Phoenix Rising

by Ephie Risho

  A skinny boy about Basil and Amber’s age walked in. He wore fancy clothing that seemed suited more for city life than the outdoors. His shirt was a brilliant white with intricate designs and big sleeves, much too loose for things like archery, sword fighting, or climbing trees. He walked over to the table and immediately introduced himself to Amber.

  “Hi. I’m Theo.” He had straight blond hair, a few freckles, and a large grin. He put his hand out.

  She smiled back. “I’m Amber.” She took his hand.

  “You must live in a tree?” Theo pointed at her clothes.

  Amber raised her eyebrows, puzzled, then looked down at herself. She was covered in tiny leaves that looked as if they were glued to her clothing. “That’s odd.” She pulled one off. They were the leaves from the bush she’d walked into earlier. Then as if they’d been held on magnetically, they all dropped to the floor.

  “Cool trick!” Theo grinned. “You’ll have to show me sometime. Watch this one.” He took a coin from his pocket and held it in one hand, then made it disappear in front of her eyes. She stared wide-eyed, looking at his empty hand.

  “Magic.” Theo winked. “Look at this—it ended up behind your ear.” He reached behind her ear and revealed the coin. Amber’s mouth opened, and Theo grinned. “I guess they don’t do magic tricks in your tree, do they?”

  She was about to say something when Basil interrupted. “Hey, Butterballs. Look at this.” Basil held out the goblin pendant.

  Theo took the pendant from Basil and held it up. “It’s different from the other ones. What’s your theory?” As he spoke, a white-and-black splotchy kitten came dashing from

  the back and crawled up his leg. It perched on his shoulder and nestled its head into his neck. Without looking, he patted the kitten with one hand while holding the pendant up with the other.

  Chandler pointed at the map. “I’m thinking it might have come from these mountains to the south. It would have to be underground, from what we know about goblins, so a place with caves. Look here.”

  He opened a book that had been sitting on the table and leafed to a page partway through. Under the heading Dwellings, there was a drawing of a goblin that looked much like the one Amber and Basil had encountered.

  “It says here that goblins tend to live in mountainous or other cave areas, staying mostly underground until they have a good reason to leave. Which means—”

  “They must have a good reason to leave, not just from one location, but from multiples.” Theo said matter of factly. He put the pendant back on the table and grabbed the kitten off his shoulder, petting it in his arms. It began to purr loudly.

  Chandler nodded. “Exactly. So our first idea that something happened in the Ancares Mountains is probably not exactly right. There is something much bigger going on here that has caused goblins to come out from far across the land.”

  “That’s not all,” Amber chimed in. Everyone turned to look at her. “We had a phoenix, or some other flying creature, come and burn a field in Seabrook.”

  “Interesting.” Chandler stood and went to a shelf to get a piece of tracing paper. He placed the paper over the map and quickly traced the coastline, then added dots for a few of the villages and towns.

  He drew a mountain in the middle of the Ancares mountain range and a cave opening. He put an “X” over the mountain, the cave, and Seabrook. Then he connected them, forming a triangle.

  “We are here,” he pointed with his pencil, “in the middle of these three events. The question is, are they occurring further out, or do we happen to live in the epicenter of the activity? In other words, is something nearby causing all of this to happen—or is it happening farther away as well?”

  Amber thought for a moment. Chandler was an interesting man. He’d never introduced himself . . . he was too involved in his books and maps and ideas. He definitely made her think, although in this case, she didn’t have any idea how to answer his question.

  But then she remembered Mr. Thompson’s advice to reframe the question. “Whether we’re in the center or not, something has caused the creatures to come out. So the real question is, what could it be?”

  Chandler turned to Amber and cocked his head. “Excellent question. Excellent indeed.” He sat with a cocked head and raised finger, then abruptly stood and went to a far bookshelf, looking through the labels.

  “Let’s see . . . it’s got to be here somewhere.”

  He paused at one book, took it off the shelf, and leafed through the pages. “No, not that one . . .”

  He put it back and continued looking across the book spines. “This one!”

  He smiled as he carried a large, old book with split leather binding and faint gold lettering over to the table where the three were waiting.

  The title of the book was History of the Upper Lands in the Age of Erlich.

  Amber pursed her mouth. She wouldn’t have thought to open a history book for answers. In fact, she realized this entire process of discovery was far different than anything she’d experienced in her little home village. The people there were focused on action and practical steps. These people were treating the problems like a riddle to be solved through books, maps, and a history lesson.

  Chandler tenderly flipped through many pages, then exclaimed, “Eureka! Here. Look!” He pointed at a page halfway down. “This happened nearly two hundred years ago, same exact thing. You see, all the villages and cities were bombarded by creatures, mostly evil ones like goblins but also good ones, like the phoenix. In those days, it was more common to see things like goblins and trolls in normal life. Not like today, where they’ve been gone a long time.”

  “Unfortunately, a few major cities and many villages were taken over, and the people who survived fled to other cities. Turns out, part of the reason the goblins were so successful was because they were being controlled by a powerful spell.”

  “Controlled is perhaps the wrong word,” he said, looking up. “From what I can gather, it’s like they were spurred in a certain direction.” He looked back at the book. “There was a huge battle on the plains of Almeda. There were dragons, giants, trolls, ogres, and goblins, lots of goblins. While the people battled, there was another battle raging as well.”

  Chandler looked up and adjusted his glasses. “A battle of the wizards! Wizards on each side. The good wizards won the day, and the spell was lifted. With the spell gone, the creatures dispersed, each to their own homes, no longer intent on working together. You see, at their core, these creatures are all selfish and wouldn’t work together without someone to guide them.”

  Chandler paused a moment and looked thoughtfully around the room. “Wizards. Magic. Spells. There’s only one surefire way to figure out if the goblins are coming out because of magic. We need to find a wizard.”

  Amber cleared her throat. “Actually, I was on my way to finding a wizard when we were attacked by those goblins.”

  “Oh?” Chandler asked. “Where were you going?” He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. Amber wondered how he still hadn’t asked her name. It was as if he had no interest in her, only in the way she could help him solve the challenge.

  “Wakefield,” Amber replied.

  “Ah, not far at all,” Chandler mused. “We might even make it today if we were to leave now.” He looked around. “Wouldn’t need to pack very much. We could be home tomorrow.”

  Amber was taken aback. She looked at Basil, who had a look of excitement and eagerness on his face.

  “Not me,” said Theo haltingly. “It’s my turn to take care of the goats this evening.”

  “Come on!” Basil punched his arm playfully. “You never leave town. Can’t you come on this one little trip?”

  Theo frowned at Basil, then glanced at Amber. He looked nervous just thinking about it.

  Amber gave a meek smile. “Your company would be welcome, and I’d like you to show me more of your tricks.”

  Theo hesitated. “Well . . . let me see if I can get ou
t of my chores.” He didn’t seem excited like Basil but smiled back at Amber.

  “Ok then, it’s settled.” Chandler stood, knocking a book onto the floor. “We’ll leave at once!”

  11

  Search for a Wizard

  THE GOBLINS HAD EATEN some of Amber’s food, but her provisions were mostly still intact from when she’d left her home a few days earlier. Sadly, Mr. Thompson’s biscuits were gone, but Basil’s mother had graciously given her some more food to pack, including dried meat and fruit, which she took thankfully.

  As she was checking over Buttercup, yelling came from inside Basil’s house. It sounded like a shouting match between Basil and his father. Amber tried not to listen in but heard Basil shout, “You’re such a control freak! I’m glad I’m leaving!”

  He blustered outside in a fury and slammed the door behind him. Amber focused on Buttercup’s straps, adjusting and readjusting them awkwardly as Basil stormed over.

  He huffed about, slamming some rope into a saddlebag. After gathering a few more items and looking Storm over, his breathing slowed.

  Amber kept her eyes on her horse’s straps. “You don’t want to leave like that. What if you never make it back? My dad always says to make sure the last thing you say to someone isn’t something you’d regret—just in case.”

  “Whatever,” Basil said, mounting his horse. He kicked it in the sides, and it galloped onto the dirt road.

  Amber jumped onto Buttercup, then quickly followed behind until she caught up with Basil. She rode next to him and looked at his face. His jaw was clenched, he had a fire in his eyes, and he tried not to look back at her.

  He finally glanced over and sighed. “I’ll be right back.”

  He turned his horse around, galloped back to the house, and ran inside. Several minutes later, he emerged and rode next to Amber again, as they headed toward Theo’s house.

  They rode in silence for a few minutes, then Basil turned to her with a sheepish smile. “Thanks.”

  He quickly looked back to the road and scratched his head awkwardly, ruffling his dark curls.

  Amber sighed in relief. Soon they rounded up to Theo’s house where he was outside with his parents, packing a warm coat into the saddlebags of his already overly burdened splotchy horse, Butterfly. A few hugs later, the three trotted down the street to Chandler’s house.

  Chandler had accurately calculated that Wakefield was less than a day’s journey away—but grossly underestimated how much time it would take him to get ready. Amber and Basil were ready to go at barely a moment’s notice. Even Theo, who rarely left town and had no proper clothing or supplies, was ready within an hour.

  Meanwhile, Chandler had to pore over his books and maps, deciding which ones were important enough to bring and which should be left behind. He packed far too many at first—fifty-three books and eight maps—and he had to go through them all one by one, setting aside the less critical ones. In the end, he still brought eight books and three maps, but at least they fit in his saddlebags.

  The road leading to Wakefield was hard packed and well-traveled and felt safer than any of the other roads Amber had taken so far. Maybe it helped that she now had three traveling companions, and there were other people traveling on the road in both directions.

  She felt content as they rode along together, the sun on her face. Theo was saying something that caused Basil to laugh, and although she couldn’t hear anything in particular, she smiled with them as she rode next to Chandler, listening to him tell her a history lesson about the wizard war from two hundred years before.

  The road wound through the mountains with forests sometimes right next to them for the first few miles, much like Amber was used to. But then it opened into a vast space with fields, rolling hills, and occasional trees, where she felt like she could see forever when they reached the top of one of the hills. At one point, she saw the city in the distance, then realized they were still many miles and a couple of hours away.

  Chandler, it turned out, was an eccentric teacher of sorts, and Basil and Theo were two of his primary students. He knew much about the world and was eager to share his knowledge with Amber. But he had an awkward way of holding himself, like he was never truly comfortable sitting still. And he never once looked her in the eyes, which she found distracting at first but then got used to it and simply listened to him as she gazed at the countryside.

  She hadn’t had much schooling, although she did know how to read and write, unlike many from her village. And she read as many books as she could get her hands on, especially ones with adventure. But her small village didn’t have many books, and most of the people were focused on survival: fishing, farming, hunting, and maintaining their village through difficulties. Chandler’s seemingly endless knowledge was exciting to her, and she lapped it up like a thirsty dog.

  It seemed like no time at all before they arrived at Wakefield. If Sanford was large compared to Seabrook, Wakefield was that much larger. The main road became cobblestone as they got nearer, and Amber realized how important that must be with so many wagons and horses traveling it, especially when the weather got wetter. They entered the main gate and began looking for a likely place to ask about the wizard Sage.

  Amber was taken aback by the sheer number of people. They were everywhere—walking around, standing and talking to each other, hauling loads on wagons behind horses.

  She tried to understand it all: Where are they all going? What do they do inside a town all day? How much time do they spend outside the walls of the town?

  It wasn’t just the size and busyness that startled her but also the unpleasant smells. She was shocked at how people left their garbage outside in barrels on the street, stinking up the entire town. Not to mention the horse and donkey manure that covered the streets. The filth attacked her senses and overwhelmed her ability to focus on the task at hand.

  There were no big signs that said Wizards Here, and she began to wonder what the plan was. But Chandler seemed confident of his direction, turning right at the next street and never stopping his educational session with her.

  “Now you see . . .”—he pointed at a large barn to their left—“this was the first stop for many of the trading parties, before they built the larger stable on the outskirts of town.”

  She nodded and kept listening. Chandler knew so much history about this one town, she wondered how much he might know about hers—or any other town for that matter.

  “Ah, here we are.” Chandler clapped his hands.

  They came to a two-story building with a sign much like the one on his own, with a map etched onto the surface. The travelers dismounted and stretched. It was getting late. A man with a long pole tipped with fire lit the streetlamps. There were lampposts every fifty yards or so, all the way down the street.

  The inside of the building was a larger version of Chandler’s place in Sanford. People sat at tables, reading or discussing things quietly. Chandler walked up to one of them, a mid-aged, well-dressed man who was reading a large scroll at a table by himself.

  “Ebeneezer, you old dog. How are you?” Chandler patted him on the back.

  The man looked up and grinned. “Chandler! Well, well.” He stood up, and the two men shook hands. “How’d your old cat handle that kitten?”

  Chandler laughed. “Poorly. At first, she fought for her place, but the kitten overtook the rest of the house and kept trying to play with her, so she eventually found a little spot and just stayed there. But the kitten is happy, and the mice have definitely disappeared.”

  “Excellent!” Ebeneezer stood. He had a large belly and wore a jacket with ornate designs embroidered on the sleeves and pockets. He put his hands into his pockets and continued. “And your map of the five mountains? How’s that coming along?”

  “Good. Good.” Chandler looked outside toward the horses. “Actually, I brought it here so you could take a look and give me some feedback.”

  “Ha!” Ebeneezer laughed. “Of course you did.” He smil
ed and patted Chandler’s shoulder. “So what gives me the pleasure of seeing you here?”

  Chandler pushed his glasses up and grinned. “Adventure.” He had a look like he was impressed with himself, and Basil snorted, holding down a laugh. Amber felt a twinge of exasperation. For a guy who had barely left his house, he certainly didn’t seem very adventuresome.

  Ebeneezer raised his eyebrows. “Do tell?” He gestured for Chandler to sit, and the two sat together, leaving the three kids standing behind them watching awkwardly.

  Amber shook her head. We’re invisible to them. As if we’re not worth paying attention to. Part of her felt like just walking out, if they didn’t think she was important enough to be involved in their discussions. It was like being with her older siblings all over again.

  But then she had a sense of responsibility to her village, her dad, and Old Mr. Thompson and rethought things. Ignore them. They’re helping me on a real adventure, whether they know it or not.

  Chandler cleared his throat and raised his nose into the air, as if searching for the right words. “We’ve come across some interesting findings of late, involving goblins and other creatures of note.” He raised his eyebrows, looking for a response. “We’ve come to Wakefield searching for a wizard named Sage. We think he may hold the key to understanding the different types of goblins we’ve been sighting recently.”

  “Ah, the goblins.” Ebeneezer nodded. “Many have seen them around these parts, none so bold as to come into town, but certainly in the countryside, not too far from here. What sorts of other things have you been seeing? We should compare notes.”

  Chandler bobbed his head. “Yes, indeed. One of these young ones says a phoenix burned their fields on the coast.”

  “A phoenix, you say?” Ebeneezer leaned forward.

  “Yes.” Chandler went on, “They don’t actually know if it was a phoenix, a dragon, or something else, but regardless, it’s odd—why burn a crop and leave without purpose? From what I understand, it was purely a destructive act.”