TravelingDreamer
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B3—Chapter 39: The Essence of Fire
🕑 Added 2024-08-22 21:15:32 +0000 UTCI felt human again after a good night’s sleep and a big meal. After giving Rue more food—his Storage had emptied while I was shooting lizards—I returned to Hell. Again, I shouted as loud as possible to attract lizards and shot them. Very few lizards came to attack me, and I got rid of them in less than an hour.
I flew more and more towards the center, towards the volcano. After about a kilometer, I felt my health decline again. Based on all the experience I had gained in the last few days, I already knew how to recognize the signs immediately. I tried calculating how many days had passed, but couldn’t. I was sure at least five days or more, maybe even eight, but that’s as close as I could guess.
When I took a deep breath, the air still felt heavy, hot, and oppressive, with a powerful stench of sulfur, but it didn’t burn me like it had before. It just felt too heavy and hot in my lungs.
So why is my health dropping?
I hovered in place, cast Fortify Life Force to restore the points I’d lost, and just took deep breaths, over and over, until the air felt normal. Not hot or heavy. Just air that stinks of sulfur. I checked my profile, and my health was full.
Hmm, so I’m still not wholly attuned to fire?
The air became heavy and hot again once I flew a few more meters in. I stayed put until the air felt normal, cast Fortify Life Force to regain what I had lost, and advanced a few more meters. I went on like this for hours, maybe even two or three days. Now and then, a lizard or two appeared, but I didn’t even bother to take out the rifle. As soon as they tried to spit fire at me, I closed their mouths with telekinesis, waited for them to stop convulsing, and flew on.
I was tired again. For a very brief moment, I thought about Al’s potion, and then I told myself there was no way in hell I would ever drink that horrible thing again. I returned to the entrance cave, sat with Rue for a while to keep him company, heard about the movies he watched while I was busy, ate, took a cold bath, slept, and rinsed and repeated.
That’s how I spent at least two weeks and finally arrived at the volcano. In the last kilometer, the air was full of ash. I tried to put on a gas mask, but quickly, it began to melt. I replaced it with a medical mask. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was better than nothing. The air here wasn’t just hot; it was boiling. The red flashes of lightning looked threatening and dangerous.
I took a deep breath, almost choked on the ash, and told myself:
You’ve already faced lightning once, and you survived. Not only did you survive, but you gained your most powerful weapon. If you’ve done it once, you can do it again.
To be on the safe side, I said a brief prayer.
“Guiding spirits, watch over me, and don’t let me kill myself through sheer stupidity.”
I put three medical masks over my mouth to block out as much ash as possible, closed my eyes, channeled lightning, and shot it at the red lightning. The two lightning lines connected, and the red lightning traveled along my lightning and connected to my body. More and more waves of lightning passed through me. It felt like waves of fiery energy went through my body—some shot from my feet towards the ground and some upwards through my head, and I felt myself burning. By splitting my mind, I cast Healing Touch and Fortify Life Force one after the other with my other hand, attempting to keep myself together.
When I opened my eyes, smoke rose from my body, and red lines ran all over it. Now and then, my eyes would burn, and I would lose my sight for a moment. When my sight came back, I saw thin lines of lightning.
Cool, I’m shooting lightning from my eyes!
It went on like this for an unknown amount of time. I was an inferno of lightning and fire; only my spells kept me alive. But with all the difficulty, pain, and suffering, I didn't lose consciousness even for a single moment, and I was still in control. I held myself together with sheer determination and the knowledge that, eventually, this would end. I’ve always hated pain, and to be honest, pain scared me. But this pain was worth it. I was willing to endure it because I knew what was waiting for me on the other side.
This experience differed from the first lightning that I connected with. Then, the feeling wasn’t very pleasant either, but this time, the pain was much worse and more “burning.” It felt like a combination of fire, ice, electricity, pressure, my insides squeezing, and a total sensory overwhelm, all together in a relentless package that passed through me in waves again and again.
Finally, the lightning subsided, and I felt better. It was no longer pure agony going through me, but waves of energy. I felt the energy pass through me, but it was just energy, nothing beyond. The last waves passed through me, and the lightning disappeared. Now, only ash clouds surrounded the volcano.
When I peered into the crater, I noticed the core suspended in its center. I flew towards the core, touched it, and got a red stone. I already suspected what it was, but I used Identify to be sure.
Affinity Stone
Fire
As I suspected.
“You’re a sneaky bastard,” I told the dungeon. “Nobody can reach you without fire affinity, but the reward you give is fire affinity. Egg and chicken much?”
Of course, the core didn’t answer me, but I needed to express my opinion.
I took the core and flew towards the entrance cave. Rue touched the core with his nose and also got a red stone.
“Rue not want it,” he informed me. “Rue not like fire.”
“Are you sure, buddy? It’s another element.”
He shook his head. “Rue not like fire. Fire not friend.”
I thought I’d offer my stone to Al and Mahya and have them do rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets it. Now, there was no need for that. There were two stones.
I continued to hold the core in my hand. The dungeon would collapse the minute I stored it, and I still had things to do. I took flight and circled the entire dungeon. It took me hours, but I saw nothing interesting. When I looked into the crater, lava was the only thing I saw inside. This dungeon was just horrible. There were no materials to collect, only annoying lizards.
Suddenly, an image jumped in front of my eyes—a textbook page from the 7th grade.
The Benefits of Volcanic Ash for Soil
Volcanic ash, produced by eruptions, can have a surprisingly positive impact on soil. When this ash falls to the ground, it might seem like a disaster, but it can make the soil more fertile. Here’s how:
1. Nutrient-Rich Minerals:
Volcanic ash contains various minerals essential for plant growth, including potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. As the ash weathers or breaks down, it slowly releases these minerals into the soil. This process enriches the soil with nutrients, making it more supportive of plant life.2. Improved Soil Structure:
The fine particles in volcanic ash can help improve the soil’s physical structure. This means the soil can hold more water and has more air pockets, which is crucial for healthy root growth. Plants growing in this improved soil can access water and nutrients more efficiently, leading to better overall growth.3. Adjusted Soil pH:
In some cases, volcanic ash can help neutralize acidic soils with a low pH that can be less favorable for many plants. By raising the pH closer to a neutral level, volcanic ash can make the soil more suitable for a wider variety of plants.4. Boosted Microbial Activity:
The minerals in volcanic ash benefit plants and tiny organisms living in the soil. These microorganisms are crucial in breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients. Volcanic ash can stimulate these microbes, leading to healthier, more fertile soil.Long-Term Effects:
While volcanic ash might initially cover the ground in a thick layer, making it hard for plants to grow, its long-term effects are beneficial. Once the ash has weathered and mixed with the soil, it can create a more fertile environment, leading to lush plant growth in the future.”
It surprised me—no, more precisely, it stunned me. I was always a good student and had an excellent memory if I studied hard. But I never ever had a photographic memory. And here, in front of my eyes—or mental eyes—was the page from the book I studied in the seventh grade. In my mind, I turned one page back.
“Volcanic eruptions are among the most powerful natural events on Earth. While they can cause immediate devastation to landscapes and communities, they also play a crucial role in shaping the environment over time. One way volcanic eruptions influence ecosystems is through the deposition of volcanic ash. When it settles on the ground, this ash begins a transformation process that significantly impacts the soil beneath it, eventually leading to increased soil fertility. ..."
I turned one page forward.
Questions for Review:
What minerals does volcanic ash contain, and how do they benefit the soil?
Explain how volcanic ash improves soil structure and its effect on water retention.
How can volcanic ash influence the soil’s pH level?
How do microorganisms in the soil respond to volcanic ash?
Discuss the long-term effects of volcanic ash on an environment after an eruption.
Hmm, is that what the Intelligence stat does? If so, I love it.
I removed the metal container that used to hold the sand from the rat island and filled it with ash for Al. I looked at the amount; there was a lot, but I already knew Al. He liked to have excessive amounts of everything. I remembered my quantities of coffee and Mahya’s alcohol and laughed.
Okay, not just Al.
After taking out more crates, boxes, and empty buckets, I filled everything with ash. To ensure I didn’t overlook anything, I dedicated several more hours to exploring the entire dungeon thoroughly, only to find nothing but ash.
I returned to the entrance cave, closed the house, placed the core on the ground, and instructed it to absorb everything.
The phenomenon we saw in the nature dungeon repeated itself. Everything seemed to warp, and then red, brown, black, and orange lines, which looked like streaks of flowing acrylic paint, flew toward the core and disappeared into it. It went on like this for over ten hours. This dungeon was massive. In the meantime, I sat with Rue, and we ate and talked about movies. He had just finished binging all the Mission Impossible films and wanted Mahya to invent a device to make masks so we could pretend to be other people.
“We have glamor,” I reminded him.
“Glamor not same. Rue think mask more fun.”
I couldn't understand his logic, but it made me laugh.
After the core absorbed everything, the dungeon again looked like a vast space with hazy borders, and my core grew a centimeter.
Before exiting the dungeon, I said to Rue, “I’m not storing the core because as soon as I store it, the dungeon will start to collapse. We’ll come out of it with the core in hand, and then it will collapse. I’m sure there are adventurers on the other side. So we will turn invisible, and the minute we’re out of the opening, we will fly straight to the cave's ceiling.”
“Yes boss!”
As soon as we left, we flew straight up. This was the first time I saw the portal of doom when the dungeon collapsed. The portal lightened to a dark gray, then a light gray, almost white, and gradually shrank.
I heard a shout, “It’s the invisible dungeon thieves!”
I looked at all the adventurers below—there were at least fifteen—and recognized the trio of crocodiles from the gorge.
Well, hello, hello there.
They still wore the same leather vests that showcased their tattoos. The biggest one among them, who I thought was the leader, pointed his giant sword and shot fire at the portal from the sword.
It made me angry. This was the second time he tried to kill us. I felt anger rising from my core and flooding me.
Who does he think he is?
What makes him believe he can waltz in and claim dungeons as if they’re his by right?
I became furious. My hands shook with anger, and I started taking shallow breaths. It felt hard to breathe; I was so angry.
First come, first served, that’s the rule!
And he calls us thieves?
How dare he?
It felt like a dam inside me broke and released a flood of rage that overtook me. Each thought worsened my fury until I felt I wasn’t getting enough air.
I couldn’t let it go any longer—he had to go. The world would be better without him. It wasn’t enough to avoid him; I needed to erase him from existence.
I created lightning in my hand—red lightning with fire—and held out my hand in his direction–
I heard Rue yell in my mind, “JOHN NOT ANGRY!”
It was an even louder shout than when he had previously spoken-shouted. I felt it reverberating inside my head like it had enormous sound waves with real volume.
It stunned me and snapped me out of the downward spiral of anger. My actions shocked me. It wasn’t me. I never wanted to kill anyone. Yes, I have killed people, but only in self-defense or to protect another.
I clamped down on my emotions and told Rue, “Let’s get out of here.”
After we left the mine tunnels, we continued to fly along the river, and I tried to understand what had taken over me.
What had come over me? It wasn’t me, not even in my worst nightmares.
I shook my head and looked at the view. We flew along the river, above the trees, and I could see a winding road in the distance. The air was so clean, with no air pollution or industry smells. I breathed deeply and felt myself getting saturated with the clean air and beauty around me. Slowly, my anger cooled.
It stopped me in my tracks in shock. I hovered on the spot and felt Rue getting further away until he stopped and flew back towards me. I landed and started thinking. It wasn’t me. That was the fire inside me.
I had a flash of a memory of Sonak yelling at us for staying in a luxury suite in Vegas while his friend was being held captive. He had two classes with Fire: A Fire Mage and a Pyro Knight. For the first time, I understood his temper. There was too much fire in him. I still thought he was an idiot—his zealotry and tendency to jump to conclusions without asking questions were entirely his traits and had nothing to do with the elements. But for the first time, I understood him a little.
The thought of me turning into Sonak, at least in temperament, scared me. I had to find a solution, and urgently. I thought about it. The wind was the mind, and the earth was the body. Both balanced each other. The wind was light and chaotic, and the earth was heavy and settled. Together, they created a balance.
Water and fire were both elements of the spirit aspect. Fire was the drive, and water was the calm. I had to connect with water to balance the fire inside me. Otherwise, right now, I would be dangerous.
Luckily, we were near a river. I didn’t want to sit by this river because I saw boats on it occasionally as we flew by. I opened the Map and saw a stream that was close by and connected to this river.
“Come on, Rue, I must take care of something.”
We flew towards the stream and arrived after half an hour. I flew along the stream until I found a picturesque spot with trees and flowers. As soon as I landed, I went into the water to establish a connection with it. For a long time, I lay on my back in the water, ignoring the cold, unable to make it. It felt like there was a barrier in me. Something was stopping me.
Rue came up to me. “Rue hungry.”
I snapped at him, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Stop thinking with your stomach!”
Immediately, I felt terrible, jumped out of the water, and hugged him. “I’m sorry, buddy. I’m not myself right now. Instead of me controlling the fire, it’s controlling me.”
Full of intent, Rue looked me in the eye and said, “Fire is not friend.”
The first time he said it, I thought he meant he feared the fire. But now I understood.
From the mouth of babes—or a dog, in this case.
The fire was not a friend. I didn’t earn this affinity honestly. I didn’t reach understanding, then connection, unity, friendship, and finally control. Instead, I forced the fire down my body and mana channels, kept myself alive with magic, and basically forced myself to be attuned to the element. But I didn’t understand fire. How could I control something I didn’t understand? Of course, the fire controlled me. To control something, you need to know it, to understand it. I didn’t understand fire, so I couldn’t control it. I understood what had blocked me with the water. I didn’t try to get to know or understand water but to extinguish a fire. Of course, it didn’t work.
I had to learn about fire and understand it. Knowing the aspect and being able to color my mana with the aspect of fire wasn’t a fundamental understanding. It was an imitation. I needed to attain a genuine understanding and knowledge of fire.
I took some wood from my Storage, lit a fire, sat, and looked into the flame. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t understand it. Fire was fire; what was there to understand?
A memory floated up. There was a fire in the foster home I lived in when I was ten. The father, Mr. Santon, was drunk and fell asleep on the couch with a lit cigarette. When the fire started, he ran out and didn’t even try to save us. The neighbors called the fire department. A fireman rescued me and Mark, the boy who slept in the room with me, through the window. When he got us out, I saw them put the other two kids in the house into an ambulance, and the paramedics looked frantic. That night, social services took us away, and I never saw Mark or the other children again. When I tried to ask what had happened to them, the social worker told me not to concern myself with grown-up things.
Even then, I suspected that one of the children, or even both, didn’t survive. The urgency of the paramedics and the fact that no one agreed to tell me what happened was a pretty big clue that I understood, even at the age of ten.
I looked at the fire and realized that I was afraid of fire. That experience colored my opinion. Later, when I worked in the ER, I treated quite a few burn victims—people who survived a fire and firefighters. I looked at the fire and tried to forgive it.
It didn’t work.
I sat and remembered more and more things about Mr. Santon. How he would shout and curse when he was drinking. His impatience with me when I asked for something. How he would ignore my questions. How he called me ‘white trash.’ And I understood. For the first time, I understood. It wasn’t the fire’s fault. Fire was just fire. You can’t blame water for being wet or the ground for being under our feet. These things exist. Fire is just fire.
She burns—that’s her nature.
The one to blame wasn’t the fire. Mr. Santon fell asleep with a lit cigarette and ran out when the fire started without thinking of us. I felt something release. I let go of the anger about the fire and the fear of it. Fire was just fire.
I knew I had regained some control, but it wasn’t enough. I had to reach true oneness and, from there, Unity and friendship. Acceptance was not enough.
What do I like about fire?
I like to cook, and I like delicious food. You can’t cook without fire or its derivative—heat.
I tried to imagine myself living my whole life on raw food and shuddered in horror. There was no chance!
I smiled at the fire and felt closer to it.
As I was thinking, I tried to remember what else I liked about fire.
The rat island came to mind. We did burn the forest there, but I knew we also burned most of the rats’ bodies. I was sure that without the rat infestation, the environment on the island would thrive, and a big part of that was the fire that burned away their contamination.
Fire is renewal.
I felt closer to the fire.
I tried to think of something else and remembered all kinds of sayings and clichés related to fire: Burning Curiosity, Set the World on Fire, Trial by Fire, Light a fire under someone, Fire in the belly…
Although these were just metaphors, and it wasn’t a physical fire, it was still fire—simply in a different embodiment. Fire is ardor, passion, drive, courage, energy, creativity, resilience, and a relentless spirit that refuses to be extinguished.
I finally understood fire and appreciated her. I felt the closeness to this element, the connection to it. A flame jumped from the fire and landed on my palm, making me jump in surprise. I didn’t feed the flame with my mana, but it burned on my palm. It tickled and felt like laughter. I felt the wind giggling on the breeze. Fire giggled with warm tickles on my palm.
Rue came over, sniffed the fire, and sneezed. The fire jumped from my palm onto the tip of his nose and just burned there.
“John smart. Now fire friend.” He informed me in a serious tone and licked my face.
I realized I didn’t need Unity. The element was already inside me, a part of me. We already had a much deeper Unity. Now was the time to build friendships, and we took the first step.
Comments
TravelingDreamer
😊
JJB4345_80_815
What a great chapter! Especially the ending! Thank you!
Wolve
TFTC
