Chapter 8-Suzaku’s test

I arrive at the edge of the river and observe my surroundings. Most of the town is already gathered ready to watch who survives. Kanuk is dressed in his Red ceremonial robe. He comes up to me and asks. “Are you guys ready to begin?”

I turn around and see Cecelia, Aarushi, and Lucarus standing behind me. I didn’t realize they followed so close behind me, I guess I was lost in thought. I wonder what they think of me now. I didn’t know Lucarus and Aarushi were both in on the plan to set me up with Cecelia. How long have they been planning that for? Do they all hate me now?

Aarushi Silently nods her head and sits down by the river. She sits on her feet in a kneeling position. She faces away from the river and begins scanning everyone who has come to watch.

I also nod my head and take a seat to the left of Aarushi in the same manner as her.

Cecelia takes a deep breath. “Yeah I have done everything I need to.” She then takes a seat to my left. Lucarus glares at me for a second then goes over and sits next to Aarushi.

For me the atmosphere is highly uncomfortable. I have a million things racing through my head. Will I survive Suzaku’s test? Why did Cecelia do that? Why did she kiss me? Will everyone else be able to survive the test, or will they even attempt it in the first place? They never gave me their answers. I have so many questions and no answers.

I look over at Cecelia and realize she had been staring at me this whole time. She puts a smile on her face and gives me a quick wink. Why did she do that? Did she not realize I dumped her, or does this mean she forgives me? Why did she have to do something like this in the first place? She is way too young to be thinking about stuff like that, she is only ten years old! Wait does she even know what a kiss means? I guess we have never had sexual education at school yet, and in this world my parents haven’t told me about anything like that either… maybe her parents have talked to her already. I guess I should sit her down and have a proper conversation after we finish the test. But what will I tell her? I can’t say she is too young for me because we are the same age, and well I can’t lie to her either. But if I tell the truth she won’t believe that I was reborn into this world with memories of past lives.

My continuous flow of thoughts are stopped when Kanuk puts his hand on my shoulder and places the phoenix seed in my hand. He whispers “I wish you the best of luck, try to make the energy flow like this.” He pulls some heat energy from my shoulder then pushes it back into me. He then walks away and goes to Cecelia next.

I didn’t even realize he had begun his speech. I have been in my own world. I need to start paying attention. I take a deep breath and look into the crowd. I see my mother and father watching me. They are holding hands while both of their marks glow a dark purple. This is a mix of fear and depression. I lip the words “I love you!” and a small smile crosses each of their faces. I see a single tear drips down my mother’s face. I will survive this, I must survive this.

Kanuk finishes his last words and gives his prayer for us. The four of us stand up in unison and look over at each other. Lucarus puts on a face I have never seen him use before. I wonder what he must be thinking. Aarushi has a blissful look of determination, no fear in her eyes. She seems pretty confident. I look to the other side and catch Cecelia’s eyes. They do not hold fear nor determination, just a deep pit of sorrow. I’m sorry I can’t return your feelings yet. Maybe in a few more years when you’re older I can.

We all turn around and face the river. Each of us take a few steps into the shallow bank until we reach the part that drops into a deep white rushing river. I take a deep breath and dive in head first leaving the others behind.

I kick my legs and pull with my arms going deeper into the river my head still under water. The rushing current continuously drags me down stream. The cold currents constantly lash at my skin. The frigid water saps the energy and heat from my body, I do not feel cold but I can feel a constant release of fire burning inside me. If I did not have this power warming me, my hands and feet would begin to feel numb. Silence envelops me, the water blocks out all noise. If I didn’t have to fight for my life to keep from floating away, this would be extremely peaceful. Pressure begins to fill my chest as I use up the last bits of air in my lungs.

My head pops out of the river and I gasp for air filling my lungs. Water clashes on the surface and slaps me in the face. This feels like being in the ocean from my first world, just without the salt. I swim free style to the other side and crawl onto the land. Resting on my hands and knees I pant uncontrollably. Several seconds go by like this before Lucarus and Aarushi crawl onto the bank next to me.

I regain my composure and stand up. “That river is a lot bigger than it looks.”

Aarushi looks up and smiles “I like the challenge!”

Lucarus keeps his head down and continues to pant. “No kidding… I almost thought I would die... I don’t know if I could have brought myself to jump in if I didn’t see you do it first.” He lifts one of his hands and gives me a thumbs up still keeping his head facing the ground.

A few seconds later Cecelia reaches the bank and I walk over to her. I grab her hand and pull her onto shore “How are you feeling?”

Cecelia takes a few more deep breaths and then looks at me with a smile. “Thank you very much, maybe on the way back we you could just drag me the whole way?”

“haha I don’t know if I have the strength but I will do my best.” I pat her on the shoulder and start to turn toward the forest.

Cecelia grabs my leg and says “Wait help me up.”

I grab her hand and do as she says. I hear a slight bit of giggling coming from Aarushi’s direction. I point at a small clearing.  “Come on everyone lets gather in a circle over there.”

We all gather into a circle and stand in silence for a few short moments. Lucarus asks the group “does everyone still have their seeds?”

I nod my head and look toward the girls. Aarushi pumps he fist in the air with a smug look on her face. Cecelia nods her head while ringing the bottom of her shirt nervously.

I clear my throat and announce. “I will be taking mine, you all of a choice to make, I will not judge you for running away.”

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Lucarus punches me in the shoulder “You know I will follow you anywhere, plus I was planning on taking the seed from the beginning.” He puts his hand behind his head and gives the cheeky smile of his like he always does. His two front teeth are missing. He is truly my best friend in this world, I’m glad he will take the test with me.

Aarushi puts her fingers to her lips and tilts her head. “Why would you need to say something like that, we wouldn’t run away, this is something we have wanted to do for a long time!” she then removes her finger and slightly dabs my nose with it. What was that? I have never had her do something like that before. She then looks to Lucarus. “And you, I remember seeing you pace back and forth freaking out about it a few days ago, you were totally reconsidering it!”

Lucarus pulls his fist up in front of him “If you weren’t a girl I would totally hit you right now, way to ruin the moment!”

“Your ruined it by being to cheesy!” Aarushi sticks her tongue out and pulls down on the skin below her right eye. “LLLUUUUGGGHHH”

Cecelia giggles with her hand over her mouth. “I love you guys so much, let’s do this together!”

I hold my seed out in front of me “Everyone put your hands in like this” the group does as I say. “On three we give a cry to victory then take our seeds. One! Two! Three!”

Everyone in unison shouts “Victory!” and then pulls their hands to their mouths and swallows their respective seeds. I’m glad no one was mad at me in the end. A smile forms across my face.

All the energy that I lost from the river is replenished in an instant, and then even more forces its way into me. All this power gushing inside of me, it’s like a dream. All the time I spent trying to build up power over time feels wasted as an unbelievable amount fills me. All my senses are heightened and a tingling sensation covers my body. My adrenaline begins to pump and sweet covers my body. I feel like I can do anything in this world and nothing can stop me! This feeling however slowly begins to be replaced.

Fear and anxiety over take my mind; a burning sensation begins to cover my skin. Red flames engulf my vision and the sound of the river is masked by my own screams of pain. The heat of the flames over take me, enveloping me in pain. My skin begins to melt away. My blood feels like it is boiling. Every inch of my body screams in pain and I fall to the ground. I am being burned alive, but this is not the worst part of the pain. Inside my stomach I can feel the roots dig into me. The seed is clawing its way out of my body ripping holes inside of me. I can feel it wiggle through my stomach to my arms and legs. I can feel a root rip open my skin and dig into the earth and then my mind goes blank.

…

All the pain fades from my body, the noise, the fear, everything. I feel a familiar feeling once more, I am in purgatory. Dam it! I wasn’t supposed to die. I knew as soon as the roots began to expand it was the end but I still held hope. Why does this have to happen, I was building friendships and gaining strength. Why did I have to die!

[Pain]

Hugh? It’s that voice again, It sounded almost muffled…

[Die]

I’m already dead, why did it tell me to die?

[Nonsense]

Is this voice talking to me? Does it even know I am here? What is going on I don’t understand!

[Dream]

This doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand. What do those four words have in common? Pain, Die, Nonsense, and Dream… What does it all mean? What is this place? Who are you!?

…

No answer… I guess I’ll just have to wait to be resected…

…

I am beginning to fade now…

…

Images pass by my vision. A large muscular man with great orange and red feathers coming from his back and a large bird skull resting on his head stands in front of me. His face is shrouded in darkens. He wields a large double edge blade almost six feet long. Black bandages are wrapped around his arms and legs, a pelt of feathers around his waist. A scar the shape of a campfire covers his chest, several cuts and bruises cover his body. Blood drips from his blade. He raises his sword and begins to strike it at me but a flash of grey fills my eyes and the clashing of metal echoes through the dark room.

Darkness fills my vision, soon replaced with fire. Pain coming from my hands and legs shoot through my body like dozens of needles poking out of my skin and muscles. Heat radiates around me. The flames begin to dissipate. I look down at the burnt ground around me. My arms and legs are stuck to the ground by red roots protruding from my body. I pull at my arm and the roots tug back. I force my arm away from the ground and the roots pull out of me. Blood gushes from where the roots once sat. I rip out the rest of the roots and stand up. I look in front of me and see Lucarus and Aarushi staring in my direction with fear and confusion. Somehow I survived the phoenix seed. What were those images? Why did I end up in purgatory again?

I flex my hands and put a small portion of power into it. Smoke begins to funnel out of my hand. Flames extend from my palm shaping itself to my command. An orange ball of flames the size of my head forms in my hand. I have never been able to produce such a large flame with such little effort. I have grown, I am strong now.

I look around trying to find Cecelia. I look at Aarushi and Lucarus “Where is Cecelia?” They both look down at a tree directly in front of me. “No, NOOO! You’re lying! She didn’t die! She couldn’t die!” I drop to the ground at the base of the new sapling and begin to cry. She was my friend. I never got a chance to talk to her about what happened. We never got to go into the forest together. Why does this dam world have to be so cruel!

Fury and rage fill my body and mind as I let my powers explode wildly. Flames shoot from every part of my body. Cries of pain and agony slip from my mouth as tear drops evaporate before fully forming.

Lucarus gulps and walks toward me. “How are you still alive? You were turning into a tree. We thought you both died…” A sorrowful and quivering voice replaces his usually charming one. I continue to cry ignoring his question. Lucarus and Aarushi kneel down next to me and wrap their arms around me. Both of them begin to cry along with me. Today we gained great strength but at what cost.