The Riddles of the Phoenixes Series
The Riddles of the Phoenixes Series
Chapter twenty one: Arguments.
*DING DONG!!!!* *DING DONG!!!!!!* A bell rang loudly. On and on and on and on and on and on. Rowan was in darkness. She could see absolutely nothing. A smothering darkness choked her and she clawed and fought to get out of wherever she was. *DING DONG!!!!* *DING DONG!!!!* she clutches both sides of her, trying to keep the bells from making her go deaf.
“Rowan.” A voice called. Rowan spun to see her mother, her eyes dark with disappointment. “You failed. Such a disappointment. Ugh disgrace. I thought you wouldn’t let me and your father down.” Her mother said.
“Mother please. I’m not a disappointment. Please! Let me try again!” Rowan pleaded. Her mother shook her head slowly. “Disappointment.” She hissed. Rowan stepped forward, coughing vigorously, choking on the smokey fog. “Disgrace.”
“Mother please!”
Rowan reached for her mother but she’s vanished into midair. Tears gathered at the edges of Rowan’s eyes. “Please! Mother come back! I’ll do better! I promise!”
“YOU’RE TOO LATE. YOUR FATE IS SEALED. SEALED IN STONE.” A voice growled.
Rowan squirmed in panic, trying to get out.
She caught sight of someone briefly. A woman with dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and white eyes. “Rowan..” The woman whispered, her face contorted in pain. She held out a hand toward Rowan. Rowan reached for it. Almost there. And then she grabbed it.
But she stopped. Something had grabbed Rowan’s ankle and was pulling her away from the woman. And then more hands grasped Rowan pulling her down, choking her. “Please help me..” She choked. But the woman was gone.
*DING DONG!!!!* *DING DONG!!!!* *DING DONG!!!!!* “SEALED IN STONE SEALED IN STONE SEALED IN STONE SEALED IN STONE SEALED IN STONE SEALED IN STONE—”
~
Rowan awoke to someone shaking her. She sat up gasping. She looked at the person who’d woken her up. It was Kannon. Rowan rubbed her eyes and blinked at him, scowling. “Why did you wake me up?” She snapped.
Kannon made a few hand signals. Rowan stared at him blankly. “I don’t speak sign language dummy.”
Kannon’s head lowered and he shrugged. He pointed toward her, put his hands folded under his chin like he was sleeping pointed to her again and then to her mouth. “I was…yelling in my sleep?” Rowan asked. Kannon nodded.
Rowan thought back on the dream. “What did I say?” She whispered. Kannon opened his mouth then closed it. He shrugged. Rowan rolled her eyes. “Useless.” She muttered under her breath.
Kannon backed off and walked toward the others. Rowan followed him. Everyone sat in a circle and the lantern shone in the middle of their circle. Liz was curled up against Oliver, her head resting on his shoulder. William leaned heavily against the wall. Rowan crossed over and sat in the corner across from Cedric but distant from everyone else.
Sunny snuck up behind her sitting in the shadows, her blue eyes dancing with a expression that Rowan couldn’t read. “And as soon as I woke, I was attacked by a group of raptors. It’s like they were…waiting for me. I think however we spawned here we were intentionally placed in certain places. So when I spawned I was attacked and I guess they were hoping that I’d be killed.” William was saying in a low voice.
Oliver’s brow furrowed. “And then what happened?” He asked. “Well obviously I ran. I don’t have any weapons. This “implant” is probably useless so yeah…I ran. Till I found this cave and collapsed in a pool of blood. I couldn’t move. The only food or water I had was that rain water falling from the cracks in the ceiling. One drop at a time.”
“And that’s how Liv found you?” Cedric asked. “Yeah after a while.” William said, sipping slowly from a birch wood cup full of water. “She’s pretty resourceful, that one.”
“Did you see anyone else on the island?” William shrugged. “I was in this cave most of the time…waiting to die. Although I did hear voices outside the cave once.” He replied. “Why didn’t you call out for help then?!” Cedric asked, sounding exasperated.
William’s face went dark. “Because…they weren’t trying to save people. They were looking for me. For us. For the Phoenixs. To bring us to “The Master” or someone. I’m almost certain that’s who’s in the dome.” A shiver ran down Rowan’s spine as Sunny’s tail lightly brushed her arm.
Sunny was humming under her breath. The same tune.
“So we need to get to the dome and stop them right?” Cedric asked. “Yeah…sounds like great plan even though there’s what, six of us?” William said slowly. Liv perked up. “Hey! I’m coming too!” She squeaked. Oliver shook his head. “You’re too young Liv. You could get hurt.”
“I’m eight! I’m old enough and if you don’t let me come then-then I’ll come anyway!” Liv exclaimed angrily.
Cedric chuckled and patted Oliver on the shoulder. “You’ve got a feisty little sister. You can come pip squeak, we’ll watch out for you.” He said. “But what about William? Someone has to stay with him.” Oliver said. Rowan frowned and looked at Sunny. Sunny narrowed her amber eyes thoughtfully.
William frowned as well. “What are you talking about? I’m coming. There’s no way I’m letting you kids go without my supervision.” Cedric rolled his eyes. “First off we don’t need your “supervision”, thank you very much. And also you’re injured! You could die! You’re not going.” Cedric said.
William narrowed his eyes at his grandson and sat up straighter, although wincing slightly. “Young man I am coming. I’m going to help y’all with this if it’s the last thing I do.”
“But I don’t want it to be the last thing you do!!! I don’t want you to die!! You’re part of my family for goodness sake!!” Cedric protested.
William opened his mouth to say something but Rowan interrupted them. “Just stop arguing. I already have a headache. If…William wants to risk his life and die to get out of this place then that’s his choice. No one else’s. I don’t care.” Rowan said. Cedric rose to his feet, ignoring Oliver’s pleading “please don’t fight” look.
“It’s not JUST his choice if there are people who care about him! And there ARE people who do. We’re not all heartless like you!” Cedric snapped. Rowan rose to her feet, although she was a head shorter than Cedric she was just as intimidating.
“I’m not heartless! I’m thinking on terms of our survival! If he dies on his own cause then it’s HIS fault. This was his decision. We’re in a life or death situation!! Deal with it.” Rowan hissed.
“But that doesn’t mean that we don’t use good reasoning to keep people from dying for us!!”
“Its his choice! If he dies he dies!”
“No one else has to die if we all work together!”
“Well then obviously you should back down and follow my plan and “work together” on it!!”
“Well if you’re plan includes people dying then I will not!”
“Guys just stop!” Elayne yelled at the top of her lungs. (Which is very loud considering how high Elayne can scream. She got in between them. “Y’all are fighting when we could be working. I just want to get home.” She whispered.
Rowan glared at her. “Yeah because you’re a spoiled little brat who’s been pampered her whole life. You just want to get back to your “special” life. Pathetic!” Rowan spat. A hurt look ran across Elayne’s face. Cedric stepped in front of her. “Hey! Don’t talk to my cousin like that!”
“I can talk to her however I want “Your majesty”.” Rowan hissed, her eyes flashing with rage.
She whirled around and stomped off out the cave entrance. “Rowan come back! It’s not safe at night!” Oliver called. There was no answer. “Kids.” William muttered under his breath.
They all turned and looked at Cedric. “What?!” He asked defensively.
“You’re the one who made her angry. Go deal with it.” Oliver said plainly. Cedric blinked at him. “What? Why?”
“Because the rest of them don’t want to be..squashed. And I’m injured.” William said. Cedric gritted his teeth. “Ugh fine! But if it doesn’t end well don’t blame me! I’m better at starting fights then defusing them!”
With that he marched off after Rowan. “Do you think he can do it?” Liv asked. Kannon snorted. “We’ll just have to see.” Oliver said.
-SunnyFox57