Crimson Phoenix Guardian- Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage 4

Episode 107: Desire to Grow

*Wanikiya*

Aurelius finally slowed down, allowing us to regroup. Howls echoed in the distance. Wolves. If my hunting skills hadn't grown rusty, they were only a few meters away. 

"You're awfully calm," Kun said as he trailed behind us. He had one hand in his coat pocket. Was he trying to come off as cool?

I blinked. "Why wouldn't I be? This isn't my first time on an expedition like this."

He laughed. "Guess I expected you to show more fear." He smiled. "You and Hika got scared easily when we were little."

My cheeks reddened. "That was when I was kid, Kun. You can't expect me to be the same as I was back then!"

He scratched his face. "To be frank, I did think you might be uneasy around forests after the battle with Takeshi. You did avoid them when you could back in Mina."

I pushed my hands deeper into my pants pockets even though they were already touching the bottom. Could he have seen through me? I didn't think he would've been able to tell my hands were shaking. Shaking. I was such an idiot. Of course he would've been able to pick up on it. He was an earth mage for crying out aloud! He could've picked up on stuff like fear.

My eyes rose to the canopy. The sun was barely getting through the thick foliage in this part of the forest.

Even if Kun wasn't an earth mage, he probably would've still been able to read me. I wasn't the best at lying, plus he was preceptive about these kind of things from an emotional aspect. Lei was too. It was hard for me to keep stuff from the girls and Hika, more so from them.

"I'll be okay," I said, giving him a slight smile.

Kun sighed. "Remember what Zelde said, don't push yourself. It's still not too late to go back."

I shook my head. "No. I won't go back." I pulled out my hands from my pockets. They were trembling like crazy. "I... I want to overcome this weak version of me."

Kun followed my line of sight toward Hikaru. He was admonishing Aurelius not to run ahead again for the rest of the trip.

"Hika's grown," I mumbled.

The middle triplet laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he sure has! He used to wet his pants with such trips. That said, he is still scared."

"Yeah, but he's pushing himself despite that. Dad once told me that true courage wasn't the lack of fear, but pushing through despite of it. I want to be more courageous like that."

He took a deep breath. "Another form of courage is knowing to admit one's weaknesses."

I stared back at my unsteady hands. Then, I was a coward for denying my fear in the first place. That's what I hated the most about myself. I hadn't changed much since I was little.

Slapping my face with both hands, I raced forward. The first years were starting to get ahead of us, while Hika was trying his best to serve as a bridge between us.

"Think I should be the one in the front," Kun said, chuckling. "I am the one who knows the way there better than any of us."

Nate looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"Lead the way," Aurelius said, stopping for us three to catch up.

Kun's smile vanished. He slammed the ground with both hands. "Terra Obice!" A circular wall of dirt formed around us. A loud bang came from outside, following by a series of weaker knocks.

"What's attacking us?" Hikaru asked, glancing up at the top of the wall. Sand was falling from above. The wall was about to go down.

Kun grunted and raised his hand. Was he fighting something or someone outside the walls?