Rise From the Ashes

Chapter Twenty-Two: Playing With Magic

(NARRATED BY TRAVIS GUILDER)

It was the girl with the sunny-blonde hair who woke me, her silhouette radiating like the morning sun.

"Come on, Travis. Get up already!" her voice resounded, arousing me from my slumber. "Get up! Get up! Get up!"

Groaning, I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids, revealing the sunny-haired girl named Sarah Adaleen. She knelt over me with a dripping bucket in hand. I lay on a cot inside my tent, covers thrown to the side.

"Finally," she breathed, standing up.

I sat up. Noticing how wet my clothes were, I looked at my betrayer with a raised brow, armed with the knowledge of her sins.

That wretched blonde threw up her crime-stained hands. "Why are you looking at me like that? You wouldn't get up! It took me all morning, you know!"

"Never mind that," I sighed. "Where am I? And what time is it?"

"We're just outside the Felta metropolitan area," Blondie answered. "As for the time, it's almost one in the afternoon. By the way, is your wound actually healed?"

"How did you—"

Yellow Hair cut me off: "You talk in your sleep, remember? Anyway, get up, lift your shirt, and remove those bandages. I want to see for myself."

As instructed, I rose to my feet and removed the bandages wrapped around my side. To my amazement, the wound was gone. The only thing that remained was a faint scar.

"Wow," Sarah gasped, "it really is healed! It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

I shook my head.

"Thank goodness," she sighed. "Seeing you in pain really hurt me, too."

"Um, okay."

She turned away. "Just change into something dry. I'll wait for you outside."

So, I changed into some casual clothing—a pair of shorts and a T-shirt—since there would be no fighting that day. Then, I went outside where Sarah was waiting for me, while Cameron stood beside her.

"Hi, Travis," he greeted in an unusually cheerful manner.

"Uh... hello," I said, "can I help you?"

"He wants to teach you magic," Sarah muttered flatly, examining her roughed-up nails. "Boy, do I need to get these done."

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to teach you a few tricks," Cameron informed me, "so I'm inviting you to take a few lessons from me."

"Sure," I responded.

Sarah scowled at me, as if I'd betrayed her or something.

"Good, this should be fun," Cameron pronounced.

"So, I don't get to come?" Sarah asked.

"Of course not," he answered. "You weren't the one who saved my life."

"I saved Travis. That counts for something, right?" She looked pointedly at me.

"Er... sorry, Cameron, but Sarah's always right."

Cameron laughed, "Oh, Ms. Adaleen, you've trained him well!"

She frowned. "What're you talking about?"

He laughed once more, "Listen, Blondie, I get that he's your boyfriend, but—"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sarah huffed, looking a bit red in the face.