Chapter 16: Powers...and Stalkers?

Morning came and Pinggoy asked their boss if they could have the day off. Their boss agreed and they should return by the next day. Ramch suggested that they go to the hot spring that he saw one day while buying their food. It was near a sleeping volcano and about a half a kilometer of walk from the inn.

"Now, who wants to go to the hot spring?"

"I don’t want to go!"

"Raffy! It is a sleeping volcano! It couldn't harm a fly!"

"Still, it's a volcano."

"Don't be such a baby. Come on!"

After a lot of convincing from his friends, Raffy finally agreed to come. On the way to the spring, Joed told them about what Giovanni and the spirit of earth told him.

"No way! So we get to have powers just like you do?"

"Yup. Maybe Ramch you will get fire or ice."

"No way. Mine is going to be cooler. Besides, I want to have lightning and thunder."

"Okay. Anyway, the minion said that the Witch Quirella sent him. And she ordered him to kill me."

"So Joed, how about showing us your powers?"

"Sure Paolo."

Joed waved his hands over some grass and it grew up to his height.

"That was so cool! I wonder if I could have your powers and cover myself with beautiful flowers so I will be like Queen of the Earth."

"Pinggoy, you haven't seen anything yet...Velvet Earth."

Then he slowly sank into the earth beneath him. Then after a few seconds rose back up.

"Wow! I cannot wait to get my powers. Maybe my power is Flower Power."

"No it's not."

"I know! I'm just kidding. It should be one of the statues that we saw in the temple. Since yours is already taken, there's only seven left."

The gang talked about what powers they want as a guardian as they headed for the hot spring.

"So how about you Ramch, what powers would you like? I already got mine."

"I like to have lightning or thunder with matching darkness. So I will have...like...dark lightning."

"That is so ironic. Lightning, from its name, is light. And you would like it to be dark? That's twisted."

"So what? I like lightning and darkness. How about you Paolo, what powers would you like?"

"Well, I would like to have ice powers. I can freeze anything I want. Maybe I can even make ice sculptures."

"How lame."

"Right, mine's lame while yours is 'dark lightning', please."

"Stop it you two. I would like to share what I like to have."

"We don't care Francis."

"Like I care about your 'dark lightning' Ramch."

"Why does everyone contradicts what I like?"

"Because it's weird. Anyway, I would like to have the power of wind so I can fly. And I can make tornados that can take Raffy to a far off place."

"Hey, what did I do to you for you to do that to me?"

"Nothing, I just want to do it. And besides, I do not like you. You're no good of a son."

"Since when did I become your son, Francis?"

"After I married TJ and we had our honeymoon at Boracay."

"Eww...that's gross."

"I had enough of this what-powers-would-you-like-to-have moment. Are we there yet Ramch?"

"It's just up ahead."

Then something behind the gang moved and caught Addison's attention.

"Hey guys, did you see something?"

"No. Whatever it is I think it's just some animal."

"Yeah right Ramch, a weird animal. Hello? We are in another world. Whatever it was, it wasn't 'just some animal'."

"Whatever Pinggoy. Addison, stop being so paranoid. Relax a little. We're almost there."

"All right. I will try to relax. Besides, we've got Joed here to protect us...hehehe."

As the gang headed for the hot spring, they do not know that they are being followed by an evil creature. One of them does not know that he is going to be the next guardian in line.