Verse of the Day.
"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father."
Matthew 5:16

Chapter 41
Arson
[ Ava Maureen ]

BUMANGON AKO mula sa pagkakahiga. Makati sa balat ang hinihigaan ko kaya agad ko itong tiningnan. My eyes squinted upon thinking why I got to lay down on a grass, and I also noticed some red thing below... wait, what happened and why am I here?

As far as I can remember, after we've planned our trip for tomorrow, I fell asleep in Harrison's lap.

Nagplano kami dahil kami ay binigyan ng isang araw na pahinga ni Headmaster Kashmir. He said that it's for our mental health. I'm flattered, dahil naisip pa niya talaga iyon... I wonder what are the problems my friends have gone?

I woke up from my own reverie when a light illuminated the place. Mariin akong napapikit dahil sa nakakasilaw na liwanag. Naramdaman kong parang unti-unti akong pinapaso ng liwanag na nagmumula sa kung saan. Tumayo ako mula sa pagkakaupo at agad na lumayo sa liwanag.

As I run through an endless route, where the place my feet were stepping in are grasses with liquids I couldn't explain, I noticed that the scorching light keeps on following me... as if it's a flare of fire.

Napatid ko ang nakaumbok na lupa na mayroon pa ring berdeng damo, dahilan ng pagtumba ko. I wailed the pain I'm feeling, as though someone just stomped my feet. It hurts! Hinihingal na umayos ako ng upo at pilit na ininda ang sakit. I tried to used my healing power but to no avail, making my eyes widened in shock.

Bakit hindi ko magamit ang kapangyarihan ko? Ano'ng nangyayari? Oh, my goddess! This can't be happening!

Susubukan ko pa sanang gamitin itong muli nang may boses akong narinig. Malalim at animo'y may nagtatagong galit, at sa parehong pagkakataon, mainit sa pakiramdam... "Welcome to my abode, young ruler," the voice said, making my brows knitted in confusion.

Young ruler? Ako?

"W-What?" nanghihinang tanong ko. Ang nakakabulag na liwanag ay papalapit ng papalapit sa'kin, at habang tumatagal, parang nasasanay na ako sa init na ibinibigay nito. My swelled ankle can feel it, too, causing it to relax a bit... Pakiramdam ko nga unti-unti ako nitong pinapagaling.

"Arson, the god of fire, is pleased to finally meet you..." anang boses. Hindi ko alam kung saan ito nagmumula pero sa palagay ko ay nasa liwanag ito. "I am here to guide you, even in the shortest of your time..."

Ako'y napatanga sa kausap kong liwanag. Ano'ng pinagsasasabi niya? "G-God of fire? Wow!" Na-meet and greet ko ang diyos ng apoy!

"You really are different... instead of feeling terrified, you are amazed." A deep laughter echoed the whole place.

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Why would I feel terrified? It's an honor to meet you!"

Hindi ito sumagot na siyang ipinagtaka ko. Kalaunan lang ay unti-unting humina ang sinag ng apoy at naghugis tao. A tall man greeted me with its warm and radiating smile. He's gorgeously hot as hell... his features were rough and his expression shows demure, like he really care for the people down to earth. Arson, like what he introduced, is just wearing a single vest made of brick colored soft fabric cloth. The god is not wearing anything in his feet, and a small ruby gem was floating above his head.

Truly a god...

He walked towards me, and then suddenly, I didn't know how it happened but I just noticed that he's now carrying me in bridal style. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa gulat, pero hindi niya ako hinayaan pang magsalita nang bigla kaming naglaho at sa pagbalik namin ay nandito na kami sa isang palasyong gawa sa iba't-ibang klase ng apoy; orange, red, blue, purple, and white. 

May nagliliyab na malapad na upuan sa isang gilid, kung saan siya papatungo. Magrereklamo na sana ako na h'wag akong ilagay roon at baka mapaso pa ako nang walang paligoy-ligoy niya akong inilatag sa nag-aapoy na upuan. I was about to shout, expecting the pain that would inflict me the moment I'll sit on this burning couch when my expectations broke.

Instead of feeling burnt, warm and soothing feeling hugs me. Ang sakit na aking nadarama sa paa ay tuluyan ng nawala at napalitan ng ginhawa. Napatingin ako sa kaniya at nagpasalamat.

I also asked him about how I did come here and his answer was, "This is only a dream, a dream where you can decide what you're going to do, but most of the things here that surrounds you is under my control. This is my abode in dreamland, Holocaust, or wherever the place I'm into, Holocaust is the name."

"So you mean, you visited me — I mean, you let me visit your own fireside? For what purpose?" I asked while staring at him.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Even in this shortest time, I will train and remind what does fire element holds, for you to get ready of yourself. You will know things along with your journey... this is just a warm up, my child, and the start of your real journey will happen very soon."

Sa sinabi niya, parang lumutang ang isipan ko sa kalangitan. Ni-isa ay wala akong maintindihan maliban na lamang sa sinabi niyang isasanay at ipapaalam niya sa'kin kung ano ang kakayahan ng elementong apoy. Hindi pa ba sapat ang kaalamang nakuha ko sa libro at mula sa kaibigan ko?

Like he can read minds, he said, "In your stage, I know things will be harder for you, especially in your young mindset. But don't worry, you'll soon learn to adjust yourself in things. Also, knowledge you have known in books or some of your comrades about fire was limited. Or even all of those are already written and browsed, I know that not all of those are taken seriously by you." Then, he playfully smiled.

I awkwardly chuckled and take my gaze out of his. He knew! Nababasa ko nga siguro... pero kampante akong matututunan ko lahat ng iyon kahit hindi na seseryosohin. I am overestimating things on my own. Tsk.

He chucked and patted my head like a child he knew. "Let's start." Tumango ako at tumayo sa harapan niya.

Nagtraining nga kami. He let me do my basic knowledge of fire element. Like how I created the fire balls, fire flares, fire weapons, tornadoes made of fire, and some other techniques. He also made me do the fire serpentum, different from what I've secretly learned from Jane.

"How to do that fire serpentum?" I eagerly asked.

Ngumisi naman siya. "See? You still don't know how to do it. It's the highest level of summoning a fire guardian. The one you told me was just in the middle." Awe and astonishment filled my system, and at the same time, excitement. He will teach me how to summon the serpentum! Kahit nasa panaginip lang ako, pakiramdam ko totoo lahat ng ito...

He saw and probably read my mind, again, because he chuckled, like something is funny. "As I've said, this is only a dream, but the feelings and all you see and learn in this dimension are real. When you're wounded after this training and will never find a way to heal your wounds, then you are also wounded in the time you'll wake up."

"What?!" naisigaw ko sa gulat. Sana nga lang ay ipinasok na ako ni Harrison noong nakatulog ako! Kung hindi, baka magtaka lamang sila kung bakit nagkanda-sugat sugat na ang katawan ko habang natutulog. This is unbelievable, hays.

Tumango siya at bigla ay may ibinigay na isang polseras na para sa kamay at paa. It's styled as a bangled bracelet with weird ancient symbols. Sabi niya ay habang nag-aaral ay susuotin ko ito. I'm confused, but nonetheless, I still wear it with ease.

"Ahh!" sigaw ko na naman sa gulat. Ang posisyon ko ngayon ay nakadapa sa transparent na sahig na gawa sa asul na apoy. This freaking bracelet weighed tons! "Arson, how shall I suppose to do the training you're saying when I'm in this situation?" I cried. Mapanlinlang ang polseras na ito!

He smirked, a smirk that made me petrified to him. "Just concentrate. And a reminder, a day in this dimension is equivalent to an hour in the Magic Realm." Pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon ay agad siyang nawala at naging liwanag. Ang liwanag ay lumipad paitaas at sumabog, dahilan ng libo-libong maliliit na apoy ang kumalat sa paligid. It shone brightly, as though it would emit the world a massive ball of fire...

Two days had passed in this place called Holocaust and my hands and feet are surprisingly getting used to the weight of the bracelets. Hindi pa rin bumabalik si Arson simula noon at talagang hindi pa ako nagigising. Sabagay, dalawang oras pa naman akong tulog sa totoong mundo.

At isa pa, ngayon ay handa na akong i-summon ang pinakamataas na lebel ng Fire guardians. Pasalampak na umupo ako sa nag-aapoy na upuan at agad nawala ang kaninang pagod nang mag-ehersisyo ako habang ang polseras ay nakasuot sa'kin. I purposely did it to get ahold of the stamina that might lose in the process of summoning the serpentum.

Nang tuluyan ng gumaan ang pakiramdam ko ay bumalik ako sa pagkakatayo. I'm now focused, to the point that I'm not opening my eyes and just saw my myself standing somewhere in my mind. I concentrated more and I can already feel the burning sensation on my being.

"Serpentum, the highest level of guardian, I command your body and soul to connect with me, the soon ruler of the universe. Heed collides, connection sprouting, with all my heart, thou shall accept you..."

That words just came out of my mouth, as to the blinding luminous light spread in the vast mind of mine. Isang dambuhalang nilalang na nagliliwanag ang biglang lumabas. From faded creation, to a clear view of the beautiful serpent with a wings of phoenix in my front. Its all appearance was magical and majestic, like its a heavenly creature dancing in front.

Napakandang tignan ng kaniyang pakpak na pumapagaspas, nagliliwanag sa transparent na asul na apoy na may halong pula. Kumikinang ito, ano pa kaya kung nasisinagan na siya ng araw? Ang kaniyang katawan ay isang hugis ng eleganteng serpentina; iba't-ibang sulat ang nakaukit sa kaniyang katawan, na parang mahiwagang mga salamangka ng apoy ito. Mayroon rin siyang maliliit na mga paa sa baba na sa palagay ko ay ginagamit sa kaniyang paggapang.

This is beyond amazing!

Sa isang iglap, napamulat ako sa aking pagkakapikit at ang mukha ni Arson ang bumungad sa'kin. Nakangiting tagumpay siya, at tila nahawa ako sa ngiting iyon dahil ako mismo ay kinopya ang paraan ng kaniyang pagkakangiti. Napapalakpak ako sa tuwa at agad siyang niyakap.

Again, he patted my head like a child he owned, letting me feel the successful summoning of the fire guardian. "Is that the only one I'm not aware in element of fire?" I asked after I get to loose on the hug.

"Listen... Fire is used to warm, not to burn. If you'll use them against the darkness, your fire will overcome the dark and will shine above, like no darkness will eventually hinder its lightness. Use it in goodness, my child, and everything will be alright. When the source of fire is anger, don't use it until you'll forget the things that makes you angry."

The smile on my lips got bigger upon hearing his lectures. He's really a good lecturer... I wonder what's his role in my life aside from being a god and my trainor...

"Thank you for this, Arson. I promise to do my best in using the gift you have gave," was the last words I said before I fell into nothingness, an abyss of darkness that will lead me into the reality.

@eggarru