"Now hang on," Mastyx interrupted, "exactly what are we in favour of?" If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a little scared.
"We are voting to send Phoenix to the Council of every species of the Void. There she will face a trial of their choosing."
"And will she be allowed assistance on this journey?" Mastyx asked.
Silverwood pondered the question.
"She may take a group of six individuals with her, one for every council she will face. They may assist her in the trials in a manner agreed upon at the time by the parties involved. These trails must be completed by the rising of the next full moon." Silverwood turned to Mastyx. "Satisfied?"
"Yesssss," Mastyx mumbled.
"Then I ask again, all those in favour?" Silverwood extended his arm; sitting in the palm of his hand was a small ball of green light. It left his palm and floated to a spot just above my head.
Cosima's ball was next; it practically shot across the circle. Wendiga and Archer's balls came simultaneously. Mastyx was the last to cast his ball of light; it took its time crossing the circle and hovered a few inches away from the others.
"It is done," Silverwood said.
"So now what?" I asked. I was trying to find a feeling of outrage, but it was buried under a lot of fear.
"Now you must go to the Councils and take the Trials," Wendiga said.
"But who are these Councils? Where are they? How will they know I'm coming?" I was freaking out. I had an impending minion war on my hands, now I had to pass a bunch of crazy Traveller Trials before the next full moon? Shit just got more serious than usual.
"As their representatives on the Guard, we will each send word of your imminent arrival," Wendiga continued. "You must complete these Trials as quickly as possible, do not dawdle."
Dawdle? What decade are we in? Oh wait, we're not in a decade. Right.
"Okay, but again, who are they and where do they live?"
"There are Archer's people, the silver men." Mastyx jumped in and started giving me all the information. "Then the yetis, like Wendiga. There are also the sirens and the trees."
"Don't forget the Pain People!" Cosima interjected. "They get a vote here but never come to meetings. Conflict makes them ugly, and they are so very vain." She laughed. I whispered to Royal, "Pain People?"
"Like Benyst," he whispered back.
"Ohhhhh."
"And then us," Mastyx continued, "the snake men. We'll have an excellent time together."
"No, Mastyx!" Silverwood shouted. "It must be handled by the councils, we cannot get involved!" The yelling was very out of character for him. His leaves were shaking, and his breathing was ragged.
"Of course, Silverwood. I will not interfere," Mastyx cooed, a sly look on his scale-covered face.
"That's great and all, but how do I find them?" I strung the words out slowly, I was starting to get pissed off. Which was better than scared.
"Instructions will be sent to you." Silverwood sat back in his chair like the matter was closed. "You may leave." Apparently, it was.
"What happens if she doesn't win these Trials?" Royal asked.
"Shit, I hadn't thought of that," I whispered to him.
"If she does not succeed," Silverwood answered, "then she will most likely be dead."
"Okkkkaaayy," I said, "good to know."
I turned to Royal, who nodded, and we walked out the way we came.
33
Royal and I, or is it me? Screw it, I don't have time to care right now, exited the Circle of the Guard with no problems. Which was super weird for me since I'd never had the pleasure of being in the Circle without a problem, let alone just walking out. As soon as we crossed through the trees, I turned to Royal to start strategizing. Before I could open my mouth, he held up his hand and shook his head, making that zipped lip gesture which apparently is as universal as the sign for choking. I got the message, and we walked back to the Travel point, the Void now providing us with a smooth level ground, without talking.
We landed back in my forest to the sounds of a commotion. Minion screams and loud bangs reached our ears. In the distance, I could see white smoke rising from the campsite area. I was running before Royal could stop me.
"Phoenix, stop! It could be a trap!"
Yeah, it could be, it probably was, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let shit go down on my proverbial front porch. Son of a bitch must pay. Seriously, just go watch Big Trouble In Little China.
I ran along the forest path, my wings aching to actually be able to support my weight and make short work of this journey.
The screams were getting louder.
I rounded a bend in the path and the clearing stretched out before me. The minions had been attacked. By other minions. I couldn't see Sid anywhere, he was probably acting as puppet master. It had been a blitz attack. That was evident by the craters that were still smoking. I ran through the smoke towards the centre of the clearing, where I knew Spin had set up his camp. Minions were running everywhere, I grabbed one as it passed by and it screamed a long ragged sound before it saw my face. Then it went silent.
"What happened?" I asked as tears welled up in its eyes.
"They came out of nowhere!" it cried. "They started throwing bombs and everything was smoking! I couldn't see! I can't find my family! Please help me!"
"That's exactly what I'm going to do." I gave the little minion a reassuring grip on the arm. "I just need to find my friend."
At that moment Royal appeared. He moved through the smoke like an avenging angel, his wings opening and closing, fanning the smoke away. He saw me and was at my side in a moment.
"The bad guys attacked, eh?"
"Yep. Can you get this minion inside the gate? And then start rounding up all the ones on our side and get them inside too?"
"I can if you give me the authorization to do that."
"What?" It was hard to make out his words through the noises going on around us and we were losing time.
"You need to give me permission to let people in!" Royal bellowed above the din.
"Oh! Right!" I bellowed back. "I give you permission!" Something clicked between us, a flash of light went through my mind as a spark passed behind Royal's eyes. We were now connected on a power level. Cool. But there was no time to dwell on it, we had to keep moving.
"Just double check the little guys as they go through. We don't want a bad one bombing us from the inside."
"Got it!" Royal scooped up the minion beside me and disappeared into the smoke.
I watched Royal go, pausing momentarily to scoop up another minion as he ran towards the gate. I turned my attention back to the foggy scene before me.
I could make out tents and fire pits, it looked like Spin had gotten everyone set up in a kind of grid formation leading out from his camp. I moved forward slowly, trusting my black jumpsuit would hide me in the swirling drifts of pure white smoke. I felt a tingling down my spine and reached up intuitively to pull my sword from its sheath at my back. The sword glowed faintly blue in the indirect light. I kept moving forward.
Although I could hear minions yelling and screaming, I couldn't see anyone. No more minions crossed my path. I thought I saw one run by in the distance, but I couldn't be sure. They must be in hiding. I was torn, I wanted to shout out and let them know Royal was at the gate to help them, but I didn't want to set them up for slaughter in the smokey shadows near the gate. So I kept walking forward, my sword ready.
I reached Spin's camp site. His tent was torn from its posts and pooled on the ground. I used the tip of my sword to lift the fabric and make sure he wasn't inside unconscious. But it was empty. His fire had burned down to red coals and greying ash, the remnants of a roasted squirrel, tossed carelessly into the pit. I got down low and tried to look under the smoke. From this vantage point, I could see little minion hands and feet moving around about fifteen feet away. One of these minions dropped low and for a moment we were face to face across the clearing. I kept my face neutral, un
sure if they were friend or foe. The minion in question snarled and disappeared into the smoke.
"Foe, it is," I whispered to myself.
"Phoenix!" came a hushed whisper behind me. I turned on my heel as the sound of little feet patted quickly toward me. "Thank the gods, you're back!"
Spin looked terrible. He had a gash above his left eye and his lip was split. I looked him over and saw that he had a growing bruise on his chest and his loin cloth was torn.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'll be fine."
"What happened?"
"They came, the bad ones came and attacked us while we ate!"
"Where are the others?"
"Everyone scattered, I tried to keep order but they were too frightened." Tears welled up in his big brown eyes.
"It's okay, Spin. We're going to get through this." I patted him on the shoulder and he quickly moved in and wrapped his arms around me. I gave him as tight a hug as I dared with his injuries, then he pulled away. "Royal is at the gate, I have authorised him to let our minions in. I need you to gather all the minions you can find and send them to the gate. Everyone will be safe once they're inside."
"But what about the bad ones?"
"I'll take care of them." I lifted my sword, Spin's eyes widened. "Big G style if need be. Now go find your friends."
"Yes, my lady." He bowed quickly and then disappeared into the smoke.
I stayed down low, the smoke was lighter here and I could see out into the campgrounds. Most of the tents were down which limited the cover available.
"You bastards can't hide forever," I whispered into the smoke.
I heard the quick patter of steps off to my right and spun towards it just in time to see a minion with a short blade running full-tilt towards me. I had a split second to decide what to do. If I stood up for a better strike, I would lose my visual on this jerk-off. So I stayed low and got one foot under me for leverage. The minion continued to charge but at the last second dashed off to the left into the smoke. I had just enough time to go 'what the?' when I felt something slam into the back of me. Another minion. Fortunately, this guy didn't have a blade, just a small club which he began to bring repeatedly down on my head. I jumped to my feet and brought my sword up and back over my head and felt the blade slice down the back of the offending minion. It screamed and fell to the ground as a small cry sounded and new minion rolled right into my legs, knocking them out from under me.
I landed on my back and felt my delicate wings crack underneath my weight. I screamed with the pain and swung my sword in an erratic circle around me. It clipped something, but that didn't stop a third minion, the one with the blade, from joining in the fun.
Tiny stabs started up my legs. I kicked out and felt my foot connect with minion skull. I threw an elbow at the minion who was still clubbing my head and managed to free myself long enough to get to my feet. Standing was better for fighting, but now I had lost my view of the ground. I kept swinging my sword, sometimes I made contact with my attackers, sometimes I didn't. The minions could be anywhere.
Anywhere turned out to be everywhere.
I could just make out in the swirling smoke a great mass of minions heading towards me. It was like the City in the Trees all over again.
"Damn it, boys, we've done this before," I grunted.
The minions closed in, I kept slicing. Now every move of my blade met with minion flesh. If I had thought to end this diplomatically, I was sorely mistaken. These guys were out for my blood and I wasn't going to give it to them.
I felt a blade hit my lower back and my legs buckled. As I went down the minions flowed over me like a wave. There were so many hands, so many blades and teeth biting at my skin. I had been here before too many times. In the past, it had frightened me, but now I had been to the other side. Now I knew what it was to Burn and no creature was ever going to send me to that place again.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then another. My attackers continued their onslaught but I paid it no mind. I focused on my core of power deep in the centre of my body, and I called it forth. It came screaming to the surface of my skin and poured bright white light from every cut, slit and tear of my suit. I felt the minions recoil from the light and I rushed to my feet. Blinded by my power, the minions were easy pickings. My blade slashed and soon the ground was covered in the multicoloured beauty of minion blood.
Then everything was quiet.
I found myself standing in a pile of minions. There were many bodies, but not as many as I knew we'd locked in the cells. There were more bad guys out there.
The smoke had begun to lift; the retreating grey mist exposing the extent of the attack. As I gazed upon the battlefield, my skin started to itch: first up my legs and along my arms, then through the thickness of my torso. Even my face began to itch. I felt like a snake that needed to shed its skin. I ran my gloved hands over my body, but it did little to relieve the itching and only made my wounds ooze.
Suddenly my wings spasmed. The action shot me two feet into the air. I landed hard on a patch of minion blood and fell to the ground. The minion blood quickly seeped into my many cuts, causing a burning sensation in my many wounds. I pulled off my gloves and attempted to cut at my pant leg with my sword. My wings spasmed again, and I accidentally drove the tip of my blade deep into my calf. When the blade reached my blood, power shot through me from head to toe and I cried out. My wings began to flap uncontrollably. I was bucking all over the ground as they tried to lift me to sky. More minion blood got in my wounds as I thrashed and the itching sensation doubled. I had to get out of these clothes or I was going to Burn myself up.
I tossed my sword to the ground and tore at the fabric covering my arms and legs with my bare hands, revealing the skin. Where the minion blood had touched my wounds looked infected, pustules and green ooze covered my thin skin. My wings sensed the dangerous pathogens and dragged me to my feet. I grabbed my sword as I left the ground and slid it down my back, using the edge of the blade to split my suit. The puss and minion blood made the cloth stick to my skin. I pulled it free with my bony fingers, feeling the thin skin of my back tear. I turned my blade to my wings and sliced through the fabric there, freeing them. Under the black velvet cloth were small feathers.
My wings had feathers again.
I had feathers again.
I stood there naked, covered in puss and as I looked at those feathers my heart soared. Bright blue power flared through my torso, visible through the thin skin stretched over my ribs. It moved through my body, forcing the minion blood from my limbs. I watched as the poison and puss streamed down my body to the ground at my feet.
My wings stretched out to their full width as the bright blue light filled them with power. Before my very eyes, I saw the feathers grow fully formed. My wings began to flap, gracefully, elegantly, like they had never been less than they were right now. They pulled me into the sky and as the air caressed my naked skin, I felt my many wounds heal. I felt my skin thicken. I felt my muscles grow.
I could see the shimmering dome of power that protected my home drawing closer, my wings taking me there. I passed through the wall of power and felt the last bits of decay leave my heart and mind. I felt my body return from its dark journey, whole, strong, and ready to kick major ass.
I landed on the vast lawn of my home. A strand of long dark hair fell in front of my eyes and I swept it aside with an elegant hand. Everyone was staring at me. I stood there naked, whole and glorious.
"I'm back, bitches."
The minions dropped to their knees.
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Mend the Flesh (The Phoenix Series Book 3) Page 16
