Blaze pulled on the alloy cord, and the valve at the bottom of the cistern released. A heartbeat later, the water began to pour down into the fissure, where it was almost instantly heated and turned to steam.
The steam rose into the funnel, and the generator above it whirred to life. The world around them went silent as they listened to the soft hum on the ledge.
'You can do it!' If Noble could have willed the bulb to light, she would have done it now. Instead, all she could do was watch and hope.
Two seconds, and then three passed. Noble began to wonder if the resistor Blaze had added was too much between the shard and the bulb. They had both done the math and had it checked.
Their research was solid. However, theory and practice did not always translate well, and Noble was worried that this might be the case.
But then!
'A flicker!' Noble could have sworn she saw it.
Half a second later, the dull glow became steadier and then normalized. Like a beacon in a lighthouse, the bulb shone in the afternoon sky of Ravenheart. For eight seconds, the bulb held the attention of the enraptured crowd.
They were frozen in place, afraid that any movement might break the spell and cause it all to have been just their imagination.
It wasn't just a figment of fancy, though. The light was real, pure, and bright.
As the steam finally exhausted itself, the bulb dimmed, leaving only the afterimage in the witnesses' minds.
"Blaze! You did it!" Mister Blim clapped his hands as he rushed forward to the boy. "He did it, everyone!"
The man's voice broke through the silence and the awe that had fallen over those present. They rose to their feet and applauded.
Noble couldn't contain her excitement. Thankfully, neither could those around her. Brock whooped loudly, Rain cheered, and Fort looked ready to come down from the bandstand without an invitation.
This was a historic moment, and no one seemed more aware of it than Blaze.
His eyes were filled with stars, and his stunned look between bewilderment and amazement made the audience celebrate even louder. When his sponsor shook his hand, Blaze stared at it, his mouth hanging partially open.
When the crowd finally quieted, the host's voice boomed.
"Today, this young man has proven that man's ingenuity and determination can prevail. With this demonstration of viability–and with the right resources–we can light up all of Ravenheart in just years instead of decades." The man was flushed, not from the heat but from his excitement.
For a moment, Noble thought the host might pass out from the exertion. Yet, he continued with his speech.
"I hope I can speak for all of us when I say..."
The ground rumbled. Noble furrowed her brow as Fort bumped her elbow.
"A tremor?" She whispered. As her feet never touched the ground, she had to rely on other people's senses to tell her about anomalies in the earth. And the sudden shift in people's emotions shook her even more than the side of the volcano could.
"Yes," Fort steadied himself. "But just a small one."
"Do you think Blaze caused it?" Child of Promise held her breath.
"I don't think a little steam on in a fissure would affect the structural integrity of the entire volcano…" The ambassador paused. "Unless it was already compromised."
Noble's eyes opened wide. "You don't think…"
The woman couldn't finish her sentence. Had Blaze set off a chain reaction that would force the entire volcano into a catastrophic failure?
"No, I don't think that." Fort took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "I think it is a normal tremor that we feel occasionally."
Though she had only felt it once or twice while lying in her hammock-like bed, Noble was familiar with the rumblings of the mountain. While the Dream Realm didn't have the plate tectonics of Earth to cause quakes, it had its own unique ecology and quirks.
"Hopefully you are right." Noble braced herself for action, unsure of exactly which course she would need to take.
Moments passed. The ground remained still. People began to relax.
Mister Blim adjusted his collar and smiled.
"Seems even the ground wants to join in the celebration!"
His joke was greeted with light laughter and an easing of tension. The speech went on, congratulating Blaze for his remarkable achievement and praising all of those present for having the foresight to witness the momentous occasion.
'Finish up. I want to give my baby a hug!' Noble had half a mind to nudge the man in the right direction to finish up his long-winded words. She was still debating whether to use emotion or levitation to achieve her goal when the man finally seemed to be wrapping it up.
"And so, it is with great excitement that I announce that I plan to be the first to invest in the building of a power plant on this very spot where history was made! And it is all thanks to Blaze!" The man raised Blaze's arm in the air.
The crowd stood to their feet for a second ovation. Only Beastmaster and her attendants remained seated, though Noble could feel the other Saint was quite interested in what had transpired. An achievement like this could fundamentally change how the people of Ravenheart lived and worked. And also how they protected themselves...
"Uh, Boss?" Teddy called from the end of the bench. "We need to stop people from going closer to the edge."
"I agree." Noble could handle the noxious gases from the lava, but mundane people would not fare so well. "I'll get them back."
Child of Promise rushed forward and caught her son as the first people were drawing near to shake his hand.
"I need everyone to keep a safe distance. Blaze can take questions and comments over there in a moment. In the meantime, please stay clear of the ledge!" Noble motioned for the assistance of a few of the security guards as she led her son toward the rest of the family.
They enveloped him in a hug.
"Blaze, that was amazing!"
"That's my brother."
"I knew you could do it, son!
"I'm so proud of you!"
Their voices overlapped as they showered him with praise.
He held up his hands. "I should be the one thanking all of you. Without you, that would never have been completed."
"Does that mean I can have part of your profits?" Brock winked.
"We can talk about shares some other time, bro." Blaze shook his head as he chuckled. "First I need to..."
The ground shook a second time. This one was more forceful than the last, causing Blaze's contraption to rock from side to side. Noble stabilized it and the people around her with her telekinesis and waited for the shifting to stop.
Only it didn't. The mountain groaned and then seemed to roar.
Noble furrowed her brow, looking toward the volcano and the bubbling lava there. "What in two worlds..."
Teddy's face paled as she gazed into the red glow of the molten liquid.
"We're too late. He's here."