Waking (Toga)

"And with our final hour, the shining spirit of Igneous, the Red Dog, shall arise!"

Toga heard the voice of a pastor, but he couldn't see anything. He could feel around but moving was exhausting and his joints felt locked. He couldn't remember the last thing he did.

His vision started to stir and instead of the deep abyss, came a blur of the man who towered over him.

Who was he? Where was he? Toga started panicking.

"Shhhh… calm yourself young man. You've been sleep for quite some time. Take a moment to realign yourself," The pastor said.

The man speaking to him was a blur. He could barely see color. He heard shuffling going on elsewhere until it came to an abrupt stop.

He sat himself up. What he still laid upon was hard as concrete. He rubbed his eyes and kept his hands on his forehead until his senses could start working effectively.

"The Red Dogs shining spirit, has of now, returned to us!" He preached.

The room started clapping. He didn't know he was surrounded by so many people. Did they all come to watch him sleep?

His vision started coming into focus. He grunted to clear his throat, but no voice came from it. He was that dry?

He glanced the spot at his left and saw a large cup of water just sitting there. He immediately grabbed it and started pouring it down his parched throat. So much so, that a lot of it spilled out on the floor and all over the alter. He didn't care, he needed to wet his throat in any way he could.

"Whoa there, easy now. Take your time. We don't want our beloved shining spirit to damage himself now, would we?"

Toga looked around ignoring his warning. It all started coming back. He was at the church in the Red Dogs Skylands of Loil. The only difference was… where did all these people come from?

He went to sleep in an empty church last time he remembered. Why would it be wake now?

"Oh we've been waitin for your return Master Toga. We've heard you were the second-best cleric in the Eastern Skyland,"

It was somebody who attended the church, but Toga never knew even one of these people's names. This place was too foreign to him.

"Food," He whispered. His voice came out rasp from prolonged un-use.

He got up off the alter and fell over. "Careful now. Of course we've prepared a feast in your wake for when it was time," The pastor said as he helped him up.

Toga could only blink in response.

Before long, Toga found himself surrounded by many people. It was clear there was a party going on around him as everyone celebrated. He paid no mind to it. The only thing he focused on was the amount of food in front of him. He was wolfing everything he could get his hands on down. He's never been so hungry before. He didn't even know he could eat this much.

Was this what it was like finally awakening? If so, he was glad that he only had to do it once. That feeling of emptiness in his stomach. He's never been so starved before. It was a good thing this festival was prepared in advance. Though he would have liked if he were told ahead of time that this was going to happen.

Loil was just happy to have their shining spirit back. The last one belonged to Diaga's uncle. That was quite some time ago. Even to this day, the man was loved.

He finally glanced around at all the people around him. The envious, and the jealous alike. As there were people happy to have their shining spirit back, there were also those upset that it wasn't them that were chosen for the role.

It didn't help that one chosen for the role was a Red Dog that came from the White Dragon territory of Rebble. It's not like he knew how the process of choosing worked. If anything, he had not been a shining spirit. Now, he couldn't join the sentinels. For all that luck it gave him, it sure did crash his dream.

"You don't look too good. Something wrong?" The pastor bent over and asked. Toga just realized that he stopped inhaling his food long enough for somebody to realize how deep in thought he was.

"I just… There's something I've always wanted to do. Now that it's all sinking in, I realize I won't be able to live life the way that I wanted,"

"Ahh… I see. Don't you worry ma boy. We treat our shining spirits with care. We'll make sure your missions are simple and safe while we train you. Trust me when I say, you'll live a long and healthy life,"

"Excuse me!" Toga said.

"What's wrong?" The pastor asked.

"What do you mean training? I didn't ask for any training. I got to go back to Rebble. I've got some unfinished business,"

The pastor hurriedly covered his mouth. He looked back and forth to make sure nobody heard him say it. "Are you kidding me!? Think of your position boy! You're going to tell these people that you're taking the pride and symbol of Loil and giving it to Rebble. Do you know what kind of outrage that would cause,"

"Well yeah… wasn't that the reason we even went to Rebble. Wasn't it to help them out?" Toga asked.

The pastor glared at him with the coldest stare he's ever had directed at him. "That was not the reason you guys were sent over there. Even so, now that it has been revealed that you are chosen as our shining spirit, you are not free to fetter over there as you please. You belong to the west now. You best accept that,"

"Ryuma's my friend. You expect me to just leave him out there to die?" Toga asked. He cared not for all the dancing woman around, the music, or none of these people he's never met.

"Ahhh… Ryuma Irgo is who you're talking about, if I'm correct," The pastor said.

"You know about him?" Toga asked.

"During your slumber, I've done my research. I highly advise you forget about that boy being alive by now. If the rumors be true of him being a shining spirit just like you, what do you think would've happened to him?"

Toga thought about it for a moment, but it didn't take long. Surely if he had to slumber for a week, then that would happen to Ryuma as well.

"A week slumber out in the wilderness of the lower world. No protection and a bounty on your head. Even if we were to assume by some divine intervention he survived the slumber, look at the state you're in when you woke,"

Toga was halve way to stuffing his face with even more food. He dropped his utensils. The music became nothing more than background noise.

"Young Toga," The pastor smiled. It was a creepy, stilted smile. "Please do not see me as a monster. I wish your friend no ill will. I am a practical man after all, despite my religious upbringing. The idea that the gods favor your friend over the health of the Skylands would be laughable,"

He wanted to refute all of that. He wanted to tell him that Ryuma was too strong of a person to just die. This however, had nothing to do with Ryuma's strength, or willpower. This was all luck.

"Besides, even if you do find him, are you sure the next time you see him, he'd still be your friend?" The pastor asked.

This time Toga quickly shifted his eyes towards him. "Of course he would. We've been friends since I've been over there. It's not like we left on bad terms,"

"Don't get me wrong young Toga. I've no idea what kind of terms you've left on. But you are the shining spirit to Igneous. He's the shining spirit to Aeragis. Their rivalry has been legendary. Like oil and water, they cannot just simply, be friends,"

Toga slammed his hands on the table and pushed himself up. He was done with the food. Why did people even want this whole shining spirit crap? Every time he learns about it, it's just more of his personal freedoms being snatched and more doors being closed. Worse yet… that monster that killed his brother… that things inside Ryuma now?

Why would it be? How could it be? Ryuma was fighting it just like he was that day. It couldn't have been a shining spirit. Maybe it was, but why did that one have physical form? None of the other shining spirits ever showed themselves before hopping on towards their next vessel.

None of this made any sense and it was giving him a headache. Who knew how crappy his spirit coronation was going to turn out today? Outside, where nobody was watching, he rested his head on the wall, too frustrated to want to do anything else.

"I hope I didn't come at a bad time. You don't look too good,"

It was a familiar voice he knew all too well. He turned his head and there she was. Erika stood smiling. None of her whipping boys around, but a lone female warrior in a long ponytail, jet-black hair, and a wakizashi at her waist.

Just by the way this woman stood, he could already tell, that this was her bond guard.