Himara froze in fear. It was her first battle and she had no idea what to do. Why couldn't Celestia teach me how to use my real powers, not useless crystal making?! she thought angrily in her mind. She was knocked back into the real world when the wolf creature lunged into her body, sending her falling back and onto the ground hard. Himara screeched in pain.
Focus Himara...do what you did when you made the crystal!!! she thought and willed herself to get up. Concentrating hard, she held her hands out in a cupped position and pictured a ball of fire forming. As soon as the ball fabricated, the wolf threw itself again at Himara. This time, she was ready. She evaded the onslaught instantly and acting as if the ball of fire was a baseball, she threw it as hard as she could at the wolf.
It fell backwards onto the ground roughly, smoke emanating from its burned body. Himara, watching in amazement as the dead wolf corpse disintegrated into thin black mist and disappeared into the open-what seemed to be a-portal and closing after. She was also surprised of how strong her powers were, even in a small form. "I think I'm getting the hang of this magic-stuff," she thought out loud. Just then, a stabbing pain formed in her stomach where the wolf hit her and she keeled over in excruciating pain.
Suddenly, the same thundering noise filled the area and Himara forced herself to get up to see what it was. She stumbled back onto the ground while trying. Himara just decided to sit up with her knees up against her chest and her arms wrapped around them.
She turned her head left and observed what seemed to be another portal tearing through the air and a shadow black mist exiting it. The portal closed and the mist was drawing near. It stopped about five feet away from Himara and formed into the shape of a man. In just a few seconds, the mist wore away from the figure and the man dusted himself off as he approached Himara.
The man was wearing what seemed to be a dark sea blue short-sleeved vest with a bit of a circular shoulder pad in the sleeves that was pointed at the tip of the shoulder. There also was an inch wide rectangular part that connected the front of the vest in the middle of his chest. He also wore short azure blue baggy shorts and what looked like a cape coming out of the back of the shorts. The dark navy blue cape flowed out and surrounded most of the man's legs, up until the middle of his thigh in the front. The man was quite muscular, but still quite petite in stature. His face was a bit catlike, and had shoulder length, dark sky blue hair with side swept, eyebrow length bangs on the right. His flaming red eyes were locked with Himara's and a smirk adorned his feline like face.
"That was quite a show you put on there," he said calmly with a smooth, soft voice. "You know, I haven't seen a normal person control magic like that in a while." He studied Himara carefully. "Is something wrong?"
"Why does it matter to you?" Himara shot back, knowing that he was an enemy from his arrival.
"Well...you know, you don't need a reason to help someone." He walked over to Himara and held out his hand. "I saw you try to get up. Let me help you."
"Why do you want to help me? You are one of Shadoe's workers, right?"
He sighed. "Yes, I do work for Shadoe and I said you don't need a reason to help someone. But if you cannot live without an answer...it is because I don't like to see a cute girl like you in pain." He smiled again.
Himara willed herself not to smile. He's one of them, don't let that stop you from getting rid of him! Her stomach wrenched in pain and she took his hand and let him help her up. He was gonna die now anyway. "Thank you but..." she started.
"But what?" he asked while cocking his head.
"But if you're part of the darkness, you have to die!!" just then, the pain came back and she hunched over.
He sighed again. "If you insist...let's go!!" He slowly backed up two meters.
Himara straightened up and summoned a ball of fire above her head with her left hand. She spun around with her arm out, fire streaming out of the flaming ball, charging power. Once it was ready, she held it with both hands above her head again and her crystal seemed to control her and make her yell out, "Crystal...FLARE!!!" She launched the searing ball of fire over her head and towards the mysterious man. The fire ball hit the man hard, and when the flames cleared, Himara was shocked to see he didn't have any burns.
"Water always douses fire," he said almost teasingly and sent a beam of ice cold water at Himara with both hands.
She tried to block it with a makeshift fire shield, but like he said, it was doused instantly and Himara was sent flying backwards from the blast of baby blue water. She stopped herself with her feet as she skidded back. She collapsed onto the ground with a depressing moan. "I'm sorry I failed you, everyone..."
"Oh don't worry, you're not gonna die...I'll heal you now." The man walked hastily over to Himara and held out his left hand face down. Sparkling blue light floated down and dissolved into Himara's beat up body.
Himara felt her body get rejuvenated and a soft, warm feeling go over her. Her clothes dried from the water blast and she felt all her pains wash away by the mysterious man's healing abilities. Wait. If he's part of the darkness, why does he have healing powers? Himara thought in her mind. She felt herself sit up and cross her legs.
"Th-thank you," she said sincerely. "But you could have let me die! Why would you put me in near-death condition and then heal me? Doesn't the darkness want the light to die?"
He sat carefully in front of Himara, however on his knees. He placed his pale ivory hand on the bottom of her chin and his thumb curved, cupping her chin. He moved his face close to hers and she could feel his warm breath. Her heart started to race. "Because I like to toy with my prey before I move in for the kill. But you may be too cute to kill." he whispered with a teasing smile on his face. Himara started to blush and she pulled away. He put his arms back with his hands holding the back of his head casually. "By the way...my name's Kuchi. Kuchi Mizuru."
"M-my name is Himara Shawā." That was when she noticed his blazing red eyes. Those eyes...and that voice! They-no,HE was the one in her dream and the one talking to her!
He rose. "See you...Himara." He transformed again into the familiar translucent black mist but this time, dissolved into the air.
"No! Wait!! Why were you in..," Himara tried.
Getting up, thoughts flooded her mind with wonder. Why was he being so friendly with me, as if I was on his side? He's probably just messing with me...or maybe not. But why was my heart beating so fast? And why oh why did I blush when he made that comment? No...I can't like the enemy. But what would happen if I did? No! Don't think that... Oh someone help me, I'm so confused...
What was that all about?
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The Crystal Keepers Book One: Divine Fire
الخيال (فانتازيا)(Watty Awards 2012) Fourteen year old Himara Shawā lived a normal, High School student life until she starts having the same, mysterious dream every night. And now she has the ability to control fire and must travel to another realm to find four cho...
