The Necromancer's Wand: Rise of the Phoenix
Chapter 12: Rise of the Phoenix

I let everyone rest for a few days, so that some can enjoy their new found freedom. On the morning of the third day, I gathered them to go over what comes next. “Now that we have the numbers,” I started. “The time to strike is nearly upon us...”

“‘Nearly’?” mockingly asked a follower.

I felt my anger surface for I expect complete obedience, with zero tolerance for being questioned. I could tell the follower was one of those who were broken out of Black Water. So, he was not educated on how things worked around here. However, if he keeps interrupting me, I will gladly take the time to teach him.

“Yes...” I answered calmly. “We will need supplies and books, if we are to move forward.”

“What is this, the Academy of Magic? I say we just storm Spellbound...”

I gritted my teeth. I raised my wand to my lips, “Shh.” I used the Silencing Spell on him, forcing his lips sealed. I, then, raised my arms and aimed my wand at him. The rest of my followers quickly stepped back, away from him.

“Crushendio,” I cast. As I lowered my arms, the force of gravity was increased only on him. This immediately brought him to his knees. His screams were muffled into moans with my Silencing Spell still in effect.

“I...I do not take insubordination kindly. You will speak when spoken to and do as instructed, when instructed, is that clear?” He groaned in agreement. “No, not you...you lost your chance. I was talking to the others.”

I looked up from him, at the rest of them. “I said,” I started again. “‘Is that clear?’”

“Yes, Dark Lord!” They chanted in unison.

“Good,” I replied, ceasing both of the spells on him. As his lips were unsealed, his mouth opened and he gasped for air.

“Please,” he begged still catching his breath. “I will fall in line...”

“What good is a dog to me that can’t stop barking and heed a simple command? What good is a dog that bites the hand that feeds it? No, I have no use for a dog like you...”

“Please!”

“Sola Trapis,” I chanted. His soul was stripped from his body, consumed by the wand. His corpse slummed over, the rest of the way, onto the ground. “Shall I continue?” They agreed that I should.

“We cannot take on the council, the four of them together. We would be annihilated, even with the necromancer’s wand. No, we act smart. We must take our time to learn our enemies, their schedules, and what moves they plan to make against us.

There are potions and spells that can give those with burned identities new ones. Then, we can infiltrate them as Enforcers, Politicians, or any other job that can provide intel. Once we replace a way, we isolate and engage them while they are away from the other members.”

“Take them out one by one...when they least it expect it,” said Micah with a slight grin. “I like it.”

“Precisely, I can take them on in a one on one duel. You all will be there as support only, taking out any personal body guards or armed escorts that we may encounter during a direct assault against a council member.

So, are there any who object to this plan like our dearly departed brother in arms?” None responded. “Good, we will need potion supplies, spell and potion books...for our next phase is of espionage and infiltration.”

“And how will we be ‘procuring’ them?” inquired Ben.

“We take them of course. You and Hector will lead a group as Micah and Damien lead another. You will return to East Wich Valley, which is full of shops. Go through them and...well, do a bit of ‘shopping.’ Take the enchanted bags and fill them...with mini cauldrons, potion ingredients, flasks, and another our items we will need to brew.”

“Okay,” said Ben, liking the plan.

“And we will get the spell books?” asked Micah.

“Correct, you will leave at noon. Take as many men as you will need.”

After finishing the long term plan and current orders, I left them and walked into my tent for some privacy. Mordin appeared, in his usual burst of green flames, beside me. “Corvin Phoenix is on the rise,” he stated with a sinister grin. “I couldn’t have asked for a better successor.”

“Thank you, Master,” I replied. “Soon, I shall rid our world of the council.”

“Then, the humans shall follow after.”

“And for those who do survive, enslavement...”

Our conversation was interrupted, as someone entered my tent. Mordin looked upon the intruder, before vanishing. I turned to see who it was...“Gemma?” I uttered in surprise.

“I apologize my lord,” she said with shock in her eyes, still peering over at where Mordin stood.

“Do not fear me nor Mordin...”

“I don’t...I replace you fascinating. This Mordin, who he is?”

“He is the necromancer, who made the wand I possess. Currently he helps me...as a guide and teacher.”

“I see. I did not wish to intrude. I only wanted to thank you properly...”

“For?”

“You rescued me from Black Water.”

“Yes, I actually meant to ask you your story. If you want, come in and join me for a moment.”

“Okay,” she spoke with a shy grin as she stepped further into my tent.

“Great, sit with me.” I reached out to grab her hand and her grin turned into a smile. She took my hand and we sat in the center of the tent with our feet crossed.

“Why are we sitting like this?”

“I sit like this when I meditate.”

“So, we are going to meditate?”

“Not quite...I figured instead of just telling me your story, you’d show it to me.”

Her smile quickly turned into a frown. “Show you....my story.”

“Yes.”

“You wouldn’t want to see it my lord for my life has been dark and full of sorrow...”

I unsheathed my wand from its holster. I tapped the forehead of my mask, lightly, with my wand and then I touched hers with it. “Membria Tether,” I cast.

I felt as my mind opened up and let her consciousness in. She was connected to my every thought, memory, and feeling. I began showing her my life’s story. We appeared, together, in the human world on a sunny day.

“Where....where are we?” she asked gripping onto my hand tightly.

“Fear not, we are in my memories. Look, there we are...” I pointed and Gemma looked at Claire and I standing outside of a book store. We watched as past me told Claire to stay outside until I returned.

The memory blurred a bit as it continued on with Claire seeing the white human men chasing down the black one to kill him. “What’s happening?” asked Gemma concerned. “Why is everything blurry?”

“Because, I did not see what happened next. This is just how I imagined it went.”

We kept on watching as Claire saved the man but at the cost of her own. She stunned the first two as the third drew his gun. He shot her and she fell to the ground. As she bleed out, she stunned the last one as well.

The memory cleared as past me came running out of the book shop. As I kneeled down to hold dying Claire, “Who was she to you?” asked Gemma tearfully. She was on the verge of crying out of empathy for me and my painful memory.

“She was my sister...Claire,” I spoke softly. “She was my everything!” I gritted my teeth. “She could see me like no one else could. She...she was the only one who saw magic in me, when I lacked it...while everyone else shunned me as a non-caster.”

“You have endured so much...lost so much.”

“And you?”

She looked up at me with these puppy dog eyes. Then, gently she placed her hands on the cheeks of my mask. As she closed her eyes, she uttered, “Membria Tether.” I could feel as she let me into her consciousness, changing the memory to one of her own...