The Newt and Demon - Book 8 Chapters 10,11,12 (Patreon)

Chapter 10

Inside a Volcano

The first thing Theo remembered after folding the void in on itself was a falling sensation. Then he felt the heat of the volcano. It was intense enough for him to reflexively create a shielding ward around himself, but it did nothing to diminish the fires of the volcano. An instant later, he was falling on his face, slamming into warm rock and smelling the sulfur all around him.

"I thought I had said to teleport us outside of the volcano, near one of the tunnels that lead into it." Fenian shouted, screaming a moment later, "My feather is on fire!"

Theo knew he had to think quickly. As Fenian had said, they were supposed to teleport to the outside of the volcano and had instead found themselves inside the caldera. They were on a ledge overlooking the swirling pool of molten rock below. The heat was intense enough that those without higher vigor would perish soon. Through instinct, he formed a spell in his mind, combining aspects of a spherical barrier with properties from the Manashroom. He created a field of cold that sprang up around them, mingling with his aura to chill the surrounding air.

Fenian stomped on his hat, suppressing the fire that had sprung up there. Tresk was laughing, rolling on the ground, while both Jan and Twist looked on with concern.

"I can't understate how difficult it is to teleport us to a place where I don't know we're going," Theo said, slightly offended that any of the responsibility for what had happened would be placed on his shoulders. It wasn't as though he was using a precise method of transportation; he was making guesses.

“Well, well, we’re all alive,” Fenian said, scooping up his hat and inspecting it. “Except for my poor hat, my poor brand new hat.”

"I think it looks cool," Tresk said, giving Fenian a thumbs-up.

“Volcano chic,” Theo said idly, looking around the interior of the volcano. Without the shield, they would’ve been dead by now. But with it, they were granted a rare view. “We’re actually inside a volcano. This is weird.”

“I’ve actually been here a few times. Before the first big reset,” Fenian said, looking around. “Elrin used to train inside the volcano. He said it made him stronger, but I’m not so sure.”

“Considering how much stronger he is than you, I think it might’ve worked,” Jan said. “What are we looking for?”

“A few things,” Theo said. “I think we can make the dissolving potion if we find a specific mushroom and a rock.”

"What are the chances we find any of those things here, so close to the surface?" Fenian asked, humming to himself. "Now, if I had to guess, we're going to have to delve deep. So, first we should start by finding a passage and following it downward. If I had to guess, we'll end up under some lava tubes, which I know won't be pleasant. But, as long as we have Theo's lovely little barrier here, I think we'll be fine."

The group searched the immediate area, with Theo expanding the bubble of cold to encompass more of the caldera. Eventually, Twist found a passage carved into the wall of the volcano itself. It was clear that this had been made by the ogres, given its massive size. The temperature dropped significantly when they entered the passage, and Theo couldn't determine whether it was a magical effect or just the heat-shielding properties of the rock itself. Of course, the passage was ogre-sized, meaning the group could move unimpeded. However, that did nothing to alleviate the maze-like quality of the tunnels themselves.

Nothing grew within those first tunnels the group explored, and it was a real pain to move just about anywhere. They would take a turn angling toward the caldera itself and then find tunnels flooded with lava. If not for the cold barrier, they would have been incinerated several times. But thanks to it, they were able to double back and take another path. Still, the progress they made was slow. Theo even considered using his earth sorcerer's core to etch a path somewhere deeper, but he feared hitting another lava tube and ruining what little chance they had to find their way deeper.

"I can't say I'm enjoying myself," Twist said, breaking an hour-long silence that had permeated the group. "I can see why no one ever comes to these cursed islands."

“Wait,” Tresk said, hitting the ground and narrowing her eyes. “I smell ogre.”

They had worked their way up for a while, hoping to find a passage that led deeper. It was against the logic Theo felt in his mind, but whatever. The tunnels were confusing enough that he would’ve taken any approach at this point. Tresk vanished from sight a moment later, and the remaining group fell into silence. The alchemist could feel her scouting ahead, searching for the ogre she had smelled. Fifteen minutes later, she appeared before them.

“Yup. Found a big room with a bunch of fat ogres,” Tresk said, shaking her head. “Also, did I mention this place is hot? Don’t stray from the barrier if you can help it.”

“What’s the plan? Should we…” Theo watched as Fenian marched down the tunnel. “We’re just going in?”

“Come, now. I have a way with ogres!”

Theo really doubted that, but he didn't know the kind of high jinks Fenian truly got up to in his free time. Perhaps he really did have a decent relationship with the ogres. There was only one way to find out. They headed down the tunnel and followed the twists and turns detailed by Tresk. She showed them where to go, and eventually, they found themselves in a cavern that opened up from the tunnels. The alchemist had absolutely no idea how she had smelled the ogres from such a distance, but he wouldn't complain. Instead, he left it to Fenian to make first contact.

The room itself was large, with several pillars in the center acting as support. Stone furniture littered the area, and it appeared to be more of a barracks than anything else. Three ogres occupied the space, just as large as the other ogres Theo had seen during his time in this world. They wore shoddy armor made from rusted and dented plates of metal that seemed to be more the leavings of a scrapyard than that of an armorer's forge. All three turned to the group as they entered the room.

Fenian held his hands wide, his trademark smile plastered across his face. He began babbling in a guttural tongue that must have belonged to the ogres. Theo might have heard a few words from their language in the past, but he couldn't make out anything the man said. Instead, he left it to him, all the while keeping his various spells and potions at the forefront of his mind, just in case something went wrong.

"What do you think they're saying?" Theo asked, cocking his head to the side as he listened to the babbling language.

"Who knows?" Trask said. "But it looks like the ogres are trying to decide whether they want to kill him or eat him. I'm betting they're going to eat him. I hear elf is delicious."

"It looks like whatever he's saying, it's working," Jan said, shaking his head. "That man is truly a man of the people. Look, they're inviting him over to drink something."

Fenian had a grimace on his face as he followed the ogres. They led him to a central place in the wide cavern and scooped a wooden mug of something from a large stone barrel. That was when Theo noticed that the temperature in this room wasn't as bad as the tunnels outside. He suspected it was either further from the center of the volcano or it had some kind of magical shielding.

When Fenian took a drink from his mug, he made a sound as though he was enjoying the drink before turning back to the group. “Help me,” he mouthed before gagging.

“Thanks for taking one for the team, buddy,” Twist said, performing a strange salute. “You’ll be missed.”

“I’ll attend the funeral,” Tresk said, nodding and wiping an imaginary tear from her face.

Fenian became locked in some game with the ogres where he drank too much grog. When he tried to bring attention to the others of his group, the ogres were having none of it. They made the poor elf drink even more, slapping him hard on the back and roaring with laughter. Theo had to use every bit of his will to keep himself from laughing. By the end of it, Fenian’s face was green and he looked as though he would vomit at any moment. He staggered over to the group, swaying as he moved and glaring at everyone.

“Thanks for the assist,” he slurred, jabbing a finger back at the ogres. “They don’t give a alligator’s ass if we’re here, despite the information I had on this place.”

“Really?” Theo asked. “You said they were guards.”

“No, they’re apparently just here to drink,” Fenian said. “This site stopped being holy when Spit went bye-bye. Ogres are weird. They just dropped their god when it vanished.”

“Savage,” Tresk said, nodding with approval. “I like it.”

“But they got them monsters down low,” Fenian said, falling to one side and bracing himself against the wall. “Can you cure alcohol poisoning?”

“Not me,” Theo said with a shrug. He withdrew some Moss Nettle from his inventory, adding it to a flask. He got to work on creating a Stamina Potion with his new method. “But I can make something that’ll perk you up for a while.”

“Please,” Fenian begged.

“What level are you?” Theo asked, mixing his mana with the reagent and drawing all its power out to create the familiar goop.

“That’s a very personable question,” Fenian said.

“He means ‘personal’,” Tresk clarified.

“If I get your rank wrong, you may experience side-effects,” Theo said, watching as the goop finished forming. Now he could dilute it to the strength required for Fenian.

“Guess away, sexy man,” Fenian said, falling over.

Theo dialed the strength of the potion in around Rank 6 to be safe. He guessed Fenian was higher than Level 60, but he hadn’t had too much liquor. The sobering effects of an under-ranked potion should’ve been good enough to get him on his feet without making him feel the bees under his skin. After diluting the potion to the appropriate strength, the alchemist handed over a vial of his mock Stamina Potion.

“Here’s to my good looks,” Fenian said, tipping it back. He paused after the liquid slid down his throat, twitching on the spot for a few moments. After rolling his shoulders, he looked around and adjusted his hat. “I’m not completely sober, but that did the trick.”

“Perfect,” Theo said, helping the elf to his feet. “I’d like to get going before the other ogres turn their ire toward us.”

“An excellent idea,” Fenian said. He tested his balance before giving everyone a big smile. “Now I can lead us to the appropriate tunnel.”

They had to pass through the large room with the three ogres first. Theo averted his gaze as to not catch their attention. They still stood near the big barrel of grog, all laughing to each other and jeering in their native tongue. Just as they passed beyond the ogres, the alchemist heard one say “lightweight,” in the Qavelli tongue.

“I cannot hold my liquor, but I can remember the path forward!” Fenian proclaimed. “Onward to adventure, my fellows!”

Chapter 11

Spit’s Pumice

Theo wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but there were plenty more tunnels for them to pass through. Ogres were scattered throughout those passages, and while a few challenged them to duels, they weren’t the blood-thirsty folk the alchemist had been expecting. The more he saw the ogre culture for himself, the less he believed the stories.

The temperature of the volcano wasn’t as even as Theo had expected. He thought it would increase as they descended, but it would fluctuate depending on how close they were to random pockets of lava. With Tresk in the lead, the alchemist was brought from his thoughts when Fenian held his hand up to stop the procession. He looked back, eyes glinting in the light of a magical lantern, gesturing for everyone to get down.

“Monsters,” Fenian whispered. “Quite a few, according to Tresk.”

Theo swapped his own sight for whatever it was Tresk was looking at. Before her stretched a wide cavern, much like the one the ogres were hanging out in. But within this new space were rivers of lava tracking winding paths through the stone. There was even a lava waterfall on the far side of the room. More interesting than the lava were the monsters. The creatures were unlike anything Theo had seen before. They appeared to be large boars that had been shortened in the middle, given hunched backs, and covered in thick glowing plates.

“Lava pigs,” Theo breathed. “That might be a problem.”

“The dreaded lava pig,” Fenian said with a solemn nod. Tresk soon joined with the group, crouching out of view of the monsters to make a plan. “Theo, can you do anything about the ‘lava’ aspect of the monsters?”

“Guess I could freeze them,” Theo said. “I haven’t tried making a Freezebomb with my new skill.”

“Excellent. Jan, keep the backliner safe and pick your targets. Twist, look for gaps. Tresk, poison them,” Fenian said. “I’m going to dance between the monsters with such elegance you’ll rethink your life choices and dedicate yourself to my style of combat.”

“Fat chance,” Tresk grumbled.

“I guess Theo can brew potions wherever now… So… Do it,” Fenian said, gesturing vaguely at the alchemist.

Theo got to work, feeling like this wouldn’t be that hard. He brought a Manashroom from his inventory, using his new skill to make an essence for the Freeze property. Getting it into a bomb-style vial and brewed for combat was easy enough. But he knew better than to put the pure form of the essence in there, instead diluting it to about half strength. Even then, he wasn’t certain this would be anything other than the example he had seen with the firebomb.

“I suggest we stay back,” Theo said, creeping to the mouth of the passage. With a wave of his hand, he placed a series of barriers that would keep some seriously powerful magic out. He looked back at his companions one last time before tossing the vial into the room, retreating with haste behind the barrier.

The sequence of events that happened after that were confusing. Theo didn’t expect an ice-based bomb to deafen him, but it did. The rush of wind that roared from the entrance filled the passage knocked everyone off their feet. It blasted through the barrier with enough force to deal significant damage to everyone. Shortly after, it was followed by a rush of boiling steam. The alchemist blinked after regaining consciousness, patting himself down to ensure all limbs were where they were supposed to be. Once satisfied that he wasn’t missing any arms or legs, he drank a new healing potion imbued with the Web modifier.

The web shot out, wrapping around him, Tresk, Fenian, Jan, and Twist. Theo’s health shot to full as his flesh knitted itself back together, all damage from the combination of ice and steam scoured away in a moment. His hearing went from a constant buzzing drone to the sound of his own breathing and the curses pouring out of Jan’s mouth.

“That was a bit much, don’t you think!?” Jan shouted, digging a finger into his ear. “How are we not dead?”

“Well, there goes my plan,” Fenian said, coughing into his hand.

Theo edged forward, as he seemed to be the first to regain his senses. Poking his head around the corner, he stifled a laugh. “So, uh… I think we’re good?”

“What did you say!?” Tresk asked. “I can’t hear a damn thing.”

“We’re good!” Theo shouted back.

“Oh, my,” Fenian said, wobbling over to check the room. “Yes, I suppose that’s one way to handle the problem.”

“So, I think I froze the entire room. Lava included. So we got hit with a wave of pressure from the steam. Just a guess, though,” Theo said.

The entire room was encased in ice, aside from the areas where lava actively flowed. The fire pigs were frozen in place, their flames extinguished. Steam still rose from the lava, filling the air with billowing clouds. The group entered the room, Jan slipping on the slick ice and cursing.

“Okay, now I know not to mess with the alchemist,” Twist said.

“That potion was diluted to half of its potential power,” Theo said, letting out a low whistle. “I could’ve made it stronger.”

“Holy climate change, potion-man,” Tresk said. “Y’all wanna mess up the planet before it resets?”

“Let’s not,” Fenian said with a hearty chuckle. He slipped, barely catching himself before he fell on his face. “I don’t care for the cold.”

“We could also make it hotter,” Theo offered.

The group decided that changing the planet’s climate was a dangerous move. Theo was certain there was something wrong with his new skill. There shouldn’t have been that much power within a skill, no matter the rarity, so this was likely something the system wouldn’t allow to continue. But based on the absurdity of what he needed to accomplish before the reset, he might need every cheat potion he could get his hands on.

Instead of making the chamber hotter than it needed to be, the party pressed on. The alchemist didn’t use more of the high-powered freezing potions. Instead, he concocted versions of his attribute-enhancement potions that turned each member of the party into absolute monsters. They all moved at least twice as fast, hitting with enough force to send fire pigs sailing into the wall. Some creatures simply left greasy smears on the walls, almost nothing else remaining to claim their existence.

Naturally, both Tresk and Fenian requested a truckload of each potion for themselves.

“So this is what we’re looking for, huh?” Theo asked. He knelt after detecting an alchemically reactive stone on the ground. It was a jagged little rock made of jagged material. It was hard to imagine how he would break it apart for his alchemy. He inspected the rock.

[Spit’s Pumice]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Uncommon

Nothing better to scrub the grime off the bottom of your foot than Spit’s Pumice stones! Get yours today.

Properties:

[???] [???] [???]

“Seems like the ogres turned this item into an advertisement,” Theo said, shaking his head. “It’s a pretty common reagent, though.”

“Good, we might need quite a few. If we're going to destroy all of Balkor’s phylacteries,” Fenian said, "Now let's press on. We have plenty more stones to collect and a mushroom to discover."

After passing a certain depth, finding the pumice stones was very easy. The group happened upon more open caverns with access to lava flows that seemed to move like rivers. It wasn't until a few hours of walking later that they came upon the second reagent he was after. Killing the monsters along the way had become effortless, so it was more of a march into a boiling trail.

“Here it is,” Theo said, pausing as he looked at the mushroom growing so near the lava. “Lava mushroom? Let’s see what we’ve got.”

The surface of the mushroom shifted, seeming as though it was made from lava itself. Bringing his hand close to the item, the alchemist could feel the heat. He tapped it with one finger and his glove sizzled. But at least the system prompt still appeared.

[Lavashroom]

[Alchemy Ingredient]

Epic

A mushroom designed for only the bravest spice heads. It’ll put hair on your chest, arms, eyeballs, and every other body part… Assuming you don’t die. This loremaster description sponsored by the Cult of Spit.

Properties:

[???] [???] [???]

"Yeah, the ogres are definitely using the item description as a way of advertising," Theo said. With a shake of his head, he quickly snatched the mushroom up and added it to his inventory. Although he was confident he could break down either the pumice stone or the mushroom, he wanted to have enough samples in case the recipe he had been given didn't work properly. Improvisation in alchemy often required an abundance of spare materials.

The party then only had to search the area to find enough of the mushrooms. Theo settled on an amount close to 50 and was eager to never work with the material again. Each time he touched it, his glove burned, filling the air with a smell of burning leather. The alchemist gathered the party, claiming he was prepared to leave. That’s when he noticed a strange expression flash across Fenian’s face. It was the same distant look he got when he was plotting something.

"What is it now?" Theo asked.

"Well, it's just that we're so close to the end," Fenian said with a weak shrug. "We might as well see it through."

"And how would you know the end is near?" Tresk said, folding her arms and glaring at the elf. "You know more than you're letting on, as always."

"Well, it's just that there's a particularly powerful creature at the end of this. I'm fairly sure of it. If we were to defeat it, our reward would be great."

Perhaps Fenian simply wanted to show off his power now that he was infused with extremely potent potions, or perhaps this was something he had planned all along. Maybe the phylactery had nothing to do with this; he just wanted an excuse to get everyone down into the volcano. The alchemist could kick himself for showing off his fancy new potions, but eventually he shrugged. What use was there in fighting against the will of the Fenian Feintleaf.

"Okay, but I'm leaving if things get hairy," Theo said. "Lead the way."

And, of course, Fenian knew exactly where he was going. He navigated through the tunnels with expert precision, taking every turn as though he had trodden down this path a thousand times. The alchemists couldn't even guess what these islands meant to the people who had lived in the previous world, but they seemed to hold them with some kind of reverence for a volcano that appeared perpetually active. Perhaps it was some sort of spiritual deity he couldn't comprehend, since he hadn't lived in that world.

The tunnels snaked this way and that, and the prevalence of the two reagents became greater. Eventually, the group entered a massive cavern, significantly larger than anything they had seen before. It defied all logic regarding how volcanoes worked, for now they found themselves in a vast underground area notable for rivers of lava and no other light sources.

It reminded Theo of the underground areas he had found below the city, and it made him shudder as much as he was interested to see what Fenian wanted to kill. He couldn't deny the danger of the things down here. Still, he followed the elf forward, watching his step as he made his way across jagged rocks and over the bubbling magma. The ground rumbled as they moved closer to a central area, the prevalence of the molten rock growing common.

Ahead, a massive pool bubbled. Fenian did a little dance.

“Who dares disturb my slumber!” a voice bellowed from the lava. From the center of the pool, a scaly limb burst forth, grabbing onto the edge.

“Oh. My. God,” Tresk said, spasming. “Is that what I think it is?”

Next came the head of the creature, bursting forth in a geyser of lava. When Tresk caught sight of its head, she nearly had a heart attack.

“Is that a lava dragon!?” she shouted. “Are we gonna kill a lava dragon!?”

Theo gave Fenian a disapproving look.

“Don’t look at me like that. The dragon is quite evil. Extremely nasty,” Fenian said. “Anyway, it's too late. Once you awaken it, the dragon destroys the world. That’s the deal.”

Theo let out a heavy sigh. “You suck.”

Chapter 12

Eruption

Theo had only gotten a close look at one other dragon in his time on this planet. The creature was intimidating, even without malicious intent. However, as he looked upon this new dragon that burst forth from the pool of lava, he could feel only a deep sense of malice. The alchemist barely released his aura in time, shielding himself from that dreadful sensation at the last moment and preventing himself from releasing a startled scream. The others in his party were raring to go, each hoisting weapons or dashing off to get into position. Jan had already fired a few shots.

The dragon itself looked much like Pogo in many respects. It had four legs, a long slender neck ending in a blocky head. A pair of wings sat on its back, and it had a whippy tail that slashed through the air. But structure was the only thing they held in common. This dragon seemed to be made of lava; its skin bubbled, and molten rock sloughed off in large patches. When it swiped its tail through the air, it lashed forward with a stream of lava that threatened to incinerate the members of the group.

For his part, Theo fell back on his barriers, establishing a small safe zone that would prevent lava from burning anyone to death. He watched as Fenian and Tresk darted off. Twist took his own path while Jan stood behind those barriers, firing shot after shot.

"Is this normal for Fenian's adventures?" Theo asked, stepping to the side to avoid a stream of lava. It was only thanks to his danger sense that he wasn't incinerated.

“Yeah, this is pretty normal,” Jan said as though this was another day in the office. He reloaded his revolver and took careful aim before firing yet again. “I don't think we've killed a dragon yet, but he’s been talking about this guy for a while. I thought it was in a different volcano.”

“Why would you think the lava dragon was in any other volcano?” Theo asked.

“Lots of volcanos in the world, right?” Jan asked. “He normally tells us what we’re gonna kill, so this was a weird one.”

Theo looked back at the pitched fight and tried to decide what he thought about it. Killing a dragon for no reason didn't sit well with him, but this one clearly wasn't on the good team. Even from its general aura, he could tell the dragon wasn't a pleasant being. However, there was more to that aura than just malice, which painted the monster as exactly that. Not just one of the elegant dragons that had graced the mortal plane, but a monster that had been twisted into something else.

Even with that justification, Theo couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the potential reagents.

Tresk wasn't a good team player. She disappeared into the shadows, reappearing many times to strike at the dragon's scales. The alchemist could feel her drawing on more of his power and watched as her visage changed to resemble his own. Horns sprouted from her forehead as her tail thinned out. She gained a few feet in height, and her speed increased, but she failed to notice the openings created by Fenian. His specialty was the rapier, a weapon that allowed him to dig deep into the dragon's scales and expose its vulnerable flesh. The alchemist had to force his will upon the marshling to get her to notice.

Perhaps it was cruel, but the first poison Tresk lashed out with was the Venom poison, the one enhanced with his shadowy abilities. The effect would linger forever and couldn't be banished by anything other than the strongest of curative magics, even if the dragon got away. It couldn't recover. Its fate was sealed, which only drove the creature more insane.

Theo clenched his teeth as he reached out with both hands. The dragon performed a spinning maneuver in the air, coming down in a roll to smack the alchemist with its tail. He barely managed to reach out, infusing his barrier spell with his willpower. The ground beneath his feet cracked, with bubbling magma seeping up and threatening to envelop his boots. Jan held his revolver aloft. The tip glowed, and a bar of pure light shot forth, causing the dragon to back off with a horrified screech.

"Thanks for that," Theo said. Moving his cloistered position away from the ruined ground. He still held a single hand out, fishing into his inventory to retrieve a dagger. With a flick of his wrist he sent it flying. The dagger, imbued with Dragon’s Dance, slammed into the dragon’s face. Blades of pure energy appeared there, dancing like the property’s namesake and raking the monster’s eyes. It howled in pain.

"Huzzah!" Fenian shouted, taking advantage of the dazed dragon to kick off the ground, streaking through the air like a bolt of lightning.

Theo wasn't sure if he would consider any of his fights prior to this one as serious. However, when he had to drink one of his new healing potions imbued with Web, he realized how dire the situation was. Tendrils shot out, wrapping around Twist’s chest and curing the mortal wound he had gained during the fight. The alchemist found himself in a supporting role, establishing barriers and throwing potions to change the pace of battle. His new version of the Freezebomb was effective at dampening the sudden appearance of lava… after he toned down the power by diluting it.

Even with all those advantages, the fight was close. Twist had a few close calls, unsuited for Theo and Jan. If not for his danger sense, perhaps they wouldn’t have made it. But eventually, the dragon fell. Much to the alchemist's dismay, the moment it was defeated, it exploded in a shower of lava that consumed its body entirely. Whatever reagents it might have held seemed to go up in flames. He eventually breathed a sigh of relief when a few choice bits were left behind. Along with the thing Fenian must’ve been interested in.

“Grab the goods,” Fenian said, pointing at the bubbling mound of lava.

“The goods currently bobbing in the death-giving lava?” Twist asked. “You first.”

Fenian narrowed his eyes and rushed over to the mound of lava left behind by the dragon. He reached in to grab a few items, which he quickly hid in his inventory. He cursed the entire time as he burned himself, while Theo watched in amusement. Once the elf was done, he withdrew another potion and froze the entire mound, casually walking over to chip away at the stone and retrieve the bones he was after. It would have been nice to obtain some scales, but nothing could compare to dragon bones. To his surprise, the dragon wasn't named. The items simply displayed as "dragon bones," showing that this was a very weak dragon, at least compared to the others he had seen or heard about.

“You could’ve done that before I burned my poor hand,” Fenian said, frowning dramatically.

“Did you see that?” Tresk asked, striking a series of heroic poses. “I killed a dragon! A real one!”

“Well…” Fenian trailed off, stopping himself from saying something. “I mean, yes! What an amazing kill it was!”

So, it wasn’t a real dragon. Theo suspected it was a monster of some kind, and not the native dragons he was familiar with. He wasn’t sure exactly how the system’s rules worked, but this creature had been generated. He wouldn’t complain, though. It would be nice to experiment with some more dragon bones.

“Oh, I should say… We need to get out of here,” Fenian said, smiling nervously. “The story is too complex to tell in such a short time, but the creature was bound to the mountain. The volcano is going to erupt.”

“Well, good luck with the escape, guys,” Theo said, pulling his aura out to surround himself and Tresk. “We’ve got some business to attend to.”

Jan’s face went ashen.

"Oh, you little scamp," Fenian said. He paused for a long moment. "You are joking, aren’t you?"

"Yeah, come on, you idiots. Did you guys want to watch the volcano erupt, or did you want to go home?"

“Eruption!” Tresk shouted.

“Seconded,” Twist said, holding up a finger.

They agreed as a group to watch the volcano erupt, so Theo probed the nearby area for a good observation point. He found a spot near the coast and folded the void in on itself. The party vanished from the depths of the volcano and appeared alongside a rambling strand among the tropical trees and the sound of the lapping waves. He withdrew a chair from his inventory and got comfortable. From the outside, it didn't appear as though anything was happening. We only saw the mountain in the distance. It rose above the jungle, emitting a plume of black smoke that rose high into the air.

"This is the fun part," Fenian said. "Many people think the ogres are simply stupid, but that's only true for most of them. There's a caste of highly intelligent ogres that make the entire society run, which means the shaman class will be here at any moment to take care of the volcano."

"Do they know the volcano is going to erupt or something?" Theo asked.

"More than that," Fenian explained. "There are old tales here talking about the eruption of the volcano. That dragon monster has been slumbering beneath it for quite some time now, and none of the ogre's forces have been able to defeat it. Of course, the creature is responsible for the place being active all the time. Since it is leaving, the volcano will enter a state of instability, and it will erupt, completing the prophecy."

“Did we help them out?” Tresk asked.

“Indeed, we did,” Fenian said. “Most ogres would fight against the world’s end if this prophecy didn’t become completed. Once the volcano goes dormant, they’ll be happy to start a new life.”

“Wow. You did a good thing for once,” Twist said.

“I do plenty of good!” Fenian shouted. “You just think of the short-term, as is your culture.”

“You know nothing about my culture,” Twist grumbled.

“Well, we’re all aliens here,” Fenian said. “Twist is from another world entirely. I’m from Iaredin before the switch. Tresk is a native. Jan is from Earth before the fall. And Theo from after. We have assembled an interesting group.”

“No kidding,” Theo said, eyes locked on the volcano. A spout of lava shout a few hundred feet into the air. “I think the eruption is starting.”

First there was the geyser of lava. Many seconds afterward, the sound hit them. The group was far too distant to make out details, but something else happened. It took Theo a while to pick up on the flow of magical energy. It eventually came to him like a wave and he sensed sorcerery.

“Earth Sorcerers,” Theo said, nodding with approval. He eventually saw the shape of the mountain change, even as it was exploding.

The ogres of Slagrot held the mountain together as it spewed lava, reshaping it in real-time. Theo realized it wasn’t a single skilled sorcerer, but many working together. They wove powerful magic over the mountain, eventually reshaping it entirely. The process took hours. The group watched the entire time, barely saying a word. When night had fallen, Tresk finally broke the silence.

“That was awesome,” she said. “This might be my best day of life. We cannot top this, Theo. Sorry.”

“Agreed. It was pretty cool,” Theo said. “Unfortunately, we gotta get the kids home.”

“Wait, are we the kids in this scenario?” Jan asked.

“Come along little Janny!” Tresk shouted, grabbing the man by the arm. “Time to get to bed!”