“Jameston, you have betrayed me, which means I no longer have use for you.” Jameston was shivering in his shoes, Wylie could smell the fear emanating from him. Maybe he had been pure evil, but perhaps it had all been due to his Siapheg side. He had come to her aid in the cemetery.
Wylie, don’t move. I need to perform some protection magic on you. Do not alert Jacob to my presence. It was Quincy’s reassuring voice speaking to her, but, where was he?
Wylie watched helpless as Jacob effortlessly lifted Jameston off the ground without even touching him. He simply pointed a finger in the direction that he wanted him to go. First, Jacob tossed him toward the ceiling. Wylie closed her eyes as she heard his body hit a rafter. Then Jacob’s finger dropped, and so did Jameston.
She was sure she heard breaking bones this time, then a slithering sound, and when she looked up, Jacob was there in snake form swallowing Jameston whole. The sight made her stomach turn, and despite all that had happened, a feeling of sadness overtook her. No one deserves to die like that, but that must mean it’s safe to move now. Why the spell? Isn’t that upsetting the balance? She asked Quincy in her mind.
Currently, the balance is off. It’s time to make things right. We need to get to Adrian, there is only so much time to repair the damage before it’s permanent and he can’t be brought back. So please, whatever you are going to do, do so quickly. Quincy urged her.
Wylie nodded silently, then stood up on her back legs, stretching her wings out. She could feel the beginnings of pain in various parts of her Teselym body, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from fighting Jacob, even if it meant lighting the whole barn on fire around him.
“You’d light a fire for me? Oh, I’m touched—really.” Jacob coiled up, his diamond head nodding from side to side. He was preparing to strike. Wylie made herself as large as possible without breaking the roof of the barn.
“I’ll light all of Oyster Bay on fire if it means ridding the world of you!” She dashed forward, mouth open, and bit into his scaly body, taking a large chunk of flesh from his side.
Jacob roared loudly, his eyes growing black with rage.
“I’ll kill you.” he screamed. He aimed his head right at her and struck. Wylie narrowly avoided his death bite, jumping over his body to avoid his poisonous fangs. She raised one of her front claws and brought it down across his back as she hopped over his snake form. He tried to strike again, but grazed himself instead. “Arrrggghhh! Stand still, you witch!”
Wylie laughed at him, and then shrank so small, he could barely see her. She flew up to his head landing right between his eyes, then quickly let herself grow large again, ripping her claws down both sides, attempted to scratch his eyes out. He bellowed again, tossing his head back and forth violently, trying to shake her off. Jacob succeeded in knocking her to the ground where she lay for a moment, stunned.
Jacob took advantage of the opportunity to encircle her. Everything had fallen into place, his last foe was at his mercy, and once he crushed her under his grip, the Earth would be his for the taking. The Immortal Ones would be unable to do anything to stop him; there would be no one left to balance the good.
Wylie’s entire body ached. She knew she hadn’t been fully up to par when transforming into her Teselym form, but she had hoped to find the strength to beat Jacob. He needed to die. It was unclear to her who he was exactly, but she knew if she didn’t take care of him quickly, there would be no hope left for anyone.
Part of her mourned the loss of Jameston. In the end he had done what was right, even if his bloodline had decreed he would have a different fate. Now there was no Siapheg; would humanity naturally balance out evil on their own? Who would take Jameston’s place? Jacob?
“What’s the matter dear, afraid I can’t die?”
Wylie stood up tall, quickly shaking herself off. She just had to fight a little longer.
“No, I’m afraid of who will take your place when you do!” She flew up and out of his grasp with mere seconds to spare. As she flew up, he opened his mouth, and she got a full look at the inside of his poisonous fanged aperture, the ridges along the top, even the dark cavern of his throat as he attempted to get his fangs into her.
Wylie opened her scaly lips, expelling a blast of flames right into his open jaws. He started gagging, and in the process his head flipped back. She took advantage of the opportunity and flew rapidly around the room, lighting everything on fire as quickly as she could. As the flames rose higher, she could hear him screaming, and the smell of burning snake skin made her want to vomit. She darted quickly to Adrian’s phoenix form and lifted it up off the ground, flying up and out of the building.
To her dismay, a small crowd of people had gathered outside, and they gasped and screamed in shock as she emerged from the fiery barn.
“It’s a dragon!” A lady screamed and promptly fainted. Meanwhile the flames had risen even higher. Wylie flew to the roof of Octagon Inn and gingerly laid Adrian’s lifeless body atop it. She then swooped back down as Jacob’s rattlesnake head emerged from the flames, mouth open and yelling, eyes black as death.
“I’ll kill all of you!”
Dropping feet first, Wylie knocked him in the head so hard he flew backwards into the flaming building. Then she propelled herself straight up again and watched for him to reemerge. Once again, he came after her, his jaws open as if to swallow her whole. This time she aimed her talons directly at him and flew hard and fast clawing his face again and again until he fell backward shrieking into the rising flames. By now, she was breathing hard and heavily, and the people around her on the ground were gasping and pointing their fingers. As the flames rose higher, the small crowd yelled and took a step back from the intense heat.
It took only moments for the contents of the barn to burn, and after some time, Wylie knew Jacob would not be coming back out. He was gone.
Smoke and heat billowed out around the windows, causing the glass to shatter and break, scaring the people into moving back even farther.
The fire department showed up with their horse-drawn wagons, but by then it was too late to save anything. When Wylie was sure everyone was safe, she flew back up to the roof of the inn and stood next to Adrian’s body with her head hanging very low.
Chapter Twenty
“Adrian, please come back to me. It’s all right. Everything is going to be okay now. It’s time to come back.”
Adrian didn’t stir, and she couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not. She shrank down smaller and picked him up again, carrying him to his room through an open window in the inn. She heard the screeching alarm of another fire wagon as it approached the blazing barn. She only hoped that Jacob was truly dead.
“Wylie-girl. What are you doing?” Quincy stood tall and proud in Adrian’s room as if he had known that was where she was headed.
“Quincy! I’m so happy to see you.” Wylie gingerly laid Adrian’s body on the bed and turned to face Quincy. Overcome with emotion Wylie picked Quincy up in her stubby Teselym arms and hugged the stuffing’s out of him.
“Hey, stop the mushy stuff. Put me down this instant, there will be time for celebration later.” Matter of fact and to the point. Typical Quincy.
“Do you think Jacob is really dead?”
“Yes, my dear. I stayed behind to make sure of it. You did well, Wylie. As did Adrian. You both fought bravely. I know the Immortal Ones are pleased.”
“No matter, lives were still lost today, Quincy.”
He nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, there were lives lost, but a lot less than there would have been had you and Adrian not stepped in.”
“How do we deal with all these people now? They’ve all seen me. They’ve seen Adrian in his phoenix form.”
“One battle at a time, my dear. One battle at a time.” Quincy’s face became apprehensive as he viewed Adrian’s lifeless body resting on the bed. Wylie shrank until she was the same size as Adrian and sat next to him on the bed, her dragon claws gently stroking his
vibrant feathers.
“Adrian, please come back to me.” He didn’t move, and she became aware of the need to be back in her human form. “Quincy, we need to go back to the cemetery and retrieve my body before someone discovers it.”
“Yes, I suppose that is the best course of action at the moment.”
Wylie reached for her Dracosinum and transported herself to the graveyard. A few yards away, behind a bush, her body lay in its sleep state. She wasn’t sure if it was the most intelligent thing to do, to enter her body, and then reappear at the inn. People will be afraid! They may even try to have me killed. I doubt they will look kindly on a woman returning from the dead. She chuckled at the thought. How would they even explain such a thing?
“Well, no matter, it’s time.” She closed her eyes and imagined her essence. Quickly, her Teselym form dissolved into a small, blue orb that glided gently through the air to her sleeping body. It landed on her chest, and they became one immediately. Her human lungs took in a deep breath of air, but she was weak, and it burned her lungs to breathe.
The Dracosinum glided over to her and settled itself once more around her neck. She felt a small hum of energy against her collar bone where it hung.
Wiley could feel her strength returning gradually, so she grabbed hold of the device and transported herself back to Adrian. She was anxious to leave the graveyard before the empty grave was discovered.
Back in the room, she struggled to find a way to help them both. Her Teselym form was as good as could be expected for the moment. However, if Adrian was really dead, she just wanted to hold him for a while, even as he was. She raised him up, gently placing his head against her shoulder as if she were cradling a delicate infant.
“Oh Adrian, I’m so sorry.” Tears streamed from her eyes, and her chest felt the sharp stab of pain that accompanied loss. The truth was slowly sinking in. Adrian is never coming back.
As her mind sank deeper and deeper into the realization that the one person she loved was gone, she heard the sound of tinkling bells, so faint she thought she was imagining things. As the moments passed, the soft tinkling increased until it formed a musical harmony more elegant than anything she had ever heard in her entire life.
Around her the air began to shift and change as if the sunshine had reached out to kiss the surrounding atmosphere. Its vibrancy bounced off every part of the room.
What is happening? Am I completely losing it? She stood up abruptly, not knowing that Adrian had encountered something similar only a few nights before. Instead of wonderment at what her eyes beheld, she experienced a growing sense of fear.
“Hello?” Wylie yelled out. “Is someone here?” She took a step forward, scared by what surrounded her. Maybe I’m hallucinating. Everything around her had a surreal glow. The musical sounds continued to rise.
Despite her fear, there was a certain loveliness to the sounds, and she wished she could capture them and replay them, over and over, forever.
“That’s a normal response to all who hear it, my lovely.” A gleaming being had materialized out of thin air and now stood before her. The entity had a face, but hard as she tried she couldn’t see the features clearly.
As Wylie gazed in wonderment, she saw two more beings of similar form behind the first. A triangle of the most astonishing celestial beings her eyes had ever witnessed. Her fear evaporated completely. “Who are you?”
The first figure laughed gently.
“I’m afraid there is no human word for the sight you now behold. You have often called us the gods though Adrian calls us the Immortal Ones. You may call me whatever is comforting to you.”
“Why are you here?”
“Many fond greetings, Teselym Wylie, our chosen one. We’ve come to help you restore the balance on earth. Though we may have to err on the side of good until we choose another to be the Siapheg.”
“I’m sorry, I’m having trouble understanding”
“Well, much evil has occurred today. We chose Adrian for a specific purpose and he has served that purpose well. He rescued you and Quincy, broke the curses holding you both hostages, and restored you to your body. We needed him to see that though you are our chosen one because of your heritage, he plays a very large part in your life. His love for you makes you one of the most powerful and wise Teselyms we have ever had.” The voice of the Immortal One was like bells that danced around Wylie’s head.
“Adrian is dead,” Wylie admitted sadly.
“And that is why we have returned.” As the being spoke, the phoenix body of Adrian slowly rose off the bed and floated over Wylie’s head to stop in front of the Immortal One. The god then raised its hands over the lifeless body and waved them slowly over the bright plumage, from crested head to curved claws. White light particles swirled up around Adrian’s body, and he began to spin slowly round and round while the gods watched attentively.
Something was happening to Adrian though Wylie hadn’t the slightest idea what. “What are you doing?” Wylie shouted in fear. The Immortal One remained silent while extending its arms out in front of its body and positioning them palms up beneath the slowly spinning phoenix. Wylie could neither move nor speak. She was completely awestruck.
The Immortal One then began waving its hands about as if it were conducting a piece of music. The other two Immortals did the same. As they did so, the white particles swirling around Adrian’s body began to break apart as did Adrian’s phoenix form. She watched in horror and awe as his body turned into orange and red particles that danced and mingled with the white ones. The particles began to shift and change, forming a vague shape that she couldn’t see clearly.
“What are you doing?”
“Shh, my beloved Wylie. We’re almost done.” The glorious being brought a finger to its lips, to urge her to be quiet. Its other hand never stopping the gentle movement it made while shaping the particles in the air. Finally, the light particles began to take the form of a man’s body. The man’s arms were spread out into a T-shape, and as Wylie watched breathlessly, his features gradually became visible.
Adrian’s tousled chestnut hair billowed back from his head. Then his gray-eyed gaze, trained intently on her. Then his long-sleeved button up shirt appeared, hiding his chiseled physique. Then his dress slacks, covering his strong legs. Finally, all the light particles had disappeared; her beloved Adrian stood before her. The bewildered smile on his face quite took her breath away.
“Wylie! Do my eyes deceive me? You’re alive? Or perhaps we are both dead?”
“I assure you, brave one, that you are not dead, you are as alive as you will ever be. We have simply rearranged your cellular structure and recreated your human body. Jacob should never have been allowed such power. You can rest assured that where he is going, he will never return.” The Immortal One spoke with firm assurance.
“So it was all real? I didn’t dream the past few days?”
“No Adrian, it was very real. You saved me.” Wylie ran forward and threw her arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as her frail arms would allow.
Adrian held her back, wrapping his arms firmly around her, unwilling to let go at any cost.
“I thought I’d lost you forever.” The idea that neither had lost the other was overwhelming to them both.
“So did I,” Wylie gushed.
“If we may intrude for a moment, loved ones?” The Immortal One gently inquired. Adrian let go of Wylie and turned to face the celestial triangle.
“We realize it may come as a shock and may even take a bit of time for you to adjust, but a phoenix is no longer necessary. The balance of good has been restored, so now it is up to us to determine what we will do about the Siapheg bloodline. Jacob’s reach was extensive, and it will take us time to repair the damage he has caused.”
“You brought us back to life, but you’re taking away my phoenix form?” Adrian questioned.
“Not necessarily taking it away permanently, just curtailing its usage until it’s needed again. Please keep
your Dracosinum. That is your inheritance now, and you must pass it down to your children. The phoenix will always be a part of you as long as you have your Dracosinum, you will just be prevented from transforming except in the event of an emergency.”
“I don’t understand why you are taking this away from me? Didn’t I do what I was supposed to? I broke the spells. I rescued Wylie and Quincy.”
“Indeed, you did, but you were only meant to bring back the balance, not to replace Wylie as the Teselym.”
Adrian felt a sadness wash over him; he had felt most at peace and one with himself as the phoenix, despite everything that had happened.
“Don’t fret, beloved one, you know that you have a much greater purpose.”
Adrian nodded his head.
“Yes, I remember well.” His gaze fell on Wylie, and she rewarded him with a genuine smile of love and gratitude.
“What’s the matter, Adrian, don’t you think I can handle this?” she teased him. Behind her, Quincy hmph’d.
“No, I know you can handle it. I just prefer you didn’t. It’s clear you are always going to be in extensive amounts of danger. I would rather shoulder that responsibility for you,” Adrian said with a smile.
“That is not your burden to bear, brave one.” The god spoke softly, interrupting their semi-serious teasing. Adrian sighed heavily.
“Very well, thank you for everything. Thank you for saving me, and for helping me to save Wylie. I am more grateful than I have words to express. I hope one day to repay the kindness.”
The Immortal One shook its head at Adrian.
“It has never been about repaying, but always about doing the most with what you have. When you know what we are capable of, it should influence your thinking and the way you live your life. We only ask that you live your life well.”
Adrian nodded. “Then I promise I shall.” His response was like a magic switch. At that moment all the music, the sparkling particles of light, and the Immortal Ones vanished without a trace, into thin air.
Adrian shook his head and looked around.
The Phoenix Lord (The Dracosinum Tales) Page 14