The Phoenix

by J R Stone

  “A bit?” asked Adam seriously. “They used magic to deceive people and steal their money and possessions.”

  “Yeah, yeah, there was that,” said Vincent humorously. “So, Adam and I followed in their steps. Not very wise, I know, but we did not know better.” He gave a short pause. “Maybe Adam did. He was always the better man.”

  “We both were,” Adam corrected his brother.

  “That is not true, brother. If it were not for you, I would have done a lot worse, but you were always there to guide me and make sure I didn’t become utterly evil. I guess you lost that battle now.”

  Adam halted. “Don’t you ever say that again.”

  Sarah analyzed every movement of Vincent, every tiny change in his expression. And there it was: the respect for his brother. He didn’t say out loud that he would do as Adam had asked, but it was clear in the way Vincent looked at Adam that he would never repeat those words. Adam started trotting again.

  “How did you meet Uno?” asked Seth, curiously.

  “We got caught by a family who we had tried to deceive. Uno saved us from being burned alive,” said Vincent.

  “How did you get caught?” asked Sarah curiously. Vincent was cunning, and it didn’t seem likely that he would be easily caught tricking people.

  “Well, we made a mistake and trusted the wrong person,” he glanced at Adam. His brother’s romantic aspirations had gotten them in that situation, but Vincent didn’t resent his brother; he felt bad for him. Adam would carry the guilt of what had happened to them for eternity. Vincent realized that he had just reinforced his brother’s belief that he was the one to blame. So, he tried to make things better. “You know, I believe that we would have gotten here either way.”

  “Why is that?” asked Victor.

  “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. I don’t believe in coincidences or chance. This is our fate. There is no way out of it.” He looked at Sarah. She was gorgeous, and apparently unhappy with how the conversation ended. It was clear she wanted a lighter topic. He would give her that. “How about you, Amrath? Why don’t you tell us a little about how you and Sarah met?”

  Amrath smiled at Sarah. “We first met about a couple of years ago when she arrived in the village. Sarah was very quiet and shy.”

  “Are you sure? She doesn’t seem shy,” joked Vincent.

  “Oh, she was.”

  “I’m right here,” she said playfully.

  “We can see you. Don’t worry,” Vincent winked at her.

  “At first, despite her mom’s efforts, Sarah didn’t mingle. She would spend most of her days at home and we rarely saw her. Later I found out that she was just trying to keep her mom and herself safe. The less contact we had with her, the less likely we were to discover that she had very special skills. But I’m nosy. So, I knocked on their door and invited her to harvest with me.”

  “You invited a woman to harvest? I hope that’s not your idea of a date,” Vincent remarked.

  “It was never a date. It was harvest and we all had to collect crops. I just wanted to talk to her and know more about her.”

  “I believe she accepted your flattering invitation,” mocked Vincent.

  “You can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?” asked Adam playfully.

  “Never,” Vincent replied.

  “I was tired of being stuck at home and Amrath has such a good energy that I couldn’t say no,” Sarah revealed.

  “So, that was the first time we talked. Since then, we have spent a lot of time together and we have become great friends,” said Amrath. That was all he was willing to say. Sarah and he shared a lot of secrets that he would not disclose.

  “Wow, you cut the story short, didn’t you? I was expecting a lot of details and side stories, and that’s all you are going to give us?” asked Vincent incredulously. If they continued like that, they wouldn’t have enough conversation for a day.

  “That’s all I’ve got to say,” said Amrath coldly.

  “Well, maybe I can tell my story,” said Seth calmly.

  Seth talked about his childhood, the military training he received, the battles he fought along his father and Tzeel. He also talked about the time Tzeel was captured and how he rescued his brother. Vincent, Darius and Enoch added some information every now and then, which made the story quite long. They spent hours talking about Totkan and the places they had visited. The day quickly went by and so did the night. They didn’t stop to eat. They all wanted to know more about Seth’s adventures. Sarah was surprised to see Seth so relaxed. He, Victor, Adam, and Enoch were very good friends and they were all comfortable talking about their past.

  In the end, it was easy to keep the conversation going for seven days. They talked, laughed and bonded like they had not done before. The night before their arrival at Zahora they stopped to feed in a village.

  For Vincent, hunting was the best part of his new life. He loved the thrill of the chase. He silently went to a dark alley and waited. It didn’t take more than a minute for a tall man to turn at the corner and walk in the narrow path. Vincent made a low noise to startle the man.

  The villager didn’t take another step; a bad omen invaded him causing his feet to desperately want to run. When the man turned around to exit the alley, he saw the most frightening thing he had ever seen. A creature with silver eyes and long teeth. He would have run if he had had time to do so, but Vincent was extremely fast. He held the man and sank his teeth in his neck gulping down huge amounts of blood. The truth was that he usually liked to enjoy the moment, but as he was starving he decided he would slowly savor the next prey, not that one.

  But the feeling of being watched made Vincent stop. He looked back at her; she was stunning, as always.

  “Would you like some?” he asked showing the man’s neck.

  “No, thanks,” said Sarah politely.

  Vincent quickly finished sucking the man dry so that he could talk to Sarah and discover what she was doing there. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “I am.”

  Vincent got closer to her. Seth definitely should be more assertive instead of retreating and leaving her to Tzeel. She was certainly worth fighting for.

  “Who did Adam trust?” she asked curiously.

  Vincent was surprised that she had waited all those days to ask that. “Very thoughtful of you.”

  “There was no need to bring that up in front of Adam; he seemed regretful. But I must admit that I am curious, and I would like to know more about what happened.”

  Vincent’s eyes gained a sweeter light. “We were conning a man out of his life savings, and Adam fell in love with his daughter. He ended up confessing to her more than he should. And even though he told her we would stop, she betrayed him.”

  “She told her father.”

  “Oh, not only that. She invited Adam to her room one night, she kissed him, she made love with him and then she poisoned him. He didn’t die, but they kept him chained in a chamber. I tried everything to rescue him, but without success. However, one night, the soldiers seemed to be distracted; they were talking more than usual. I should have been more suspicious of their behavior, but I was desperate to save Adam and that clouded my judgment. It was a trap. A young sorceress helped them get me. She was skilled; more than Adam and I were back then. The next day, they were about to burn us alive when Uno showed up with an offer we couldn’t refuse. It was either join him or die. And dying sounded bad then, and it sounds bad now. Immortality suits me; I’m loving it.”

  “I can tell,” Sarah smiled. “Thanks for telling me your story.”

  “My pleasure,” he smiled back.

  “What about you? Have you ever fallen in love?”

  “No, I’m not that type of guy. Love is not my thing,” he said wittily.

  Sarah giggled.

  “Would you like to prove me wrong?” he teased.

  “You are bold.” Sarah kept her voice firm and serious. She didn’t want him to think she was flirting with him.

 
“I apologize if I sounded disrespectful. That was not my intention,” he looked down to show her his submission and subservience.

  Sarah didn’t say anything; she just stared at him. She was amused by him and attracted to how different he was from the others in the group.

  “Would you like to hunt?” he asked.

  “I’d love to.”

  XIV

  Sarah could not be more pleased; Vincent had proved to be a great hunting partner. When they met the others, they had all fed and were ready to find Tzeel’s brother. Luckily, they would be able to find him quickly. They walked to a tavern and waited outside while Enoch entered to question about the whereabouts of the Gilligans.

  “What is taking him so long?” asked Vincent, impatient.

  “Let’s wait a few more minutes,” said Victor, calmly. One thing he had learned in the battle field was that strategy played a major role in one’s victory. And patience was the mother of strategy.

  “Maybe someone should check if everything is fine,” said Amrath. He had to agree that Enoch had been inside for too long.

  “Have a little bit of faith,” asked Seth.

  They waited for ten more minutes until Enoch finally left the tavern. He seemed worried.

  “What happened?” asked Seth.

  “There’s something wrong. We should consider going back to Gannan,” said Enoch.

  “Excuse me? I’m not leaving without Tzeel’s brother,” said Sarah between her teeth. “Why on Earth would you suggest that?”

  “It’s just a feeling. I… I was under the impression they were expecting us to come,” said Enoch hesitantly. He was not sure of how to interpret the way the people in the tavern had behaved, the fear they were all obviously feeling, and the way his questions had been answered as if the answers had been memorized.

  Sarah immediately looked at Adam. “If, by any chance, I come to think you have betrayed us, I will make your immortality miserable.”

  “Hey, there is no need for that,” Vincent intervened.

  Sarah’s eyes became silver; she stared at Vincent. He didn’t look away; he didn’t move. Sarah composed herself. She didn’t want to get into a fight with her knights.

  “What did they tell you?” she asked Enoch.

  “The Gilligans moved two days ago to a house in the outskirts. Doesn’t anyone find that a bit odd?” he asked.

  “Suppose they knew we were on our way here, why would they isolate themselves? That doesn’t seem very clever,” concluded Victor.

  Seth looked at Sarah. She was tense, on the verge of desperation. He knew she would do anything to grab the chance of bringing Tzeel back to life, and she would have his support.

  “There is only one way to find out.” Seth started trotting. Without any hesitation, Victor and Darius followed him.

  Sarah didn’t expect much from Adam and Vincent. They had recently met, and she was not sure they understood what it meant for her to bring Tzeel back, but Amrath and Enoch knew better. She looked at them. “Are you coming?”

  Barely had she finished her question, Vincent started trotting. He was part of the group and he wouldn’t walk out on them. Adam followed his brother and so did Amrath and Enoch. Sarah gazed at the moon. There was indeed a different energy in the air, one that told her she would not succeed in her endeavor. Soon, she would know why.

  It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the Gilligans. The house was big for a family of villagers.

  “What’s his name?” Sarah asked Enoch.

  “Julian,” he answered.

  Sarah got off the horse. “I’m going alone,” she said.

  Seth frowned. “Sarah, this is reckless! We don’t know who these people are. I’ll go with you.”

  “Reckless? I can’t die. What should I fear? They can’t even touch me unless I allow them to,” she said, outraged. Seeing that Seth was disappointed at her, she took a deep breath, and added as sweetly as she could, “I want to go alone. Please, Seth, stay here.”

  He acquiesced. “We should hide,” he told the others. “We cannot know for sure that they are expecting us. If they are not, they may find it weird to see seven knights standing in front of their house.”

  There was a barn beside the main house. They hid behind it. They would wait there. If Sarah needed any help, it would take them no more than a couple of seconds to be with her.

  Sarah knocked on the door. A woman in her forties opened it.

  “We’ve been expecting you,” she said firmly.

  Sarah was surprised to see that Enoch was right. No one knew they were heading to Zahora; no one but her knights. She would have to deal with that later. “Where’s Julian?”

  “Why don’t you come inside?” The woman stepped aside so that Sarah could come in.

  Sarah hesitated for a second. The Gilligans had a plan and the woman seemed overly confident they would succeed. Sarah told herself that nothing they had planned could possibly be a threat to her. So, she walked in.

  There were four men in the living room; one of them resembled Tzeel a little. It had to be Julian.

  “I believe you came here because you want to take Julian, my son, with you,” said the woman as she walked to the side of the young man.

  “And how do you know that?” asked Sarah curiously.

  “We have always kept our eyes on Totkan. When Ezra died, I traveled for days to pay my respects to him. Then Tzeel became king and I thought it would be a good opportunity for him and Julian to meet. But Tzeel was surrounded by evil, and I didn’t want my boy near cruel wizards. As Uno seemed to have his own agenda, we decided to keep an eye on him. After all, Totkan could clearly use a wiser king. And, if Tzeel and Seth were out of the way, Julian could claim the throne.”

  Those words made Sarah’s blood boil. She would kill them all.

  “If I were you, I would stay right where you are because Julian is not the only thing we have that interests you,” said the woman. She picked up a wooden box full of engravings. “Inside this box is the stone that you desire so badly. However, the box is protected by a spell that can only be broken by a Gilligan. Unfortunately for you, not all Gilligans have special skills, so it is better to make sure that the ones that do keep breathing. Oh, there is one more thing I should add, the spell must be cast willingly.” The woman took a step forward. “My son will not be Tzeel’s vessel.”

  Sarah had no words. She hadn’t seen that coming. The stone and the Gilligan in the same place at the same time, both completely inaccessible to her. Sarah considered slaughtering them all, but that wouldn’t do her any good. She needed them alive. She stared at the woman.

  “One day, a Gilligan will not know about what happened today. He will not know about the stone or the spell. Tzeel’s name will mean nothing to him. When that day comes, and it will come, I will be still breathing, unlike you,” said Sarah.

  She turned around and left the house. Tears rolled down her face as she got on her horse and started trotting back to Gannan.

  “Is she leaving without us?” asked Vincent to the others.

  “So it seems,” answered Darius.

  Seth got on his horse and went to Sarah. Something was seriously wrong. “What happened?”

  “We will have to wait,” she murmured. She felt weak and hopeless. She had been defeated in the only way possible, emotionally. “I lack the strength to repeat what happened in there, Seth. I need to be alone. Please… Ask Adam to stay and keep an eye on the Gilligans. I need them alive and well. Tell Vincent he can stay too if he wants. I’ll see you in Gannan.”

  Seth watched her leave. He wished she had chosen to be with him so that he could comfort her. The others approached him.

  “What did she say? What happened in there?” asked Adam.

  “I don’t know. She didn’t say,” answered Seth in a low voice. “She asked you to stay here, Adam. Keep an eye on the Gilligans. She needs them safe and sound. You can stay too if you wish, Vincent.”

  Vincent simply nodded. He wo
uld rather annihilate their enemies than to be stuck in a city, but he wouldn’t leave Adam alone. “How long will we have to stay?”

  “I don’t know, but I hope not long. I think it’s better if we all stay together. I’ll talk to her in Gannan.”

  “It’s okay. We will stay for as long as she wants us to,” said Adam calmly. He thought it would be good for him and Vincent to stay away from the others for a while. They were vicious, and he believed he and Vincent could be better people if they were on their own.

  Seth and the others left Zahora a few minutes later. The seven days that followed were of total silence. They didn’t know what was going on, but it certainly couldn’t be good. When they arrived in Gannan, Amrath was glad to see that the dwellers hadn’t left the city. Strangely, they seemed happy to see that the knights were back. Little did they know that they would probably be slaughtered when Sarah got tired of Gannan. Amrath smiled; maybe they could have a better fate.

  “Victor, check if there were any problems during our absence,” Seth commanded. “The others walk around the city and see if there are any matters that deserve our attention.” Seth went into the palace and straight to Sarah’s room. He knocked.

  “Come in,” she said sweetly.

  He walked to her. She had been crying.

  “Sarah…” Seth held her in his arms. She cried helplessly. Seth hugged her more tightly. It was devastating to see her suffer. “Tell me what happened.”

  She looked at him. “Do you think he will forget me?” she sobbed.

  “It is not possible to forget you,” he said as he gently caressed her hair.

  Sarah looked down. “They had the stone.” She looked into Seth’s eyes. Just like her, he was surprised to know that the stone was in Zahora with the Gilligans. “They locked it in a box that can only be opened by a Gilligan.”

  “We can make them cast the spell,” he suggested.

  “We can’t. The person who casts the spell needs to do it willingly. I guess torture won’t do the trick.”

  “We will have to wait…”

  “Yes,” she mumbled. “How long will we have to wait?” she asked loudly in a sudden change of behavior. There was rage in her eyes. “A decade? A century? A millennium? They will tell this story to every skilled Gilligan! Protecting the stone will become their single purpose in life. But that’s not the only problem. What if something happens to them? What if they all die? What then? How doomed can my love for Tzeel be? What can I possibly have done to deserve this?”