“Phoenix, I want to ask you something…”

I had been thinking about the idea of asking Phoenix this question but I never had the courage to ask it. I don’t know why but the thought of Phoenix changing was always something I knew would happen but never wanted to happen. It scared me a little as I didn’t know what to expect. Phoenix was god slime, slime overlord, slime king. Phoenix was the very key to my life changing and I was scared Phoenix would… discard me at some point. I didn’t believe everything Phoenix said in the beginning about the whole evolution thing and the whole dependence thing because how could such an overpowered slime be able to achieve so much yet be dependent on such trivialities…

I was scared; I was finally being honest to myself. I was instinctually scared.

“Jupiter?” Phoenix asked.

“Uhm… Phoenix I have something important I want to talk to you about…”

I finally started my questioning to Phoenix. Phoenix didn’t seem too weird about it but I knew this question could not be asked lightly.

“ Phoenix, I am scared of the answer but I have to ask this question.”

“Jupiter, this is weird. Just ask, like you always do. Why are you acting so different about it?” Phoenix mumbled as it was starting to feel a little odd about the whole situation and I could feel it with the anxious wiggling that my brain felt.

“Phoenix… I have and… always been worried about a certain issue that may arise in our relationship. I know this may sound a little weird to you but I have been worried about your personal evolution I guess. I am worried and a little scared that you may just.. I guess, abandon me or end me then and there as we both know that you are a lot more powerful than me and you have always been the one guiding me and I.. sniff… I really… *haa* I really don’t want you to hate me and just absorb me or just leave me… *sniffle* “

I really don’t know why I started crying, maybe the fear of death, maybe I didn’t want this fun of exploring a new world to end but boy, I was sure as hell glad I asked this in a dead little alleyway.

Phoenix stayed quiet for a quite a few minutes after I had said those words. I had been worried about this event since the first moment Phoenix had become a part of me but I couldn’t shake the worry and anxiety that followed. I had kept distracting myself about Phoenix not accepting me fully as its host but I was also scared about what Phoenix was going to do when it got tired of me. I didn’t ever mention it to phoenix out of fear but I realized that I could never really improve if I kept staying afraid of god slime Phoenix. Why? Why would I even work hard if I will never get to enjoy the happiness of getting to evolve and living in this new world? Phoenix may be from some high level organization or civilization but me, Jupiter, I need to have my own path. I can’t live off Phoenix and I really can’t live on at all if I am just going to end up some slime slave. I finally made up my mind to question Phoenix. I had to. It was impossible for me to continue to live this life that seemed so great… so magical… so surreal if I was never meant to even experience it before Phoenix took it all over, I don’t know what to do.

My paranoia was always a source of trouble for me but I finally realized that it was an ability to prevent danger from occurring if I took the time to actually acknowledge it. So I did. I questioned Phoenix even though my inherent fear of slime god had always stopped me, at this point I can only wait for an answer as I had finally laid myself bare. I was being honest with myself and with my emotions. I wasn’t used to it but I had to because this was MY life.

“Jupiter.” Phoenix called out my name.

I didn’t how Phoenix calling my name made me feel so heavy.

“BOOOOOOM”

A heavy heart turned into the least of my worries within a fraction of a second.

I turned to take a look behind me where the loud explosion came from and my jaw dropped.

Fire! So much fire! It was all burning with such majesty such fierceness that it really looked like the god of fire itself had descended.

“JUPITER!” Phoenix cried in my mind.

I snapped out of my shock as I notice a ball of rubble flying over from the explosion and jump to side of the alley.

“TSHHRRKKK”

I narrowly dodged being crippled for the rest of my life as I watch the spot I was just at burning with a crater in it.

“What the hell is going on?” I cry as I panic at the sudden change of events but I guess these things just kind of answer themselves rather easily.

Floating in the middle of village, were two people with black hoods and weird misty smoke slithering around them. One had silver like snakes of smoky energy just swirling about as if it were alive and the other had a slightly red colored mist sparking here and there as if it were ready to burst at any moment. It was a little difficult to see more than that as I was still hidden near the alleys headed south towards my bunker.

I was shocked at the sight of the two mysterious figures just floating in the sky. I knew people could evolve and shit but it was the first time seeing people in the sky without some sort of jetpack which just left me with my mouth agape and envy at their cool flying.

“People of Arils! Hehehe, I am sure you are all very curious as to why we are present here today.” The one with red mist started speaking, his voice was booming across the entire village as it seemed like a powerful sound canon.

“We just happened to need something from you and as long as you comply, we will be more than willing to continue our happy little journey without further destruction! Hehehe.”

He looked around and started smiling an incredibly evil grin while lifting his hands into the air while making odd gestures with his fingers.

As if the entire world’s energy responded to him, I could see a swirl of red mist start to gather and within 30 seconds a giant fireball was already in the making. Another 30 seconds and the ball of flames was the size of a small house and the red exterior looked like a vermillion blood with an orange core but suddenly the man controlling the ball started laughing even harder as his friend just stood there silently.

The ball of flame that was rotating started curving inwards at 7 different points on the ball and started spinning in their own personal rotations creating 7 giant spears of flames that started to float around the mysterious duo.

That moment would forever be etched into my memory as I never knew magic could be used to such a powerful degree where you could create such smolderingly hot yet giant spears of flames.

“Jupiter… I think we better leave the village right now!” Phoenixs’ voice seemed to be very tense as I could sense fear from its slightly shaky slime body.

“You don’t think they will really destroy the entire village do you? I mean there are hundreds of people here…” I reply as I had never known anyone to be that hardcore of terrorist and anyways as long as we give them what they want, they would leave right?

“Jupiter! I don’t care what they want. Someone who can and HAS already taken out a spell that can destroy this entire village is dangerous and we NEED to get the hell out of here RIGHT NOW! GO!” Phoenix was clearly not taking any of my wishy-washy thoughts on these two people.

I didn’t really know where the hell I was going. I figured I should maybe go grab the kid Rikurn and so I rushed back to the bunker but kid wasn’t there and I had no idea where the hell he disappeared off to. Phoenix was getting really anxious as we only spent a minute to get to the bunker but the crazy fire guy already sent two of flaming spears to different parts of the city as it seems the village “elders” weren’t willing to give up the stuff.

“I mean, it’s probably just a crystal or something, is it really worth the lives of the entire village?” I was running as fast as possible towards the gate near the south while having a mental debate about how stupid the village chiefs were being.

“Could be something else entirely? Like a weapon of mass destruction or some item that keeps away high level world beasts?” Phoenix gives me its opinion on the subject while still very anxiously keeping an eye on the remaining 5 spears of death.

When we were nearing the gate, I could see tens of people running at the same time carrying their children, wife, elderly or valuables while rushing out. I felt sorry at the sight, I really couldn’t imagine how it must feel to have your home just destroyed or invaded like this after living so long within its safety.

“Sigh” I couldn’t help but let a long exhale out at the crying eyes of the children and the fear that all the adults were showing.