AVEN NAERIS

THE FLAMES LICKED AT Aven's arm, who turned to finally face it. Their eyes widened at the sight of the flames towering over them. But there was something about the flames that drew them in, like the song of a harpy. They raised their hand toward the flames, a vile green glow emitting from their fingers.

All Aven could see was the flames, spreading out as if they were attempting to engulf the camp.

Aven blinked. The flames began to retreat, slowly shifting from a green to a normal yellow orange. The glow from Aven's fingers diminished until their original pale skin tone was back. Their gaze dropped to the grass surrounding the bonfire. Ashes coated the ground in a thick layer.

Lissie walked up to Aven, placing a hand on their shoulder. Her eyes held a hint of worry as she glanced from the bonfire to Aven.

"What happened?" she asked.

Aven shook their head. "I—I don't know. One moment I'm following you, and the next, I'm feeling like the flames are going to swallow me."

Lissie let go of her sword. "Your magick is overwhelming."

"Lissie, explain who this is," came a feminine voice in the direction of the tent.

Aven turned their head to gaze at the tent when a young elven woman stepped out of the tent, a dagger gripped in her hand. She wore a royal violet silken gown with golden embroidery, which matched her side braided purple hair that brought out the bronze tone of her skin.

"Maji Sonya," Lissie said. She pivoted to the left, letting the woman see Aven.

Aven swallowed. The woman contained a graceful aura about her as she walked forward, eyes narrowing at Aven.

"This is Aven of Airedale City. They are the very reason I escaped when…when a black phoenix burst from underneath the royal castle," Lissie explained.

"Aven? You're of elven decent, yes?" Sonya questioned, slightly lowering the dagger.

With a nod of their head, Aven stepped away from the flames. "I'm half-elf, on my pa's side."

"Magick must run in your family. But that doesn't explain why you would betray the Xovaria Kingdom if you live here." Sonya's expression darkened.

King Dario had caused plenty of chaos when it came to the kingdom. The tracking coin held many elves, infernals, and other beings in fear of the power of the king. Now, Aven had done what many feared to do; they acted against the kingdom and became a fugitive.

Sonya arched an eyebrow at Aven's silence.

"I was trying to protect the prince until Lissie decided to drag us through the palace and found the black phoenix," Aven revealed.

Silence followed Aven's confession, leaving Sonya breathing harshly through her nose. She slowly turned to Lissie, frowning. Aven took a step back. The anger rolling off the woman was riddled with magick Aven had never felt before.

"You're the reason the black phoenix is loose?" Sonya hissed between her teeth.

Lissie lowered her head. "Black phoenixes are said to be ruthless, mindless, killing monsters. This one… She was different. She spoke as if she knew the prince personally, and told me to look into the War of Scorching Hope. She even knew Aven is destined to be a rider. I had to make a decision."

Sonya pinched the bridge of her nose with her eyes squeezed shut, letting out a groan. Her aura had shifted to something cooler. For a brief second, Aven thought Sonya was going to let it slide. Then, she opened her eyes and glared at Lissie. A scowl formed on her lips.

"We're already being tracked by the military after stepping foot into this country," Sonya said, venom lacing her tongue. "And you wanted to make it obvious that we're harboring spies?"

Aven narrowed their eyes at the mention of spies. They had guessed that Lissie was up to something, and being a spy made sense to what she had just done.

"Wait, you mean to say that I helped a spy and got classified as a traitor to my homeland?" Aven questioned.

"Unfortunately so," Sonya replied. "You might as well know that the Hollow Uprising is watching for any signs of war that may come between the nations. I serve as a traveling performance group that allows cover for the spies. We are not a threat…until now."

Aven shook their head. A resistance was brewing under the king's nose? Rumors regarding elves getting restless with King Dario's demands had been spreading, but Aven didn't believe them. Queen Kendra had been killed by the phoenix king, Sajaka, and the kingdom of La Allanar sided with the King Sajaka in the end, sparking the beginning of the Phoenix War. It was plain as day that La Allanar had been a threat all along.

"No, there has to be some other explanation. La Allanar chose to side with King Sajaka, and pushed King Dario into needing a way to track all elves that entered the kingdom." Aven's mind reeled. They tried to rationalize the events of the last six years in their mind.

Lissie sighed. She reached into her bag and pulled out the journal she kept close to her at all times. "Are you sure you know everything? Or is all your information coming from newsletters your king sends out?"

Aven bit their bottom lip. Her words were true enough; newsletters were sent out weekly with what the king decided the kingdom needed to know.

"Exactly my point," Lissie said, opening the journal. "Headmaster Keeper Atrai saw a shift in the phoenixes as soon as King Sajaka had returned home. They weren't prepared when the—"

"Lissie," Sonya said, her tone hinting at a threat. "Why don't you go take Sanar out hunting? I'll bring Aven up on all the details."

Lissie froze mid-sentence, her eyes studying Sonya's face. She bowed her head.

"I"m sorry, Aven, but duty calls," Lissie replied before turning away.

She strode away with Sanar following her, and Aven tilted their head in confusion. She had evidence they needed to understand the Phoenix War.

Sonya snapped her fingers, alerting Aven to her presence. "Please, enter my tent. I have a phoenix-touched guest, who can explain it better than us."

Sonya headed for the tent entrance, slipping inside gracefully. The guards glanced at them with barely a regard for their innocence. Slowly, Aven moved toward the tent, hesitant that Sonya was setting up a trap for them. There was every reason to think of Aven was a threat when Aven distrusted the very thought of the Xovarian Kingdom being the root cause for the Phoenix War.

Aven touched the tent flap, looking at the variety of colors that bloomed in front of them. Small braziers with smoke pipes lead to the base of the tent and puffed the smoke out the back. A desk was positioned to the left, notes and maps strewn over it, and a bronze candle lantern was placed on the table, its craftsmanship crudely done.

Aven's gaze drifted to the other side of the tent and spotted a man with a golden mane of hair and amber skin so rich and smooth, he seemed unreal, sitting on a velvet red couch. The man's golden phoenix eyes reminded Aven of a predator in the middle of a hunt. Aven immediately knew this was the phoenix-touched that Sonya had mentioned.

Sonya stood near the desk, picking up a leather-bound book with a light gray cover.

"Aven, the flames outside showed how much magick you have, and from what Lissie says, you are a rider who has yet to find your phoenix," Sonya remarked. "Each rider specializes in a different type of magick, and the color of those flames tells us the type of magick you contain."

"Mine were green," Aven said, voice shaky.

Sonya's face darkened. She set the book down, eyes lowering to the scarlet-hued rug that laid beneath her feet.

"Green flames… Could you have a green phoenix?" Sonya muttered to herself.

The phoenix-touched sat up, turning his gaze toward Sonya. From his position on the couch, his aura was astounding, pulsing through the tent. "If they have that powerful of magick, their phoenix must already be hatched, and bonding with an already hatched phoenix has never happened before."

Sonya looked at Aven. "Have you been able to sense another presence within your soul?"

Aven shook their head. For as long as they could remember, they had been alone with their thoughts. They closed their eyes, searching within. Each memory of using magick swelled a strange pulse behind it. This pulse grew with each new instance, drawing upon him until a soft murmur hit their ears.

Find me.

Aven opened their eyes with a startle. The air around them had chilled with the flames on the candles snuffing out when an frigid breeze blew through the camp.

Sonya waved her arm across the tent, eyes glowing a soft violet. "Aven, what did you find?"

"I… I sensed a pulse hidden within each use of my magick over the years. Then, I heard a voice telling me to find it," Aven said, eyebrows knitted in confusion.

The voice was calm, yet authoritative with an icy air about it. Aven didn't get the feeling that the phoenix was twisted, like a malicious being.

The phoenix-touched turned his gaze toward Aven, his eyes flickering a darker orange before returning to their normal hue. He stood up and crossed over to Sonya.

"If they can hear their phoenix, they have to be taken to Moonshine Academy. Head Keeper Atrai will want to see them," the phoenix-touched said.

"Agreed, Loïck. When Lissie returns, I'll have the two of you take them there," Sonya responded.

Aven snorted in frustration. They were right there, talking as if Aven wasn't even in the tent. They deserved better than that.

"In the meantime, I'll train them," Loïck, the phoenix-touched affirmed, turning to face Aven.

Sonya nodded her head and set the book on the table. "Aven, why don't you read this introductory book on bonding with your phoenix? I'm sure you might a few hints on how to strengthen the bond with your phoenix. Perhaps you might get to see its physical form in your mind, with enough practice, of course."

Aven stared at the book as if it were going to eat them alive. Trusting a phoenix to bond with them was hard enough. They certainly couldn't do it. They had betrayed the Xovaria Kingdom enough already. Aven shook their head.

With a sigh, Aven walked to the desk, carefully watching Loïck stare at them like he wanted to devour them. Aven shivered. They picked up the book and read the cover. Flipping through the book, they paused on chapter seven titled Hearing Your Phoenix's Call. The answer to "find me" could be hidden deep within the chapter.

"Thank you, Sonya," Aven said. "I might just learn more about phoenixes."

Sonya smiled warmly and waved her hand to dismiss them from her tent.

Aven awkwardly obliged and left with Loïck trailing after them. They had no idea where they were or what was okay for them to explore. So many colorful tents and Lissie was nowhere in sight.

Loïck stopped beside them. He was taller than Aven, nearly towering over them like a pillar.

"Aven, I have someone you need to meet. He's a warlock with great talents at reading into phoenix mysteries. Now, he might be a jerk when you meet him, but his magick is what you need to understand a bit more about that secret phoenix of yours."

"Why are you trying to help me?" Aven asked.

Loïck flushed, turning his head to look toward a blue tent. "Phoenix tamers are part of my culture. If I don't help strengthen what few are left, phoenix tamers would go extinct and protecting the innocent would fall, leaving room for disasters to happen."

"I didn't think phoenix-touched were comfortable with phoenix tamers."

Letting out a chuckle, Loïck slapped Aven shoulder. "We phoenix-touched are gifted with unique phoenix abilities that allow us to see like a phoenix and use various forms of phoenix elements. In my case, I can use lightning since I'm a descendant of bronze phoenix-touched."

"So, you're okay with me being bonded to a phoenix? Even though I see phoenixes as dangerous creatures?"

"I'm only hoping that you have a green phoenix and not a black phoenix. A few phoenix tamers have received black phoenixes as their mounts, and let me tell you, the phoenixes were killed outright and the tamer was branded with a seal to block their magick." Loïck pointed toward the blue tent. "I think my friend is in the blue tent. Follow me."

"Black phoenix mounts? Surely those mounts aren't evil like sentient phoenixes?" Aven asked, trailing slightly behind Loïck.

"All black phoenixes are cruel. They spread war wherever they go and even use magick to disguise their eggs to look like a green phoenix egg." Loïck bit his bottom lip before continuing. "I know that you're not a bad person. Lissie wouldn't have trusted you with the camp's location if you wanted to harm us."

The closer they got to the tent, the more Aven realized performers were peeking out and whispering amongst each other. They snickered Aven caught sight of them, slipping back into the tents or turning away.

The blue tent was smaller in size, with a single torch outside of it. Loïck stepped inside first, and then Aven. The atmosphere immediately changed, ushering everything into darkness. Fog drifted between Aven's feet, coiling around like tree roots. A flicker of candle drifted into view as Aven tried to follow Loïck through the dark maze.

Loïck stopped a few feet in, grabbing Aven's arm to stop them. The fog slowly dispersed, candlelight blazing to life throughout the tent. Except, the tent didn't appear to be a tent. Aven couldn't believe their eyes. The walls were now made of a hollowed out tree trunk and the dirt floor was replaced with leaves and sticks. A wooden table at the back of the room, decorated with potions, odd trinkets, books, scrolls, and so many more things.

Curled up on a wooden chair near the table was a sleek baby panther with six legs and two tendrils with fleshy pads containing spikes at the end. The panther sat up and yawned, jumping off the chair. Twitching an ear, the panther gazed at them with eerie glowing yellow eyes.

"Ala, you can stop pretending now," Loïck said flatly.

The panther pouted as a thin trail of smoke trailed over the panther. The smoke grew into a large cloud the size of a human before scattering away. In its place was a young elven man close to Aven's age. He wore an all black robe with miniature skulls lining a dark blue belt that brought out the paleness of his alabaster skin. A deep scar ran over his left violet eye, trailing down most of his cheek, drawing the eye to a feather earring made up of reds, yellows, and greens. What would have once been silver hair was half-blackened, as if it had been burned.

"Apologies for the deception. I don't trust many who enter my tent. I am Ala, warlock of Camp Black Crow," he said with a voice so sharp, it could cut glass from a hundred feet away.

"Well, Ala," Loïck stated, "Aven is new to the camp. Lissie brought them here since they show signs of having a phoenix. Apparently, the phoenix is already hatched."

Ala tilted his head. He drifted closer, gliding across the floor with no effort. As he reached Aven, he grabbed Aven's chin and peered deep into Aven's eyes. Aven froze at the strange touch. Magick webbed between them, their turning cold and then sickly, and finally warm. Their body sensed an inky darkness coiling around them.

"Yes, I can see faint traces of phoenix magick lingering within your inner magick core. Have you heard any voices yet?" Ala asked.

Aven nodded.

The voice had been calm and soothing. Despite everything Aven stood for with phoenixes, they wanted to find theirs, like the beckoning of a bell in the dark. If they found it, it would somehow solve all their problems.

Ala stepped back. "Phoenixes are elusive creatures. They don't trust many to begin with, but once a bond has been declared there is no going back. You must find your phoenix by the next solar eclipse, one month from now. A phoenix without its rider is a dead phoenix."

One month. They had to scour all over Ekari to find the phoenix that called to them.

"Will I be able to hear them better once I get close?" Aven questioned.

With a nod, Loïck placed a hand on Aven's shoulder. "Phoenixes communicate by telepathy with their rider. For you, your phoenix has shown great ability to communicate from far off distances. The furthest I've seen Lissie talk to Sanar was a hundred yards."

"So, are you saying that my phoenix is powerful?" Aven asked. All of this was new to them. Phoenixes weren't supposed to be like this, connected through a strange bond with a person. That would mean King Dario was wrong. And Vayphessa was a striking black phoenix, but showed no ill will toward the group. She appeared excited to see Prince Nefari and helped Aven to see their potential. "Before I even got here, Lissie was with me and had kidnapped the Prince Nefari. We found a black phoenix trapped under the castle and the only way to escape was to release her."

The room hushed to an eerie silence with Loïck pulling away from Aven. Ala smirked at the statement, clearly amused at the thought of a black phoenix being loose.

"Loïck, you said black phoenixes cause wars, but why did this one mention the War of Scorching Hope to be false? She did not attack us, just protected us. That doesn't make since if all black phoenixes are evil," Aven continued.

Silence continued to linger when Ala clapped his hands together, the smirk growing into a smile.

"You have been on quite the journey in such a short short period of time. No wonder my familiars reported the castle guards on high alert, and military action to be taken. I guess that camp will have to move out of the Xovaria Kingdom."

Loïck frowned. "Ala, I get that you hate being here, but going south will only irk Sonya. The Lho Edhil Council is still pissed with her."

Ala chuckled. "The Council has to make due while Sonya has her own things to do. As for you," Ala said, gaze drifting to Aven, "I enjoy the chaos you bring. For now, wait with me. I want to run a few more magick tests on you."

"Magick tests?" Aven's eyebrows furrowed.

They were not a test subject. As much as Aven wanted to understand their power, they weren't ready to confront the magick they buried for so many years.

Aven shook their head. "I'm sorry. I—I can't use my magick."

Ala frowned, a flash of irritation drifting across his face before being pushed away. "Part of your magick comes from your phoenix. The longer you ignore it, the more your control over your magick will wane. It's best to understand where your limitations are in order to not kill anyone with a random outburst at some point."

"I don't know. I was taught that magick was dangerous, and to use it after so many years… Won't I be a hazard?" Aven chewed their bottom lip. They could feel the magick lingering at tips of their fingers, itching to be let out. "I think I should wait a bit before training with magick."

Ala gestured toward the entrance of the tent. He turned his back to them and walked to the table, picked up a tattered scroll, unfurled it, and began reading. In the dim light of the room, the scroll had black text scrawled across the parchment in some language Aven could not recognize.

The atmosphere changed rather abruptly, leaving Aven no time to comprehend what was happening. The fog began drifting into the room, swirling at their feet. Loïck grabbed Aven's hand and tugged them toward the exit. Unable to fight it, Aven followed, glancing back at Ala's disappearing form.