The First Brazier (Solo)

Hwa-Jae had never seen such lavish opulence before in her life. Walking through the foyer of Don Rosquillo's mansion was impressive enough what with the large marble pillars, fine detailed vases, and massive works of art that hung from the walls. Rich embroidered tapestries hung from the ceilings with matching rugs along fine marble floors. The place appeared to be a palace like those in storybooks, and Don Rosquillo the dashing prince. Hwa-Jae had no point of reference in her life to compare what she saw, having grown up around simple wooden bunkhouses and stone temples. Her mouth hung agape as Don Rosquillo led the way.

The one thing Hwa-Jae noticed that was off about the palace was the complete lack of people within it. There were no maids or butlers, and absolutely no sign of the rather rude security guards that made up Hwa-Jae's welcoming committee to Mount Kiwi. While she was glad they were not around, the fact that there was no one disturbed her. There should at least be some cleaning staff or something. Don Rosquillo did not look the type to clean after himself; his fingernails were spotless compared to Hwa-Jae's, considering she spent years training in the Temple's dirty grounds.

They made it to Don Rosquillo's office which only shared in the luxury setting that was his palace. Like other areas, the office was filled with ornate rugs, tapestries, and paintings, as well as fine leather chairs and a large mahogany desk as the centrepiece. Don Rosquillo pulled the chair across the desk for Hwa-Jae to sit in, offering her a dazzling smile that showed off his perfect teeth. Hwa-Jae took a seat, still feeling nervous around the man. He sat down across from her and folded her hands on his desk, keeping his smile wide and, at least to Hwa-Jae, rather disarming.

"Now then, Miss Hwa-Jae." Don Rosquillo's smile was starting to bother Hwa-Jae somewhat. "What is it can I do to help garner your forgiveness for the rather rude welcome you had to my Mount Kiwi Island Paradise?"

"I came to mount Kiwi looking for a lost treasure that belonged to my master," Hwa-Jae explained, "It's very important to my temple that I find it. It should be a brazier that my master left here centuries ago, and it is very important that I find it so I can collect an ember from the flames. If you know anything about this, I would be very appreciative for your aid. If not, I'd like to be able to search Mount Kiwi without any more problems from your guards."

Don Rosquillo placed a finger on his chin, thinking deeply about Hwa-Jae's quest. She hoped he had some information for her so she could find the brazier, collect the ember, and then head to the next mountain. She once again neglected bringing up the topic of why she needed the embers as well as the Black Fire Witch. She simply sat silently and demurely as she waited for Don Rosquillo to give an answer.

He suddenly stood up and walked towards the exit of the office. "Please, follow me," he said, opening the door and beckoning for Hwa-Jae to follow. She quickly rose to her feet and began to follow Don Rosquillo to another part of the mansion. The doors to the next room were guarded by two large suits of armour on both sides, standing silent sentry over the entrance. They appeared too large to be normal earthlings, standing double the height of the tall Don Rosquillo. Coated in silver pain and armed with swords in the right hand and a cannon in the left, they made an imposing figure.

"Those guards are gigantic..." Hwa-Jae stared in awe. "They can't be human, can they?"

"Of course not," Don Rosquillo answered, "They are robots meant to protect my wealth and treasures that I have collected throughout my illustrious career. They are very powerful and will only let me past unless I give them the proper commands. Stand still, my sweet, and they'll recognize you as my honoured guest."

Hwa-Jae only knew what a robot was from the movies and books that were meant for entertainment in the Temple. She did not expect to see one, let alone two giant robots. They were rather intimidating but furthermore, she did not detect any ki from them. It made sense as they were not living creatures, but it meant she needed to keep her eyes open and her ears clear. Pulling out an electronic device from within his jacket, Don Rosquillo raised it towards his guards and pressed a button. The eyes of the two large robotic sentinels began to glow blue when streams of light emitted from their oculars. The light swept over Hwa-Jae briefly, then finally shut off.

"What did they do?" Hwa-Jae asked. Don Rosquillo replaced the device back into his jacket pocket and chuckled.

"They just did a brief scan of your lovely facial structure," he replied, then opened the door to the mysterious room. "It's so that they'll recognize you within my home. Now come, I think you'll like what you see within."

The doors opened to reveal the most splendid room in the mansion yet. Within there stood piles upon a piles of gold, jewels and other treasures as far as the eye can see. Hwa-Jae stepped inside, looking around at all the shiny things. Don Rosquillo seemed rather pleased with himself and his treasure horde, yet Hwa-Jae was not nearly impressed. All the gold and jewels in the world meant little compared to the safety of her friends in the Kasai Temple.

However, all that changed when Hwa-Jae saw the object of her search. Fuega's long lost brazier stood in a corner of the treasure room, sitting along with rare statuettes made of silver and gold. The brass brazier stood out compared to the other treasures, but Hwa-Jae knew in her heart that this was what she sought. All she needed to do was use it. A flame here though would cause damage to the good Don's mansion, though. She would have to take the brazier outside.

"This is it," Hwa-Jae as she turned to Don Rosquillo, "This is my master's lost brazier. If you'd just let me light it and take the ember I need, I can be on my way."

Before she could put a hand on the brass, Don Rosquillo held up an arm, blocking her advance on Fuega's ancient treasure. "Now, now, my dear, let's not be too hasty. This is my property after all, I found it on the island I bought. If you want it so badly, then you need to do a service for me."

Don Rosquillo leaned in close so that his face as close to Hwa-Jae's, his eyes half-lidded and his smile more of a lecherous leer. Whatever attractiveness Hwa-Jae found in him evaporated in an instance as he appeared far more sinister than before. Her hands closed into fists, ready to defend himself from whatever he planned.

The master of the mansion then threw back his head in raucous laughter. "My dear, you are just so tense! You need to relax and you are in the best island resort on Earth to do so! I'll let you come here whenever you want to unwind and use your precious firepit if only you provide a small service to me. It is innocent enough. If you will just let me explain..."

"Some of my security drones have spotted a very rare species of bird living on the summit of this mountain. It is called the hikui bird, or fire-eater, and it nests in the rocky crags inside the volcano. Because of the magma that bubbles to the top of Mount Kiwi, I have not been able to safely send my own scientists to collect the bird. You see, I want the hikui bird to be as much of a guest of my island as much as anyone else, but also to be the centrepiece attraction of the resort. People will come far and wide to see such a rare creature, it would be treated like royalty!"

Don Rosquillo returned to his more gentle smile. "I'll make this arrangement with you. If you can bring the hikui bird here to be my guest, I'll let you have the brazier you seek. Does that sound fair to you?"

Hwa-Jae desperately needed the brazier and it did sound like a simple request. She could simply take the brazier and simply fight through the robot guards, but she did not know how strong they were compared to her. Not only that, but even though the brazier belonged to Fuega, something about taking it equated to stealing. If Don Rosquillo did buy the island, then it only made sense everything on it belonged to him. Taking part of the deal sounded like the best bet. She did have one concern though. Wasn't it better to leave the hikui bird alone in it's natural habitat? Something didn't sit right with her about the whole affair, but she needed the brazier and thus, needed the hikui bird.

"All right," Hwa-Jae nodded in agreement, "I'll go to the summit of the volcano to find you a hikui bird. Just make sure the brazier is outside so I can use it once I come back."

"Of course, my dear. It will be waiting for you when you return with the bird." Hwa-Jae gave Don Rosquillo one last questioning look before leaving the treasure room, walking past the two inactive robot guards and then out of the mansion entirely. As she left the building, Hwa-Jae saw many of the guards she earlier thrashed. They all appeared scared of the very sight of her, quickly busying themselves with their duties. No longer bothered by the security, Hwa-Jae turned her attention to Mount Kiwi itself.

As the volcano loomed overhead, Hwa-Jae knew her target, the hikui bird, lived within Mount Kiwi's vent. Taking a deep breath, Hwa-Jae took off in powered flight, surrounding herself with her orange aura. There was no time to lose and the sooner she found the bird, the sooner she'd have access to Fuega's brazier.









Don Rosquillo watched Hwa-Jae fly from his balcony, sipping away at a very rare and very expensive cognac. He smiled as he watched the young woman fly off before reaching into his jacket for the remote control to his robot soldiers.

"No one would dare try to steal my treasures anyways," he said as he activate his two metallic sentinels. "I do, however, need insurance. Hwa-Jae is lovely, yes, but women are so simple for me. What I want is something more delectable. If she can't get a fresh hikui for my dinner, then the volcano will be her final resting place."

***

The flight to the summit of Mount Kiwi did not take long, at least five minutes thanks to Hwa-Jae empowering her flight with her ki. Surrounded by her orange aura, she landed on the edge of the volcanic vent, allowing her a perfect vantage point to peer down the chasm. She peered down the hole to see a dark expanse throughout the volcano, save for the bottom where a pool of bubbling magma and some cracks that allowed the flow of hot lava. It seemed like an odd place for a rare bird to call it's home, but Hwa-Jae was not here to worry about ornithology.

Surrounding herself with ki, Hwa-Jae took a deep breath and jumped into the volcano. Dyn was right, this was exciting and Hwa-Jae could feel her heart race as she descended down the vent of Mount Kiwi. Her boots touched down on crag after crag as she made her way down. She felt the heat increase the deeper into the mountain she got. Thanks to her ki, she was able to reinforce her already considerable resistance to heat and control her descent into the mountain. Even so, the heat from the magma within the volcano was greater than anything she felt before.

Thankfully, she was able to sense the ki of beings within the mountain. Whether they were the hikui birds or not was another question, but it was a start to yet another search. She hoped Don Rosquillo would keep his end of the bargain. Of course, she needed to figure a way to get a hikui bird to return with her alive and well for Don Rosquillo's purpose. Still uncomfortable with the idea of taking a living creature out of its home, she remembered the threat against the Kasai Temple. She was trapped in a dilemma, but her home won out, and she continued her descent.

Hwa-Jae touched down next to a pool of magma which bubbled and boiled with intense heat. "So this is the power of the Earth," Hwa-Jae said, marvelling at the sight. "The earth and fire merged together in one titanic monument to natural strength. I have to say, I am impressed. No wonder the Old Master found this place to be of great importance to the Kasai. Hwa-Jae would have to try to get as many Sisters here as possible to take in the marvel of the volcano. Cineza would have enjoyed the sight.

The search for the hikui bird continued, though Hwa-Jae wandered the caverns deep within Mount Kiwi to no avail. She knew something lived in the mountain, but the more she progressed, she often felt that she made no progress. Opening her palm, she called on a hinotama to form in her hand, using the technique as a makeshift torch. She heard the churn and bubble of magma within the rocky walls. Hwa-Jae needed to tread carefully lest the mountain open up beneath her feet and consume her in a fiery death.

As she trekked through Mount Kiwi, a noise echoed in the cavern. Hwa-Jae strained her ears trying to hear what it is. 

"Go away..."

Hwa-Jae blinked in surprise. That sounded like a voice warning her to stay back. She thought she was the only person in Mount Kiwi. Could there be another?

"Go away...!"

No deterred by the spooky voice, Hwa-Jae continued through the mountain with her fireball as her guiding light. She followed the voice, thinking that if she found the source, she might find someone who knew something about the hikui bird. Her legs moved more swiftly now, spurred on by the voice rather than pushed away.

Eventually she emerged in a large open cave of which her hinotama filled with light. In the middle of the subterranean room stood a tall bird on long legs and big puffy feathers. Hwa-Jae gasped at the sight; it must have been the hikui bird!

However, the bird glared at her. "I warned you to stay away!" the bird shouted, surprising her further by showing the ability to speak. "Now you've forced my wing!"

The hikui bird slammed its beak on the ground, causing a fissure to the floor of the cave. As the hikui bird fled to the deeper parts of the  The fissure continued to crack the ground in two, right between Hwa-Jae's feet. From the broken floor, lava began to flow, leaving Hwa-Jae under threat of the molten rock. Lava flowed much more quickly than Hwa-Jae imagined, and now she had to contend with the very lifeblood of the earth rising up to claim in her molten fury.

***

WC: 2572
TWC: 5072

With the hikui bird close behind her, Hwa-Jae flew as fast as she could towards the island resort where she heard a distorted chorus of screams and shouts. As the island shook all around the tourists, a frenzy caused by terror swept through them. People clamoured around and on top of each other to try to get to the boats as Mount Kiwi spewed clouds of dust and ash. The air became harsh to breath in and the people coughed and gagged from the ash storm. Not even Hwa-Jae was immune; all of the power in the world could do nothing if her lungs were clogged and prevented proper breathing. No oxygen meant lights out quickly.

Hwa-Jae ripped a piece of her cheongsam and wrapped it around her mouth and nose to filter some of the ashes in the air. The hikui looked fine despite the clouded air, so it gave her time to focus on the people. However, as Hwa-Jae set down on the beach, the screaming people moved as if possessed by madness, pushing and shoving their way onto small boats. Several even threw people aside into the ocean or the sand, clamouring for some safety.

An explosion rocked the island to its very core as a massive pillar of fire and lava burst from the mountain's vent. Lava flowed down the sides of Mount Kiwi and the terrible sight caused even greater panic from the tourist population. Hwa-Jae looked around for Don Rosquillo or anyone, but only caught sight of one of the security guards. Despite his large size, she was able to take hold of his jacket and swing his entire upper body so that she was face to face with him.

"You! One of Don Rosquillo's goons!" Hwa-Jae spoke loudly she so could be heard over the screams and cries. "Where's the Don? Why isn't he helping these people escape his island?!"

"I don't know!" the guard yelled back, "One minute he's telling us to load his yacht with his treasure, then next thing we know, the seismographs are detecting that Mount Kiwi was going to blow it's top! We got the yacht going, but then the Don disappeared! Now it's every man for himself!"

Anger flashed in Hwa-Jae's eyes as she took hold of the guard's collar. "There are people here you're supposed to protect! There has to be something you can do or else the volcano will claim all their lives!"

The guard whimpered and bowed his head. "There is something," he muttered, "One of the boats used to bring guests here has a radio we can use to get in contact with the West City Coast Guard. They'll have lots of ships in the area to help us. We'll also need a flare to show the Coast Guard ships where to find us."

"I'll handle the flare, you get the signal up and do your best to keep everyone calm and safe!" Before Hwa-Jae could do anything, the ground began to shake once more. Hwa-Jae could feel that the shaking did not come from the volcano, but much closer, around Don Rosquillo's palace. The building then began to split in two as a large metal humanoid like being rose up from the ruins. Inside the cockpit of the machine sat Don Rosquillo, his smile wide and full of malice. Most importantly to Hwa-Jae, the lost brazier of Fuega's hung around the machine's right arm like a bracelet.

"I see you've done me the favour of bringing my dinner straight to me!" He said through a loud speaker, "So why don't you be a dear and hand over the hikui bird so that I can make a nice roast and I'll let you live."

"You liar!" Hwa-Jae shouted, "You said you were going to keep the bird as an attraction, not eat it! And you are going to fight while the entire island comes down on your head! What about all of your guests!? Don't their lives matter?!"

Don Rosquillo began a dark, sinister laugh. "Don't be absurd! They don't matter a bit! I've taken their money as a hobby! All I really wanted from this island is the hikui bird for my barbecue and you brought him straight to me. It's a shame my robot soldiers weren't enough to bring you down... you must be one of those strong types, but not strong enough to deal with a Mark Six Gargantuan Battle Jacket!"

"Reinforced steel armour plating! Advanced weapon systems including lasers, rockets, and missiles! Twin turbo jet pack capable of super sonic flight! Advanced targeting computer! And of course, two titanium blades, sharpened to a fine edge for when I want to get in nice and personal with my prey!" His maniacal laughter only brought more panic along with the volcanic eruption.

Hwa-Jae grimaced as she knew this would end in a fight when she would rather be worried about taking care of the people. Everything went sideways on this mission to find Fuega's lost brazier. Was this how the other mountains were going to be like? Hwa-Jae thought it was a simple scavenger search on a grand scale, but this was simply ridiculous. No one told her about erupting volcanoes are evil businessmen or killer robots.

But maybe that was the lesson she was supposed to take from Mount Kiwi, to expect the unexpected. There was no way Fuega could have guessed that this scenario would happen... or could she? The Old Master lived for hundreds of years through sacred techniques, perhaps there was a way she knew of these events transpiring. But then that would mean she knew when the Black Fire Witch would reveal herself. Just what was going on?

There was no time to ponder these thoughts as Don Rosquillo blasted off in his battle jacket towards the hikui, blades out and smacking his lips in anticipation. The hikui bird squawked and began to fly away. Hwa-Jae began to fly after them both, only for Don Rosquillo to turn the battle jacket towards her. The shoulders opened revealing a pair of missiles.

"You want to save these people so badly?" Don Rosquillo said in a taunting manner, "Then save them! I have a dinner to catch, while you have live ordnance!"

Two missiles launched from their tubes on the battle jacket, both of them ripping through the air towards the boats. Hwa-Jae could not believe the utter evil that Don Rosquillo would stoop too just for a fancy meal. The people he brought to his island meant nothing to him, so much so he would kill them to throw Hwa-Jae off his trail. She clenched her fists and grounded her teeth. If this was the game Don Rosquillo was going to play, then she would teach him a lesson not to play with the innocent.

Surrounding herself with a blazing aura and bringing her power to bear, Hwa-Jae fired an orange ki blast at one missile. As soon as the blast collided with the missile, both exploding in a fiery blast. Hwa-Jae had plans for the second missile. She flew towards it before it could strike the people, her hands opened to catch the missile. The missile pressed against her hands though she cushioned the impact with her ki so it would not explode. Hwa-Jae held the missile in her hand and grimaced as she tried to keep it steady.

Hwa-Jae looked up to see the hikui slowing down, likely tiring from the chase. "Hey bird!" Hwa-Jae shouted, "Fly towards me!"

The hikui turned his flight path towards Hwa-Jae with Don Rosquillo looking ravenous as he trailed slightly behind him. Taking aim at the battle jacket, Hwa-Jae threw the missile like a javelin. The hikui nimbly dived towards the ground just in time as the missile neared Don Rosquillo. The Don yelled as he raised his mechanical arms to block the missile.

The missile struck the battle jacket and caused another violent explosion. The people screamed once more, though now there were cheers mixed in as many were glad to see the criminal taken down. However, the cheers silenced as Don Rosquillo ascended from the cloud of smoke with little more than a few dents and scorch marks on his armoured suit.

"Stupid woman!" Don Rosquillo shouted in victory, "Did you think my own weapons could work on me! I'm going to enjoy tearing you-"

With a shout, Hwa-Jae burst from the same cloud of smoke Rosquillo did, slamming her fists into the battle jacket's armour. She punched two holes just under the cockpit and began to wrench the segment out of the battle jacket. All of the Don's bravado disappeared as Hwa-Jae ripped the cock pit out of the armour, holding the pod above her head.

Without a cockpit, the battle jacket fell to the ground with a clatter, the brazier Hwa-Jae sought slipping out and rolling to a stop until it stood upright. Hwa-Jae slammed the cockpit into the ground hard, her anger and rage over Don Rosquillo's machinations driving her forward. She landed near the cockpit just to see it open and the former master of Mount Kiwi clamouring out.

The hikui landed in front of Don Rosquillo's, his glare palpable. "Time for you to come clean about your crimes, Rosquillo," the hikui demanded. Rosquillo
looked to be in complete shock as he tried to crawl away from Hwa-Jae, who slowly made her way to him. From Rosquillo a cloud of smoke and a loud bang burst outward. Hwa-Jae protected her eyes from the dust and sand the small burst kicked up.

As the wind brushed the cloud aside, the tall, handsome Don Rosquillo was gone. Instead, a short, squat, hippo-man wearing the same suit and same foppish hairstyle stood in his stead. "You runt!" he shouted at Hwa-Jae, his voice having become high pitched and nasally. "Look what you did! My base of operations, destroyed! My island in ruins! And now I can't even catch the hikui bird for my dinner!"

"You..." Hwa-Jae stared in disbelief. Where did the tall, handsome Don Rosquillo go? "What are you?!"

"I'm Don Rosquillo, shapeshifter extraordinaire, top of my class at Southern Shapeshifting Academy!" Rosquillo reached into his jacket and pulled out a capsule. "I'll have you know this means war!" he whined, "I'll have my revenge on you one day!"

Rosquillo threw the capsule to the ground, revealing a small getaway hovercraft. The small hippo-person scrambled on tiny, squat legs into the vehicle and took off. Hwa-Jae did not give chase seeing such to be pointless; her foe was defeated and cowed and as she looked to Mount Kiwi, the eruptions had long stopped. While some lava still flowed, it was not enough to cause wide destruction across the entirety of the island.

Soon the people were away on their boats while recovery crews from the West City Coast Guard began their work on collecting people left behind as well as investigating Rosquillo's mansion. Whatever they found was no longer of Hwa-Jae's interest. The beach was mostly deserted now, save for Hwa-Jae and the hikui bird.

"What are you going to do now?" the hikui asked. Hwa-Jae turned to the brazier.

"I'm going to do what I came to Mount Kiwi to do." Hwa-Jae sat down in front of the brazier in a meditative stance, crossed her legs, clasped her fingers together so that the palms pointed to the sky, and concentrated on the artefact that she spent so much time and effort in finding. If the braziers were an important part of understanding the Kasai Hato Katachi and defeating the Black Fire Witch, then she believed they would respond to her prayers.



The fire in the brazier burst to life, shocking Hwa-Jae and the hikui as the flames rose to incredible heights. From the centre of the fire she saw a faded figure emerge until she recognized the individual as an apparition of her master, Fuega. The old crone clasped her hands on her cane and looked down on her student who successfully found the brazier.
The magic used to create the brazier must have been centuries old, but still incredible.


“To the pupil who not only found the brazier but overcame the challenges of Mount Kiwi, I congratulate you,” the image of Fuega said, “You have taken the next step on the journey that will fuel your inner fire and make you closer to the Kasai. Each brazier was protected by ancient and powerful magics to test the student I sent out into the world. Mount Kiwi has drawn undesirables to it to teach you to beware the world and its people, for the world is rife with danger. You must be prepared, for the other three braziers are even more heavily defended.”



Hwa-Jae breathed a sigh of relief, though she was not sure what to think about being tested in such a brutal manner. Still, she came this far and learned much; a principle of her training.



“Allow me now to teach you a brief history of the path you now walk.” Fuega lifted her hand towards Hwa-Jae as an orb of fire formed in the wrinkled hand. “Hundreds of years ago, a great demon named King Piccolo scourged the land with his armies of evil. My master, Mutaito, defeated the demon king with a technique that cost him his life. Unable to bear the loss of my master, I retreated into the mountains where I began to train intensively. There I despaired, as no matter how hard I trained, I could not match my master in strength or in spirit.”



“One day during a storm, lightning struck the forest where I made my home and created a great fire. Instead of putting the fire out, I decided to let the flames take me, as my heart gave in to despair. However, as I could feel the flames lick at my skin, I discovered something amazing. Fire is merely the release of energy, and all people have a form of ki within them. If the two could be linked, then the user could control the primal element of fire itself which I named the Kasai.”



“Soon, I developed a fighting style that expanded on this discovery and created the Kasai Hato Katachi and founded my temple as a place for young women to come and discover their inner fire. Let Roshi and Shen have their hermitages. I developed a style that should be shared so that peace can be brought to the world. It is my dream that nothing like King Piccolo’s rampage would ever happen again. However, while I have trained many students, only one has ever bore the true power of the Kasai. I am an old woman now, and the Kasai cannot keep these old bones going indefinitely. I thought of seeking the ancient Dragonballs to help me with my quest, but age has not been kind to me. If you have found this brazier, then there is a threat of great evil looming and I must find an heir to the Kasai Temple to defend it and the world. If you are to here now in front of my brazier, then you have been deemed worthy for such a title should you find the other three embers.”



Hwa-Jae gasped as her master’s words rang into her ears. Did Fuega really have so much confidence in her as to name her heir of the Kasai Temple? What of the Elder Sister like Pyya? What about Cineza, who was much stronger than Hwa-Jae? What about the Black Fire Witch and stopping her? So many choices amongst the Kasai, why Hwa-Jae? Granted, she could not ask this mere image of her master. All she could do was move forward.



“My student, you have taken the first step in your journey,” Fuega continued, “I know you will succeed, but now you must be ready, for the trials ahead are much more difficult. The next brazier sits on the summit of Mount Frappe, where no woman may climb. Save for an old hag as crass as myself.”



Fuega chuckled. “Always remember, my student, that the Kasai burns brightest in the cold dark. Go in peace.”



As the image of Fuega vanished, Hwa-Jae got back to her feet and watched as the brazier fell to dust before her. With the ancient treasure now gone, Hwa-Jae knew her path, but did not know if her heart was in it. Her head swirled with so much information: the Dragonballs, for example, and now her own place as the potential future master of the Kasai Temple. It would all be moot if the Black Fire Witch was allowed to emerge and cause terrible harm to the Kasai.



Hwa-Jae picked up the glowing ember that remained after the brazier turned to dust and tucked it away into her pocket. It glowed brightly and was warm to the touch, but otherwise did not do anything. She was unsure what the ember would do, if anything. The only thing Hwa-Jae knew for sure was that she needed her heart to be strong. Hwa-Jae took a deep breath and steadied herself.


"My journey is taking me to Mount Frappe next," she said to the hikui, "I'm sorry about Mount Kiwi. I know it was your home. I hope we can depart this day with some kind of understanding."

The hikui looked to the smouldering volcano and sighed. "It was a good home, but thankfully my family and friends all left when I warned them. They took their eggs with them to other volcanoes around the Earth. I should be thanking you for defending me. There were plenty of times were you didn't have to do that."

"I came for the brazier," Hwa-Jae explained, "not to bring harm to others, bird or earthling alike. What will you do now?"

"I don't know," the hikui replied, "I can't go back to Mount Kiwi, and my family is now scattered. I know where they'll go, but if you don't mind, I'd like to travel with you. You seem to lead an exciting life and I always wanted a bit of fun. Besides, you also make delicious fire, so I'll be well fed if I follow you."

Hwa-Jae laughed at the mention of food, but took time to consider the hikui bird's request. The road was only going to get more dangerous, but maybe having company would help on her way. Besides, it would be interesting to travel with such a unique partner.

"If you come with me, you may be in danger," Hwa-Jae said, "But I would welcome your company."

"Danger came to my home. No where is truly safe." The hikui bird extended one of its long legs as if to offer it for a shake. Hwa-Jae smiled and accepted the foot and shook it gently. The hikui made a noise of happiness, then squatted down, motioning for Hwa-Jae to hop on.

Hwa-Jae looked at the hikui's bird, uncertain. "You want me to ride you?" she said, "I can fly pretty well."

"Flying together will help us get closer," he replied, "besides, you should conserve your energy in making those yummy fireballs of yours. I'm plenty strong, I can carry you!"

While still uncertain, Hwa-Jae decided to take the hikui on his offer. Imagine what her Sisters would say if she showed up to the temple on the back of a fire eater bird. As gently as she could, she climbed onto the hikui's back, holding on to his strong neck. His indigo feathers were thick and provided ample cushioning.

"Ready?" the hikui asked, "I'm Koge by the way."

"Seuta Hwa-Jae!" she replied in kind, "and I'm ready to go!"

Koge extended his short wings yet as he began to flap, was able to take to the skies quite quickly. Even though she could fly on her own, there was something exciting about taking flight on the back of a large bird. Hwa-Jae laughed and shouted with glee, tossing her hinotamas towards the bill of Koge as the two flew off towards the next adventure.

***
WC: 3353
TWC: 11068