The Crimson Cape

Chapter Twelve

"What happened?" Phoenix asked, somewhat afraid to know the answer. She feared that her quest was in vain.

"Don't tell me it was the wrong blood." Esmerelda said "It was the blood of the Albino Alpha I swear. We killed him five days ago. You must have cast the wrong spell."

"It wasn't the blood or the spell." Anaxx said. "It's you, Phoenix."

"Me?" Phoenix asked. "What did I do?"

"Nothing." Anaxx said. "The cape's magic never left. In fact, it wasn't even enchanted at all. None of our enchanted clothing has been enchanted to protect against wolves."

"What are you saying?" Esmerelda said. "Are you saying that you wizards have been scamming the people of this village for years?"

"Not in the way you might think." Anaxx said. "We have enchanted the clothing, but not with a spell that protects the wearer from the wolves. Such a spell does not exist."

"Then what did you do to Phoenix's cape" Phoenix asked.

"The clothing is always enchanted with a calming spell." Anaxx said. "It's an old spell usually used on infant's clothing to help them sleep at night and to calm separation anxiety. When the wolves began to terrorize the villagers all those years ago, the spell was enhanced so that it would work on older people and would last longer. However, the clothing is not the end all be all. If the wearer allows fear to get into their minds, the spell will be ineffective."

"So when I heard the story of the Albino Alpha..." Phoenix began.

"It weakened the spell." Anaxx interrupted. "Then, after your encounter with a wolf, the spell was weakened even more. It wasn't the cape or the spell. You allowed fear to plague you. The wolf attack was a mere coincidence. It had nothing to do with the cape."

"So why did I need to bring you Big White's blood?" Phoenix asked.

"When I took over this shop," Anaxx began "I made a promise that I would ensure that no one leaves this place until their problems are taken care of. You, my dear, were dealing with a simple case of fear. The only way to cure a fear, is it to face it head on. By hunting down and killing Big White, you not only faced your fears literally, you conquered it."

"Does that mean?" Phoenix asked.

"You succeeded." Anaxx said. "The cape can still serve as a means to calm one's mind, but I'm afraid it will provide no protection against the many dangers of this forest."

"What should I do with it?" Phoenix asked.

"That's entirely up to you." Anaxx replied.

Phoenix held the cape in her hands and gazed down upon it. For as long as she could remember, she never went anywhere in the village without this strapped on her. Now, she had journeyed miles into the forest, a place she had never gone before, without wearing it. What further use could the cape be to her now?

Phoenix walked over to Anaxx's fireplace and gazed into the flames. She then tossed the cape on the fire and left the shop before Esmerelda.

"Thanks, Anaxx." Esmerelda said walking out.

"Anything for you, my sister." Anaxx replied as Esmerelda left the shop.

In the fireplace, the red fabric turned black and engulfed in flames. In under an hour, it was reduced to a pile of ash in the fireplace. Thus was the end of the crimson cape.