Day 37: Heart of Fire
Sentence: 20-30 Coli Battles
Sentence: 20-30 Coli Battles
Mato didn't know what brought them so close to their birth clan. Perhaps it was curiosity, or a desire to see their parent again, but whatever it was, they were here. They didn't get too close of course, they wouldn't want Shui or Glacier to see them, but they were close enough to see the volcano on the horizon. It certainly had not been there before.
That was when it dawned on them that it must be Flameforger's. After all, a year had passed since they had joined the Plaguemother's spurned, and the aberration clan were pretty deadset on not celebrating any elemental celebrations aside from Riot of Rot, so they would not have any reason to keep track of the others.
Which meant that their parent was in there right now, and their brother, and everyone else they grew up knowing. The thought turned their stomach.
"I wondered if I might find you here," Ishtar said, rising up out of the earth beside them.
"I won't get to close," Mato promised. "I just. I had to see."
"Do you regret leaving your home? Ishtar asked, gazing unblinkingly at Mato's face.
"No, it was for the best. I have no doubt Shui and Glacier would have killed me eventually, I wasn't what they wanted, not in a child and not in an apprentice," Mato sighed. "I just - I wish my family and friends were safe. Shui has such a strong grip on that clan. He doesn't care about their lives, or their hopes and dreams. He's just using them to ascend to godhood."
"He's what-?" Something angry flashed in Ishtar's eyes, and they went noticeably darker. "I knew he was a bad father, I had no idea-- Oh, that can't fly."
"Uh, Ishtar, are you okay?" Mato asked, surprised by the sudden change in his demeanour.
"It really bugs me when dragons think they can push around and control other dragons. I've killed so many dragons exactly like Shui, and it looks like he's next on my list." Ishtar declared.
"Okay, but you can't go in now," Mato urged. "That volcano is the Challenge of Fire, and participation in a challenge, even if you just set foot in the arena, means you can never leave. Not until all eleven challenges are complete. That's why Hansel and my parent wanted to get me out when they did - it was right before the Challenge of Lightning."
"Alright, maybe Shui won't be dead today, but I'm definitely going to have his head," Ishtar growled. "For what he did to you, and for what he is doing to every single other poor dragon in that volcano."
As if in response to Ishtar's vow, the volcano errupted, and Mato could see an indiscernible silhouette of a dragon emerging from the flames, as if they had flown right through them. At least one of the clan had passed the challenge. Mato could only hope their parent would be among that number.
Lewsyn was sick of challenges. He wanted something more. He wasn't going to be content to sit around and be a pawn for Shui's ascension, he needed to find some way to be on par with him, to become his equal, so that he may beat him at his own game.
Lewsyn was certainly not for the way his feathers and coat were getting singed and dirtied by dodging fire and monsters alike. He was better suited for mental games than physical ones, and just because he could see beyond this dimension didn't mean that he could set foot outside of it.
Lewsyn found himself in that moment praying to some higher power for some assistance in his quest, something higher than the gods, though not as high as the admins.
Moment later, there was a pop, and another dragon was standing before him.
Lewsyn was certain he had seen this nocturne around the clan before, but he definitely had never spoken to her. He also knew that her name was Missy, and that she dabbled in portals, though no one had told him that. He had gleaned that information for himself.
"I've been watching you," Missy said, laughing to herself a little. "And I have decided it would be fun to partner up! You and I have similar goals it seems, we both want to take down powerful dragons. Different dragons, don't worry, I'm not going to step on your turf, but rumor has it you can see in different dimensions. With my ability to teleport to and create pocket dimensions, we may be of some use to each other!"
"I usually work alone," Lewsyn said, though he was intrigued by her offer. He took a moment to scan the pages in his mind, looking for the one with information on her. It only took a moment to pull it up. "Ah, you are a demon, and you want to take down Hades and take his place as god of the underworld, though in the meantime you are participating in these games merely for your own enjoyment. Am I correct in assuming you are setting me up, not only for your own quests and goals, but to add to the fun of the games by adding another competitor?"
"You are correct!" Missy laughed. "Shui has such a chokehold on these challenges, don't you agree? But if there was another dragon vying for his power, building up a following and trying to hijack his ritual to ascend to godhood in his place, now that would be fun." The nocturne's grin widened.
As much as he preferred to rely on his own intelligence and abilities rather than risking the failure of others, Lewsyn couldn't deny he was in a pinch. And he had asked for some help, perhaps this is what The Author had provided for him. If that was the case, he would be a fool not to take it. The Author, after all, had the ability to dictate how his story would go, controlled only by the whims of Pinkerton."
"Very well, we have a deal," Lewsyn smirked.
"Great, I have a suggestion for your first follower!" Missy beamed. It seemed she never stopped smiling. "Some new dragons have joined the challenges, and some of them seem to need some guidance. If you provide them aid, perhaps you could earn their respect."
"I like how you think," Lewsyn grinned back.
There was a sudden pop, and a rush that sounded like wind. Moments later, Lewsyn found himself in a completely different part of the volcano, hidden behind a stalagmite. Missy must have teleported him.
"There," she whispered in his ear, gesturing to a wildclaw who was stranded on a large rock that was sinking further and further into the lava. Above him, a mechanical bat was spitting up fireballs that he was only just dodging. He was frozen in place, and appeared to be crying, though the heat evaporated the tears as soon as they touched his cheek.
Lewsyn pulled up his page. Dawson was his name. He was trans, and loved rabbits. Harmless overall, but Missy was right - devotion was more important than physical power.
He heard a pop behind him as Missy teleported elsewhere, and Lewsyn stepped out from his hiding place, ready to be a hero.
It had been a hard year, and it showed. Hansel's death had put a major damper on the clan as a whole. The atmosphere was heavier, and everyone seemed to stick more to their individual bubbles and social circles, scared that if they grew too big in Shui's notice, they would be murdered too. Drew had made it very clear, what had happened and why. They had barely even recognized Warrior's Way, though Shui had pushed for them to compete, to help spread his name.
To top it all off, Taper felt like he was failing the Lightweaver. He had definitely been able to bring back a lot of news of the goings-on of Shui's disciples, but none of it good. The Lightweaver had informed him that the Stormcatcher would likely be sending one of his employees to help check it out, but in the year since the Thundercrack Carnivale, none had shown.
But most of all, Taper felt like he was letting down Shingle and Faust. His family.
He had tried his best to be a good father, and he knew he had given his all to raising Faust. She was delight. Even in this depressing year, she remained ever optimistic. She had begun going on outings with Octavia and Pearl, delighting in their daredevil activities, but always returned home to Taper and Shingle.
No, it was Shingle more who he was failing. He knew the feelings Shingle had for him, and Taper shared them. He wanted nothing more than to reciprocate them, to take their relationship to a romantic level. But he couldn't. The Lightwaever had been very clear about his duty. He was here on a stealth mission, as her angel and representative. He was not to get distracted, and not to fall in love with a mortal.
He could see how it hurt Shingle. The moment the two of them lingered too long in a gaze and Shingle leaned forward for a kiss before Taper had to pull himself away. The almost, would have been confessions in love from both of them, before each thought better of it. Shingle was satisfied to have Taper as a friend, but the way they kept getting drawn together opened the door to something more, only for Taper to slam the door shut. And it wasn't fair to Shingle. It wasn't fair to him at all.
Taper had no idea why he was thinking about this now, instead of focusing on the challenge at hand. Above all, he wanted to be sure that his family made it through the volcano safely.
"Oh, Eleven, not another monster," Shingle groaned, hearing movement in the tunnel ahead of them. Taper saw as the undertide prepared himself to fight, and Taper did the same.
"We can handle it, come on, we're almost done, we're almost at the top," Faust urged bounding forward to take her position by her fathers.
What emerged before them was not a monster, but a sandsurge. He had no idea that the Stormcatcher had allowed his most dedicated workers to emerge from their underground workspaces. Yet, here one was, right before him, electricity crackling around her.
"Oh my goodness, finally other dragons!" She exclaimed. "My name is Faraday, I'm supposed to find the Disciples of Shui? I got a little lost after visiting the Flamecaller, but I have to be close! Oh The Boss is going to be so mad at me if he finds out how I messed this up! But no! I'm not going to mess this up! I'm going to find it! I'll do my job!"
"You have found it," Taper laughed, gesturing to the volcano around them. He couldn't help it. He had been expecting the Stormcatcher to send a dedicated, no-nonsense employee, but perhaps he hadn't wanted to lower his productivity. He had thought the lack of representative appearing from him to be a sign of apathy towards the situation. Turns out the Employee of the Stormcatcher had just gotten lost.
"You have wandered right into the Challenge of Fire," Shingle confirmed. "Though, uh, I don't know if the Stormcatcher wants you throwing his name around like that, isn't that supposed to be secret?"
Shingle exchanged a look with Taper. Taper had figured out long ago that Shingle had worked out where he was from, and was very graciously not drawing attention to it.
"Oh right, oh no," Faraday huffed, looking distressed, "I can't let him down, I can't let him down."
"It's okay, your secret is safe with us," Taper said, moving forward to comfort the sandsurge. He leaned towards her ear and whispered. "I'm an Angel of the Lightweaver, I understand."
"Oh!" Faraday's eyes widened as she looked over Taper with new understanding. "Oh, I get it! Thank you! Gosh, you all are so nice, do you mind if I travel with you through this 'challenge?' It appears I don't know what I've gotten myself into."
"The more the merrier," Faust beamed.
It seemed that maybe at least one thing was finally going Taper's way. Maybe with time, he could figure out more.
@Pocketdog @Lixue @pancakeswithabs @Brasil @Disillusionist @VeniVidiVici @sedge122 @Crescentstar711 @RedSiren @Khyriana @Aquasparky @Leopardmask @BarbaraFett @SakuraSundae @Jaspernoir @Glitchtrap @Sabariel @Aetherstorm @Mutequill @LaSilva007 @chippertowns @Tirtouga678 @Murvax @Drachenschwinge @Calyrex @Lightwolf57 @QuietGhost @queerkestrel @GrinningWolf24 @NewmoonWasTaken @LeafyGaming77 @Reshiramu @clementine2017 @MagicSpyglass @xobrynnx @flareite @catmeow1 @Auraea
2 chapters for this challenge! Things are going well! I have one more chapter planned, that will show the method of making the flower grow, and then we'll do a mail day (which will actually include a line-up of how everyone is doing, levels wise!)
