Paolo and Ini circled each other, the latter regarding him mockingly. "I won't let a punk like you ruin my plans."
"I could care less about your plans; I'm just doing this because it's my step to become the greatest adventurer."
Ini laughed, the sound echoing in the small room. "What a child's dream, I remember when I was also stupid like you and said the same thing. You haven't been into the harsh world of adventuring that's why you can say that."
He stretched his arm, glass shaped as diamonds spiraling towards Paolo. He dodged as much as he could, but couldn't avoid a cut to his knee. He winced, pain erupting from the gash on his knee.
He crossed his arm, the effects of calling forth his power blitzing through his body. Ini didn't give him time to try out his power, a glass chamber engulfing him. Glass pierced his skin, pain flickering in the areas they hit. He ignored the pain, flicking his wrists with his might, the glass suddenly exploding into bits.
Paolo breathed heavily in the midst of the shards of glass, Ini raising his hand again. A bunch of glass shards moved towards Paolo, but this time he was able to dodge every piece of glass.
A glass hammer hovered to crash on Paolo, but he disappeared. Ini looked around in frantic search of boy. Paolo came up from behind him, golden eyes digging into his skin. "Too slow."
Before his reflexes could kick in, Paolo had sent him face planted into the ground. The adventurer raised his head, his dark skin riddled in bruises and dust. He rose to his feet, showing no sign of giving up.
Ini's glass shards moved at rapid speed, their deathly intensity pointed straight at Paolo. Paolo dodged them with ease, his body keeping up with their speed. A huge piece of glass suddenly stabbed him, blood leaking from his stomach unto the material.
Blood slid from his lips, his eyes moving to the object imbedded in him. Ini's laugh echoed, his expression one of pure thrill at his pain.
"There's a saying my father always told me." Ini frowned as his hands curled on the glass, tugging it away from his stomach and flinging it away. "If the world bites you in the ass, you don't bite it back. You keep on living and forge on until the world is too tired of you to fight back." Paolo's eyes glared at him, the golden glow making Ini move back instinctively. "I won't throw away my dream even if the world should bring me down."
Ini clenched his fists, his naïve words annoying him to no end. "A brat like you wouldn't understand. This world is harsh. Just like you I went into adventuring with the aim of becoming a great adventurer, but at the end of the say all my members were killed because we didn't follow the whims of an officer of the law." He laughed dryly, his pain evident. "They claim they fight for justice, but are just bastards who kill for monetary gain."
Paolo's brain pieced everything he said, coming up with a conclusion of what happened. He closed his eyes, an understanding smile curling on his lips,
Ini created another batch of glass, but this time, Paolo didn't dodge them, his body rooted in one position. Paolo smiled softly, eyes staring straight at Ini. "You became the villain to avenge the people you care about."
"Shut up!"
"Even if it meant you'd die or get caught, you continued searching for four years."
Tears flowed down his cheeks, his eyes glazed with the liquid at the words of truth that spilled out of the younger boy's mouth. He raised his hand, a glass spear blitzing in Paolo's direction. "I said shut up!"
Paolo caught it, the glass a few inches away from his heart. He threw the object away, propelling his body forward and grabbing the adventurers arm. "Losing your crew must have been hard."
Ini through the tears summoned an arrow, the object stabbing Paolo. Blood spewed down his lips, but he did not falter, his fists slamming into his stomach. Ini's vision blurred, his body slumping to its knees.
"W-why?"
"I won't lie to you and say I'm good person and I'm not nice enough to this opportunity for me to move forward slip by." He smiled. "At the same time, I'm not mean enough to kill someone with strong convictions. If I had known you earlier, we could have been friends."
Ini coughed, his eyes tearing up at the memory of a navy officer shooting at his former crew members. "I-I doubt, I don't like stupid brats."
Paolo laughed with the little energy he had in him while Ini closed his eyes, not being able to move an inch. His whole body numb with pain filled memories. "I'll kill them," he mumbled before his consciousness slipped away.
Paolo sighed, his body ready to tumble over, but jolted back up as the ground suddenly shook. The door to the room opened, revealing Shinzo with Oloha on his back. "Captain we have to get out of here. The volcano will soon erupt."
.....
A huge bang had everyone at the ritual site looking up, Aline understanding it significance ran to where the ritual took place.
"The ritual is over, the volcano is about to erupt."
Ameh frowned, looking up from the lamb on the glass alter. "It won't once we finish the ritual."
Aline rolled her eyes, her foot pushing the altar to the ground. Everyone gasped, the girl glaring at them.
"The damn volcano will soon erupt. Don't allow your stupid archaic ritual kill the people of the town."
Lava burst from the top of the Volcano, everyone screaming their lungs out as the fiery substance tumbled down the edge of the volcano into the town.
Aline pointed at the red liquid. "See, now everyone we're getting out of here. Move into the town."
No one needed to be told twice, their feet moving in the direction of the town. Aline looked back, searching for her crew, worry filling her vain. A relieved smile sprouted on her lips when she saw their special features.
The stubborn strand of Octavius' hair twitched, his tiny feet moving him forward. "I don't have any more sweets and I'd rather not die without it."
Luna's witch's hat came into view, her red hair swaying with her. "I don't want to die without alcohol either."
Shinzo's wooden slipper hit heavily on the ground, a childish grin spreading on his lips. "It would be pretty cool to die because of a volcano."
Paolo laughed heartily, his chain glinting. "True."
Irritation ran through Aline's blood stream, feeling stupid for worrying about them. She raised her clenched fists at the idiots in front of her, eyes glinting angrily. "Will you idiots shut up and run faster?"
Their laughs rung through the air, Aline unwillingly smiling at their stupidity. They finally made it into town, Luna and Octavius standing in position to stop the incoming lava.
Paolo gave them a thumbs up. "I'm counting on the both of you."
Luna raised her arm to the sky, her green eyes glowing brightly,
Octavius stretched out his arm in response to her chant, his eyes going deep blue,
A translucent screen formed around the town, Paolo, Aline and Shinzo waiting patiently behind the two. As the lava approached Luna's feet, she thrust her wand forward, a heavy wind blowing around her and carrying her hair up, flood creation.
A hole opened up from the sky, a huge wave of water dropping to the ground. Luna summoned her broom, floating in the air as soon as the water rolled over the lava and slammed into the volcano. The water touched the end of the force field, the shield halting all movements.
A few minutes later, the water died down, and all that was left was the cooled down lava. Both Octavius and Luna went on their knees, their energy completely dried out.
"This calls for some cake."
"And premium alcohol."
"I'm tired," Paolo mumbled, his body falling to the ground.
"Same here," Shinzo said, joining his tired captain.
Iverem came towards them with other members of the Vulkan Adventurers Guild. "We came to collect the culprits."
Paolo pointed to Ini and Oloha slumped on the wall, their eyes closed. "It seems they were after the core in the volcano and their activity triggered the volcanoes eruption."
Iverem frowned. "It's strange that nonnatives like themselves knew after all we always kept it to ourselves because the government told us to keep quiet. We aren't even allowed to say the name."
"Why didn't the lava destroy the core?" Luna asked.
"The core is indestructible that's why it is sought out by many people. We'll send the core back to the Earthians since they dug it up."
The members of the guild, handcuffed the criminals and carried them away. Iverem bowed. "Thank you for your help, I'll have to contact headquarters on your good deed."
Wandoo ran towards them, smiling at Aline. "Thank you guys for everything." He looked down at the other four who had fallen into a tired slumber immediately Iverem had left, the energy in their bodies disappearing. "Will they be okay?"
She smiled, kneeling down in front of her exhausted crew and stroking their heads fondly. "They'll be fine, idiots don't die so easily."