* * *
Arion opened his eyes and, without a moment's hesitation, jumped into the pool below.
The splash echoed around him as he swam ashore.
As he emerged from the water, he spotted Shera, who was being lifted by four elemental fairies, while still lounging lazily in her hammock.
She looked like a queen being carried by her loyal subjects, completely unfazed by the world around her.
After spending quite some time getting to know Shera, Arion had finally begun to unravel the enigma that was her personality.
She was a jokester at heart, with a penchant for humor that often bordered on the absurd.
However, she also had a violent streak when it came to her age – she was fiercely protective of it – as if it were a closely guarded secret.
Recently, she had also developed a surprising fondness for romance novels, which was a bit of a shock to Arion – as he wondered where the hell she even got it from.
She could often be found munching on fruits while lying around lazily reading those novels.
Arion often found himself speechless, wondering whether what she said was the truth or just a figment of her imagination.
She had mentioned something about the fate of the world that would be in turmoil soon enough – and how he needed to become strong as quickly as possible.
Of course, there was also the part where she explained that she was merely the avatar of Kyshera, with her true self trapped under some unknown influence or spell.
This situation had begun to affect her mind, causing her to develop a sort of other self-consciousness while her real memories as Kyshera, Nature's Celestial, became a jumbled mess.
Shera reasoned that her current body wasn't strong enough to handle all the information she had as Celestial, and being far away from her true self for a long time somewhat had already twisted her personality in strange ways.
As Arion pulled himself out of the water, he noticed that his clothes, which had been drenched just moments before, suddenly turned dry the instant he stepped onto the grass.
"Well, that's convenient," he muttered to himself, marveling at the unexpected magic.
Shera, now fully awake, jumped out of her hammock and stepped onto the grass with a bright smile.
"Congratulations, Arion! You finally managed to unlock your chakra nature! Now, you are at the first step of becoming an official Arhat!"
Arion raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Arhats? What's that?"
"Oh, did I forget to explain that?" Shera said, her eyes widening in realization. "No worries! Sometimes I forget things. Arhats are a group of guardians who protect Vysha'ra. Just like in Ra'ma, where there are Councils, Tribals, and Enforcers, in Vysha'ra, we have Arhats, Forest Rangers, and Druids. While Arhats learn Seeds of Insights, Forest Rangers and Druids focus on pure Nature's Magic."
"I see. That sounds cool," Arion replied, scratching his head. "I never learned about any of that in the academy."
"Maybe you'll learn about it in your next academy as a Weaver," Shera suggested.
"Makes sense. So, what's this Nature's Magic all about? What kind of magic art is that?" Arion asked, genuinely curious.
"Good question!" Shera nodded enthusiastically.
She then turned her gaze to the side and slowly lifted her arms. Suddenly, a sapling shot up from the ground, growing at an astonishing rate. Arion's jaw dropped as he watched it expand, twisting and turning in the air like a dancer at a ball.
The sapling transformed into a massive creature that resembled a dragon from the books he had read, but this was no ordinary dragon. It was enormous, with a body that looked like a gigantic serpent.
Arion felt a wave of intimidation wash over him; he was certain that one swipe from this beast could flatten him into a pancake.
The creature had fangs made from sharpened black wood, and its head was a chaotic mix of entangled bark and roots, adorned with leaves, grass, and flowers.
Its eyes were made from oversized red flowers that looked like roses, giving it a fierce yet oddly beautiful appearance.
As the creature opened its mouth, it let out a moan that sounded like a gigantic whale on steroids with its exaggerated loud pulsed call, not like a dragon's roar which Arion imagined at first.
"Hwaaa!"
The noise was deafening, and Arion winced as it pierced his ears like a thousand tiny needles. He quickly covered his ears in complete agony.
Fortunately, Shera, who was in a good mood, decided to cover him with some kind of magic that formed a thin membrane, shielding him from the worst of the damage.
But even then, his ears and eyes were already bleeding from the brief exposure, and his hair and cheeks were swept backward from the air pressure.
Arion guessed that without the protective membrane, he would have been thrown far away, while his insides would be transformed into mush from the vibrations in the air.
* * *
"Amazing, right?" Shera asked, glancing at Arion, who was now on his knees, struggling to stay upright against the overwhelming pressure emanating from the wood dragon or to be exact, a gigantic wood serpent.
Smiling helplessly, Arion replied, "Alright, that's enough. You can take it out. I know you're amazing," he said, rolling his eyes as if he were dealing with an overly enthusiastic child.
Shera had this mischievous side that sometimes felt like a cruel little devil.
The frequency of her sudden personality shifts often left him worried.
One moment she was a playful sprite, and the next, she was a force of nature that could knock him off his feet – in a much literal sense, that is.
Suddenly, Shera knelt beside Arion, her expression shifting to one of remorse. The pressure on Arion's also vanished.
"Sorry, Arion. I just… sometimes I lose myself to my other self," she admitted, guilt lacing her voice.
"Hey, it's fine. It's nothing compared to that first training where I turned into a red cloud of flesh and blood," Arion responded quickly, trying to comfort her.
"I mean, that was a real mess. I think I still have nightmares about it."
"I think that training was also influenced by my other self," Shera said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"It's just… my consciousness is starting to drift apart now. It feels like it's becoming an individual thinking of its own."
"Well, at least I'll give your other persona some credit," Arion said, trying to lighten the mood.
"I admit it's somewhat cruel, but I don't think it's evil. It just seems to be in a hurry for some reason. Maybe because we really do need to hurry? Didn't you tell me that the growing danger is getting closer? Maybe it's for the best right now."
Shera tilted her head, her eyes abruptly shifting from self-reproach to a cold indifference.
"Good that you understand. That kind of pressure is also needed for your upcoming training. To transform your Minor Chakra into a Seed of Chakra – the middle part in the Seeds of Insights, – pressure from a higher life form is the best method for now."
With that, Shera stood up, and Arion felt a wave of relief wash over him as he realized he was fully healed from all his wounds.
"You can't back away, ever," she said, her tone serious.
"It was a sacred vow for you to help me because I helped you resurrect from death. I gave you a second chance at life."
*
(A/N: Skip it if desired)
Seeds of Insights Sequence: A Guide to Chakra Gardening
1. Minor Chakra: Think of this as the baby version of the chakra, made from the tamed Nature Elements. It's like the starter pack for your energy garden – perfect for those who are just getting their feet wet in the mystical world of chakra!
2. Seed of Chakra: When you've accumulated enough Minor Chakra and temper it repeatedly, it magically transforms into a seed. Yes, that's right! You've officially graduated from "I'm just dabbling" to "I'm a proud plant parent!" Just don't forget to water it with good vibes!
3. Chakra of the Enlightened: This is where things get fancy.
The seed nurtures the rest of the Minor Chakra into what we call the Enlightened Chakra – and in turn, the new and better version of the chakra nurtures the seed. At the end of it, it's like your seed went to a spa, got a makeover, and came back ready to bloom into a fabulous flower. Talk about a glow-up!
4. Blooming of the 7 Seeds: Now, let's get to the fun part – the first seed that Arion used previously!
Meet the Flower of Muladhara, also known as the Red Flower or the Root Chakra. It's like the "firstborn" of your chakra family, always demanding attention and probably throwing tantrums if it doesn't get enough love. Just remember, if it starts wilting, it's time to check in on your life choices!
* Other Note: The Inspiration came from Arhats and Seven Chakras from Buddhism and Hinduism.