RE:WRITE

27.0 Ignis_Chapter 6: Pity

Dry winds buffeted me as I trudged over the sand dune. I pulled my hat down to cover my face better.

To my right, Lily was emptying another bottle of water while fanning herself with her hand and glaring angrily at Kai.

"Kai, can't you take out a jeep or something? Why do we have to keep walking in this heat?" she said.

Kai smiled.

"Heat? What heat? Amy, do you feel hot?" he asked, innocently.

"No." I replied, simply.

Well I am the Fire Goddess so it is only natural is it not?

"Kai...I've already deduced that you're keeping yourself cool with your Ability somehow. You aren't even sweating at all." Runir croaked, pushing the words out of his parched throat.

His dark robes were wet with perspiration and his normally stoic expression was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was panting like a dog.

"I thought so! If you don't give it to us..." Lily said, taking out her dagger.

"For once I must agree with the Hero. Give us an A.C or suffer the consequences..." said Runir, brandishing his sword.

Kai looked at them and sighed.

"What do you think I should do Amy?" he said, suddenly turning towards me.

"You don't have to do anything. They can use water magic to cool themselves down." I said.

"Tsk."

"Damn it."

Kai smiled while the others glared at me before activating water magic to cover themselves with swirling, icy winds.

"You're using a Rank 5 spell to cool your sweat? Talk about overkill..." Kai smirked.

"Shut up!" said Lily.

"Almost got another ring..." Runir said, with a disappointed sigh.

A gust of hot air blew my hat off. It rolled down the dune and settled on the sand below.

I frowned and went down to pick it up but it disappeared.

"Here you go." said Kai, placing my hat on my head.

"Thank you." I said.

"No problem." he said, smiling.

"Damn it, this is unfair!" complained Lily.

"Why did you use your Ability this time?" asked Runir.

"Would have been a pain to go down there. Besides, we're running behind schedule. We need to get to the village before nightfall." he said, walking down the other side of the dune.

"Village? What village?" asked Runir.

"The Crumbling Sand village." replied Kai.

"That's not right...I never saw a village like that on the map." Runir said, frowning.

"Well it's-"

I couldn't hear what Kai said because I was suddenly distracted by a surprising yet familiar feeling.

It faded into the background ever since I learned how to unconsciously direct Mana towards it so I barely ever felt it anymore.

But now, for the first time in centuries... I felt a tug on my soul.

It was coming from straight in front of me. A pull so powerful that I almost let myself get swept away like I did all those years ago.

But I managed to hold on, biting my lips to distract myself with the pain and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.