The Phoenix Ring(24)

"She is not my girlfriend. And… well maybe, but why does that matter?" Timothy said, more than a little defensively.

"Timothy, do you seriously think she is going to like you any less tomorrow if you don't pick the same staff as her?"

"Well... no. But we don't even know if there is going to be another day!"

"What?" Aidan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Some wizards have a sixth sense. They can't really tell the future, but they get more of a foreshadowing. Have you ever experienced that?"

"Uh, no. Not even close. But I assume you have?"

"Yes. And for some reason, I feel like something… bad is going to happen."

Aidan sat down in the floor, contemplating what his friend had said.

"But we're safe here, right?"

"It's not us I'm worried about, it's my father. He's a merchant, and is probably on a voyage to the elven kingdoms. If he dies…"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Aidan said, feeling that his friend was being extremely dramatic, though he understood the young boy’s need to impress his girlfriend. But he still had a churning sensation in his stomach as he and Timothy left the building with the hazel staff.



Aidan couldn't sleep. He had tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, but he couldn’t get the image of the Soulrock cave out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes, it was there, burned into his memory.

It was about an hour after midnight that Aidan gave up and decided to go for a stroll outside.

Aidan threw his robes on and had just grabbed his rowan staff (which everyone had forgotten to take away from him) when he heard Timothy grunt.

"Can't sleep?"

"Not a wink," Aidan answered, "I'm going for a walk, wanna come?"

"You know we aren't supposed to be up this late, right? Sure, let's go."

Aidan chuckled and threw Timothy his new staff.

The two boys found themselves wandering towards the edge of the camp, and then following the safety sphere.

Aidan loved the feel of the fresh air on his face, and the smell of the forest. For just a single moment, he was able to push down the anger that constantly lived in his stomach.

"You know, I used to think my father was a really bad person for what he did, and I still do. But compared to Edwin, how bad can he really be?"

Timothy, who had heard about Aidan's father multiple times, wisely didn't say anything, but rather just kept walking and listening.

"Even though he left me, even though he left my mother, he can't be that bad, right? It's not like he murdered-"

"Stop," Timothy said, putting his hand out in front of the larger boy. "Something important is about to happen."

"Why didn't you do this 'foreshadowing' thing before?" Aidan whispered.

"It didn't really start until I got my Soulrock. Now be quiet, I hear someone in the bushes ahead."

The two boys dropped to their hands and knees and began to climb forward into the plants.

There were two voices coming from the other side of the bushes, but Aidan could only make out one of them.

"What's taking so long, when are you going to be done?"

Edwin.

"This is a very complex spell,” The stranger said testily, "It will take a while. Unless, that is, you want me to hurry and blow this whole place to hell with us in it."

Silence.

"There, I'm done."

Aidan saw the blue safety sphere that covered the entire camp fizzle and spark, and then disappear.

Timothy's eyes widened a moment before the cold mountain air, apparently kept at bay by the sphere, rushed into the camp.

"What now?" Edwin asked.

"Now, you're getting out of here. Don't worry, in twenty minutes this place will be nothing but ashes."

Timothy grabbed Aidan's arm right as the shock of what the stranger had said hit him.

Aidan pointed at the side of the bushes that they had come through, and both boys began to crawl out as quietly as they could. It was only a matter of moments before they were out, but it seemed like an eternity for Aidan.

Then they ran. Aidan ran harder than he ever had before, and soon left Timothy in the dust. As soon as he was in the center of the camp he started screaming.

"Help, we're under attack! Get up!"

The entire camp began to rouse, Bartemus and Malachi were outside within ten seconds, the rest took longer.

"Where are they?" Bartemus said, looking around. "I don't see any-"

The first fireball hit the ground right beside the old warlock, flinging him into the air. Somehow he managed to land on his feet right as everyone looked up.

They were massive creatures, anywhere between fifteen and a hundred feet long. They each had black armor, and a rider. They came in all colors, scales flashing in the moonlight, and were terribly beautiful.