Torn From Stone (The Phoenix Series Book 1)

by Sarah Rockwood

  “Darkness required.”

  I put away the lamp and approached the door. I was just about to knock on the wall when a voice called out.

  “Don’t stand on ceremony, come in.” The voice was gravelly and deep.

  I gingerly pulled the cloth aside and stepped into the hut. It was very dim inside. And surprisingly cool considering the only light came from a small fire in the middle of the room and two window openings at the back of the hut. Their curtains had been pulled back to let in the torchlight. I looked around in the half-light. The hut was one room and set up much like Yeren and Noiryn’s caves. These Travellers had a penchant for open concept living. I could make out a table to one side and what appeared to be a cot tucked away in a corner. Around the fire were two chairs with a small table between them. The chairs were covered in blankets and looked deep and comfortable.

  I still had not seen my host, but some shuffling steps behind me rectified that. I spun on my heel to find a man standing in the shadows. I could tell that he was about my height, maybe a little shorter. His silhouette revealed an ample stomach and thick arms, but beyond that, the shadows were too deep for me to see more.

  “Benyst?”

  “That’s me. You’re Phoenix.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yep.” He still hadn’t moved from the shadows. Now that I was here the adrenaline and pain from the journey were dissipating, leaving me testy. “Nice place you’ve got here…” I gestured to the path. “…Great location.”

  I thought better of it the second the words left my mouth. Not a good plan, offending your jungle host, especially if that jungle host is the only one who can get you out of the jungle. Very stupid indeed. We stood in silence for a few agonising heartbeats, then he laughed.

  “Damn!” He continued laughing. “You have changed!” His laughter sounded a bit like stones tumbling over one another. It was an ugly sound but not entirely unfriendly.

  “Well…” He abruptly stopped laughing. “I hope some things haven’t changed.” And he stepped from the shadows.

  The light from the fire walked across his face. It was such a shock that before I could school my reaction, a small gasp escaped my mouth. You would think that after the things I had seen of these Travellers that nothing would faze me, but Benyst did. His face was a mass of large red growths. They grew from his features distorting them into a clown mask of blood filled tumours. His lips were huge and yet barely contained his tongue. The flesh around his eyes was so engorged that the sockets became deep wells. The gnarled red flesh continued around his skull, misshaping his ears and the back of his head.

  “It’s okay, it’s only a shock the first time.” He grimaced bitterly, and those giant fleshy lips bent upwards.

  “I’m sorry. I…” I looked away, embarrassed.

  “Not to worry Phoenix, not to worry. You did better than most.” He eased himself into a chair. “Please, have a seat.”

  I dropped my bag on the floor beside me as I sat down next him. The chair was even more comfortable than it looked. Benyst leant forward and began stoking the fire, his belly hanging down between his legs. In the flickering light, I began to grow accustomed to his face.

  “May I ask a question… about your face?” He stiffened slightly.

  “Ask away.”

  “Does it hurt?” He looked at me, his dark eyes twinkling in the firelight.

  “You’re the only one who’s ever asked me that…” Thoughts crossed his face, and then he smiled. “No, no, it doesn’t.”

  “Good.” I smiled back.

  “I’m sorry for your trouble getting here, but I had to be sure.” He sat back. “Sid was against it, said the fork would be too much, would discourage you. Good thing he didn’t know about the chimps!” He laughed that stone tumbling sound. “But I said to Sid,” He puffed out his chest. “I said ‘If she’s the real thing it won’t be a problem.’ And I as you can see, I was right. Beer?”

  Without waiting for my reply, he drew two from a bucket under the table. He put them both in his enormous mouth and with a twist and a hiss, they were open. He handed one to me.

  “No bottle opener.”

  He grinned and began to drink deeply from his own. I tried to surreptitiously wipe the bottle on my jumpsuit before having a sip. As weird as the opening was, the beer tasted great. We drank in silence for a few moments, it was surprisingly companionable, but I needed information. It sounded terribly cheesy, but I had to find my wings.

  “I understand you know where my wing is.”

  “Right to business then.” He took a big swig and put the empty bottle down on the table. “Yep, I know where your wing is.”

  “Excellent. Where…”

  “Well, that is to say, I have information that should lead you to the wing.”

  “Damn it!” I slammed my bottle down, a bit of foam escaping out the top. “Would it be too much to ask for a straight fucking answer in this place?!”

  “You never used to talk like that,” Benyst said in a small but firm voice.

  “Hey, Benyst! We’ve never met before! And maybe that girl you knew never talked like this, but maybe she should have!” I sat forward in my seat. “Maybe if she’d gotten angry once in a while, she would have been better prepared! Maybe she would have been able to fight off all those assholes! And then maybe I wouldn’t be sitting here trying to find these infamous wings that everyone insists I need! And you know what, Benyst?”

  “What?” His voice was neutral.

  “They’re right! They’re fucking right! Never had them, but I fucking miss them.” The tears came quickly. I dropped to my knees in front of the fire seeing the memory in the flames. “I saw it, Benyst. I saw it all. They pinned me down…” I felt my tears hit the dirt floor. “He fed on me. I can feel his teeth tearing through my wrist. She’s laughing and shouting for them.” I hunched forward angling my shoulder blades towards the sky. “My wings. I can feel them. I can feel them stretched out behind me. I’ve never had wings …” I looked at him, tears streaking my face. “Why do I miss them?”

  “Oh, Phoenix…” He cupped my face in his hand, like a father to a child. They were misshapen and rough but filled with affection. My power flared briefly and was gone, leaving me there alone with his hands. “You always felt so much.” He looked like he wanted to say more but merely patted my face. “Please get up. The ground is no place for you, Lady.” He helped me back into the chair and put the beer back in my hand.

  “I said I had information for you and I wasn’t having you on.” Benyst got to his feet. “Before he went to get you, Sid came here with a package.” He began rummaging throughout the hut. “Not a package, a letter. Yes, and if I could only remember where I… ah! Here it is!”

  He walked back to me and swiftly took the beer from my hand, replacing it with the letter. With a groan he eased himself back into his chair, his fleshy face wobbling as he settled in.

  The letter was a single large sheet of parchment paper folded in at the corners to become its own envelope. At the centre it was sealed with a blob of purple wax, a thumbprint filling in for a crest.

  “You open that, Phoenix,” Benyst said kindly.

  I slid a finger inside one of the folds and drew it down slowly towards the seal. It cracked evenly along the four points of the paper. I unfolded it, and another folded piece of paper fell into my lap. I ignored it for the moment and stared at the letter, taking in Sid’s handwriting. It was a simple print, unadorned and written in all capital letters. The letter read:

  My Dear Lady Phoenix,

  I sincerely hope you never read this.

  I am so very sorry. I have failed you.

  Please do not worry about my safety at this time, wherever I am, I will be fine. I have lived too long to let the perils of The Void triumph over me. We will see each other again. I know it.

  You have been a great friend to me, My Lady, and I had always hoped that we would go on this quest together, that I would be there to help you draw your po
wer back from your wings. Alas, your quest will be a solitary one.

  By now you have met Noiryn and Benyst. They are both willing to help you to the next step of your journey, although neither has the fortitude to Travel very far with you. They have their own reasons for never straying far from home. Ones I am sure you will remember in time.

  Do not despair! You will retrieve the other wing. I have hidden it in the great moment of civilisation that was ancient Egypt. It is the night before Queen Hatshepsut is to be entombed and her burial chamber will not yet be sealed. Slip into the chamber, and you will find it. It is contained in another magic sac, in a large vase in the corner of the room. I have included a map of the temple, examine it carefully and refer to it often. The Egyptians were excellent at confounding thieves.

  Once you have the second wing, you will be able to Travel. Hold the sacs close to you and will yourself back to Benyst’s hut. Your wings will do the rest.

  Please be careful! I trust the people I have I put you in contact with, but our enemies are powerful. Go as quickly as you can.

  Always your servant,

  Siddhartha

  I folded the letter back into place, hiding its script from Benyst. I picked up the map as I mulled over the rest of Sid’s words. I was sorry he wasn’t here with me; I could have used the guidance.

  “Okay Benyst, I’ve got a map here.”

  “Let’s take a look at it.”

  I drained my beer as Benyst opened the remaining curtains to let in more light. He then turned his chair and pulled the small table in front of it. I started to get up to move my seat, but he placed a heavy hand on my shoulder and pulled the chair, with me in it, around to face the table.

  “You’re stronger than you look.” I teased. He ignored me.

  “Alright, get that map on the table.” He sat down. “Another beer?”

  “No thanks.”

  “Suit yourself.” He pulled one from the bucket and jammed the bottle in his enormous mouth.

  I unfolded the map and placed it on the table. As I smoothed out the creases, Benyst leant in. This close, in the newly bright hut, his face was distracting. I was ashamed of the amount of concentration it took not to stare.

  “Ah…” Benyst stretched out the word. “So he went with Hatshepsut.” He continued as I turned my gaze to the map. “Sid had some places in mind. I guess so no one, save him, would know the actual location.”

  “Smart guy,” I said absently.

  It looked like Sid had drawn the map by hand, not that that had affected his precision; in fact, it looked like he’d drawn it to scale. The temple was huge, with two giant courtyards and large inner rooms. Sid had marked the burial chamber with an ‘X”, and it looked to be the smallest room in the place.

  “I think the hardest part will be not taking a wrong turn here.” I pointed to the spot on the map where it looked like four large hallways stretched off the main aisle before you entered the room that led into the burial chamber.

  “I think you’re right.” Benyst sipped his beer. “Might I suggest a bit of string.”

  “What?” I looked at him.

  “Well if you attach it here…” He pointed to a spot just before the four paths opened up. “And drag it behind you, it will make getting out again much faster.”

  “Right, but that’ll take a lot of string, and my bag is getting pretty full.”

  “I think I can help you there.” Chuckling, Benyst got to his feet. “Yes, I’ve got just the thing.” He got down on his hands and knees and groped blindly under the bed, the skin on his face obscuring his eyes. After much grunting and mumbling, he came back to the table. “Here you go.” He tossed a small spindle of thread to me. The thread was the colour of silver and incredibly light, and small. There couldn’t be much there.

  “Thank you Benyst, but I don’t think this will be enough.”

  “It will grow as you need it.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” I looked at the thread.

  “Cool!’

  “Yes.” He smiled. “Cool.”

  I sat back in my chair, running my thumb across the spindle, the beer fizzing in my belly. Benyst clapped his hands together sharply.

  “Well! I guess you should get going.”

  “You’ll take me to the temple?”

  “Of course Lady Phoenix.” He dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry I can’t take you any further, it’s just…”

  “No explanation needed.” I reached across the table, and he took my hand. “Just get me there.” He squeezed my hand briefly then got to his feet.

  “Well, out into the yard then.”

  As Benyst walked out into the gloom I quickly, yet carefully, folded up the map and tucked it down the front of my jumpsuit. It was scratchy against my bare skin. I let the letter fend for itself in my big bag.

  I walked out to find Benyst standing a short ways from the hut. He was looking up at the canopy. I stood at his side and followed his gaze.

  “Do we have to go through that or something?”

  “Sorry?” He looked at me. “Oh no! I just… it will be nice to see the stars again.”

  “How long has it been since you’ve left your clearing, Benyst?” The folds of his face contracted as he thought.

  “Let’s see…The last time I left was right after they took your wings.”

  “Benyst, that was thirty years ago.”

  “Oh? I don’t care much for other places.”

  “What brought you out then?” He looked me straight in the eye. A tear made its challenging course from his eye and down his cheek.

  “I had to know if it was true.”

  “What?”

  “That you were gone.” He reached one hand out to me as the other tried to wipe the tear from his face. “Let’s be off.”

  “Yes. Let’s.”

  I smiled and took his hand, instantly losing consciousness.

  17

  It was the pain in my ass that brought me back to consciousness. I opened my eyes to find that I was sitting in the sand. I could already feel it trying to sneak down my pants, so I got to my feet quickly and began brushing the sand off to prevent further inroads. I could hear Benyst grunting as he did the same.

  “Argh…so sorry. I haven’t done that in a while.”

  “No problem, nothing’s broken.” I shivered. “It’s cold.”

  “Yes. The desert at night is so different.”

  I put my bag on the ground and pulled out my coat. As I slipped the fur around my body, I was taken aback by my surroundings. Everything was quiet and still, Benyst and I the only observers. The moon shone high and full in the sky, bathing everything in a cool imitation of daylight, its eerie silver dripping over the scene before me. We were facing an enormous cliff, its jagged surface reaching high into the sky to form a perfectly straight line on the horizon. The light of the moon coated its face, and I could see the individual layers of rock, each a moment in time, shimmering slightly in the cold blue light.

  At the base of the cliff stood the temple. There were three rows of columns stacked on top of each other like the tiers of a wedding cake. All of the columns were extremely precise, the deep black space between them completely uniform and just a little bit frightening. A long ramp rolled like a tongue down to the sand, a grove of trees framed it on either side. We were about a hundred paces back from the gaping stone maw, and at this distance, the white of the stone and rows of columns looked like the grill of an eighteen-wheeler bearing down on us.

  “Oh boy.” I breathed.

  “You’ll be fine.” Benyst was even quieter than I was. “I think I should be going.” He looked pale.

  “Thank you for your help.”

  “You’re welcome.” He forced a smile. “I’ll see you soon enough.”

  “Yeah, I’ll get the wing and then head back to your place. I hope I can Travel on my own.”

  “The wings will know what to do.”

  “Funny, that’s the same thing Sid sai
d.” He smiled furtively and was gone. He really didn’t like leaving the jungle.

  I picked up my bag, throwing it over my shoulder, and turned my attention to the temple. It was hauntingly beautiful. The way the three stories came out from the cliff like a giant stairway played tricks on my eyes. I made my way to the base of the first ramp, the only sound my footsteps in the sand. The craftsmanship and detail were impressive even at this distance. It was really inspiring to think that every inch of this colossal structure had been made by hand, thousands of slaves and artisans working to the point of breaking to create what was essentially a giant coffin. I couldn’t help but feel guilty about my grandparent’s ashes. Scattering them didn’t really compare.

  I got to the base of the ramp. It very broad; at least two cars could have driven up it, side by side. At its mouth were two massive Sphinx statues; they had round ears and long beards. They were beautifully carved and very life like. Looking at them I had the sinking suspicion they were watching me. I smiled meekly at them and hurried forward.

  It was a steep climb. I stuck to the edge, one hand on the stone railing, hoping that if anyone were looking, I would be mistaken in my dark clothes for a shadow. The trees were huge, their scraggly and twisted branches reaching almost to the very top of the ramp. I had never seen trees like them before, the topmost branches looked like gnarled finger clawing at the air.

  The ramp opened onto a massive terrace. There were more of the strange trees here defining a clear path to the second ramp, which led to the third and final level. Yes, a very clear path indeed. A very clear, freaking long path. It was easily more than two hundred feet, and the next ramp started at what looked like the halfway point. My legs were beginning to get that well-worked tingle, but there was no turning back. I gave them each a quick shake and started forward.