I'll Trade My Wood For Your Fire (Eevachu, Guy, Will) [Lavaclaw]

Quest Thread: I'll Trade My Wood For Your Fire

A great mass of smoke blanketed the sky, tainting the pure, white clouds and fresh, sea sky with the disgusting blackness of smoke. The only interruption to this smog was a stream of flames, the red embers piercing through the newly formed clouds. It was quite a depressing sight, compared to the bright, adventurous seafaring ceiling surrounding it. However, aside from the murky sky above, the actual island itself didn't look very different; at least, not from far away.

To Rika, the island didn't look very different from the last time he had visited. Though, from such a distance it was not the easiest to see any sort of detail, especially when it had been several years since your last visit. What sort of events were going on? He had caught wind of nefarious actions happening on Dragon Roost, although the legibility of some claims could be questioned. Some claimed Valoo had gone mad and taken away the power of flight from all Rito, declaring it his. Others had far more drastic claims, such as an ancient creature from the sea depths rose up and took over Dragon Roost. Rika was not uncommon to such talk, but it didn't matter to him. One thing was for sure, if people were talking about it, there was something interesting going on. Determined to get to the island, Rika managed to hunt down a relief ship who's duty was to send supplies to any who chose to remain along with helping any who had been rescued. Though at first the guards laughed at his request to assist, due to his small stature, upon learning he was one of the defenders against Jagon's forces, they allowed him to hitch a ride to Dragon Roost to assist.

The ship quickly neared shore, and as they got closer, the differences between his last visit became readily apparent; The island was void of life. The place once full of a race of joyful birdmen was completely deserted, it was almost depressing. Various thoughts raced through Rika's head; Were the Rito friends he had made alright? Perhaps they were trapped within the various caverns that make up the volcano in front of him. At least one thing was for sure, he wasn't alone. Sitting at Rika's feet was his leaf mustachioed companion, Wollo the Octorok. Of course, he'd be more of a liability than anything. . .

Regardless, the ship quickly docked on the island. Various guards went to and fro, carrying goods of all shapes and sizes. One guard approached the Kokiri, wasting no time in speaking. "When you're ready, I'll take you to our commander, Veran. She can explain the situation here to you far better than us." Turning to face him, Rika nodded his head. "I'll go get ready, but don't let me hold you guys up, I'm sure I can find my way! Just point me in the direction of the camp and I'll get there." Rika said in a tone that was probably far too lighthearted for the situation at hand. "Very well. If you head south along the coastline, you should reach it." The guard then hastily rushed off to finish his job. Looking down at Wollo, the Octorok seemed visibly uneasy about the entire thing. Rika cracked a cheesy smile at him, which just made Wollo even more nervous. "Don't worry Wollo, this'll be fun. Though if you don't want to come, you can just wait here." The Octorok seemed to panic a bit at this. "Uhh, no, Wollo help. . . maybe. . ." In his mild panic and indecisiveness, he didn't even notice Rika had started to walk away. "I'm going to go grab my equipment Wollo!" He quickly stopped his rare act of thinking and waddled after Rika. Hopefully his leaf moustache wouldn't get singed.

(I'll be taking Level 1 Botany and 20 Rupees)

Boris never did much like ships. Sure, they were relatively sturdy, and most made it to their destinations without event. But the Deku could never quite get over the fact that they floated over a large body of water, separating him from a death by drowning by only a few inches. That did not sit well with him, though he had traveled enough. Still, there were those that needed his help, and he would not ignore them.

When the ship docked on the island, he ran out from the ship and fell to the ground, the sandy beach like a paradise in contrast to the cramped confines of the ship. Around him, men and women of many different races also poured out from the ship, and amongst them Boris spotted a familiar face: Rika. He quickly disappeared, though, the small Kokiri lost in the sea of much taller folk. Boris made a mental note of seeing his friend, though, and would have to remind himself later to seek out the mage.

A rito approached him after speaking with several other Deku that had gotten off the ship. Everyone had come for so many different reasons; some were looking just to help the Rito, and others were here to make a name for themselves. Many brought supplies for the island in distress. Boris wasn't exactly sure why he had come; he was a medical professional, and there would no doubt be those who needed the help on the island. But surely there were doctors already on the island, he had thought on the boat, wondering if perhaps he'd made a mistake.

The rito standing in front of him seemed very much in distress, though. "Sir, I'm looking for Boris Delgado. Would you happen to know where I could find him?" The bird-man's face pinched nervously, clearly expecting Boris to wave him away. Standing to his feet and brushing himself off, his bulbous head leaned back so he could better see the taller rito.

"I... That would be me. What do you need?" Indeed, that was the question. What could they possibly require from him? The rito smiled in triumph, which made Boris wonder exactly how long the man had been searching for him. His name was Yaz.

Yaz went on to explain that his people generally did not require medical practitioners, though they had a few. Unfortunately, the majority of them had fallen ill; it was discovered the flying nearby the island sometimes caused the airborne rito to inhale poisonous ash and fumes that were now being produced by the volcano. They did indeed have want for doctors, herbalists, and whomever else might be able to help.

Boris was shuffled off with a small group of others skilled in similar fields, but it struck him as odd that the issue had not yet been solved. Surely magic, or other means should have already been able to solve their problems? Alas, he soon discovered, that this was not the case. A thought came to him, though; rumor had it that there were things still living beneath the volcano. Flora, Fauna, amongst the evil things already down there. How had they not fallen ill?

Boris decided that it was his duty to find out. So it was that he found himself near the entrance, with a few others, to prepare them to go down into the depths of the island. There was only a handful, and and fewer still seemed to be considering going down. Among them, another Deku, and unsurprisingly Rika. He walked over to Rika and the gentle Wollo, patting the octorok on the head.

"Ho there, Rika!" he greeted the Kokiri jovially.

Rika quickly headed back to the small cabin he was staying on the ship, grabbing his equipment, which consisted of his scythe, two daggers and the newly equipped Sand Wand. After defeating the forces of Jagon, many people sent praise and thanks to those involved, sometimes more, and Rika was no exception. One of these various rewards came from a young, confident magician. He thought it best to reward Rika for his efforts with a Sand Wand. Normally, such a gift would be great. However, in this particular scenario, it was more a practical joke than anything, as it is in most situations a useless item. Regardless of its usage, however, Rika was stuck with it.

With his various gear in hand, Rika quickly departed the cabin. Upon exiting onto the main deck, the swarm of people had multiplied. Various others flooded to the ship's exit for one reason or another, leaving a messy sea of bodies. Rika swam through the large group, pushing people to the side and generally using his small stature to get through. Wollo sort of got trampled a little. However, luckily enough for him, he managed to squeeze out without too much injury.

The Octorok collapsed in exhaustion, the ends of his moustache touching the ground. "Haha, are you alright Wollo? I guess you are pretty small, you sure you want to come?" Wollo quickly tried to shake his head, which is physically impossible for an Octorok, before standing up. It's kind of hard to tell with Octorok though, they have really stubby legs. "No no, Wollo come." He bravely responded with hesitance and fear in his voice.

"Alright then, well let's get going." The duo headed across the coastline in the direction of civilization. Soon, they started reaching other beings of various races. However, most were Hylian or Rito. The responses Rika received were quite the variable. Some looked at Rika with sadness and a bit of hate; where did this kid come from? Another mouth to feed? Just great. Others were quite the opposite; Despite his childlike appearance, some begged desperately for Rika to save them. They didn't know him, or even that he was anything other than a strangely dressed child with a weird animal beast following him around- Okay that is pretty strange to be fair-, they were simply desperate for survival.

To either type of person, or any other kind, Rika simply shrugged them off and ignored them. Listening to their complaints or pleas wouldn't help, plus that was honestly way too boring for him. He quickly found a guard of some sort and had them take him to Veran, then the people would leave him alone. As he was taken to Veran, she started explaining the various details about the island and situation. Rika didn't really care, he already knew all of this. She didn't really explain anything he didn't know about the situation, apparently their information was lacking too.

As she finished, Rika noticed an odd Deku say something close by. Well, just about any Deku is odd going into a place like this, but such armor was not especially common for them. However, he didn't quite make out the words coming out of her mouth. Before he could inquire what she had said, though he probably wouldn't have anyway, he was interrupted by an old friend.

"Ho there, Rika!" A familiar Deku voice chimed in from behind. Turning to face him, Rika was met with his old Alchemist friend, Boris. Rika was somewhat startled to see him, as they had met in Nabooru. Plus, Boris was just a doctor who struggled in a single battle, him being here was quite the surprise. "Boris, hey! What are you doing here? You should come in the mountain with me, it'll be a lot of fun!" Rika excitedly spat out. If Boris came along, this excursion would be far more fun. He paused for a moment, recalling the doctor's combat prowess. ". . . Well, it'll be a little dangerous I guess. You'll probably be fine though, so let's go!"

Meanwhile, Wollo jumped in horror as he felt what appeared to be a piece of tree bark brush up against him. Was he under attack?! This was it for him, wasn't it? He lived a good life. However, upon turning, the Octorok quickly realized it was but his friend Boris! Wollo brushed up against the Deku, his leaf moustache looking like a censor piece for the Deku's lower body. Maybe Wollo would stay here, and let Rika go in without him. Maybe Wollo would be betraying his friend by making him go in alone, but he would be much safer here with his friend Boris. Maybe. . . .

(Spending 50r and 10r of Guy's as agreed for two levels of Magic Power which Rika would already have)

"I..." Boris hesitated at the mention of his combat abilities, or rather his distinct lack of them, wondering if this was truly a good idea. No, it wasn't, but it had to be done, and as far as he was aware, no one else was looking into the matter. He nodded his head in reply to Rika. It would be far better if he had the Kokiri mage along, who was well seasoned in battle, despite his child-like appearance. But still, just the two of them? That was dangerous, especially when one of them was so readily flammable. He looked around, listening carefully. No one seemed to show the same enthusiasm as Rika, save for one, the Deku, though she certainly didn't seem enthusiastic.

"Excuse me!" he squeaked out, trying his best to get the attention of the other Deku. "I'm looking to help those Rito affected by the ash sickness, and I believe the answer may lay in the tunnels below this island. My friend here is already coming with me, but would you be willing to lend me your assistance? I cannot pay, but you can be assured that you would be doing a good deed." He looked at her hopefully, his large eyes peering at her from behind his goggles.

There was a brief pause as Boris seemed to hesitate responding to Rika. If Boris didn't want to go, it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun for Rika. Well, maybe Rika could drag him along regardless, things would probably work out then. Well, that probably wouldn't be a perfect solution, and he could just as easily leave. These thoughts rushed through Rika's brain as the Deku Scrub glanced around the immediate area, looking for someone- anyone- who would be willing to accompany them.

Wait, why did they need people to come with them? They would be perfectly fine by themselves, more people would just mean less fighting for Rika and less treasure for Rika. Before Rika could interrupt Boris and object, however, he had already approached the armor clad Deku from before. Oh right, her. Was she entering the volcano, too? Sure enough, Rika got a fast response. "I will enter this volcano. I intend to destroy every living or undead entity within which seeks harm on me. If that assists you, then so be it." The Kokiri let out a mental sigh of relief upon hearing this. She just seemed interested in fighting. While that would be less fighting he got to do, she didn't seem interested in treasure hunting. Plus, she seemed to enjoy fighting, that was always a plus in his book.

"Okay, sounds great, now let's get going! The more we stand around the less fun we're having!" Rika excitedly shouted before quickly running through the barrier and into the volcano.

-

Meanwhile, Wollo the Octorok fought a battle of his own. If Octorok could sweat, he would feel drops of the liquid slowly running down to the end of his moustache, eventually falling off the leaf tip and onto the ground below. The, frankly, terrifying metal Deku Scrub was almost exclusively glaring at him, filling his entire body with multiple feelings. Some of which included nervousness and a little bit of happiness, but for the most part just pure fear. What was wrong, was there something on his face? Well, yeah there was. Did she not like Octoroks? As her head turned away from the Octorok to respond to Boris, Wollo felt relief wash over his body. Then fear struck again as he heard her speak, her voice very strong despite being a squeaky Deku voice. She wants to destroy everything in there?! She must be super strong, why would she be staring at Wollo? Did he look tasty? He's not very tasty, the sea Octoroks are far better! If she tried, he wouldn't stand a chance!

That was when Rika spoke up and quickly rushed into the volcano. Wait, that's right, Rika! She may be tough, but Rika is super tough, so he'll be fine! His buddy Boris is here too, he can help protect him too! . . . Maybe. Then, upon realizing that Rika was about to leave them behind, Wollo quickly waddled into the cavern with Boris. He probably should have stayed behind. It was too late now, but at least the metal wood lady would have a cooked meal.

-

Upon entering, Rika felt a powerful wave of heat strike him. Though he didn't feel any sort of burning sensation due to the magical protection he had received, it was still extremely uncomfortable. This was likely due to the fact that although the magic had been cast immediately before, he would still have to adjust to get used to this heat. The entrance headed downward for a short distance, before eventually breaking open into a larger, more open area.

The room itself was rather unremarkable, at least to any experienced dungeon dweller. A multitude of stalagmites hung from the ceilings, pointing downward to reach small puddles of glowing magma. Though not very visible, a small number of Keese, around 3, hung sleeping on the ceiling. Two separate tunnels rest in the walls opposite the direction the party had entered, along with one tunnel going upward in the ceiling. However, it was far too dark to see into any of them from such a distance.

Boris was taken aback by the violent Deku's response; never before had he met someone with such great bloodlust. "Thank... you?" he squeaked, rather intimidated and unsure of what else to say. She had, after all, agreed to help, though in a very round about way. He was afraid that his mere presence seemed to offend her, judging by her intense glare, so he quickly decided it would be wise to speak no further. As the three entered the tunnel system, he hung close to Rika, wondering if he hadn't made a horrible mistake. Despite what his friend thought, this was most certainly not going to be a fun experience.

---

It was a strange sensation. It felt like he should be burning, but he was not. He was glad for that, but his surface wood itched horrendously, dried out in the parching air. He adjusted his hat, more a full body outfit really, uncomfortably. That was one of the unfortunate things of being a plant; no sweat glands. He envied those animals that had them, at this very moment, wishing that he had sweat to at least help mitigate this strong heat. He couldn't imagine why some of the Hylians in Nabooru had complained so, over sweating in the hot sun.

But that was neither here nor there. Boris removed the shield-book from his back, checking to make sure that the pages within remained undamaged. They were fine, if a little crisp. He sighed out in relief, glad that his prized possession was also protected by Veran's spell. He strapped the book to his arm; he might need it as a shield, but more likely he'd need it ready to record whatever information he learned.

As they finally entered a larger area, Boris found himself both pleased and disappointed. He'd hoped that he would find what he needed close to the entrance; maybe a few plants or something. Instead, there were only a few keese. Perhaps those would hold the information he needed, even though his knowledge of fauna was greatly dwarfed by what he knew of flora.

Knowing full well that he could not provide much in the way of fighting, he instead decided to provide some light for the other two. He pulled out a few ember seeds, tossing a handful down each dark corridor. The red orbs clacked against the hard ground, flaring brightly and providing light for a bit.

As the suffocating heat wrapped around Rika's body, it became readily apparent how ill-equipped he was. Though protected by magic, he still had on fairly thick clothing, which only served to make the choking temperature even more irritating. As long as the magic remained on him, though, it would probably serve to aid him against any sort of fire here. As long as the magic remained on him. . . A thought crossed Rika's mind. How long was this spell to last? As he knew very well, magic was not usually indefinite, and at some point its effects would vanish if not reapplied. Hopefully it would last long enough for the trio to get to the root of the problems here, or they would be toast, literally. Well, more like burnt bark, really. . .

Rika decided to keep these thoughts to himself for now, however, glancing at the various entrances as Boris lit them up. While the two paths were visible, what lied beyond the right path was a mystery. Finally, Boris flung an Ember Seed overhead. However, it impacted with the side of the entrance, letting loose a bright flash of light up above. Along with this flash, high pitched, furious screeches were heard as three Keese became very visible. They angrily swooped downward upon the group, furious at the invaders of their home.

"Okay Boris, look after Wollo!" Rika quickly shouted at the Deku just before a Keese swooped down at him. Quickly sidestepping out of the way as the Keese dove past his head, a strange, unknown voice echoed in the creature's mind. "Hey, watch my hat, I don't wanna have to get another so soon! Well, you probably can't hit it anyway! Hahaha!" It had never heard this form of communication before, yet the creature strangely understood. At least, to a minimal extent, it didn't have the knowledge of what a 'hat' was.

While this happened, Rika ran away towards the other end of the room, laughing almost tauntingly as he did. As he ran towards the other end of the room, Rika drew his scythe. The winged rodent-like creature swiftly flew after the Kokiri with anger in its eyes, screeching as it did. However, it was not met with the most pleasant of greetings. As it dived towards Rika, he swung at the Keese, slamming the pole end of the scythe against its face. The impact sent the light creature flying back, but that wasn't the end of the assault. As the scythe moved downward following the impact, flames generated at the tip. Unleashing itself in a destruction of fire, the Fire spell zoomed out of the top of the scythe, colliding with the Keese as it was sent back. Upon hitting the creature, it seemed to almost explode in flames, quickly turning into a large puff of black smoke, almost making it seem as if the smoke had come from the flames.

Rika felt a little unsatisfied with that, though. It was only a Keese, but that's exactly it, it was only a Keese! Hopefully a stronger enemy would present itself as they continued further in.

Meanwhile, the third Keese loomed over the mustachioed Octorok and his Deku sidekick. Will this dubious duo be able to slay such a fearsome creature? Probably not, but we can always hope.

Boris' skin had thickened considerably, since last he'd adventured with Rika. He had been forced to end the life of an enemy with his own two hands, and it had shaken him to the core. Though he'd been confronted with death many times before as a doctor, to have such a personal hand in it was a jarring experience. He'd spent weeks unable to work, his hands refusing to steady. Finally, though, he came to terms with the experience. It was a patient that had freed him, a dying grandmother. There had been nothing he could have done to save her; instead, he'd only eased her way into the afterlife. Death, Boris came to realize, was neither good nor evil. It could be tragic, it could be painful, and it could bring sorrow, but also release. To have a hand in the death of another was a hard thing, even for that of an enemy. But this was a war, and that Moblin he had killed would in turn be incapable of taking the lives of others, perhaps even dozens. There was a time to sit and cower behind others, but he had a responsibility to do what he could to help the Rito, even if it meant fighting.

Raising his shield up, he felt the small body bounce off the metal cover of the book, his tiny form shaking beneath the impact. He shrugged off the keese, drawing his mace. Its quartz head glittered with the dwindling light of the ember seeds. Standing in front of Wollo protectively, Boris weathered another blow, this time watching the creature carefully. It flew off, then turned and dove once more. Throwing his arm and shoulder forward, he bashed into the keese, stunning it and ending its flight. Before it could recover itself, he mace descended, crashing against a wing and crippling it. It fell to the ground, unconscious, but not dead.

Keese almost exclusively disappeared when they perished; it was an odd phenomena. Boris wondered if perhaps they were creations of Ganon, and as their lives ended, so did the magic keeping them together. Nevertheless, while they were alive, keese still seemed to have genuine, working bodies. It was that body which made Boris curious. These keese seemed fine, though they had perched themselves in what appeared to be more of a vent, rather than a tunnel. They would have come into contact with the poisonous ash most likely. Stowing his mace and shield, he picked up the limp body, turning it to get a good look at its physiology. The creature was indeed covered in soot.

What he was about to do was cruel. But that cruelty could save lives. Pulling a few dried herbs from a pouch, he forced the crumbling leaves into the mouth of the flying rodent; it was a mixture that would dull its pain receptors, while simultaneously keeping its blood thin and uncoagulated. He began his grisly work, pulling out a small surgeons knife. Without looking up, he spoke to his two companions. "Don't mind me. I'll be able to follow along just fine as I work. As for any sort of jumping assistance, I should be able to manage with my being able to hover with my Deku Leaf." he explained, working quickly; he'd given the keese quite a big dose. In large enough quantities, the herbs would act as a very slow poison, so he had to find what he was looking for before the keese expired and disappeared on him.

Wollo stood in awe as Boris duked it out with a vicious monster, standing valiantly in the front to protect him. He took blow after blow just to protect Wollo, the true mark of a hero. The Octorok watched as Boris skillfully countered the Keese's engagement with his book, stunning it with a very impressive tome bash. Then, he swiftly followed up with his mace, sending it crashing into the foul monster and putting it out of its misery. Well, Wollo thought it was dead, anyway, that's good enough. Staring at the Deku with wide eyes, Wollo knew then more than ever that Boris was a true friend. These stares of admiration turned to confusion, however, as Boris went over to the Keese corpse to examine it. Wasn't it dead, though? What did he have to do with it?

However, as Boris spoke up, Wollo quickly followed the more terrifying Deku and Rika to the left entrance. As they arrived, Wollo could feel the heat due to his close proximity with the magma. It was very uncomfortable for him, as he had been used to living in very wet, swampy areas. Even though he had experienced many different places while traveling with Rika, this was rather new to him. What was this substance on the ground, here? Instinct told him that the heat being exuded from it meant he probably didn't want to touch it, though. As he stared intently at the lava, Wollo suddenly felt a cold, metallic grip on his body. As he tried to move, his stubby legs kicked against the air as he was lifted off the ground. However, he couldn't see who had lifted him up due to his shape. A look of terror and confusion washed over his face as he started being spun around violently. High pitched Octorok screams could be heard as he went around in loops at an accelerated rate. However, the worst was yet to come.

The wide spinning soon came to a stop, but its replacement was far from an improvement. He found himself spinning in the air, above the lava. Loud cries of fear came from the Octorok as he flew over the extremely hot earth, spinning in circles all the while. He lived a good life, but this was it for him. At least if he landed in the lava, he would be cooked well for Sienna, perhaps a little too well. The more attentive watchers would notice small brown pellets fly off from his body as he spun and into the lava below, quickly fizzling into nothing. However, despite his overreaction, the Octorok landed almost completely safely on the other side, with no physical injuries and only very minor mental scarring.

As the Octorok tried to get himself out of the daze and figure out what had just happened, he heard the ground shake with a powerful boom. He looked around, terrified and still dazed, of whatever beast was about to eat him. However, he didn't see any such creature. As he looked back across, he saw Sienna next to him, having just made the jump across. He was alone with her. . . This truly was it for him, wasn't it? He lived a good life, but it was all over now. At least he would make a good meal for someone. Wait, Sienna is here. . . Did she throw him over? That's it! He couldn't cross himself, so she helped him out! She really was his friend, after all! Though she still sort of terrified him at the same time, he is pretty conflicted.

Perhaps Wollo overreacted a bit. Maybe he does that somewhat infrequently. . .

--

As Boris seemed to mess around with the Keese, Rika looked at him with a bit of hesitance. Was he still afraid of killing the creature? However, upon further inspection, it was clear that was not the case. If it wasn't that, though. . . just what was he doing? "What exactly are you doing Boris? . . . Well, doesn't really matter. Don't fall in the lava!" Rika quickly said before heading to the exits. Glancing down the right hallway, he saw what was the large, seemingly impenetrable rock. An Aqua Grenade or two would probably turn the stone into rubble, but Rika would worry about it later. If they don't have a chance to return to it, he made a mental note to come back later. He quickly followed after Sienna down the left tunnel.

As they approached the magma, Sienna had a comment or two to make. Rika nodded in agreement, agreeing with her statement even though that probably wasn't how he was supposed to take it. "Yeah, this'll be a cinch! It's boring to just kill a Keese, though, you have to tease it a little bit first!" The actual knowledge of the teasing went unknown to everyone but himself and the Keese, of course, so his comment would probably just come across as strange.

Rika did contemplate to himself how to get Wollo across, though. He was too heavy to carry, and definitely couldn't make it across himself normally. Perhaps if he slowly created a bridge with Spire, Wollo could cross. Though, that would take a long time, and still might not be stable or wide enough for him. . . As various options quickly raced through his mind, Sienna seemed to have a solution. Well, sort of. Even if it wasn't the intention, it still solved the problem. Picking up the pink and round ball, she spun him around before flinging him across the molten lava. He landed on the other side rather safe, for the most part. As Wollo let out continuous cries, however, all Rika could think about was how much he will overreact. Wollo can be a big baby most of the time.

Regardless, that problem was out of the way, and Sienna had managed to cross mostly perfectly. It was Rika's turn. "Well, this isn't the funnest part, but I guess it's not too bad. . . " The Kokiri leaped onward to the first platform, which seemed mostly stable. Although normally it would not be the case, due to being completely decked out in armor Rika was a lot lighter than the Deku, so his impact upon landing on each platform was less severe. Rika leaped across most of the platforms with little problem, as the distance between them wasn't too severe. In the case that they were, casting Ice to create a quick temporary intermediate platform served as a solution. It was sort of like cheating, but isn't magic essentially a cheat to life, anyway? Rika tended to use the Ice created platforms when possible, though, as they tended to be a bit more reliable. Upon having reached the final platform, though, this one would prove slightly trickier, as Sienna had destroyed the platform. Creating another platform with Ice, Rika passed across to the other side mostly safely. Luckily the magical protection effected his equipment too, or his boots would probably be completely melted. Instead, they were simply singed slightly around the edges and bottom.

As he reached the other side, Rika formed a clear, round ball in his hand. Tossing it forward across the lava, it violently exploded mid-air, releasing water everywhere. Although it didn't seemingly serve much purpose, the cool water splashed across Rika, providing him very momentary relief against the overwhelming heat and magma. However, that relief quickly faded and transformed back into the powerful temperatures they had been dealing with once more.

"I need information on how to help the sick Rito. Dissecting this keese will help with that." He cut swiftly, opening up its chest cavity; it was far to addled on the drugs to whimper a protest. It's tiny ribs snapped as he pulled them away. He might have vomited, if he were not so concentrated on his work. As it were, there was work to be done. With a hasty slice, he cut into the diminutive lungs of the keese. What he saw startled him. Within those organs, he found nothing. No trace of volcanic ash, nothing. He was sure that was the source of the sickness, so how were these keese avoiding breathing it in? These were questions he pondered as the keese finally expired, disintegrating into a black puff of smoke that melted away. They, too, might succumb to that very sickness, the further they went into the volcano. He hoped that the answer would present itself, soon.

So engrossed in his dissection was Boris, that he missed Wollo's flight and resulting scream of fear. He'd certainly heard the noise, but it had been not much more than the sound of a buzzing fly. He did watch as Sienna made her way across, though, and as Rika began his own journey to the other side. He was glad that he would not be forced into such a precarious situation. Pulling out his Deku Leaf, Boris held it up to his head and entwined his head leaves about it, tying it tightly. Concentrating on the leaf, it split into two and began to spin, its gentle pull lifting him from the ground. Though he moved slower than both Sienna and Rika had, he rode on the heat wave of the lava to stay high above it. He used that same lift to follow after Sienna, though, once again, at a much slower pace. He arrived in the room shortly after her, though already he heard the sound of battle when he finally touched down.

He looked around in the darkness, the sound of swooping apparent; Aeralfos, apparently. Boris was glad that Sienna could, at least, see. Moving quickly, before their enemies took advantage of his blindness, he fished out a handful of his ember seeds, casting them outwards and away from himself, presumably towards a wall. The scattered seeds flared to life, one after the other, revealing three, still remaining enemies, one of which appeared to be preparing to dive-bomb Boris. His chest tightened in fear; he hadn't yet faced a strong opponent such as an Aeralfos, or any of its family. Survival instinct pressed him into action, though. Pulling the leaf from his hair, he swung up towards the diving Aeralfos, the sudden gust of wind catching it off guard. The newly born current crashed into its wings, jarring it from its dive painfully. Joints crackled with the strain, and the Aeralfos fell the the ground, its winged arms now too sore to fly, at least for the moment.

The trio headed up the rocky, makeshift staircase, Wollo trailing a little behind the more agile Sienna and Rika. Upon entering the next room, Rika really couldn't see anything. It was fairly dark in this room, the only source of light being the very very dim light coming from the entrance they had came from. Rika could barely where Sienna stood, a couple meters or so in front of him, if even that far. As Rika's eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, one thing was clear, his hearing was not impaired in the slightest. Wollo let loose yet another terrified cry; Apparently he had seen something the other two didn't.

Although it was difficult for Rika to see the quick ongoing fight, he could hear the sound of metals clashing and blood being spilled. It was very clear to him that something was happening, though he wasn't sure -what-. Quickly getting into a battle position, Rika stayed alert for any sort of attack. It was not long that he knew of his current foes, however; Aeralfos, three of them, as Sienna had informed. Although Rika was a sitting duck waiting to be picked off, Boris was to the rescue. Scattering Ember Seeds across the nearby vicinity, Rika was blessed with the gift of sight!

One of the Aeralfos started to target Boris, but the other two chose to flank Sienna and dive her from both sides, preventing her from countering both attacks. She seemed powerful, but two flying enemies at once would be a challenge even for her, Rika had to help. Pointing his fingers forward, a large ball of ice formed at his fingertips, launching outward as the Aeralfos began their dive. Immediately after leaving her fingertips, a wide, glowing circle appeared to be floating on top of the chuck of ice hurdling across the air towards the Aeralfos.

However, the Aeralfos certainly weren't unaware of this magic. Their noses tingled as the spell was cast, one of the Aeralfos pulling back as the chunk of ice underneath it. A large, chilling, pointed chunk of ice shot out of the smaller chunk of ice, narrowly missing the Aeralfos who had pulled back just in time, having sniffed the magic out just before. At the very least, the flank on Sienna had been delayed, as only one was currently diving at her. The Aeralfos snarled furiously at Rika, snorting and sniffing as it did. However, it wasn't like it had rabies or something like that, being in the close vicinity of magic simply irritated its nose and caused it to become rather angry as a result.

Meanwhile, Wollo bitched out hard and ran outside of the room to hide. He didn't even need to, the Aeralfos probably wouldn't even look at him as a threat anyway.

Boris paid no heed to the movement around him, his focus solely on the enemy that he had grounded, and was now staring at him with murderous intent. There was no room for any other thought, save survival. The Aeralfos wielded a wickedly curved scimitar, its metal gleaming with reflected fire light. With a grunt, it heaved its sore arms and dashed towards Boris, but he did not falter. Pulled another Ember Seed from its pouch, he threw it to the ground just before the lizard, the tiny red seed forming a substantial ball of flame at its feet. With a swing of his Deku Leaf, we swept up the flames into the Aeralfos' chest, and while it's scaly hide was relatively resistant, the Aeralfos was forced to end its charge, more from the blindness of the fire, rather than its stinging tendrils.

Boris had bought himself a moment's time. Though he was not skilled or experienced in battle, he'd drawn his shield from his back countless times. That same practice lent itself well to the situation at hand; barely a few breaths had passed before he had the tome strapped to his arm. Once again, though, the Aeralfos was headed his way. Boris stuffed the leaf beneath his hat hastily, grasping at his side for his mace, as the Aeralfos continued its approach, albeit far more carefully. It lunged, though with its arms in the condition they were, it was slow.

For Boris, though, it seemed far too quick, and it was all he could do to raise his shield in time. The blow glanced off the metal cover, veering to the side, but the Aeralfos had not over commit itself, recovering quickly. Boris' arms shook, though. His lack of experience was truly beginning to show, as his arms were already beginning to feel the weight of what they held. Not much time had passed, but both with the Keese and now, his arms were far more tense than was necessary, fatiguing them through that tension. He fended off another blow, the scimitar that much closer to striking him.

"I could use some help!" he yelled out to his companions, hoping one would come to his aid.

It seemed Rika's plan had worked exceedingly well. Not only had he prevented the Aeralfos from continuing its flank onto Sienna, but he had drawn aggro away completely! Normally, someone would say their plan was a failure when they had a flying lizard creature hunting after their head, but in Rika's mind it was a success. He'd get to have a bit more exciting of a fight than the Keese had brought earlier, and hopefully it'd only get better from there on. Of course, that was if he made it past this fight, but he knew he would, there's no way he'd lose to something like an Aeralfos!

The flying, dark brown scaled lizard zoomed at Rika, its eyes lit with such fury that it could illuminate the entire room alone. Clenched in its hands was a single Gladius, shimmering as the light of the nearby flames flickered off of the blade's sharp edge. The Kokiri quickly jumped to the side, using his superior range with the scythe to keep the Lizalfos from overpowering him due to its innate advantages such as flight and physical strength. Swiping at the creature, it flew back to avoid the swipe, before diving in to clash steel against steel, the Gladius crashing against the steel of the scythe. Rika felt the strength difference immediately, although slightly equalized due to the Aeralfos' flight. As the Aeralfos got closer, Rika established a mental link between the two.

"Hey there, hope you don't mind us coming in! Nice place you have here, what's there to eat around here?" The Aeralfos heard the Kokiri's voice ring in his mind, causing him to become even more furious. He hissed as a voice rang back in Rika's mind, that of the Aeralfos's. "I'm gonna murder you, you filthy child! I'll gut you then eat your entrails!" Rika struggled not to crack a smile in the middle of combat, as it would simply serve to distract them. This was perfect. This guy was so upset, and he thought he was going to win? Nonsense, no way he could win against Rika!

His blade crashed against the scythe once more as Rika's response was transmitted. "Whoa there, no need to be so mad! You have some anger problems I see. What's wrong? Don't worry, you can trust me. Is it the lady Lizalfos? Don't worry, I understand, I'd be upset too!" Immediately following it was a very audible roar in Rika's mind. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAWGH. I'LL ROAST YOU ALIVE AND EAT YOU FOR DINNER YOU TRASH!" The voice boomed loudly throughout Rika's mind as the Aeralfos flew back and upwards. With an actual, physical roar, flames swiftly churned at his mouth, ready to erupt at any moment.

Rika had to react quick, or he'd be more than just toast. Quickly stepping back, a ball of water swiftly formed within his palm, outstretching it to face the Aeralfos. The orb launched forward as the anger filled blaze of embers was unleashed. The orb exploded, water and fire clashing against one another. However, the force of the water overpowered the fire, powering through the flame breath and continuing onward. However, it was not without a loss. A large mass of steam seemed to blanket the area between the two, making what resulted a bit hazy for Rika to see.

The Aeralfos had been hit with Aqua Grenade, but it was not as bad as it would have normally been. The force of the spell had been weakened somewhat due to the Aeralfos' Fire Breath, despite losing out overall. As such, the actual impact on the Aeralfos was reduced to a much more nonlethal attack. As Rika prepared to examine the Aeralfos which was masked in the steam, he heard a squeaky cry from nearby. Boris cried out for assistance, which was to be expected. Rika was a little surprised he had made it this far against an Aeralfos, he really had come a long way.

Pointing his hand towards the two, a large, glowing golden brown circle appeared directly under the grounded Aeralfos, and slightly under Boris. The Aeralfos' impact was halted as he looked, shocked at what was apparently occuring. He didn't seem to understand it, but after a moment's hesitation, swiftly attempted to leap off of the circle and out of the way. His wings were still too injured for him to actually fly, so that was not an option for him.

--

As Rika stepped forward to investigate the Aeralfos, he heard something drip nearby. Strange, he thought, considering all of the water from Aqua Grenade had already fallen. Quickly jumping away, it was not a moment too soon as a gelatinous puddle of lava pudding fell from the ceiling, splashing onto the ground below. Splash. Splash. Splash. Splash. Four others had also splashed onto the ground below, and Rika now found himself surrounded by four lava ChuChu. Shit, he should have expected more enemies, but he was so wrapped up in the battle that he wasn't staying alert. Glancing over as the steam started to thin, Rika saw another lava ChuChu, slowly rolling over the body of the Aeralfos. It seems they had found their dinner for the day, jumping into an ongoing battle where the participants would likely be distracted or weakened.

While ChuChu weren't the toughest of enemies, these were particularly large types of ChuChu, and in numbers they can possess a surprising amount of strength. To make matters worse, Rika had just used Aqua Grenade and Spire, he couldn't cast either again for a short time; not that it would make much of a difference, of course, considering he would just injure himself. Hopefully nothing else would jump them in this room.