Phoenix of Hope: Complete Series — Books 1-4

by Zora Marie

  “And he took you in?”

  He nodded.

  “Seems we have similar beginnings, give or take a few centuries.”

  “For someone who has seen and been on the receiving end of so much darkness, you’re incredibly light-hearted.”

  “I’m not, but it’s either that or break at this point.”

  With that, she got up and disappeared into a nearby tree for her watch.

  35

  Skylar sat staring into the darkness of the changing leaves when he woke. The chill of the morning staved off the usual chirp of crickets and left an eerie silence in its place.

  “I see now why Eadon took me in. He was hoping to fill the void you left in his heart. Last I saw him he was… different. He was always happy as most Elves are, but last year when he heard you were alive, there was a new light in his eyes that I’d never seen before. I guess in a way you and I are family.”

  “I think I’d like to consider you kin, if you live through the coming battle.”

  “Don’t you mean we?”

  “No. I don’t die, I just… get trapped. It’s better me than… “ Don’t think that way, you’ll save them. She shook her head. “The people of the Kingdom of the Mountains should take refuge at The Hold soon.”

  Skylar chucked the rock he held into the woods. “We won’t be far behind them. A couple days at most if we break off into the forest here.”

  “Then the forest it is.”

  “I’ll call you over when breakfast is ready.” He headed towards the fire.

  The next few days were uneventful. The eyes of a wolf peered at them through the underbrush from time to time, but none of them stepped from the shadows.

  When they came to the edge of the trees, they looked out over open grassland towards The Hold. It was dark, but they pressed on until a guard of men stood before them.

  “Halt! Where do you hail— “ He cut short at the sight of Skylar. “You, you’re that bounty hunter. Why are you here?”

  “Addre Xen.” Skylar gave a slight bow of his head. “We come to offer our help.”

  Addre laughed so hard he almost fell off his horse. “You? Help?” he managed to choke out, then his laugh cut short. “Bind them.”

  “Zelia?” Kafthry asked.

  “Don’t resist.”

  “You knew this would happen?” Eragon asked.

  “No, Skylar wasn’t here before, but fighting won’t help.”

  Guards stood on the walkabouts with drawn bows. A man beckoned and the great metal gates creaked as they swung outward.

  “Xen! Why are you bringing prisoners when Darkans chase us?” A grey-haired man stood part way down the stairs with thumbs hooked on his belt.

  “Let me go.” Zelia shook free of the man who held her. “I request counsel with King Gregory.”

  “Gregory? You speak as if you’re a friend, yet I know I have not met you.” He glanced over their horses and lingered on Bête Noire. “And you ride a horse from my herd.”

  “We have not met, but I knew the O’Fell family and seek to protect the very thing they died for.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Your people and I bring news from Queen Eleanor.” A ring of flames flared around her wrists and her bonds crumbled to ash as she turned to her captors. “But I believe we have more important things to discuss. Release my friends and don’t forget the bounty hunter.”

  They backed away as she headed for Bête Noire. She slipped the rope from his neck and whispered, “Please go, you’ll be safer far away from here. I need you to be safe and I will see you again.”

  “Fine. I would say be careful, but I know you won’t.” He reared towards the men who had dragged them all there, then ran out the closing gates with a flick of his tail.

  King Gregory stared at the closed gate for a moment, then waved them to follow.

  “Come. We will speak in private.”

  Zelia turned to Keller and Kafthry. “You two stay here, learn the grounds and rest. War will be upon us all soon enough.”

  Wooden doors shut them in the stone room with a bang. A map of The Hold and the surrounding areas spread across a table in the center of the room. Two candles flickered atop the map.

  King Gregory wavered as he leaned against the table. “You need not use titles. We all bleed the same here, even you.” He glanced at her and then to the Elves. “Now, what news do you have for me?”

  “The Darkan Army will be here before next light. They travel with creatures the like of which this world hasn’t seen since your great grandfather’s time. I know what must be done. But I think it best I wait until we greet the rest of our council.”

  A chill ran down her spine as the call of a familiar horn echoed down the hall.

  A young boy burst into the room. “The Elves, the Elves are here!”

  Gregory pushed his way out of the room and descended the stairs. She didn’t need to see to know who he went to greet, but she couldn’t help but shove her way to the top of the stairs. Even having seen them in her dreams, she paused at the sight of them. It had been so long since she had seen either of them. Koin glowed in the starlight as he stepped forward with Alrindel at his side. He must have become Koin’s second, a rank held only by the most skilled fighters.

  “We come on behalf of Queen Eleanor to offer our hand in battle.”

  Gregory looked down at them from the little platform beside the stairs.

  “Why? You have no stake in this.”

  Koin’s silky white hair shimmered as he nodded, a grim look spread across his face.

  “If you had taken the time to get to know us better, you would know Elyluma seldom stands by while darkness wipes out innocent lives.”

  Skylar descended the stairs, leading her part of the way, and put his hand on Koin’s shoulder.

  “We’ll gladly take your bow, Koin.” He nodded to Alrindel. “And yours, brother.”

  “Glad to see you here, Skylar. We figured you’d have crossed the mountains by—” Alrindel stopped and stared at her. “Zelia?”

  At his recognition, she leapt down the last few steps and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “It’s been a long time, brother.”

  He froze, and she squeezed him tighter before he returned her hug.

  “That it has.”

  “You all know each other?” Gregory’s bewilderment showed in his voice.

  Alrindel pulled back from her hug.

  “They are my kin. Zelia lived with my father and me for over a hundred years, though that was long ago.”

  “H… How long?” Gregory staggered back.

  “I age as an elf though I appear to be human. There are many things that neither of you know about me. But we don’t have time to discuss that or to catch up,” she said, giving Alrindel a sorrowful glance.

  “Wait, hold on a second. How do you know this piece of scum?” Xen pointed to Skylar.

  “Skylar is no scum.” She stared Xen down. “He is kin to elf and man alike. Skylar?” She asked for his approval, he nodded so she continued. “This is Skylar O’Fell of The Mountain Kingdom of Old, the last living descendant of the Hyperians on this world, the great grandson of King Dane O’Fell.”

  “All these years we thought all the O’Fell line had died and here you’ve worked for me!” Gregory said.

  “Zelia’s right, we have more important matters than Skylar and Zelia to discuss,” Koin ushered Gregory up the stairs.

  We still need a miracle. She searched the dark skies above the mountains, then started up the stairs with the others.

  A blinding beam of white light shot down on the path behind them and lit the wall better than the sun itself. The light disappeared before any of them had a chance to turn.

  There before them lay a wood chest with a slender gold cylinder sitting atop a single piece of parchment.

  “Lumid, what is this?” she whispered.

  “Father sends it, don’t let the humans touch it,” Rogath’s voice seem
ed irritated as it drifted through her mind for the first time in what seemed like ages.

  “Rogath, I’m—” she stopped as Rog slammed the connection shut. “Don’t—” Before she could finish, a guard grasped the golden cylinder.

  His hand turned black, and he fell to his knees.

  “No…” She ran up and pulled the cylinder from his hand. She froze with the surge of energy.

  When she blinked, the energy eased. She ran her free hand over the terrified man’s blackened arm and, as he scrambled back, his hand returned to normal.

  “It’s best you didn’t touch things sent for someone else.”

  She picked up the delicate piece of parchment. It was written in ancient symbols, the language of the Hyperians. Roughly translated it read:

  A gift for you in your battle against the darkness. I know it was the wizards, if only I could get Rogath to see that. For now, it is up to you to save these people as the wizards left to help you are few. I had the staff altered to amplify your powers.

  One more thing, inside this chest, I have placed enchanted armor fit for the finest of queens, wear it well. We are with you in spirit and know you will do well. Good luck my dear.

  Yargo

  She handed the letter to Eragon and opened the chest to see the fine leather armor.

  “Thank you.” She stared at the dark void between stars. “For everything.”

  “Do you know this language?” Eragon showed the letter to Alrindel.

  She cinched the ties on her armor and spun around to face them, pleasantly surprised by the way the armor moved with her.

  “Yargo just changed the tides of the coming battle.” The cylinder in her hand grew into a staff, and strange markings covered its entire length. She had seen Rogath draw some of them in the air to cast spells, but she never understood them.

  “What do you mean?” Alrindel asked.

  “You’ll see when the time comes.” She returned the staff to its original size and placed it in its holster on her back. “For now, I wait for—”

  “What’s that!?!” A man pointed to the sky.

  “Griffins?” Saria stared as three winged creatures circled.

  “Lower your weapons! They’re friends, not foes!” Some men didn’t lower their bows and Zelia raised her voice even more. “If you shoot at my griffins, I’ll shoot you before they ever hit the ground!”

  The remaining men lowered their weapons after a nod from their King.

  Zelia ran to the top of the inner wall and whistled to get their attention. All three griffins landed in front of her, and she bowed her head. “Thank you for coming.”

  The griffins bowed their heads in return. “The pleasure is ours. Now be warned, the Darkans draw near. They will be here within the hour.”

  She turned to Gregory and translated what the griffins had just said. He nodded, then called out orders to arm every able-bodied man. Skylar went after him to help.

  “We will each take a rider, just this once.”

  “The griffins offer to take a rider just this once.” She turned to Eragon and Saria and ran her hand over the silky feathers of the griffin closest to her. “I’ll ride him, but you two are welcome to the others.”

  She then turned to Koin and Alrindel. “They will need you two here. Now, let’s go help Gregory and Skylar get the others ready, we’ll need all the help we can get.”

  Once the others were busy, she pulled Skylar to the side.

  “I need you to do something for me and I can’t trust the others to do it. What I’m about to do will leave me defenseless for a while. The griffin will circle back to pick you up once he drops me off in the middle of the Darkans’ ranks. Once the blast is over, I need someone to pick me up. Can you do this for me?”

  There was a moment where he just searched her eyes, questioning what she was about to do. “You have my word,” he said at last.

  “Good, it’s all set then.” She paused before she walked off. “Don’t breathe a word of this until I’ve departed. The other griffins won’t take flight until you give the signal.”

  Skylar’s hand rested on her shoulder as she turned away.

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “Use the staff.” She slipped from his hand and disappeared into the gloomy crowd of men and boys preparing for war.

  36

  The steady beat of a great drum vibrated through the air, booming over the ruckus of the army flooding the plain before the outer wall. The taste of fear was almost palpable, only the Elves and King stood stoic in the face of the impossible odds.

  “We could use the power of the Fenari,” Alrindel suggested to Koin.

  “What about the Fenari?” Zelia asked. She had heard of them, their magic and impenetrable skin making them nearly impossible to kill without special weapons, but she had never heard anything about being able to use their power.

  Koin gave Alrindel a warning look before he answered, “No. Eleanor said we would doom everyone if we did. We cannot risk it.”

  She could tell by Koin’s demeanor that he would hear nothing more of the topic, so she left them on the outer wall and went to where the griffins waited.

  “Are you ready?” the griffin she had saved asked.

  “Yes,” she said, though she knew she would never truly be ready for war.

  He nodded. “I shall follow your lead.”

  “Thank you. Skylar knows the plan,” she turned to the other two griffins, “he will tell you when to go.”

  When the Darkans stopped with a loud bang of their drums that echoed off the stone, Zelia nodded to Skylar and took to the air.

  She couldn’t help but glance back as Alrindel yelled, “What’s she doing!?!”

  Alrindel shook Skylar by his chain-mail shirt, fear and anger ran wild in his wide eyes. Skylar rested his hands on Alrindel’s shoulders.

  “Brother, if you don’t trust me then trust her.” Alrindel turned to the other two griffins but Skylar gripped his shoulders. “They have their orders. Zelia needs to do this if we’re to have any hope of winning.”

  “Where do you want me to drop you?” the griffin asked, bringing her attention back to the task at hand.

  “Back there, where the Darkans are thickest and remember, fly fast when I drop.”

  She glanced over the huge black mass of troops and hoped she’d picked the place she would have the most impact.

  “Almost there,” he said.

  She grabbed the staff from the halter on her back and steeled herself for the drop.

  “Now.”

  She leaned, letting herself slide from the griffin’s back and for a moment she stared up at him, part of her wishing she had asked his name. Then she turned in midair and let the flame that burned with rage, fear, and anger ignite inside her. She let it fill her and then she poured it into the staff, the staff filling her with power in return. Fire erupted from her in a wave like she had never felt before.

  The Darkans beneath her didn’t even scream before succumbing to her flames, and she rolled as she landed in the clearing. The staff slammed on the ground as she came to a stop and she pushed everything she had into the fire that spread around her. When her body shook with the effort, the fire inside her threatening to eat itself alive, she released it. She wavered, leaning on the staff for support as she stared at the path of destruction she had blazed.

  In the distance, past a field of smoldering weapons, Darkans ran in all directions, screaming as they clawed over one another to escape the scorching heat. She heard a screech and glanced up to see a griffin descending towards her with Skylar, the two others carried archers who picked off Darkans who dared run across the smoldering field to reach her.

  Her knees buckled as she collapsed the staff, replacing it in its holster. She tried to stay sitting up, to wait for Skylar, but her world tilted, and she closed her eyes as the ground came up to meet her.

  “You better be alright or Alrindel will kill me for not trying to stop you.” Skylar hugged her limp body
close to himself as the wind whipped by them, the flapping of wings faint in her ears.

  “Will she be okay?” Alrindel’s soft voice asked beside her.

  “I’m fine. It just takes a lot to control such a large burst, even with the staff.” She put her hand on Alrindel’s and forced herself up, her world spinning for a moment before righting itself. “I have no intentions of leaving you so soon. I just got you back.”

  “Are you two going to just sit there or come help?” Koin called from the outer wall.

  They exchanged glances, and Alrindel sighed. “You’re not going to stay here, are you?”

  She gave him a faint smile and started towards the outer wall. They descended one set of stairs, then turned to the next. Zelia slowed as they climbed, but she did her best to shake the exhaustion.

  Alrindel and Skylar instructed man and elf alike to shoot for the joints before they turned their sights to the Darkans.

  The three of them stood side by side with Koin as Gregory called out, “Get ready!”

  The Elves drew their bows, holding the next three arrows in their drawing hand.

  Then the order rang out, repeated down the length of the wall, “Fire!”

  The Elves worked as one while the men fired at will.

  “I see you haven’t lost your touch with a bow,” Alrindel spoke as he drew his bow.

  “I see you’ve improved with age, and you’re not half bad, Skylar.”

  “I manage.” Skylar drew another arrow with a smirk.

  For a moment it seemed as though they might have a shot at winning, then a swarm of huge beetles flew in from the north. The swarm was so thick they blocked out all the light from the stars and moon. They could only see the light from their fires.

  Even the glow from the Elves faded in a night devoid of stars.

  She could feel the darkness creep in all around her as she doubted if she had done enough, should she have waited for this? Should she have cleared the skies rather than the field? Her heart and soul bled for these people and Elves.