Chapter 12 - Full Power
A few hours later, Lilly was on her way out of the city with Eolande. The guards surrounding them had increased in number after the incident earlier, but they would be left behind at the city gates regardless.
“Was the quarry used to make the walls of the city or something?” Lilly asked, curious about the location of her training.
“Probably, but it hasn’t been used in a long time. Since it's a restricted area, you won’t have to worry about anyone coming close, either.”
“But we can just walk in?” Lilly asked, slightly amused.
Eolande looked at her like it was a stupid question. “You can walk into the house of every noble in the province, Lilly. A restricted area is nothing.”
Lilly had no intention of waltzing into any noble houses anytime soon, but it was nice to know she had the option. “I guess being Lady Protector has its perks.”
“Just a few,” Eolande said, grinning. “Gods, this would go so much faster if you would just jump on my back again.”
Lilly raised an eyebrow, thinking it would be better not to rely on piggybacks too much. “Let’s not make that our primary mode of transportation. It’s fast, but not very comfortable. Or dignified.”
“Oh, excuse me then. I’ll have to get a saddle or something for your exalted butt.”
“Elly!” Lilly didn’t want the guards around her to lose all the respect she had gained so far, but Eolande was making it difficult.
Eolande just laughed. “Just let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige.”
Lilly just grumbled something that sounded like a refusal. A memory surfaced in her mind then. “Hey, why did you have to slap me there before the ceremony? Do you have a thing for my behind?”
“Hah, not at all. As your godmother, it is my duty to slap your behind from time to time. You needed something to get your mind straight, and it seemed like the perfect method. Was I wrong?”
“... No, but a pinch on the arm or something would have sufficed.”
“I’ll keep it in mind for next time, promise.” The grin on her face made it hard to trust that.
After exiting the city gates and leaving the guards behind, it was a short trip to the quarry. The road had been overgrown a long time ago making it slightly challenging to traverse, but with Eolande cutting the way it wasn’t so bad.
“I’ve never been to a quarry before, is it just a bunch of stone everywhere?”
“Pretty much, with rails and wagons for transportation usually. But we won’t need to go deep for this, just up here by the entrance should be fine.”
Lilly took a deep breath. She was looking forward to testing her limits, but she was nervous about the destruction she would cause. “Are you sure that’s fine? The flame can be quite violent.”
“We can go deeper, no problem. I guess you’ll have to undress before getting started?”
Lilly nodded and blushed slightly. She wasn’t bothered about Eolande seeing her, It was more the thought of being naked out in the open like this that made her nervous.
The quarry was a large open area where square rocks had been cut out of the ground. There was no dirt for anything to grow out of, so it looked rather clean even after a long time of disuse. Traversing a bit deeper into the quarry, Lilly felt she had found a nice spot. It was a large flat area, surrounded by solid rock on all sides.
“This seems like a good spot. Can you take care of my clothes?”
"With utmost care," Eolande assured her, her back now turned to afford Lilly some semblance of privacy.
Lilly started undressing, trying to seem casual about it. She had removed the uniform before leaving the city and was instead wearing something normal and easy to put on.
When the final piece was removed, she turned away from Eolande, signaling her to leave.
“Good luck Lilly. Stop right away if you feel something wrong. I’ll come as soon as you give me a shout.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.”
Even if she knew no one would be around, she still had to glance at the surroundings just to be sure. Looking at the early moon without a thread, she felt vulnerable.
But she was determined to make some progress today and get properly started on controlling her powers. Ever since the flame was left to her control, she had felt weak, but now she might finally get some power back again. If she wanted to protect the city and the people close to her, this was what she had to do.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
‘Okay, let’s get started then…’
She sat down on her knees, putting all her focus internally. The flame reacted as soon as she willed it, spreading ferociously to every corner of her body. She didn’t worry about using too much this time, instead, she focused on using everything she could muster of power.
‘And then circulate.’
The flame started swirling inside her, dragging and pushing its way through pathways she never even knew existed. She could hear the flame swirling, roaring like a beast hidden in her core. It felt hot, burning hot, like an inferno had taken hold of her insides, churning forcefully.
But she didn’t stop. She thought of the frustration and powerlessness she had been feeling recently. Yesterday's revelations, of the powers going against her, and the conversation with Grandfather earlier today made her want to go all out right now.
She could feel her body changing slowly. The circulations were faster and smoother for every round in her body. Spreading out her limbs and back, circulating in her chest, swirling inside her head even. Every part of her was filled with rapidly moving flames.
She gritted her teeth, determined to keep going as long as possible. Hoping to increase the rate of improvement, she tried adding more flame to the rotation. It burned intensely, almost too much to take now. But the power she felt in that moment was incredible. She could sense her muscles and bones being infused with the flame. It felt like her entire body was rinsed of impurities, leaving only the essence of her being.
“...lly. Lilly! LILLY!!”
She awoke from her trance, hearing Eolande’s panicked shouting. The first thing she noticed was the sensation of sitting in liquid, which made her open her eyes.
‘Oh. Maybe that was a bit too much.’
image [https://i.imgur.com/7wIfqFY.png]
In the heart of the quarry, a scene of elemental force unfolded, with Lilly at its center. The ground she had sat on was no longer solid. The heat had caused the stone to liquefy, turning into bright red lava, which she was now floating on top of.
In fact, everything around her had either turned to liquid or evaporated. She was sitting in a crater of burning stone and lava, much lower than she had been at the start. The intense heat was distorting the air, making it hard to see clearly around her.
Lilly sat there in shock for a moment, seeing the destruction around her. Once again she felt the responsibility of such immense power. But this time she was glad to have it.
‘Oh, right.’
“I’m fine Elly! What happened?”
Eolande couldn’t be seen from the crater. It was probably too hot to approach. “Gods, Lilly! You’re a damn monster, you know that? Lava was splashing everywhere due to the heat, so I had to check on you. But you don’t even feel the heat, do you?”
Lilly, unfazed, replied with a lightness that belied the situation. “It’s rather nice and warm actually, perfect for a bath. It's very dense, though, so I can’t get a proper soak. But I imagine it would feel a bit too hot for you. Hang on, I’m coming up there.”
She slowly emerged from the lava and made her way to the crater's edge. Most of the liquid quickly solidified and crumbled off as it cooled, but some stuck to the hairs on her body and pinched painfully.
‘Lava… might be hard to wash off. But melting it again should work, right?’
Before leaving the crater, she used the flame to heat most of her body again, hoping it would make the rock liquefy and fall off again. She jumped a bit, ensuring all of it had fallen off, before turning the heat off and climbing the ledge.
‘Nice thinking, Lilly!’ she thought to herself.
Eolande stood ready at the edge, holding her clothes ready. She stepped away when Lilly reached for them though, making her frown. “Elly, could I please have my clothes?”
“Look behind you first,” Eolande suggested, looking amused.
Lilly did as she was told and noticed scorched footprints in the stone behind her, which made her chuckle. “Heh, I’m still a bit too hot, huh?”
Lilly was in a good mood for some reason, so she didn’t mind the inconvenience. The catharsis of releasing all her powers might be the reason, but her body felt amazing as well.
“Fine, let me know when I stop radiating,” Lilly said, lying on a flat rocky surface away from the crater.
Eolande looked curious as she asked, “Did you expect that level of power? And did anything change in your body?”
“I did not expect the pond of lava or the molten crater, no. But some halfway molten rock was within my expectations. And my body feels amazing! I can't quantify it yet, but the purity of my body and the potency of the flame seems to have improved significantly. I could feel the flame strengthen my muscles and bones, and I felt like I could crush rocks with my hands.”
“... If the flame also strengthened your bones, then you might be able to use the strength after all. You might have to try reducing the heat you generate somehow if you’re going to use it in combat, though. Do you think you can do that?”
“Not right now, I’ll need to train a bit more. But the speed of the flame in my body improved with each circulation, so I think it will be easier next time. Maybe I’ll be able to use it without any heat at all eventually.”
Lilly was lying on her stomach to cover the most important bits. She felt that her body might have cooled enough now. “Am I still radiating?”
She was answered with a quick slap on her shoulder, making her yelp in surprise.
“Yeah, should be fine now. I was tempted to go for the bottom again, but I imagine you would be grumpy afterward.”
Lilly grumbled as she got up off the ground. “You were right.” She grabbed her clothes and started getting dressed, tired of being uncovered.
Eolande looked a bit guilty. “... Is it really bothering you?”
Lilly had to think about it. “It’s… fine, I guess. I just don’t feel quite right about it since Mia might dislike it.”
Eolande looked happy with that answer. “I understand, I’ll ask her before going any further. I can assure you there’s no attraction though.”
“... That kind of feels insulting,” Lilly said, putting her top on.
Eolande chuckled. “Well, I’m not into girls, I prefer elves, I like muscles, and I have a husband. You look good, but that’s about it for appreciation.”
“Wow, I’m as far from your type as possible then?”
“Pretty much. Now, let’s head back home, shall we?”
Lilly, now fully clothed, nodded. "Let's go." Together, they made their way out of the quarry, leaving behind an intimidating message to anyone thinking of messing with the Protector of Thundrel.