Strength is an ideal. In all its many forms, in every shape and measure it takes, those who seek strength strive for that ideal. Their desire, their drive to push themselves to the brink and beyond goes against instinct and reason, forcing those strugglers to bend their own perceptions and make the impossible into the possible. Whatever Strength means to them, those consummate few possess willpower that defies common sense. To those standing at the wayside, the many content with the status quo of their lives, such an immense and senseless struggle must, by necessity, appear illogical and recursive. No one who valued their own life and wellbeing could ever drive their body to the brink, to toe the edge of the line beyond which self-destruction awaits. In defiance, the few who strive make that struggle, and in so doing, may one day hold greatness in their hands. Such were likely the thoughts running through Ko Lesalt’s mind on the day he decided that training on the slopes of an active volcano might be helpful. Certainly, if Ko had thought things through a bit more thoroughly, he would have reconsidered. He was not, after all, a fire mage. Nor did he possess any sort of particular affinity for fire in any capacity. Nor was he anticipating some undertaking that would require him to build up a resistance to intense heat. There was, quite literally, no logical nor feasible reason for Ko to begin his training where he chose to do it. Nothing save one: Ko never backed down from a challenge. That, in truth, was the reason Ko had decided to undergo this monumental task. It had not even been his own idea in the beginning. Once it was insinuated that he would be unable to do so, however, Ko could not bring himself to refuse. |
Burn to Be Wild (Ko Lesalt;Closed)
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:04 pm
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:05 pm
The trek to the volcano alone was an endeavor, especially considering Ko had been forced to make most of it on foot. While there were caravans and the like that travelled to towns that were relatively close, all established means of travel gave the mountain a wide berth. Ko had learned plenty about the mountain itself in the caravans he did ride with, at least. None of what he learned was encouraging. The mountain itself was called Fatal Peak, as it was notorious for being an inhospitable place even just for passersby. A few long-time caravan runners even told tales that in the depths of the volcano, a Dragon slumbered, and would occasionally emerge to wreak havoc on the countryside and anyone else unfortunate enough to have passed too close. They spoke of many other such things, like the slopes of the mountain being littered with bleached bones, of clouds of invisible noxious gasses that could kill a man in moments, of constant eruptions that loosed rivers of molten rock every day. Ko, of course, believed none of it. There was certain to be a grain of truth in their stories somewhere, but by their own account no one had gone near the mountain in decades. If that was the case, where did all these stories come from? Besides, everyone knew that Dragons were more myth than reality in this day and age. So Ko had left the last nearby village on foot, with nothing save the clothes on his back and a bag full of provisions, to scale Fatal Peak. He didn’t intend to stay long; the drunkard who had challenged him had only specified that he climb the peak itself. Ko planned to push it one further and spend the week there, honing himself and building his endurance. It wouldn’t be easy; he’d have limited food, and even more limited water considering the environment. But that was the point. Even a week in such a harsh environment wouldn’t kill him as long as he rationed well. All he had to do was make it to the top in one piece first. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:07 pm
As one might have expected, Ko’s initial assumption that the stories about Fatal Peak had been exaggerated was immediately proven false. When he had initially approached the Peak, what had been plains and grasslands quickly became sparse wastelands, covered in a thick layer of ash that fell from the sky near constantly, like grey snow. The landscape was covered with it for miles around, and when Ko reached the peak itself, he discovered that the ash had built up on its surface like a dune of sand, and when his feet sank into it the ash would flow around him like water, revealing clusters of bleached bones buried beneath. It was as if the mountain itself was made of bones, and every time Ko took a step he revealed more. Things became easier once he got higher, though having learned his lesson Ko was careful to only travel through areas where the wind was strong, and air moved often. More than once, he would take a long and winding path, only to find a vantage point that showed him his choice had taken him around a patch of rock filled with the corpses of animals that had succumbed to the dizzying gasses of the Peak. Even more often, as Ko finally neared the apex of the Peak, the mountain would shudder and lurch, and thunder would sound as its near constant eruptions spewed molten rock and ash into the air. Heat became a danger with hours. Even far away from the active lava flows, Ko could feel heat radiating off of the mountain itself. He sweat constantly, and his craving for water eventually came and never abated. He could not allow himself to drink, however. His water supplies were finite and had to last until the week was out and he’d returned to the village. Eventually, Ko managed to maneuver around the mountainside to an area where the heat was less intense, and the magma flows less prominent. There, he found a cave where he could rest, eat, and plan out the rest of the week. This was going to be harder than he thought. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:09 pm
Morning on Ko’s second day atop Fatal Peak began much earlier than most of Ko’s days. Between the intense heat and the constant glow that seemed to envelop the mountain, Ko got very little sleep. Still, he wasn’t awoken just by that; what actually jarred him to wakefulness was a sound. It reverberated through the mountain, and in fact, seemed to be coming from inside the cave itself. To Ko’s surprise, the cave he had settled in was much deeper than it had appeared in the dimmer light of night. The cave seemed to be a defunct lava tube, extending down into the volcano proper. Whatever had made that sound was down in there. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” Against his better judgement, Ko abandoned the relative safety of the cave mouth and began to move deeper into the cave. 10 meters, 20 meters, the further in Ko went the more it seemed like the tube opened up. At the same time the heat began to increase as well, leaving Ko absolutely miserable. He would have turned right back around if the sounds he’d been hearing hadn’t become more prominent the further in he went. By now, he could tell it was an animal of some kind; not just one, but several of them. His mind wandered back to the story the caravanners had told about the Dragon that supposedly slept in here, but there was no way it could actually be a real Dragon. Ko got his answer as he rounded a final bend in the tube, and the searing heat in the chamber beyond actually made him squint his eyes and pull back. It seemed the tube wasn’t so much inactive as the magma chamber it was connected to was mostly empty. The chamber itself was immense, hundreds of meters high and wide, like a massive void of obsidian lit from beneath by glowing magma. However, what shocked Ko the most was what was inside. Standing on an outcropping of obsidian was what looked, in all honesty, like a miniature dragon! It had striking red scales, and six limbs; unlike the red wyverns Ko had seen being used as mounts. In fact, he didn’t have to think about it from memory, as there were several red wyverns in the chamber as well, hovering in mid-air and perched on outcroppings around the ‘dragon’. It seemed Ko had stumbled upon a battle for territory. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:10 pm
The keening cries of the wyverns echoed in the enclosed magma chamber, and Ko had to wonder how they’d even gotten inside. This chamber didn’t seem to be connected to the crater at the peak directly, so they must have gotten in through other lava tubes. Compared to the cries of the wyverns, the dragon’s roar was properly bombastic, though it wasn’t quite as bass as he’d have expected. It was strong, but almost musical at the same time. Ko took a moment to count the number of wyverns, and at 8 to 1 Ko wasn’t sure how the ‘dragon’ would fare. He’d just have to watch and wait. Sure enough, the posturing ended with the largest of the wyverns letting out another cry, which seemed to be the signal for the others to swoop in. Ko had never seen wyverns in the wild, but the idea they were pack hunters was frightening to say the least. The ‘dragon’ didn’t seem to care either way. As the wyverns descended, the ‘dragon’ took off with a single beat of her massive wings, ascending swiftly to meet the charge of her foes. She collided with the foremost wyvern in mid-air, the impact audible even with considerable distance between them and Ko. Her superior size and weight dizzied the wyvern on impact, giving the ‘dragon’ plenty of time to bite down on its neck and shake it like a dog with a chew toy. The wyvern went limp, and she dropped its corpse, leaving it to land in the magma below. With more wyverns on the move, it became a dog fight in earnest. The ‘dragon’ dipped and spun about the enclosed space, clearly adept at flying in tight quarters despite her size. Meanwhile, although coordinated, the Wyverns were unaccustomed to aerial combat in closed spaces, as made evident by their frequent banging into each other. The ‘dragon’ took advantage often, slamming its tail into their heads when they came too close, or leading them into tight turns that caused them to clip the walls. It was a violent aerial ballet, and Ko couldn’t take his eyes off of it. If he had, he may have realized that he wasn’t quite as well hidden as he’d thought. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:12 pm
While Ko’s attention had been focused on the aerial antics of the ‘dragon’, he’d failed to realize that as the wyverns continued to prepare for their typical pack tactics, one of them was maneuvering around the wall of the chamber right towards him. Worse still, it was the ‘Alpha Wyvern’, the largest of the bunch that had led the pack inside. Despite all its earlier posturing, it wasn’t stupid; even the dumbest animals had to be shrewd to secure a place of dominance among their kind, and this wyvern had begun to realize that defeating this rival would require more than just superior numbers. As such, it had begun looking for routes through which it could escape, and just as it had found one, it discovered something else standing in its path. Ko, oblivious oaf that he was, didn’t realize what was happening until he heard the baritone rumble vibrating the rocks under his hands. He tore his gaze away from the deady aerial battle to try and identify the sound, only to come face to face with a large, angry Wyvern covered in the scars of a hundred battles for dominance. “Aw shit.” His expletive didn’t seem to deter the Wyvern at all. In fact, as Ko began to slowly back into the tunnel, the alpha wyvern only continued to advance, hissing and baring its teeth with an obvious intent to take its anger out on the small animal before it. Deciding not to waste any more time, Ko turned and bolted back the way he’d come, his weak and heat-fatigued legs suddenly overflowing with strength in the face of imminent death. Behind him he could hear the Alpha pursuing him, but thankfully there was no space for the wyvern to fly in the passage. In the air it would have caught Ko in moments, but on foot he had the edge. There was one moment, when the wyvern had managed to close the gap in a wild sprint, that Ko had to act fast. He turned and called on his magic, firing a tight ball of dark magic at the wyvern’s head that detonated before it could snap its jaws down on Ko’s head. The explosion ruptured the Alpha’s left eye, sending blood and viscera spewing and prompting it to let out a keening cry of injury. Ko didn’t wait around, and the Alpha didn’t take long before it resumed its pursuit. Meanwhile, the sound of Ko’s attack traveled far in the closed tunnels, drawing the attention of something else. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:13 pm
Normally Ko would have expected a predator like a wyvern to give up the chase after it was as unsuccessful as this, but circumstances were against Ko. With no other way for the wyvern to go, the only thing it could do was go through Ko to escape. Now that Ko had injured it, however, even if he got out of the cave first it would find him immediately once it got out into the open air. There was nothing on the mountain for Ko to hide under. With this in mind, Ko made his decision. Fighting it in the tunnel itself was too risky; the quarters were too tight, and its size too restrictive. He needed to get to the mouth of the cave, where he had more room to maneuver, and try to take the wyvern down there, or at least drive it off without getting killed. It wasn’t a strong plan, but as Ko finally reached the mouth of the cave, it was all he had. Pulling out his sword, Ko turned to face the beast as it emerged from the tunnel, blood streaming down its face, eye wide with feral animosity. As expected of an enraged animal it didn’t even pause once it saw him; it charged straight ahead, jaws wide in the hopes of crushing him between them. Ko dove to the side at the last second, just in time to feel the air rushing past him as the wyvern’s jaws snapped shut. He swung his sword as he rolled up to his feet, drawing a line of blood across the wyvern’s neck and sending it screeching again. It scrambled to put distance between them, but its size made it hard for the wyvern to maneuver, and it just thrashed at Ko wildly with one of its wing-talons. It was simple enough to avoid, Ko just stepped back and kept his distance. Several more exchanges passed like this; the beast lunged, Ko evaded and counter attacked. Yet all of his attacks, though wounding, weren’t enough to put it down. Blood was splashed all about the cavern now, making the obsidian slick and good footing hard to secure. It was only a matter of time before Ko slipped up. Then something changed. The wyvern’s angered posture shifted, and its attention flicked away from Ko and to the tunnel leading further in. It was a momentary mistake, but Ko wasn’t one to let an advantage go. He charged forward immediately, sword at the ready, and before the wyvern could recover he drove the point of his blade into the wyvern’s damaged eye socket. His momentum forced the blade deep, driving nearly half its length into the wyvern’s head before it finally lodged in place, and the wyvern’s frantic flailing threw Ko away from it. Moments later, it fell to the floor of the cave, and lay still. Laying on the ground, exhausted, Ko could only laugh. “Yeah, take that you stupid lizard.” “Hmph. Almost impressive, for a pitiful human to kill such a stupid lizard.” The unfamiliar voice sent a chill down Ko’s spine as he looked towards the cave’s tunnel, now clearly seeing two blazing eyes peering at him from the darkness. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:15 pm
Even if Ko could have stood up, he would have stayed right where he was. As far as he could tell, the thing staring at him from inside the tunnel was a lot worse than the wyvern he’d just killed. It certainly didn’t seem to think the wyvern was much of a threat by its standards. Ko could only assume that he was talking to the ‘dragon’ he’d seen earlier. If Ko were being intelligent, he’d have done his best not to insult whatever this thing was. Unfortunately for Ko, he was tired, riding a combat high, and not in the mood for bullshit. “‘Almost’ impressive? I’d like to see you kill something that outweighs you by the same amount!” Ko couldn’t tell from his position, but the way the eyes suddenly flashed several times seemed to imply it was blinking in shock. That was ridiculous, wasn’t it? “You question my strength, puny creature!? I’ve turned greater beings than you to cinders for lesser offenses!” Advancing as she spoke her threat, the ‘dragon’ revealed herself in all her crimson glory. Even on all fours she was massive; she could probably kill him just by shoving him up against the cave wall and pushing hard. Though, for all her bravado, Ko couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t unscathed herself. Still, Ko couldn’t bring himself to cower. Instead, he fell back and continued talking to the ceiling. “Fine then, reduce me to cinders or whatever. Not like I could stop you.” Silence stretched on after that, with just the sound of Ko and the ‘dragon’ breathing to fill the cave. When Ko finally decided to look up and see what the ‘dragon’ was doing, he found her staring at him with an expression he could only describe as ‘utterly perplexed’. That seemed to shake her from whatever stupor she was in, and she finally spoke again. “You are an odd human.” With that statement made, she stalked forward and grabbed the wyvern’s corpse by the neck, dragging it back towards the tunnel. Just before she disappeared into the darkness, she craned her head around to fix him with another eerie stare. “Get off my mountain.” And with that, the ‘dragon’ was gone. And Ko had a hundred questions. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:18 pm
Ko did not get off of her mountain. In fact, if anything, he did the exact opposite. As he had intended from the beginning, Ko remained on the mountain for several days. At first he was just intending to recover his strength to return to town, but as that first day came to a close Ko’s curiosity got the better of him. On his third day he travelled down the tunnel a second time, but this time it was eerily silent. There was no angry growling, no posturing roars; only the dim bubbling of the magma deep down below. Unfortunately for Ko, it didn’t take long for the ‘dragon’ to notice him at all. “Typical human.” She said from down below, eyeing him from her perch atop the same outcropping as the previous day. “Even simple orders are too difficult for them to follow.” While Ko’s behavior the previous day had mostly been due to his combat high, he wasn’t feeling particularly levelheaded at that moment either. “What, and miss the chance to find out more about you? Why the hell would I do that?” Again, his response seemed to take the ‘dragon’ off guard, but this time she didn’t simply disregard him as odd. With practiced ease she lifted off the ground, wings carrying her to the tunnel’s opening where she was immediately upon Ko, her body looming over him. “I am a Flamewyrm! Sovereign over stone and flame, blessed kin to grand Draconia! I am a subject of your awe and devotion, not curiosity!” For a moment, the words she was speaking didn’t register, and Ko felt the animal urge to flee her presence. She was incredibly threatening up close; even if she wasn’t a dragon, she had everything about them that was terrifying. But Ko wasn’t a man who ran from frightening things. He faced them head on, not in spite of their danger but because they were dangerous. Even just this short conversation with this Flamewyrm was bringing a wild grin to his face like he was anticipating a battle. “Devotion seems like a bit much. Oh you’re definitely awesome, no argument there, but I don’t bend the knee unless its broken.” A blast of smoke hit him straight in the face as the Flamewyrm let out a growl, the sheer heat nearly singing his eyebrows. For half a moment Ko worried he might have stepped over some invisible line, but after holding her gaze without flinching for a minute, the heat died down. Instead she snorted, turning away from the tunnel entrance. “You really are an odd human. At least you have some nerve.” She dropped back into the air, apparently finished interacting with Ko, but Ko called out to her instead. “My name is Ko Lesalt! You can speak, so you must have a name right? What is it?” Silence hung over the chamber, until she called out in what seemed almost amused. “Impress me, and I might tell you.” Ko was definitely grinning after that. That was a challenge. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:21 pm
The last few days of Ko’s supplies went quickly after that. Everyday he would make the trek down the tunnel, and instigate a conversation with the Flamewyrm. Sometimes she would be cooperative, other times he would have to badger her into contributing. On two occasions he managed to irritate her enough that she actually attacked him, but it never seemed to escalate to actual combat. It was more like she was testing his strength. Paradoxically, the more Ko spoke to her the more she seemed to hate the outside world, yet she seemed so horribly lonely at other times. After all, if she hated the outside world, and humans, so much, why was she tolerating him? “So. I’m running out of food. I’ve got a day of water left, at best. I’m going to have to leave tomorrow.” Ko broke the news bluntly, speaking into the echo of the chamber glibly. The Flamewyrm barely seemed to react beyond an nearly inaudible grunt. “No offence, I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this volcano either. Not exactly comfortable living.” That actually got a response. “Good riddance. I’ll finally be free from your constant prattling everyday.” Ko scoffed at that. “Please. You’re so lonely you’ve been practically begging for me to come talk to you.” “I do not beg! I have never begged!” “Sure, sure.” This sort of banter had become commonplace, and Ko had to admit, he was going to miss it. It had only been a week, but he’d really come to enjoy this Flamewyrm’s company. “You could come with me.” The invitation hung in the air, met only with minutes of silence. “Come on, you can’t say the thought hadn’t occurred to you.” “IT HAD NOT!” Her tone this time wasn’t like their usual banter; she seemed actually angry. “YOU THINK I AM SOME LIZARD DOG, WHO COMES QUIETLY WHEN YOU CALL!? BEGONE HUMAN! YOUR PRESENCE HAS FOULED THIS PLACE LONG ENOUGH!” To his surprise, Ko had to scramble back into the interior of the tunnel as flames suddenly scorched the place where he had just been standing. In a rush of wingbeats, the Flamewyrm abandoned her perch and disappeared into another passage, leaving Ko alone. “Fine then. No skin off my nose.” Ko had never been more dishonest with himself then at that moment. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:22 pm
Hours later, Ko had finished packing what remained of his supplies in the cave mouth he’d been sleeping in. All that was left was to descend the mountain and make his way back home. As he exited the cave, Ko looked over his shoulder at the tunnel one last time, before setting his jaw and turning away. She made her choice. He hadn’t made it four steps before the ground suddenly lurched, nearly sending him tumbling into the gravel. “What the-!” It lurched again, harder this time, and a thunderous crack rang out that nearly deafened Ko. He looked up in horror. The volcano was erupting; not the gentle, continuous eruptions it had been emitting until now, but a real explosive emission. How was he going to get to safety in time? Just then, another thunderous sound rang out, but this time Ko realized it wasn’t the volcano. It was coming from the tunnel, and it sounded like the Flamewyrm. More specifically, it sounded like she was in pain. Indecision gripped him for a moment, as Ko tried to consider his options. In the end, irrationality won out again. He dropped his pack and sprinted into the cave, running as fast as he could down the tunnel towards the inner chamber. Not even halfway in he noticed the increase in heat; the eruption must have been flooding the empty chamber with fresh magma. When he reached the end of the tunnel, Ko saw what had happened. The violent shaking of the mountain had dropped an enormous stone on the Flamewyrm while she slept, pinning one of her legs beneath it. It was too large for her to move on her own. Without blinking, Ko leapt from his position, falling down to the outcropping where the Flamewyrm had always perched. He landed poorly, stumbling and falling to one knee, while the Flamewyrm looked at him in surprise. “You! What are you-!?” “Shut up and help me push!” Even with the magma still dozens of meters below, Ko could feel the heat in the air burning his lungs as he breathed. He charged at the boulder pinning the Flamewyrm’s leg and slammed his body into it, his hands hissing as the super-heated obsidian cooked his palms instantly. The pain was incredible, but Ko was committed, his magic bleeding into his body and bolstering his efforts. Finally between the two of them, the boulder fell free from the Flamewyrm’s leg, and with it went Ko. He fell to the ground, heat exhaustion settling in at a breakneck pace, his skin red and steaming from the heat. The last thing he remembered before he blacked out was the color red filling his vision. |
Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:26 pm
Ko awoke with a start, gasping in a breath that immediately caused his chest to seize up with pain. The sound of water rushing passed him confused him, especially after the last thing he remembered was the rumbling of a volcanic eruption. Looking around to try and identify his surroundings, Ko found himself surrounded by trees and grass; a vibrant change from his home for the last week. He was sitting in a pond of some kind, which was cool and soothing considering the burns covering half his body. A few more seconds and Ko was certain he’d have needed serious medical magic. In the distance, Ko spotted the mountain, spewing an enormous ash cloud into the sky along with gouts of orange-red magma that had to be 50 meters tall. “How did I…?” “I carried you.” The familiar voice came from behind, and Ko craned his head around to find the Flamewyrm laying in the shade behind him, watching the mountain erupt. Somehow, the way she was laying seemed more...feminine? Was that possible for a Lizard? “Why do I feel like you just thought something offensive?” “Oi, don’t change the subject. You said you carried me here? Why?” The Flamewyrm gave him a look like he’d just said the stupidest thing she’d ever heard. “What, you thought I would leave you in that mountain to die as thanks for coming to my aid. Unasked? What sort of boor do you take me for?” Ko gave her a flat stare. “The draconian kind.” For half a second, the Flamewyrm seemed ready to tear into him again for that comment, but instead her eyes flicked away, and she averted her gaze entirely. “...Thank you, human. I likely would have survived without your help, but you gave it anyway.” Somehow, the Flamewyrm’s behavior had changed in a way Ko couldn’t quite put his finger on. She wasn’t exactly being less pushy or standoffish, but she wasn’t quite as prickly either. Had he finally made some progress on their friendship? Grinning in that smug way he did whenever he teased Rinni, Ko spoke again. “My name is ‘Ko’, not ‘Human’. You are allowed to use it since I offered it, you know.” Again, silence was Ko’s immediate reply. Then, finally, the Flamewyrm spoke. “Nantosuelta. That is my name. Treat that knowledge with the appropriate reverence, Ko Lesalt!” There was that imperious tone again. Still, Ko couldn’t help but feel emboldened. He’d finally gotten her to tell him his name! “Nantosuelta, huh? That’s a mouthful, but it suits you.” “W-wha-Do you think that means anything, coming from a talking monkey!? Of course my name suits me, it is my name and no one else's!” Ko rubbed at his chin. “Still, its a lot to say in one go. What about Nan for short?” “WHAT!? YOU WOULD SHORTEN MY SACRED NAME SO!? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!” “No good? How about Nanto? Nana? Nancy?” “STOP! STOP! YOU...UGH! GIVE ME BACK MY MAIDEN’S HEART!” “Maiden’s- what the hell are you talking abou- OW OW HEY STOP IT I'VE GOT BURNS!!” And such was the birth of Ko Lesalt: Wyrmrider. |
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