“I told you,” Ash said. “We’re not staying. Give us the phoenixes and we’ll leave you alone.”
“Have it your way, stubborn boy.” Zadoc waved his hand at the window and chanted a spell.
Nothing happened as result of Zadoc’s incantation, but Ash noticed the sun was almost set. Fear and adrenalin pulsed through his veins, making him bold. “You’ll have to do better than that,” he told the wizard.
Zadoc chuckled. “Patience, boy. Patience.”
Ash heard a low rumbling coming from the roof. Dust fell from the ceiling. Through the window, Ash saw the gargoyles’ stone casings crumble and topple to the ground, revealing the black hairless flesh of the monsters. He stared in horror as the hideous creatures leaped into the sky and flew in through the open windows.
With shrieking mouths and bared claws they advanced towards the boys. Ash wrenched his pack off his back and swung it at a gargoyle. The monster hissed and ducked out of the way before lunging again. Ash summoned his courage and tried again. This time he didn’t miss. He hit the gargoyle with such force it was thrown into one of its companions. Both gargoyles fell to the floor, motionless.
Taine copied Ash, using his pack to knock the gargoyles down. But as soon as one of the ugly creatures fell another took its place.
“The wishing stone,” Taine shouted. “Use it.”
Ash reached into his pocket, searching for the stone. At first he couldn’t feel anything. Then his finger poked through a hole in his pocket.
The stone was gone.
20
THE PHOENIX
The room was rapidly filling with gargoyles. They flew around shrieking at Ash and Taine, swooping in to bite and scratch their clothes, their hair, their skin.
“Take that!” Taine cried as he knocked one of the hideous creatures to the floor. “Hurry, Ash. There’s too many of them!”
Ash desperately felt inside his other pocket. His grasping fingers touched something smooth and cool tucked into the deepest corner. The wishing stone! “Gargoyles dissolve!” He held the stone up at the gargoyles.
White light burst from the wishing stone. As one, the gargoyles let out an ear-piercing shriek. There was an enormous bang then they were gone.
Ash studied the stone in his hand, now small and black, the magic spent. He let it tumble to the floor where it landed with a dull clunk.
“Well done,” Taine panted, wiping blood from his temple where a gargoyle had scratched him. He looked around, frowning. “Where are the phoenixes?”
“Zadoc’s gone,” Ash said. “He must have taken them. Let’s find him.”
They raced out the door and down the marble stairs in time to see Zadoc dragging Gwaam and Suela by their chained legs, into another chamber. Ash and Taine ran after them. When they burst through the doorway they saw a low table on which sat a golden goblet and a long, shiny golden knife, its handle encrusted with blood-red rubies.
Zadoc had secured Suela’s chains to a metal ring in the stone floor and was lifting Gwaam onto the table. He held the knife over the bird and chanted words in a language Ash couldn’t understand.
Suela screeched. “Help him! Please, help him!”
Ash launched himself at Zadoc. “Stop!” he cried.
The wizard let go of Gwaam and swung his open hand towards Ash. Ash’s whole body was struck by an invisible force that knocked him to the floor.
Taine rushed over to pull Ash back onto his feet. “Need some help?”
“You go low, I’ll go high,” Ash whispered.
“Sounds like a plan.”
The two boys ran at Zadoc, but before they could reach him, the wizard whirled and jumped onto the table, brandishing the knife. “Stop this foolishness right now. I’m warning you.”
He opened his hands at the boys once more. Somehow they evaded being hit by Zadoc’s magic. Instead, the stone floor took the full force of the blasts and crumbled under the impact of each invisible burst.
“Run away before I kill you both!” Zadoc cried.
Although he sounded defiant, Ash sensed the wizard was flagging. It seemed that each blast of magic was draining the wizard of his energy. He began to sway on his feet and seemed barely able to hold the knife up.
“We’re not leaving.” Ash picked up the goblet, wielding it menacingly and trying to strike Zadoc’s feet and legs with it, making him dance along the tabletop. “Get down.”
“Meddling child, you’re making me very angry,” Zadoc seethed.
Before Ash could reply, he saw Gwaam bow his head and shudder. In a sudden burst, the phoenix grew larger. He was now almost the same size as a griffin. His dark wings fluttered and rippled with new colours of scarlet, green, orange and purple.
“Look what’s happening to Gwaam.” Taine’s face was alive with excitement. “He must be reaching the final stage of his life cycle. Now he’s bursting into colour.”
Ash stared in shock and wonder. “I know, isn’t it incredible!”
“Boy, I wish Rhyll could see this,” Taine said.
The gigantic bird was utterly beautiful yet also utterly terrifying.
Fully grown, he’d be a match for a griffin any day, Ash thought. And all that from a tiny egg.
“Suela is changing too.” Taine pointed as the female phoenix also began to shimmer with new colours.
“No!” Zadoc shrieked. “You must not change yet or my chance for everlasting life will be ruined.” He muttered an incantation.
“It’s too late. You can’t hurt me now I have my colours, wizard,” Gwaam said. “I will soon be too strong for you, just like the last time I escaped.”
“Your powers don’t endure long,” Zadoc said. “They never do. I shall call my griffins to catch you again.”
Zadoc pressed his fingers against his temples.
“Now, Taine,” Ash hissed. “While he’s distracted.”
The boys grabbed Zadoc’s feet and pulled him down off the table. The wizard tried to resist, opening his hands and shooting blasts of magic at the boys. Each time Gwaam stepped in the way to absorb the force. Zadoc’s magic soon diminished, each blast less effective and less destructive than the one before.
“You’re getting weaker,” Gwaam said. “Your youthful spell is wearing off. Give up.”
Zadoc spread his hands out in appeal. “I won’t!”
“Give up, Zadoc,” Suela said. “The battle is over. You will never win against Gwaam now.”
“No, no, it’s not too late.” Zadoc panted as he continued to fight.
Ash could see the wizard was growing paler and more frail by the second, as if all the energy and magic was seeping from him. And as he grew weaker, the phoenix appeared to grow stronger.
“Then you have brought this upon yourself because of your own stubbornness,” Gwaam said, drawing himself up higher as he absorbed each feeble blast from Zadoc.
“No!” Zadoc cried, collapsing to the floor. “Don’t kill me. You’re right. I am weak, too weak to fight any more. You were my last hope to reclaim my youth.” Zadoc began to cry. His face transformed from young to old once more. His skin lost its colour and vivacity, wrinkling in an instant. At the same time, his hair changed from raven black to white. “I-I’m a helpless old man,” he croaked. “Don’t hurt me.”
“Isn’t there something Zadoc needs to do for your village?” Gwaam prompted Ash as he jerked his head towards the setting sun. “Before it’s too late?”
“Yes, yes!” Ash bent down beside the wizard so he could look him in the eye. “You need to reverse your spell on Icamore right away. Before the sun goes down on the seventh full day of snow. Melt the black freeze your gargoyles blasted my village with and restore it to normal. Not a living creature should be harmed.” Ash shook Zadoc firmly by the shoulders. “Do it.”
“Let me go first,” Zadoc pleaded. “Then I’ll help you.”
“Don’t listen to him, Ash,” Taine said. “He might be trying to trick you. Tell him to say his incantation to break the spell while
you hold him.”
“You heard him.” Ash nodded at Zadoc. “Say it.”
“Fine! I’ll do it.” Zadoc sighed. He lifted his hands and swirled them around his head before starting to recite a strange incantation.
“In words we can understand,” Ash said. “So we know you’re doing the right thing.”
Zadoc shot Ash a withering glance. “Very well,” he agreed begrudgingly. “Black snow that I wrought, release the village of Icamore from your frozen hold.” As Zadoc spoke, a cloud of gold dust whirled above him.
“It’s working,” Suela said. “That gold cloud is his magic taking effect.”
“Keep going,” Taine said. “Don’t stop now. Our families and friends need this spell to work.”
Zadoc glared. “Let no living creature suffer and return all to how it was before you descended,” he finished.
“Say it again,” Ash said. “Just to make doubly certain you’ve broken the spell. Go on.”
Zadoc recited the spell once more. Again the gold dust cloud swirled. When he finished his incantation the second time, he fell backwards, clearly spent. “There, it’s done,” he gasped.
Ash glanced at Gwaam. “Can we trust him?”
“Yes,” Gwaam said. “He won’t be bothering us any more. This was his last chance to claim our magic. His powers are now completely depleted. I will make sure he’s exiled so he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Taine asked.
“I know a tiny, remote and rather rocky island where Zadoc is going to spend the rest of his days. Alone.”
“No, not Echo Island,” Zadoc groaned. “Please, no!”
Ignoring Zadoc’s cries, Gwaam broke open the clasps from Suela’s legs with his strong beak. She stepped free of her restraints, rubbing her sore, bruised legs together.
Gwaam squeezed the clasps tightly around the old wizard’s wrists and ankles so there was no chance he could escape. “Stay there,” he told Zadoc before turning to tenderly nuzzle his mate.
Although Suela had grown and changed, she didn’t match Gwaam for beauty or magnificence. Ash and Taine watched in silence as the birds comforted each other.
Eventually Gwaam looked up. “Children, do not fear me. I won’t harm you. You have shown great bravery today. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“You’re welcome,” Ash said. “What are we going to do with Zadoc?”
“Suela and I will make sure you and your friends escape then we’ll fly back up here to take him to Echo Island.”
Zadoc groaned pathetically, but no longer tried to fight.
“All done,” Ash said. “Now we need to find Rhyll and the others and get out of here.”
“I hope she managed to free the men,” Taine said, his face full of worry.
“Me too,” Ash replied.
21
THE GOBLIN ARMY
The boys led Gwaam and Suela down the steep steps from Zadoc’s quarters, glancing nervously around to make sure they weren’t being followed by any goblins. When they saw the coast was clear, they ran out of the gate of the Moaning Doom Castle and into the twilight.
Ash glanced around wildly. “Can you see them?”
“Over there!” Taine pointed to where Rhyll and the men were standing near the castle walls. The boys ran over to the group, the phoenixes hovering close behind them.
“Everyone all right?” Ash asked.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” Rhyll said.
“We had a close encounter with the goblin leader but we managed to lock them into their machine room,” Duncan said. He and the other men stared up at the giant birds in wonder. “Are they the phoenixes?”
“Yes,” Ash said. “Pretty incredible, huh?”
Duncan simply nodded, seemingly lost for words.
“Are they friendly?” Lord Belgrave asked. Ash was surprised to see him looking frightened.
“Very,” Ash said. “Just don’t get in their way when it’s dinner time.”
“What?” Gentle Ben said.
Ash laughed and shook his head. “Never mind.”
“I don’t know how much time we’ve got before the goblins escape and come after us,” Rhyll said. “They were as mad as a swarm of bees and banging on that door pretty hard when we left them.”
“You can say that again,” Duncan murmured.
“So, how do we get over the ravine?” Taine asked.
Ash ran his hands through his hair. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“You’d better think of something fast.” Duncan pointed to the chute that had opened near the far castle wall. Goblins were pouring out.
Rhyll slapped her forehead. “We forgot about the hatch!”
“Looks like they’re not giving up without a fight,” Taine said. “They’ve got weapons now.”
“I could carry you,” Gwaam suggested.
“You can’t carry us all,” Ash said. “You should save yourself.”
“I won’t abandon you to face the goblins alone.”
“We could fight,” Duncan said. Several others agreed.
“We have no weapons and we’re outnumbered,” Ash said.
“And there’s no way across the ravine,” Taine replied.
“Rhyll, you know some magic,” Ash said. “Got any ideas?”
Rhyll coloured under the scrutiny of Lord Belgrave. “Um, no, really I don’t know anything about magic.” She motioned to Lord Belgrave.
Ash shot Rhyll an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
“Young lady,” Lord Belgrave said, as he stood supported by Raymond and Gentle Ben. “I suggest that if you do know magic, you use it. I … I have been foolish to cut our village off from the power of magic, to deny that it exists. Since leaving Icamore I have realised my mistake. Certainly, there are those who will use magic for destructive reasons. Wizard Zadoc being one of them. But I have also witnessed instances of magic being used for good.
“So, if you do know how to harness magic to help us escape this torturous place, I suggest you employ it now. On my honour, you shall suffer no retribution for it.”
“Hear, hear!” came the mumbled agreement of the men.
“Well, then,” Rhyll said, reaching into her quiver and pulling out a long, thin stick.
“Is that a magic wand?” Ash asked.
Rhyll shot Ash an impish smile. “I believe it is.”
“Where did you get it?” Taine asked.
“I found it and thought I might borrow it. I didn’t want Zadoc having it anyway.”
“That’s stealing,” Taine said.
“Ahem.” Lord Belgrave cleared his throat. “Never mind where it came from, children.” He gave a strained smile. “Why not give it a go?”
“Yes, of course.” Rhyll glanced at the goblin army advancing towards them. “I’m not sure if the wand will respond to my commands but I’ll try.”
Rhyll pointed the wand at the ravine. “All right. I’ll see if I can make up some sort of spell. Um … fill into this void of space, a bridge to walk upon in its place. Make it sturdy, make it strong, fit only for humans to tread upon.”
Nothing happened.
The goblin army let out a mighty roar and charged towards the group, their spears and clubs held high. The villagers picked up rocks and anything else they could find to defend themselves.
“Try again,” Ash shouted.
“Fill into this void of space, a bridge to walk upon in its place. Make it sturdy, make it strong, fit only for humans to tread upon.”
Still nothing.
“It’s no use,” Rhyll groaned in frustration. “I can’t do it.”
“You can do it.” Ash smiled.
Gwaam stepped towards Ash. The phoenix laid his gigantic wing over Ash’s shoulder. “Perhaps if you help her she will have better luck. Teamwork has gotten us this far, maybe it can get us a little further.”
Ash returned Gwaam’s intent gaze. He felt a tiny jolt of warm energy and sensed something wonderful a
nd magical pass from the bird and into him.
Ash stared at his open palms, clenching and unclenching them. He knew Gwaam had changed him somehow, but he didn’t have time to question it now. “Yes, of course,” he said then turned to Rhyll. “Let me help.”
This time Rhyll and Ash held the wand together, one hand each on the stick. They pointed the wand towards the ravine.
The goblins were getting closer every second. Their shouting grew louder.
Ash concentrated on the void in front of them as he and Rhyll shouted the words in unison, “Fill into this void of space, a bridge to walk upon in its place. Make it sturdy, make it strong, fit only for humans to tread upon.”
Ash closed his eyes, hoping the spell would work. He felt power surge through his body, from the pit of his stomach along his arm and out his fingertips into the wand. His power merged with Rhyll’s like two lightning bolts smashing together. It was a mighty force that almost knocked him off his feet.
Ash opened his eyes. Rhyll staggered slightly as she stared at him in wonder. She’d felt it too!
The wand responded to Ash and Rhyll’s combined magic. A blast of brilliant yellow light shot from its tip, lighting up the gathering dark and striking the edge of the cliff. One by one rocks gathered from the ravine below, flying up into the void and melding together to form a compact, sturdy platform. Before long, an entire bridge had formed, stretching across the ravine to fill the space with solid stone.
Ash blinked, not believing what he saw. “We did it.”
“We sure did.” Rhyll grinned.
“It looks like you’ve inherited some magical abilities from your mother,” Ash said.
Rhyll’s eyes twinkled. “And it looks like you’ve been gifted some magical abilities from Gwaam.”
“Are they temporary or permanent?” Ash asked Gwaam.
The giant bird shrugged. “Only time will tell,” he replied mysteriously.
I sure hope they are permanent, Ash thought. Magical powers might come in handy.
Taine coughed. “Ah, Ash, sorry to break up the party but …”
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