Phoenix Rising

by Ephie Risho

  “Interesting,” Ebeneezer said. “I wonder if—”

  “And also,” Chandler said, “they say their local pixies have all moved on . . . like they had somewhere important to go.”

  “Ah! I wondered if other magical creatures might be impacted.” Ebeneezer pursed his lips. “What else have you learned? Anything else?”

  “Yes.” Chandler went to a rack on the wall with rolled-up maps and pulled one off, brought it back to the table, and unrolled it. “You see here, we are pretty sure the goblins have generally been coming from the Ancares Mountains.” Chandler pointed at the mountains toward the south. “But two of these kids here encountered some goblins north of here with a different pendant, and we’re wondering if they might have come from these caves just up here.”

  “Which means”—Ebeneezer pointed up—“there’s more than one source for goblins. Which then blows away my theory that something must have happened at the mountain. Actually—” He rubbed his chin. “This does make sense. We’ve been hearing of more than goblin sightings over here. There was mention of troll sightings just last week—and I hear that all the way down in Lugo, there’s been a dragon who’s woken up or something because it’s coming every day and eating cows or sheep. It doesn’t seem to be focused on people yet, which is good. Although it did kill some men who attacked it.”

  He paused. “And what do you think Sage will do for you? He’s not a warrior, just an old brain-head like us.” He knocked his head with his knuckles.

  “Yes. We want answers,” Chandler replied. “Answers that we believe only a wizard can give.”

  “Well, I wish I had better news.” Ebeneezer shrugged. “But Sage left about a month ago, when the goblins started showing up. He could be anywhere by now.”

  Chandler frowned. “Any ideas where he might have gone?”

  “Well . . .” Ebeneezer thought for a moment. “He’s friends with Rochester. Do you know him?”

  Chandler shook his head no.

  “Well, anyway, Rochester runs the apothecary across town—you know, selling the standard stuff like medicines and herbs and special concoctions. I’m guessing he’ll have more information. I don’t really know him well myself.”

  “I imagine his store is closed for the night. Any idea where he’d be right now?” Chandler asked.

  “Let’s see . . .”

  It took them a full two hours before they finally tracked down Rochester. Chandler had spent half an hour showing Ebeneezer his special map. Then they went from building to building in the dark, until finally they found Rochester at a tavern, having a drink with two other men, and asked him about Sage.

  Rochester wasn’t much help. “I don’t know” was his first answer. But after some pressing, he said, “Sage does have a lookout on a mountain far to the east of here that he sometimes goes to. Maybe he’s there. But he travels around a lot. He could be anywhere by now.”

  At the end of it all, the group was exhausted and needed a place to sleep. Chandler took them to an inn where Basil used the money that he’d taken from the goblins, so they could sleep in real beds that night.

  Early the next day, the group gathered in the common room of the inn for a light breakfast. They were about to discuss what to do next when in walked Ryder.

  Amber blinked a few times. She was so far from Seabrook—having someone from home casually stroll in was jarring. When it clicked in her mind that he was actually there, she stood and called, “Ryder!”

  He turned and brightened when he saw her, then gave her a hug. “The one and only.” He held her at arm’s length. “What have you learned so far?”

  “We’ve learned a lot, but we’ve also learned that we don’t know enough, and we’re looking for more help.”

  “We?” Ryder looked around the table.

  Amber introduced Chandler, Theo, and Basil. Ryder politely offered his hand to each of them.

  She noticed that Chandler acknowledged Ryder, whereas he hadn’t acknowledged her when they’d first met. She wondered what the age cutoff was where that happened—or was it Ryder’s mature confidence?

  Ryder turned back to Amber. “I have news from the city.”

  “Do tell?” Chandler happily tapped his fingers together.

  Ryder gazed at him curiously, then continued. “They say that the passages through the mountains further southeast have become more dangerous. And the roads to the south, west, and north are all much safer—for now.”

  “Interesting.” Chandler adjusted his glasses. “That supports our previous theory that the goblins are mostly coming from one location.”

  “It’s not just goblins,” Ryder said. “I’ve talked to couriers who’ve seen trolls, ogres, and even a dragon. It’s like the whole world of dark and magical creatures is waking up.”

  “Interesting, indeed!” Chandler clapped his hands happily. Amber shook her head at him. How could someone be so happy about evil creatures coming around? Somehow the learning process excited him more than the potential danger.

  She cleared her throat. “I came to Wakefield to look for a wizard that Mr. Thompson told me about. But he’s not here. We found out he’s got another place in the mountains east of here, wherever that is. But we don’t even know for sure if he’ll be there.”

  Chandler retrieved one of his maps and laid it on the table. He pointed at a spot far to the southeast of them. “These mountains here are the most likely spot. There are no roads that go straight through them, and it could be anywhere from forty to fifty miles from here. We’re talking about a multiple-day journey, just to get there. If you even find it at all—I can’t imagine he makes his mountain home easy to find. And as Amber said, he may not even be there.”

  He sighed and looked at the kids around him. “I’m starting to think this may be too much of a long shot. And I have things to do back in Sanford. My other students are expecting me today, and I have to help my sister move some furniture.”

  Amber gazed at the map sadly, while the group all looked in silence. Maybe it is a long shot, she thought. Is this what Flurry imagined I’d be doing? Traveling around the countryside looking for a wizard while goblins and trolls lurk around the corners? This is crazy.

  Ryder patted her on the back. “Well, at least you tried. Maybe you could figure things out another way?”

  Feeling suddenly angry, she pushed his hand away. “No! This is what Mr. Thompson said to do.”

  Ryder awkwardly stepped back. “Ok. Ok. Don’t get excited.”

  There was an uncomfortable moment where everyone avoided each other’s eyes. Ryder broke the silence. “So . . . what’s your plan?”

  “I don’t know.” Amber wrung her hands together.

  “Hey, all’s not lost.” Basil grinned. “I’m looking forward to spending days wandering unknown forests full of goblins and looking for a wizard’s hideout. Sounds like fun!”

  Ryder laughed. “You have a curious idea of fun.”

  Amber stood. “You do have a point, Basil. This is the best idea we’ve had so far, and even if it takes weeks, what else would we do? I can’t give up now. My village needs me to figure out what’s going on. I’m with you, Basil—I’m doing it, even if some of you can’t.” She said those last words looking at Chandler.

  Basil leaned forward and put his hands on the table. “Fantastic!” He gestured grandly. “It’ll be an adventure! And when we run into goblins, we’ll have both our weapons to take ’em down.”

  Amber sighed. She never wanted to see another goblin in her entire life—Basil, on the other hand, seemed eager to run into more. It was as if he wanted to test his fighting abilities. But even though she didn’t like the idea of another goblin encounter, the idea of having Basil as a traveling companion lightened her heart.

  Theo cleared his throat. “I think I’ll go with Chandler. I have lots to do back home.”

  Basil elbowed him. “Come on, Theo! You can do it. Come have an adventure with us.”

  Theo shook his head and gave him an
evil eye. “Too dangerous. I’m not cut out for that kind of stuff like you.”

  Ryder cleared his throat. “I don’t know you very well, Theo. I’ve been our town’s courier since I was eleven. You can imagine I’ve run into all sorts of dangerous things. But what’s even more amazing is all the stuff out there in the world—all the things I’ve seen while out and about. Sometimes you can’t learn things from a book.”

  “I can relate.” Amber nodded empathetically. “I don’t want to be around danger either, Theo. But my whole village is threatened right now. I can’t just do nothing. I’m sure you feel the same.”

  Theo gazed at her for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “Ok. I’ll stick it out.” He turned to look at Ryder. “And I have left Sanford. But I admit, I’m not normally a traveling sort.” His voice wavered slightly, sounding like he was trying to be brave but was actually scared out of his wits.

  Basil punched him in the arm playfully. “Alright! This is gonna be way better. I know you’re already packed but you’d better get yourself some kind of weapon.”

  Theo gulped, then nodded. “I’m no good with swords, but I’ve used a bow and arrows before. I could probably hit a target if I practiced a bit. Let’s see if we can find one around town.”

  Ryder tapped his fingers on the table. “Amber, I’ll let your parents know what you’re doing. They’ll be happy to know you’ve found some friends. When I’m passing back through later this week, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for you.”

  “You don’t feel like joining us, do you?” She smiled at him.

  Ryder squirmed and twisted a piece of rolled up parchment in his hands. “I have all my duties to take care of. Otherwise I would.”

  “Huh.” Amber shrugged, disappointed, and turned away.

  Chandler looked around the table. “Well, I’m proud of you kids. You’re very brave. But what will you do if you run into goblins? Are you sure you can handle them? I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”

  He noticed their faces turn down and said, “Ok, how about this? Promise me you’ll stay clear of any goblins you find. If you see tracks, go a different way. Any whiff of danger, and you hide. Can you do that for me?”

  “Yes!” Amber and Basil said in unison and then grinned at each other. They turned to Theo.

  “Yeah. Yes. Ok.” Theo said, as if his mind was a hundred miles away.

  “Ok then, it’s settled.” Basil stood and patted Theo on the shoulder. “We’ll get Theo a bow and get going today.” He turned to Chandler. “Can you tell Theo’s parents and mine?”

  Chandler nodded, then immediately turned away and began putting his things together. Not one for the emotional stuff like goodbyes, Amber thought. She looked at Ryder, who seemed preoccupied.

  Looks like I can’t count on him. I wonder why he’s so stuck on doing his courier duties when this is clearly more important?

  She brushed the thought aside and began focusing on preparing for their trip. Now that they were planning for possible weeks, there would be more details to work out.

  They left Wakefield within an hour, taking a less-traveled road due east. There were still people on it from time to time, but not busy like the other roads going into Wakefield. It was a pleasant day, and Amber was happy to have her traveling companions.

  At first, she felt awkward around Basil and Theo—like an outsider. They obviously knew each other extremely well. But then Theo rode next to her and started asking questions.

  “What’s it like living by the sea?”

  “Oh, I’m not sure how to compare it with your town, but our whole lives revolve around it. We fish there, and swim there, and spend a lot of time out on it. We do have some farming, though, and hunting. I’ve done all of them—that’s our way there. We make sure all the kids know all the trades, so when they’re old enough, they can pick.”

  “What are you going to pick?” Theo asked.

  “Not sure. I have a way with plants. I can get plants to grow that no one else seems to be able to, and I seem to have a way of making crops thrive. So most of the town thinks that’s what I should do.”

  “But what do you think?” Theo asked.

  “Well, I do love gardening, but . . .” Amber trailed off.

  “I knew there’d be more,” he said after a moment. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be out here looking for a wizard.”

  “Yeah, that’s right. I love reading and figuring out riddles and things. And I also love tending plants. And then there’s this side of me that wants to get out in the world and make a difference—do something grand. Do you think I can somehow do all that?”

  “Maybe so,” Theo replied. “Although last time I checked, plants don’t grow on horses!” He laughed, and Amber laughed with him.

  Basil chimed in, “You could wander around and plant things wherever you go. We have an old story about a guy who did that hundreds of years ago, and that’s why we have the fruit trees we have in our town.”

  “Interesting,” she said, then turned to Theo. “How about you? Do the people of your town want you to figure out your profession at your age?”

  “Oh sure. But they always figured I’d do some sort of clerical work—like things that involve reading and writing, since I’ve always got my nose in a book and I don’t ever leave town.”

  “Except for now,” she said.

  “Well, yeah, except for now.” He patted his horse’s neck. “Butterfly is finally putting some miles in! I suppose it’s all Basil’s fault. He’s always out and about on some adventure, and since we’re best friends—”

  “My fault?” Basil frowned. “Come on, Theo! Don’t sound so whiny. Every time I drag you out, you’re glad afterward.”

  “I don’t know if I’d say that . . .” Theo shook his head.

  “Not true! Why do you always have to judge me?” Basil’s voice took on an edge. “Look, Theo. You’ve been needing to get out of town for nearly half a year now! You were holed up all winter long and never once left. Now it’s finally spring—it’s time to get out and smell some flowers, see some sights. Meet some goblins!”

  He said that last part in a sort of spooky voice, and Theo’s face fell.

  “Just kidding!” Basil said quickly. “It’ll be fun.” But Theo looked upset, and they all grew quiet.

  Amber looked at Basil, annoyed. “Basil, too much.”

  After a moment he said, “Well, anyway, if we do run into goblins, Theo, stay back and use that bow we bought for you. Amber’s a fantastic shot, and I can handle at least one or two with my sword. No need for you to put yourself in danger.”

  Theo nodded and looked a bit pale. Amber hoped that if they did run into goblins, Theo would know what to do.

  They camped that night near the road. Amber set up a target and helped Theo with his archery techniques. He wasn’t very good to start, but could at least hit the target by the time it grew dark.

  “You’ll get there,” Basil said encouragingly.

  Theo gave him a dirty look. “I told you I’m not good.”

  “No, you’re fine. You just need more practice.”

  Theo sighed and put the bow and arrows next to his mat.

  Although they didn’t sleep as well as the previous night when they were snug in beds, the crisp spring air revitalized them, and they felt energized when they awoke.

  Around noon, they came to a small village named Mira. They asked about the best route to the potential mountain Sage’s lookout could be on.

  “I once heard that it’s that way,” a woman told them, pointing to the mountains in the distance to their east. They tried asking as many people as they could, but that was the closest they got to real directions.

  They realized with all the maps they’d been looking at the last day, they hadn’t had the wherewithal to bring one with them. Theo had brought some parchment and started drawing his own map. He looked at another map from a local person, then copied it and filled in a bit more detail.

  The best route, from what they could
gather, was a road that would eventually turn into a path not fit for a wagon but would probably be fine for their horses. They were warned that there were no other towns or villages that way—just forest and mountains for hundreds of miles.

  As soon as they left Mira heading east, there were no people to be seen anywhere. Not only that, the road was in ill repair, with deep holes from horses’ hooves made during muddy days, causing them to travel much slower than before to keep their horses from hurting themselves on the uneven ground.

  The road quickly became a trail with branches growing into the path and blocking their way, as well as the occasional fallen tree they would have to go around. It was still faster than going off into the dense forest, though, so they kept on.

  And although they’d promised earlier that day to hide if they saw goblins, they didn’t have a moment to think when a group of goblins suddenly came running at them with swords drawn, ready to kill.

  12

  The Courier’s Search

  RYDER TRAVELED ON THE WELL-WORN ROAD to Seabrook atop Rocky’s brown-and-white back, deep in thought. He barely noticed his surroundings, having done this ride so many times before. He didn’t read the signs to pick his path or pay attention to the peaceful sounds of the countryside around him.

  He wondered why Amber was going out of her way to find a wizard—but also felt like he should be doing the same. Was something big really going on . . . and were there more than a few goblins coming out of their caves?

  The road turned to the last little stretch toward Seabrook, and Ryder kicked his horse to go a little faster. When he arrived, he delivered the four letters he’d been carrying from Lugo. The same four people every time: three with family members in the large city, and the mayor of the town sending correspondence again. Maybe he was telling them about the phoenix, Ryder thought.

  He stopped at Amber’s house to give her parents the update about her, then went back to his home for a quiet night with his dad.