Guardian of Vulnerable Flames

Chapter 20

Blaze and Furie walked side by side, the echoes of their laughter lingering in the corridor outside the Eternal Flame chamber. As they strolled through the Guardian realm, they continued their conversation about their newfound father, Ignatius. They had to leave him, but could not stop talking about what they just shared together.

The sisters shared a unanimous decision – Ignatius needed to be kept away from Guaya. He was not prepared to face her, and the wounds inflicted by her actions ran too deep. Guaya had spent a considerable amount of time apologizing to Ignatius, but he remained resolute in his stance. Forgiveness was not a gift he was willing to offer, believing that some actions deserved to be unforgiven. "He told us he'd only show himself to Guaya if it's to annoy or torture her," Furie said with a mischievous grin, relishing the fiery spirit evident in their father's words. Blaze chuckled, recognizing the familiar fire in Ignatius's demeanor. "He's definitely related to us. That fiery anger and a tendency to hold a grudge – it runs in the family," she remarked, a twinkle in her amber eyes.

As the sisters laughed about their father's ruthless tendencies, they found humor in the idea that their own assertive and determined behaviors might be hereditary. The trio shared a unique connection, a bond formed not only by blood but by the fiery essence that defined their Guardian lineage. The corridor echoed with their laughter, a harmonious symphony of shared understanding and familial connection. The sisters continued to walk together, reveling in the newfound warmth that extended beyond the flames of the Eternal Flame chamber.

Blaze and Furie, their paths diverging momentarily, were about to walk in separate directions when an unsettling voice whispered words that sent a shiver down their spines. "Stronger. The seal weakened." The sisters halted abruptly, exchanging perplexed glances and scanning their surroundings for the mysterious speaker. Yet, the open land offered no hiding place, and no one seemed to be nearby. Furie, her senses on high alert, asked her sister, "You heard that too, right?" Blaze nodded in agreement, her brows furrowing with concern. "It was really close to me. As if someone was behind me, or something like..." Blaze's words trailed off as the raspy voice returned, this time delivering an even more ominous message. "Falling waters. War declaration."

Blaze's eyes widened as she focused on the voice, realizing that it was emanating from herself. Her hand instinctively reached into her pocket, and her fingers brushed against the cool surface of Guaya's crystal. It all became clear – the source of the unsettling whispers had been concealed within the crystal. With a mixture of shock and realization, Blaze extracted the crystal from her pocket. The gem, once a mere ornament, now seemed to carry a foreboding presence. The dark words had emanated from this seemingly innocent object. The sisters exchanged glances, a shared understanding forming between them. The ominous messages hinted at a disturbance in the balance, a weakening of some mysterious seal. The revelation left them with an unsettling feeling, and the crystal now held an air of foreboding that demanded further investigation.

Blaze, holding the crystal in her hand, looked at Furie with a mixture of surprise and realization. "I completely forgot I had Guaya's crystal in my pocket," she admitted, her brow furrowing with concern. Furie, intrigued by the ominous messages and the connection to the crystal, stepped closer to Blaze. "I remembered Guaya saying that she tried to use the crystal to find a way to break the prophecy. But I don't know what it is talking about right now?" Furie questioned, her eyes fixed on the crystal held in her sister's hand.

The crystal, about half the size of Blaze's hand, gleamed with a transparent exterior that revealed an inner core filled with swirling purple smoke. As the crystal repeated its ominous phrases, the dark smoke inside shifted and moved in an otherworldly dance. "Stronger. The seal weakened. Falling waters. War declaration," the crystal echoed once more, the words resonating with an eerie intensity. The sisters stared at the mystical display, captivated by the magic within the crystal. As the whispers subsided, the enchantment seemed to leave the crystal, and the purple smoke inside dissipated as if it had never been there. The crystal, once a vessel of mysterious messages, transformed back into a seemingly normal-looking gem.

Blaze and Furie exchanged bewildered glances, their minds filled with questions about the significance of the crystal and the cryptic messages it had delivered. The revelation left them with a sense of foreboding, unsure of what the crystal's cryptic words meant for their future. The two sisters stood there, still somewhat bewildered by the cryptic messages from Guaya's crystal. Furie, always ready with a comment, couldn't help but add a touch of humor to the situation. "Alright, as if our lives were not filled with enough mystery. Now a crystal is talking to us in codes." Blaze chuckled at her sister's dry humor, appreciating the levity she brought to the situation. "Let's just take note of what we heard for now," Blaze suggested. "We should share its words with our friends and the Queen." Furie furrowed her brows, a hint of skepticism in her expression. "The Queen? Why?" Blaze rolled her eyes playfully. "I don't know, but the crystal was given to me by Guaya. Maybe she is used to decrypt it and will know what it means." Furie, understanding her sister's logic, sighed and nodded. "Fine, let's do this right now then."

The two Guardians conjured a couple of message spheres, their fingertips dancing with the elemental magic that allowed them to communicate across distances. They shared the ominous phrases they had heard from the crystal, ensuring that their friends and the Queen would be aware of the mysterious messages. After completing their impromptu communication, Furie and Blaze exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. They were now on a mission to unravel the meaning behind the crystal's words. With a nod, they finally separated, each heading in a different direction. Furie made her way toward the Guardian library, determined to find Leaf and share her day with him. Blaze, on the other hand, headed home, intent on discussing and checking on Ash. The uncertainty surrounding the crystal's messages lingered in the air, casting a shadow over the Guardians' lives.