"Getting our facts straight. Toby's grown gills, I can float, Lucas can run super fast and Nick's got super strength?" Jessica says.
The lords were seated at a large table in Shinzuku caked with half-eaten fancy desserts and dishes merging into one big mush of rainbows and stacked plates. An all-expenses paid full course meal, courtesy of Elisa. A gift for yesterday's 'hard work'. Being a lord of nature and knowing the right people has its perks apparently. That didn't stop the awkward glances they'd gotten from the other patrons wondering how a bunch of high schoolers could afford so much.
"What I don't get is how super speed ties into plants," Toby says, indulging in another sushi roll.
"Ever heard of photosynthesis?" Nick says. Toby shakes his head. "Why did I bother to ask? You barely show up to biology class!"
"Speaking of biology, do you think our weird experiences have something to do with our orbs?" Lucas asks.
"That much is clear." Mr. Ono says. He somehow snuck up on the kids during their conversation. "You've all gained a deeper connection to your elements than ever before. You're not just stronger in your gormiti forms but also outside of Gorm." He explains.
"Cool!" Toby beams, "My pranks are gonna be so awesome with these new powers -" Toby meets the returned gazes of his friends, all staring him down with a 'don't think about it' look. "I mean, we totally have to be more responsible with our powers." He corrects.
Mr. Ono smiles. "Good. Because the Gorm could really use its Lords of Nature right about now..."
The Lords land in the Forest Nation and start their walk to the forest fortress. First they had to pass through the Silent Forest.
"I still think I should've sat this one out." Jessica begins and crosses her arms.
"We're only here to get answers out of whatever poor lava loser that Shade was. It shouldn't take long." Nick tells her. After the Old Sage had taken down the Shade, he brought him to the Forest Fortress. It was the safest and the most guarded place in Gorm.
"And besides," Lucas adds, "you said your study session is in an hour, right? We'll be back in no time."
The lava gormiti wouldn't kindly give out information without a price. - Jessica thinks to herself. Nonetheless, she's more willing to listen to Lucas than any of Toby's loud ravings. Go in, get answers, and leave - fast and easy.
A branch crinkles in the distance. The lords stops.
"Lava gormiti?!" Toby questions out loud.
"Wait, wait!" the intruder says leaving the shadows. The lords recognize that short trunk-like form anywhere.
"It's Cannon Trunk!" Lucas beams. Like reuniting with a friend he hadn't seen in ages, Lucas lifts Cannon Trunk to his feet and twirling him in delight. The shorter is obviously startled by the frankly intimate gesture.
"Lords! It's good to see you!" Cannon Trunk greets the others once Lucas puts him down.
"Is everything okay in the forest nation?" Nick asks.
"Our troops have been patrolling the vicinity of the forest fortress ever since the old sage brought that wretched beast to our lands. The lava gormiti don't stand a chance against us, mark my words!" Canon-truck says, pumping his tiny fist up, as if ready to take arms against the lava gormiti. "We've heard word of what happened in the earth realm and of your accomplishments. You're here to release the beast, I assume?" Cannon Trunk poses.
"Wow, word travels fast." - Toby says. It was just yesterday they took down the shade. The other nations were on good terms but they weren't exactly the best of buddies either.
"Yes," Nick answers, ignoring Toby. "Can you lead us to the Forest Fortress where he's held? We want to probe some answers out of the beast; find out what the lava gormiti are up to."
"Gladly! Anything for the lords of nature." And so, Cannon Trunk leads the Lords out of the Silent Forest. Little small talk peppers into their journey. Apparently, during the lords' absence Gorm settled into a brief time of peace. However grateful, the nations knew something was amiss in the lava territory. They were silent though there were times they were spotted outside their borders. Incidentally, there was a scuffle not long ago between the forest gormiti and a few trespassing fire gormiti.
The nations knew there would be a time the lava gormiti would spring to action. They've enjoyed and welcomed the era of peace, not forgetting the looming threat of the lava gormiti.
The group reach the Forest Fortress and as Cannon Trunk said, it's heavily guarded. Forest gormiti roam the foot of the forest, weapons out and ready ranging from spears, projectiles, shields to heavily loaded artillery. When they caught sight of the Lords of Nature, the forest fortress grew lively. Chatter rings amongst them, ranging from surprise to relief.
"We're saved!" and "They haven't abandoned us!" sprinkles from the crowd.
Toby smiles and waves at the crowd, soaking in the attention. However, he couldn't avoid Jessica's deadly stare, her arms crossed.
He shrugs, "What? They love us.
"We're not here to sign autographs! We're on a serious mission."
"Okay, okay, we'll finish up real quick so you can go back to your slurping sessions with Mark."
Jessica's frown grows devilishly scary, electric sparks swell around her.
"Relax! " Toby puts his arms up in defeat, "I was just joking."
"Hey! Are you guys coming?" Nick yells at the two. He and Lucas were already at the entrance gate.
'Saved!' Toby thought. He and Jessica go to catch up with the others.
The lords follow Cannon Trunk into the fortress, digging deeper and deeper below ground till they reach a single cell. There, blending with the shadows, the monster rests, its form illuminated by the glow of the lord's armour.
"Who wants to do it?" Toby asks. He's already revealed his weapon and is stoked to see what the other's weapons of light would be.
"I'll do it," Lucas speaks. "I'm the lord of the forest after all."
The rest step back, giving Lucas space to do his magic. He closes his eyes to concentrate, and his armour's glow blinding bright. The creature hisses at the light, retreating further into the shadows.
"Come forth! Staff of the blooming forest!" A whoosh of leaves circle Lucas and he swiftly pulls out a weapon embroiled in light. Once the light fades, the weapon's shape becomes clearer. A staff, wooden coiled into a spiral.
Lucas points the staff at the creature behind the ceil. The markings from the staff glow. An eye pops from the monster's chest. The vines of the staff elongate to a sharp edge and plunges into the creature's chest. It's wailing ceases, body emitting a white light then converting to its gormiti form.
The group inches closer to get a look at the former-beast-turned-gormiti.
"I-it can't be," Lucas says bewildered at the fellow before them.
"Orrore?!" They all say together.
Orrore scoots back to the shadows, huddling himself to be as small as possible. "T-T-The beast…"
He whimpers as if to cry. "He'll come for us all!"
Vestalt held a certain aura that made the low-level lava gormiti quiver at her presence. She's someone who's hard to sway. A total rock to the point some question if she's actually an earth gormiti. And her shade hand makes her all the more threatening, tucked away inside her cloak. It's monstrous, wispy form concealed by her armour. However, her blank stare today hides uncertainty. Magor had called upon her, and Vestalt had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with Kagami.
She basks at the entrance and the doors to Magor's lair swings open. The boiling heat of Magor's flames is nauseating. Even Vestalt herself, second in command had trouble standing in the brilliance (or horror) of Magor.
"Vestalt." his cold yet serious tone booms down from his high throne.
Vestalt kneels. "You've called upon me?"
"You've done a good deed bringing the completed orb back to me." Vestalt could hear the smirk in his voice.
"But there's a problem." She finishes for him.
"I need the orb to fully regenerate my strength. But the girl -" the lair grows hotter at the mention of Kagami -" as long as the orb is in her possession my powers will continue to deplete."
Kagami is sapping his strength from it. They all knew it, cautious to voice it in fear of Magor's wrath. Power is everything to Magor, and portraying absolute unwavering strength is the fire gormiti code, beaten to the backs of their skulls as lava scouts. Having Kagami steal his strength struck a massive cord to his pride.
"Don't concern yourself, master," Vestalt says, "I will do everything in my power to remove the orb from the girl."
"Please do. For now, I do not care how you do it, but keep her here and away from the lords of nature. She herself is a lord and a human, nonetheless."
However narcissistic Magor may be, he is observant, a feat Vestalt wished more of the lava gormiti possessed. Kagami is too close to the lords of nature for Vestalt's own liking. And Kagami's young, ill-experienced and a walking duck into the lions' den that is Volcano Mountain. Not forgetting too overtly emotional, another feat Vestalt heavily dislikes. Dealing with her is like walking on a balance beam. One wrong move and she'll be crying her eyes out, heading back to 'oiji-san'. Vestalt couldn't allow that to happen.
"We can't let the lords take her, not until the orb is within my grasp," Magor says, stressing the importance on keeping them away. That is something they both desperately want to avoid.
"I'm already on it. She will not leave the perimeter of Volcano Mountain under my supervision."
"You've done well so far, Vestalt. I trust you won't fail me now. You're dismissed."
Vestalt gets up and bows to her master then leaves Magor's lair. Finally out, she could feel herself breathe easier, though the task given to her was anything but an easy breeze. Kagami still perceives them as allies, Vestalt couldn't break the illusion just yet. The sooner Kagami realises she's a mere puppet for the lava gormiti and they've already lost her.
Kagami laid on the warm rock stump in her designated cavern trying to get some sleep. Since acquiring her gormiti body, Kagami hasn't needed to eat or drink. But that didn't stop Flamma's constant pestering. Nonetheless, Kagami isn't all invincible. She still needed sleep. Flamma had suspected it may have to do with her orb but she hasn't followed up on it. But Kagami couldn't rest, feeling jitty.
Here she is in Gorm, living the story tales she thought were fiction. A true dream come to life and yet she couldn't fully immerse herself. Vestalt had loaded a ridiculous training regime onto her. Kagami hadn't even set foot outside and she's quickly growing bored of the same-old caverns in Volcano Mountain.
She seeks adventure! To see the caves of Roscamar in the flesh, fly around Eagle Peak, explore the mysterious plains of Astreg, amaze in the beauty of the Lonely Escape, sail the seas of Lehandor!
Maybe not sail the seas of Lehandor, or plunge into the waters of the sea nation. In fact, she could live with skipping the sea nation all together. But she wanted more than being stuck indoors and training!
But Vestalt prevented her from ever leaving Volcano Mountain until she was 'ready'. Whatever that was supposed to mean. She's the lava nation's lord and yet she's stuck following orders from 'second in command'.
'Still better than being back home...' Kagami twiddles with the ribbons of her headset.
Vestalt only said Kagami couldn't leave the lava nation, not that she couldn't leave Volcano Mountain. Her lips coil in a coy smirk. She's spent enough time looking the at mundane, same caverns. It's time to do some exploring.
Kagami leaves her desolate, stuffy cavern and wanders the vicinity of Volcano Mountain. She only saw a picture of Volcano Mountain on the outside from her Oiji-san's book, but the inside looks exactly as she imagined. Foreboding and unwelcoming. This wasn't a place to casually spend time for a quick chat. No, it was a place meant for war and darkness. But Kagami at least expected it to be a bit classier and less stale. Have a bit more edge and go all out with creepy demonic statues and spikes.
She reaches the big gaping mouth of the Volcano, leading to the clear opening outside. The rest of the Gorm couldn't be as empty as the lava nation. A blast of fire at her feet boost her into the wild unknown of the skies.
Her eyes light up with a wide smile. She's never been so far from the ground. Goosebumps pepper her skin, mixing fear and excitement.
Kagami does a few figures of eight in the sky, still trying to figure out how her boosters work. She lets out a giggle then a gasp and a 'woah', her head spinning from dizziness. But the dizziness fuels the butterflies in her stomach and she's giggling like a mad man.
Looking down below she could see the entirety of the Gorm. For the longest time, the only glimpse of Gorm Kagami got was from her Oiji-san's story books. If someone would've told her she'd be here today, to be able to see the Gorm for herself with her own eyes - she'd think they're insane. But here she is with the best view of the Gorm imaginable. All the nations, though they seem apart from up here, they mesh well. And it's as remarkable, no, beyond what she imagined. Looking back, everything up until this was worth the view. Kagami had no regrets.
Eventually, she'll get to explore all of Gorm, see the places from the fairy tales brought to life.
Kagami heads back down to the lava territories. If she's gone too long, Vestalt would assume she defected. Once close enough to floor level, she turns off her boosters, feet firmly planted on the ground. She yawns. As amazing as it was to fly around, it did take the wind off of her. Right before going back into the gaping mouth of Volcano mountain, Kagami hears scurrying of feet.
"Who's there?!" Adrenaline kicking in sensing a faint, moving warmth.
The perpetrator cackles loudly, and Kagami, recognising the voice, fires up her cannon.
"I know it's you, Fireblaze. Show yourself." Kagami demands.
"Aw, so you've finally switched sides? Expected as much." Fireblaze does reveal himself, hands up, still laughing.
"No, but I'm not afraid to attack."
"Ah! The fake lord of nature is going to attack me! What shall I do?" Fireblaze whines, prancing about, pretending to be scared.
Kagami sighs, lowering her weapon. "Why do you hate me so much? We're both lava gormiti."
"A human the likes of you will never be considered a true lava gormiti!"
"At least as a Lord can you treat me with some semblance of respect?"
Fireblaze breaks out in all-out laughter, falling to the ground unable to contain himself.
Kagami's eyes light ablaze followed by her hair and armour. She directs a fireball at Fireblaze, knocking him into a nearby rock. He grunts at the impact but goes back to cackling. "Vestalt planted delusions in your head. You are no lord, and you have no power here. The only use you have is carrying Magor's orb."
Blasphemy! She controls the orb, Vestalt said it herself, it's Kagami's orb, the fact that she can control it, harness its power, the dreams of Supreme Luminous – she is the lord of the volcano. In this world, she has the power to do as she pleases, get what she wants. She wouldn't be trampled over anymore; nobody could hurt her ever again.
At least that was what she thought.
Fireblaze's laughter doesn't die down, he doesn't seem afraid of her power. Kagami grits her teeth, the fire surrounding her reigniting, her fire cannon charging up an attack.
"You're not worth my time." Kagami powers down, flames dispersing. She disposes of her cannon.
She walks back to Volcano Mountain. Torturing him, that is what Fireblaze wants. She won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her cool.
"A true lord wouldn't be so soft!"
Head down, Kagami quickly makes her way back to her sanctuary. Once there, she pounds her fist to the nearest wall. She pouts and her lips wobble slightly, tears threatening to spill. But they wouldn't, Kagami makes sure of that. A hand subconsciously reaches to caress her orb. Fireblaze is wrong. The fire orb is hers and hers alone. That, Kagami believes to be the truth.
Outside the Forest Fortress, unbeknownst to the soldiers patrolling, a hidden presence masks itself within the trees.
Flamma didn't know if she should be grateful that Vestalt thought highly enough of her to send her off on a solo mission or Vestalt wasn't thinking straight and made a big mistake. Flamma had doubts about Vestalt's decision for this, wouldn't Anchor be a better fit? Regardless, Flamma had voiced her concerns to Vestalt but she insisted Flamma go alone.
And it wasn't like she would be doing the heavy lifting on this mission, not that she ever did.
She's here now and she couldn't let her commander down.
A/N: Uh...yeah this was supposed to be uploaded sooner but life. Been taking a break from writing (cause life) so idk how to approach these A/Ns or what the heck is going on in this story? (going back to writing is gonna be a real pain :) )
Good news? Next chapter will come out next week!
Might as well throw in a quick preview :
Gina finds herself in the school library's second floor, looking through the transparent glass of the private study rooms. Mark should be in one of those rooms by now, studying with Jess. Gina didn't have Serena's 'sixth sense' but her gut told her Jessica stood Mark up again.
And she was right. Mark's in the last room on the second floor. A harden look on his pretty face and a non-writing hand holding a pen. He's totally lost. Math is his worst subject after all.
Gina opens the door. Mark's face light up but quickly shifts into a depressed puppy look.
"Did Jessica send you here?" he asks, defeated.
Gina heard the disappointment in his voice. "No. I just had an itchy feeling she wouldn't be here."
That's all you're getting! See you next week in Chapter 28 - Forest Frenzy ~ Beta