Chapter 14: Training Day One

Have you ever tried making friends with a rock?

It was only my third day and here I was, trapped with a rock. At first I attempted to imitate the manner in which I opened the door in the training area… by sheer force. Well what awaited me where a bunch of lively thorns and brambles racing towards me like whips that wanted to flog off a bit of my flesh along with them.

Snap! Kaclack!

In almost an instant, numerous vines lashed against my skin. Thank god I was wearing a tracksuit today otherwise I would be spending half of my days just picking on splinters. After a few minutes of what seemed like hell, my clothes became filled small sharp barbs that sunk into its fabric, a bleeding face that was quickly immolated by the flames from my ability, and a sore overall feeling. Well then I am certain…. That really isn’t the way to go about things.

I spent a few hours after that just silently testing my powers, pacing round as I swung my fist in the air, hands ablaze thanks to the anxiety I felt in my stomach. That feeling of a difficulty or a challenge overwhelming me, it all really set me up for fear.

After about an hour of running about, training, and working I felt a low rumble from afar followed by yet another explosion… were they alright? Why yes they probably are… Why would Xion let anything happen to them? Perhaps he’s here to feed them to the rock?! Maybe that’s the reason as to why the rock has energy! Am I going to be sacrificed to these vines?!

My hands lit ablaze once more, bursting into a huge torch like flame that covered my arms.

“WH-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

I flailed my arms in the air attempting to put the flames out; however, I grit my teeth and took a breath. I had to relax. I hurriedly lay on the soft and loamy earth of the room before rolling on the floor. Coupling that with my sharp breaths, the fire was soon fanned out.

I got up and dusted my white t-shirt, which was now an ugly shade of earth. Looking around, I saw nothing but the thickets of plants that walled off the area and that rock…

That sentient… and apparently, hungry rock

I approached it, gulping down some of my saliva in an attempt to calm my nerves. It was an honest attempt though despite my shaky hands and wobbling knees. Once I was in front of it, I stretched my hand towards the pillar, pressing it against its semitransparent orange surface.

Deep breaths Pyre, Deep Breaths…

For starters, I let out a long sigh, still pressing my hands against the thing. Then, I once again thought of energy flowing from within me as if passing from my body like a tube. Focusing all my might in this one task, I stood there…

Seconds…

Minutes…

There wasn’t even a flame, not even a spark! How was I supposed to do this with no one guiding me?! Slumping down on the ground, I let out a long sigh before staring at the nettles that were above me. They blocked out all the light, save for a few small streaks that manage to at least light the area I was in. My lips quivered bit at the thought of failure, but instead of backing down, I clenched my hand into a fist and raised it in the air with a spirited yell.

“I will do this, no I can do this!”

Just when I exclaimed those words, a strong breeze stirred inside the closed off area which was surprising. It started spiraling around the room into a tornado like manner until it all finally ceased. Me? Oh, I rested on the floor, huddled close to the ground.

“You really are silly, huh?”

Who? I-It sounded like a feminine voice? I swiftly panned around, but as soon as I heard their voice, they almost immediately vanished. Being quite honest, I wanted to just run the hell out of there; I mean what sort of ghost acts that way! Moreover, did someone die here?! Was that another spir-

Small embers start emerging from my hand…

I hurriedly pursed my lips before letting out an exhale. This… I cannot let this take over me… Using whatever ounce of rationality I had, my mouth decided to open and call for whoever they were…

“Who… Who are you?!”

My legs shuddered but I dragged them along the soil. My head scanned the area in front of me, carefully looking and spotting for any detail, anything that might be amiss. One vine off, an unturned pebble! Anything can be a weapon for the malevolent spirit! I had to make sure I was safe!

“Aww, you really couldn’t see me?”

My head swiftly pivoted to where the voice was, but alas, nothing was there, just the faint rustle of leaves and the sunlight that filtered inside the area. My lips quivered, and my hands were clammy. In a burst of anxiety, a small flame engulfed my hand, readying itself to strike. Following this, I once more shifted my gaze back and forth to both the ends of the room that I was confined in, fearing that I might see something.

Yet nothing, nothing lunged at me, there weren’t even moving shadows, just the ever looming presence of someone being there… Quite frankly, I was worried. I backed off into a thicket my legs shaking wildly whenever I took another step. P-Perhaps this was a rite of passage if you were going to get devoured by the crystal, but I certainly hope that isn’t the case.

“Oh well… it was worth a shot…”

The voice became softer… more audible. It was at this point that the orange rock started shimmering, which of course got my attention. I inched closer, reaching out to it with my blazing hand. I could feel my heartbeat and the shortness of breath taking place once my hands rested its palm on the stone’s surface.

With a surge of energy, the rock lit up, coming with a stream of light that blinded me. I hurriedly retracted my hand in an attempt to cover my body before flailing uncontrollably; thinking that there was actually an enemy, but no, there wasn’t anything… All that had been left inside the room after that flash were me and the rock, which apparently grew smaller? Ah, this is troubling… What am I supposed to do now, I am accomplishing the opposite of what I wanted to achieve…

I laid there for a few moments, thinking that everything will be alright, that eventually something will work out. But like earlier, despite feeling that odd sense of worry and fear that I might fail, nothing really happened. Nothing really changed, the rock was still there and I was still trapped…

Perhaps I should burn the brambles.

I stood up and dusted my clothes before turning around to face the gate of brambles that blocked my path to freedom… Perhaps it was just best to run; maybe this was too much for me after all. I raised my hand in the air. Together with my beating heart, sweat brimmed forehead, and a clenched fist, I let out a deep exhale as I charged at the plants, my fist bursting with a huge flame comparable to the one I used in the training area.

Crack….

My fist sunk an inch deep into the brambles and almost immediately I felt the pain that came from the thorns digging deep into my skin. But I wasn’t about to give in… Letting out another yell, I pushed further feeling the thorns dig deeper as they broke into my skin… but the flames burnt, they immolated the brambles…

…until

A massive shockwave emanated from the walls of the brightstone area and soon enough, I was sent flying into the opposite end of the room, slamming my back into the thistles that dug into my back. I fell to the floor, a cloud of dust rising up when I hit the earth. My back felt like it were some sort of special hell, everything hurt, everything felt like it had been wounded… and not only was I far from my goal, I even failed to run away from the task…

My lips quivered, my breath was hot, and my eyes grew warm as a single tear came out of them…How was I supposed to do this from one sample? How can I create the same results without years of training or even a mentor unlike those from the outside…

“What was I supposed to do?!”

I bent down and faced the dirt, slamming my fist against the earthen soil as flames started to sputter all over my body. The tears that I kept from earlier coupled with the desperation of doing the task made me crumble like a biscuit to warm coffee.

“Not only was I hearing voices… But I was also failing horribly.”

My thoughts kept me from hearing the soft sound of the brambles crawling open, twining as soft footsteps echoed from the doorway in front of me.

“Hearing voices, oh Pyre, you really are something special.”

A soft hand ruffled my hair followed by a chuckle. I looked up to see that same principal who left me here, smiling when he saw my tear riddled face. I couldn’t help but grit my teeth and wheeze to breathe when I saw his face. The fact that I was messing up this badly, betrayed his expectations of me…

“Why… I tried it… gave it my all.”

He just gave me a lopsided smile…

“You do understand that it’s only been a day, right? Just relax Pyre… and take a deep breath. It helps to be calm and think about the situation in a different light.”

“B-But!”

The principal flicked his wrist, smacking his fingers against my head.

“Think about it will you, since when has being angry given you any good? Since when did rage help you in forming a solid decision? And anxiety, while it may be your tool in summoning your power, how is it beneficial to you other than that?”

I stood there, clutching my forehead as I pondered on his words. Xion was right… but how could those words help? I was nowhere to cracking what he wanted me to do with the stone, not to mention that voice that probably haunts this place. At his level of strength how can he possibly understand the terror of things like that? His strength must be through the roof and would be most likely fearing nothing…

“H-How about you then… Don’t you have times where you fail and feel anxious, times where you are afraid to let someone down?!”

Hearing this, the principal’s mouth warped into a grim line, looking away with a slight pause as if he were reminiscing, remembering an old event. His forehead creased as he let out a sigh, mopping his brow which was now beaded with sweat.

“There have been times that I failed… but failure was never a loss, instead, failure is merely a stepping stone to rise up and succeed. Letting someone down is a given my dear Pyre, but the fact that they accept and believe you… that is the real thing you have to treasure.”

He leveled down to me, once again patting my head with a gentle smile.

“Besides… you remind me of a dear friend of mine, I mean even your powers are similar.”

Xion let out a soft chuckle, still patting my head while I was left to wonder who that friend was. Was he someone that he failed to protect?

“A friend..?”

The Principal moved away shaking his head in response to my query.

“You will know of them, soon enough Pyre. I’m sure of it.”

And with that, he held my wrist once more as he guided me out the brambles… his kind words etched into my head and a question carved into my mind.

I guess I will try again tomorrow…