The Phoenix Ring(30)

"That is the second time you have guessed wrong. No, it's Malcommer's staff. And he used this weapon to slay five hundred men with a single spell."

Aidan's hand jerked back.

"Well then why was it even in the building?" the startled mage asked.

"It was hidden in the walls. thanks to your friend the spineback, there are no walls anymore. I was wondering if you liked it?"

Aidan remembered the rush of power, the blinding joy of magic.

"Yes, I did like it, but that doesn't make me evil, does it?"

Bartemus laughed. "No staff is evil, in the same way that no magic is evil. It's the choice we make with it that counts. This is a powerful staff, made of strengthened obsidian, and," he pushed a button on the top, and a silver blade sprang out the bottom of the scepter, "it has a hidden use."

He gave it to Aidan, who could feel the power run from his ring into the black stone.

Bartemus watched his apprentice for a little while before he cleared his throat.

"I am going to have to leave for a while to figure out what's going on. I have some ideas, but I desperately hope they are wrong. I'm going to give you something to communicate with me tomorrow, before I leave. I'm also going to introduce you to a wizard that might be able to help you get into the ring, we're going to need Marcus’s advice if my hunch is correct."

Aidan sighed. "Any other surprises I should know about?"

Bartemus chuckled. "Probably, but they aren't important right now. Right now you need to rest. I don't know what is happening, but I have a feeling it's going to change the face of Sortiledge."





Aidan, Timothy and Eleanor were all at the front of a crowd watching Malachi, Bartemus, and some of the senior wizards push and pull at a ball of magic. If you were up close, which Aidan was, you could see blue, semi-transparent words in The Sorcerer’s Tongue floating around the core, which was just an indiscernible darker blue mass.

The ball grew to be as tall as a man before the sorcerers were satisfied. Bartemus whispered the incantation that would let the spell run free and clapped his hands, which was completely unnecessary but totally satisfying.

The magic shot into the air above the heads of the assembly and seemed to explode, expanding until it enveloped the camp.

"We're really lucky," Timothy said above the applause of the crowd, "There hasn't been a safety sphere creation in over fifty years. Too bad George couldn't be here to see this."

George, Aidan knew, had died with two other mages and four wizards in the attack.

That's five lives that Edwin has to pay for, Aidan thought.

Bartemus walked to Aidan beside a bald young man in a wizard's robe.

"Aidan, this is master Tong, an expert in meditation. He should be able to help you understand the Phoenix Ring. Until I get in touch with you, he is your master."

Master Tong gracefully bowed to Aidan, who clumsily tried to return the gesture.

Bartemus cleared his throat. "Well, since you two seem to be acquainted, I need to steal my apprentice for a moment.

The warlock pulled the young mage out of the way and reached into his pouch.

"This," he said, handing Aidan a glowing blue crystal, "Is a way for you to talk to me over long distances. I am afraid I am going to have a task for you soon, so keep studying until you get the word."

With that, Bartemus turned and walked swiftly towards the edge of the safety sphere where Malachi was directing a team of wizards to open a hole in the wall.

"I'll be back soon!" Bartemus called, and stepped through the hole. As soon as he was out, the wizards released whatever enchantment they had been holding and the break snapped shut.

Aidan saw his master step into the forest, and then he was gone.





"You feel your surrounding too much. You try too hard. You not focus enough. You focus too much."

Aidan was sitting on the floor of Master Tong's hastily constructed hut, trying to calm himself down enough that he could "travel within" and access the Phoenix Ring.

Master Tong had given him a wooden ball to hold in one hand and some sort of powder to hold in the other. The old man was standing over him, trying to help Aidan, but in reality just making him so frustrated that he was going to grind his teeth to a pulp.

"Now you angry. Anger does not make magic flow."

Aidan felt an alarm go off in his head right before the ball in his hand was incinerated.

The young boy jumped to his feet.

"This isn't going to work," he said, trying not to show how mad he really was.

"No. It work on my family for long time, since we come to Sortiledge. It not work on you because you too angry. You always angry. I not teach you if you be angry all the time."

"Well then fine." Aidan said, "I don't need to learn anyways!"