The Phoenix's Maiden

Proud of You

Amber’s Point of View

I felt that Mirana lifted me up just by putting my hand around her shoulders. The goddess’s appearance saved us a lot of time and now the goo chasers ran away with just one command. That’s good, I guess since now rest assured for me that there will be no killings that will happen anymore. That’s good news for me.

“Who are you?” I heard the goddess Amaterasu asked Mirana, yeah I remembered that they are both strangers to each other.

“Am I dreaming?” Mirana’s sudden reaction. “Is the goddess of the sun in the east is really in front of me,” well, at least for the goddess she is a stranger. I guess this a lesson learned for me, that I won’t underestimate the knowledge of explorers like her anymore.

I felt the gaze of the goddess on my and with my spared strength in my body, I used it to lift my head up so I can see the goddess’s face, and I can only just smile now and communicate with through my eyes.

“Oh sorry,” she bowed lowering me down, after she felt the atmosphere of the situation. “Pardon me my goddess, for my rudeness, I am Mirana Ca’vour, a member of a certain explorer guild which I can’t tell you, from the kind of wandering elves in the north,” she introduced herself and it seems that’s the best course of action for her.

“I am Amaterasu, nice to meet you,” the goddess also showed her respect towards the elf.

“If I am allowed to ask, why are you here? I thought it is a taboo for the gods to cross regions,” she asked.

“It’s none of your business, and I am the that should ask you, what brings you here?” she said and I am well aware why the goddess is avoiding that question. Mirana immediately bowed down lowering me more, after seeing her annoyed.

I think with a casual conversation about gods, me and Mirana will be best buddies. I am glad that I invited her over our group.

“I- I invited h- her over,” I said with my groggy voice and it hurts so much just by talking, I didn’t know that move will drain me this much.  If right now I can’t stand up on that move, I can’t imagine myself after using its full power and also it will harm me if I am in the range of the black hole, the only thing that i can control is flames and not gravity. But...

“Rest Amber,” the goddess told me. “Calm your mind and don’t overthink yourself,” she said and that reminder told me to calm myself. “You can sleep now,” she said and she blew her breath to me, then suddenly my head felt so heavy. Once again, the darkness took over me.

.               .               .

“Ouch,” my head hurts and I can feel my body on something soft. I opened my eyes and saw myself inside my room. I get up and I still feel weak and dizzy. I saw someone entered and I saw Mirana carrying a tray of food.

“Oh, you’re finally awake,” she said.

“How long I was out?” I asked her.

“Two days,” she casually answered as if those two days, time frame is not that big of a deal. Obviously, I am very surprised when I heard that, that’s why I feel so weak still, because I haven’t eaten for forty-eight hours.

“Oh,” I am speechless. I guess that’s the price to pay for using that move so suddenly. I can think clearly now, and I am decided now that I will train more and be strong to able to withstand that move. My body is clearly not ready for using that move.

“How do you feel?” Mirana asked and I looked at her and she too looks calm right now.

“Dizzy,” I chose to be honest with her, but not in certain things.

“Here I brought you food,” he said and hand over a hot soup and a hot drink. She also handed over a spoon to me and I accepted it. We exchanged smile and by smelling the aroma of the soup it made my stomach grumble, complaining that I should eat after leaving it empty for two days straight. I apologize for that.

“Thank you,” I said and I put some broth in my spoon and sips it.

“The goddess, Amaterasu, said that it has the ingredient that will help you recover your mana,” she informed me, and as I expected that also she is a geeky type of individual. Even I wanted to talk to her about many things right now, my head won’t allow it.

I can feel the warmth of the broth flowing down through my esophagus to my stomach. It gave me the sensation of comfort, as if I am in the middle of a field in a nice weather. The wind is cool that touches my skin. I feel so happy just by sipping this soup.

I continue to eat it, until the bowl is drained empty, and the whole time Mirana just stayed beside me watching me eat. Usually is someone is watching me eat, I will feel conscious and eat just the few of the food that has been given to me, but now I am so hungry that I did not even bother to include shame in my ethics right now. There is a right time for that.

After finishing the soup, I took the hot drink, and sip it and it gave me the same feeling except that I am in front of a beach observing the calm see, while the waves are raging on the shore. I recognize the taste, it’s the same drink that I had before going to the garden of Eden, but I forgot what it is called.

“Thank you for the food,” I said after finishing my meal. That’s a great meal to be honest. After that I tried to clean my area but I was stopped by Mirana and she volunteered that she will be the one to clean my mess, and I should rest more to regain my lost strength. I am thankful for the concern and I lay down on my bed again.

Mirana got out of the room to clean the dishes, and I stare at the rocky ceiling of this room and then I felt someone entered the room again. I got up and saw no one there. I looked around my room, thinking that maybe Kamandag is trying to prank me, but I saw no one. That’s strange, I really t thought that someone entered the room.

Feeling strange I decided to lie down on my bed again and I had this gut feeling that someone is watching me.

‘The enemy is good at hiding its existence,” I suddenly remembered what Kamandag alternate personality said to me. What was her name again? Poison hmm?  That’s why I got up again as fast as I could even, I did not even fully recover yet. I produced flames in my hand.

“What are you doing?” the goddess suddenly appeared and the flames on my hand has been extinguished instantly.

“I sensed danger,” I told her the truth.

“There’s nothing here,” she said.

“But you said that-“

My mouth was immediately covered by her hand and gave me a serious look and then I remembered the plan. That I need to act naturally and think that the enemy does not exist. Then I must ignore this gut feeling right now.

She slowly released me from her cover and still giving me, the look and I sighed as my way telling her that rest assured, I will not do it again. I almost ruin the plan of catching that invisible enemy. I really hope it does not notice that we are aware of its existence.

I need to clear my mind right now and thing that there is nothing here with me right now.

“How are you?” she checked on me.

“I still feel dizzy,” I answered.

“I saw everything,” she told me and she smiled. “I just want to let you know that I am proud of you,” she complimented me and I felt the warmth of her joy inside my heart. This is the first time that I heard someone said that she or he is proud of me.

I really wanted to hear that in my whole life and hearing it right now gave me this strange feeling. I wanted to cry, but only a few tears got out of my eyes. She wiped it and she continue to give me her warm smile. I really wish that this moment last longer.

“Thank you,” that’s the only words that I got to reply to her kind words.

“That last thing you did, is powerful and even I sensed the danger behind that move,” she remarked on my supernova s***h black hole. “Also, your pyrokinesis has improved drastically and I am very impressed that you learned how to weave your fire, only a few can do that even I cannot,” she said and I was shocked that the goddess cannot do it. “I can control my flames but not like that,” she added.

“Really?” I said in disbelief.

“Yes, and good job on preserving life along your way while succeeding accomplishing your goal,” she replied. “But, when the time comes, can you still avoid killing?” she asked me and worry not, I have decided on that, I gave her a serious look.

“I will kill them,” I said pointing out to the forces of the underworld that aims to dominate the whole Mystic Realm and I thing that she got my message.

“I am really proud of you,” she said again and smiled. “You are truly ready,” she added.

“I will for you all,” I replied.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-