Chapter 25: Vision of a Sunset (Part 1)
John looked back at the crude village they left behind and waved at the little girl near the gate.
He still felt the weight of bearing 30 years worth of regret and longing.
He turned his attention to the mountain they were about to climb. Their minimap labelled it as Mt. Pinatubo. With a little addendum below it: it showed the year 1991.
The mountain rumbled and smoke issued from the top, effectively making its introduction.
"It is a volcano!" said Vince.
"No, I think it's just a regular mountain that is happy to see us!" Ash said with a straight face.
"Is it just me or are you all extremely thirsty too?" asked Zone.
"We are climbing. Maybe that's it," ventured Grace. Her pretty face was drenched in sweat. She blew a strand of hair away from her face without much success. They were plastered to her forehead by the perspiration.
"Here," said Ice to Zone, who grabbed the bottle greedily and drank deeply.
"Did anybody remember to buy water from the two-bit trader back there?" John looked at each of them.
"Nope, we all splurged on shiny undrinkable things," Ash answered.
"Great. At this point, we will all die of thirst before we reach the summit," Zone complained.
"Easy for you to say, you drank your fill for a couple of back and forth trips," Ash pointed out.
"Let us hope that it will be a short quest," John muttered.
"Great plan, glorious leader. They say hope springs eternal. Why not pray for rain instead?" sneered Vince.
John clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Despite their bickering, they reached the summit in no time.
The thick smoke did not inspire good thoughts and the rumbling added to the ominous feeling.
"Are we supposed to go through that?" Vince looked at John who stared at him morosely.
"Be my guest," he said blandly to the annoying teen.
"The map indicates some sort of a doorway near here," said Ora who was looking at her menu.
Ice was looking at a peculiar looking rock near the edge of the crater.
"It says: Here lies the dragon that swallows moons," Ice informed the group.
"Here? Under all the lava?" asked Zone.
"No, it points to that," she said and pointed at a nondescript rock that is rectangular in shape.
They all approached the smooth rock. It looked chiseled but there was nothing in it except more of those strange words that only Ice can read.
"Only a rock that goes through fire can give birth to the hardest of metals. Only a heart as strong as steel can overcome all its trials," said Ice who looked at John for a reaction.
"Does it mean we have to make the key?" Vince asked no one in particular.
"That's a pretty mighty leap you made there, Wetpants...but it seems like you are right for once," Ash congratulated Vince.
"Are you implying that I am a moron?" Vince asked pugnaciously.
"Correction. I did not imply anything," said Ash.
"Thank you…"
"I stated it," she cut him off and smiled without humor.
John hid his smile. Ash can be pretty brutal. Funny but merciless. He knows what she is doing. The training she is giving Vince is more valuable than combat or strategy.
"Enough of that, kids," Ora smoothed back her hair and wiped the sweat off his forehead. John offered her a clean cloth which she took with a smile.
John focused on the rocks around and selected the densest-looking ones.
"Who has a lighter or a fire magic?" he asked.
"I do," said Ora.
She directed a weak fire magic on the rock that John placed in front of her. When nothing happened, she used a stronger one.
Still no change.
"Maybe it is a metaphorical fire," said Grace who is intently looking at the rock.
"Like…?" Zone prodded.
"Like in some cultures, going through fire is akin to getting tested in various ways," she answered.
"How are we going to test a rock?" Vince interjected.
"We could ask the stone difficult questions...like the one you just asked," Ash said.
Vince pelted Zone small stones when the latter laughed out loud.
"I think the fire is not hot enough," said Ice. she seemed to be struggling with something.
"Go on," said John.
"It has to be at a temperature that can melt the rock," she continued.
"Wait, even if we can manage to do that, how do we even know what shape the key would be?" Zone asked.
"Ask Rai?" suggested Ice but John and Ora immediately shook their heads.
"Moreover, there is no keyhole," observed Grace.
"That is why I suggested something metaphorical because I kept getting drawn to the fact that we have no idea what the key would look like and that there is no keyhole anywhere in that rock," she added.
Everyone fell silent.
Ice stared at the magma in the center of the crater.
"I think the key was already created. That magma is hot enough to melt rocks. It has to be in there," she said as if mesmerized.
"John, do you remember what happened at the gate we just entered? Was that your power?" asked Ora.
"It comes and goes but I do manage some pretty impressive visual feats from time to time. I don't know how to properly use it," John admitted.
"Just try honey," Ora encouraged.
John looked around dubiously but squared his shoulders and went closer to the center of the crater.
Just like before, they all saw considerable dimming of light around John. Ora was a little to the side and was able to see John's eyes.
She gasped at what she saw. The eyes were not John's. They were of someone else.
When it was over, John turned to them, gasping and sweating buckets.
"It's there," he simply announced and sat weakly on the ground.
"How deep?" Vince put on a metal gauntlet.
"You can probably reach it, but I don't recommend what you are about to do," he said.
"This is metal, it might be able to withstand the heat!" he insisted.
"The metal might but your hands wouldn't, you fool," Ash said disgustedly.
"Heart as strong as steel. This is what it meant," Vince said resolutely and strode closer.
"Wait Vince, you wouldn't know exactly where to look. The longer it takes, the more dangerous it could be," warned John.
"Then tell me exactly. Don't be a hero all the time, John. I thought about it so let me do it," Vince said stubbornly.
John looked at Ora who nodded then at Ice who showed disapproval.
"Let the fool burn his hands," Ash said when their eyes met.
"I will tell you exactly where and you have to do it decisively. Quickly," John instructed.
Vince confidently leaned over the smoking area Vince pointed.
"Protect your nose, Wetpants," Ash shouted.
Startled, he immediately covered his nose with his left arm. He dipped his right arm on the glowing magma and as soon as he did, the area around the gauntlet hissed and the gauntlet crumpled almost instantaneously.
"Owww! Shit, goddamnmotherfuckingsonofawhore!" Vince jerked his right hand so fast that some of the magma that stuck to the metal glove sprayed around him.
They all took a step back to avoid the burning rocks.
"This cheap fucking useless hand ornament has holes in it!" he shouted disgustedly and threw the unoffending gauntlet to the ground.
"Of course, it has! Much like your head," Ash said contemptuously.
"Why don't we make a hook out of metal?" Suggested Zone.
"Great idea. What metal could we possibly use?" Ash said while eyeing Vince's sword exaggeratedly.
"No! I already sacrificed one of my equipment!" he protested.
"What you did was just prove that the pieces of junk you purchased were next to useless. Better now than when you actually need them," Ash told him.
"NO! What will I use to protect myself if you bend my only weapon?" he adamantly refused.
"Don't worry, we'll protect you!" Ash said as she forcibly took the sword from him.
"Now why don't I believe that?" Vince said sullenly.
Zone used a rock to fashion a makeshift hook out of Vince's sword.
"See how easily it got bent?" Ash pointed out.
"No. Don't talk to me." Vince walked away muttering to himself.
With John's guidance, Zone proceeded to dip the sword to the magma. After a while, John signalled for Zone to stop.
"It moves!" he said in frustration.
"What moves, John?" Ora touched his shoulder soothingly.
"The goddamn key keeps moving!" he said.
"Maybe you cannot fake courage," Grace said philosophically.
Ice nodded in agreement.
Maybe that's what the last part of the riddle meant.
John breathed deeply and went to where Zone was standing.
"John, NO!" shouted Ora but John already held on to Zone for support and dipped his unprotected left hand to the magma.
He screamed in agony but brought out a shiny key in a matter of seconds.
His fingers were almost charred and he had big blisters up to his elbows. His left hand twitched but they all knew it would be next to useless from now on. It was cooked beyond healing.
Ice, teary-eyed, poured a healing potion over it to no avail.
Even the usually stoic Ash looked aghast. Vince did not even look.
Ora, her eyes showing deep sympathy, knelt over John and made a series of hand movements.
John's left hand got encased in an icy looking material.
"It's only temporary but it would slow tissue necrosis," she said sadly.
John gritted his teeth and stood up.
"Let's go test that key," he said.
They all followed him to the smooth rock which now shows a keyhole where it normally would be.
He slid it in and turned in one smooth motion.
The rock vanished and in its place is a hole to a hellish dimension where hundreds of Igaaws came pouring out.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone