Elemental Magnetic Star

Chapter 138 WeeStick's Nightmare

When Raina Grace returned, the white falcon had just brought back news.

It affectionately rubbed Raina's arm with its claw, which was adorned with a foot ring, as if to say thank you. Then, it nudged Raina's waist with its head, signaling for her to mount.

"You seem much more spirited," Raina said, stroking its head. "I wish you could always be like this."

Following Raina's earlier command, the white falcon took her to the Azure-White Forest. Compared to the spirited falcon, Azure Phoenix seemed somewhat dejected.

"Azure Phoenix, is it the Abyssal Power acting up again?" Raina grew anxious.

Although Raina was already aware of Auric Forest's malevolent intentions, the mention of someone having already studied the Gold-Silver Sea didn't seem like a lie. If Azure Phoenix couldn't wait any longer, should Raina start from Auric Forest? In that case, there should be no talk of hiding books or tea drinking, but rather a direct exchange of interests. Perhaps this was the correct way to deal with him. But she was not good at this approach; maybe she could ask Gold Shine for help?

In a flash of thought, Raina had considered many possibilities, but Azure Phoenix simply lazily lifted its eyes and responded, "It's not acting up. I'm perfectly fine. So comfortable that I don't want to move."

"Really?" Raina was skeptical. Since it wasn't an issue with Azure Phoenix, "Is there news about WeeStick?"

"Here, it has been hiding in that tree hollow for the past few days." Azure Phoenix turned its head towards a large tree and pointed, "Silent and motionless, I don't know what it's doing. The white falcon found it and came to get you."

So, it wasn't Azure Phoenix who sent the white falcon to fetch her? But she had specifically reminded Azure Phoenix to inform her if there was news about WeeStick. Raina wanted to say more to Azure Phoenix but saw it start to doze off with its head buried in its wings, so she decided not to disturb it any further and hurried to see WeeStick.

It was a dark little tree hollow, just deep enough to accommodate WeeStick's slender body. Raina peered inside, and from the familiar blue glow, she faintly saw a thin branch trembling slightly.

"WeeStick?" Raina called softly, afraid that the faint light would be startled and become even weaker or extinguish.

With her call, the blue light flickered, becoming a bit brighter, as if responding to her call. However, after a while, it returned to its previous weak and trembling state.

"WeeStick, is that you? Why won't you come out?" Raina became anxious, "If you can hear me, answer me."

This time, there was no flickering, just silence.

Feeling helpless, Raina reached out to touch the blue glow. The Elemental Ancestor Fruit core, still warm to the touch and familiar, seemed even colder. "WeeStick, please come out," Raina said softly, not understanding why WeeStick was no longer opening its heart to her. She couldn't hear its heart's voice but could feel a kind of ashen despair, "No matter what happens, we'll face it together."

"What if I betrayed you?" After a long time, WeeStick finally responded.

"Betrayal?" Raina chuckled, "With your weak power, even if you betrayed, what could you do? Besides, we've walked so many roads together and experienced so much, I believe you wouldn't do it intentionally."

WeeStick's glow brightened: "Really? Do you really believe me?"

"WeeStick, your mind is simple, and you wouldn't think of something as complex as betrayal. Unless someone used you, but that's not your fault," Raina reassured patiently.

She truly believed that simple-minded WeeStick was not capable of deceit. Even if it was tricked into betraying some news about her, Raina didn't care. She was more concerned about WeeStick's frail and lonely state, which made her heartache.

Finally, WeeStick stopped hiding in the tree hollow and flew into Raina's arms: "Raina, I'm scared."

"What's wrong?" Raina gently caressed it, "Don't be afraid, no one knows what the future holds. And let the past be the past."

"No, you don't understand, it's really terrifying." WeeStick's slender body trembled non-stop in Raina's arms, as if suffering unbearable pain.

"I don't know. Can you tell me?" Only by knowing what WeeStick was afraid of could Raina truly comfort it.

"Fire, lots of fire... burning, reaching the sky... everyone burned to death... the sky changed color... the ground cracked... it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..." WeeStick uttered these words intermittently, but couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Raina didn't quite understand what it was saying. Was it a long and vivid nightmare? Then, it truly fell into a deep sleep. This time, there were no tremors, and although there were still some frightened murmurs, it was mostly peaceful.

"It's just timid. Saw some fire somewhere and got scared like this," Azure Phoenix, after a good sleep and feeling much better, began to comment on WeeStick.

Although as a member of the Terra Grove species, being afraid of fire seemed natural, WeeStick's fear was excessive. "There doesn't seem to be any sign of wildfires in the Azure-White Forest. If there were, you should have noticed, right?"

"I didn't feel anything. Everything is very calm. Maybe it's just making a big deal out of nothing," Azure Phoenix preened its feathers.

"Azure Phoenix, don't you think the Azure-White Forest is too quiet?" Raina always felt that Azure Phoenix had changed, becoming indifferent and even numb, "Why don't you come back to the city with us?"

"I won't go. Which bird doesn't live in the forest but in the city?" Azure Phoenix flatly refused.

True, the white falcon had been living in the Azure-White Forest for a long time. Even though there were factors that made it irritable, Raina could tell it preferred the forest environment.

"Then, I'll quickly uncover the secret of the Gold-Silver Sea, so we can remove the Abyssal Power from your body sooner. After that, we can go back to Pine Mist Mountain," Raina remembered how Azure Phoenix was full of fighting spirit on Pine Mist Mountain, often criticizing WeeStick and her aimless wanderings.

But now, Azure Phoenix seemed indifferent to everything. "I'm fine with anything."

"I want to take WeeStick with us," Raina continued, trying to engage Azure Phoenix in more conversation, "I'm not at ease with its current state."

Azure Phoenix lazily responded, "Does it want to? It seems to like it here. But whatever, do as you wish."

"I think it does." Raina could feel WeeStick's emotions; it wanted to stay with her. "Can you take us back?"

"Into the city?" Azure Phoenix was surprised, "I don't want to leave here. Don't you

have the white falcon?"

Raina was just testing it, and as expected, Azure Phoenix immediately refused. But she still tried to persuade it: "I thought we were friends. Isn't it customary to part with long farewells and reluctance among friends?"

Azure Phoenix glanced at Raina with sleepy eyes, "What does that mean?"

Raina sighed and softly said, "It means being reluctant to part..."

She crouched down, gently stroking Azure Phoenix's feathers, as if confiding: "Azure Phoenix, do you know? Sometimes, we are reluctant to part because it feels like losing something precious."

Azure Phoenix seemed to react to her touch and words, fluttering its feathers and lightly pecking Raina's finger, as if responding to her caress and words. But then, it buried its head back into its wings, ignoring the outside world again.