[Chapter 2]

Child of God, Child of Cynus’s strength. Wake up, and fulfill your role. Embrace your new power, now that you have matured. Embrace your element, child and protect those you care for. Protect those who have yet matured, and protect those not of our faction. This is the soul of the Faen, the spirit of the strong. Here you rise, here you live to protect.

Hear this, and let your power free, child. This is the Faen’s song. This is the Faen’s chime and melody. Wake up with new eyes, child of the Faen’s world. Let your power guide your soul.

Let yourself embrace a Faen’s life, and let yourself be Faen’s child.

***************************************************

‘…Let yourself be Faen’s child..’ The last sentence echoed in my head as I jerked awake, panting. Who was this strange, disembodied person talking to me? What did everything mean? Was I being warned of something I should know of?

I realized something. It was not the sort of sudden epiphany, like you’ve suddenly discovered a solution to a complicated math problem. It was the type of slow understanding, the slow, quiet perception of something new, slowly becoming obvious. And when it became obvious, it became something I could not forget.

I had power. It is not the type of feeling like you had suddenly grown another limb or anything. It was not like you suddenly became aware of some pet hanging around you. It was kind of like the feeling of heat or coldness in the air. Like a certain cloud of chemical was in the air, that you could feel but not see, taste or smell.

I stupidly waved my hand in the air, trying to touch the invisible feeling. Only air passed my fingers, but I could still feel that power.

I began to feel a little cold as a breeze came through the window. Strange. I hadn’t remembered pushing the window open. I got out of bed, closing the window in a familiar mundane movement, hoping to ignore the power in the air. Still feeling a little cold, I jumped back under the covers, hoping to keep warm. But I was still cold.

It felt as if every second that passed was every second I was closer to freezing to death. I wondered, shivering under the covers, if I was getting a fever. I immediately regretted wearing a tank top and shorts.

I curled up, wanting to keep my core temperature steady, and fear struck me for a moment. Would I die suddenly, because of this cold? If my body temperature dropped more, then I would begin to get the chills. I could easily die of hypothermia.

“Daddy…  Mummy… Grandma Elvie… Help me…” I parted my cracked lips, watching as my breath came out in a puff of mist. My voice was barely more than a whisper, barely a moan. Inside, I began to panic. What was happening?

I needed something to keep warm, I thought as I closed my eyes. I was scared but I had to do something about it.

Fire. I needed fire. Fire could give me heat. But where could I get the fire? I couldn’t even move to rub my palms for friction. How could I get a lighter? How could I get up to get a match?

Fire.. I need it to survive. An idea struck me. In all the fantasy books that I’ve read, the thing always comes to the hero or heroine’s wants when they needed it. They always had some special power and could do anything they wanted if they put their wish into it. I was hardly a storybook heroine, but the least I could do was try.

Fire, come to me. I need you. Don’t let me die…

I prayed fervently, focusing solely on the words in my mind. I didn’t know what to expect; didn’t want to know either.

And then there it was. A quiet flicker. At first, I thought it was the ‘Light’ bringing me away from the world. But it wasn’t as a crackling sound came. I started to feel my toes again, the warmth slowly spreading. I opened my eyes wide, watching in wonder as my chest of drawer at the corner of the room slowly burned down to nothing.

And then my curtains caught the flames.

I sat up quickly, not knowing what to do. I knew I should scream for help. But I just didn’t. I jumped out of the bed, watching as the fire ate my curtains with impossible speed. The table started to bur. I panicked and brought my covers around from the bed.

Don’t fan the flames, Ashe. Hit it.

I told myself as I hit the covers on the table, hoping to whack the fire out. I knew it was useless, but I had to try. I had made this fire somehow; I needed to put it out somehow. I hit and hit, but the fire did not get smaller. My covers caught fire, and I backed away quickly, dropping the covers. This was out of hand.

Air. Take the oxygen away and the fire won’t burn. The fire triangle, Ashe. You can’t remove the fuel, it is eating everything you own. You can’t get enough water to take away the hat. Stop the burning, Ashe.

My mind advised, though I had no idea what I was to do. Great job, my mind.

I ran to the door, thinking to wake everyone up. But the door was locked. I turned and turned the lock, pulling the knob, rattling and turning it. I screamed my fear as I kicked the lock, getting nothing in return. The fire had engulfed almost everything in my room. I was choking from the smoke.

I took in another breath to scream for help and choked on the acrid smoke. My eyes began to water as I help my throat, choking and crying. Why was this happening? I didn’t want to die.

I didn’t want my life to end like this. I was supposed to be more. I  am more than this. More than a charred piece of flesh on the bedroom floor. I simply refused to be seen as a victim of ‘unnatural death’, where fire burst out of nowhere. I simply refused to let this fire burn and kill everyone I loved. Not Mum and Dad, not Raun and definitely not Grandma Elvie.

Air. I need to take oxygen from the fire.

I sank to my knees, covering my hands over my eyes and prayed fervently again. Please, let this fire die. Let oxygen be gone from the fire. Let air come to me.

The heat slowly died away as I prayed and prayed. I prayed so hard that my head hurt, but I kept my eyes closed. The magic would work if I closed my eyes, I told myself stupidly. I felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Close my eyes and say “There’s no place like home” three times. Close my eyes and wish the fire away.

And it did.

The crackling stopped and a chill came over the place again.

I slowly uncovered my eyes, my shaky hands dropping as I stared at the room in horror. What had I done?

There was a click behind me and the door opened behind me, swinging inwards. It hit me on the back of my head and I went sprawling forwards.

I fell to the floor, long unconscious.

***********************************************************

“Wake up, Ashe! You’re scaring me!” Someone shook my shoulders roughly, jerking me back to reality. Somewhere, close by, Raun continued to cry and was quickly followed by Mum’s soft hushes. Dad continued shaking me, sounding panicked.

“Daddy?” I whispered, unable to believe my luck. I had almost died two times in less than fifteen minutes. It felt good to hear Dad’s voice again. Even Raun’s cries weren’t annoying anymore.

“Thank Goodness! I thought something happened to you, for a moment there!” The relief in Dad’s voice was audible as I cracked my eyelid, squinting against the light. Where was I?

“What happened?” I asked, feeling oddly light-headed. I could still feel the power in the air, like it was waiting. Waiting for me to pray and wish.

“You woke us up with your screams, and we found Raun trying to calm you down. But you didn’t wake up, and he was scared. I called you many times, but it was like you couldn’t hear me. I was afraid something happened. Are you okay, sweetie?” Mum asked worriedly, and I slowly blinked to see Mum carrying a tearful Raun at my other side.

And then I realized. I was in my room. On the bed. Which was supposed to be burnt and charred. I took a quick look around, blinking. Everything was fine, untouched. Like how it had been when I fell asleep.

“Mummy… was there a fire in my room?” I asked quietly, trying not to remember how fast it had taken the flames to chew up and spit out everything in its path.

“No! No fire, only you screaming in the bed, Ashe. I was scared because you didn’t wake up.” Raun spoke up, his voice sounding haunted. I struggled not to smile my relief. It was just a nightmare. A very real and horrible one, but a nightmare nonetheless.

I sat up and patted the empty space beside me.

“Here, Raun.” I said and he jumped quickly from Mum’s arms, burrowing under my covers as he snuggled close to me. “I’m sorry for scaring you. It was just a nightmare.”

Dad put a hand on my shoulder, which felt kind of warm.

“It must have been a horrible one, then.” He concluded.

I nodded. “The room was on fire and I couldn’t escape.”

“It must be your mind playing tricks on you, sweetie. Do you need any pills to help with your sleep?” Mum offered but I shook my head.

“No, Mum. I’ll be fine.” I said, calming Raun down as he started to fall asleep on my bed. That was the amazing thing about being just Raun. He would never sleep when he didn’t want to, but he could fall asleep anywhere when he wanted to. It was just the perk of being young and innocent.

There was a polite knock on the door and we all turned to see Grandma Elvie’s worried face.

“Honey, are you okay? I’m sorry it took me so long to get up here. My bones were killing me.” Grandma Elvie asked as she came in with gingerly small steps, as if to test whether her legs were up to the challenge.

“I’m fine, Grandma Elvie. It was just a nightmare. You shouldn’t have labored your way up here.” I wanted to help Grandma Elvie to the nearest seat, but didn’t want to wake Raun by jolting him awake.

“Nonsense. I will not go back to sleep not knowing what happened.” She said, determinedly standing at my side as if to prove she didn’t need sitting. Mum gently scooped Raun from my side, handing him over to Dad who gave me a nod and left to tuck Raun in.

“We’re fine, Grandma Elvie. We should all go back to sleep and prepare for tomorrow.” I said, but she shook her head, looking up to Mum.

“Marie, would you be a dear and make us some tea? I’m sure it will help Ashe in her sleep.” She said sweetly, and my Mum, even in her nightgown and just awoke, nodded as she walked out.

Grandma Elvie drew up a chair at my side and sat.

“Must have been a terrible nightmare, Ashe?” She asked politely, but strangely staring intently at me, in my eyes.

“It is fine, Grandma Elvie.”

She didn’t speak, but stared. She looked at my face, then into my eyes and I found myself staring back at a pair of old, knowing gray eyes. Those eyes… knew something.

“So, Ashe…… it was fire?” She asked again.

I gulped, thinking furiously. How did she know? Had she heard me?

“Yes. It was cold, and I needed to keep warm. I… felt some sort of strange power and wished for fire. And then it sparked to life.” I didn’t know why, but I started confessing my nightmare to her, struggling not to blush. It sounded stupid.

But Grandma Elvie nodded seriously.

“And did the air blow it away? Wind?” She asked, as if she had been there the whole time.

I was about to answer, but Mum came in with tear. Then she left, bidding us to turn in earlier. I turned back to Grandma Elvie when I was done with the ear, feeling its warmth settling deep inside me.

“Grandma Elvie… how did you know?” I asked curiously, but her adamant face told me to answer her question.

“No, I didn’t wish for wind. I wished for oxygen to be taken from the fire. I learnt about the fire triangle.” I admitted when it got to me that she wanted her answers.

My answer seemed to surprise her because her eyes widened a little before nodding. I decided to ask my question again.

“Grandma Elvie, how did you-”

I did not finish before I felt something in the power in the air. Something was nudging at it. Like a small pinch on my arm. Not painful, but shocking and annoying. I jumped a little, then heard a chuckle. My mind clicked, but I could not believe it.

“Grandma Elvie… was that you?”

She gave a grin and nodded, eyes bright. I opened and closed my mouth, searching for things to say but nothing came out.

“Don’t be afraid, child,” She says, putting comforting hand on my shoulder like Dad, “You’re fine now. You are the chosen; the next Faen of Alveron’s bloodline.”

My heart skips a beat.

I am… a Faen?