#THE_RED_CRYSTER
©Sir Zach
EPISODE 70
“This is an advance celebration for my son’s marriage with Amanda. Seeing all the masters of the earth present, I thought to take this opportunity to celebrate with all of you!” Theo said as he raised his cup of wine to everyone present in the vast dining hall of Aeros’ castle.
The six masters of the earth were all seated at one long table and others present were the general, Theo’s advisers, Ca-ssy as well as Christopher’s closest friends.
They all raised their cups, applauding the couple on for their impending marriage.
The smiles on everyone’s faces were evident, but despite the joyous gathering, Amanda and Abasi depicted a conflicted expression. Amanda was especially pale and in pain.
Amanda blinked her eyes repeatedly recalling her conversation with Abasi from one peak of Aeros.
“Amanda, I need to tell you something,” said Abasi to her after she tried to wake him in a state of awe.
Back then, she did not think much of it and asked, “Let’s talk about it later. Everyone is waiting for us and I am starving!”
“Amanda… I saw the future,” Abasi blurted out.
When she realized it was a very serious future that needs addressing, she stopped her persisting and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I am uncertain about when. I returned too soon as the future I visited was in the middle of a fight between Khalid and us – all six of us, the masters of the earth,” revealed Abasi.
Amanda was silent for seconds. She tamed her flames and put back her fiery wings. She settled her feet on the ground to face Abasi properly. “So it really is Khalid, the future master of time and space.”
“I’m afraid so,” Abasi said. He then gulped before deciding on what to say next. “But in that future… I saw Brody and Christopher.” He paused, not finding the right words to say.
“No,” said Amanda. She could already tell what made Abasi reluctant to tell. “That can’t be.”
Abasi nodded and said, “I’m afraid so, Amanda. I did not even finish watching the battle. Everything was too painful to see, and I returned without finding out how far in the future was it that I saw.”
“No. That’s not true, Abasi,” said Amanda. Her face was in a complete grimace, unable to accept the distant future.
“I’m afraid so, Amanda. In that future, Brody and Christopher lost their lives trying to give you an opening,” said Abasi. “He was that strong Amanda, but even all our combined strength could not even make him fall to the ground.”
Thinking about what they had discussed earlier made Amanda feel goosebump all over her body. While everyone was rejoicing, dread filled her thoughts, and a tear fell down her cheek.
She looked at Christopher who was all smiles as he spoke to Kyle and Zach from behind them.
‘He looked so happy,’ she whispered. ‘It’s because we are getting married. He is happy because we are getting married.’
While Amanda was in de-ep thought, Christopher was repeatedly getting praise from his friends. They were teasing him for being ready to be tied down in a few days.
After bantering with Kyle and Zach, he turned back to the woman beside him and saw the sadness in her face.
He put an arm around his woman and pecked on her cheek. He said, “Amanda, what’s wrong?” He frowned, seeing the stain on her face, and asked, “Are you – crying?”
She quickly wiped the w-etness on her face and sniffed away her sad thoughts. She forced a smile and said, “I’m fine. I’m – I’m just feeling nostalgic about us getting married soon.”
He obviously laughed at her words and said, “Don’t be like this. You should be smiling and be happy.”
Out of nowhere, she put both her hands on his face and pecked on his li-ps. “I love you, remember that.”
“Sheesh. Such PDA. Too much unity has been happening,” expressed Taara. She wound up giggling with Trisha who has not yet been told of the truth.
“Yes, Amanda. You should be happy,” said Abasi, also faking his scolding at Amanda. From his head, he then spoke, “Let’s talk about this later, Amanda. You, me, and Trisha.”
“I agree, you are the first one to get married among all of us!” Announced Brody.
Even if the rest of the masters had been together for years, they lived in a more modern world where couples can stay and live together without getting married. They were just too busy to make preparations for marriage, but for the master of water and fire, Theo did all the necessary arrangements for them.
“I am happy! It may have taken me years to find my fate, but I am getting married first!” She announced happily before reaching for some fruits to start her meal. “I am happy.”
She felt Christopher pinch the side of her stomach and it made her smile at him again before starting to eat.
That evening, Amanda excused herself from Christopher, saying that Abasi gave her an important task to check a volcano back on earth. He obviously wanted to come, but she insisted to go alone.
She wasn’t sure if it was right to keep it from Christopher and Brody, but there were only two possible outcomes; one, either Christopher and Brody would make themselves stronger for the coming battle or, two; they will both become affected by the possibility, just like how it created fear in Amanda’s heart.
For now, she needed to convene with Trisha and Abasi.
After sending back Taara and Brody to their home, Abasi brou-ght Amanda and Trisha to an uninhabited island on the earth, Hashima Island in Japan.
They stood on top of one of the many abandoned buildings on the island. It was there that they agreed on what to do next.
Trisha was stunned to hear the truth. Her mouth fell open as she gazed at the seas of The Pacific Ocean. After some time she said, “Perhaps, we need to learn how to combine all six crystals altogether.”
“I agree, because with the crystals combined, one can strengthen the other depending on its use,” answered Abasi.
Amanda recalled how she had acquired a new charm that can help in the art of deception that she said, “What if – what if, just like Khalid, we search for other powerful force that can add to our strength?”
Abasi nodded and said, “We could do that, but I just am not sure how much time we have.”
Since the last time Abasi traveled for a year in the future, he spent twenty minutes in a void. He determined that the attack would happen in six months.
“We could at least try,” said Amanda.
All three masters were in de-ep thought. After some time, Trisha said, “I think the best power is to be blessed with, is an eye of the Jubatus clan. From the world of Arakis. They have 360-degree vision!”
“I, on the other hand, was thinking of curse of Solaris,” said Abasi. He was also looking de-ep into the waters. He then snapped out of the idea before he said, “It’s just it would be perfect for Christopher.”
“Solaris, the world full of water? Where I sent the biatch, mermaid?” Amanda asked.
With a frown on her face, Amanda asked, “Curse of Solaris. Why would it be a curse?”
“Because there is so much water in Solaris, that their world called the power a curse,” said Abasi. “Anyway, this power is being held by serpents of their seas, specifically their eyes. There are about five serpents that hold these golden eyes and they are said to be the spirits of Solaris.”
“Spirits! We can’t possibly fight a spirit – ”
“We won’t, Amanda. That will be the difference between us and Khalid,” said Trisha. “We can plead with them to lend us their power. We will give it back as soon as we put an end to Khalid’s madness.”
The three masters identified other worlds that they could seek help from and decided which ones to visit first. Only after agreeing on four worlds to go to, Amanda said, “I just wish we had more time. I hope that we have more than six months.”
Trisha held on to Amanda’s hand and said, “At least, we are trying to change the near future. We can do this, Amanda. Tomorrow, we can discuss with the other masters the plan of acquiring powers from other worlds.”
Amanda returned to Aeros with a heavy heart. While there was a plan in motion to become stronger, the fear was already there. It made Amanda worry for the future.
The uneasiness of knowing the possibility was the same reason that Amanda chose not to tell Christopher of what Abasi saw.
“Hey? How was the volcano?” Christopher asked, seeing his woman walk into his room all of a sudden.
She smiled and lied to his face, “I just checked the crater and see if there was a possible eruption. It was a volcano with no one monitoring its activity, yet surrounded by local villagers.”
“Hmmm.” He got up from the bed and walked towards her, embracing her tight. He asked, “Amanda, are you keeping something from me?”
She suddenly felt nervous. ‘I’m I so bad at lying?’
Amanda took a de-ep breath. She tightened her embrace and look at his handsome face with a heavy heart. She said, “Chris, having found you, you know what my greatest fear is? I’m afraid of losing you again. I – I don’t ever want to lose you.”
“Amanda? Why are you like this?” He asked, but before she answered, she pulled down his face and covered his li-ps.
She was emotionally kis-sing him, closing her eyes, and moving him to the bed. She had earlier changed into a casual tunic before coming into his room, but now she was in a hurry to take them off.
“Amanda – ”
“Shhhh… I want to make love with you, Chris,” said Amanda, cutting off his thoughts.
He cupped her face and pecked on her cheek repeatedly before he said, “Not until you tell me what’s going on. What am I to you, Amanda? Am I not your partner with whom you should give your trust?”
She cried. She broke down completely into his arms that he carried her to bed.
With Amanda resting on his chest, she soaked his shirt with tears.
Christopher kept on caressing her back and encouraging her to speak, but it was only after almost an hour of weeping that she finally spoke. She said, “Abasi earlier – he – he found himself in a near-future where Brody and your – your life were in danger – who knows even all of us.”
“Chris, he said that you would leave this life.” She wound up howling in tears again. The thought of it broke her heart.
Her words crushed his chest. Who doesn’t fear death? Not when he had just found Amanda. He listened to what she had to say and what they covered while back on earth. He said, “You should have told me. Amanda, there must have been a reason why Abasi was brou-ght to that future. It was a warning, a foresight that we have to change.”
He rolled over to her side of the bed and wiped the tears on her face. He said, “I am not going to leave you. From now on, we will work on becoming stronger. So we can fight off Khalid.”
“Let’s do what Trisha and Abasi suggested. Let’s go to secure the powers of the other worlds so we can change the future.”
Seeing Amanda gasped and became worried again, he kis-sed her li-ps. “Shhhh… I love you, Amanda. I will never let anything happened to you – to me and to us.”
Before she could react, he ferociously covered her li-ps once more and did not wait long to de-epen the kis-s. “Trust me.” He kis-sed her again and said, “Everything will be fine. You and I – we will make it throu-ghthis,” he said. He looked de-ep into her green eyes and committed, “The good will prevail.”
Christopher returned to devouring her li-ps again. His tongue promptly danced inside her mouth.
He was just there, but she yearned for him so much. Amanda eventually found herself kis-sing back with the same intensity. She gasped again and again in each time she found the chance to take a breather.
Amanda momentarily forgot the pain in her heart.
Throu-ghout that night, the master of the water and fire made love again and again, until they found themselves completely tired and rested almost at dawn.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 71