The Red Phoenix

by Alex Carter

  “Do you still have the crystal Angel?” Arty asks.

  “Yes” I reply as I subconsciously pat the front of my trousers and feel the outline of the black bag inside my pocket. “Why?”

  “You said it fired a laser beam when you first picked it up didn’t you?” Arty says.

  “Yes. It turned red and then blew a massive hole in the side of the mountain.”

  “Do you think you can make the crystal do it again?” Arty asks as we continue to watch the two creatures thrash around on the floor.

  “I don’t know. All I did the first time was take it out of the bag and look at it.”

  Our conversation is interrupted by a giant roar. The demon has now pinned the Phoenix to the floor. It lets out another fierce roar as it strikes the Phoenix across the head. The blow is glancing and produces a plume of blood and feathers. The giant bird attempts to break free but looks completely helpless.

  “It’s toying with it; like a cat playing with a mouse before it kills it” Arty says as we both watch in despair. “It’s now or never Angel.”

  I remove the black bag from my pocket and pull out the crystal. It is stone cold to touch and looks and feels like it has been carved from pure ice. I am momentarily mesmerised. It is quite simply the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

  “Come on Angel!” Arty shouts, breaking me out of my trance. “Do something!”

  “I don’t know what to do!” I reply, exasperated. “It just happened last time”

  There is another fierce roar from the plateau. I glance up to see the demon strike the phoenix around the head again. It doesn’t look like the fight has long to go.

  “Tell me exactly what you did on the mountain” Arty says.

  “I just held it like this” I reply as I grip the crystal between my first finger and thumb and hold it up in front of my eyes. “After that it turned red and a laser beam fired out of it.”

  I brace myself for the blast.

  Nothing happens.

  “Try to think Angel. What’s different?” Arty says, desperately urging me to come up with the solution.

  “I don’t know” I shout back in frustration. “It just seemed to reflect the sunlight and then explode.”

  “That’s it!” Arty says flapping her arms with excitement. “We’re standing in the shade. You need to take it into the direct sunlight!”

  Another fierce roar fills the air, but I can’t bring myself to look at what is happening. I jump down from the shelter and sprint towards the sunlight. My eyes are locked onto the crystal as I run. As soon as I step out of the shadow and into the sunshine the crystal comes alive. It transforms into a kaleidoscope and all the colours from the optical spectrum dance across its surface. It starts to vibrate. I frantically try to remember which end fired the laser beam last time. My guess is that it was the pointed end but I’m not sure.

  I look up and see the demon sitting on top of the phoenix. The phoenix is no longer struggling and looks dead. The vibrations from the crystal increase in intensity and it emits a loud humming noise. I aim the pointed end at the demon and hope I have got it the right way around. I am standing a long way from the two creatures and can only hope that my aim will be good enough from this distance. A blinding beam of red light fires out from the end of the pointed tip and I’m thrown backwards through the air.

  Chapter 32

  I feel dazed and confused as I open my eyes. My head hurts. I am lying flat on my back on the ground. My ears are ringing. My sight is blurred. The world swims around me as I attempt to get up. My vision starts to clear but the ringing in my ears persists. I blink rapidly to help clear my head. I look over to the circular plateau to check what has happened. The bodies of both the demon and the phoenix are lying alongside each other in the centre of the plateau. Neither is moving.

  I stagger to my feet and walk towards them. My focus is entirely on the Phoenix which is not showing any signs of movement or life. As I approach the plateau the demon starts to move. It has its back to me as it attempts to stand up. It collapses forward onto the ground and I hold my breath, hoping it is dead. I watch in horror as it slowly raises itself up from the floor and lurches back up onto its feet. The demon stares at the phoenix but makes no movement towards the giant bird. I think about running back to the shelter but there is very little chance of outrunning this colossal beast, even if it is injured. It slowly turns around to face me. One of its arms is missing and it is entirely covered in blood.

  I am frozen with terror.

  The demon fixes its gaze on me and lumbers forwards. The injuries inflicted by the crystal have impaired its ability to run and it limps towards me with an awkward, nightmarish gait. I desperately want to run but I’m paralysed with fear. The ringing in my ears subsides and I hear it roar. It’s not as guttural as it was previously but this time it is far more terrifying as it is directed at me. As it edges closer towards me, I remember the crystal.

  “Prepare to die vermin!” I mutter to myself as I reach into my pocket to retrieve the crystal.

  It’s not there.

  I check my other pocket in desperation.

  Empty.

  It must have dropped out of my hand when it fired the laser beam. I frantically look at the ground around me, but I can’t see anything. Without the crystal I don’t stand a chance against this giant killing machine. I want to run but my legs won’t let me. I know it’s futile but there is no way that I am going down without a fight.

  “Come on then you ugly, disgusting, hideous freak!” I shout as the menacing creature continues dragging itself towards me.

  “You may have beaten that bird but let’s see how you fair against Angel Champion!” I scream out as I adopt my kickboxing stance. Even though I know I’m about to die I start laughing at the absurdity of my statement. I clench my fists and start bouncing around like I would before a kickboxing bout.

  The demon lets out a fierce battle roar and lowers it head. The tips of its horns are now pointed directly towards me and it is ready to charge.

  ‘This is it then; the end of Angel Champion. I haven’t even had my exam results back. All that work for nothing’ I think to myself as the demon prepares to attack. I am genuinely more annoyed than scared. The demon raises its one remaining arm above its head and lets out a bloodcurdling roar.

  I hold my breath and wait for the end to come.

  A blinding red flash fills the air as my body explodes in an eruption of blood and gore.

  ‘So, this is what it feels like to die’ I think to myself. It’s a weird sensation as I don’t feel any actual pain and I still feel alive.

  “That will teach you not to mess with the Champions!” I hear Arty shout from behind me.

  I turn around and see her holding the crystal high above her head. I suddenly realise that the blood my body is drenched in isn’t mine. I look up and watch in astonishment as the giant demon disintegrates in front of my eyes.

  “Arty! You saved my life!” I shout out as I run towards her. “Wow! I honestly thought I was dead.”

  “I’m sorry I left it so late Angel. I would have fired a little earlier, but I was shocked when you disappeared” Arty says as we break out of our hug.

  “What?”

  “I said it took me by surprise when you vanished.”

  “What are you talking about? I was standing there the whole time” I reply, confused.

  “You were standing there one second and then you vanished” Arty replies. “That’s why that thing stopped dead in its tracks. It was trying to work out where you had gone.”

  “I think your mind must be playing tricks on you Arty. I was standing there the whole time.”

  “So how do you explain why the demon stopped just as it was about to strike?”

  “I don’t know” I reply.

  “We can discuss this later but right now we need to check on what has happened to Lux” Arty says as she gestures towards the phoenix.

  Arty and I run over to the scene of the fig
ht. The ground is covered with blood, gore and giant feathers. The phoenix is lying motionless and the devastating damage inflicted by the demon is clear to see. Large chunks of flesh are missing, both wings have been ripped off, most of the magnificent plumage has been stripped away and the bird’s body is covered with deep cuts and bite marks. The intense red colour the giant bird displayed during the fight has now been replaced with a depressing dark brown colour. The vicious destruction of this once majestic creature would be heart breaking in normal circumstances however the situation is far worse as this creature is my grandfather Lux Champion. Arty throws her arms around the phoenix’s neck.

  “Why didn’t you just fly away? It wouldn’t have been able to hurt you then” Arty says as she cradles the bird’s head. I pat Arty on the shoulder and sit on the floor alongside her. We sit in silence. I watch as a light breeze picks up and blows the smaller feathers around the plateau. As the intensity of the breeze increases it begins to move some of the larger feathers and the blood on the ground starts to pool. Arty and I sense that something is happening and back away from the body. The two of us watch in amazement as the blood pools converge and move towards the corpse. The blood disappears back into the phoenix’s body and the air is suddenly alive with feathers as the breeze becomes a tornado. The cuts and scars on the body vanish and the missing pieces of flesh reappear as the phoenix starts to reassemble before our eyes. The wings give off a loud crack as they snap back to their original shape and re-join the body of the bird. The intense fire red colour returns to its feathers. As soon as the Phoenix is restored to its original form it bursts into flames.

  We watch in silence as intense red flames rise high into the sky and completely engulf the Phoenix. Arty and I shield our eyes and move back as the fire rages. The searing heat of the flames is breath taking. The inferno is so fierce and blinding that it is no longer possible to see the bird’s body. It is not like any fire I have ever seen before as there is no smoke or smell and the flames are burning in total silence. The blaze rises into a huge fireball and suddenly extinguishes itself. Not a single speck of ash or residue is left behind. As our eyes adjust from the intensity of the flames, we see a human body lying on the ground.

  It’s Lux.

  Arty and I run over to him. He has no visible injuries and there is no sign of any fire damage. He is wearing the same clothes he had on earlier.

  “He’s alive!” Arty shouts as she reaches him. She kneels and cradles his head in the same way that she did earlier with the phoenix.

  “This is totally insane” I say as I join her.

  Lux opens his eyes.

  “What happened?” Lux says with a confused look on his face.

  “We saved you” Arty replies as tears stream down her face.

  “How?”

  “Angel used the crystal to shoot the demon just as it was about to kill you” Arty says as she strokes Lux’s face.

  “Did you see it die Angel?” Lux asks as he attempts to sits up.

  “The blast destroyed one of its arms, but it was still alive after I shot it. It then came after me but Arty shot it dead just as it was about to attack me.”

  “Are you sure that it is dead?” Lux asks as he attempts to get up on his feet. “I don’t see the body.”

  “It was completely obliterated by the laser” I say as I pat the crystal in my pocket. “It is definitely dead.”

  “That’s great work ladies, well done” Lux says with a thankful smile. His voice is frail and he looks very weak.

  “Oh Lux. It’s so good to see you alive again. I love you so much” Arty says as she continues hugging him.

  “I love you too Arty” Lux replies “and you too Angel.”

  “I love you grandad. Wow! What an incredible 24 hours! Where do I start trying to explain all of this to everybody when I get home?” I say as I start to contemplate the events of the past few days.

  “I’m afraid that you won’t be able to go home just yet Angel” Lux says. “I need your help. That is the reason I have come back. This year is the bicentennial for the Blackout Comet and there isn’t much time left before it completes it next orbit of the Earth. I believe that Drax Black is planning to use the arrival of the Blackout Comet to wipe out the entire human race. I don’t know what he is plotting but Drax is increasing his attempts to find the pieces of the Albedo Prism and I believe that the best course of action is to gather together the Seven Guardians of the Light. We have reduced all contact between ourselves since the Hunters have been tracking us. I am therefore only aware of the current location of one other Guardian.”

  “Who is that?” Arty asks.

  “Blaise” Lux replies. “We operate a strict code to ensure that any contact we have is difficult to trace and not something that could be intercepted by the Dark Legion. I have created an online forum where I leave messages for Blaise. We have developed a programme that automatically generates comments from fake users so that it looks like the forum is in constant use. I recently sent Blaise a message advising him that we urgently need to come together. Blaise sent a coded response advising that he is in the vicinity of Denali in Alaska. I don’t know exactly where but our agreement in situations like this are that he must stay in his current location until I find him.”

  “Why can’t you go and find him?” I ask.

  “The injuries I have sustained are not going to allow me to come with you Angel” Lux says as his voices starts to weaken. “My DNA prevents me from getting older, but it does not save me from mortal injuries. I know my limits and I am not going to recover from these injuries.”

  Arty starts to sob as she gives Lux a hug.

  “How long do you have left?” Arty asks as she squeezes Lux’s hand.

  “Not long” Lux says.

  I look at my grandfather and realise that he is dying before my eyes.

  “Angel I need to ask you to something I was hoping never to ask.”

  “What is it?” I say holding back my tears.

  “I need you to take over my role as Guardian of the crystal.”

  “No Lux! You can’t ask her that. It’s too dangerous for a girl of her age” Arty says. “She’s got her whole life ahead of her. I won’t allow it. Let me do it.”

  “I’m sorry Arty. You do not have my blood so you can’t do it. The role can only be passed onto a direct descendant of one of the original Guardians” Lux replies.

  “But Lux, she’s only sixteen. It’s too young. There must be another way” Arty says as she wipes away tears.

  “I wouldn’t ask unless there was absolutely no other choice. It must be a blood descendant and Angel is the only possible option. That is why I needed her to come to Scotland. I knew there was a risk that I would not survive an attack by the Hunter, so I needed Angel to be ready to take on my role. The good news Angel is that you only need to do this until you find Blaise. You can give my piece of the crystal to him and he will then look after both pieces. You can then return to your normal life” Lux says.

  I sit down next to where Lux is lying.

  “You have my DNA within you Angel. I was hoping that you would never need to use the powers but unfortunately it is the only way. Your mother isn’t here and as you are my only living descendant it must be you. The people of Earth need your help.”

  “OK” I say, although I am feeling far from OK.

  “It’s time for me to pass on the powers of the Guardian” Lux replies.

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  He opens his mouth and reaches inside with his forefinger and thumb. There is an audible crack and he pulls out a gold tooth. It is one of the molar teeth from the back of his mouth.

  “The powers you have within you are currently dormant. You need a catalyst to activate them. Take this” Lux says as he hands the tooth to me.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s the source of all my power. Place this into your mouth and it will fix itself onto one of your teeth. Whilst it is in place you will have the po
wers needed to protect the crystal. Once you have given the crystal to Blaise you can remove it and return to your normal life. You will then age as normal and you will not have any other special abilities.”

  I look at the gold tooth in my hand.

  “I have to swallow this? You’re kidding me, aren’t you?” I say in disbelief as I stare at the massive molar.

  “Just put it into your mouth Angel” Lux says as he winces in pain.

  I take a deep breath and place the gold tooth onto my tongue. It instantly dissolves. I move my tongue around my mouth searching for it, but the tooth has totally disappeared.

  “I’ve lost it” I say in a panic as I try to find the gold nugget with my tongue.

  “Open your mouth Angel” Lux says.

  I open my mouth and Arty lets out a gasp of surprise.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “The gold tooth Angel. It’s at the back of your mouth” Arty replies.

  I feel around with my tongue again. All my teeth feel the same as normal.

  “Does this mean that I have the power to change into a Phoenix now?” I ask, feeling very weird.

  “No. Each Guardian’s power is different. I have no idea how it will manifest itself for you” Lux replies weakly.

  He is ageing rapidly in front of our eyes. Arty and I are both holding him tight in a three-way hug.

  “Now that I have removed the tooth my power is ebbing away. I don’t have much time. Take the piece of the Albedo Prism and find Blaise. All I know is that he is located somewhere around Denali. You will need to go there and use your initiative to find him. You need to tell him everything that I have told you. He will know what to do. Once you have given him the crystal you will be able to leave Blaise to deal with everything. You can then go back to your normal life. I love you both” Lux says as he closes his eyes.

  We hold him tight as he passes away.

  Arty and I sit holding Lux and each other for a long time. We are both stricken with grief. This is the second time that we have lost my grandad but this time there is no hope that he will be coming back. As we hold him his body ages rapidly. He. We both sit in silence as he literally disintegrates in front of our eyes and his body turns to dust. The dust is taken away by the wind and eventually there is nothing left.