Author's Note

Hello, it's Fireflower as always ready to give you another chapter on the way: of course, this chapter contains references to certain subject matters and thusly the reason why this story has been rated M for Mature; of course, you'd already known that far too well so as such, this will be the last time I mention it.

Aside from disclaimers long ago, I'd like to take this time to say thank you for never pulling out too early since we're now in the halfway region of the story's progress; somehow, the new year will provide us with a new hope to have and hold with tender loving care rather than yet a totally lost cause and the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for the future that is the now: I believe at this rate, everything will make sense soon enough.

In any case, I want to apologize for this chapter being shorter than the rest, before and after, since I'd went overkill on the previous: sometimes, I just don't know how to stop myself even when I really want to, especially since I'd committed myself to making this story; nevertheless, the next chapter is going to make up for it but you're probably going to feel like skipping this since it'll be more or less the same as the last chapter and with good reason.

Volcanic

Another similar nocturne fell right all over half the world; unlike many of the other environments so lush and lively, the landscape beneath it all was rather almost barren to a fault. The only things which had dared to reach them but to no avail at all were mountainous megaliths open with heat and light more stagnant and fluid than thunderbolts and lightning. As a result of their beings’ fiber, an exertion of influence could be easily felt inside every aspect of the environment and its very denizens alike, only fit for just one particular type. Even though there were patches of such lush vegetation discovered within the landscape, almost every single one of them presently dried out burned husks of their former selves. The rocky areas alone were etched between themselves by deep crevasses and ravines filled with only both hot and cold minerals currently coexisting in a stagnant metamorphosis. Compared to the water reflecting the lights above and nearby as they’d surrounded the landmass, molten extrusions flowed from the bases with their darkly vermilion glows here. Although that aircraft and watercraft were discovered to be traveling near and far, they were few and proud like the marines brave and bold to conduct such malleable trafficking. Out of the many things lingering on within the atmosphere, ash and sparks were dancing lightly inside the winds as they were carrying noisome aromas all throughout the areas.

Strutting about upon the sands of time and space limited by rocks and water, a tanned traveler taken in the sights of the star–spangled banner above. Both eyes were like the raging oceans yet they were calm and steady, focusing in on what was up ahead: trees standing rightly and fairly against them. Tresses of orchid were split into two sides of the same scalp: the right being elongated to reach the nape of its owner’s neckline; the left, shorn down. In any case, there were a small set of golden jewelry piercing the tanned traveler’s ears, shining brightly underneath the moonlit sky with so little care. Firmly donned upon the curvaceous yet muscular body were a blood red ensemble of a pelted tanktop and waistcloth combination with gray accent.

“Hah… what a day; I’m glad it’s over: any longer and I would’ve cracked under pressure at this rate…” a snort had escaped the lips, a rough and raspy soprano cutting into the nocturnal landscape already.

As far as the tanned traveler was concerned right now, a long trail of footprints had all been left abandoned in the silky roadway underneath. Such was the case anyway as a wicker handbasket filled to the brim with nothing but fish was found to be strapped abaft its owner already. Here in one of the tanned traveler’s hands was a small spear, sharpened to the hilt with a metallic tip as it was held skyward as a slender sword. Even though that there was nobody else within range, both eyes were shifting to and fro slightly in anticipation of the oncoming near future. Reasonable amounts of mist entered the lonely observer’s nostrils, no doubt the work of closely crashing tides all being pushed and pulled.

Soon, the tanned traveler’s feet were being turnt towards the greenery on the right, the narrowed visage being treated to the bewildering camouflage. For every piece of vegetation dwelling within had usually contained plants capable of providing either nourishment or mortality to any living being. Wafting around the herbage were dense dewdrops already formed upon the surface area of many green grasses housing the rather multicolored flora.

Despite the obscurity, the lonely dweller was nevertheless unperturbed by the abundance of trees afore them and began to walk inside the woods at once. Given how exposed the tanned traveler’s body had been, it was no surprise any leaves would’ve ended up touching anywhere on the skin by any means. Sand had become soil as the trail stopped cold as bare feet escaped the silky surface, feeling both solid density and staying power in their place no less. Eventually, the smell of flowers had started gaining concentration yet the lonely observer wasn’t even remotely interested in all its variations whatsoever.

The tanned traveler’s efforts weren’t in vain as another body of water was found within line of sight: it was much smaller and had a cascade too. Although there were more sandbanks, its texture was more rough and its quantities were much miniaturized compared to the outer layers before. Watching over the stationary front at once was a small yet rock solid gray cave where darkness loomed in and about without a care in the world.

Standing betwixt both the entryway and waterway, a small bundle of logs formed in the shape of a mountain surrounded by rocks; soon enough, the lonely observer walked more closely towards the very assortment almost rather instantaneously and calmly sigh: such respiration became hot and heavy as smoke wafted from the nostrils, shades of red, orange, and yellow concentrated out. It wasn’t long until the fire had began to devour the ligneous surface area almost immediately, starting out small and subdued: as this was going on, a faint smile escaped from the tanned traveler as the spear had been planted further away from the kindling; needless to say, the very container abaft managed to hit the ground as their owner began to take a seat near them at once.

Reaching into the handbasket, the first fish had ended up in the lonely occupant’s grip as the rest were separated from its handler, the latter grabbing the same spear and using it to pierce on thru. Although some blood had escaped from both ends of the incision in question, the tanned tenant’s visage remained unfazed as a few of it’d tickled down to the hand before more had followed suit. Yawning had ended up making its way out as the lonely occupant soon hoisted up the speared organisms over the flames, both eyelids blinking briefly before becoming opened up once again. Soon, the tanned tenant had lowered themselves all directly right into the heart of the inferno gently, each of the fish now slowly turning darker in color due to the sudden rise of temperature.

A few minutes had passed before the solitary cook pulled them out, smoke emanating from the charred scales as their blood coagulated into a thick layer. The tanned traveler had taken in a small whiff of them and began to edge the tip directly towards the slowly gaping maw, aware of its fumid aroma hereof. Only then did a full set of heated teeth touched the coarse surface area, soon already imprinting themselves onto it as the food had lost its shape and form. Lingering scales and bones were found within the solitary consumer’s dentition as a few fingers found their ways upon themselves to be plucked outright. Likewise, some minimal residue had been spat out from the tanned tenant’s lips, a splotch of blood and saliva with traces of foodstuff against the sands. Since there was nothing else stopping the consumption altogether, it wasn’t long until the fish impaled were no more, traces of their existence reduced.

Sure enough, the same task was to be repeated instantly as far as the solitary consumer had been concerned but only after discarding its remains. More fish went from container to the hot wet spear, each varying in size and shape but otherwise the very same inside the tanned tenant’s visage. All that was to be said about it happened to be how easy the whole entire ordeal looked and felt partaking in these very things alone so to speak. Regardless of how little was now remaining in the handbasket, the solitary observer had showed absolutely no signs of stopping nor caring here. To the tanned tenant, the taste and texture of fish was too tempting to be eaten raw, despite the smoke and ashes lingering about along bones. Such flavors alone were all too indescribable to be put in words, either by the solitary consumer or potential viewers corporeal and/or otherwise.

At long last did a loud burp escape from the tanned tenant’s mouth, another breath of fire now emanating upwardly from the burning logs at a diagonal angle. As soon as it, too, had also subsided, the solitary consumer started standing back up and turned to find only a couple more fish laying lifelessly inside of there. All that could be said about it was that the container had to be moved away and not just from the open flames near still burning brightly in the dead of the night. Anyways, the handbasket was lifted off the ground as it’d been before, this time carried faraway by its owner’s hands as the leftovers alone had remained at all. Arching fires were still going strongly on its very own but it was nevertheless still sequestered faraway from both the brilliant green and clear blue altogether. Aware of the very lonesome cave within the line of eyesight, it was no secret whatsoever that the tanned tenant was moving forward to its entrance immediately. Acting accordingly to plan, if at all, the solitary pedestrian approached onward until both feet had felt solid bedrock underneath, a contrast to grass and sand. Accepting the outlook as it were, both eyes had turned back to face the scenery their very owner become apart of by reason in which was only claimed territory. After surveilling all that remains on the bigger picture, there was nothing else to do but to go on inside the cave anyway, especially since night was intensifying.

It only took a shot in dark for the tanned tenant to blow a stray flame nearby the ingress, one in which had illuminated the confines almost instantaneously no less. Considering the target was revealed to be a metal sconce hanging against a barren partition, the new light was rather enough to give its passive progenitor visions. Here nearby the tanned tenant was a stony slab flat as a pancake yet devoid of flavor or aroma with some curvatures up and down the smaller area in and of itself. In addition, there were also some precious metals and jewels filling up another corner of the very cavern with their shimmer and shine being highlighted by the fire. Resting adjacently from the bedding were but a set of similar fabrics, each of them sharing all too familiar variances to plants their owner contacted not long ago. Only the presences of similar tools of a different composition nearby their owner’s bare feet had served as reminders of what had been done recently and where too.

Sitting the container down, the solitary dweller had turned around to face the bigger flame and run up to it, kicking away large portions of sand in its vicinity until it’d died down eventually; afterwards, these same feet soon discovered themselves back through the entryway almost immediately, now resting both haunches on the surface area to take a deep breath and hard look.

Nothing much else could be said or done except directing both eyes to the torchlight created by the tanned tenant’s mouth earlier: if anything, then it didn’t even take much at all for the same source of illumination to be snuffed out, this time consumed by teeth; now, all that remained was the moon and stars outside, not that it’d mattered as both eyes shut themselves away eventually.