Beasts

38: Tough Love

  I quietly hummed the beat of a Next Ones To Come as I wrote in my journal. Isaiah called me out on it and I felt guilty that I had barely used it. So now I was writing most of the journey in it. I was so caught up in writing that I didn't even realize Phoenix was watching over my shoulder until he said, "You're including that?" I stopped and read over what I just wrote. It was that night Phoenix told me about his...um...thoughts. I'll just call it that.

"Do you not want me to?" I asked and flipped my pencil to the eraser.

"No, it's fine. As long as no one else finds out."

"I promise." I smile and look up at him.

"You better." He ruffed my hair before walking off. "Also, I could listen to you hum all day." He smiled. I stuck my tongue out at him before whipped my head to move my hair back then continued to write. 

  I must of written for a long time because it was lunch by the time I was done. "You done?" Iridescent asked and set a plate-bowl beside me. A Plawl? In it was a salad with grape tomatoes and cucumber slices.

"Yup. I have a feeling you made this."

"Correctamundo!" She said in her happy voice and plopped herself down beside me. "I see that your fever has broken."

"Mostly. I'm still a jello-like." I say and kick my leg up.

"Then you shouldn't be sitting down like a potato. Get that butt of yours moving and you'll be good as new by tonight!"

"No, I don't think I want to."

"Yes, you do. I'll make sure of it once you finish eating!" She said and left before I could get another word in. I slouched and turned to my salad. Now I was feeling bitter. Stupid tomatoes, gonna release it on you guys. I thought before stabbing my fork through one. I put the whole thing in my mouth and chomped down on it. That's right tomato, die.

  "Alright, it's time for some tough love from Iridescent." Iridescent said with her hands on her hips. We were out behind the hut which reminded me a lot of the space behind my cabin. She had also brought my dad outside as well to 'help improve my techniques'. "First, three laps around the hut. G go go!"

"But-" I start.

"Go!" She yells even louder and points for me to go. I don't say anything else and obey. Thank God I was smart to wear sneakers to come here.

  I'm breathing hard when I finish. I bend my knees and rest my hands on my hands on them like how I told to do by Danny when he was teaching me some gymnastics. "Dying..." I breath out and stand up straight.

"Oh you'll be fine. Let's start with some light blasts." Iridescent clapped. "Hit this tree here." She pointed to the one beside her.

"Why am I doing this?" I ask as I raise my hand to it. A gold and white ball appears from my hand and bursts on half of the tree trunk.

"Because of that. You seriously need to improve. Again." I shoot again and barely get it to hit.

"Why do I need to improve?"

"Keep your arm steady." Dad tells me.

"For emergencies. You never know when you might need to bust out the ol' God given powers. Like when the Wolves attacked." She reminded as I shoot again. This time it's closer to the middle of the trunk.

"Good job. How about a moving target?"

"Moving target?" Before I can say anything else, dad releases multiple balls of light. They don't slowly move like the others but instead zig zag around. "Oh." Is all I can say. "Alright, I can do this."

"That's the spirit!" Iridescent said and stepped to the side. "Ready set go!" She all too quickly. I scramble as I shoot my first ball. It bursts into sparkles as I move on to the next. Then the next, and the next.

  The two yell things like "Focus!" "Steady hands!" and other nonsense as I go on. I don't even know I'm done until I look around and see no more balls left. "Great job!" Iridescent clapped. "You only missed five times! Though, I expect nothing less from perfection." She with her head high and a finger pointed up. I groan nothing this is going to be a loooong day.

  I quickly take a drink from my water bottle before, "Watch your father!" Iridescent said loudly and pointed to my dad. He waved his hands up like some conductor raising a band then pushing them back down. A gold pulse zoomed past our feet and I was knocked to the ground. "Ow. My butt."

"See how your dad uses his hands?" Iridescent said as she helped me up. "I've noticed that you like using your feet more. Which is perfectly fine, but your hands are better for tense situations. You need to make your pulses faster and more concentrated."

"Iridescent, this is magic here. I'm not studying for finals."

"Not that concentrated. I mean that they have to be less spread out. Try aiming for your dad's chest."

"I'm not doing that." I shake my head.

"I'll be fine. As long as you don't mistaken your pulse for a fire ball." He joked. Really hope I don't.

  I blow out a breath and face dad. He has his arms out so that he looks like a T. "Do your worst." Iridescent said from the side and did a little fist bump to the air. "As soon as I say go. Ready. Set. Banana." Banana? "Go!" My arm flinches and a gold ring is sent forwards at a speed faster where it just looks like a blur. It hits dad right in the chest but he merely stumbles back. Is he part tree or something? 

"Fine job." He called out from his twenty metre distance. I turned to Iridescent to hear what she had to say.

"You heard the man. Fine job." She imitated with a laugh. "Now for some melee with your claws and fangs!" I groan in annoyance.

  Iridescent made me chop trees that she would randomly call out. I probably looked like an idiot running from tree to tree and slicing at them. Soon it was evening and I was out of breath on the ground. I am very grateful that the days are getting shorter. "Last one. Fire balls. I have a special guest for this one." She smiled evilly.

Knowing who it is already I say, "Oh no."

"Oh yes." She nodded and ran back to the hut. Soon, she comes out with Phoenix.

"Iridescent, I don't want to do this." I say and shake my head.

"Come on, all you have to do is fire back at Phoenix's fireballs. I promise he'll throw weak ones." I looked to him and he smiled kindly. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Fine. Whatever." I raise my hands in surrender as she steps aside once again. She says her familiar 'Ready set go!' then Phoenix starts by throwing a fire ball at me. It's slower and smaller than his normal ones but I still don't want to get hit by one. I throw one back at it and they collide into a small explosion.

  He starts throwing more and more. Faster and faster. Burst by burst, I start to get tired. Until my exhaustion catches up with me and I miss one that's headed right for me. "No!" I yell when it's only two metres from me. This is how I die.