This was it. This was where I was supposed to 'awaken fire'. Did that mean I had to tame my power? I don't know if I can. The others seem to have trouble activating their power, but for me, it's so easy. So easy for it all to spiral out of control and consume everything until it's all gone. How do I know I won't randomly start another fire and everything burns, burns, burns until there's nothing left.
"Er...Ash?" Aspen's voice suddenly shocked me out of my thoughts momentarily, "Is everything alright?"
Raine also looked at me in concern, and I figured I must have let the worry show on my face. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I nodded at both of them, surprised for a moment that they cared enough about me to ask.
"Cool. You're not too nervous or anything, right?" Aspen asked, looking at the volcano worriedly. "I don't want the volcano to erupt or anything."
"Just thinking..." I trailed off, lifting my gaze to the volcano. It was strangely beautiful in its own dangerous way. Pure black rocks covered the mountain from past eruptions. There was no lava spewing out the top, but I could feel just under the surface was a bubbling mass of... fire? Lava? Magma? I couldn't tell.
"Do we go up?" I asked, to no one in particular.
"Yes?" Raine shrugged, "You tell us."
"It's your trial. You should have the basics down." Aspen said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Wow. Not helping Aspen.
"Elm, you're going to have to stay here. I'll come back for you later," I told my deer. He nodded and started exploring the area. A moment later, I started to climb up the rocks. But just like always, it wasn't climbing. Just leaping from rock to rock, making quick progress up the steep mountain.
"Aw, I have to climb that?" Raine moaned and Aspen snorted, "Beats listening to Ash's voice."
"I can hear you, you know!" I called down, "I would say jump, but humans and fish can't jump very well,"
"I'm not a fish!" Raine exclaimed, horrified. I barked a laugh and continued leaping. Looking down for a second again I could see an annoyed Aspen and a grumbling Raine struggling to climb up the rocky volcano.
"Ash, I hate this!" Aspen yelled up, "The volcano can burn us any minute.''
"Well deal with it!" I yelled back down. I had reached the crest of the volcano, standing on the edge of a pit full of lava and magma. They, however, had barely started. They could have jumped down from where they were if they wanted to. "Why don't I go ahead to do my trial and you guys catch up? It'll take you forever to get up here anyways," I yelled down to them.
Looking quite relieved, Raine scrambled back down the two rocks she had managed to climb, and muttered something that sounded like, "Thank the lands,"
Aspen gave Raine a look and she said, "we still have to climb up the mountain. Ash just basically told us to take our time because we are apparently slow," She then gave me a playful glare, which I returned with ease.
"Don't make the volcano erupt!" Aspen yelled up and I felt dread crawl up my spine. What if it does? What if I burn us all? No. It'll be fine, nothing will go wrong. We have a prophecy to fulfill, it has to go okay.
Right?... A dark and ominous part of me questioned.
"Catch up to you soon Ash," Raine waved. I turned and faced the volcano full on. Bubbling magma was below me, smoke above me, and my fears ahead of me. I leapt from ledge to ledge around the magma, searching for where to go. All that was up here was rock. Black, boring rock. I was at the top of the volcano now. Looking down, I could feel my heart starting to beat faster and faster. I was looking down at a massive crater filled with bubbling hot magma. Finally though, I found something. A message inscribed on a rock in chalky burnt letters.
Those who seek power, those who seek rule, the true evil is you, do not come here.
Those who seek justice, those who seek freedom, though your intentions are pure, this place is not for you.
Those who seek control, those who are afraid of themselves, you are here to learn.
Those who seek coexistence, those who want to be at peace with themselves, you are here to be.
One who burns, blazes, and scorches, you are here. Do not fear your gift, do not try to control it. Let it free and use it. You are here to awaken, so awaken yourself, and use your gift to find what you seek.
Do not be afraid.
Be brave. Be strong. Be fearless.
Do not let my preparations be in vain.
-Queen Ember-
Burn, blaze, and scorch. Use your gift. Queen Ember. If only Raine or Aspen were here, they'd be able to tell me who Queen Ember was. Although her name sounds familiar. But not as though I've heard it before, as though I've... Felt it, I thought, puzzled. I looked again at the inscription, studying it closely. It looked like it was carved with fire. 'Use your gift and find what you seek' I turned to the volcano, sensing down down down through the magma. There isn't much magma, I thought, It's just to scare people away. There's something underneath. If I- But what about Raine and Aspen? I'll just do it on the other side, it'll be fine. I went back to where I was before, and yelled down to Raine and Aspen, "Don't move! Stay exactly where you are!"
"What? Don't tell me something's going to fall on us!" Aspen yelled.
"Wait, why? Ash, are you okay?" Raine called from below.
"Er, nothing's going to fall on you. Just nearby... I hope," I winced, "And yes, I'm fine, I figured out how to get in,"
"EH? THAT DIDN'T SOUND ASSURING!" Aspen yelled.
Raine looked at me with a confused expression, "So what are you saying?" She finally asked.
"JUST DON'T PANIC" I called down, and then left their view, hoping that would be enough. The rest was up to me.
"ASH! GET BACK OVER HERE AND TELL US WHAT IS HAPPENING!" I heard a voice that sounded like Raine screeching, but I ignored it. All I have to do is move the magma. That's all I have to do. Over the opposite side from Raine and Aspen, hopefully. I concentrated, and felt the magma. It wanted to burst, to explode and erupt. I stomped down on its ambitions and willed it to move. It resisted, but I pushed harder and harder. Suddenly, I felt something hit the back of my head gently. Momentarily, I let my grasp loosen on the magma to find two annoyed faces staring back at me.
Aspen crossed her arms and said, "That's what you get for leaving us. Now tell us what's going on!" I glanced down to find a small flower from Aspen's hair and she looked kind of grumpy.
"I need to move the magma, there's something underneath. And I need to concentrate, not be rudely interrupted, or it's going to explode!" That quieted them. I gritted my teeth and pushed again at the magma. Bubbles popped, and the surface churned. But it still wanted to explode. Nothing's working, maybe if I push harder- But then I remembered the message. 'Do not fear your gift, do not try to control it. Let it free and use it.' I need to let it free... I felt the magma's urge to explode, to erupt and set fire to everything. I relaxed my grip, and coaxed it out. Moving my fingers in sync with the magma, I guided it out from the crater. I let it flow down the mountain, but in a controlled area, not reaching the forest below, just over the rocks. I did it! I didn't set anything on fire! I dropped my hands, and crouched to look into the crater. A hole, big enough for trees to fill it, went down.
Just as I was concentrating to see if there was more magma, Raine let out another ear-piercing shriek, except this time, she sounded excited. She ran over and pulled me into a hug, and this time, I hugged her back, probably grinning like a maniac.
"My poor ears." Aspen murmured sarcastically and Raine tugged her into the hug. "Get over here." For a moment, we were just embracing.
Then I pulled away and told them, "We need to go down there, to do my trial," They nodded solemnly. Then I remembered something, "Who's Queen Ember, and why do I feel like I know her personally really well?"
Aspen cleared her throat, "Ash... She had the powers too. She was one of the queens that did and she... had a lot of things to deal with in her time."
"Oh! Does that mean there were girls who had the power of the other elements?" I asked.
"Not all of them were girls, if I remember correctly. Queen Ember, Queen Forest, Queen Glisten, and King Gust," Aspen listed off, "You can tell the elements by their names,"
"Huh, interesting how they had element themed names, and so do we," Raine commented.
"Who named you?" Aspen asked us.
"Personal questions, huh?" I muttered.
"Raine?" Aspen asked, promptly ignoring me.
"Um, I don't know. I guess it was my mom?" Raine replied, as her gaze suddenly hardened. Aspen put a hand on her shoulder and Raine looked at her with a meek smile.a
"I... I'm not so sure myself." Aspen murmured, sighing. I narrowed my eyes at her. She was hiding something.
"Anyways, let's get this darn scorching trial over with already," I sighed. I leaned over the chamber and estimated it was about a 1,000 foot drop. Scorching suns and blazing flames, that is a long drop. There has to be a better way down... I studied the hole again and scanned the rocks for another helpful message. There was none. Instead, I found a carving of lava in a spiral format, leading into the depths of the hole. What could I do with my powers to get down there?
"Ash... Is everything alright?" Aspen asked, looking concerned. I whirled toward her with an annoyed look.
"I'm fine, just problem solving to get us down a thousand foot drop," I snapped, then turned back to the hole. I can burn things, make smoke, make sparks, set a fire, melt things- That's it! I reached out to the first carving and touched it. Nothing happened. I pressed it. Nothing happened. Then I felt deep inside me for the fiery core of my power. I reached towards it and tapped into the power. I felt heat coarse through my skin to my fingertip and burn into the carving. The molten rock melted until there was only a small crevice remaining. Inside was a flat metal platform. I brought the magic away and the heat faded from my fingers. Then, I pulled on the platform. It slid out with a clang, but stopped when it had slid enough for it to become a small step. Glancing at the others, I carefully, carefully, put my weight on the step. I held my breath. It held. I let out the breath I had been holding, and grinned at my accomplishment. I had found a way down.
"You did it! Nothing exploded on us!" Aspen cheered and she mused, almost to herself. "Yet."
"Gee thanks," I said sarcastically, but I was still grinning.
"Yay!" Raine exclaimed. Then she looked down, "Are you sure that's going to hold?"
"Nope, but we're going to try anyway!" I replied cheerfully.
"Well, I guess I have water powers," Raine sighed, continuing to eye the drop with worry.
I continued doing the same process down the hole in a spiral, creating a spiral staircase all the way to the bottom of the hole. At the bottom, we all stepped onto more volcanic rock, this time laced in magma in shades of red and orange. The air was thick, and it felt like... well... we were in a volcano. Raine let out a small whimper as she stepped onto the ground.
"Shouldn't we be burning right now? We're stepping on magma, you know." Aspen stared down at her feet, squinting down at the ground.
"Yes, I'm aware that we're walking on magma, I'm not blind. I shouldn't be burning, so maybe you all are basking in my aura. Don't get used to it," I snarked.
Raine seemed to look even more uncomfortable than when she was on Elm. A few hours ago, I didn't even think that was possible. She held out a shaky hand to try and counter the magma she was standing on, and started whimpering even louder.
"The volcano is making my water evaporate!" she said in a whiny yet still frighted voice.
"Maybe that's a good thing," I commented offhandedly.
"That's not encouraging, fire elemental. Don't panic, Raine, it's going to be..." But Aspen didn't even finish because Raine let out the loudest scream ever. I swear, the volcano could have erupted right then and there.
"WATER GIRL! CUT IT OUT OR THE VOLCANO'S GOING TO EXPLODE!" I yelled at Raine.
Raine let her voice raise one more octave before she calmed down a bit. She scampered to a little nook in the volcanic rock and curled up into a ball. She started rocking herself back and forth. A bluish green color started to spread over the rock, starting from the spot Raine was in. The magma in the cracks of the rock started to freeze, making the 'ice' spread even faster..
"Ahem, Ms. Fire. FIX THIS NOW!!" Aspen shouted as she dropped to her knees beside Raine and tried to comfort her in a soft voice.
I lowered myself to the ground and let my fiery energy spread, countering Raine's frost. Heat pulsed outwards from my hands in waves.
Raine backed up even further when she saw my heat spreading towards her. She huddled even closer to the rock. I had no clue that was humanly possible.
"I. Hate. FIRE!" Raine half shrieked half whimpered. As soon as she finished the word, "fire" the frost started spreading up the walls of the volcano, freezing the steps.
I stood up, clenched my fists at my side, and really, really embraced my frustration. I felt the whole volcano shake with my anger."RAINE! USE YOUR HEAD! IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO END UP LIKE YOUR FATHER!!!" I yelled before I realized what I had said. I immediately shut my mouth, regretting almost every word. Aspen covered her mouth and winced, looking down at Raine.
Raine was silent for a second. The volcano was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Then, without warning, she jumped up, tears already forming in her eyes, and sprinted up the steps and out of view, much like she did just a day ago.
"Raine! Where are you going?" Aspen shouted and then she turned to me. "Why, Ash? Why would you say that?"
'I-" I was speechless. I couldn't process anything except that I had just scared away water girl. Our fish of the group. The ice that Raine created melted away, leaving only steam to show that it was there at all.
"Finish your trial, and then we'll talk about this." Aspen said seriously.
I nodded numbly, and finally, finally, got a good look at the room we had entered. The walls were black rock, engraved with designs edged in hot dripping magma. It was beautiful, but I couldn't be bothered to appreciate it right now. An entranceway arched in gold stones yawned in the wall nearby. "I hope you know what you're doing,"Aspen warned. I steeled myself, not replying, and stepped through the dark doorway.
-♦-∞-♦-
Darkness surrounded me, and I summoned a flicker of fire in my hand to light the tunnel. The corridor ended after only a few minutes of slightly downhill walking. The tunnel opened up into a circular room. The walls were made of pure fire. In the center was a brazier that was surprisingly lit. I want the schedules to be out. I cautiously approached the central fire, but let out a silent yelp of surprise when the fire rose higher and higher until it was as tall as a full grown elf.
"Holy mother of trees..." Aspen muttered and I stepped forward again.
"Hello fire elemental," A figure appeared in the fire, no, she was made of fire.
"Hi?" I asked hesitantly.
"You're probably wondering why you're here, and why you're talking to me. Well, as you may know, I'm Queen Ember of Mt. Magma," The woman was young, with dark skin, pointy ears, and flaming hair down to her waist. She wore a leather belt with many pouches, on top of white robes edged in golden trimming. "I was one of the four elementals long ago. All four of us recorded these projections of ourselves to share our story with the next generation of elementals, so each projection has a segment of the story. Hopefully, you are united with the other three elementals, and can piece this together easily,"
I gulped. Not anymore...
"I just want to get this straight. Gust. Was. An. IDIOT!" Queen Ember shouted, her voice echoing off the cavern walls. "I would love to explain his temper tantrum to you, but I apologize, for the other leaders get to tell that part. Why am I so unlucky with straws!?" She hissed under her breath, but I heard it and let out a snort. "Queen Forest, Queen Glisten, King Gust, and I ruled the world in four separate kingdoms. Each kingdom was perfectly happy and content with their leaders, and their lands. Until one council meeting that ended all hope for peace. Years earlier, when us four leaders were teenagers, we received our elemental powers. You are probably also teenagers, so I hope this explanation doesn't bore you. Every time the world is in peril, it gives out the elemental gifts to four individuals. I don't know why you got your gifts, but I hope for the sake of the world, that you can keep it in balance. Each time, I believe, there is a prophecy that you'll receive in a dream. I sincerely hope you are able to decipher it, and will stop whatever evil has arisen." Queen Ember said solemnly. Aspen was just sitting on the ground, her eyes focused on Queen Ember. She nodded at Queen Ember when I looked back at her, showing that I should focus and not look back at her.
"I suppose I should also give you some advice. First, don't end up like Gust, you'll see why. Second, the four elements need to be united no matter the cost." Queen Ember said, much more serious than she had been so far. I winced again, scolding myself for scaring off Raine.
"Fire elemental, I have specifically chosen my old home for your trial. This very room used to be my bedroom itself. Imposing, I know" Queen Ember smiled crookedly, her face twisting into a bittersweet grin. Her smile fell. "But on a more serious note, you are here to do a trial, one to test your abilities and train your magic. Your task is to stop the volcano from destroying literally everything around it. At least, if there is anything around it. Who knows how much things have changed. Maybe all the Phoenix trees are gone." A glassy look came over her eyes as they unfocused. "I wish I was really here... so I could meet another fire elemental..." Queen Ember's eyes, still unfocused, softened with sadness. Her image lowered itself to the ground so she could sit, her legs crossed in a subdued position.
"I wish- I wish I had someone who understood me. It's hard, as the fire elemental, you're completely isolated. From friends, family, society, even the other elementals. You may be experiencing this already, maybe not, but trust me, being the fire elemental is much harder than it seems. For one thing, everyone thinks all your magic does is destroy things. No one realizes that fire comforts too." Queen Ember propped her head up with her elbow, which rested on her knee. She flicked her other fingers, flames dancing gracefully across them. "No one realized how blazing hard it is! No one cares, or understands, that we're- we're-" She clenched her fist, the flames dying in an instant. "Fire." She said faintly, and I said it too, at the same time, with the same tone. I understood what she was saying completely, even though it has only been a few days. Isolated. Alone. Fire.
"Another thing about being... fire... is having such a controversial personality." Queen Ember shook her head in exasperation. "With fire's reputation for being so destructive, it's hard not to live up to that, at least part of the time," She seemed to be remembering something, as I was remembering Raine. "One time, I lost my temper so badly that an entire forest was set on fire because of me. Another time, I was so frustrated with Gust, that I unintentionally set his palace on fire while I was sleeping. That got me a good laugh, but I got yelled at a few times," Queen Ember sighed. "This was just after I got my powers though, and I didn't have a trial to train me. Don't worry, no matter how difficult it's been for you before, it's going to get better after your trial. You probably won't set anything on fire by accident. Probably," I wasn't that reassured by her tone, but I listened intently as she went on.
"Fire elementa- hold on, I need a name for you. Fire elemental seems way too formal. How about..." Queen Ember thought for a moment, then said," I know. I must go, but I wish you luck, Ash. For the sake of the world, no. For your sake, I hope this message has helped you. I-" She was cut off by a loud crash and a piercing scream. "AZARIA!" Queen Ember shouted, getting to her feet and turning around. "Blazing suns! GUST, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Her form flickered, the fire wavering for a moment. Queen Ember turned back towards me. Her eyes blazed, her hands ablaze, her hair raised up and seemingly flicking like a flame itself. "Ash, I need to go, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Gust went rogue and he's attacking the world. I need to-" Another scream came from an unseen area, followed by a whirlwind of sound echoing off possibly walls. Queen Ember shuddered. "I need to go. Goodbye Ash, or what your real name is. I hope- I hope you help the world, and- whatever you do, take some time for yourself, don't always focus on the whole world. You have a responsibility, but don't let it get to you. You're still your own person. Goodbye Ash, goodbye." Queen Ember smiled, and her eyes shined as if tears were threatening to fall. "Goodbye, and good luck." Suddenly, Queen Ember jerked her head up just in time to see something falling towards her. "This really is goodbye... I-" Something fell. The image flickered out, and so did the fire.
Aspen and I sat in silence for several minutes, staring at where the fiery image of Queen Ember had been. Did she just... die? I wondered in horror. Did I just witness the death of one of the four great leaders? Although, I didn't even know who she was until today...