[Round Two; Set Two, Lysis] The Devil's Furnace

The roar of lava spewing in the volcano encompassed all sound, not that there was anything else to hear. Winona stood at the foot of the mountain, Cassidy purring beside her. She glanced around at her barren surroundings, preparing for the chaotic scene that would in moments greet her: dark brown wasteland; cloud-filled sky – if you could call it that – with a hint of acrid yellow. No rivers, no trees, just desolation. Bracing herself, she glanced up at the volcano. Boiling bubbles of air were frantically popping out of the scalding concoction. The heat that emanated from the mound was incredible, like being physically shoved in a furnace. The destructive sounds were deafening, and the stench of boiling rock was everywhere. Winona recoiled as she remembered her mission. “No backing out because of a little heat. You have to do this, for everyone.”

Cassidy rubbed his ears against her. “You’re a brilliant little witch. Nothing can go wrong.”

She knew he was right, but the nagging feeling of danger never ceased. The gnawing butterflies never fled from her stomach.

“One foot in front of the other, up a hill. Hardly difficult.”

“Not when you put it like that,” she scowled. “Although you have conveniently forgotten the molten rock flying around that thing.”

Cassidy shrugged in his feline way and began trekking up the volcano, closely followed by Winona.

The heat increased exponentially as they climbed up the mountain. No longer a furnace, but a thousand miniature suns plaguing her ghostly body. There was no water to conjure from the ground, it had long been eradicated by the inhuman temperatures. An ashen fug slowly enveloped the duo as they traversed the mountain, until Winona was reduced to clearing the air every few minutes to save her lungs. “I can’t do this, Cassidy,” she stammered weakly.

"Pitiful." Cassidy himself was wheezing painfully every few seconds, but let none of it enter his tort remark. Winona glared at the cat as she took another agonizing step closer to hell.

And hell it was, or at least the closest thing earth could recreate. Thought, like pain and feeling, had been extinguished by the white-hot inferno. There was only the primal instict to continue her mission that drove Winona on - she had no time for doubt anyway, as she pushed away the heat with gales of wind. Finally she and Cassidy reached the archaic summit: a deadly concoction of monstrous heat, throttling smoke and lava. She peered despairingly into the thriving cauldron, instantly regretting it. The very smoke emanating from the lava wrinkled her skin into scarlet pulp.

"I don't see any weapons of mass destruction," Cassidy choked.

Winona wasn't listening. Instead, she was staring, nay, ogling at a figure in the distance. An air of foreboding surrounded the thing, terrifying enough in it itself, but there was something else than tore into the Strael's heart: it was walking straight towards the volcano.

Shadowy figures danced around a raging fire, always staying just out of sight. The orange blaze provided no light, nor did it produce any heat. Its only products were death, destruction, and tragedy. Whispers filled the air, the hidden secrets of intangible spirits; but they were impossible to decipher over the ethereal sound of wailing and crying. Clouds filled the dark night sky and hid the palely lit moon and glistening stars, and mystical green lightning fell from the heavens. Amidst it all stood a figure formed of darkness, his captivating bright orange eyes the only distinguishable feature...

* ^ * ^ *

Kartaikian awoke suddenly, to the feeling of his horse nudging him with its muzzle. He stood up and brushed himself off, looking to the Sun for the time. The sky was overcast with clouds, and thick gray smoke. Noticing the smoke for the first time, Kartaikian looked to the horizon to see where it was originating. In the distance he could see a mountain, or rather a volcano, pouring smoke out from the crater on its summit.

"Let's check it out, Tempest," Kartaikian said. He hoisted himself up onto his horse's saddle, and the horse began to gallop toward the distant mountain. As they approached the mountain, the air became filled with ashes and the smoke made the skies much darker. All around, the environment gave evidence that the volcano had erupted before. The ground was covered in a thick layer of cinders, and there was no plant life to be seen. Where the sky could be seen through the smoke, it had taken on a sulfurous yellow color.

"Okay, stop here, Tempest," Kartaikian said when they'd traveled within ten yards of the volcano's base. Stormcloud dismounted his horse, and readied his equipment. Touching the cool metal hilt of his sword, he thought he felt a presence. He drew the longsword, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The blade began to glimmer green as its dark magics began to flow about inside it. Kartaikian detected two spirits, but they were too far away for him to determine anything about them.

Life? Out here? Interesting... he thought. He figured that the lifeforms must be on top of the volcano, and decided to climb up to the summit. The smell of burning mineral filled the air, and the atmosphere was filled with asphyxiating tephra. Stormcloud found a strip of gray cloth, and wrapped it tightly around his face, covering his mouth and nose. He then pulled his hood up over his head, leaving his cloud gray eyes the only visible part of his face, and even they were mostly covered by his hair. "Stay here," he said to Tempest.

Kartaikian approached the volcano, and looked up its jagged slope. It looked fairly climbable, with plenty of footholds. Thus he continued, climbing hand over hand, foot over foot. As he ascended, the heat began to become hard to bear. He found himself wiping sweat off his forehead every couple of minutes. Eventually, though, he found himself on the rim of the volcano. He dared not peer over the edge, as the heat was already strong enough from where he was.

Looking around, Kartaikian was surprised to see someone else on the volcano. It wasn't exactly the presence of the person that surprised him, but rather her appearance...

Winona stared, transfixed, at the man that had come before her. Every cell of his being - save his eyes, which were shrouded in wispy grey hair - was draped in layers of drab clothing. It was only by the air of neutrality that he exuded that Winona guessed his gender; women couldn’t hide their feelings so. Her eyes darted cautiously to the scabbard by the man’s side: there was clearly a sword housed in it, and there was an odd emerald aura escaping from the encasement.

“What are you doing here?” she choked out, partly from the whirling smog, but also from her dazed shock.

“I came looking for you.” Not a hint of emotion breached his lips. He was either impossible to read, or felt nothing. Judging by his sombre demeanour, Winona opted for the latter.

“Why was that?”

Cassidy’s back arched as he squealed a malevolent hiss.

“I was curious.” Again, Winona didn’t pick up anything from the strange man.

“Well, since you have no business here, will you go away?”

“No.”

Despite herself, Winona couldn’t help but smile at his unintentional humour. If only the grey figure would show a similar emotion; anything to inform her of his alignment. As it stood, she didn’t trust him. He obviously had no problem with combat, or else he wouldn’t address a little girl so bluntly. Weighing her options, she said:

“Will I have to make you leave?”

“Probably.”

However calmly the man said it, Winona perceived his statement as an act of war. Glancing sharply at Cassidy, she imbued him with a swift fire spell. The little cat roared alight as Winona took a few steps back for safety. It seemed that she had finally awakened some emotion in the creature, for his eyes had taken on a frantic edge and he had unsheathed his shimmering blade. Even with all of the madness going on around her, Winona couldn’t help but stare at the ethereal sword: it swayed in a lethal wave, with two sharp edges and a deadly tip. The emerald sheen was even more visible now that it was out of the scabbard.

Snapping out of her reverie, Winona only caught the end of the conflict between Cassidy and their strange attacker. He was rapidly patting a singe on his coat while Cassidy dashed back to Winona. “What now?” he cried hurriedly.

“Ice?"

Cassidy nodded.

“Two separate strikes, though,” Winona continued. “You, then me.”

The cat sprinted forward as commanded, locking eyes with the sombre figure. Winona began running towards him too, while gathering her magic. He had taken a ginger step down the mountain as he readied the inevitable parry of Cassidy’s spell. He did something unexpected though. Instead of revealing his wooden shield and simply blocking the attack, he held the eerie sword straight in front of him. It was a trap.

A moment too late. An arrow of ice crashed into the man’s sword with deadly fluidity, immediately disappearing into the nether. The figure relished the evident strength boost for a second, and then turned his sights to Winona. I need to think this through, she thought frantically. The Strael was still running, too much adrenaline pumping in her ghostly veins to stop. The man however stood steadily on his earthen perch, the demonic sword held in exactly the same fashion.

“He expects you to do the same thing as me,” Cassidy suddenly butted in. “Throw him off, then attack.”

The grey man still stood resolutely, now only feet away from Winona. She had milliseconds to formulate a plan and execute it, else she would be cleaved in two by the sword.

A magical gust of air propelled the girl into the volcanic fug. She clung to the cloud with a breath of magic for a moment, enjoying her brief respite from combat. Beneath her, the figure was looking all around for the missing girl; perfect for the next part of the plan. As silently as she could, the girl extended a bubble of Force until it touched the man. He looked up suddenly, catching the faint outline of Winona hiding in the smoke. She pressed the Force further down on the man, descending a little to watch him get crushed.

This is so much fun!

The man crashed deeper into the earth as Winona continued pressing. Then, when he lay dazed on the ground, she touched land again. With a dramatic flourish she summoned an earthen cane from the ground. It was scalding to the touch.

“Perfect,” Cassidy whispered.

Winona grinned at her companion while stamping on her defeated foe with a flimsy sandal. She tugged at his hair until he could see her. With more malevolence than necessary, she waved the fiery stick in his face.

“I’m gonna break your bones bit by bit, until there’s nothing left!”

OoC: So that was a bit bigger than I expected =P

Suddenly things seemed to take a wild turn for the worst, and Kartaikian found himself on the ground, being attacked by a little girl and her flaming cat. As she battered him with her sandal shod feet, he looked into her gray eyes with his own gray eyes. She was no ordinary girl, and seemed to possess great magical strength. Stormcloud noted that her soul felt older than her body appeared. The cat was no ordinary cat either, not by far, having an intelligent mind and spirit.

The mysterious girl waved an igneous earthen wand in his face, and proceeded to threaten him. "I’m gonna break your bones bit by bit, until there’s nothing left!" she vehemently asserted, shaking the baton again.

She sure seems eager to fight... Kartaikian thought to himself, and raised an eyebrow at her inane declaration. "Go ahead and try then," he proposed to his assailant. He smirked as he called upon his magic blade, summoning an attack. Kartaikian shouted to activate the spell, and a bright green flash of magical force sent the girl and her pet soaring backwards.

He quickly stood up, brushing himself off, and then brandished his blade; swinging it behind his back and over his head a couple times, before holding it ready. With a flick of his wrist, the blade spun around and ignited in green flames. He would make no attempts to kill, or even harm for that matter, for he was acting mainly in self-defense. He stood steady, ready for anything the mysterious girl would throw at him.

A sudden burst of wind blew out the flames on his sword, and knocked him of the ledge he was standing on. Quickly gaining his footing, he searched around for the girl. He could sense her presence nearby, and threw an orb of fire in her general direction, which exploded rather harmlessly when it hit the ground, apparently also doused with a magic wind. Okay, maybe we'll try something other than fire...

Kartaikian climbed up onto a rock, and he could see the girl nearby. Suddenly, from her direction came dozens of small stones propelled by a magical cyclone of wind. Kartaikian quickly lifted his shield, and braced himself as the stones glanced off its ironclad surface. He then leapt down off the rock, jumping in the direction of the girl, and sent out a wave of emerald force with a swipe of his sword, knocking her to the ground again.

He put away his shield, putting it on his back, and pointed the tip of his glimmering malachite blade at the currently defeated attacker. "Maybe I should have mentioned this earlier; but know I intend no harm," Stormcloud articulated. "If you still want to break my bones, though, know that I will do what ever it takes to defend myself, should even it end in death."

Winona pushed herself up with a breath of wind and glared at her attacker. “You’re rather bad at not causing harm,” she hissed. The shrill taunt joined a shriek from Cassidy. The man retained his composure, hardly batting an eyelid at the tenacious claim.

“I told you before: I’m merely defending myself.”

“Don’t give me that!” Winona spat back, propelling herself away from her foe. “You hit me with some kind of magic.”

“You pummelled me into the ground.”

Winona looked away, feigning defeat. She wiped her brow as the man stood as emotionlessly as ever. Sweat. With a flourish she gathered as much perspiration as possible. Unbeknownst to the man, she converted them to spheres of ice and threw them his way. Every shot of ice bore into the man like an bullet from a gun. Howling in pain, the man retaliated with another telekinetic throw. Winona tried in vain to grab something as she and Cassidy were thrown further down the mountain. After several meters she carved a ledge from the mountain and landed awkwardly. “You okay, Cassidy?” she asked hurriedly.

“Super,” he replied sarcastically.

The girl looked up the mountain again: the man was keeping his word. Instead of bombarding them with another magic attack, he waited patiently atop the mountain. Too late now, Winona thought. The war’s been started.

With more vigour than necessary, the girl boosted herself above the man’s head. As expected, he protected himself with his shield. “That’s not going to cut it!” Winona cried in midair. She threw her arms out to both sides and set then alight. The fire flew lithely from her arms into a tight circle, before bending again to burn the attacker. He dropped his shield with a mighty roar as the pain set in. Seeing her chance, Winona picked up the shield and tossed it as far away as she could.

“How are you going to protect yourself now?” she mocked.

An enraged passion had lit up the man’s dull eyes. This was what she wanted: the man getting so angry that he joined the fray. He caught on to the plan.

“I’m not going to take the bait,” he stated, unleashing a tongue of fire from his sword.

“Then what was that?”

“Self-defence.”

Once again the man’s dry wit amused Winona. She couldn’t spare him though; not after the annoyance he had put her through. The girl lifted herself on a ball of air and began spinning around her foe. Faster and faster she spiralled, until it was impossible that the man was still following.

“Time to finish this off?” Cassidy interrupted.

“Of course. Burn him a little more, if you please.”

The cat obeyed, hissing vehemently at the man as he rushed aflame. From her magical spinning perch Winona watched with glee as Cassidy jumped at the man’s face, timing it perfectly to avoid Winona. Suddenly the man’s sword was raised, and the magic attack had vanished.

“He’s fast,” Cassidy spat.

“I’m faster.” Still spinning, Winona drew on a Strike. The man was looking about him wildly, trying to catch up with the revolving girl. When she had enough power, the Strael unleashed the attack and revelled in the man’s grimace. He was clutching his heart with one hand, but the other sword-wielding one had the blade outstretched in Winona’s path. The girl ascended just in time to avoid the brunt of the blow, but her sandal and part of her foot had been slashed. Not even her magical band could protect her completely.

“What did you do that for?” she suddenly squealed. The tears ran freely as blood drained into the igneous ground. She lessened the magic and fluttered to the ground. The man was still clutching his heart with a look of agony on his face.

“What’d you do that for?” she cried again, slapping her foe in rage. Tact and caution had been forgotten as she punched weakly at the man again and again. “I’m just a little girl!”

“You’re not a little girl!” the man roared. The claim caught Winona off guard. She ceased hitting him and wiped the tears from her face.

“What would you know about me?” She was infuriated with the man; infuriated enough to do something rash.

This is more than just a misunderstanding or conflict, apparently. She wants to battle, Kartaikian thought, as he lay on the ground, once again knocked down by the mysterious girl and her cat. He formed a shell of green energy around himself, pushing back the girl to keep her from hitting him again, and called upon his healing magics to heal his wounds.

"I know more than you think," he said, answering her question without revealing any real information. Seeing that the girl was still bleeding, he took down the force field he'd created and imbued his sword with a healing spell. "Hold still," he said, lowering his sword in attempts to heal her. She mistook this as a threatening act of violence, apparently, because she jumped back and threw Kartaikian down with a burst of wind.

On the ground once again, Kartaikian was now aggravated to the point of losing his forbearance. Take her down! Give her what she deserves! He stood up, a look of anger possessing what was visible of his face. "You want to fight, girl? Is that what you want?" His sword began to glow more fiercely as he spoke, and green sparks of electricity flew off of its edge every now and then, landing on the obsidian terrain to disappear harmlessly.

"Now you're talking!" she replied. She then threw a pillar of fire at Kartaikian, and he leapt out of the way to dodge it, outstretching his sword into the flames to catch as much of the energy as he could. The blade caught much of the energy from the fire and turned it back into magic. The sword was now overcharged, glowing a bright emerald color and exuding a dark black haze of excess magic. You messed with the wrong man...

Kartaikian fired bolt upon bolt of force at the girl, sending her part way down the mountain. She created a balloon of air and flew back up, throwing darts of ice at him as she flew by. He melted the ice with a flash of fire, and sent flare upon blazing flare of jade fire after the girl. All he got in return was more fire, flying around him in attempts to burn him. He protected himself with a bubble of force, and began to build up an electric charge in his blade. The black haze turned to arcs of verdigris energy, flowing down the sword and sparking at the tip.

Holding back no longer, Kartaikian roared as he released a powerful bolt of viridian lightning at the girl, shocking her and temporarily stunning her. He still wasn't aiming to kill, but incapacitation seemed the best option at this point. He made his way over to the girl, keeping his sword pointed at her, another bolt of energy ready.

Just destroy her and get it over with! a voice in the back of his head insisted.