The Challenge of the Masters

⊱⊰ 4: Emotions [New] ⊱⊰

She gazed at the red plant she had picked. What am I doing?

"See? I told you that it was a medicinal herb." Mimi's cheerful voice washed away Arisa's thoughts. "I'm still at an advantage."

"Not for long," said Momo. "I'll catch up to you in no time."

Momo quickly left the area, looking for the perfect spot in the vast garden.

"Like I'll let you win." Mimi immediately followed her sister.

As the girls lost themselves, looking for plants on the other side of the garden, Arisa had seat, sighing.

"Is something bothering you?" asked a gentle voice.

As Arisa gazed at the person standing by her side, she saw a woman in a long bright dress, holding a basket filled with various plants. Her short, wavy dark hair that had shades of gray, swayed through the light breeze.

"Grandma," said Arisa, looking back at her front. "No. I'm fine."

From her distance, the simple light brown house of one floor looked so small. The edifice looked so lonely as it was the only building that could be seen in the green land that had a small number of trees scattered around it.

"To me, you look as if something is bothering you." Her grandmother had a seat by her side. "Is it because Jin won't let you train today?"

Arisa glanced at her grandmother and met her wrinkled face. She then looked sideways, remembering her grandfather's orders. Today she would take a break from training and would spend the day resting her body and mind.

"Sort of," said Arisa, fidgeting on the leaves of the Rakta Chitrak. "I think we're wasting precious time. If we won't train, then it's better for me and Kazuya to start our quest."

"Look at my princess being anxious about her quest," teased her grandmother, caressing Arisa's dark hair. "I understand the excitement to explore the worlds, but I'm sure there's a reason why he wants you to have a day off. Sometimes taking a break can awaken our greatest potential."

Arisa's gaze met her grandmother's coffee eyes. "You think so?"

Her grandmother smiled and replied with a nod.

"I hope you're right," whispered Arisa, focusing on the green ground.

After spending most of the month perfecting her new skills, Arisa wasn't sure that a day off would miraculously help her to summon her special power easily. Most of the time she succeeded summoning it was because she was under pressure.

Her grandmother raised a brow as she looked at her. "I see that there's something else bothering you. What is it?"

"You never fail to see right through me, grandma," teased Arisa, a small smile forming across her face.

"You're my granddaughter." Her grandmother smiled. "You're like an open book when you're not feeling well; both physically and emotionally."

Arisa giggled. She realized that no matter how she tried to hide her feelings, in an attempt not to worry her grandparents, her grandmother would always find out that there was something wrong.

"So," said her grandmother, "what's wrong?"

For several seconds, only the cheerful voices of Mimi and Momo filled the atmosphere.

"I'm worried." Arisa glanced at her pale hand that was partly covered with sand. "We have been training so hard for weeks, but I still have difficulties summoning the power that is essential to unseal the Elements."