Author's note: And the prize goes to lacitar13!!!! hands her a Zhu Rong plushie you win the prize! It took Yuki-chan forever to figure that one out! 'course she had to go through the whole Wu empire first. But that makes sense, they are all pyros! !O_o! Ah, heck! All my lovely reviewers get Plushies! *starts flinging Zhu Rong, Yue Ying, and Zhou Tai plushies* Whhe!!! Fly free my pretties... hahahhahaha! A-hem... here we go!

Once again Yuki-chan gets special mention for helping me get info on the God of Fire.....

Chapter Four: Messages in Fire

"Oh great ancestor," Zhu Rong said in meditation as she sat on the floor in the temple to the God of Fire, "Listen to my prayers and hear me."

"This better work," Meng Huo grumbled softly as he watched his wife. A feeling of foreboding doom had hung in their land for nearly a week now. Horrible storms would rise up in moments and then leave just as quickly but not until sufficient damage had been done to the surrounding terrain. The animals were all agitated and now no one but the mighty Meng Huo or his wife would dare to ride an elephant. That is when the seer had his vision.

The old crumpled man sat beside Meng Huo and nodded as he watched Zhu Rong call to the Gods. He had had a vision bathed in flame and fire and took it as a sign that the Fire God was calling to the people. Every priest, sage, or seer had tried to hear what the deity was trying to say but all failed. That is when the seer suggested maybe a person with an even closer connection try to commune with the God of Fire.

"Listen to my prayers and hear me," Zhu Rong repeated again. She rocked back and forth in the circle of incense, "What is your command, oh Great Father of Flame?"

"How long is this suppose to take? She's been at it since midnight and it's already dawn!" Meng Huo questioned the seer.

"Shush, she needs her concentration!" the seer said quickly. Meng Huo did not take well to his tone.

"Now listen here, you pip-squeak psychic..."

"My lord, my lord! Forgive me, but maybe we should leave her in peace," Without waiting for a word he shoved the King out of the temple and left the woman alone.

~twilight~

Zhu Rong was tired. She'd been at her meditation for nearly a day. Clearly the God of Fire was not going to relinquish his secrets so easily. She was about to stand when a tremendous voice boomed in the temple.

You would give up so easily, my Zhu Rong?

Zhu Rong fell back at the power of the voice. It filled her head and left her with images of flame and power. She suddenly realized she had spoken the words, though not at her own accord.

Well?

"For.... forgive me, my Lord. But it did not seem that you were going to share your message with me," the Nanman Queen managed to breath out. She concentrated on her breathing and began to focus her mind through the fire that raged in her mind.

Ah, good. Even now you are rising to the challenge I raise before you.

"Ch-challenge, oh great one?"

Yes, my Zhu Rong, a challenge. And you may call me by my name. After all, we are family.

Zhu Rong could almost hear the deity smile in amusement at this statement.

"All right.... Chu Jung," the now unsure woman said. Something seemed wrong in all of this.

Good. Now listen carefully, for the fate of the world hangs in the balance. A great power has been unleashed on the world once again. Thousands of years ago it stormed across the lands and left devastation in its wake. Men of good tried to force the power to obey, but they failed. Only when those that carried the power turned on one another did the evil come to an end. Luckily men of wisdom prevailed in the battle to take control of the power. They locked each part of it away and hoped none would tamper with them.

"But someone has?" Zhu Rong asked. She felt unnerved, both by the message and the mystery that still shrouded it.

One who should be wiser than his action has awakened the Jade Orbs of the Gods. It is your duty to stop those that would take these powers and use them.

"What must I do, Lord Chu Jung?" Zhu Rong stood up and looked around the chamber searching for a weapon, "I shall ride out and do battl..."

No my Zhu Rong! You cannot simple go out to battle as you are. You must take my Jade Orb and stop the others.

"But you said that..." the Lady of Fire frowned in confusion.

Hence the Challenge. You must prove you can weld the Jade without succumbing to its desires and I shall give it to you.

"What must I do?"

~outside~

Meng Huo nearly barreled into the temple when it lit up in flames. Several people standing nearby latched onto him and slowed his climb up the stairs.

"But... Zhu...Rong... you fools!" He flexed and threw all of them off.

"No Sir! Don't you see! She has contacted the great God of Fire!" one of his attendants pleaded.

"Argh!" Meng Huo relaxed for a second but then he hardened his face and charged in before anyone could so much as blink.

"Oh.... now he moves quickly," someone mumbled.

The king of the Nanman Tribe burst into the main chambers of the temple. He held up his arms aggressively and looked around.

The whole place was covered in red flame. The heat was nearly unbearable but he trudged along. Luckily the flames seemed only to give off heat and did not burn him. In the center of the chamber Zhu Rong stood with her eyes closed and her face contorted in pain.

"Zhu Rong!" Meng Huo raced over to her but was blasted back by a wave of unbearable heat.

I wouldn't try that again.

The voice came from Zhu Rong but the voice was not that of his beloved. It resounded in the room like an anvil striking. She opened her eyes and they were glowing red.

"What... what have you done to Zhu Rong?!" shouted the man to the god.

She is battling my forces. Do you wish to see?

"Yes! YES!"

The room exploded. Magma, steam, fire, coal, and all forms of heat and fire surrounded Zhu Rong and she stood panting in the middle of the flaming maelstrom. She raised her arms to hold back the blazing wall. Sweat rolled off of her in streams and her already tanned skin was burning hot red.

Meng Huo called out to her but his voice was lost in the roar. She looked up at him and a great sadness seemed to feel her eyes. He suddenly choked up as he realized she was not going to get out of this mental battle alive. The test that the God of Fire set up for his descendant was too much and had taken its toll. All of this was transferred from wife to husband in a single glance.

"ZHU RONG!!!!" Meng Huo screamed out with all of his might as his love put down her arms and prepared for the onslaught. The walls of flame and destruction crashed down on her and she was lost in the confusion.

The seer found Meng Huo collapsed on the ground in the middle of the temple. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. The seer shook the large man.

"Sir! My Lord!"

"Aaahh... I'm... I'm all right," Meng Huo gasped out. He suddenly bolted straight up, "Zhu Rong!"

"Is right here, my love," a familiar voice informed him from behind.

The King of the Nanman stood up faster than even he thought was possible. Standing before him was the lovely Zhu Rong, bathed in a soft red glow.

"You're alive!"

"Yes," Zhu Rong smiled slightly, "I passed the test."

"How?" Meng Huo asked in confusion.

"I survived."

You didn't honestly think I'd kill another person's life partner, did you?

Has anyone noticed yet that the way I write is so that I don't have to describe all the really hard stuff? I'll go back and explain Zhou Tai's escapade later, though. Oh yeah! I need to change the title of the fic 'cause frankly it's sucky. So any suggestions? I think there's something else I'm forgetting, oh well, I'll mention it next time, I guess. Next up is the Poison Orb.