I thought I wouldn't get to sleep, but it came rather easily. I only woke when Dayla opened the waterfall to fetch me for training.
"Good afternoon, Lady Alyssa. Did you sleep well?" Dayla questioned as she entered.
"Yes. This bed is rather comfortable." I admitted.
"Are you prepared to train now?"
"Yes, although I should probably change." I said, looking down at my crumpled red dress from lovers' night.
"Not to worry." Dayla chirped. "We have prepared for such an occasion." She whistled, and three other Pheonoxes came in carrying a gorgeous red and white dress. The bottom flowed freely, and the top hugged tightly. It was a long sleeve, but since it was a bit drafty in the cave, I didn't mind. It was made of red velvet, with white polyester faux fur on the collar. It was fitting, but I only wished Gavin could see me in it.
I looked in the mirror they had brought in and gasped. This was the first time I really saw it, but I did look like a fire goddess. The faux fur complemented my new amber eyes, and my bright firey hair swayed perfectly in place as I twirled to see the dress.
"Like it, do you?" Dayla laughed.
"Yes. Yes, I do." I said, exasperated.
"Well, it's yours anyway, so I'm glad. You can show it to your mate when he comes for you. We will equipt you with many more, being created as we speak. It's suitable for today's lesson, as we are teaching you only how to use your power. You don't need to move quickly in this, so this dress will work nicely."
"Thank you." I said shyly.
"Don't thank me yet, lady Alyssa. We still have work to do." Dayla said, but she was blushing, obviously flattered. "Now, come with me this way. We shall begin by pulling forth your power."
I followed her into the main cave and into a side hallway. We walked, the sound of her wings echoing through the damp space, until we arrived in a separate space. This time, it was completely dome shaped, perfectly spherical besides the floor.
"This is where we will train you. No one will get hurt, so feel free to unleash everything you can muster." She announced excitedly.
I stepped forward, a little nervous, and put my hands out as if pushing on a wall. I took a breath and closed my eyes. This is about using all my senses.
I felt within my body, sensing things I didn't sense before. If felt as though my bones were bathed in fire. My muscles were the coal that fueled that fire, and my viens were the source of transportation to move that fire. I had a steady source.
I opened my eyes, and I was suddenly engulfed in flames. It licked at my arms and slid down my legs. It seeped onto the rock, and the entire dome was filled with it.
Dayla screeched in alarm and flew into the air. "Lady Alyssa, you mustn't let your fire control you! You must show it you are the leader, or the humans will be alarmed by the fire!" She called, flying higher.
"Why are you leaving? I can't do this alone!" I yelled, frustrated and scared.
"You are never alone. I mustn't be near when you do it."
I took a breath and closed my eyes again. "Stupid fire, why is that my power? Why couldn't I have been a goddess of water since I live on a cruise? Or goddess of earth. That sounds easy enough." I muttered.
I concentrated, feeling my soul and my heart with the hands of my mind. That's where I found it. Just the thing that might show I'm in control. A golden light was hidden deep in my heart, and the more fire I released, the stronger the glow got, and the bigger it grew.
I grabbed it with the hands of my mind and slid it out of my heart, gently pulling it free and relocating it in my hands. I held my now glowing hands up and kept my eyes closed. I concentrated on the fire and molded it into a blue and green ball of fire that could rest in the palm of my hand.
I opened my eyes and looked at it. It was dancing in the palm of my hand, blue and green. I don't know what told me to do this, but I blew on it, just a hunch. It solidified into an impeccably beautiful glass orb. It was about the size of a snow globe, and I decided to give it to Gavin the next time I see him.
"Excellent job!" I heard from above me. Dayla was flying closer and closer from above. "That was absolutely extraordinary. The way you used your life energy and brought it throughout your body into your hands, that was incredible!"
"Wait, life energy?" I heard myself ask. "I used that?"
"Yes, Lady Alyssa. That is something most people learn in months. You did wonderfully."
I looked down at my hands, which had stopped glowing, and back at her.
"You mean to tell me I used the power of my life to command fire?" I asked, not really wanting an answer.
"Oh yes. It usually takes an awoken one like yourself many months before they can use it as well as you just did." She said, as if that didn't just flip my mind in circles. "Now I'd say it's time for a nice meal before we continue training."
She walked me back to the waterfall and it opened. We walked into my room and I sat down on my bed, exhausted.
A few minutes later, a pheonix whose name I later found out was Harold, flew in with a steak and a baked potatoes for me, complaining the entire time that it smelt like dead cow.
I ate it rather quickly and took a nap.
When I woke up, two hours had passed and Dayla flew back into my room.
"It's time to continue your training.Your day has only just started." She added, although it was nearly two o'clock.
Until six o'clock came, Dayla taught me how to bend the fire, shoot the fire like bullets, and protect myself with a shield she taught me to make. Of course, it was made of fire. The rest of the day passed in a blur of training, eating, training, eating, and finally, sleeping.