The crater at the Hawaiian island

As soon as Ara landed, a man with a golden fire badge stepped up at the arriving and smiled at him.

"Phoenix?"

Ara nodded when the man said his code name. It means that this was the pick-up man the general said in the firecomm half an hour ago.

"Your father asked me to bring you to him"

"Where is my old man?"

"At the nearest volcano Sir."

Ara nodded. "Of course"

He brought him to a jeep nearby and soon they were on the road. After several failed attempts to strike a further conversation without getting a yes-no answer, Ara gave up and try to enjoy the road.

As they arrived at the feet of Kilauea a general greet them. After a short talk, the general gave him a diesel jetpack and Ara slapped them to his body. Soon he zoomed out from sight and land at the side of the crater.

Sitting on the hardened Lava, Ara looked around. From constant eruption since 1983, for miles and miles around, everything is black. Every single piece of land, every single tree, every blade of grass burned. A bit under his feet, a steep slope went down straight to the lava lake. The red and black crackle was calm at the moment, but he knew that it could change every second. He moved his finger and the lava down there jumped a bit.

Tilting his head he grinned. "Whoa, I thought that would never work". His finger moved once more, playing with the substance once more, more and more interested at how his power would work at that distance.

At that moment, on the middle of the Lava lake, a small dome grew, as the dome popped, his father burst, riding his soul dragon that looked tired and ill. They walked up to the crater to his place and as he sat on a big stone beside his son, the lizard dissolved.

Ara knelt in front of him. "Father, you called me?"

He massaged his neck and opened his eyes. "Ara, ara..." He sighed and smiled. "I never thought that someone with a normal human mother would be as strong as you" His eyes filled with warmness, something that impossibly showed anywhere else. "You are amazing. How is school? Enjoy your flight?" He reached out his hand and stroked the boy's head.

Ara smiled and let him. "Nice Father, the newest plane was super fast. And School was okay. How are you?"

"Good. I have a mission for you"

"I am ready Father" The boy sensed the love in his voice, something that he gratefully accepted. The King stroked his head once more.

"You know, after the holy war, I supposedly gain more power right?"

"Yes Father, because the soul will be greater from the purification."

"True, but it didn't happen to me"

The teen raised his head. "Why?"

Magma took a deep breath and blew it tiredly. "I guess because we haven't caught the heir of the throne, so the Lava God hasn't given us that blessing" His hand still stroking the red and black hair of his son, couldn't understand the reason why that son with that kind of hair can have a power that strong.

"I see"

His father smiled. "So that is the mission for you."

"I am ready, father."

The father smiled once more "Good."

"Who will be working with me?"

"C1 troops. They are still working with the Sagittarius Knight mission."

"Any progress?"

"Nothing, else that they found out that he migrated somewhere in the continent. Sometimes I think they just need new ideas, and joining your mission will be the perfect tool for that."

Magma drew a simple rerajahan/drawing spell on his temple. It glowed for a few second and as it died, it vanished.

"I unlocked the spell, you can send secret Firecomm to the C1 now"

Ara nodded. "Thank you."

Honolulu, USA HI HAST UTC-6:00

A black haired man with a red strike on his hair walked among people, heading to the hall where his party was held. Stopping midway, the seemly Japanese man noticed a tanned girl in a pink sari and whistled softly as his sight landed on her body. "Honey, what are you doing here?" He walked to her, flashing his best smile. "This is a Robot contest, the party is over there"

Smiling, the girl swished her long hair. "I am the finalist"

The man was in his early twenty, sizing her up and then snorted. "Really? You don't have to lie to raise your worth." He winked his red and black eyes. "You really don't want to meet the Stokes twins? They are my buddies, and they are coming to the party. Not to mention that I am the Lavalander Prince!"

Moving her pink lips apart, between annoyed smile and smirk, the girl prepared to answer when suddenly the announcer broke the silence.

"And the winner is... Miss Luna Abhasvara!" The room filled with claps and the teenager girl smiled.

Tapping his hand, the girl grinned widely. "Excuse me, that's my name," Said Luna to the gawking man. Soon the head of the judge giving her the golden robot, and she proudly raised it above her head. But instead of cheer, a loud beep repeatedly blaring through the room and the audience dissolved.

"Uhh!"

Slapping the alarm, a tanned hand with American manicure nails protruded under a blanket. That hand groping around until it found a strange looking phone, and took it inside the blanket.

"It's only six"

Another arm popped out, and as it stretched, the blanket flipped down, showing a girl, in her blooming beauty with long midnight black hair spreading everywhere over the pillow.

She hadn't really awake yet, her long lashes still shut on her slightly reddish cheek. Sitting up she scratched her head in annoyance. "Damn this is too early"

Through white translucent curtains, the tropical morning sunshine flooded the whitewashed bedroom. On the luxurious bed, there were gold and brown pillows near the crocheted bedcover with a brown teddy on the headboard beside a transparent vase filled with a living small white lotus inside it.

Grabbing a hairbrush on the bedside table, the girl knocked a golden robot to the floor. She picked it up and as her mind went back to the event a day before, a smile blossomed. The smile turned to a chuckle as Luna put it back beside her bed.

"I WOOONN!" Screaming she jumped. "They didn't even know who I actually am!!"

Laughing on the bed she jumped around.

"I really-really did it! FAIR AND SQUARE! YAAY! And he said" She went akimbo and changed her tone deeper " 'you don't have to lie to raise your worth'!" She giggled and whooped. "Ha! He himself dare to say that he is a prince" She laughed. "TAKE THAT SUCKERS!" Bursting into laughter, she fell on the bed, her eyes teary.

Dancing, Luna went to the shower, shed all her clothes and turned it on, singing under the water. In twenty minutes she turned off the tap, dried her off and step on the scale. Her sing stopped when she saw the digital number.

Uh, I got two kilograms more!

Stepping off, she walked to the closet and picked a pink saree with nude pink colored tank top and pants and in a minute she finished. After that, she did her bed and sighed contentedly as she tidied everything.

Half kneeling on the small rug, she turned to face the transparent vase, make a namaste and closed her eyes. A bright light shone from inside her facing palms. Then, as she opened her eyes, her hand shoot a vivid band of light to the lotus. As the golden light bathed it, the leaf stretched, and the flower opened. The light fades away, as she inhaled and bowed to end prayer.

"Dear Sarasvati, if only you didn't say that women place is only the kitchen and bed, I probably won't have to do this" Sighing, she stood and went to the dressing table. Combing her long hair, she carefully divided her hair and braided it into a thick snake. She carefully put her nose ring and connect that to her earring, grabbed her phone and get out from the room.

As soon as she slides the door, there was sound and a very familiar aroma trudging to her nostril, that stopped her for a fraction of second.

Wait. Does someone get in? But...This aroma. Could it be... Bill?

After debating with herself, she decided to just confront whatever will happen and turned left to the kitchen area and sighed when the girl saw someone she suspected. A young man was there, stirring something in front of him. The smoke filled the whole room with a sweet smell of milk and spices.

"Good morning" A baritone voice welcomed her.

"Morning," She said, with a tone that was braver than what she felt. "Sheesh. How did you enter?"

"Well, as a Light Dancer officer, I know how" Bill answered with a shrug.

"It's really rude you know."

"I know you wouldn't mind if it's me" He turned and winked to her.

Luna's pink cheek reddened a bit, but then pouted. "I still mind!"

"Congratulation on your winning!" Instead of contradicting, he put a bowl filled with a white porridge in front of her and then sprinkled the topping.

"Oh! Thank you!" The girl's eyes widened as she saw the food, and her worry vanished.

The creamy surface scattered with brown sugar, raisin, chopped almond and garam masala on the top... Her spoon scooped the topping and the taste of almond and raisins make a slight tango with the rest of the flavor inside her mouth as she munched it.

"Mm-yummy"

Her hands cupped her cheek, as the porridge overruled her senses.

"I know, it is yummy right?" Said her best friend, wiped his muscular hand and opened his apron. "I still don't really understand why you love such a simple dish like that" Bill folded the apron and pulled a chair to sit in front of her.

She stopped as she licked her spoon, her eyes fixed to his gold eyes, thinking.

"How did you find me?"

The black handsome man snorted, took a bowl and sit in front of her.

"Easy. Just search any information where was the Robotic competition being held, put a few hidden cameras, and follow you as soon as you got out from that place with a drone."

The girl punched her thigh.

"I knew it, yeah you must've guessed it"Luna played with the last bit of her almonds.

"Can't help it. I'm just too smart" He shrugged his shoulder and grinned.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Did he know you're here?".

"Who, your dad?"

The girl scoffed "Who else?"

The man thought for a bit then answered.

"Maybe"

"Maybe?" The teen's hand cupped her cheek, her eyes widened in horror.

"Well, I might have to tell him you know. After all he sent me to look for you. You've been missing a whole year!"

"What do you mean you  might have to tell him?"

He chuckled and reached for the glass, pointing to an almost unseen fridge door beside Luna, and Luna took a jug of orange from it and put it on the table.

"Well?" Her eyebrow raised.

Pouring the juice, he smiled as he saw impatience inside the girl's eyes. "Maybe I haven't told him yet"

Luna closed her eyes and blew her breath loudly.

"Phew!"

Folding her hand behind her head, she reclined, her eyes tracing the ceiling.

Watching her intently, Bill took another gulp of the OJ.

"Why running away though. You aware the consequences right?

Luna eyed him in dismal.

"If you want to preach about how our highest priest would angry or something, save it anywhere else"

"Do you ever consider the risk?" Bill eyed her from the edge of the glass.

"That I will be banished forever? Well, I did that myself, so they don't have to do that" She calmly sip the OJ.

Bill didn't budge. "You know how people will judge"

She sighed. "Bill. Even when I am the princess, I am nothing. My fate is in my Father's hand, as I am a girl. He can do whatever he pleases with me. Marry me off to any suitor that benefit the country is only one of them. Since that is our freakin culture."

Bill's eyes glinted and her voice trembled. "You are something. You are beautiful, smart, hardworking..."

"Smart?" Luna giggled. "It never mattered" Her laugh went bitter. She took a deep breath. "My Father laughed when I want to continue my education. 'You better take something like culinary or psychology for education. You just wasting your time if you learn robotics. I mean like, please... I literary have to work my ass off to pay for my education.'" Luna threw her hand to the air. "Princess. Bah. We are just steaks on the silver platter."

Bill smiled "Yet, you win yesterday?"

"Yes. I JUST NEED to win, for our country Bill, to show that woman can be something, can do something else beside becoming a wife and a mother!"

"Well, I always believe that. You know that everywhere in the world women make changes."

"Yes, but Bill, our country always mock them. They always say that that kind of women ruin their family behind. I just want to show them that it isn't right!"

"I believe you."

The Princess smiled.

"I know."

"It just I worry about you."

"To start a cultural revolution, taking risks, is a part of the job."

Bill sighed. "You do aware that I am your father's employee right? That I have to report anything and everything I found right?"

She took a glass, poured the orange juice inside.

"What employee?"

"Oh come on..." He grinned.

"You are my best friend, right?" Gulping the juice she put the glass on the table harshly.

The man's eyes softened. "I am." He said, warmness seeping as he turned to the girl.

The princess looking up to his eyes. "Do you trust me?" She whispered.

His hands sliding to her hands  and froze. Luna held her breath when after hesitating, the man intertwined his finger with her's.

"Always" He whispered back.

Smiling, their eyes met. His stare enveloped Luna in a tingling warmness that she felt an urge to pull her hand and turn away her sight, but she couldn't somehow. It just too cozy but overwhelming at the same times.

"You got two choices YES OR YES!!"

The ring tone broke their eye contact. As her hand trying to calm her pounding heart, Luna picked up her phone.

"Hello?"

The Dust village, two hours after that

"Hey.. what are you doing here?" Ara crouched to the little girl. "It almost night," He said.

The little girl looked back to him, her blue eyes widened "Where is Mommy?"

Ara looked around. "How's your mommy look like?"

"Mommy wear black scarfs, and long dresses," She said.

Ara chuckled. "Everyone in this town then"

"Where is Mommy?" She started to sob.

"Okay okay" He said, a bit panicked. "Let's go find her"

"My legs hurt" She sobbed.

Sighing, Ara squatted in front of her. "Hop on..."

Hesitating, the girl didn't move. "No, you could be a serial killer or a kidnapper" She said, pouting.

Ara burst in laughter "I could, but I don't think kidnapper would help you find your mom though. Come on!" The teen wiggled his finger. "You are tired rite?"

The girl sighed dramatically, shrugged and hopped to his hand in the end. "Okay if you insist."

Ara grinned. "Come on, let's find your mom"

"I hope you are smart enough to find Mommy" The girl whispered in his ear.

Ara grinned. "Well I hope I met your standard ma'am"

"Is that your mom?" He said after they walked a bit.

"Na ah... she is way too fat"

Ara giggled. "Shhh."

"There! Is she your mom?" Ara pointed her to a bit shorter woman, who walked beside them.

"My Mom is not smelly!" The girl said loudly

The woman frowned.

Grimacing, the teen apologized to the woman and walked away, chuckling.

"There!" The girl pointed.

"Where?"

He caught a glimpse of a woman's silhouette behind the turn and chase it. With a bit of a run, and slither between the crowd they caught her. The woman a bit shocked when she saw Ara's hair but her eyes softened as she saw her daughter.

After many Alhamdulillah and stuttering in Arabic, Ara said goodbye with a box of barazek cookies that he couldn't reject. The girl waved to him, and he waved back, smiling, missing her already.

At this peninsula, as the night deepened the more crowded the mall. It was because of everyone out and about at night time due to the harsh desert sun.

It was almost midnight but the room packed with people, all women. Women wear black, all over their headdress that covered their entire face, while men comfortable with a white dress. They sit in a circle, some move slowly along with the music as three men painted in golden, danced in the middle. When Ara silently slipped among them, the cymbal and drum stopped and the dancer stopped moving, and the preacher narrated the end of the dance story and promises of their religion.

"As the seven volcano gods open the heaven gate, everyone will be freed, everyone will go to heaven, there will be no disease, there will be no sadness, and there will only happiness"

The Music started once more and all the dancer moved again, while the cymbal heightened the tempo and as the preachers raised a humongous silver plate, with a mountain of sacred food on it, everyone stood. And when the dancer ran to the side and the cymbal crashed, the spectators flooded the dance floor and tried to get at least a piece of the sacred food/offerings. It was part of the show.

After the crowd thinned, Ara stood and took a leftover egg from the mountain of food.

"The Lava God is all about women empowerment and self-love. This is the only religion that really allows women to be free pursuing their dream. The only religious belief that really supports that. Look at our general over there? she is a woman. And she can..." Smiling, Ara walked away as he heard the preacher explained their religious belief to one woman that listened to him with wide eyes.

The teen went to the backstage and the slightly bitchy woman welcomed him with a slightly hoarse voice. "Ara" She nodded.

Ara nodded back, and make a gesture with his hand. The woman followed him and soon, a green fire was both in their hand. They looked at each other and smiled because fire comm has opened.

"Do you find one around here?" Ara looked at her intently.

"Yes, we suspected that at least a family of Soundwave tribe is among the community"

"Good, the sooner we got one, the sooner we can find the heir"

Oregon, USA OR PT UTC-1900

Arriving at his residence, Ryuzan rubbed his feet on the mat and rang the bell.

As the door opened, the butler looked concerned.

"Good evening Master, you didn't give us any news."

"I was lecturing one of my juniors at school, "Ryuzan brushed a bit of dirt off his shoulder. He scrubbed his shoes to the doormat before he entered.

As he walked inside the hall, the high ceiling of the Victorian house dropped a patch of sunshine from the glass roof to his shoulder. Beside him, the tapestry on the wall and the two grand knight plate armors, was meticulous, unlike his arrival two months ago.

"Are you tired sir? Do you want tea?" The butler asked while he put the bag in the place at the hall.

"Thank you, I can use some of that. And find Albert please, I need to talk to him." Ryuzan opened a door beside the Iron Knight and enter a room with a big cathedral glass filled with books and a sofa.

"That won't be necessary" A man in front of the stained glass of the cathedral windows answered.

Ryuzan turned his head and smiled "How are you doing uncle?" The black sweater boy walked with long strides to the cathedral window where the man stood beside a small table and shook his hand with him. The man smiled back earnestly. "In this hard day, I can say fairly fine, lad. Started the tea without your command though."

The man's hand waved at the table where Ryuzan could see the tray bearing coffee, brandy, several glasses, and a jug of milk. The boy laughed politely and took the glass, filled it with coffee and milk, and stood on the other side of the stained glass window, with one hand on the pocket. Examining the book titles at the rack just beside the window, he slowly sipped the hot liquid.

The man strokes his mustache. "How do you feel getting your wish granted lad? Schooling with the boy around your age? Hmm?"

Ryuzan scoffed. "As you can see, it's heaven." He rolled his eyes.

The mustache man started to laugh, then looked at the boy more carefully. "Ay, you got a fight. Ha. Not using your power I guess, as wise and smart as you?" One of his brow lifted, as he slurped his Irish coffee.

Ryuzan reddened. "Ah.. yeah. A bit"

The man stared at him unbelievingly. "Naw. You know you supposedly NOT to use that, didn't you?" His voice became stern.

"I have been careless, but that because I was new here." The teenager lifted his chin.

His eyes were now as sharp as a knife "As I know a young man could be impatient and boiled their blood easily, you must know you are far wiser than that. Be always aware that YOUR pursuer spotted nearby. Next time, be patient. Don't use anything at all. Even the trace of your power can be seen"

"Yes, uncle" Ryuzan sighed and nodded. He sipped his coffee once more, while his company looked out of the window, examining the sight of the town that looked like jewels at night under the hill where the Victorian house stood.

"You missed dinner lad. I started to think that Lavalander caught you" He looked at him, his lips thinning and his eyes concerned.

The boy sighed heavily. "I was just out with some friend. There almost no other kids at my age in our country. I just need a bit of... you know, socializing." He said, putting down the coffee and now taking one biscuit, and munched it. The man stroked his mustache, smiling down to the teenager in front of him.

"I see. Who is she?" He said casually, taking a cigar and lit it.

The biscuit almost choked him. Ryuzan gulped and sipped his coffee. "I didn't say it was a she," He said casually after a moment.

"Nothing wrong with a she, lad. I was only guessing." His uncle talked again, his eyes glinted.

"She was the one that aggravated me, and she was warping this morning, so I followed her," Ryuzan said, and pulled a golden rope, calling the maid.

The older man puffing the smoke and said "Is she? Warping with what?" His uncle frowned his brow and folded his hand, waiting.

"Ice shard and wind" Ryuzan replied, checking the clock.

"Ah, interesting" The mustache man puffed another ring of smoke, he tapped his cigar to dust the excess ash away.

A maid with black and white apron uniform opened the door and entered "Did someone call?"

Ryuzan nodded "Yes, could you bring me my dinner, please?"

The maid nodded and vanished behind the door.

His uncle puffed the smoke, a ring of smoke wafted to the window and thinned as the wind blew. "Next time, prepare it yourself." He said. "If you want to rebuild your kingdom like you always said to me, you will have to work hard to do it, and begin with a simple task like serving yourself."

The girl maid got in, bringing a tray full of food. She put the tray on the table and get out again, closing the door silently behind her.

"Eat up lad, I dined already" The mustache man continued his pondering as he blew another ring of smoke while Ryuzan sat down in front of the food. For a few minutes, they were silent as Ryuzan ate.

When he finished his dinner he sighed contentedly as he wiping his lips with a tissue. "After all this running all over the world, don't you think I have a right to rest, huh uncle?"

His uncle laughed and tapped his cigar again. "Yeah let just say it that way. By the way, tell me about the girl. She warped you said? What color were her hair and complexion? And do you know her last name?"

Ryuzan thought for a sec "She's pale, like us, but I guess we never know her real hair cos she dyed her hair blue. Her last name is Stormnight. I read it in her book" He skimmed the book again.

His uncle stroked his shaven chin. "Hmm, could it be a transformation from Stormknight"

Ryuzan tilted his head, "Stormknight?" He frowned. "I know I read that name before..."

Another smoke ring flew as his uncle puffed another smoke. "It's the famous knight who forcefully took the bride of Magma from under his nose. You have to know that Magma kidnapped her from our place, she's an Icelander, And, the wrath of Magma made his tribe, Stormlander, the only race that manages to wield the power of wind, lightning, and ice at the same time, vanished from this earth, maybe you read it on the history book, but I doubt it. The story is still too young. I bet you heard it from your Dad."

The music of summer insect clearly heard as silence ruled them.

After a while, Ryuzan spoke again "What did you say, uncle? That race vanished? Like, ran from their village?" His voice was unsure.

A long sigh came from the mustache man, and then he turned his face to Ryuzan. "Ay, you really think so? Think again lad."

Ryuzan lifted up his eyes. "Don't tell me... They are all ... dead?" Silence followed the word. But then his uncle nodded slightly. "Except the Stormknight and his wife. None of them could be found anywhere. Lad, after the war, you should always think the worst for everything is one of the possibility."

Nodding Ryuzan closed the plates with a cloth. "Yeah, they might be Stormknights, we have to check on them later." Ryuzan stood and brew a tea from the coffee table and pulled the bell again. His uncle put off his cigar blunt and sat down in front of Ryuzan.

"I believe Albert sent you the message?" He said, reaching for a crisp from one of the bowls.

"Yes" Came the reply, a bit stiff.

A knock at the door told them that the maid has arrived. She entered and took the tray, filled with empty plates and cup, get out and closed the door again.

The mustached man laughed "What happened?"

Ryuzan raked his hair, sighed. "He sent the memory to me when I was at the class" His finger drummed on the table.

"I guess from your expression, that caused you trouble." His uncle grinned.

The young man flashing an irritated smile. "Of course."

His uncle reached another piece of crips "Besides the inconvenience, have you checked the facts? And can you make a report on that? I mean we have to know the condition of the border at the attack time"

"Yes. I thought of that. I emailed Luna to confirm the temperature reading from the satellite. It was horrifying, the state of the border. They even couldn't see the attacker. Neither did I"

"The sat didn't give any reading?"

"No, its normal, and Luna laughed at cracker possibilities. Though, she mentioned that there was a very distinguish ice melting at that moment."

"So the temp rose, but they were able to hide it well"

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Both of them silent for a moment.

"And uncle, you know, the most disturbing thing about the attack is not only the hidden temp but, the ice monster at the border"

"What about that?" His uncle moved from his position, rest his chin at his palm.

"The ice monster. They just disappeared one by one right after the general scrambled their position" Ryuzan shook his watch wrist, sighed and raked his hair.

His uncle sat straight. "What? Let me hear you again lad." He sat straight, his temple wrinkled in concentration.

"The Ice monster, disappeared, right after the general told them to randomize their position," Ryuzan said.

His uncle furrowed his brow "How could it possible? Their position was a secret" He began to pace along the wall.

The mustache man thought again "And the idea of getting a constant temperature reading from the Antarctic climate satellite was new. Before that, we use our own military Icelander satellite and balloon. The temperature constantly rechecked. Our specially designed tab, was also new at that time" His hand moved along with his words.

Ryuzan nodded. "Still new to this day. It just too odd to use it here" He shook his wrist.

"It is. This land technology doesn't need that extreme care to low temperature, and too low for our standard." His uncle raked his head uneasily.

"Exactly"

His uncle stopped pacing and turned to Ryuzan, his brow taut in thinking, his eyes filled with questions. "But then, how come they're fully prepared to overcome those things? It was all top secret! And yet, all our border breached, no one alive to this day, moreover there was so little of our troops that even survived the attack!"

Both of them silent for a moment, remembering those who fell that night.

After a while, Ryuzan broke the silence "This memory came late. Two months. I wonder what happened"

"It supposed to teleport to the king right away" His uncle drummed his finger at his chin in frustration.

"Yeah, and there's no way you can halt it" Ryuzan hand waved emotionally.

His uncle's hand stopped moving. "Well, there is, if someone freezes it"

"Freeze? But wait, how Lavalander able to do that? To freeze it, that still moving freely at the Antarctic night meant ...." Ryuzan froze.

A heavy silence fell following his pause.

The croaked song of the frogs and the silent murmur of the wind filled the room and the room felt smaller despite the huge window and the many racks of the book surrounding them. Both of them unable to utter the word they feared. His uncle shook his head in disbelief. Ryuzan bit his lips, a ton of stones set in his stomach, and the truth felt bitter on his tongue.

After a while, he stood, "It's 11 pm. I need to rest to be able to go to school. I will call Luna tomorrow. Who knew something else could come up"