Through the Volcano
As soon as the stone touched the faerie's hands it disappeared.
"In a few moments a light wind will come to take you to the best vent to access
the fires. About once every fifty years some lava pours out, but it is generally
safe. On the other hand, if Fuhnah did not put any defences, I'm a dancing Floud."
Laiera did not see any need for comments. She prepared all of her three wands.
Coldly and silently the Wockess waited.
What the faerie called a 'light wind' was what Laiera called a tornado. It
took no consideration for her comfort, but, Laiera had to admit, it was a lot
better than climbing up the volcano by claw with a lot more danger. The storm
deposited one ruffled Wockess at a ledge which led to some kind of tunnel.
"I do think I got the better end of the deal," the faerie called up, and subsequently
disappeared.
Laiera crawled to the passage mouth. A warmth radiated from it, suggesting
a much hotter temperature inside. Laiera set up a spell with her steel wand
so that arctic wind would always billow around her. When the spell started taking
effect Laiera proceeded.
For miles the tunnel seemed to go on. At least there is no activity, Laiera
mused.
Aeons later, or so it seemed to Laiera, the tunnel broadened into a chamber.
Keeping the faerie's comment 'if Fuhnah did not put defences, I'm a dancing
Floud' in mind, the Wockess ventured in carefully.
Her caution was not in vain. As soon as she entered, Laiera felt a stabbing
pain on the back of her neck. Before she could look up it had disappeared in
a flurry. Laiera searched the area and it hit again. This time she was quick
enough to see some kind of bird.
Laiera spun around, intensifying her cold air spell. Whatever was here was
probably not used to the freezing conditions of Terror Mountain.
From the ceiling a fire Pteri came down. Its wings were jittery and beak trembling.
Laiera pitied it, but reminded herself what her priorities were.
Plunging ahead, the Wockess proceeded. The quiet bothered her, feeling that
the Pteri wasn't the only surprise. Another age passed. Then, before her eyes,
Laiera saw what she felt must be the greatest sight in the world. Blue jet flames
streaming up in the most dazzling colours. Laiera woke herself up, reminding
herself that the flames were still quite a distance ahead.
Lava started to drip from the walls. Laiera stood back. A shield of molten
rock blocked her path. Her cold spell was causing to become solid so fast that
Laiera couldn't stop it. She started to turn off the spell, but the rock melted
and flowed her way. Again she brought up the cold protection.
"Rats! Just when the prize was in sight, it's taken from you", Laiera muttered.
She stood twenty minutes, just staring. She could have laughed and cried. In
the futility of getting past she just went back to try something a bit more
constructive.
The Wockess got back to the Pteri It has overcome its cold experience, and
became a fierce demon of rage with a loud hissing noise. Laiera put her arctic
air to a minimum and simply healed herself whenever the Pteri did any damage.
"What are you playing at," the Pteri finally asked, putting down its guard.
"You probably know what I'm after." The Pteri started hissing again. "But I
have reasons for being here," Laiera continued. "I would not be here, but for
what one old Lenny said on his deathbed..."
Laiera's Story
"You see, this Lenny was the only non-Wocky in the village. No one was around
when he came, but I think he had to do some kind of challenge to get into out
community. Anyway, he was extremely old, and mainly predicted the weather and
taught the kits.
"The Lenny knew a great deal of magical arts, even of the most difficult of
them all, seeing the future. Everything I know of magic, I learned from him.
"As he was of such a tremendous age no one was surprised that he got sick.
When he was resting, with the entire tribe around him, he said his last words.
I don't remember them exactly, but they went something like this.
"'I am glad that I will pass away with the warm faces of those who I have lived
with for most of my life. But I also see more forbidding visions, not those
of the present, but of the future.' At this point we all gasped
"'A crazy wizard will come. He or she will go among you, but you will not be
able to touch him. Or her. But the wizard will call down the waters of the sky.
To drown every one of you. Even in this terrible vision, I see a hint, a peculiar
stone. This, I feel, is the only way to salvation. I will give you all the vision
of this stone, so that perhaps it can be found. But only one may seek it.'
"That was the Lenny's last words. I, being young and the most skilled hunter,
was chosen for the task."
"Well, I was kind of a victim of that," the fire Pteri said. "My flock had
a feud with these Eyries. We were at a stand-off, but one night..." The Pteri
paused, as if trying to remember something it wished to forget. "They did a
sneak attack. Few of us survived, and those that did fled to make a life elsewhere.
I was discovered by Fuhnah, and since she has been very generous to me.
"Did you find the stone?"
"Yes," Laiera told the Pteri of the rest of her adventures.
"You really should be able to have some of the fires. I knew they were powerful,
but I didn't know how they could do anything like that. After all, that wizard
must be very powerful. Are you sure the Lenny is right?"
"He always had accurate weather predictions. And the stone exists."
"Say, how are you supposed to use the fires?"
Laiera pondered, "I don't know. But I suppose I will figure it out."
"That Air Faerie probably knows all of this too, you know. I have learned a
thing or two about how magic acts myself, you know."
A small grunt came from Laiera. She did not like the idea of that Air Faerie
knowing.
The Pteri got up. "I will get you some food, okay. You can stay here for the
rest of the night. I think it's night at least. In the morning I will talk to
Fuhnah, when she is awake."
"No thanks, I have my own food," Laiera fibbed. She did not aim on having her
mouth on fire. The Wockess set down her wands and got comfy as the Pteri left..
Homesickness, fear, sadness, doubt, anger. Laiera sorted out her emotions stirred
by the retelling of her village's misfortune. Indulging in them just made her
feel worse, so Laiera moved her thoughts to more pressing matters.
It was nice of the Pteri to offer such help. No matter how hard she tried,
Laiera could not think of any way she was going to get the flames if Fuhnah
did not agree. That lava was such a clever barrier. Probably a lot of hard work
on Fuhnah's part.
Intoxicated in her mind, Laiera fell asleep.
***
Laiera eyes expanded and she slowly roused herself. The last bits of her dream
came back as a vague image of a wizard's cloak smothering grass in a field with
Laiera's face on fire. Laiera shook her head to rid herself of the vision.
The Wockess search for the Pteri, but it was not to be seen anywhere in the
chamber. Wishing she hadn't lied about the food, whether it was hot or not,
Laiera just stared at the stones as if they were the most fascinating objects
in the world.
After memorising the shape of the whole chamber, the Pteri came in.
"Fuhnah was sympathetic, but..." Laiera knew what the outcome was.
"...Fuhnah said that she will not let go of the fires. She has put her life
into them and, oh, something about questers should find other ways to solve
problems."
"The stone said that to save my village I must seek those very fires." Laiera
stood up and did not wait for the Pteri's reaction. "Take me to Fuhnah at once.
I must talk to her."
To be continued... | 
