The Phoenix's Maiden

Conversation Between Them

 Arthur’s Point of View

We are facing each other right now since we have to talk about the sword and I want to know if the goddess knows something about the sword. Pyro transformed into his small fire ball form and is currently floating right beside me.

“What about the sword?” Amaterasu asked.

“It’s full power, I think I unlocked it,” I said with hesitation in my voice and their faces tells me they are having a hard time to believe my words just now.

“Say it again,” Amber demanded, may she did not hear clearly what I had just said earlier.

“I said, I unlocked the full potential of the sword,” I responded to her demand. I hope what Pyro said earlier was true because I don’t what will I feel if they had the wrong thought, and all I am saying right now is wrong, but I really hope that the goddess had any information about Excalibur.

“Swords have aura too?” she asked the goddess and it seems like that Amaterasu is still processing what I said in her mind.

“His sword Excalibur is one of the sacred treasures, scattered in the mystic realm and there are only fifteen of it existing in this realm,” she answered her question. “Sacred treasure holds great power that will grant its user once proven worthy by the weapon itself,” I am glad right now while listening to the goddess because she really has an idea about my weapon.

“They have thoughts too?” Amber innocently asked the goddess.

“We could say yes, but not really, there are rumors going around for thousand of years that once the sacred treasure proven its user to hold its power, there are cases that they act upon themselves when their owner’s life is in danger,” she said and I was enlightened by that since the same thing happened to me.

“Wait,” I cut her off and I hope that she do not find this being rude of me. “You said that they act on their own once their owner’s life is in danger?” I clarified.

“Yes,” she answered cheaply. “Why is that?” this time she is the one who asked me a question.

“During my battle with Pyro,” I pointed him out beside me and he did not react to it which is good. “He is about to kill me when Excalibur stabbed him in the chest on its own,” I added and Amber was surprised by what I said.

“You are about to get, what?” she asked me as if she did not hear what I said clearly and I can hear her threatening base on the tone of her voice.

“Killed,” I said with dim voice as I feel so awkward about that question.

“KILLED?!” she shouted at me panicking and she stood up. She is so overreacting.

“If you thing Amber is overreacting, how did you feel or react when facing death?” Amaterasu suddenly nahisaid and I am very surprised with what she said.

“Did you just read my mind?” I asked her.

“No, your face says it all,” she contradicted my question and I immediately fix my expression because of that.

“You are about to die and here we are having no idea about it,” Amber said with panic but this time sadness can be felt. “What are you even thinking?” she asked me and she walked towards me and checked my face looking for bruised like she is my mother and I am her child that’s been caught up with little accident.

I stared at her face for a few seconds and I noticed her red eyes, they are like the sun shining over me and her red hair… it’s so beautiful. I can look at this all day- What am I even thinking?! Oh geez! I looked to the goddess and she has a smirk on her face which I don’t like. I need to be careful when I think nearby her, because my suspicion of her reading minds can’t still get off me.

I am just admiring Amber, I explained to my mind. Yes, that’s the right term, admiring, she is just beautiful nothing else and kind also which is very good, I added. I convinced myself that it’s just all that. There’s no denying it that she is kind and beautiful no other feelings.

“No bruises,” my thoughts were disrupted when she put down my face.

“Oh,” I come to my senses. “That’s Pyro’s doing,” I said. “He healed me with his flames,” I explained.

“He is a guardian after all,” Amaterasu remarked which is correct. “Pyro and the others’ powers came from the great one itself and even an ounce of power from him, is enough to defeat the gods,” she explained and I was surprised that Pyro’s power can be equal to the goddess.

“Who are you anyway?” Pyro asked the goddess by the sudden rude question from him.

“My, my,” she said taunting the guardian. “I apologize for not introducing myself to you Mr. Pyro,” she said obediently but sarcastically. “I am just Amaterasu the supreme goddess of the sun,” she answered humbly but the words are too ironic from the tone of her voice.

“What?” Pyro exclaimed. “A foreign god in these lands?!” he said in disbelief. “I thought travelling in foreign lands became a taboo for the gods after what happened one hundred years ago,” he added and I have little bit of an idea about what he is saying that happened back then. Well, I am not there but my parents are.

“Shh,” the goddess prevented him from saying any words anymore. “I have the permission of the kings of these lands,” she explained to him. “I am here to protect something and if you might don’t say this to the great one,” she requested.

“If I am free, I would do that, but be thankful that this brave knight has proven to me that he is worthy to be my master and it is up to him if I will say this insolence to the great one,” he said and Amaterasu’s attitude changed quickly from being superior to inferior.

The goddess looked at me with serious eyes and I just scratched my neck and what the goddess is protects seems too important for her to be forced to break the taboo.

“No don’t tell the great one,” I said.

“Be thankful,” Pyro remarked.

“Oh great guardian thank you for your consideration,” she said with genuine respect.

“Don’t thank me, thank him,” Pyro pointed to me.

“Why me?” I denied.

“You are the one who made the decision not me, I am just following orders,” he said.

“Thank you,” the goddess thanked me but casual. I think with Pyro alone I can use him against her but that will break the codes of the knights, I will not do it as I am a knight and any dirty tricks is a defilement of the codes.

“Welcome I guess?” I said hesitantly.

“Hey,” Amber took our attention and we look at her and she is just pouting there, sulking. “I am asking a question here,” she added and all of us are surprised as we did not hear her question nor notice it.

“We are sorry about that,” I apologized to her.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“What do you want to ask?” the goddess asked her and Amber now is hesitating if she will still ask the question to us or not anymore.

“W- what h- happened hundred ye- years ago?” she asked us stuttering with her words because of the nervousness that she felt.

“Oh that?” the goddess remarked. “That’s a long story but promise I will tell you later on,” she said but not answering the question of Amber. The goddess is right that is a very long story and my grandfather took hours before he completed what happened one hundred years ago.

“Okay,” she said embarrassed. I’m a bit concerned of her mood swings.

“ARTHUR! AMBER! GREAT GODDESS!” we hear the echo of someone’s voice calling for our names very loudly and all of us were alerted and we stood up from our seats to know what’s going on.

“That’s Kamandag,” Amber remarked and I am impressed that she can tell who owns that voice from afar. “Let’s go,” she ran quickly leading the way and the three of us left behind quickly followed her because it might be too important for us to ignore that call.

We ran through the hallways because all of us are assuming that Kamandag is in the entrance of the cave right now, I can’t help it but to wonder why is she here? I know that she will not come back here for a long time and that time is certainly not now since few days is not long enough for her to complete her goals, or did she already accomplish her goals. I can’t tell but we will know once we reached the entrance.

Some moments later we reached the cave and Amber is already there and beside her is Kamandag in her black fairy form. I am glad that she is getting comfortable with that form and confidence from her is truly a sign of her progress.

Pyro transformed into his humanoid flame form and his flames grew hotter and brighter and he stood in front of us.

“Creature from the underworld!” he shouted threatening Kamandag and that is not a very nice thing to say to Kamandag. Kamandag was surprised by the words of Pyro.

“Who are you?” Kamandag asked him.

“It does not matter because you will be eliminated soon,” and Kamandag pushed Amber away when Pyro threw one fire ball at her but she evaded it easily.

“PYRO STOP!” I shouted preventing Kamandag to strike back. “She is good, and she is one of ours,” I said and Pyro stare at me surprised. He immediately falls onto his knees and bows down to me.

“I apologize for my rudeness to your friend master,” he said with respect and sincere apology.

“It’s okay, he is a new friend,” I said to Kamandag. “He must be surprised since this is the first time you meet each other,” I said.

“Why did you come back early?” Amaterasu asked.

“I have something to tell you,” she said with pure seriousness in her voice.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden.