Quest The Fire Within (Aka)

[Traverse]

The Fire Within
1st of Fall, 513 A.V.

"Get up Ssssmall fry!"

The voice was loud and close and coming into Aka's ears far too early in the morning. As her lids opened to discover who her persecutor was, she could see it was Senka, that blasted constrictor. They seemed to have formed a strange sort of bond made from insults and competition over the seasons, it was nice at times, but Senka could be over bearing and snotty at the best of times and the worst of times...well they were like right now...

As the viper collected herself and woke up fully she could see not only Senka was in her little cave, but at least a half a dozen other constrictors all consuming the cavernous home the viper had made for herself with their bulk.

The confusion and surprise, perhaps bordering on fear were plain to see in Aka's wide eyes, and Senka laughed, provoking laughter from her Constrictor friends as well, a new horrible sound to fill what should have been a wonderfully restful time in Aka's cavern.

"You are ssstrong, that isss certain, but never forget little one, thisss if our land, not your ssstupid dessert." It was a different female that spoke this time, a large female even by constrictor standards, with silver patterns etched into mahogany scales.

"You have been bringing in prey, but not eating it, cassting fire like it isss Sssynass blesssing, parading around like you are sssome sssort of princesss." Another voice chimed in.

But it was Senka whose white smile gleamed in front of Aka's face. "Nothing persssonal sssmall fry, jusst wanted to remind you of whossse in charge down here."

And with that two bulky males brought forward a huge sack leaking dust, and dumped it over Aka's body. Sand wasn't precisely in abundance in Falyndar, but they had made due with dirt and gravel from the lower caves. Despite the sheer weight of the dirt, it was clear they weren't done after the first load, as two more successful disposals of the debris were heaped upon the first, till it covered all of Aka's body and more so, burying her beneath it. It seeped into her ears and throat and eyes if she hadn't closed them in time, and though it could be escaped, it was still a lot of eight to move through, as if they had been trying to bury her alive.

And though all sounds were now muffled in her earthy cocoon, she could still hear the raucous laughter of her antagonists even as they slid out of her room. Probably the more pressing concern, however, was that suddenly...she couldn't breathe.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Nyem... hsss..." Aka was just sleeping peacefully inside her quaint little cavern-room. It was very early in the morning on the first day of Fall, the Viper was enjoying her warm blanket covering her cold-blooded body, her small human form slightly twisting and turning, a contented smile on her face. As much as she disliked Zinrah and the Jungle, beneath the oppressive giants, looming cannibal savages, and vicious predators, they were some good things about it. Like her very own warm cavern-room, some benevolent constrictors, and her very own slave-doll. Speaking of Yuki, the human was out again so Aka was all alone in her room.

There was a saying, if something went very well, too well than usual, then most likely something utterly unfortunate would happen soon after. That saying would be proven true that day, beginning with the sudden booming voice echoing in her room. "E-eh... w-what?" Aka was disturbed by the voice, but most of her mind was still in the real of dreams. Her gut feeling told her the rough female voice sounded too real to be a dream, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her scarlet slitted eyes.

"U.. uh..." A frown immediately appeared on her face, Aka didn't appreciate the uninvited wake-up call. She lazily shifted to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes, her blurring vision gradually focusing itself. "W-whu... wu..." She didn't believe it at first, Senka's dhani mug was staring down at her. The first thought that came to her mind was Senka being a jerk again, however... she was not alone, more giants in their Dhani forms were trailing behind the female constrictor.

"H-hi?!" She yelped, her small form towered by the looming giants, Aka scooted away until her back made contact with the walls of her cave. Senka and her cohorts were clearing enjoying this, they laughed and laughed, their horrible deep voices banging on Aka's eardrums. "W-what do you want?!" She finally gathered enough courage, her questions had an obvious answer, but Aka didn't have the clarity to know.

Senka didn't answer her, it was another female instead. Her statement filled Aka with dread, were these giants actually jealous of her? A mere 'small fry'? In normal circumstances, Aka would be proud of acquiring a praise from the "mighty" constrictors, but she was backed into a corner facing half a dozen giants, this was not a normal circumstance.

When the third female chimed in, Aka finally got what this was all about, her attitude and actions somehow annoyed these behemoths. Aka didn't know why, she had been helpful, she already killed a bunch of Myrians, she built the tunnels, and was all around beneficial to the Nest. Wasn't she allowed to have some fun on her own? Her prey was her own, it was her choice whether to eat it or not, her fire was her power... okay she admitted that she had been unwise about her flames, but it was just once! Or... was it twice... maybe thrice.

"....." She tried to look strong, like a rebellious "princess", but it was utterly futile. Her glare had the same effect as throwing a small pebble at a mighty fortress wall. "G..go... go away... g-..." Her puny attempts to defend herself were cut short when her scarlet eyes saw two male giants carrying an overgrown sack leaking earthen matter. What were they going to do to her? She would find out soon enough.

*BRRRSH!! BRRRSH!!*

"G-gahak! N-no! H-hel... hel-... helpmmmmmph!!!" She tried to escape at first, but the weight of the gravel knocked her down. Her eyes and mouth closed on reflex. Her torment didn't end there, nor it would end anytime soon as she felt more and more weight bearing down upon her diminutive form. No moans or screams escaped from the make-shift cocoon, only weak vibration from Aka's thrashing motions. With a cacophony of laughter, the Constrictors left the buried Viper, most likely didn't care whether she would die or not.

Why...

Why...?

Why?!

WHY?!!!

Her curses filled echoed violently inside her mind. She couldn't move, she couldn't see, her smell was full of dirt odor, and... "Mmmmph?!!" She couldn't breathe. The dirt and gravel were blocking her airflow. She needed to get out of here immediately lest she would meet Dira herself. "Mmmph!!" Digging frantically, Aka's attempt to escape was not looking good, her strength was just too weak to move this much dirt.

She had no other choice, there was only one way out for her, Reimancy. Aka didn't have time to plan further, she released a wave of res from her back in the form of gas. It gathered above the earthen pile, she then swiftly commanded them to haphazardly gather the cursed coffin. The earthen material pulled from the ground, forming a rock ball above her.

"G-gu... guhuk! Ack!" She exerted herself, willing the res to gather faster and faster. Her breath was running out, she needed breath soon. "A... a..." She felt her eyes going weak, her body almost giving up... she wanted to sleep. "...Grrrr!" Anger flooded into her, if she slept now, she would be dead and that would be an utterly pathetic demise. Using her rage and adrenaline to fuel herself, she held on for a couple more ticks and...

"Baaah! Ha... gahak! *Cough cough!* Ahak... he... *COUGH!* Ahak!" She was free, a large dirt ball floating above her. She coughed up some of the leftovers, her breath rasping and heaving. She did it, she brushed with Death and basically told her 'Not today!'.

"Ha... ha..." Aka shifted to a sitting position, her teary eyes looking at her creation. She was afraid, angry, upset, depressed, and a whole other arrays of negative emotions. She just wanted to scream, scream at the sky, the jungle, the air, everything around her. The Viper couldn't think about anything other than that, bringing the boulder in tow, kept floating by her res. Aka trudged out of her cave.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Grrrrr... aaaargh!!" Running through the tunnels, the boulder following closely at her sides. Passing through Constrictors, those who were already awake, as they gave her way, mainly to not being smacked by the accursed floating rock. Some insults and swears were shouted out at her for disturbing the early morning peace, but she didn't care, she didn't care at all. Only rage and frustration filled her mind, she wanted to unleash everything but a part of her remaining sanity not blinded by rage urged her to not do so in the nest, no matter how much she wanted too.

"Aaaaaaaaaagh!!!" With a scream, Aka launched out of the Eastern tunnel exit, feet thumping the ground and a large boulder trailing behind her. "Grrrr... ha... Hsssssssss!!" Her scarlet eyes bore hatred as they darted around, looming over the jungle around her. She ran forward once more, heading deeper into the jungle ahead.

Why.. why why why why?!!! I didn't do anyting wrong!! I'm innocent!! I'm... Her mind stopped itself, she realized she wasn't innocent, she was a no-good Viper bringing misfortune wherever she came. She didn't even know what happened to her nest, the stupid death of Galbern was caused by her, she gave the Constrictors a hard time. Her self-pity turned to hate, if they wanted her to be a nuisance, then she shall be one.

Raging, she emitted more res from her hands in the form of reddish smoke, they covered the boulder and she willed them to transform the earthen material to flames. A large fireball gradually spawned from the floating earth, burning and licking at the air. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!" With a battle-cry, directed at no one in particular, Aka launched the large fireball to her front.

*BOOOSH!!*

It singed and ignited the thick vegetation in flames as it went. It wasn't enough, not enough, she would burn all of this petching jungle to ashes!. Aka snapped her fingers and the fireball glowed red, then it exploded.

*BOOOOOM!!*

The resulting explosion destroyed everything around it, sending burning plants and dirt everywhere. Aka watched in manic glee and her mouth grew into a wide crazed grin. More! More! She was powerful, she was strong, nothing could stop her.

"Haaahahahahaha! Burn! Burn it aaaalll!" She held out her hands and flowed her power, gaseous djed escaping her body like she was a large chimney. They all gathered into two res balls floating at her side. Once they were done, the Viper ignited the outer layer and began running, leaving the previous fire to spread and unleash her fury.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Hahaha... hehehehe..." Like a true mad sorceress, the small Dhani dropped the two fireballs and leaped forward, as she landed. She commanded her res to ignite the twin raging ball of flames and they burst with fury.

*BOOM! BOOM!*

Two simultaneous explosion followed soon after, spreading the inferno. Ha... hahaha! More! From ashes... She gritted her teeth, ignoring all other sensation to her body other than the euphoria that came with casting, she didn't have the mental faculty to even bother with such trivial things such as overgiving. The sweet, sweet whispers were all that mattered. To ashes!!

Aka stomped the ground, flowing her djed to the soles of her feet. Then she hunched down, flexed her legs, and sprinted forward. With each step, Aka left her slimy res in to her footprints. She then ignited them, creating raging fire that began small but spread quickly due to the vegetation around it. From the distance, the Viper looked as if she was leaving flaming steps.

Burn!! She skidded on the ground, slimy res still flowing from her feet, leaving a trail of reddish slime like a fast-moving snail. Aka picked herself up and continued her flaming tantrum as she douse the ground in flames by igniting the slime trail.

"Ha... ha..." Aka stopped and examined her work, all was burning around her. She could see animals, tapirs, okapis, even big cats sprinting away from the raging inferno she created with her very own hands. Sweat began tricking at her forehead, but she didn't heed it. She could feel her breath getting ragged, but she didn't care. Her body screamed for her to stop, but her mind urged her to move on. There was a phrase "Mind over Body" and the Viper would be glad to enact it.

She inhaled, forming thick concentration of res in gas form inside her mouth. Her slit pupils narrowing, preparing herself for her next act. She blowed the res-gas, it escaped from her slight-opened lips and they ignited into flames a tick later. The fire-breathing Viper then turned her head, continuing to exhale flames from her mouth. Who said Vipers couldn't use venom in human form? She would prove them wrong, this was her venom, her red and hot "venom"!

The resulting fire joined with the rest, spreading devastation through the jungle. After about seven ticks of fire-breathing, the Viper stopped and fell to one knee. "Ha... ha..." She felt tired, exhausted, her body's urge getting stronger, but it was also offset by the ever-growing sensation. She felt free, she felt mighty, nothing could stop her, not even Siku herself!

A drop of blood trickled from the corner of her lips, irrelevant. Aka forced herself to stand up, flames all around her. In normal circumstances, she would realize she was in danger and would try to douse the flames but no... these were her children, birthed from her very own body. She would nurture them until they grew into a fiery being that could snuff out all Myrians in one flaming sweep!

[Soshakuakamamushi]

She passed the point of no return, she didn't care for her own survival any longer. Her dress and hair was singed, fire burning around her. Good, though never married or bearing any eggs, she spawned something far more glorious. Focusing on her anger, Aka held out her hand upwards and forced out her djed once more, her very own essence turned to res as it flowed from her palms. The glyphs she painted burned out at the excess amount.

"Ha... uh... *Cough!*" She coughed, a bile flew out from her mouth, but... it was no bile, it was crimson and warm. Blood, her insides were churning, her lungs inhaling too much smoke, her scarlet eyes were bloodshot, turning it even more red than usual. But, it didn't matter!

The forming res ball above her head, it was ready... her final act of defiance against this cruel, harsh, evil world. Aka strangely felt calm, time seemed to slow down, sounds shied away from her ears, and scents went unnoticed by her nose. Her whole body felt numb, the only thing functional was her sight and even it was blurring. Still, her mind was still going strong, she willed her res-ball and it shook and raged, turning into fiery liquid.

Aka made a motion with her right hand by balling her fingers and made a pointing gesture to the sky with her index finger. The lavaball changed shape to a circle. The Viper's body trembled, breaking down under the immense stress, blood also now flowed from her right eye and the eye-shaped scars on her palms.

"Petch..." She commanded the lava circle to burst outwards, splashing everything around her with piping hot lava, it fueled the jungle fire and they grew even stronger "...it all...". Aka's small frame fell face-first to the ground. This was it, at least she would die fighting.

Eyktol, Galbern, Svansan, Mamoru, Senka, Zinrah, Myrians, petch them all. She wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

[Traverse]

"It feels wonderful does it not?" The voice slid into her mind even as the flames of the jungle surrounded her, lapping at her clothes, eating away at her flesh. The hungry children she had birthed were so eager to consume their mistress, but the voice she heard...it was not that of the whispers that begged for more, it was something altogether different.

"To keep so much in for so long, Soshakuakamamushi, little wonder it came out like this, but it is beautiful nevertheless." Her name sounded like lava trickling over obsidian. It was hard for others to get full Dhani names correctly, even Dhani themselves had trouble from time to time, but even without any trace of lisp the voice seemed to spill out her title like he had known it for centuries.

"Come, rise from your ashes, you have suffered, but so have all of my children, and they come again into this life, stronger, and fiercer." It was the sound of the earth cracking apart and reforming, pumice spewing from an active volcano, the dripping of molten hot magma in the depths of the earth, and before Aka's tired eyes a form appeared unmolested within the fire.

It could have been an illusion, an illusion in its entirety, or perhaps he was flames born again. He was certainly a man, or male...for despite his human appearance there was something entirely otherworldly about him, eyes piercing through the smoke into Aka's features, pulling her apart and putting her together again like fleshy pieces of a puzzle.

"Rise, viper, and tell me what you see." The smoke still constricted her lungs, but suddenly the flames pulled away from her body, giving her room to maneuver, their heat pressing against her as if Syna had joined with the earth.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

The Viper could feel it, the light and warm feeling washing over here. It might just because of all the inferno raging around her, but... it strangely felt warm, comforting even. A small smirk at the corner of her bleeding lips, she would die where she belonged the most, in fire and flames. Ah, a whisper, was she wrong all this time about the Death God's gender? The voice was distinctively male, maybe gender was irrelevant to a Divine, maybe Dira decided to visit her in her male form.

"....." Aka didn't answer verbally, she just weakly nodded. Yes, it felt wonderful, it was the best feeling in all of Mizahar, she finally rid herself of all chains, rules, and bounds holding her. She was like fire itself, she couldn't be truly caged, no matter how much Mamoru wanted her to be. The Death God was truly kind indeed, taking his time to converse with her, guiding her peacefully to the next life.

Even as her own fiery children began consuming her, she felt contented.... however, a prideful part of her mind refused to let it end like this, she didn't left her mark in the world yet. She was just burning down meaningless plants, no myrians nor Dhani fell to her might. "Uh... ah..." Aka gritted her teeth, she changed her mind, she didn't want to die here! She must move on! She would not be a forgotten piece in the fabric of time, but she couldn't even lift a finger right now.

"Ah..." The whispering male voice struck her like an arrow. Somehow she felt he knew everything about her, it was to be expected, he was Death after all. So, he liked her work, he said it was beautiful, Aka smiled and managed to rasp a giggle, coughing blood. "G-glad... you... like... it..." Even speaking that sentence required immense effort in her part.

"Come, rise from your ashes, you have suffered, but so have all of my children, and they come again into this life, stronger, and fiercer."

It was at this point something clicked into place, what did he mean? Rise from the ashes? Wasn't she going to die? She was speechless, her eyes widened in astonishment as a majestic form rose from the very earth before her. Beautiful magma spewing like a wound upon nature herself, yet this being seemed undisturbed by it. "A...ah..." She couldn't form any coherent words. She started having doubts about her assumption about him, her instincts told her this being was not Death. He was... someone else.

Flaming form, hair lashing the air as if they were made of flames, glowing skin, regal markings on his pale skin, the figure looked even more beautiful and handsome than any male Dhanis she had ever seen. She was utterly awed and humbled, she felt like a mere hatchling before the man who looked like the incarnation of flames himself.

"A...aaah! *Cough!* Aaah!" She screamed in pain as she felt heat flowing through every fiber of her being, but... miraculously, the flames that were this close of consuming her shied away from her. She still felt smokes taking their hold inside her respiratory system, but she didn't feel like dying anymore. It was as if all of her sense suddenly spurred back to life. Still, the being asked her a question, she was obliged to answer.

"W-what do I sssee.." She mumbed as she shakily stood up, her lithe feet taking hold on the ground. "I sssee..." Her scarlet slits observed her masterpiece "Flamesss that I have created on my own... I sssee the manifessstation of my idealsss!! Thisss world..." She felt fired up, she wanted to unleash all of her feelings to the man. "...isss much too cruel! There'sss too much evil, war, and death!! I... I hate it! I hate it all! Why? Why did this all happened to me?! M-my nessst... they were ssslaughtered... t-then, I... I killed the person that sssaved me!"

She started to cry, tears flowing down her face, though her face showed anger and determination "A-and t-thisss cursed jungle! My cousinsss in a conssstant war against sssavage cannibals!! I helped them, b-but why?! Why do they still hate me?! Aren't I one of them? A fellow child of Siku? I... I want to change all that, I want my fire to burn all the scumsss from Mizahar, but I'm... I'm far too weak, w-what can I do? A single 'small fry' againssst the whole cruel world..." She clenched her fists, she was angry at herself. Angry for not being able to change a thing. Myrians were still numerous despite her murdering them and most constrictors still scoff at her even though she had done noticeable contributions to the nest.

"Ssso pleassse, whoever you are... tell me, tell me how..." What had she done? The man had asked her a simple question yet she unleashed a whole monologue at him. "I'm... I'm sssorry, t-thank you for sssaving me..." Whoever this man was, Aka was convinced he held immense power, to be able to wrench control over all flames around them as if they were nothing.

[Traverse]

"I only saved a sputtering flame which with just the right coaxing can become an inferno." Said the voice, coming from the figure who was now standing directly over her. His form gentled from the raging inferno, showing someone who did appear a man, his hair wild like flames and burning eyes like cherry coals in a fire. He reached a hand forward, but even such a simple action held weight, and Aka found herself rising off of the ground to meet the touch of this fiery deity. The simplest brush he gave to her shoulder with a single finger, and a fiery sensation shot through her body, enveloping her in its caress.

For a moment the world in its entirety split open with heat, her veins being filled with red hot magma that would surely burst through her pores into cascading bouts of skin melting lava. The flames that were being held at bay suddenly engulfed both God and Viper, circling around them, and causing a pillar of smoke to leak through the jungle canopy. Perhaps Aka thought this was truly the end, but after a couple ticks, she realized the fire...was not burning her flesh. It was hot, like the Steam Baths in Zinrah, but though it licked and ate away at her robes, it did nothing more than gently caress her skin.

"You are not my typical agent, Soshakuakamamushi, but there is no ignoring your potential." The entity took a step back, watching the Viper's reaction to her new powers.

The figure inspected his fingers thoughtfully. "It is strange to walk in a land where my name is rarely spoken...almost refreshing." His eyes snapped up towards her. "But you know me, have prayed to me on nights in which you were so troubled, in those times where your flames have burned the hottest, and you shall act as one of my many flames, even here in the Wilds, except now you can put a face and name with your prayers as well."

He did not speak the name, but like a brand the word Ivak seemed to bury itself into her very flesh. The destroyer of the world, the harbinger of volcanoes, the lord of upheaval, in the heart and the land alike.

A strange smile spread across his face. Warm, but like the warmth of a boiling campfire, not a comforting hearth, waiting patiently as only a God could.

[Soshakuakamamushi]

"Eh... w-what do you mean?" She whispered, Aka didn't understand the meaning behind his cryptic sentence, but she really didn't wand to offend him out of gratitude and respect. She figured he could turn her to a pile of smoldering ashes with just a flick of his hand. "E-...eeeh?" He suddenly floated off the ground though, did he really take offense? She hoped not, but that small sliver of hope was crushed as she found herself being risen upwards by some unknown means.

"N...nnn! U... n-n..." She couldn't even bring herself to say 'no!". Her form pulled upwards, the fiery form of the mysterious man looming closer and closer. So, she was out of the frying pan and into the fire... literally. He would turn her to ashes for being impolite. The Viper squirmed and closed her eyes, praying it would end quickly and painlessly. Then, she felt a touch.

Beat

"U... u... AAAAAAAAAAAH!! A-...AAAAAAAAAAH!!" Her screams wracked the air, joining with the raging inferno in plaguing the green jungle. If there was anything more painful than drowning in water, it was this, Aka felt as if her very own cold blood being replaced with piping hot lava. Her scarlet eyes shot open, all blood-shot. All she could see was a raging storm of flames encircling her and the fiery man. Her thoughts were all but replaced by the extreme sensation of being burned alive. Even death would be a welcome guest than this torture. However...

"Ha... ha... e...eeeh?" Death didn't come for her, and the cacophony of pain slowly eased away, but the flames were still perching on her body. Destroying her clothing like the puny fabric they were. She was burning, her body had flames on it! What happened? This was the one of the most bizarre thing that happened to her, the flames that should have consumed her merely caressed her instead, massaging the Viper with their warm fiery tongues.

She slowly floated back to the ground, her lithe feet making contact as her body still burned. The man spoke again, only adding the flood of questions inside her mind. Agent? W-what... agent? Who was this man? She needed to know. Aside from his mind-boggling powers, the way he could so fluently voice her tongue-twister name, the way he seemed to know everything about her, and now, the way he spoke as if she was his "agent".

"Eh... uhm... I..." She didn't know him and she was sure she never pray to him before. Aka wasn't exactly a religious person, sure she prayed to Siku once in a while, but it seemed the Serpent Queen never took notice of her. She even didn't have her gnosis that should be granted to all Dhanis. Aka sometimes wondered if the cause of her misfortunes was actually a curse by Siku.

She had assumptions, this man was some kind of deity, with the way he carried himself, connecting with flames an-... by the Divines. Flames, inferno... the puzzle assembled itself when his eyes glanced at her. "Iv... Iv..." The God of Flames, The Harbinger of Valterrian, World Destroyer... "Ivak..." Her mouth went ajar, look of pure shock and awe plastered on her expression. The God of Flames himself had visited her, he was right in front of her very own slitted eyes, in physical form. He had save her from certain death, and... touched her. He must had done something to her, that much was obvious. Did he just...

"G-god Ivak, I.. d-did you just... m-mark me?" It was obvious, but right now, Aka's state of mind couldn't process anything but the simplest of thoughts.

[Traverse]

Mortals, they often required so much patience and delicacy, but if anyone knew that it was he, the controller of the pressures of the world and of the heart. Ivak could feel the roiling emotions in the Viper even now like the subtle currents buried deep within Semele's womb.

"I suppose I have." Was his only reply, that strange explosive smile fading into a more thoughtful expression. He did not touch her again, perhaps for the better considering the sensation that had flooded Aka the first time.

"I think you will find navigating your Constrictor cousins might come more...easily to you than before, as well. I will be watching your actions with interest, Soshakuakamamushi."

She watched his glowing form as it took a step backwards into the ring of flames, then another, then another, and suddenly...the presence was gone. She could feel it as if a weight was lifted, but also as if a piece of her was gone as well, so great was the power the God of Volcanism commanded. The fire she had birthed crawled around her harmlessly, but even as the full meaning of her run in with Ivak sank like the heat into her flesh, a new sound could be heard. It was the crumbling of foliage, trees and branches beneath the weight of the inferno she had born.

It had been several days since any heavy rainfall, and the brush was dry enough to take the flames and sweep them along their way. Aka suddenly had a new problem on her hands unless she just wanted to watch her work tear through the jungle towards Zinrah...