Wings of Flames

How to summon magic

Time passed slowly without Ezra but they managed to find something to keep them entertained during the weekend. Every room had a movable blackboard and they decided to try to find out what happened to Ezra.
'So we already know he had been affected by a phoenix. The mystery is that why did it attack him in the first place.' Stella wrote the words "Why" and "Which" with a piece of chalk.
'We should go investigate. Go outside and try to find out where they attacked him.' Charlie sat down on the rug.
'That's a good idea. Let me write and then we can go.' She wrote "Where" on the blackboard and put down the chalk.

They all ran outside quickly but stopped before they stepped out.
'Whoa. I don't remember having puddles around the island before.' Charlie stepped closer and crouched down. 'This is not just regular water. I feel like it's from a phoenix. Look how much more blue it is!'
'But we still don't know where they attacked Ezra. We would have to follow his blood drops but it's going to be hard considering it's washed up.' Yuki said and looked towards the lake.
'Phoenixes can smell blood, even from days ago  or if it's already gone. The more powerful the phoenix the stronger scent it has.' Charlie stood up and looked at Stella.
'Ugh! Fine, I will ask Blaze to try. But I still think Frost Wing is more powerful than us!' Heaven's Blaze screeched up angrily, but her small nostrils hit something. The feathery bird started to lean it head down to the ground and followed an invisible path. She arrived at the end of the lake and stopped.
'This must be where he got attacked!'
'But where is Blaze going?'
'Probably the source! Whatever attacked him came from... There-...' Stella saw a forest build up of dead trees and bushes. On some of the branches were hanging blood cloths. The island was like a two layer cake and they were on the top, and the dead trees and blood was on the first layer.
'How are we going to get down there?' Yuki asked desperately.
'We gotta jump.' Charlie tried to attempt it but Stella pulled him back.
'No way! We're too high up, we're gonna break our bones!' Stella was frustrated and couldn't think of an answer.
'There must be a path down!' Yuki looked around. Stella shook her head.
'There isn't. We are only supposed to get down next year, when our phoenixes are fully grown, so we can fly down.'
'There must be a path. What if your phoenix is injured or you can't just manage to magically fly down.'
'Yes, they only tell us where it is next year. And its really well hidden. And only able to open it when you learned how to summon magic. Even if we somehow impossibly find it we couldn't open it.' Charlie said and tried to go back but Stella pulled him back again.
'We're not going anywhere until we find out what even is this place.' They heard something that sounded like between a roar and a screech. It came from the dead forest. Branches snapped and trees fell. Something big was creating a way towards them. It got closer every second and now they finally saw what it was.

A black feathered phoenix emerged from the woods.
'What... Is that?' Stella looked at the half dead phoenix.
'Where is its owner? Why would they leave it alone?' Yuki sat down on the edge of the cliff.
'I don't think it has an owner. I mean, who would want something that looks like it's from straight out of hell?'
'I think it's wild...' Stella picked up a stick and broke it in half to get the phoenixes attention. Surely after that the black half dead animal sayers at them, it's eyes looking sad. And its soul dark and empty. Like it was waiting for something for a long time. Its wings were soaking wet and dead. Suddenly it blasted out water at them like it was fire, luckily it didn't hit the baby phoenixes. It was sizzling for a few moments but after that it died like it never lived. Stella walked closer cautiously, dipping her index and middle finger in it.
'So this is why there's puddles around the island. Its... The same what we saw earlier. Maybe these things attacked Ezra?' Stella told them and started walking back without even warning them. Charlie and Yuki obviously followed her. Stella tried to think about the dead phoenix but Charlie and Yuki seem to have the best time of their life.
'What is so funny, you two can't shut up?'
'Yuki's so funny! Oh Yuki tell her too!' Yuki? Really? Did she really tell Charlie her name? Maybe Yuki preferred to be called her actual name?
'Okay, okay!' She was still dying from laughter even before telling the joke. 'Wha- What has four legs, is a chair but not a table?'
'I don't know, maybe a CHAIR?'
'Oh come on! Where did you know that from?' Charlie was happily upset that Stella already heard the joke but Stella's non-existing smile disappeared. Her sister used to tell her jokes everyday before she realized she wasn't destined for a phoenix. It made her deeply sad that her sister will never be on the island with her.
'I just heard it...'