The Power of Four

Chapter 10 - Ash

This was it. This was where I was supposed to 'awaken fire'. Did that mean I had to tame my power? I don't know if I can. The others seem to have trouble activating their power, but for me, it's so easy. So easy for it all to spiral out of control and consume everything until it's all gone. How do I know I won't randomly start another fire and everything burns, burns, burns until there's nothing left.

"Er...Ash?" Aspen's voice suddenly shocked me out of my thoughts momentarily, "Is everything alright?"

Raine also looked at me in concern, and I figured I must have let the worry show on my face. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I nodded at both of them, surprised for a moment that they cared enough about me to ask.

"Cool. You're not too nervous or anything, right?" Aspen asked, looking at the volcano worriedly. "I don't want the volcano to erupt or anything."

"Just thinking..." I trailed off, lifting my gaze to the volcano. It was strangely beautiful in its own dangerous way. Pure black rocks covered the mountain from past eruptions. There was no lava spewing out the top, but I could feel just under the surface was a bubbling mass of... fire? Lava? Magma? I couldn't tell.

"Do we go up?" I asked, to no one in particular.

"Yes?" Raine shrugged, "You tell us."

"It's your trial. You should have the basics down." Aspen said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Wow. Not helping Aspen.

"Elm, you're going to have to stay here. I'll come back for you later," I told my deer. He nodded and started exploring the area. A moment later, I started to climb up the rocks. But just like always, it wasn't climbing. Just leaping from rock to rock, making quick progress up the steep mountain.

"Aw, I have to climb that?" Raine moaned and Aspen snorted, "Beats listening to Ash's voice."

"I can hear you, you know!" I called down, "I would say jump, but humans and fish can't jump very well,"

"I'm not a fish!" Raine exclaimed, horrified. I barked a laugh and continued leaping. Looking down for a second again I could see an annoyed Aspen and a grumbling Raine struggling to climb up the rocky volcano.

"Ash, I hate this!" Aspen yelled up, "The volcano can burn us any minute.''

"Well deal with it!" I yelled back down. I had reached the crest of the volcano, standing on the edge of a pit full of lava and magma. They, however, had barely started. They could have jumped down from where they were if they wanted to. "Why don't I go ahead to do my trial and you guys catch up? It'll take you forever to get up here anyways," I yelled down to them.

Looking quite relieved, Raine scrambled back down the two rocks she had managed to climb, and muttered something that sounded like, "Thank the lands,"

Aspen gave Raine a look and she said, "we still have to climb up the mountain. Ash just basically told us to take our time because we are apparently slow," She then gave me a playful glare, which I returned with ease.

"Don't make the volcano erupt!" Aspen yelled up and I felt dread crawl up my spine. What if it does? What if I burn us all? No. It'll be fine, nothing will go wrong. We have a prophecy to fulfill, it has to go okay.

Right?... A dark and ominous part of me questioned.

"Catch up to you soon Ash," Raine waved. I turned and faced the volcano full on. Bubbling magma was below me, smoke above me, and my fears ahead of me. I leapt from ledge to ledge around the magma, searching for where to go. All that was up here was rock. Black, boring rock. I was at the top of the volcano now. Looking down, I could feel my heart starting to beat faster and faster. I was looking down at a massive crater filled with bubbling hot magma. Finally though, I found something. A message inscribed on a rock in chalky burnt letters.