by Keegan Long
Boris, on the other hand, Carter like immediately from the start. He could tell he was only here for Sara. Whatever she did he would be supporting her the entire way.
Boris immediately made an effort to introduce himself to Carter. He told the many stories and legends he had heard growing up about the Phoenix King. Carter found out that Boris had just found out the other day too that Olympia was holding a phoenix egg within its walls.
“After all these years,” he said in disbelief. “I would have never known.”
“It belongs to him,” Ashly stated. “It it could even help us when we face the Necromancer.”
By the fact that everyone was making this Necromancer a big deal scared Carter greatly. How powerful could one person really be? Surely there were enough of them to take them on without too much difficulties.
“I’ve alerted the Hunters of our plan,” Ashly informed the group when she came back hours later as they prepared to set out that night for Malvis Temple to collect the phoenix egg. “They’re loyal to you. The Olympian Guard and the Druids are the ones we will have to watch out for.”
“Thank you,” Carter exchanged towards Ashly.
They decided to wait to launch their plan until the sun had fully set beyond the horizon. Sara told them that they could hide and sneak around the city a whole lot easier under the darkness and there would not be as many patrols on duty as well.
“Wait here,” Sara whispered when the group finally embarked on their journey that night. “I’m going to scout ahead.”
“You know the Druids will have our heads for this if they find out we’re involved,” Carter heard Boris mutter across to Ashly.
“That’s why I don’t plan on sticking around here,” the leader grinned back to the soldier.
“Will you come with us then?” Carter asked in the spur of the moment without thinking much about his proposition. “We could use your help.”
“I just might have to take you up on that offer,” she smiled back. “Thanks.”
“No, it would be my honor,” Carter said. “You’ve already helped us so much. I don’t know I could ever repay you.”
“Fight on,” Ashly answered. “Win the war. Take the throne. Restore Olympia to its greatness that I have heard so much about before. Let me see that day.”
“You got it,” Carter humbly nodded back.
“The path is clear,” Sara informed the group as she rushed back to their. position. “We best get going. Remember to keep your heads down and don’t get spotted.”
The group carefully followed Sara’s lead as they sneaked their way through the empty and quiet streets that were busy not too long ago. Carter noticed that the vendor stalls had all been packed up from the market square and the only buildings that were still lit were either taverns or inns.
When they made it to the gates of the upper ring is when the first problems would occur. There was no possible way Boris could sneak or talk his way into this one. They could try to scale the walls but that would take time and one misstep would result in death for sure.
“What do we do now?” Gibson spat. “There’s no way we can get through those gates.”
As the group continued debating amongst themselves, Carter began to feel a strange, but familiar, presence as he looked upon the gate. When his eyes fell on the statues of the Big Three it was as if the entire world disappeared around him and only the statues of the Olympians remained. The familiar force he felt was coming from the statues. He was sure of it. But how was that even possible? It was like nothing he had ever felt before but had as if he had felt it in another lifetime.
“Your destiny awaits,” a mysterious man’s voice echoed around him.
“Zeus,” he muttered back but how he knew it was the Olympian’s voice he was unsure. He just knew. Like if it was an instinct.
“The egg calls out to you,” a different mysterious voice called out again to Carter.
“Ra,” he called out as he looked frantically around but could see nothing but an empty void.
“Find the egg,” a different voice echoed throughout the void. “The phoenix rises with the Phoenix King.”
“Odin.”
“Carter!” a familiar female voice called out in the far distance.
The empty void vanished and was replaced with the familiar surroundings of Olympia. As his vision slowly began to focus once again, he saw the familiar red hair of Sara towering over him with the rest of the group looking down at him concerned.
Carter felt like he was on fire as his clothes had become soaked in sweat like he had never experienced before. Even the dragon fire did not make him feel this warm.
Sara held out her hand as Carter struggled to get back up on his feet with her help.
“What happened?” she asked with the frightened face everyone was giving him at the moment.
“I don't know,” he answered still in shock. “I was looking at the statues and next thing I noticed all my surroundings had disappeared as I stood in an empty void. Then I heard these voices talking to me that were so familiar to me but have never heard in my life.”
“Who?” Sara pressed.
“The Big Three,” Carter stared over towards Gordon. “Zeus, Odin, and Ra.”
“That’s not strange at all,” Anna sarcastically pointed out the detail.
“I Phoenix King and his line have always had a strong connection with the Olympians,” Gordon explained. “But never did I know you could actually talk to them. Especially those who have passed on so long ago.”
“Did they by chance tell you how to get passed these guards?” Ashly asked. “Because we got to move right now before we get discovered.”
“No,” Carter responded. “But I have a strange feeling about something that may just work.”
“Well, we don’t really have another choice do we?” Sara said.
“Follow me.”
Carter lead the group around several buildings that would eventually bring them to the far side of the wall that separated them from the upper ring of the city. There was no entrance but it was far enough away where none of the guards could see them.
He slowly began to approach the wall alone as he held out his hand. Like before it was a familiar feeling he felt but more like an instinct to him. One of the stone slabs in the wall began to glow red as the symbol of a phoenix appeared on the stone. The sign of the Phoenix King.
The ground bellow began to violently shake as he quickly stepped back to see the ground collapse revealing a secret passage that lead directly underneath the wall.
“How did you know that was there?” Sara asked in amazement.
“I’ve come across several hidden passages,” Ashly commented. “But nothing like this before.”
Carter frighteningly looked around at the group. “I have no idea. I’m still new to all of this.”
“Better ask questions later then,” Sara ushered the group forward as she took the first steps into the secret entrance.
Everyone followed her lead and as Gordon passed him the Greybeard gave him a touch on his shoulder.
“Don’t be afraid,” he reassured Carter. “You will learn in due time.”
As Carter walked through the narrow tunnel, he noticed there were torch lights mounted upon the walls that were extinguished, but as he walked by them they would mysteriously light with fire once again to show the way.
“This day can’t get any weirder,” Anna muttered to herself as she walked before Carter.
The travel inside the secret tunnel dragged on for quite a while. Sara would soon later call out behind her that she could see the exit ahead of her.
Carter was shocked to find that the tunnel lead directly to the temple they were going to. What were the chances of that?
The temple was massive as it reached high enough to fit several dragons in the open area. It was dark but lit well enough by the sparse torches placed throughout.
Upon setting foot in the temple, Carter heart began to beat faster and gr
ow heavier. He could feel the magic running through the entire temple and even the presence of something more powerful than ordinary magic. He could feel life. Something was alive in that temple.
“Boris, go to the main entrance over there and watch out for anyone coming our way,” Sara ordered and the guardsman quickly ran to his post and walked out of the temple.
“I can feel it,” Carter called out.
Everyone fell silent as they looked at Carter and glanced over towards the raised platform in the center of the hall. On that raised platform held a dark red egg. It was real.
The phoenix egg.
Carter cautiously approached the egg and held out his hand that began to shake nervously. His fingers slowly touched the rough surface of the, and when the egg came into contact with the palm of his hand, he felt the energy rush throughout his entire body. The he smiled as he felt the feeling of comfort and belonging. He was not alone anymore.
“And?” Gordon asked.
“I’ve never felt anything like it before,” Carter exclaimed. “Like a beating heart.”
The egg began to glow as it came into contact with the touch of Carter’s hand. Like it had been dormant for all these years and now had been reborn.
“Have you ever seen it glow like that?” Sara looked over towards Ashly.
“Never,” she replied. “It’s beautiful though.”
“No doubt he’s the Phoenix King now,” Magnus added.
Carter glanced over towards Gordon and saw nothing but a bright smile appear across the old man’s face. He had seen a moment like this before but it had been so long for him. Carter could even see the slightest tear escape from the man’s eye.
Without warning, the entire hall grew cold and dark. Carter quickly took the egg into his arms from the raised platform. The feeling of warmth was gone and now only replaced by that of darkness.
A sinister laugh echoed around the room and made everyone quickly draw their weapons.
“What’s going on?” Anna asked scared as she readied an arrow into her bow.
“He’s here,” Gordon spoke.
The light in the room slowly began to light up the hall once again as it revealed the figure of man in dark black robes with his hood up. But there was no face to be seen. Only darkness.
A servant of darkness.
The Necromancer was here.
Magnus
Olympia
Magnus had never felt so scared or unease compared to how he was feeling at this moment. He felt it all. The rage. The sadness. And the darkness.
He looked over towards his sister and found that she looked just as frightened as he did as she held out her arrow pointed towards the hooded figure.
“I couldn’t believe my luck when I felt your presence,” the Necromancer spoke at Carter. “What were the chances. The long lost Phoenix King coming to Olympia. But here you are. Alive and breathing.”
“You’re going to pay for what you did,” Carter spat as he pointed his sword towards the dark sorcerer.
“And what would that be?” the Necromancer taunted.
“You poisoned my father!” Sara yelled. “WITH DARK MAGIC!”
“Alongside countless others!” Ashly added.
“It’s time you met your end!” Carter cried out enraged.
The Necromancer laughed as his echoes filled the hall once again.
“My time had just begun. A new world order rises in the shadows. And Olympia will fall. Just like the rest of the kingdoms across Terran.”
“ENOUGH!” Gordon yelled. “Begone servant of darkness.”
“You’re telling me you haven’t sensed his power rising,” the Necromancer turned to Gordon. “Old wise one.”
Magnus looked nervous over towards Gordon and saw his face turn white. He was afraid of whoever the Necromancer was talking about. Someone even more powerful than a Necromancer by the sounds of it.
Before the Necromancer could continue, Gordon had begun to enchant a spell and shot a purple energy blast towards the Necromancer.
The Necromancer jumped higher than any average human could and avoided the blast.
“So,” the sorcerer muttered as he landed with one hand touching the ground. “Looks like we’re done talking.”
Sara was the next to attack as she conjured a white arrow from her magic bow and fired it towards the Necromancer. He quickly glided out of the way to dodge her attack as well.
Magnus glanced over towards Carter and saw how eagerly he wanted to charge at the dark sorcerer but restrained himself. He had a sword in one hand and the phoenix egg in the other. He could not risk the chance of harming the egg.
The Necromancer was not as honorable though as he decided to return the favor a conjure his own spell and shot a black energy force straight towards Carter.
“Carter!” Magnus warned his friend.
There was no time to dodge the incoming attack as Magnus rushed over and stood ahead of him. He then held out his hands and prayed for something to happen. Instead of finding themselves dead, he found a blue shield had appeared before them and had blocked the incoming attack.
How was that even possible? Sages were only capable to using the elements around them. Not conjure wards or other magic spells.
“Way to go, Magnus!” Anna called out as she slid in front of them and released her arrow towards the target.
Anna’s arrow, however, had no effect on the Necromancer and went straight through his body as if he was a cloud.
“I have no idea how I did that!” he laughed.
“Protect the egg!” Gordon ordered as he shot another spell towards the Necromancer who deflected it this time with a shield.
The battle raged on as attacks from the group were continually deflected or dodged with ease by the evil sorcerer.
“What do we do?” Magnus looked over at Carter. “Nothing is working.”
“I don’t know,” he looked down at the egg. “This isn’t my area of expertise.”
“Maybe the egg can tell you,” Magnus suggested desperately. “There’s got to be someway that thing can help us.”
Carter took his hand and placed it on the egg like he had done before. The egg began to glow again like before as Carter shut his eyes and focused to find an answer.
“Magnus, look out!” Ashly warned him this time as he looked up just in time to see another spell casted towards him.
This time Magnus said the words to the only spell he actually knew and sent a molten fireball into the air to meet the dark spell. The fireball hit the dark spell causing an explosion in midair as a dust of smoke appeared where the two spells had met.
“Come on, Carter,” he muttered over towards his friend. “Any day now.”
Carter was still in a deep trance as the egg continued to grow and pulsate like a beating heart. Then his eyes opened once again as he looked more stern and serious than ever before.
“Hold the egg,” he held the glowing object out towards Magnus.
“But I’ll burn,” Magnus countered.
“Trust me,” Carter smiled.
Magnus held out his hands and took the egg. He did not feel the burning sensation he was so sure he was going to feel. Instead the egg was just warm and had even stopped glowing.
“Distract him,” Carter called out to the group as he rushed in to join the others.
“What do you think we’re doing!” Sara yelled back.
Magnus watched as Carter ran towards the Necromancer and dodged the spells being casted at him as he jumped or rolled just in time for each one.
Sara was finally able to hit her target with one of her white arrows as the Necromancer screeched in pain as it ripped her arrow out of its shoulder. She had provided just the distraction Carter needed to finish the job.
Carter was now feet away from the dark mage. He lifted up his hand and closed his fists pointed towards his target. A jet of fire erupted from the fist and shot straight towards the Necromancer. It was like seeing dragon breath but appearing from t
he knuckles of a person’s fist.
The Necromancer erupted into flames and gave out an unbearable scream as everyone covered their ears. The cloaked figure flailed around the room as everyone was weary to keep their distance.
“Finish it!” Carter yelled over to Sara.
She conjured one last arrow and shot straight towards the Necromancer’s chest. The arrow hit its target and the next thing Magnus saw was the Necromancer exploding and leaving only the remnants of his black cloak floating around in the space he stood just seconds ago.
The Necromancer had finally been destroyed.
“We actually survived,” Anna mumbled.
Magnus looked around the room and saw how beat everyone had become from the battle but were all smiling brightly at each other from the task they had finally completed.
“Good job, sis,” Magnus said as he made his way over to Anna and rubbed her shoulder as she slouched down to the ground from exhaustion.
“Not so bad yourself,” she grinned back.
“Thanks.”
“I was wrong about you,” Gordon approached him. “You’re more than just a Sage.”
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“Only a very few individuals have been known to possess and practice all the branches of magic,” Gordon explained. “After seeing how you were able to cast that shield today I can say with certainty that you are one of them.”
“That’s-” Magnus stuttered.
“Not impossible,” the Greybeard smiled.
Magnus had already been filled with questions when he learned that he was a Sage, but now the amount of questions inside his head had tripled. He was supposed to be just a simple villager who farmed and took care of the animals all day. Not some mage who could cast spells from all the different types of magic.
“How?” He asked yet again. ‘This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Very few things in the world do, Magnus,” Gordon looked down on him. “But all you can do is accept who you are and face your destiny. Just like Carter is learning to do.”