* * *
Her eyes flashed open to a loud bang. In an instant, she was out of the bed and running down the hallway. She burst into the kitchen, where Griffin was sprawled out on the wooden floor.
"What happened?" Bree exclaimed. "Oh my God, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Griffin replied in his deep voice. His black eyes directed to a knife, pierced in the ground centimeters away from his hand. "I got lucky."
"I should leave," Bree said, helping him up. "My presence is putting you in danger."
"Nah, don't be stupid," Griffin growled. "All accidents."
"The mouler in your wine? The yarrow beetle on your pillow? Those aren't accidents, Griffin, they know I'm here. I'll bet you anything that that," she gestured towards the knife. "That is an enchanted knife."
"Yeah, right," Griffin smirked, standing up.
Griffin had a short, rotund figure, with bulbous muscles, a thick, brown beard, a bald head and warm black eyes. He was a blacksmith, and an old, personal friend of Bree's.
"Here, let me start breakfast," she offered, opening the pantry.
"I'm perfectly capable of making breakfast for two, Bree," his voice was gruff, but his eyes glinted with humor.
"I know you are," Bree smiled.
She laced her hair quickly into a ponytail and leaned over to pull the knife from the wooden ground. She gripped the copper handle and yanked, but to no avail, it remained buried into the ground.
"See, enchanted," she jabbed the handle with her finger. "It won't come out."
"I'm not concerned," Griffin scowled. "If I die, I'll die protecting one of the last Mages. I'd say it's an honorable death, wouldn't you?"
"The Kings sure don't think so," Bree pulled harder with the knife.
A few things happened at once at that time.
Fire blasted from the outside of the house, destroying the walls and blasting back Bree and Griffin. Bree was thrown into the wall, smacking the back of her head on the hard wall. Her eyesight was blurry, and something warm and wet trickled from her forehead. Fighting the black void that threatened to take over, she forced her eyes opened and took in what she saw. Four men stepped into the ruins of the house, bearing emerald green and gold robes.
"Ah, at last," a bearded man walked slowly forward and lifted Bree's chin with one finger. "The ever elusive Mage has been found."
"Westin," she muttered, her voice thick and low. "You b-"
"Save your breath," Westin murmured.
"Get away from your girlfriend, Westin," another man growled. He unfurled a piece of paper and read from it, his voice drawling. "Bree Pheonixblade, you are under arrest for infiltration of Kings property, practicing magic, using magic on the Kings ministers, practicing archery outside of training areas, pract-well, the list goes on. Griffin Smithfire, you are under arrest for hiding a Mage. Get 'em, boys."
"Yes, Revin!"
Griffin lay next to her. The blast had fazed him, but hadn't knocked them out. As the ministers ran forward, she whispered a few words and a blue bubble surrounded Griffin and Bree. One minister ran ahead and smacked into the bubble, with a loud noise as if he was running into a brick wall.
Griffin was eyeing a sword with scratches all down its blade.
"Go, Bree, go," he muttered. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he plotted his escape.
"I will not allow you to die for me!" she exclaimed.
"A Mage's life is a dang whole more important than a lonely blacksmith's," he argued. "I can fight them off enough to allow you to run. Go to Alyssan."
"The Elven city?" she cried.
"Yes, they'll accept you. Find Marli," he nodded.
Before Bree could say anything, a minister had retrieved a dagger from his belt and pierced the bubble with it. The bubble evaporated, and they were left unprotected. In one quick move, Griffin dived for the sword hanging on the wall and grasped it. Bree stood, prepared to fight next to him.
Westin and the other minister rushed forward and began to duel with Griffin. She watched him; Griffin's moves were seamless and well-planned.
"GO!" Griffin exclaimed, gasping for breath as a dagger caught him in the arm. "Go, Bree!"
The young Mage ran, ran as fast as she could, her feet a blur.
"GET THE GIRL!" she could hear Revin screaming. "GET THE GIRL!"
My Pheonix! Bree thought as she ran, but she heard a cawing behind her, and she turned her head. A red dot followed her, and it got larger and larger as it came closer to earth.
I did as you wished, Bree. I brought the letter to Chase. The elegant words echoed through her mind.
Thank you, Blaze, Bree thought, relief washing over her.
The Pheonix came under her blurred feet and swooped her up into the air, rising higher and higher until Griffin's house was just a dot in the middle of the Glade Forest.
You chose the right thing, Blaze told her.
An explosion echoed through the sky, and she looked back and saw Griffin's house burst into flames, the emerald-robed men running from flames.
Oh, Griffin! she cried mentally, burying her face in her Pheonix's golden plumes.
Chapter One
Glenwood
Bree, the elegant voice whispered, echoing through her mind. Bree!
Electricity sparked onto her hand, and the young druid's eyes opened.
"Where are we?" she asked, blinking the blurriness out of her eyes.
South of Glenwood, Blaze answered. After you fainted, I flew as far as we could, away from those tyrants. We're sheltered under the Tree of Glenwood, hidden under the willows nearby. I took some food from a small stand. You don't think it's stealing if I left some coins under the stand, right?
"No," Bree answered, sitting up and promptly smacking the back of her head on the underside of the Tree. "I think it's wonderful. Thanks!"
A tall, tall oak tree protruded out of the ground next to them, and something resembling a slide curled up it, permitting druids, humans and warlocks to climb and receive training from the Masters who lived in the Tree. The Spanish moss that hung off of the oak trees that surrounded the tallest oak tree, making them resemble weeping willows, sheltered and hid the two. The cloudless, purple sky of Glenwood was painted with sparkling, yellow stars.
She looked into Blaze's concerned, blue eyes and immediately felt hunger throb in her belly. She grabbed the biscuits laid out in front of Blaze's talons and ate one, then two, trying to satisfy the hunger.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked between bites.
A day. It's been a day since we escaped from Griffin's house. That was really a close call, Bree.
"I know," Bree sighed. "How'd you know what was going on?"
Well, the explosions might've ticked me off. Blaze cawed with laughter. After I delivered the letter to Chase, I flew back and was making the bed-
"Sorry," Bree laughed. Blaze was a neat freak. Or bird.
When the explosion happened. Luckily I didn't fall through, because the top level didn't. Who knows why.
"When I arrived, I put protection on the house. But the special bomb only touched the bottom floor, so the top level probably just hovered, freed of its supports," Bree explained.
What do we do now? Blaze asked.
"What?" Bree asked, looking up from her multitude of biscuits.
We got away. You're on the top ten Wanted list, Blaze jabbed a talon in her direction. What's next?
She thought for a moment. The immortal life of a Mage was basically made up of being on the run. You either got killed, or you didn't. Then she remembered what Griffin had told her in his last seconds;
"The Elven City," Bree answered.
Alyssan? Blaze's blue eyes widened in surprise.
"They'll accept me," Bree protested. When Blaze tilted her head in doubt, she added; "I'm half-Elf, remember?" She tucked a black strand of hair back, showing a pointed ear, the mark of an Elf.
But they might not remember your mother in a good way, Blaze reminded Bree.
"Griffin told me that they would accept me. I think it's worth a shot. It's not like we have anywhere else to go, right?" Bree shrugged, and Blaze nodded. "He told me to find Marli."
The famed Alyssan scribe?
"Sure," Bree shrugged again.
Oh, I completely forgot, in all the trouble, Chase wrote a letter back, Blaze stuck out a talon, in which a small piece of parchment was grasped.
"He did?" Bree's exhaustion fell away, replaced by excitement. She retrieved the letter and unfurled it hopefully.
"Dear Bree,
Ruh'urin was attacked yesterday; many were put on the chopping block. I was almost among them. I'm on the run now. The Kings continuously attack magic villages, for example, Ruh'urin. The charges are practicing illegal magic, but last time I checked, the Kings allowed magic study and practice in Ruh'urin, one of the few towns they have. But ever since Lincoln attacked the Kings and the ministers, they've been extremely paranoid.
I remain worried about you, but don't send your location back just in case Blaze gets intercepted. But I'm sure Blaze would fight off anyone, being the strong Pheonix she is. I enclosed a treat for her."
Bree slid open the pouch that was tied to Blaze's leg. Three or four hunks of mouse meat lay in small casings. Blaze ruffled her feathers.
I'm too old for treats- Bree brought out one. Oh, gimme, please!
Bree laughed and handed Blaze the pouch, in which the Pheonix withdrew the treats and ate two.
"I hope you two are safe and in hiding. Remember, don't trust anyone but yourselves. Any kind man or woman could be a minister in disguise, or maybe even a King, if you're that unfortunate.
Avac Wel Mardi,
Chase"
"He didn't say I love you," Bree frowned, folding the letter and tucking it into her pocket.
You know he does.
"Yes, but it's just nice to hear it," she smiled. "I'll have to write on the back of the letter. I left all my parchment back at Griffin's house. You wouldn't have happened to grab any in your rush, would you?"
No, I only got my talons on the essentials. Blankets, canteens and weapons.
"Then where will I get ink?" Bree wondered, already knowing the answer.
I did pick up this, in my haste, Blaze slid the pack off her wing. Bree opened it and retrieved a bottle of ink and a quill.
"Thanks, Blaze!" she retrieved the letter that Chase had written and began to write on the back of it.
"Thank you for such a quick reply," Bree read out loud as she wrote. "Blaze and I are safe. I wish I could tell you the location, but this letter might get intercepted.
Thank you for the treats for Blaze. She loved them," Bree shot a look at Blaze; "we remain on the run from the Ministers. We just escaped from our favorite blacksmith's house. The ministers came and blew up the house after we escaped. I have little hope for our friend….
Stay stafe,
Bree
You misspelled safe, Blaze told her.
"Picky," Bree grinned and smudged up the t in safe. She rolled it into a tight furl. "Take it to him, please."
If Phoenixes had eyebrows, Blaze would definitely be raising hers right now.
And leave you alone? The elegant voice entered Bree's mind.
"I'm not a child," Bree tensed her shoulders and lifted her chin proudly.
You were only four years ago, Blaze rolled her bright green eyes at Bree's irked response.
"Four years," Bree grumbled, swallowing the last of the biscuit.
And so much has happened since then, sorrow glinted in Blaze's eyes. Its hurts me to see how much you've changed.
"I haven't changed," Bree brushed the crumbs off her leather pants.
You learned to live with death and sadness. You're no longer the chubby little girl who followed her daddy around the blacksmith shop and believed that the only thing she would do with her life was become a blacksmith like her father.
"Things changed," Bree sighed, crossing her arms almost protectively around her thin figure.
Would you trade this life for another? Blaze asked, hooking her claw around the next mouth meat and devouring it hungrily.
"Of course. I would do anything to be back at home, and not know that the Mages or Lincoln is real. They're a legend told to children to scare them for disobeying the King or his Ministers!"
Then you're supposed to be a legend, too, Blaze pointed out, jabbing a talon in Bree's direction.
I've never thought of it that way, Bree thought to herself, and of course, Blaze heard.
You should start, Blaze chided, before ruffling her gold feathers.
"You sound like my mother," Bree complained.
If I go, will you promise to stay safe?
"I don't try to not," Bree responded. "Trouble often finds me."
Blaze clacked her golden beak twice, grasped the scroll with her talons and flapped her immense wings, eventually lifting the Pheonix into the sky. Before long, Blaze was nothing but a red dot in the purple sky.
Bree wondered vaguely what to do next. She couldn't go forward without Blaze, as even though their link was strong, Blaze could not find her if she went too far. After much deliberation, she decided to go into town and get the necessary things needed for travel, especially if they were going as far as Alyssan. Quickly, she packed the remaining items left from their breakfast and crawled out from the shelter of the Spanish moss. The satchel hung loosely from her hand, and she shivered as a cold breeze swept past, blowing her glossy black hair against her face.
She crossed a small hill. She was in a grassy area, with a copse of trees surrounding her. She emerged from the trees to find a small village, with many people bustling about. It was actually quite advanced for the area they were in, with clay huts and many stalls, vendors shouting out great deals. Squawks of chickens sounded nearby, and the people bustling about were talking, walking and shopping, making a happy humming noise that showed that these people were normal, with things to do and people to see. It made Bree wish for a normal life, almost.
She quickly remembered her pointed ears and untucked her black hair from behind her Elven ears, so that they brushed over them. She walked slowly into town, taking in the sights, the smells and the sounds. One particular sound reached her pointed ears. A whistle, one of a man. She turned to the man emitting the noise, hand searching for the hilt of her dagger. Where was her dagger? Usually it was tucked into her boot. She looked down and realized something extremely and totally embarrassing;
She was still in her long green nightdress!
Realization flooded back to her. She had never changed after waking up; it had all gone too fast. No wonder Revin had acted extra flirty around her, he had been teasing. Bree scowled and cursed Blaze vaguely for not telling her. She was sure her Pheonix was cawing about it now. If looks could kill, the whistler would be dead at the moment, as Bree shot him a deadly glare, and then walked forward rather quickly to a hut that had a sign hanging over it; Clothing and Supplies.
Half an hour later, Bree emerged from the hut sporting a dark brown pair of leather chaps and a tight dark purple tee. As a nice touch, she had emptied her coin amount considerably by purchasing a pair of beautiful golden hair sticks, which were nicely sharp, and could be used as a weapon as well, as they were meant to. (They were sold to her by a suspicious cloaked man who seemed to be an expert on hidden weapons.) She now had them tucked into a bun in her black hair, while the rest of it flowed nicely down her back in glossy, black waves. All in all, with her pearly skin, her night-black hair and her attractive figure, she was beautiful. Now feeling protected with the hidden, slim daggers in her hair, she stood to the side of the market and watched the bustling town go by.
At fire-sky, Bree was becoming bored. A loud, annoying bell chimed twelve o'clock somewhere off in the distance. She tapped her long, elegant fingers on her hip anxiously….where was Blaze? Her legs itched to move, to run, and to fight. This was the Mage's instinct, and Bree, well, she was cursed with it. Sometimes, thanks to the bursting adrenaline it provided, it could be an asset. She began to pace, and her thoughts were filled with terrible ones. What if Blaze is hurt? What will I do? I'll be alone! A Mage is nothing without her Phoenix! The latter echoed in her mind from memory of her father repeating it over and over to her, during his lessons about keeping Blaze healthy and safe when she was just a young Phoenix. Finally, she ceased her pacing, as it was attracting stares from some townsfolk, and began to explore this small little town of Yarrowbend. As she walked, vendors yelled to her, offering great deals on items that she just had to own.
"Buy the amazing transforming dragon egg! Entertain your kids and cook your dinner!"
"Buy the incredible Quick Sparks! Light a fire instantly! Only seventy-five King's Coins!"
"Buy the wonderful Silver Coin, worth one hundred King's Coins!"
Every time she heard 'King's Coins', she tensed. She heard it so often that she finally confirmed that Yarrowbend was under the control of the King and his Ministers. There were other signs, too. Some stores had forest green and bright gold flags fluttering in the breeze. Some townsfolk and venders bore the tyrant's crest upon their breast. Bree's eyes ruefully scrutinized the winged tiger and the adder leaping at each other, rolling her eyes in spite of herself. The King's and his Minister's tried so hard to establish the fact that they were all powerful, and that no peasant could challenge them. Just wait and see, she thought to herself, a small smile bestowing upon her pretty face. Wait and see…..
She found herself turning the corner into a dark alley. She had been lost in her own thoughts, drifting about revenge against Revin, reuniting with Chase. Something crunched beneath her boot, and the realization of where she was came crashing down to her. She had wandered far from the busy little town; she now stood at the beginning of a dark alley. Night had begun to fall, and the shadows cast off the stone wall that stood, creating a scary alley. She withdrew her boot from its current position, and her face screwed up as she realized she had stepped on a bone-where it was human or animal, she couldn't tell.
"Give it up, kid," there was a gruff voice, from somewhere in the darkness.
Bree tensed and her hand flew to her ink-black hair, grasping the daggers that doubled as hair decorations. A small, frightened squeak came from the same place as where the former voice had come from. Bree debated quietly and quickly. Blaze had told her to stay out of trouble-but someone was being hurt. She shot forward, the dagger in her hand, and flinched as the dagger struck something hard, stabbing.
The man let out strangled curses and whirled around. At least Bree thought so; she couldn't see a thing in the dark alley except for the faint outlines of two people. She heard the scraping of metal against leather as he withdrew his sword from the scabbard. The instincts in her mind burned to life, and somehow she knew where he swung. She blocked off two of his attacks with her hair daggers. She stabbed the man, sharp through the heart, and heard the thump as he fell, most likely dead. If he wasn't, he would be soon. She stood triumphantly, and took off his scabbard and sword and laced them onto her waist. Suddenly, she heard a small whimper and whirled around, her elegant hand on the hilt of her new sword.
"Help," a small, childish voice came from the alley wall opposite her.
"Oh," Bree quickly got on her knees, and cupped her hands to her mouth. She whispered a few words and when she withdrew her hands, a small fire burned in the palm of her hands. A small male child, maybe five years old, huddled against the wall. He had messy overalls on, ruffled blonde hair and pitiful, dark-circled brown eyes.
"Are you hurt?" Bree asked. The child didn't reply. "Are you hurt?" More urgently this time.
She placed the fire-less hand on the child's knee, and suddenly recoiled at the burning feeling that shot through her. It almost sent her back flying, enough to fall backwards. She opened her mouth, ready to cry out, when she saw something enough to make her faint. The child, or whatever it was, was melting into black goo. It inched towards her, making disgusting sucking noises against the cobble floor. It seemed to leap forward-and wrapped itself around her left ankle. She screamed and shook her leg. The burning feeling was back….was it devouring her flesh? She screamed again. Somebody….anybody…She reached and grabbed the goo with her hand, but it wouldn't come off. She writhed on the cobblestone floor, trying to get it to come off. Why wouldn't her powers come into focus? In her panic, she couldn't do a thing.
"Ah, well, look at this," a quiet voice. She heard quiet footsteps, and suddenly a tall, man form stepped into the very dim light of the alleyway.
Westin.
Of course.
What a perfect time for him to catch me, writhing on the floor with some goo on my ankle, Bree cursed herself. Why had she tried to help the child?
"Galermus," the voice came again, harsh. The goo seemed to snap erect on her ankle. "Release."
To Bree's disgust and somewhat relief, it began to slide off her ankle, still making sucking noises.
"You sent this thing?" Bree asked, incredulously. But of course Westin had sent it. He would do anything to catch a Mage, her especially.
"A minor changeling," Westin ignored her question, and lit a small fire with what Bree recognized to be Quick Sparks. He took a small glass jar from his emerald green sack and encased the goo inside it. To Bree's disgust, there was a large cockroach in the jar. The goo sucked on it eagerly.
"Hey, those actually work," Bree pondered, despite her perilous situation. Although she didn't know it, the goo had sucked much blood out of her, and her left leg had gone numb.
"Of course they work," Westin said, his voice sickeningly sweet. "We market them."
"That's a surprise," Bree spat. "All the King and his Ministers are is follywack."
Westin grunted in surprise.
"Follywack, eh?" he growled, getting on his knees. He stretched his hands out and placed them on her shoulders, hard. She flinched away. "Guards!"
Something hit Bree in the shoulder. An electric shock buzzed through her, and then she was gone.