so he doesn’t see them. Last time was way too risky.”

  In the end, they agreed that Basil should take the horses down the mountain into the cover of the trees and also do some hunting again, since Amber’s and Theo’s powers were critical for their plan to succeed.