The Necromancer's Wand: Rise of the Phoenix

*Claire Phoenix’s Point of View, January 7th, 1936*

We walked down the dirt and gravel road that led into the non-caster, human, town known as Shubuta, Mississippi. It was a cold, cloudy, day but the weather didn’t stop us from going out. I always felt so spastic in the human world, looking in every direction with shock and awe.

“Now Claire,” my brother called out to focus me.

“Yes,” I responded, turning my head from the scenery to look upon him.

“I think it best if we go over...”

“The rules,” I finished with sigh. “Don’t interfere with the non-casters’ way of life. Don’t show your wand. Most importantly though, don’t do magic...Did I miss anything?”

“No,” he sighed back with a light chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing, I’ve just missed you is all...”

“Yeah...well, I think it ridiculous that our parents made you live here...”

“Hey,” he cut off with a loving smile, grabbing me by the shoulders. “We talk about the past every visit...can we just enjoy the time we have together?”

This brought me to feeling a bit guilty. “Of course, I am sorry,” I replied softly.

“No need to apologize. It’s just...I only need you. You are enough for me, the one who always been by my side.”

“Well, we are twins...we were stuck with each other,” I joked.

“I’m just glad I was stuck with you,” he chuckled.

As we entered the small, quaint , town, I latched onto my brother’s arm. I felt out of place in the non-caster’s world, which coincidentally made me uncomfortable. Holding onto to him made me feel like I blended in better.

We continued walking, heading into the center of town. Most of the shops were already opened for the morning, people slowly being drawn from their homes. However, the streets were mostly barren.

As my brother stopped our journey in front of the town’s bookstore, he turned and faced me with an excited smile. “Wait here,” he commanded happily. “I will be swift...”

“Well, go on then,” I replied, giving a slight grin. I tried to conceal the fact that I knew he was getting me a gift. He scurried inside as I waited by the door.

After a brief moment of silence, shouting in the distance caught my attention. I saw non-casters approaching quickly, in some sort of transportation vehicle, and they were chasing after another on foot. The vehicle stopped next to an open meadow with a single tree in the middle of it.

I continued to watch as three white non-casters got out of the vehicle with dogs, sicking them on the darker one. “Please,” he begged to his pursuers. However, the two hounds caught ahold of each leg. “I’ll leave...I’ll leave!”

“It’s too late for that boy,” laughed one of them.

“You had your chance to leave nicely,” another chimed in.

“Yeah, you and the rest of the darkies are getting what’s coming to ya,” finished the last man.

I couldn’t believe my ears. It would seem the black non-caster was about to be killed just because the color of his skin was different. As the dogs took him to the ground, I was cloaked in a sense of dread.

Unable to just stand there and do nothing, I knew I had to act. I unsheathed my wand from its holster on my waistline and raced over to the meadow. “Brother...forgive me,” I uttered to myself as I crossed into the tall grass.

“Come for a show miss?” one of them asked as I stood before them.

“Please, call them off,” I spoke in an anxious tremble.

“And why would we do that?” they all smirked and chuckled.

I softly grunted in frustration, knowing that I would have to attack them to save the other non-caster. “I’m sorry...” I whispered in guilt, raising my wand high in the air. “Banshee’s Call.”

The spell I cast emitted a very high pitched screech that staggered both the men and their canine companions. The dogs scattered from the field with whimpering whines as the dazing noise ceased. With the men still confused, I knew I should act. “Pacify!” I cast toward the closest non-caster.

The man immediately started to drool with a blank expression as he slumped to the ground from the spell. I swiftly aimed at the next non-caster, “Solidify!” His body hardened up as if he were frozen in place.

As I went to take out the last man, he had already drawn a weapon of his own. When I flicked my wand at him, a loud bang emitted from his weapon as he went flying back. The non-caster smacked against the tree, rendering him unconscious.

“Claire!” my brother screamed in the distance.

While turning to face my brother, I felt a sharp pain in my abdominal area. My hand was naturally guided to where my pain was, feeling a warm substance upon my dress. I looked down and noticed my hand was covered in red, so too was my dress...

As I saw my brother running over, I collapsed in the middle of the meadow. He kneeled down and coddled me in his arms. “She...she saved me,” mumbled the black non-caster, getting up to his wounded feet.

“Dear sister, what have they done to you?” asked my brother brokenly as tears flooded into his eyes.

“Corvin...” I uttered weakly, the taste of blood now in my mouth.

“Shh,” he shushed. “Save your strength...”

“Home...” I forced out.

“Okay...Okay,” he spoke frantically as he grabbed my wand. Corvin was born without magic and typically he wouldn’t be able to use my wand, or any for that matter. However, in this situation, there was one spell that he could use called Witch’s Requiem.

Witch’s Requiem, also known as Gift of the Fallen, could only be cast from a dying witch or wizard’s wand. The spell temporarily gifted the powers of the dying to another. It only would last up to the point of the witch or wizard’s death.

Corvin brought the tip of my wand to my bloody hand. He swiped some of my blood onto the wand. “Witch’s Requiem,” he chanted, instantly feeling a surge of my power through him.

As he was preparing to pick me up, moaning could be heard by the tree. Corvin turned and noticed that the non-casters weren’t dead. With the slight flick of my wand, he snapped the necks of the two who were immobilized.

He stood menacingly over the third as he came to. “What the...” groaned the non-caster. Corvin waved the wand at non-caster’s weapon. The weapon flew into my brother’s grasp, getting the non-caster’s attention.

“What the hell are you two?!” he asked in panicked disbelief.

Corvin didn’t mutter a single word and I, knowing what was coming next, hadn’t the strength to stop him. He just aimed the weapon at its owner and fired until it wouldn’t fire anymore. Then, he tossed it to the ground and returned to my side. He swooped me in his arms, carrying me close to his chess.

We both looked upon the black non-caster once more... “Go,” I ordered.

“Thank you,” he spoke with pure appreciation, holding back tears. The non-caster ran off as Corvin teleported us away, back to our world.

*We appeared out front of the family manor, just in time for my sister to take her dying breath in my arms. As her grip on me lessened with all movement ceased, I felt a bitter grieve come over me. How could I let this happen?!

My sweet, sweet, Claire...this unbearable pain comes with a unforgiving rage. The non-casters shall feel the wraith of this heartbreak!*