Chapter 77: Adventure Date
At the volcano's mouth, the lake of lava raged, as if the molten sea had sentience. Its unforgiving magma forbade any habitation, yet one species still thrived inside of it, swimming with delight even.
Yulia hovered the wyvern upon the crater's edge. As she jumped off from their ride, the armored paladin gracefully landed on her feet. She glanced a smile at her partner, urging the succubus to do the same.
"Jump down, I'll catch you."
A smile that Magna mirrored, looking down, she said, "You know I have wings, right?"
"I know. Do it anyway since it's our date." With both of her arms wide open, Yulia awaited.
Throwing caution to the wind, Magna jumped a height that might break her back if it ever went awry. But Magna had faith, that Yulia was going to catch her when she fell. So she jumped.
True enough, Magna landed safely on Yulia's arms. The two of them locked eyes as Yulia held the succubus in a princess carry.
As much as Magna enjoyed her position, they had a quest to do. She chided, "Those wyrms aren't going to hunt themselves, honey."
Sensing the presence of prey, five magma wyrms had emerged from the molten sea. Wingless dragons with the body of a giant snake, although the scales they possessed are more pronounced, thicker with enough magical energy to withstand even lava. Each of these wyrms are about 12 feet in length, large enough to induce worry in Yulia that Magna might not be fit to handle the fiery ferocity that they could unleash. The danger was different than falling from such a height, and frankly, Yulia wanted to pull Magna out.
"Listen, Magna. I know we agreed that we would bag one each, but why don't you go back to Zarg and just cover my back."
Instead of taking offense, Magna instead flashed Yulia a coy smile as she posed her questions.
"Are you that worried about me?"
Of course Yulia was. But if Magna was going to be coy about it then Yulia would be too.
"What do you think?" The tiefling asked, her expression smug.
It was a question that both of them knew the answer to. And honestly, even if Magna was no adventurer, she was trained sufficiently by her mother in the art of summoning the cards of fate, the arcana.
Magna whipped out an elegant leather card holder. Drawing out one card at random, Magna would accept whichever entity would lend her their assistance today.
With just one glance, Magna knew that her hunt would be a cinch. She drew a powerhouse, after all.
"I think your worry is unfounded, let me show you why that is." Magna stepped forth.
The card Magna wedged in between her fingers, was suddenly thrown up at the sky. Now suspended mid air, winds vortexed around the card, auguring the tremendous power that was about to manifest.
Suddenly, the card expanded and grew in size, up to the point it could be a portal. True enough, a calamitous fortress on two legs had exited the card as if it were a gate. Its two Pauldrons slanted upward like rook buildings. The giant was like a fully armored knight who wore their whole garrison as its armor.
[Number 16 of the Major Arcana : The Tower]
The card that foretold disaster, its colossal fists embodied just that, delivering destruction upon the summoner's foes.
The armored titan moved forward, each step would make the earth tremble. And when it began to run, it made it seem like the volcano was on the verge of erupting.
"Whoa. I do have to admit, that is pretty cool."
Yulia opened her mouth in awe at the majesty of the being that Magna just summoned.
"It does more than just being cool. Watch." Magna crossed her arms, beaming with pride as her summon was about to take on the equally humongous wyrm.
Two of the wyrms tried to halt the fortress' advance, spewing a torrent of magma from its mouth.
The armored fortress needed only to raise both of its arms to shield itself.
Once close enough, another lava wyrm sprung from the lava, as if it had laid a trap.
Despite its size, its agility was most impressive, able to duck the wyrm aiming for its head. Its massive fist accompanied by a gust due to its fearsome power and size, crashed onto one of the wyrm spewing a torrent of magma, killing the wyrm in just one blow. Its left hand held it near the head, preventing its fall back into the magma.
"That's one wyrm down. Would you like me to finish the job for you?" With a smug grin, Magna playfully taunted.
"Not bad. Let me show you how a platinum adventurer does it."
After Magna's show of power, Yulia aimed to impress. As Yulia took a step forward, her helmet automatically covered her head.
The volcanic heat haze swirling in the air imparted Yulia with confidence as she raised her sword up high, making her words of covenant flow fluently from her lips, her paladin oath.
[Let the fallen angel's flame burn all impurities.]
[Ashes to ashes, witness Zariel's pyre]
Yulia's armor was set alight, embered by hellfire that is equal in heat to the magma underneath her feet.
Showing off her blazing transformation, Yulia took to the air with her flaming wings. Her voice, muffled a bit by the helmet, the ecstatic Yulia shouted to her partner down below.
"What do you think?"
Magna chuckled, "I think you should look behind you."
After Magna killed one of them, Yulia following it up by her scorching display of power sent the wyrms back into retreat back into the molten lake.
"Fucking wyrms! Get back here!" Yulia cursed before she turned around to her partner below and said, "Be right back, honey." Her wings grew in intensity. Suddenly, Yulia dove into lava. Already covered in hellfire, the dip was as refreshing as any swim into a blue ocean.
Magna watched as the molten lake waved up and down as if angered, a window to the ferocious fight deep within the bowels of the life-extinguishing lake of lava.
Soon, a wyrm corpse with sword wounds all over emerged from its bank, followed by the fallen angel's avatar rising above.
With their hunt concluded, Yulia extinguished her hellfire armor, making her way in front of Magna.
"Ready to head back?" Yulia questioned.
The smile on their faces vanished as Magna's summon vanished, her tarot card returning to original size as it fell onto the ground.
Magna leaned into Yulia as her legs collapsed. Powerful as they are, summoning the fate bending entities wasn't cheap. They required massive amounts of mama, if not all of its user's.
"Magna, are you okay!?" The concern within Yulia's tone was palpable. Had she known that Magna's powers took a tremendous toll, she shouldn't have suggested an adventure date.
Without warning, Magna's lips suddenly went for Yulia's. It was a surprise, but a welcomed one for Yulia.
Magna felt slivers of mana flowing into her that Yulia allowed her to drain.
The mouth of a volcano might be the least romantic place to kiss, but its heat was no match for the joyous warmth in their chest as their lips touched.
Seconds later, Magna separated to answer Yulia's question.
"I am now, honey. Come on, let's head back."
+++
As the Wyvern dropped the two wyvern corpses in front of Augusti's workshop, Jared was already straining his back trying to pull it inside. Needless to say, the dwarf was already in a pissed off mood upon seeing Yulia's charred armor.
"This is like, majorly heavy, my back is totes going to break!"
"I ain't paying ya to complain. Haul it inside!" After rebuking her assistant, Augustia's gaze fell onto Yulia. Her eyes knit upon noticing the succubus right next to her. Another woman, ey? "So, are ya going to introduce me to yer new lass?"
Yulia held Magna's hand.
"Magna, this is my friend Augustia. Best blacksmith and artificer in all of Elaria, hell, maybe even the whole continent."
Augustia had no response to Yulia's flattery. Did Yulia think that simply giving her compliments would erase the dwarf's ire for burning her masterpiece of an armor once more?
Thus, Yulia continued the introduction.
"Augustia, this is Magna…my…"
They had no label. How was Yulia supposed to introduce her as? Her friend with benefits? Special someone? It cheapens what they have.
Magna understood, Yulia didn't want to introduce them as just friends but they agreed to never brand what they have as love in order to avoid the pitfall that her mother had fallen through.
Screw it. If Yulia was willing to take a chance with her then why couldn't Magna?
Magna's hand clasped Yulia's hand tighter, hinting at her resolve.
Magna spoke for them both.
"I'm her lover."
+++
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone