The Red Phoenix

by Alex Carter

  Chapter 30

  As we head towards the summit my mind turns to the events of the past few days. I finished my last exam less than a week ago. On the train journey to Scotland I promised myself that I would do absolutely nothing for at least a week, as a reward for all my hard work over the previous few months. Just kick back and enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the Highlands of Scotland.

  Ha!

  Over the past few days I have located an invisible message at the top of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, travelled to an uninhabited island, almost drowned in a pitch black cave, been involved in high speed boat and car chases and climbed to the top of the highest mountain in the UK in search of a magic crystal. On top of that I have met my dead grandfather who claims to be some sort of Superhero! I have loved every minute of this exciting adventure but it’s not exactly what I would define as a relaxing break.

  Since we left the Isle of Rona, we have been travelling non-stop, through the night. The sun appears in the East and it is a truly magnificent feeling watching the first rays of light appear. All three of us watch in silence as the start of another day breaks at the top of the mountain. I feel a renewed burst of energy as we reach the summit. The air feels fantastically fresh and seems to have restorative powers. I breathe in deeply. A wave of euphoria sweeps over me as I stand proudly on the single highest point of land in the UK. I know from my geography studies that Ben Nevis was originally a volcano and that the summit was formed when the volcano’s dome collapsed over 350 years ago. Under normal circumstances I would probably have mentioned this fact to Arty upon completing the climb but given everything that is going on that fact simply doesn’t seem that interesting right now.

  “Let’s head over to the old Observatory” Lux says as he gestures towards a collection of rocks and stones on the far side of the summit. “There’s an emergency shelter that’s still operational. We can rest in there until it’s time.”

  “Time for what?” I ask but Lux is already marching towards the Observatory and either doesn’t hear me or decides not to answer.

  As we get closer, I notice that the largest pile of rocks has a small hut on the top. It has a tin roof and resembles a very large garden shed. Lux is ahead of Arty and is heading straight towards the hut. The splendour of our surroundings and the sense of achievement at reaching the summit had momentarily made me forget my concerns about our situation. As we make our way towards the Observatory, I’m filled with anxiety as I contemplate the prospect of the impending confrontation.

  “Did there used to be an actual Observatory all the way up here?” I ask Arty, deliberately making small talk.

  “Oh yes dear” Arty replies. “It opened in 1883 and monitored the weather for over twenty years. They stopped using it as an Observatory at the turn of the century. It then became a hotel until the start of the First World War. After that it fell into disrepair, which I think is a real shame as it must have taken an enormous effort to build the thing in the first place. Can you imagine having to drag all those building materials up here by horse and cart back in the nineteenth century?” Arty says with a shake of her head.

  I’m grateful for the distraction that Arty’s history lesson provides. For a few precious moments I think only about the Observatory and what the conditions must have been like for the workmen all those years ago.

  We finally reach the shelter of the old Observatory. We climb the rocks surrounding the base and enter the building through a small door. There is a feeling of calm as we step inside. The interior is larger than I expected. The walls and roof are in good condition, but the inside has the feel of a giant treehouse. The three of us take off our packs and sit down on the floor. It’s a huge relief to be out of the wind.

  “Aaahhh, it’s nice to rest my bones after all that climbing” Arty says as she unlaces her boots. She pulls off her left boot and flings it away from her, then does the same with the right one. I do likewise. The air feels cold around my socks and it feels great to take my feet out of the climbing boots. I wiggle my toes with relief. Lux sits opposite both of us. He keeps his boots on. He has deliberately left the door ajar and continues staring out of the doorway as he speaks.

  “There is a lot that I need to tell you, but I have a feeling we won’t have enough time to go through everything now” Lux says, bringing me back to reality.

  “The crystal in your pocket Angel is one of seven that exist on this planet. Individually the crystals are powerful, as you have experienced from the incident earlier” Lux says with a smile.

  I look sheepish and raise an apologetic smile in response.

  “However, if the seven crystals are combined, they merge to create the Albedo Prism. The Albedo Prism has special powers and if it falls into the wrong hands it could be the single most powerful weapon on this planet.”

  “How come I’ve never heard of this prism before?” I ask.

  “The prism was deemed so important to the survival of this planet that its existence was not be documented in any history books. A book was written once detailing the history of the prism. It was quickly banned and all of the copies were destroyed.”

  “What happened to freedom of speech and the right not to be censored?” I say.

  “This is serious stuff Angel. If people were aware of the prism and its power, there would be organisations that would try to use it for their own benefit. It was decided that the best way to protect the prism was to have no official acknowledgement of its existence. That’s why there are no records of the prism anywhere on Earth.”

  “So how come I’m sitting here with a piece of it in my pocket?” I ask.

  “When the Albedo Prism was brought to Earth it was divided into seven pieces. Each of those pieces was given to an individual who was tasked with keeping it safe. Those seven individuals were referred to as the Guardians of the Light. I am one of those Guardians, Angel. The crystal in your pocket is the piece of the Albedo Prism that I was entrusted with safeguarding.”

  “So where are the other Guardians and the other pieces?” I ask.

  “The seven Guardians are spread out all over this planet. We deliberately split up to ensure the safety of the Albedo Prism. We found over time that the mountains provide an excellent environment for us as we can come and go without interference or awkward questions. They are also not populated and there are lots of places to set up home or hide out.”

  “Seven Guardians all living in the mountains? Is that what the Blackout Comet Society was all about?” Arty says.

  Lux nods.

  “Was the Blackout Comet just a cover story? Just something to give you guys a reason to stay in touch Arty says with a dismissive shake of her head. “Angel and I were starting to believe that it was actually real.”

  “The Blackout Comet is real” Lux replies with a serious look on his face. “Everything in my papers is true. It hasn’t been seen in this galaxy for almost two hundred years, but we are expecting it to return this year. Its return is one of the reasons that I needed to enlist you and Angel to help me this summer.”

  “Why? What help can we be?” I ask.

  “I’ll come onto that later Angel but right now I need to brief you both on the situation with this Hunter” Lux says as he stands up. “Until recently the other Guardians and I have existed peacefully on this planet. Nobody was aware of the existence of the Albedo Prism and nobody bothered us. We have always been aware of the presence of evil forces on this planet, but we were not concerned as they did not have any knowledge of the Albedo Prism. A couple of years ago we received news of a raid on a place called the Citadelle in Haiti. The raid involved dark evil creatures mercilessly tearing the place apart and killing everyone they came across. It was rumoured that an ancient copy of the book that contained the story of the Albedo Prism was stolen. No confirmation of these events was ever received however we believe that the book did exist and has fallen into the wrong hands. The evil forces that I referred to earlier are called the Dark Legion…”

  �
��The Dark Legion?!!” I exclaim. “You used to tell me stories about them. They were terrifying. Are they real?”

  Lux nods.

  “Yes Angel, the Dark Legion does exist. Until recently we did not have any concerns about their presence on Earth as we believed them to live solely underground and did not have the ability to venture out into the light. We thought that they could co-exist peacefully with humans however we now believe that they raided the Citadelle and stole the Legend of the Albedo Prism book. They are now aware of the Albedo Prism and the Guardians. We think that they have grown stronger and are trying to use the information contained in that book to try to track me and the other Guardians down.”

  “Is this Hunter one of the Dark Legion?” I ask, as some of the scary bedtime stories start to come back to mind.

  “I’m afraid so, Angel. The Dark Legion is a small group, but they are very dangerous. They are a highly secretive organisation so very little is known about them, but we do know that they are highly skilled in the art of concealment and have fearsome fighters that they refer to as Hunters. Their leader is an individual called Drax Black. Black has a fearsome reputation and is known to be a ruthless killer. He is reportedly a giant that has the strength of ten men.”

  “He sounds terrifying” I cut in.

  “Drax Black is without doubt the evillest being to have ever walked this planet. He has managed to discover information on the Albedo Prism and his primary objective now is to get his hands on the seven individual pieces.”

  “Why?” I ask

  “We believe that his masterplan involves mass genocide. If our sources are correct his plan would dwarf the combined efforts of all the evil tyrants and dictators from history. He is planning to use the Albedo Prism to eradicate billions of people.”

  “Billions of people?” I repeat in disbelief.

  “Yes.”

  “Why would he want to do that?”

  “So that he can create a new master race” Lux replies.

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Does the Blackout Comet have anything to do with this?” Arty asks.

  “Yes, but as I said we don’t have time to go through everything now” Lux replies.

  “Where are the other Guardians?” I ask.

  “They are spread all over the world. I only know the location of one other Guardian. Last time I heard from him he was based on Mount Denali in Alaska. That’s where we will need to go from here.”

  “When we go? Are you expecting me and Arty to come with you?”

  “We can discuss that further after I have dealt with the Hunter” Lux replies brusquely as his demeanour starts to change. I can feel that the Hunter’s arrival is imminent.”

  “There is one more thing that I need to tell you before he arrives. The reason that these Hunters are such ferocious fighters is that they have the ability to change their form.”

  “What?” I reply.

  “They change into terrifying beasts during battle.”

  “So, we are sitting here waiting for a Hunter to arrive who is going to transform into some sort of monster and fight you to the death?”

  “Yes. That is exactly what you should expect” Lux says without any hint of irony.

  Even though the situation is decidedly unfunny I can’t help letting out a nervous laugh.

  “This is ridiculous. Why don’t we just keep moving? This Hunter hasn’t found you yet. I think we should avoid the conflict and head back to Arty’s house” I say as I start putting my boots back on. I am shaking with anger and fear.

  “Sit down Angel” Lux replies calmly. “I can’t keep running. This Hunter has been tracking me for some time and will not give up until he finds me. I am ready and the best option is to tackle him head-on. This place is an ideal location for a conflict. I am not intending to lose the fight. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to prepare you so that you won’t be alarmed when he gets here. It’s too late to run now and I would rather be ready to fight than get caught trying to escape. Now will you please sit down?”

  I reluctantly nod my agreement and sit back down on the floor. I finish putting my boots back on and Arty does the same.

  “What will he transform into?” I ask.

  “Think of your worst nightmare and it’s likely to be much more terrifying than that” Lux replies nonchalantly.

  “There are lots of old stories of people transforming into animals or creatures. I think they are called Skinwalkers” Arty says. “There have been lots of unproven sightings of such creatures and there are even a few blurred photos but no tangible evidence of any such creatures has ever been found. Until now I always thought that they were just part of ancient folklore like many other stories of ghouls and monsters. If these creatures actually exist do you think it’s possible that some of those stories relate to real events?” Arty asks.

  “I’m positive that some people have seen them although not too many would have lived to tell the tale…” Lux stops speaking mid-sentence as a strange look comes over his face.

  “The Hunter’s here” he says as he springs to his feet.

  Chapter 31

  “Wait in here for a few minutes until the battle starts and then make your way to a safer hiding place. I will come and find you once it is over” Lux says in a calm and measured manner.

  He walks to the door of the shelter, takes a deep breath and then launches himself at full speed out of the doorway. The Observatory is in an elevated position and we watch him sprinting towards the centre of the circular plateau. There is no sign of the Hunter. Lux stops running and waits once he reaches the centre of the circular plateau. He slowly raises each of his arms out to the side until he is in the crucifix position. He stares dead ahead. There is an eerie silence in the air as we watch him standing motionless with his arms held out to either side. My heart is beating so fast that I am sure it is about to explode. I look across at Arty. She looks equally terrified.

  Then we hear a noise emanating from the far side of the summit. At first it sounds like the rumble of a car but as it gets louder it is obviously more guttural. A figure appears on the horizon. From this distance it looks like a man, but it is too far away for me to be sure. The one thing that is clear however is that the figure is moving towards the circular plateau at high speed. I glance at Lux. He remains motionless in the crucifix position. I wonder if he has seen the figure heading towards him as he shows no sign of any reaction. Both Lux and his adversary are now within my field of vision. As the figure closes in on Lux its shape starts to change. I watch in horror as it grows taller and wider. Large pointed horns appear on top of its head and the face transforms from a human form into that of a hideous demonic monster. The sun glints off the claws on the end of its huge hands and spit drips off the end of giant pointed yellow fangs. It lets out a blood-curdling roar as it continues to charge. The giant demon is a truly frightening sight and like nothing I have ever seen before. Without breaking stride, it raises it arms in preparation for an attack.

  I look at Lux who is still standing stationary in the crucifix position. He looks totally calm. I look to see if he is holding a gun or some other weapon, but I can’t see anything in either of his hands. The rampaging demon is now only moments away from where Lux is standing. It feels as though I am about to watch an execution.

  Lux suddenly lifts both his arms high above his head. As he does this they transform into a set of giant red wings and his body simultaneously morphs into the shape of a giant bird. The bird has fire red feathers and looks like a cross between an eagle and a peacock, only much, much larger.

  “Oh, my goodness! A Phoenix! What is happening?” Arty shouts as she grabs my arm.

  We both stare in amazement at the giant red bird as it stands waiting for the impending attack. Without breaking stride, the demon launches itself at the giant bird. The Phoenix narrowly manages to avoid being ripped to shreds by the demon’s claws as it flies straight up into the air. The demon gives off a loud roar of frustration as
it lands heavily on the ground.

  The Phoenix undertakes a swift mid-air flip and propels itself directly towards the demon, like a huge red arrow. The demon jumps up onto its hind legs and attempts to defend itself. There is an explosion of flesh and blood as the Phoenix’s long beak spears through the top of the creature’s shoulder. The demon emits a thunderous roar of pain as blood jets from the gaping wound on its shoulder.

  The demon picks itself slowly up from the floor as the giant bird effortlessly doubles back up into the air. There is a moment’s pause as both adversaries assess the situation and plan their next move. The Phoenix is hovering high in the sky and compelled to make the next attack.

  As the giant bird extends its wings, I remind myself that this Phoenix is my actually Lux, my grandfather.

  “I think he forgot to mention that he would be morphing into a Phoenix” I say to Arty as we stand watching in disbelief.

  “I honestly never had any idea.…” Arty says in shock.

  The demon lets out a booming roar and raises up its powerful arms to indicate its impatience. The phoenix responds by swooping down for a second time. The sky is a blur of red as the giant bird propels itself at the speed of a bullet directly towards the demon’s massive chest. Just as the bird’s beak is about to strike what looks to be a killer blow, the demon executes a backflip. The manoeuvre is timed to perfection and enables the creature to avoid the impact of the bird’s beak. As it throws itself backwards onto the floor the demon clamps its legs around the body of the phoenix. The giant bird crashes to the floor with the demon wrapped around it.

  I watch in horror as the two creatures thrash around on the floor. The phoenix is flapping its wings wildly as it attempts to get airborne. The demon has a solid grip on its body and tail and is simply too heavy for the giant bird to carry. With merciless precision the demon increases its control of the situation as it moves its grip slowly towards the bird’s head. The two of them are writhing around wildly but now that the battle is at close quarters on the ground the outcome seems inevitable.