It’s burning.
I see a lot of red. The fire is burning, and people are trying to put it out with water from the well, but they can’t keep up.
I hear someone say it started when a lamp fell and its fire spread.
I’m just looking at it in a daze until Kayu taps my shoulder.
“Lerunda, let’s help put it out!!”
“Y-yes.”
I’ve never seen an accidental fire.
Grandma always told us how dangerous and terrible fire could be. We use fire every day to cook, but grandma would say that if we’re not careful with how we use it, it could turn into a lot of trouble.
What’s happening in front of me is exactly what she was talking about. It’s enough to make me freeze with fear.
But Kayu takes me by the hand, and I join everyone in helping put it out. We take water from the well and the lake to fight it.
But unfortunately, even though the fire that started this whole thing was very small, it keeps spreading and it’s not stopping. There are a lot of things around it that catch fire easily.
We can’t put out the flames, and there’s a lot of tension around us.
What do I do?
There’s a forest around us. It would be terrible if the fire spread there too.
Is there anything I can do?
If there is, can I end this?
I don’t know if it will work, but I start praying.
Mister Douroean said that the miko’s wishes reach god more easily, and that miko can control the weather.
So I pray.
God. The god of the sky who watches over me.
Bless us with water to put out this fire.
Please.
I just close my eyes, put my hands together, and pray.
Kayu is surprised to see me start praying all of a sudden, but doesn’t say anything.
It looks like my prayer reached its destination.
A few drops of rain fall, and it starts getting stronger.
It doesn’t just rain where the fire is, rain falls on the whole village… No, lots of clouds make rain fall on an even wider area.
I can see the fire dying.
This makes me feel relieved, and at the same time I lose my strength.
By the time I feel that it’s weird, it’s too late.
“Lerunda!?”
Kayu runs towards me, sounding worried, but I just close my eyes.
◇ ◇◇
“Oh…”
I wake up in my bed.
Why did this happen? I prayed and made it rain, and before I knew it I was losing consciousness.
I look outside through the window, and see it’s still raining.
I haven’t collapsed like this since that time I used holy magic.
I probably worried everyone. I try to get up when this thought crosses my mind, but I feel dizzy and sit back down on the bed.
This feels to me like I ran out of magic energy.
I prayed and caused it to rain. Does that spend magic energy?
As I think about this, the door opens, and Miss Lan and Mister Nirushi come in.
“Lerunda! Thank goodness you’re awake!”
“Here, drink this.”
Miss Lan runs towards me and hugs me. Mister Nirushi hands me a cup with fruit juice.
“Thank you.”
I say while taking a sip and then taking a deep breath.
“What happened to the fire?”
“It was put out thanks to you. Still, it’s been a few hours, but the rain hasn’t stopped… I guess all this rain completely exhausted your magic energy.
Lerunda, finding out that you can make it rain like this is a fabulous discovery, but please try not to overdo it.
I assume you prayed for rain to put out the fire, but I’m assuming it’s also necessary to think about the range.”
“Range?”
“Yes. The rain started in response to your prayer, and it’s covering a wide area. Probably even the whole forest.
And it doesn’t show any sign of stopping.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s right. So Lerunda, next time you pray to god like this, try to think about the range too. If you do, you probably won’t collapse like this.”
She says while patting my head.
“I was so worried when I heard you fainted. Please be careful not to let it happen again.”
“Yes. I will.”
“Gaius and the others were very worried too. And so was Nirushi here.”
Miss Lan says while looking at Mister Nirushi, and I look at him too.
“…Of course I was. You collapsed all of a sudden.”
He says while looking away.
“Thank you for worrying, Mister Nirushi.”
I say with a smile, but he isn’t looking at me.
Now that I think about it, Miss Lan said I could ask Mister Nirushi to pamper me too.
“Mister Nirushi, hug.”
I say without thinking.
I’m going to continue getting bigger. It might be one of my last chances to get a hug from Mister Nirushi. Thinking about this makes me want to hug even more.
“H-hug!?”
“That’s nice. You’ve never hugged Lerunda, have you? She just fainted, so let’s hug her before we show everyone she’s all right.”
“Wha? Lan!! Who told you you could decide that!?”
“Are you really not going to hug her? You’re going to make Lerunda sad, you know?”
“…I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.”
He says before hugging me.
Then they take me to everyone else, so we can go talk.
—Girl and fire – Part two
(The miko prays and is blessed with rain.)
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