by Aron Lewes
“I think you're lovely, Cinda. You have a beautiful soul,” Fenix whispered in her ear. “It's a shame I can't stay at your side.”
Fenix's words made her dizzy, but Terra's voice had a sobering effect. “As much as I hate to interrupt this moment, the clock is ticking. We should probably get going.”
“R-right,” Cinda stuttered as she moved to the stairs. “Is Donnabella going to see us?”
“No. We don't have to worry about Donnabella,” Fenix reported. “She's gone for the day. She's mixing potions in her cave.”
“What about the others?” Terra asked. “What about Jostle and Pitch?”
“I'm not concerned about those idiots. I'm pretty sure I could take them on and win.” Fenix's gaze suddenly dropped to the floor. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and tremulous. “Rank is the one we should worry about.”
Fenix took a moment to prepare for travel. Donnabella was gone, which was a blessing. Pitch and Jostle were playing cards in their shared bedroom. Rank was curiously absent, so Fenix decided to steal his ramshackle wagon. He even stole one of Donnabella's horses to lug the vehicle.
“I can't believe I'm doing this,” Fenix whispered to himself as he fussed with the horse's bridle. He wanted to help, but he was putting himself in danger. Donnabella would learn of his betrayal, and his punishment would be grave.
When everything was ready, he hurried back to Cinda and Terra and escorted them up the stairs. On their way out, they encountered a minor problem. Pitch emerged from his bedroom as they were leaving the house. Fenix assumed he would be easy to deal with, and he wasn't wrong. As soon as he shifted into wolf form, Pitch ran back to his room with a terrified squeak.
Fenix reverted to human form as they exited the boot. Cinda joined him in the driver's seat, while Terra seemed content to ride in the wagon's interior. As soon as everyone was seated, Fenix flicked the horse into motion. A relieved sigh poured from his lips when Donnabella's boot was behind them.
“I can't thank you enough,” Cinda said as they trundled forward. “Truly. I'm forever in your debt.”
“I was the reason you were captured. Well... I was one of the reasons. I needed to fix my mistake.” Fenix repeatedly glanced over his shoulder, checking for pursuers. So far, they were safe.
“But you had no choice. I know that now.” Cinda's gaze dropped to her lap, where she was cradling Gloriosa's urn. “What do you think Donnabella will do when she realizes you helped me?”
“Honestly? I haven't the slightest idea. But I do know her punishments can be... cruel.”
“What does she usually do?” When the vehicle hit a bump in the road, she almost lost her grip on the urn.
“Well... once, she got upset with me for flirting with a girl from a nearby village. As you now know, I couldn't kiss the girl, but I did flirt,” Fenix confessed. “Donnabella was so jealous, she made me spend an entire day in fly form.”
“A fly?” Cinda gasped.
Fenix nodded. “It's one of the seven forms I can morph into. It's only useful when you need to spy on someone, but it can be dangerous. Anyway... she forced me into fly form and told Jostle and Pitch to hunt me. For hours, they chased me around the boot with swatters in their hands. I died three times that day.”
“My god!” Cinda gasped again. “That sounds awful!”
“It was,” Fenix agreed. “A few months ago, Jostle failed at mixing potions and almost blew up the boot. You're not supposed to mix potions in Donnabella's house because accidents can happen. To punish him, she left him in the cellar overnight, hanging upside down over a boiling cauldron.”
Cinda's forehead creased as she listened to his tale. “That sounds... unpleasant.”
“She's never punished Rank, though... at least, not to my knowledge. He's her favorite little soldier.”
“Why is Rank so loyal to her?” Cinda asked. “Terra and I were wondering that.”
Fenix hitched a shoulder. He didn't have a good answer for her. Rank's motivations were a mystery to him as well. “Donnabella gives him what he wants, I guess. Food. Shelter. Magic lessons. Not many people get to train with the world's most powerful witch.”
“Fenix...” Cinda thought about scooting closer to him—then she remembered her fiance. “Is there any way to contact you after this? Could I write to you?”
“I don't see how you could,” Fenix answered with a sigh. “Even if a carrier pigeon could find its way to Donnabella's boot, she would probably intercept the letter.”
“So... basically...” Cinderella's eyes were glossy, suggesting unshed tears. “This is the last time I'll ever get to see you or speak to you?”
Fenix nodded slowly. His stomach was knotted by the depressing reality. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“I understand why Donnabella wants to keep you. Is that... a strange thing to say?”
“No. Not really.”
“I get why she chose you,” Cinda continued. “You're sweet and noble and... handsome.” She took a moment to admire Fenix's profile. His gentle eyes were the color of a stormy sky, his wavy hair was kissed by sunshine, and there was a large freckle on his forehead that she secretly liked. He was every bit as handsome as Prince Sharman, if not more so. “As much as I hate her, I have to admit... Donnabella is a wicked witch with fantastic taste in men.”
“And I'll probably be stuck with her for the next eighty years.” Fenix grimaced at the thought. “Wish me luck.”
When they were halfway to the port, their wagon was slowed by a crush of torrential rain. The unusually violent downpour made Fenix groan.
Hearing his reaction to the rain, Cinderella said, “It's awful, isn't it? It's coming down so hard, it almost stings a bit.”
“That's not why I'm groaning.” For the dozenth time, Fenix checked over his shoulder. “This rain is probably Rank's work. He can control the weather.”
“He can?”
“Yes.” Fenix winced as he gave his answer. “It's the most recent trick he learned from Donnabella.”
When the rain was a bit less violent, Fenix checked over his shoulder again. This time, they weren't alone. “Oh no.” he croaked.
Cinda spun around. The rain made her squint, so she could barely see the man on horseback chasing after them. “Is that him?” she asked.
“Probably.” Fenix flicked his horse's reins. He wanted to increase their pace, but his ornery horse refused to move faster. “Cinda... if we don't make it to the port... I'm sorry.”
“You're already apologizing?” Cinderella's eyes were sullen as she studied Fenix's face. “You don't think you can beat him?”
“In single combat? No. But if I take another form, I might have a chance.” Rank was gaining on them, so Fenix stopped the wagon and accepted his fate. A fight was inevitable. “If it looks like I'm losing, grab the reins and keep going.”
As Fenix climbed down from the driver's seat, the rain immediately ceased. Water dripped from his nose as he waited. When Rank caught up to them, the reaver mage was laughing hysterically.
“How'd you like my little rain?” Rank asked as he dismounted. Mud splashed when his boots hit the ground. “Did it slow you down a bit?”
“A bit.” Fenix's hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
“More than a bit, I'd say. It seems you've completely stopped.” When Terra's head popped out of the wagon, Rank waved to her. “Hello, Stepsister. How are you?”
Terra shouted her answer. “Ten times worse, now that you're here!”
“Aww. That's not nice!” Rank stuck out his bottom lip. “You know... this was very naughty of you, Fenix. You thought you'd run away with the girls while Ranky was away? That was very, very naughty, and I have no idea how you managed it. What happened to your little curse?”
“It was broken,” Fenix told him. “Temporarily.”
“Ah, I see. Well, lucky you.” In a flash, Rank's sword was freed from its sheath. It swept forward so quickly, the metal blurred. “Or unlucky, perhaps, because now you have to take m
e on. I wouldn't want to take me on.”
“I don't want to take you on,” Fenix replied as he drew his sword. “Is there any way I could get you to reconsider?”
“No, mate.”
When Rank stepped forward, Fenix slid backward. “But... do you really want to be Donnabella's servant anymore?” Fenix asked. “You're her pawn. She's a wicked woman, Rank, and I know you're not completely heartless. You're a little crazy, but you do have a heart. Don't you feel bad about capturing Terra and Cinda?”
“Sometimes,” Rank admitted as he swaggered forward. His confidence was revealed by every stride. “But the girls will be fine. Donnabella isn't hurting them. In the end, only Princey's coffers will suffer... and I don't care about Princey.”
“I'm not going let you take them back, Rank.” Fenix shivered as he raised his sword.
“I know.”
All of a sudden, Rank's blade swept forward. The battle was over in two sword strokes. Fenix's sword slipped from his fingers and flew through the air.
“My skills are as sharp as ever, I see,” Rank praised himself. “You can collect your sword and try again, if you'd like. Terra's still watching. I want to impress her.”
“You don't impress me!” Terra screamed as she chucked one of her crutches at him. “I hate you!”
“Well, that's a shame.” Rank ducked the flying crutch, collected it from the ground, and handed it back to her. “You don't want to lose this, love. It seems important. It... ow!”
When a rock struck his back, Rank spun around. Cinderella had pitched it from the driver's seat, and she was looking rather pleased with herself. “Girls! Why are you trying to hurt me? I'm only trying to... owww!”
Terra knocked him on the head with her crutch. The girls' barrage gave Fenix the opening he needed. He shifted into wolf form and sank his teeth into Rank's ankle.
“Oh, that does not feel good!” When Rank tried to stab downward, Fenix dashed away. “Bad doggy.”
While Rank chased Fenix, Terra shouted at her stepsister, “Drive the wagon, Cinda! Let's go!”
“And leave Fenix behind?” Cinderella pouted at the idea. “I don't want to do that.”
“He has to go back to Donnabella eventually,” Terra reminded her. “We don't have a choice! We need to go!”
In wolf form, Fenix was faster than Rank, so the mage made a tiny tornado. When he flicked his wand, the tornado sped toward Fenix, lifting him off his paws and into the air. As the tornado dissipated and Fenix dropped, Rank lunged, driving his sword through his rival's wolven body.
“Don't worry, girls,” Rank assured them. “Doggy will resurrect soon enough, I'm sure.”
Cinda's hands trembled as she flicked the reins. When the horse trotted forward, Rank clicked his tongue and cooed, “Nuh uh uh! I don't think so, ladies. You're not getting away!”
A stream of fire poured from his wand, igniting one of the wagon's rear wheels. Cinda stopped the vehicle with a panicked squeal. “Terra!” she screamed her stepsister's name as she slid from the driver's seat. “What are you trying to do, Rank? Incinerate her?”
“Not at all, Cindergirl, not at all.” When he caught up to the wagon, Rank extinguished the blaze with a twirl of his wand. “I swear to all that's divine, I would never hurt your stepsister.”
“I don't believe you,” Cinda hissed.
Rank stuck his head into the wagon's interior. “You're alright in there, aren't you?” When Terra swung her crutch and clobbered his head, he staggered backward with a grunt. “She would hurt me, though. Obviously.”
“So... what now?” As she asked the question, Cinda kept an eye on Fenix. He was back in human form, but he hadn't moved.
“What now?” Rank repeated with a devilish chuckle. “Oh dear, oh dear. That should be obvious, love.” As he lifted her into the wagon, he finished his answer. “We go back to Donnabella, of course.”
Rank took his time getting back to Donnabella's boot. In fact, he had questions about Gloriosa's urn, so he decided to take a break.
Cinderella left the urn on the driver's seat, so he tucked it under his arm as he hopped down. As he stuck his head in the wagon's interior, Rank preemptively winced. He half-expected another whack from Terra's crutch. She didn't hit him, but judging from the intensity of her scowl, she certainly wanted to.
“Hello, ladies,” he greeted them jovially. “I was just wondering something.”
“What?” Terra snapped at him.
“This.” Rank raised the urn. “Isn't this the urn that houses your dear Fairy Godmother?”
“Yes!” When Cinda tried to snatch the urn from his hands, he pulled it away from her. “Give her to me!”
“In a moment.” Rank smiled down at the urn. “Is this how Fenix conquered his curse? Was it the wish fairy's magic?”
“Yes.” Cinda held out her hands. “Now give her back!”
“In a moment,” Rank repeated his answer. As he swaggered away from the wagon, his fingers glided along the urn's rusted surface. “Can I get a wish? If everyone else gets a wish, Rank should get one too... don't you think?”
When she was freed from the urn, Gloriosa appeared on Rank's shoulder. The tiny witch sprinted along his neck and swatted his cheek. “You awful boy!” she chided him. “You awful, awful boy! Why would you choose to work with a witch like Donnabella? Have you no soul?”
“Hey!” Rank pinched the collar of Gloriosa's dress and pulled her away from his neck. “You're supposed to grant my wish! You're not supposed to hit me, love!”
Gloriosa's legs flailed as he held her aloft. “I'll hit you if you deserve it!” she shrilled. “Put me down!”
“Will you grant my wish if I put you down?” Rank asked.
“Yes.”
“Can I trust you?”
“Yes...”
As soon as she was back on his shoulder, Gloriosa ran up to his cheek and swatted him again. “Rotten boy!” she roared. “I hope you get your karma for this! I hope you get it tenfold! No... twentyfold!”
“You're a violent little thing,” Rank observed. “You're way more terrifying than Fenix ever was.”
Rank had no time to make a wish, or to even consider his heart's desire. A legion of armed knights suddenly rounded a nearby hillside. When he turned around, he saw twenty more soldiers marching to his flank.
He was surrounded on all sides.
“Ah. Look at this, Cinda!” Rank chuckled. “I think Princey's coming to your rescue!”
When she looked outside and saw the soldiers, a wild grin flew across Cinderella's lips. “Oh my god!” she gasped, “Sharman?”
“Aye. I'm pretty sure it's him. So much for my wish, eh?” As he expressed his regret, Rank nudged Gloriosa into the front pocket of his tatty coat.
“It stinks in here!” the shrunken witch whined.
“I know. It probably needs a wash,” Rank agreed. As the soldiers closed in on him, he drew his sword and twirled his wand. Cinda expected him to look nervous, but his grin matched hers. “This should be fun, eh?”
Rank didn't wait for the knights to finish their march. He rushed forward, twirling his wand as he ran into a sea of soldiers. When they were within striking distance, he slammed his spinning wand against the ground.
Rank's magic sundered the earth. At least a dozen knights toppled into the sinkhole that appeared beneath their feet. “Sorry about that,” Rank apologized as the knights tumbled in. “That had to hurt a bit, eh?”
There were more soldiers at his flank, so he raised his wand and made it whirl. The sound of rustling grass stretched the mage's grin. He knew what was coming—the knights didn't.
Before a single soldier could raise a blade, a tornado dropped down from the darkening clouds. The cyclone cut a path through Rank's enemies, and Sharman's knights were knocked aside like tiny toy soldiers.
“I hope you're watching, girls,” Rank whispered as his wand twirled again. “You might say you're not impressed, Terra, but I know you are.”
When hi
s wand stopped spinning, Rank pointed at the sky. A giant box, wrapped in birthday paper, appeared above the knights' heads. As a dozen soldiers were vacuumed into the box, a snickering Rank whispered, “I like that one.”
As soon the knights were sucked in, the lid closed, and the birthday box vanished. It reappeared a mile away, on a farmer's land. If they wanted to relaunch their attack, the soldiers would have break out of the box and march through a field of steaming cowpats.
There were still a few piles of soldiers to deal with, and Rank was caught in a pincer attack. With his wand, he created a horizontal spiral of wind that pushed back the soldiers on his left. With the sword in his right hand, he masterfully took on three soldiers at once.
“Is it weird that I'm a little worried for him?” Terra asked Cinda as they watched from the wagon.
“A bit,” Cinda replied. “To be honest, though... I feel the same way.”
“I mean, I don't hate him,” Terra said. “I intensely dislike him, of course, but I wouldn't want to see him dead.”
Cinderella nodded in agreement as she watched the battle with bated breath.
Rank's wind knocked back the advancing soldiers until they were on the ground and rolling backward, like barrels caught on a wave. As soon as he disarmed the knights he was dueling, he cast a tickling curse on them, and they dropped to the grass in a fit of giggles.
“He's not killing anyone,” Terra quietly noted.
Her stepsister nodded again. “I know. I already thought that.”
“But he could kill them, I'm sure,” Terra added. “At least he's not a butcher.”
Sharman's army had thinned considerably. Roughly twenty soldiers were still on their feet, so Rank's wand twirled again. “How should I deal with them?” he quietly pondered while nibbling his lip. “What would amuse the ladies?” When his decision was made, Rank's wand pointed at the grass. In an instant, the ground was shaking so violently, the soldiers couldn't stay on their feet. Most of the remaining knights were toppled by Rank's earthquake as they tried to charge forward.