Phoenix Mountain: The Protectors of Reality

Chapter Eight - The Outside World

I was breathing hard as I woke up, Max and Adri surrounding me. "You're awake! Do you feel any better from using your powers?" I noticed that Max had a cloth hat on, with an alpaca logo on the front. I mentally decided to ask him about the hat later.

I rubbed my head, and sighed, "I'm going to take a wild guess. You encountered the Breakers?"

The two looked shocked, "Uh, yeah. How did you know?" I explained my dream with Bris, and Max grimaced.

"The second I see her face again, she's dead..."

Adri groaned in annoyance, "Calm down, Superman. Let's relax for now. Why don't we head outside? I want to see more of the protectors' powers in action!" I could tell that Adri was trying to lighten the mood, and I was thankful. 

I jumped out of the bed, glad to not be restrained by chains now. "Alright, but I want someone coming with us. I don't want to be going through these powers blindly."

We heard a cheerful scream from outside the doorway, "I'd like to go outside with you guys! I want to see more of your powers in action, Sammy!"

We turned to the door to see Terra, a beaming smile written across her face. I smiled with her, and nodded, "Sure, you can come with us! Lux would be too mean about it anyways..."

Terra giggled, "Can Sarah come too? She's wanted to show her more of her powers too!"

I agreed, and Max smiled, "Looks like we're going outside then. I could use some fresh air, anyways."

Sarah, Terra, Adri, Max, and I went downstairs, and found Father Time in the kitchen, making sandwiches. He looked at Max, Adri and I, and smiled, "I suspect you introduced yourself to the other protectors?"

We smiled, and nodded, "Can we go outside? You said we needed to ask you to head outside, so..."

He nodded, "Yes, you may head outside. However, I must observe your powers while you are outside, Samuel. I presume that one of the protectors told you about the way we practice our powers...?"

I shook my head, and he sighed, "We call it 'Reality Clashing', or just clashing for short. We will practice our powers against another protector, in a fighting sort of way. You can use your powers to the best of your abilities, and whoever gets knocked out first loses."

I grinned, and faced Terra, "Terra, can I clash against you?" She giggled, and accepted.

We were outside, and it was the most beautiful view I've ever seen. At the cliff of a mountain range, I could feel the windy breeze reddening my cheeks. Terra called at me, "You ready, Sam? I'll warn you now, don't take me for granted! I'm more powerful than you think!"

I nodded, zoned out from the calm wind. She's the protector of mother earth, what's she gonna do? Throw mud at me?

She closed her eyes, and concentrated. I got ready to lift her off the ground, but she was quicker. She thrust her arms forward, and she caved in the earth on me. Let me repeat that, "She caved in the earth on me."

A sphere of rock, and minerals trapped me inside a beautiful dome. Some of the minerals were transparent, so I could see a little from the outside. I saw Max and Adri whispering to each other, and Father Time waiting for me to react. Terra was grinning, preparing to throw something at me even worse.

I looked down, and saw the floor beneath me was quicksand, slowly digging me into the power of Mother Earth. How do I beat Mother Earth? I thought. I concentrated, and shifted the gravity inside the earth sphere. I floated upwards with ease, and tried punching the sphere with all my strength.

Luckily, I punched through the weak mud in the sphere, and tackled through the top of the sphere. I shot upwards, and exited my shifted gravity. I face planted from ten feet, hearing Father Time sighing in the distance. "Learn to harness that gravity, Samuel. Instead of having it in a specific area, make it always be around you. Powers are meant to always be in motion."

I nodded, and tried again. I floated into the air, and I tried to float Terra with me. I lifted her to the same elevation as me, and I saw her flap her arms aimlessly, trying to get back down. I shot towards her, speeds beyond what I knew on the ground, but she blocked it. She raised her hand in a hurry, and a wall of stone hurled up to her, blocking my direction. Terra dropped it back to the ground, smiling from ear to ear.

"You're getting better really fast, Sammy!" Terra turned to Father Time, "Can I go all out on him? This is getting boring..."

Father Time nodded, and I frowned, "All out?! You weren't going all out before?" Terra shook her head, and focused on the ground.

Before she could knock me out, I felt a shrilling pain go through my head. I screamed, gripping my head like my life depended on it. Which it probably did. I felt no longer in control of my body. I couldn't move anything, and it felt like my mind was slowly being corrupted.

I lowered to the ground, and heard an undescribebly painful voice in my head as I slowly drifted off, "Bris got to mess around with your mind last time. It's my turn now!"

Not this again...

A/N - Hey guys!

Who do you think it is this time? Why are the breakers aiming only for Sam? Find out next chapter! :D

P.S - I'm having a HUGEMUNGUS Writers Block, and I need you guys' help. What should be in the next couple chapters? Leave a suggestion in the comments below!

Always Remember to Keep on Blazen,

- The Ukulele Pika