The Crystal Keepers Book One: Divine Fire

Chapter Fourteen: A New Lead

   They slowly approached the ash black painted door and Himara sighed. "I really hope the people here know someone or else I'll really lose hope..." She began to tear up with anxiousness flowing through her.

   Yūro put his arms tenderly around Himara and gave her a gentle hug. "Don't worry, I know there's someone in here that'll help us..."

   "I know but... I'm sorry I worry like this a lot... It's because I have bad anxiety..." Himara loathed her anxiety. It would always rise whenever she was under pressure, or in times when there's a big risk like now.

   "It's alright..." Yūro removed his arms from around Himara. "Now I'll knock." He gently hit the door three times with his right hand clenched in a tight fist.

   A middle-age woman answered the door with a pleasant "Hi there!" She had curly, light auburn hair that reached just below her shoulders. The woman had soft, sky blue eyes and a smile that could light the town.

   "Hello there, sorry to bother you but can we ask you a question?" Yūro asked mannerly.

   "Of course you can! What would you like to know?" The woman cocked her head to the left.

   "Well, I know it's odd to ask but, do you happen to know anyone that may be good with either water, wind or thunder magic?" Himara asked, regaining her confidence.

   The woman paused and thought for a moment. "Well... Not personally, but I hear the mayor's daughter in Verta City is very, very skilled with wind magic."

   "Verta City? Where's that?" Himara questioned while raising her left eyebrow.

   The woman seized her talking once again to ponder the thought. "Hmm... I'd say it's about ten minutes if you follow the dirt path from Brunin. It's a straight walk, so you won't get lost. However, I'd be careful because there's been an outbreak of monsters around the path."

   "What's the mayor's daughter's name?" Yūro asked, also raising his left eyebrow.

   "Mayor Zephyr's daughter... Now what was her name..." She stopped and thought again, which made Himara and Yūro get a bit irritated. "...Oh yes! Kazera Saikuron! Well, her first name is Kazera. Funny though, her father's last name isn't Saikuron. I wonder why he change hers specifically..."

   "Thank you, your help is greatly appreciated. Farewell," Yūro announced, which made Himara wonder absentmindedly about how courteous Yūro is around people older than him.

   "You're very welcome! Bye!" The woman smiled with a bound of happiness and shut the door gently.

                                                                                --

   "Hey Yūro..," Himara started while they were beginning their trek along the dirt path carved on rolling hills that led to Verta City. "...how are you so...mannerly around adults?"

   "It's the way I was taught...something I don't really feel like discussing, I apologize." He looked down and seemed to be a tad bit upset. His dirt brown, slightly curly hair fell over his face, so Himara couldn't tell if he was angry or sad.

   "Sorry I brought it up! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you!" Himara was worried that he was mad at her.

   "Oh Himara... You are so...interesting." Yūro looked up and stared intently at Himara with a charming smile.

   "Huh? O-oh... Is that bad?" Himara was a bit confused.

   Yūro chuckled. "Haha... No it's a good thing. It makes people like you more."

   Himara began to blush and a smile began to creep along her rosy pink lips, until a piercing roar erupted into their ears. Another wolf creature emerged from a lush forest that ran a couple meters to the left of the path. This wolf, however, was tree bark brown and two times more muscular than the last one Himara fought. It bolted onto the path, not one meter away from the two of them and its lava red eyes screamed hostility.

   "I'll do this. I'm sick of these things," Himara muttered angrily to Yūro.

   "You'll have it killed in no time," Yūro reassured her with a happy thumbs up with his left hand.

   Himara smiled confidently. "You'd better move, though," she told Yūro, with her eyes staring down the wolf's.

   He moved back, giving her ample fighting room. The wolf lunged at Himara, with it's mouth snapping open and closed, hoping to have her for dinner. Saliva cascaded down the wolf's porcelain white fangs and caked its chin. Himara hurriedly jumped to the right, nearly dodging the attack. She hastily summoned fire in her left hand and threw it at the wolf. It knocked it down to the leaf green grass and morphed into three chains, strapping the beast to the ground and burning it with searing hot flames. It yelped in excruciating pain, but as much as Himara could, she ignored it and followed up with her signature attack.

   Raising her left hand above her head, she created a ball of broiling hot fire. She twirled around like a ballerina with her arm out, the fireball increasing in power and leaving a trail of flames. Keeping the ball of fire above her head with both hands, flames surrounding her body in a magical spiral, she yelled gracefully, "Crystal... FLARE!!!" She launched the fireball with both hands at the already scorching wolf. It exploded in flames and night sky black smoke, leaving nothing behind. No corpse, bones, mist- nothing. That's when Himara realized it must've been a wild monster, not tainted by the darkness.

   Yūro came jogging hastily over. "You are awesome. I wish I could do that... By the way, why do you say that... Crystal Flare?" he asked curiously.

   "I dunno. My crystal kinda tells me to... I guess it's just signaling my strongest attack... You'll know when you have to say it. Trust me."

   "Oh, look! The city's just up ahead, let's go!" Yūro pointed to a town at least three times bigger than his and then started to stroll down the dirt path with Himara.

   I just hope we'll find Kazera... Himara thought, her anxiety starting to make her palms clam up and her stomach churn. What if she won't join us? What if the lady who talked to us was lying? What if Kazera left to live somewhere else? What if she was killed? What if...

What if I stop saying WHAT IF?!