The Necromancer's Wand: Rise of the Phoenix
Chapter 22: The Quiet Before the Storm

We arrived safely back at the hideout in the early evening. Damien, Ben, and the others were already back. They came rushing out the cathedral as we came teleporting loudly in. “Love!” yelled Micah.

She raced over to Damien and hopped in his arms. “Have you been acting wicked lately?” he joked.

“I tried to be on my worse behavior,” she smirked back.

My attention diverted from the crazy couple as Gemma walked over. “I just...” she started. However, I shushed her as I pressed my finger against her lip.

“Come with me,” I said, taking her hand. She nodded, agreeing to come. “Varos...” A pentagram formed under both our feet, since I held her hand while speaking the Teleportation Spell. “The Old Phoenix Estate.”

We left the others to their reunion, reappearing out front of a burned down mansion. “Where are we?” she questioned.

“We are at the Old Phoenix Estate, in the countryside of Spellbound. As you can see, a fire had claimed it so long ago. In the mid 1800s, the Phoenixes were forced to move to our current estate.”

“I can just imagine how beautiful it must of been.”

“Indeed. The house is a tragic loss, but not everything was...” I continued to walk, with her hand in mine. She followed closely after.

We walked around the charred house, heading to the backyard. As we walked from the side of house, into the back, we caught a gaze of tall hedges in the distance. “Is that...” started Gemma.

“Yes, a maze,” I finished. “Do not worry. I know how to navigate it. My grandfather was nice enough to bring Claire and I here a few times, before he passed that is.”

We walked over to the entrance of the maze. A small, orb-like, stone statue sat next to it. I aimed my wand at the orb, “Will o the wisp,” I chanted. The orb changed from stone, shining bright blue, as it began to hover.

The orb entered the maze, following a specific path to the center. We followed after and made our way to the core. As we walked into the openness, at the heart of the maze, the wisp vanished. It reset back at the beginning.

Within the center of the maze, lied an old, circular, gateway made of small blocks of stone. The gateway had crumbled, the blocks of stone laying around the base. “What is that?” she asked in surprise.

“It is a gateway,” I answered. “There is another, exactly like this, on the Ember Isles. A distant relative built and connected them so that his descendants could forever visit a magical place...hidden in the human world.

There is a country called South Africa. Off its coast, lies three small islands...these are the Ember Isles. You will soon see why my family cloaked them from both worlds.” I raised my wand at the gateway, “Rejunven,” I cast.

The blocks of stone started to float, before resembling itself. Once the gateway was fully restored, “How do you activate it?” she asked.

“It unlocks to... the aura of a phoenix,” I replied. I aimed my wand at the gateway’s hollow, see-through, center. “Alarra,” I chanted. A firy green phoenix appeared in the sky, above the maze. It flew around at first, until it descended down and soared right into the center of the gateway.

The gateway activated with a pulse of green of energy, swirling in its core. When my grandfather showed though, his phoenix aura was red and produced a red energy. The gateway reacted to my corrupted aura.

“Shall we?” I asked. We walked through the gateway together, standing upon the largest of the Ember Isle Islands. The gateway on the island was located right between the forest and the beach.

“What the...” started Gemma, gazing into the forest. The glow of morning could be seen within the forest.

“Come, I’ll show you,” I replied. We made our way through the thick vegetation to look upon the glowing mysteries that lied ahead. As we came in close, Gemma gasped in surprise.

“Are those....Phoenixes?” she questioned in excited confusion.

“Yes,” I replied. “Believe it or not, Phoenixes are not native to our lands. These three isles are the last of their breeding grounds. That is why my family protected them, by hiding the isles with cloaking spells.”

We walked closer to the nests, looking upon the young mother phoenixes nesting, warming eggs, or comforting new hatchlings. She was utterly fascinated, as I hoped she’d be. “Why do they make their nest out of mostly rocks?” she inquired.

“Phoenixes tend to generate a lot of...heat,” I stated. “They construct their nests mostly our of rock, with a little made of twigs and sticks. What isn’t stone is burned to ash. The lay their eggs in the soft ashes and sit upon the stone nest that is left.”

“I had no idea,” she grinned impressed. “Thank you...for bringing me here.”

“Of course.”

We petted and enjoyed the sight of the Phoenixes for a few hours. However, we had to be careful for some parts of the phoenix, like the tail, was engulfed in flames. We started heading back before it got too dark in our world. We used the gateway and travelled back to the maze, at the Old Phoenix Estate.

We teleported from the center of the maze, back to the cathedral. As we appeared our front, we were met by my four royal blood members standing by the main entrance. “Dark Lord!” called out Damien in concern.

They four of them rushed over. “We have been looking everywhere for you,” stated Ben as they approached.

“What is wrong?” I asked.

“The inquisitors learned of Goblin Goods through interrogating one of our own,” claimed Damien.

“Joseph Ambros,” added Micah.

“And...?” I questioned.

“He was released while you were gone, from Inquisitor custody,” explained Hector. “One of our men stumbled into Joseph as they were returning late to the cathedral. He was carrying a letter on his person, addressed to you...”

“Where is he?” I gritted.

“Inside, the sanctuary.”

I brushed past them, heading into the cathedral. I noticed everyone surrounded, who I assumed to be, Joseph around the alter. I walked up the crowd, they parted and allowed me through.

As I made my way to the center, I finally laid eyes on Joseph. He was bruised and beaten a bit. His clothes were filthy and stained. They mistreated him while in custody.

“I hear you have a letter for me,” I stated.

“Ye-yes,” he stuttered.

I put my hand out and he placed the letter gently within my grasp. I quickly unfolded it, reading what was written on a piece of fresh parchment. I mumbled as I read it to myself, laughing at the name the lied at the bottom.

“Hah!” I laughed. “A duel request! It is from High Inquisitor Griffin. I think it rude if I deny such a lovely invitation...”

“M-my lo-lord?” Uttered Joseph. “I just want to say, in my defense...”

I shushed Joseph, cutting him off. As I looked up from the letter, I raised my wand up at him. “No excuse can justify betrayal,” I assured. “My brother, thank you for your service but they are no longer required.”

I used Sola Trapis to end the traitor’s life. “A duel...” I read again, looking back down at the letter.