Call of Ring(Compleled)

37 Surprising Power

         Their embrace seemed to last forever, but when Sadie finally separated herself from Blake, she began to speak.

         “I will tell you first what happened tonight.”

         “Please do,” replied Blake still caught up in the moment of being confused by so many different things. 

         “Earlier tonight, the student who was posted to guard the front entrance of the school began speaking with me. Although we couldn’t see each other, it was easy to converse. He asked if he could join me on the rooftop. I refused his offer reminding him that we each had our specific assignments. But he kept persisting arguing that we could assess any threats from the best vantage point which was mine. He then claimed that we could also work in mini shifts, taking turns holding the watch. I protested his suggestions yet again and thought I had convinced him. But after a few moments of welcomed silence, he startled me from behind, having come up to the rooftop against my wishes.”

         “Oh my!” exclaimed Blake. “What did he do?”

         “He placed his hands on my shoulders and made no secret of his desire for proximity. He moved his pelvis with no degree of subtlety right up into my backside,” Sadie recalled with more detail than Blake wanted to know.

         Blake was no red with anger instead of embarrassment, but the darkness concealed the color in his face.

         “I shuddered a first but decided to push him off of me. I heard him stumble, and for a moment wondered if he would fall off the roof, but what happened next shocked me.”

         Blake stood frozen, hanging on her every word.

         “He was suddenly lit on fire!”

         “But how?” Blake asked knowing that he had seen presumably evidence of the same fire.

         “Just listen!” she replied, slightly perturbed by his interruption.

         “Before attempting to help him, I looked into the distance outside the school entrance. I saw two attackers running toward the building. They looked like children. But they were both bearded and covered only by pieces of fur barely concealing their private parts.”

         “Dwarfs!” Blake cried out louder than he wanted to be heard.

         “Yes!” confirmed Sadie.

         “I decided at that moment that I couldn’t save our fellow student and myself. Nor did I want to save him, but nonetheless, I closed my eyes and summoned the power of my ice element. The power put out the fire that consumed my comrade of the security post, but it was too late to spare his life. The two dwarfs became ice sculptures, and when I woke to conscious, I heard first the explosions of the ice sculptures, and then a whistle I recognized. That was you.”

         Sadie finished her story with these words, and as she did so she moved closer to Blake and embraced him intimately once again.

         Blake was the first to release the embrace this time. He had a question for Sadie.

         “Thank you for telling me the story. I’m elated that you are okay, but please explain to me how I came to be with you on this rooftop. What the hell was that?”

         “Ah yes. The time has come for me to also explain that to you. Let’s sit down here next to each other while still remaining vigilant on our watch.”

         “Sounds like a plan,” replied Blake.

         They sat down and Sadie did not hesitate to rest her head on Blake’s shoulder.

         “It is rumored that the first discovery of hot springs on Delphine Continent was in the Olive Mountains where my people have resided for years. Our people had adapted to the cold, but our tradition holds that when we first migrated there, we were fleeing from war. Our leaders did not think we could survive the cold and feared that we had wandered into the mountains unnecessarily provoking an early death to our people. But soon after, we discovered the hot spring. We discovered that daily bathing in the hot spring was key to our survival in the Olive Mountains. Naked bathing that is…”

Sadie paused for a moment, squeezing Blake’s bicep hoping for a reaction. Blake’s body was reacting to the images she described, but his mind stayed unaffected. It was too focused on gleaning as much information as Sadie was willing to reveal. Not seeing any reaction from him in the dark, Sadie continued. 

“As our leaders gathered evidence over the years, they discovered that these hot springs contained not only healing powers for our bodies but also further powers to possess for our minds. We now know that when we close our eyes and picture ourselves in this most natural estate, we can harness the power this hot spring possesses.”

“I don’t get it,” Blake replied. “What does this power allow you to do?” asked Blake.

“It depends on your level of understanding and practice,” replied Sadie.

“Tonight, your decision to imagine yourself in the hot spring helped clear your mind enough to levitate your body up to the rooftop where I awaited you.” Sadie explained.  

Blake wasn’t sure how to respond. He knew he needed to contemplate these things further, but he was too tired to make sense of it all.

“You must go now. You are tired and you must sleep. I will be with you in time to leave for our morning meal.”

“But what about you? Will you be safe?”

“Your concern for me is overwhelmingly chivalrous my dear Blake, but yes, I will be fine,” she assured him with a peck on the cheek.

Blake reluctantly turned to leave.

“Just jump,” she instructed him. “The grass below will cushion your landing. Besides, you’re athletic enough to maneuver such a short fall.”

Knowing she was taunting him further; Blake decided to jump if only to leave the temptation of being with her there in the dark. Landing softly and safely just as she had promised, Blake turned back toward his dorm house. Even if he had wanted to take advantage of his vantage point to see Sadie, darkness concealed her beautiful body. Knowing this, Blake didn’t even turn to look again. He simply went straight to his room to attempt to sleep again for the second time that night.