Call of the Phoenix

By Erik Daniel Shein, Melissa Davis and Karen Fuller

An 800-Year-Old Amulet Holds the Secret – The Legends are Real

The ancient magic that has been dormant for centuries will awaken and prove to the world that not all heroes wear capes. Some wear skirts, but only on special occasions. Because, really, let’s face it, how practical would a skirt be when you’re saving the world from the darkest magic known to man?

When fourteen-year-old Seraphina Miles is sent to live with her estranged archaeologist father, she has no idea she would be in for the adventure of a lifetime. When she finds a strange amulet hidden in the ruins of Machu Picchu, her boring summer is suddenly filled with a magic beyond her dreams. The amulet leads her to a golden egg in the middle of a burning fire. When the shell breaks, the phoenix hatchling nestled inside imprints on Sera. Their special connection sends her on a quest to find the missing stones which will give her the power to defeat the winged serpent that hides in the shadows.
If you love heart racing adventures filled with mystical creatures, magic older than time itself, and heroes that defy conventions, Sera’s story will keep you entertained until the very last page. The Call of the Phoenix is the first book in the Destined Guardian Series.

The Destined Guardians Series
1.Call of the Phoenix
2.Rise of the Winged Serpent
3.Path of the Forgotten
4.Land of the Unknown
5.Last of the Chosen
6.Battle of the Ancients

• Language: English
• Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Feb 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781629897523

Erik Daniel Shein

Erik Daniel Shein was born Erik Daniel Stoops, November 18th 1966. He is an American writer, and Visionary, film producer, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, and philanthropist, Pet enthusiast and animal health advocate. He is the author and co-authored of over 30 nonfiction and fiction books whose writings include six scientific articles in the field of herpetology. His children’s book, “The Forgotten Ornament” is a Christmas classic, and was endorsed by Hollywood legends Mickey and Jan Rooney.

Book preview

Dedication

This book is dedicated to a dear friend, Lawrence Garcia of Albuquerque, NM. You may be gone, but you’ll never be forgotten.

Erik Shein

Prologue

Long Ago

Tiny orbs pierced the dark canvas above as the stars splattered across the night sky. Daylight had evaporated long ago, but that did not stop the people from taking part in the great celebration that rocked through the vast city of Tiahuanaco. Music permeated the air as the streets were lined with man, woman, and child gathering together as one people. Tonight, a feast had been planned to honor the spirit of the winged serpent, Challis. The people believed the power of this great creature brought health and prosperity to their people. Challis provided Tiahuanaco with protection from the harsh elements that often plagued their great city during their harvest, and kept the population stable and growing.

The streets began to fill with brightly clothed children, heading towards a medium sized temple at the heart of the city. The temple was covered in crests that represented their culture and the elements—earth, fire, air, water, and spirit—that kept them living and breathing. The twisting flames contradicted the soft flowing waves as if to demonstrate the extreme opposite of the elements. Earth and air seemed to work peacefully next to each other, as if even the stone could predict the harmony between the two elements. Spirit, a spectacular orb, was carved to demonstrate the circle of life that ended with the ascension of the spirit. The carved stone had taken lifetimes to create, and would stand the test of time.

At the top of the temple was a large marble statue of the winged serpent, with her long scaly body twisting up toward the heavens as her wings spanned out around her. Challis, one of the last of the world’s living dragons, had perished long ago, leaving just her soul to protect the world before her. Each lifetime, one person was chosen to carry her great spirit inside her to rule her people. Only one true of heart could be her host.

The throngs of people flowed into the open courtyard below the temple. The air was filled with excitement as the chanting masses awaited the arrival of the priests. When the doors to the temple opened, a loud cheer shook the crowd. They ascended to the central dais, and the high priest lifted his arms to the sky. The sound of drums thrummed around them, and a base rhythm rocked through the people, like one heartbeat that they all shared in common.

The chanting grew louder to match the building tempo of the drums. The high priest watched his people and smiled. Tonight, they would choose the next protector to keep Challis alive. Her will was to protect all living things on the earth and keep the world in balance. Under her protection, peace had reined over the world. He brought his fist up in the air, and the chaotic noise around started to trickle down to a minimum buzz of whispers as the people quieted before him.

All at once he snapped his arms down to his side and all the chanting and drumming stopped; only the sounds from beyond the temple walls could be heard. He spoke to the masses, holding their attention completely.

Tonight, we celebrate Challis as her journey continues with another lifetime. Bring Dayanna.

Behind the priest the crowd began to split, and a lone figure strode toward the dais, her long dark hair rippling with the light breeze that blew through the temple. Her stately gait and languid movements caused many to begin to whisper, some in reverence, and many in fear. Dayanna, keeper of the Great Spirit, walked like a regal queen as she came to a stop on the dais. She was covered in sparkling gold scales, as she represented the great winged serpent. If the sun had been out, its rays would have collided with them, creating a blinding light. In the dark, with only the flickering fire lights, she shimmered almost as if she were enchanted with some forbidden magic. A gold medallion was fastened around her neck, a symbol of the World Tree that represented all life. At each corner was a stone for each element. In the middle was a clear crystal orb that represented the purity of the soul. The chain was created to look like a snake, as the sculpted links looked much like the scales that wrapped along the winged serpent’s body. Dayanna had been the keeper ever since her thirteenth year. Now that she had reached complete adulthood, it was time for Challis to find her next keeper.

When Dayanna looked over the crowd, she was listening to an inner voice no one else could hear. Her job was to choose the next keeper, the one that would be able to sustain the purity of the winged serpent, guardian of the earth and all its creatures. Many of the young girls before her would be prime candidates, but she could choose only one. As long as the heart was pure and the child had no longing for personal gain, the transference would be successful, as it always had been. Challis could see into one’s heart better than any creature, but Dayanna was the one responsible for the choice. Challis did not interfere with free will. When it was time for Dayanna to make her final choice, Challis could not help her. The consequence for choosing the wrong child had never been contemplated before, as the keeper had always chosen the right girl.

Dayanna let her eyes scan the sea of people. The young girls lined the front rows, each one dressed in hues of gold and green, waiting to see if they had what it took to be the next keeper. She let her heart be free as she chose one girl standing toward the back of the crowd, not knowing that her parents had hidden her there for a reason. Dayanna saw her as an innocent child, perhaps too shy to believe she might be chosen as the keeper.

I choose you to be the next keeper, to guard the winged serpent. Dayanna raised her hand and her finger extended. She saw the cheerful glow, the same reaction that most chosen ones had when they were given the awesome gift that Dayanna was giving her. Dayanna did not see the concern on her parents’ faces, nor the way the eyes of the girl, who was called Bianca, seemed to go from bored to as cold as ice.

Bianca was ushered through the crowd and all the way up the steps to where Dayanna stood on the dais. For all the world to see, Bianca was everything the winged serpent represented…youth, innocence, and a fresh slate. These things made the keeper ready to uphold the balance of all the creatures that lived and breathed.

Dayanna put her hand on Bianca’s head. For all the living creatures, man and beast. For all those who came before, who are and will be, I shall choose you to be my successor. All life must be cherished and protected. To deny the rights of any is to diminish the hearts and souls of others. Are you ready to take on the task?

I am, Bianca answered, but her eyes would not meet Dayanna’s steady gaze.

A low murmur started in the back of the crowd, until all of the people were chanting for Challis to find her new home with Bianca. Challis! Challis! Challis!

Dayanna lifted her arms to the air and called for the winged serpent. Challis!

Overhead a star flared brightly. Dayanna smiled as if greeting an old friend, and opened her palms as if receiving a great blessing. Challis! She called upon the winged serpent to make her presence known.

The crowd began to chant in a low murmur, and the temple proper was filled with the sound. She raised both of her arms to the heavens and intoned the same name as the people below her. There was a flash, a flare of light, as the amulet lit up with a light so bright, it could have rivaled the strongest rays of the sun. The crystal orb inside connected with the magic of the winged serpent, and the chain slithered slightly around her neck. It flew into the air, surrounded by a brilliant light filled with sparkling embers. Dayanna saw her spirit friend flying before her, but her presence was hidden to the rest of the world, for only the chosen could see the great spirits of mystical animals of their past.

The necklace wrapped around Bianca’s neck, and her dark hair rose off her shoulders as if a strong breeze had filtered from the ground. A cold smile filled her face as her eyes turned from brown to an obsidian. A bitter laugh erupted from her mouth, and the crowd was silenced with its emptiness. They had never witnessed a transformation like this before.

Dayanna stepped away from Bianca, pure terror filling her face. Tears fell from her eyes. You are not—

A keeper? No…I’m not. A trill left her mouth. More like a destroyer.

Dayanna could still see Challis floating above her, but a dark swirling green light surrounded the golden serpent until it eroded the luster from her scales. The darkness filtered into the serpent’s mouth, and the link between Challis and Dayanna was broken.

Dayanna watched as Bianca ripped the amulet from her neck and threw it on the ground far below. It shattered into hundreds of pieces, and all five stones went flying into the air. They never hit the ground, as they disappeared from sight moments after leaving the golden metal. Dayanna saw the crowds run away in fear. Lightning bolts came from the sky, almost as if at Bianca’s command. In moments, several of the people were struck down. Only those that could be corrupted by her darkness seemed to remain.

After the people were completely disbursed, Dayanna crept across the ground, hoping to find the fragments of the amulet. A few of the priests helped her reforge the amulet and hide it away within the ancient walls until they could find a new guardian to watch over it, to breathe life into it, and find a new spirit to watch over them. With Challis now tainted forever, the winged serpent was lost to them. Her heart had turned cold, and would multiply in the hearts of the world before her.

That night Dayanna had watched in disbelief, stuck between wanting to act and hiding away in terror, but she’d remained silent, trying to believe that the good of Challis would overthrow the cold ice that flowed through Bianca’s veins. At times, she hated herself for the fear that had kept her from acting.

Time seemed to pass overnight, as Bianca ruled over the people in terror. War broke out between those that were easily corrupted and the ones that held fast to their beliefs. The animals were enslaved and no longer revered. Some species disappeared completely. The peace that had once been was a mere memory, and the people soon began to forget their humble beginnings.

Many years had passed before Dayanna finally had the courage to act. The child Bianca was no more. Standing in front of them was a dark queen, well past the beginning of her adult years. Dayanna crept silently behind Bianca, knowing that she had only a moment to make it right. When Bianca had called her people to gather in her name, Dayanna saw it was her last chance to take action. She crept from the temple doors, where she often took refuge. It was the one place that Bianca would not enter.

While Bianca was distracted by her captivated crowd, Dayanna moved forward with a stealth she did not know she possessed. When she inched closer to the queen, she shoved her with all her might. Dayanna watched as Bianca toppled from the dais, falling almost in slow motion to the hardened ground below. A hush fell over the crowd of people as the shock of the moment shook through them.

Dayanna raced down to where Bianca lay, hoping that her aim had been true. The moment Bianca took her last breath, a black smoke rose from her lips. It swirled through the sky and funneled itself into as many people as it could. Dayanna had hoped that the evil would disappear, but her actions had only seemed to intensify the darkness that now wavered between the realm of the living and the realm of the spirits. Perhaps if she had chosen someone different all those years ago, peace would have been the blanket that comforted her people. Bianca’s life and death held a reckoning none of them had planned for, and one they were destined to deal with for centuries to come.

Dayanna spent the rest of her life watching the chaos continue to unfold before her, knowing she had caused much of it. Bianca may have lost her life, but her greed and envy wreaked havoc on the people, reigning over them longer than she might have in actual life. The balance between all walks of life was completely shattered. Instead of working alongside the animals, the people now used their might to subdue them for their own personal gain. The people harvested them as if they were nothing more than lowly possessions. The harmony they had greatly respected no longer seemed to matter.

And it went on and on, well past Dayanna’s life into many, many more.

Chapter 1

Chicago, O’Hare International Airport 2017

Seraphina Miles sat in the metal chair with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the woman sitting across from her. I still don’t see why I have to go stay with him.

Sera, your mother has to close the accounts in Hong Kong. There’s no way she could keep track of you there. Her Aunt Mabel was sympathetic to her plight, and would have taken her in over the summer, but Mabel was getting up there in years. Almost all of her bones creaked when she walked.

But I don’t even know my dad. Sera blew out an irritated huff. Jeffrey Miles had not been in her life since Sera was practically a toddler. Her memories were limited to photo frames and still shots that made very little sense to her. Sera had learned a long time ago that her family was not a typical family. As a world-renowned archaeologist, her father had been far too busy to stay with his family for too long. Her mother, Astrid, had gotten tired of trying to drag her daughter to different countries, and had decided to stay in the States with her family rather than following Jeffrey all across the world. Their marriage had never dissolved; they simply lived their lives separately from each other.

Your father loves you in his own way. I’m sure he does. Mabel looked away from Sera, as if trying to find the words that would set her great niece at ease. Very little came to mind.

Right. Hmmph. Sera stared at the floor, studying the gaudy pattern on the carpet below. Were those stains or was that intentional?

Please give him a chance, Sera. Mabel looked concerned, as if she were wrestling with something inside herself.

Why should I? I should stay here and take care of you, Aunt Mabel. That’s the right thing to do. Sera knew that her great aunt was not doing as well as she pretended. What if something happened to her while she was gone?

You can’t live your life taking care of me, child. Besides, Machu Picchu is filled with magic and intrigue. Mabel looked almost envious of her niece.

Magic? Ha, that’s rich. If it isn’t digitally created, magic doesn’t exist. Neither did fairy tales. Sera had learned that a long time ago, when she wished upon a star for her father to come back home to them. She spent a lot of nights wishing to hear his outrageous tales. Her father knew the history and legend of every place he ever visited.

Sera sighed. She had almost forgotten about those. Why did she have to remember now? Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath. When she opened them again, her aunt was looking at her with sadness.

You’re much too young to be so jaded, Seraphina.

If you say so.

This is the boarding call for United 101, a loud feminine voice called over the speakers.

Part of Sera was glad for the interruption, the other was quite flustered. That’s my flight.

So it is. Do you have your bags? Aunt Mabel gestured to the bags on the ground.

I can manage them.

Sera stood up and moved closer to her aunt. She threw her arms gently around her shoulders, and almost choked up the instant Aunt Mabel squeezed her tightly. Sera didn’t often like to admit her feelings to anyone, but her aunt had been the strongest lifeline she had. Mom was always busy working to provide a life for Seraphina. Sera appreciated all her mother did, but sometimes the one thing she wanted the most was for her to just put her work aside and spend time with her. Too often, Sera was left feeling like an unwanted child. At least Aunt Mabel had made her feel loved. What was she going to do without her?

Aunt Mabel tilted Sera’s chin up gently. No tears, baby. We’ll see each other soon enough.

Right. Sera turned her face and wiped her eyes on her short sleeves. She sniffed quietly and picked up her bags. Walking to the gate, she handed her ticket to the lady at the door.

Ticket please. The lady was polite enough, but Sera couldn’t help but wonder if she liked her job, for as she was glancing over her ticket, an older man shoved through the line.

Out of my way. I’ve got to get to my seat. The slightly balding man appeared