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The lush and friendly greenery of the forest was now nothing more than a fond memory, and Adameran wished that he could feel that comforting, billowy sensation between his paws once again. Instead, he found only harsh, jagged rocks, some of which burned terribly as his flesh came to rest upon them.

Unspoiled overgrowth was no surprise to see around the foot of an active volcano, as the flow of molten rock was both destructive, and yet, life giving; further still, no one was foolish enough to live around the base of such a place, knowing that their homes would be routinely destroyed by constant eruptions.

That made it the perfect place for evil spirits to conduct their business, and in this case, it was the target one one Adameran, a dragon slayer with the kind of foolhardy bravado that one might need to take on such a task.

"I need to find another way forward. If I keep my paws on the ground too much longer, I fear that they might melt..." Adameran muttered to himself, keeping his voice as low as he could while still speaking. He could have kept the voice in his mind to avoid detection, but even the small gesture of speaking to himself was enough to distract from the terrible pain that shot up from the soles of his paws and into his ankles as jagged stones dug into his tender flesh, and the flow of molten rock under the ground gave the surface a sweltering heat. Surely, a lesser man would have given in and turned back ages ago, but Adameran was charged with a quest that might finally bring the destructive flow of the volcano to an end, and none other in the land had been brave enough to accept the task.

It wasn't about the riches, the spoils of battle, or even the honor that one might incur for such a heroic deed. It was about his duty to his clan, the legendary clan of the Draken Temple, more than any other reason. To fulfill their duty to the Draken Temple was the highest honor a dragon slayer of the clan could attain, far greater than any that might be assigned by a kingdom. It was a reward that was worth more than gold, and felt more heavenly than the pleasures of any offered flesh. In this way, nothing would dissuade Adameran from his task, even as the ground around his paws began to burn with the intense heat of the molten rock below.

The closer he drew to the volcano, the more trees became scarce, and the few that remained were not the majestic and noble brown of the forest behind, covered in vibrant and billowy leaves of green, but rather, they were cooked down to their core and scorched over with the black crust of death, with not a single leaf to offer Adameran any shade from the heat that came from every conceivable direction. To carry on was a burden all in itself, but the thought of betraying his order was one that Adameran couldn't stomach, and so, his legs continued to carry him forward, despite knowing that the nerves in his footpaws might never again feel anything but pain.

A glance up toward the sky showed the peak of the volcano, a mountain now known to the local kingdoms as Pozar Crag. In many of the languages spoken in those lands, it literally translated to "Fiery Rock," and was a fitting title for the mountain that once sat in quiet benevolence overlooking a peaceful valley. In days gone by, people gathered at the foot of the mountain for ceremonies of joy and celebration, and farmed in the valleys that were nearby. One eruption was no surprise to anyone, as they knew that it could have been an active volcano, but the continued eruptions that followed reached closer and closer to the kingdoms every time, until no one could deny that sinister forces were at work.

It was then that the Draken Temple charged Adameran with his quest, and what had started as a leisurely stroll through a calm and plentiful forest was now a race against the burning elements around him. The fires of the volcano were burning through all of the oxygen in the air, making it painful for Adameran to so much as draw a breath. His footpaws burned, his chest heaved, and his armor, light though it may be, felt as if it were made of stone as it clung to the sweat that poured from his body. No matter his struggles, however, he refused to turn back, and though steaming heat singed at his eyes, he was sure that he could make out the base of the mountain as the trees around him finally disappeared.

What lay before him was an open field that once grew nature's perfection; now, only burning rocks and scorched earth remained. Anything that lay in the path of the volcano was sure to be destroyed, but it wasn't the work of nature itself, in this instance. The Draken Temple held a sacred charge to eliminate any dragons that had gone rogue, or were attempting any kind of ill will against the good people of the Earth, and to have such control over the element of fire, they were sure that a dragon was manipulating the mountain into doing his bidding.

"No matter what the source...wizard, dragon or elemental, I will feel them crushed beneath me before this day ends..."

It was a bold proclamation from Adameran, who only thought that he saw the horns of a dragon's head as he came up over the horizon of the field. Though he couldn't have been sure at the time, he realized that it was only an illusion as he started to make his way across a place that once held some of the most peaceful and bountiful gatherings in all of the local kingdoms. "I didn't suspect he would show himself so easily...though surely, he is not at the peak of the mountain. To cause these eruptions, he must be somewhere near the base."

Though he couldn't tell how far it was, as his vision was blurred by blasts of steam that shot up through cracks in the ground, Adameran knew that he was closing in on the base of the volcano. He picked up his marching gait and broke out into a quick, rapid dash, allowing the powerful, toned muscles of his legs to propel him forward with such a pace that his footpaws barely touched the scorching ground, allowing him to focus his thoughts on something other than the otherwise inescapable pain.

Such a display was enough to make most who opposed the Draken Temple flee in fear: A marbled cat, coated with thin, functional muscles from head to paw and coated in a suit of light armor, wielding a pair of weapons with such simplicity and ease that they appeared to be extensions of the body, and a small mask to cover their muzzle so that only the intense, rage-filled pupils of their eyes could be seen would be enough to send most mortal men trembling away.

To the average dragon, however, it made Adameran look like nothing more than a quick meal. Whether or not that was their mistake to misjudge him would always be determined by the battle, and to date, Adameran had more scars than he could count, but never had he lost a battle. His brushes with death were of little concern to him, and truth be told, that was what many of the Draken Temple thought was his greatest strength, rather than his weakness.

One couldn't fear death when they were running at it in a full sprint, after all.

"That's an unmistakable smell...sulfur and bile..." Adameran groaned, never having enjoyed the smell of a dragon's breath. Though it might have been an amazing display to watch a dragon blow fire from the wide, deadly confines of it's muzzle, the scent was rarely talked about in the same light, and with good reason. It was a scent that clung to everything it cooked, and even the most diligently trained warriors couldn't find a way to block it out; it was the kind of stench that seemed to invade the brain, rather than simply hanging around in the nostrils.

It was also all the confirmation that Adameran needed to be sure that a dragon was the cause of all of the eruptions, and further still, that they were very close by.

In what felt like a death march across the endless sands of a lost desert, Adameran trudged forth, able to feel the strength being sapped right out of his body with every step. The nerves in his footpaws were completely fried, and unable to process the pain of their burning any longer. His lungs were filled with such toxic air that he felt he might faint, and his arms, once tense and at the ready with his weapons, were just trying to keep a grip around the same. No doubt, it was all according to the plan of the dragon, but if there was one trait that all members of the Draken Temple carried with pride, it was the determination to carry on through any situation, and the survival instincts to turn on the adrenaline whenever it might be needed.

" Who dares to enter the realm of Macijin?! Who is so foolish to disturb my slumber?!"

The horns that Adameran once thought were an illusion suddenly shook, and from the piles of burning rock that were strewn about the plains, a figure started to come into view. Long, jagged horns that easily could have blended in with the stalactites of a cave shook about, knocking smaller rocks from the head of the massive beast. His eyes burned with the bright, red glow of a ruby in the sun, and his scales were a radiant, glowing orange, as though he were born from the embers of a fire. His chest and underbelly were lined with thick, black scales that could easily take the strongest of blows, and even break weaker swords on contact, making him an extremely dangerous and nearly impervious enemy. He was Macijin, one of the many dragons of the flame...and no doubt, by the look of devious intent in his eyes, he'd gone entirely rogue.

"You stand accused, Macijin! You have caused death and destruction in all of the kingdoms that surround Pozar Crag!" Adameran called out to him. He could feel a renewed vigor in his spirits, now that his target was in sight, and he stood upright, presenting himself with all of the strength that he had left to offer, even as so much had been taken from him along the way. "You must stop this at once, or you will pay for your crimes with your life!"

" Are you another paltry mercenary, sent here by some foolish king who thinks he can buy his way out of this conflict? I'll see that you meet the same fate as all of those who came before you!"

"I am no mercenary," Adameran confirmed, doing his best not to let a growl of rage pervert his words. "I am Adameran of the Draken Temple, and I have been charged with the task of ending your life, if you don't submit to the will of my order!"

" And your silly little order thinks that it can tell me what to do? Thou art a fool, Adameran! I have found power beyond power in this mountain...the molten rock of Hera herself gives me new life, and causes me to burn with a purpose greater than you can possibly fathom! This kingdom is wrought with perversion, lewd conduct and mortal men and women committing sins of the flesh. With my fires of judgment, I shall grow strong enough to burn down these mortal kingdoms, and in their place, I shall build righteous lands of order!"

Adameran had been trained for every scenario, when it came to dragons and their trickery. He'd been battle tested, to the point that he didn't think any such beast could ever put up a fight against him, or try to talk their way out of a conflict.

This argument was a new one, however, and though Adameran had heard the same stories being passed around the Draken Temple, he had been given his charge. Though the people might be of ill repute, the dragon had a responsibility to his kind to contain his evil spirit and not allow it to cloud his judgment...and the mass execution of mortal lives was well past the lines of clouded judgment.

"You are not fit to judge these people anymore than they are fit to judge you, Macijin! In your haste to create a better world, many innocent lives have been lost, all at the cost of punishing the guilty! For such blind vigilance, you, too, must suffer!"

" I dare you to try, mortal," Macijin growled back at Adameran. He stood up fully from the rocks that covered his body and towered over the brave dragon slayer, allowing the wide span of his wings to spread and kick up smaller rocks and dust in an effort to blind Adameran, but his mask protected his muzzle, and he could easily shield his eyes. " For none, be it the lowest of mercenaries, or the proudest of knights, has ever so much as left a scratch on me!"

Against the force of the generated winds, Adameran was barely able to keep his ground, but the claws upon his footpaws dug into the ruined earth and kept him upright, even as Macijin tried to spirit him away from the mountain with his wings. When it failed, the massive dragon opened up his muzzle, and smoke began to pour from his nostrils. A lesser warrior would have been scorched on the spot, but Adameran had encountered so many rogue dragons that dodging ahead of a breath of fire was second nature, and he deftly rolled to the side as the ground he once stood on was completely engulfed in deadly flames.

" You CANNOT dodge me forever, mortal fool! I shall burn your remains and pour your ashes upon the steps of the Draken Temple! I will burn you and your entire order into NOTHINGNESS!" Macijin roared out with such a fierce bellow that the nearby kingdoms would likely feel the trembling echo of his dreadful voice. As Adameran skidded to a halt and stayed prone, ready to strike at any moment, he looked closely at the long, wide span of the monster's wings, and saw that his arms were merely part of the webbing that spread across the thinner, weaker flesh. He had small paws, covered in deadly, sharp claws, but they likely wouldn't be able to reach Adameran, so long as he kept a safe distance.

He needed a distraction, and with the entire world around him burned to the ground, there wasn't an easy one to come by.

"I shall give you one last chance, Macijin! Banish yourself from these lands and give up whatever power has caused you this madness, or I'll be forced to take your life!"

FWOOOOOOMF! Another cascade of terrible flames blew just past Adameran, as the marbled cat was able to jump to the side at the last moment. He could feel the ends of his fur being singed, and he gritted his fangs as he tried to contain himself; a dragon simply couldn't be defeated with rage, as so many often tried to do. Strategy was essential, and it was clear that Macijin was trying to keep Adameran at a distance. He was already able to see why.

" Had enough, mortal? Do you still wish to bring your own death, this day?!"

Adameran waited for the dragon to open his maw one last time. Liquid drops of bile were already pouring from Macijin and burning holes in the earth wherever they fell when the skillful dragon slayer finally made his move. The moment he could see even an ember of fire coming at him, he stepped just to the right, and then immediately dashed forward. He could feel the edges of the flames burning right through his fur and leaving deep, burned marks on his flesh, but they were only painful; he received no true wounds as he dashed forward and leapt, wielding a shotel in his right paw, and a sickle in his left. Macijin thought that he had Adameran trapped, as he came to strike with a wing, but Adameran easily parried the blow with his sickle and hooked it through the thin, weak membrane of the wing, allowing him to hold Macijin still while he flipped the shotel over and stabbed it into the side of the dragon's neck, just above the point where his thicker, darker scales had stopped.

The blade cut through easily, and the curve hooked around just so that when Adameran pulled it free, every blood vessel in the right side of Macijin's neck was completely severed, spraying Adameran with a flooding cascade of thick, crimson life.

"I gave you every chance in the world, Macijin. That's our decree...this was truly the last thing I wanted to do to you."

Though he tried with all of his might, Macijin couldn't form any sort of a proper reply. There was a sickening " Hllllk...gluk..." from his muzzle as he threw his head back in shock, and with each, Adameran pulled his sickle free from the thin, velvety flesh of Macijin's wing. The dragon slayer took a step back and away from the beast as it trembled and let out a final, shrill cry, though the sound could barely be heard as the dragon gurgled and drowned in a river of its own blood. The mighty legs of the beast, standing thick and unmovable, finally collapsed as the beast conceded to his injuries, and all of the special, thicker scales across his chest proved to be for naught against the deft, skillful paws of a proper dragon slayer.

Adameran wasn't in nearly as bad of shape when the dust finally settled and Macijin was no more, but he couldn't say that he was walking away in perfect condition. As his adrenaline faded and his heart came down from the thunderous, hammering pace that it held, he could feel the deep burns upon his flesh, and see some of them in spots where his fur was completely taken away. His lungs cried desperately for fresh air, but there was still none to be had, even as the source of the trouble lay dead before him. What little energy he had left, he would need in order to escape the base of Pozar Crag, though he had a feeling that name would be quick to change.

Whatever evil had filled the mind of Macijin, it was released, and Adameran knew that his mission was complete. His last task, although brutal, was a rather simple one: he lofted his shotel overhead and cleaved it downward at the head of the fallen beast, cutting through the flesh and right through the bony chitin of his right horn. The ceremonial way to prove that the deed was done, Adameran held the horn firmly in his grasp and looked it over, still impressed at what a large and powerful beast it had come from.

As exhaustion truly took hold, and the weight of the horn became an unbearable strain, it was still and only duty that helped Adameran to walk away from the battle alive, and still and only duty that gave him the strength to carry back on to the Draken Temple, knowing that another mission awaited him.