Stoke
Large yet agile legs threw Jake 2 forward a dozen feet with every leap, near silently bounding across the volcanic landscape with two passengers aboard his back. Flame Princess and Finn were clad in dark cloth to both hide their easily identifiable faces and to better blend in to the blackened earth. The loyal wolf increased his pace as his sharp eyes spotted an upcoming settlement, following new directions FP whispered into his ear.
Several quickly timed jumps landed the group at the top of a fairly dilapidated market stall, an unattractive and abandoned location; perfect for the fire army's standby point. The hardened clay structure supported a storage room on the second floor, into which FP and her knight descended from an opening in the roof. JT curled up to take a rest once they disappeared.
Inside, the king was instantly greeted by a plethora of salutes, to which she nodded and approached the one in charge. A veteran commander by the name of Weis stood beside a map stuck to the wall, with numerous marked routes and x's decorating the fire-retardant parchment. He bowed to his ruler upon sight, then stepped aside to allow her a good look at his plans.
"Good to see you made it safe, your highness."
Flame Princess thanked him, but kept her eyes on the chart. As Finn walked over, Weis gave his king a moment, striking up a conversation with the knight.
"I thought you'd be here sooner with that fire wolf I've heard so much about."
Finn folded his arms and leaned against the wall as he too scanned the map from a distance.
"We couldn't risk flying; there'd be a high chance of being spotted."
Understanding, the commander nodded. FP had finished studying the man's suggestions, motioning for him and Finn to join her. Weis, in turn, had several of his scouts gather as well.
"Why does the map only show the perimeter of the mines themselves?" the fiery ruler questioned.
Weis stepped up and placed his hand over the lower portion of the chart.
"About an hour ago, the two targets entered through the southern entrance. We've been coordinating teams to block all known openings."
He smacked his fist against the center.
"Once we have them cornered, they won't stand a chance."
"Intel suggests combating Olympians in close quarters significantly limits their threat level," a scout added.
Flame Princess considered their information, stealing a look at Finn, whose stoic expression left no opinion. Choosing to trust her experienced soldiers, the king nodded.
"Alright. But remember the same applies to us."
Weis actually grinned, holding his hands behind his back with a look of pride.
"I thought you might say that."
He cocked his head in his men's direction.
"Everyone you see here has been assigned to this settlement since before even your reign, your highness. They've adapted and practically memorized the interior to the last stalagmite."
The fire elementals behind him all gave a confident smirk, hoping they impressed their king. Flame Princess was indeed assured, if not completely, by the news.
"Very good, commander. Let us depart immediately, no sense in missing our opportunity."
Weis acknowledged, ordering his squad to move out. As the sound of heavy boots rang out to the stairway, FP turned to Finn, who appeared to be staring aimlessly at the floor. The flame human felt a hand drop on his shoulder, bringing his attention to the girl's concerned expression.
"That toxin isn't completely out of you. I'll ask one more time: are you sure you're ready to fight him again?"
Finn still felt the strain of his last disaster, even if he'd accepted it. Regardless, he knew now was the time to redeem that blunder, and ensure no one else was driven to such a crazed state ever again. He took hold of the hand resting on his shoulder and held it firmly, surprising Flame Princess further by actually making a smile.
"I'm sure."
After remaining stunned for a few seconds, she returned a much more cheerful grin. Once Finn let go of her hand, she leaned forward and gave him a split-second peck on the cheek, then swung around to head after Weis' squad. Paid back for stunning his king, Finn eventually shook it off and ran after her, eager to begin, and a little boosted by the affectionate act.
Weis was walking down the line of soldiers, passing out thin necklaces with a rather odd red gem at their ends. As each fire elemental lifted it over their heads, Finn found himself being offered one as well. Upon slipping it on, he could swear he felt an odd force being radiated from the crystal.
"What are these for?" he asked FP, who had just placed her own around her neck.
"A gift from Bubblegum. They record everything within a several yard radius. Think of it as a combination of those pink crystal communicators she uses and the spell used on you during the Aphrodite event."
Finn nodded, holding up the ruby-like object to study. He caught a sigh from his companion, looking back over to see her staring up at the mine, which was a short climb from their position.
"I'm glad to see you two helping each other."
She said nothing to his comment at first, instead fiddling with her gem. Eventually, she shrugged her shoulders, turning back to him with a difficult look.
"We still have a ways to go," she affirmed.
Before the two could go on, the commander walked over, earning their attention.
"We're ready to begin, my king, on your word."
FP nodded, signaling commencement by beginning the short walk up the mine's negligible hillside. Weis kept up on her left, while Finn stayed close to her right. The others all joined in a line behind their superiors.
"Teams are already at point to blow the remaining opening on our signal. The three we'll be entering are the main routes. Once inside, those will be caved in as well."
FP looked at her commander.
"And how will we escape when it's over?"
Weis pointed to a distant side of the mine, where one could just see a thin plume of steam rising from an unknown surface.
"The last portion of the squad is tunneling out our exit. They're at it by hand using melting techniques, so there won't be any excavation noise. Those fools won't have a clue."
With everything set, the team collectively reached their first entry point, already secured by a pair of soldiers. The duo saluted Weis and Flame Princess then moved into position. Having already discussed it on the way, a reluctant Phoebe allowed Finn to insert first. The flame human made his way to the mine opening, taking deep breaths while peering into the darkness beyond. Three soldiers followed him, somehow appearing less nervous than he did.
Once past the blast radius, the three gave one final look to the rest of the group, who wished them luck. FP in particular placed her hands over her chest, nodding slowly to her knight. Finn replied by raising an arm, showing his lava vine tightening around his wrist, then nodding back. Giving the signal to Weis, Flame Princess watched the commander direct the demo pair to correct impact targets.
As the two elementals fired concentrated flames at the weak points, the mine groaned as if it were a starving gut, only to quickly give way and collapse several tons of rock over the tunnel entrance, sealing the four inside with nothing but the light emanating from their bodies. Finn continued staring at the wall of rubble, until one of his assigned men gave him a pat on the pack, chuckling.
"Must feel great knowing you can come back to that lovely lady, huh?"
The others nearly slugged him for the insubordinate comment. After all, Finn's knighthood granted him increased rank. However, the flame human just lowered his arm and turned to immediately begin walking into the mine's inner depths. The three soldiers hurried after him, silenced by his firm demeanor.
"No," he replied.
"It's terrifying that I might not."
Phoebe kept her mind on Finn the whole way to her entry point, having left Weis behind at the second. The remaining troops were with her, at the insistence of the commander. Her mood left them quiet, frankly nervous about trying to speak. It was only when she spotted an unexpected figure by the cave that her expression shifted to one of surprise. Besides the two guards waiting to blow the entrance, an aged, yet wise and steadfast, militant stood before the blackness of the mine, smiling humbly as his king approached.
"Your highness," the general bowed.
FP dashed up to the man, shaking her head.
"General Tellus, what are you doing here?"
The devoted leader stood tall as he looked back at the entry.
"You rose to fight alongside our men, my king, I wish to do the same, rather than sit in a diagnostics room all day and night."
Phoebe frowned.
"There has to be more to it than that," she pushed.
Tellus closed his eyes, holding in a breath.
"Those men caught by Aphrodite's web of deceit remain blinded as we speak…"
He opened his amber gaze and set it to his ruler.
"Until their sight returns, I will carry their torches and defend our kingdom."
Flame Princess could tell there was no swaying the veteran's mind. His determination managed to pull a smile from her astonishment, admiring the spirit.
"Then let us go forth," she finished.
The general agreed, following beside the fiery monarch as she and the remaining troops entered the mine. Just as Weis and Finn before him, when the team reached beyond the blast point, the pair behind them destroyed the cave mouth's weak spots, trapping everyone inside, including the illusive Olympians. No entrances remained. One way or another, confrontation was the only way out.
Finn's group had been trekking the tunnels for near twenty minutes before finally stumbling upon a clue. One of the soldiers drew the knight's attention to several markings on the wall. Brushing his fingers through the extensive, yet shallow, gashes, Finn's expression instantly hardened. Facing his temporary command, he suddenly formed his lava vine sword.
"From here on out, have weapons ready."
The trio complied, generating flame swords at high temperatures. One last thing.
"In the event that we encounter Ares first, do not, under and circumstance, let him touch you. If one of you does get cut, restrain them immediately; yourselves if necessary."
The men appeared hesitant, but trusted the reports they'd read on the Olympian's power.
"That includes me."
With heavy reluctance, and newfound nerves, the soldiers saluted, continuing to follow Finn as he took careful steps through the mine.
For another ten minutes or so, they appeared to lose themselves in the dried out network of paths. Occasionally, the group wandered next to a viable vein of resources, causing them to doubt the Olympians were here for any sort of minerals. In addition to keeping his senses sharp for any enemies, Finn's mind was occupied with more of his long-term problem, along with short-term ones. FP could handle herself, easily, but the fire kingdom military wasn't as versatile in their training like he was, or as physically powerful as she was.
Worst case scenario to the hero was that both Olympians had run into Weis' team. Even as they'd journeyed through extensive portions of the mine, Finn wasn't certain if he'd hear the commotion of battle ringing through the tunnels. They crossed with dozens of smaller deposits of copper, silicon, or even iron, but no tampering was evidenced in the walls' surface, nulling the theory further with each find.
At another five minutes in, Finn's necklace began to pulse with an eerie red glow, causing him to hold the item up to examine. A sound was heard, as if the gem were a speaker.
"Hello? Finn? Are you there?"
Recognizing the commander's voice, the flame human held the gem closer.
"Weis? Is that you? What's going on?"
A moment of pause ensued before the militant replied.
"Yeah, it's me. I figured out how these things work finally. I just contacted the king's group. They said they haven't come across anything. How about your end?"
The hero sighed with relief, knowing that everyone was still safe. He also internally slapped himself, not thinking that PB placed communication capability into the crystals. On that matter, she should've explained how they worked. Reminding himself to patronize the candy ruler at a later point, he responded to Weis' inquiry.
"Nothing here either. How much more to the mine is there?"
He waited.
"We brought a map to mark off the paths as we go. As far as my scouts understand, there should only be a central hub from where the mine expanded, along with a few scattered chambers. We'll meet up there to close in."
"Got it. Good luck. And… thank you for checking on them first."
"No problem, Fen. We've got their backs."
The connection appeared to sever, leaving Finn's group alone once again. The young man was about to call for them to move out, but thorough investigation during their stop caused one of the men to find an anomaly.
"Sir, you'd better take a look at this."
Finn made his way to the right wall, where the soldier raised his sword to the rock for light. Sure enough, there appeared to be yet another deposit, even scarcer than the others. However, the greatest detail was in the fact that it seemed to have been tampered with.
"I think this is silver, sir."
Another soldier shrugged, unconvinced of anything unusual.
"Looks pretty generic to me. Maybe a strike from a pickaxe before they decided it wasn't worth it?"
Finn considered both sides, then raised a hand to the single gash in the vein. The hero's eyes narrowed. Having confirmed his suspicions, he stood back up, motioning further into the cave.
"That mark is still warm. Keep your guard up."
As they fell in line, the joker from earlier spoke up.
"I can't believe you could feel that little amount of heat just by touch, sir."
Finn grunted, holding his sword up defensively.
One of the perks of being an unnatural elemental.
It wasn't long before the quartet spotted light up ahead. Initially fearing the Olympians were close, Finn wisely chose to contact Weis. The commander had halted his advance as well, encountering a light source as well. The two groups converged, meeting one another in a rather large tunnel, which contained its own set of tracks, albeit unusable after so much time. Following the paths as a whole, they stopped upon discovering a third light. Sure enough, Flame Princess's team came out of a branching tunnel, weapons at the ready.
Once everyone had calmed down, Weis, and his men, took the time to give the general a proper salute, welcoming his aide. Their sight-robbed brethren could use the support. As all began the walk to the central hub, Finn set the conversation back to the imminent threat.
"Did you by chance see any mineral deposits with claw marks?"
Weis nodded.
"Yeah, one or two at most. But they were practically insignificant."
The flame human remembered what his subordinate had said.
"The ones that were marked, were they silver?"
The commander shrugged.
"Can't say, our geology major went with you," he replied with a smirk.
The joker, still pacing behind Finn, gave a sheepish look as a large number of eyes stared at him.
"What? The G.I. bill pays good money for my studies."
While several soldiers stifled laughs, Finn kept his eyes forward, as the combined group neared their destination. Flame Princess had gradually scooted next to him, secretly thankful that they were all back together again. She said nothing, choosing to simply enjoy having her knight beside her as he should be.
Naturally, the second everyone spotted yet another faint light ahead, all swords were drawn, knowing there was only one other group still unaccounted for. Closer still, Finn suddenly felt a rise in heat from his chest, which quickly spread to the rest of his body. FP noticed his pacing stumble, moving even closer to him.
"What's wrong?"
The flame human narrowed his eyes at the light.
"It's him. I can feel that aura again."
None of the fire elementals could say the same, feeling no different as they kept at it. However, a few steps later, each one nearly flinched upon being struck by a dark and vicious energy.
"Whoa! I can feel it, too!" the joker shivered.
Tightening formation, they pressed on.
"I guess I can feel it first due to the traces of his toxin," Finn concluded.
His choice of words provided no comfort for Phoebe, who glanced with concern at his sword-bearing hand, which was tightening to the point that it was crushing the lava vine. Her thoughts were thrown elsewhere when a scratching noise began echoing past the group, finally revealing the surefire presence of another being somewhere in the chamber.
"Everyone, dim the lights and get down," Weis ordered.
Following command, all personnel crouched, lowering their flames to a level where they no longer reflected off the walls. The leaders pushed on ahead of the rest, entering the hub at last and scanning the area from their low vantage point. As the scratches continued, Finn, FP, Weis, and Tellus all placed their backs to nearby mining carts, rusted and fallen over from ages of neglect.
As the soldiers awaited orders from behind a large mound of soot, Weis was the first to peer over the carts, signaling the rest to follow when he found no immediate danger. What the four saw finally ended their hunt. At the far end of the chamber, barely visible against the mine interior due to how dimmed they kept their flames, were two humanoid figures.
The first was standing at ground level, arms crossed and carefully eyeing their counterpart up above, who was held to the wall with one hand, using the other, which held razor-sharp claws, to dig into the earthy mass. The cloak covering its body gave no assistance in hiding its identity.
Finn's body shook slightly when he caught sight of one of Ares' glowing eyes and that twisted smile. Phoebe at once had her hand over his, hoping to comfort the knight and keep him calm. Weis seemed to tense up even more, sitting back down from his watch.
"Jeez, it's just like the first time."
The other three looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?" the general inquired.
"That's how we spotted those two in the first place. I felt this overwhelmingly dark aura while out on patrol and followed it like a radiation detector, eventually sighting them on the outskirts."
Now aware of how the Olympians had been discovered, the group began constructing an approach for dealing with them.
"The general and I can take the left flank. Your highness, the ceiling in here is high enough to allow limited mobility, I'm sure the cover fire will help."
Flame Princess nodded, igniting her fists.
"Fen, you've got the right. Focus on Ares, since you know how to deal with him. Between us soldiers, we should be able to hold off that woman who's with him."
All in agreement at the plan, Weis called the squad forward to direct them as well. In position, he motioned for everyone to move in. While the commander and general used various lines of rubble for cover, Finn stuck fast to the mining carts, dashing from one to another, feeling the aura grow stronger with each move. FP stayed behind the main line, waiting for the right moment to fire the first strike.
As Finn took yet another leap forward, back against a rusted cart, he felt his heart scrunch up and his blood surge. He stifled his gasp, but it was pointless.
The scratches had stopped.
Ares lowered his claws and glanced in the teams' direction, stretching his grin to display his teeth. Down below, Athena grew impatient.
"Why are you stopping? We're on a time limit, you fool."
The cloaked Olympian rubbed his fingers against one another, creating his infamous sharpening noise.
"So resurrects the dancing blossom of embers, gathering a swath of petals from beyond self-reach…"
Athena furrowed her brow, but nonetheless swung around to look in the same direction, her flames expanding.
"Damn it! Go! Go! Go!" Finn shouted at the top of his lungs.
All teams charged, soldiers flame dashing in crisscrossing formations to disorient their foe, while Phoebe rose from her hiding place, launching a massive ball of flames directly at Athena. In the commotion, Finn readied his sword, initiating the Shadowless Thrust. In a blur of orange, he made it past the distracted Athena, bounding up the wall to slash Ares before he could react.
The flame human tried his best to ignore the burning sensation in his veins, but was unable to escape the sense of bloodlust rising in his mind. Unfortunately, his attack was met with formidable defense.
Ares had opened his claws to block the oncoming strike, halting Finn's blade in the palm of his hand. Despite that, the force did manage to wrench him off the wall, as well as place a few cracks in his glowing talons. Naturally, he only smiled and widened his eyes. Next, Finn was effortlessly forced down, crashing into the rocky floor with a grunt.
Athena had dodged FP's shot, then was quickly on the defensive as the numerous soldiers were upon her. Generating a flame sword on each hand, she deflected swing after swing with utmost skill, almost as if there were a pattern to it. Weis and Tellus had broken from normal approach vectors, frenetically flame dashing in random directions to confuse the Olympian. In the meantime, Flame Princess fired more shots whenever there was an opening, staggering when she saw Finn hit the ground. Shaking her head, the fiery ruler focused, urging herself to believe her knight would be fine.
Finn got to his feet, only to suddenly be tackled by an oncoming force. When he next opened his eyes, he found himself on his back, with Ares' glowing claws inches from his chest, kept back by his own hands. Over time, the hero found his strength paling in comparison, as the Olympian gradually closed in on his skin. The smile, ever widening, instilled a sense of terror in him; wondering what would result if he were to go berserk while those he cared for were trapped within the mine with him.
"Flashes dictate the surge of white and red, infuse into bone its preaching's of the fallen ashes…"
Having enough of Ares' warped speech, Finn gave his last effort, bashing his skull against what he hoped would be his enemy's. Fortunately, a slight grunt informed him of an opening, forcing energy through his arms to shove the vile being off of him. He was to his feet in an instant, sword raised to return to the offensive. Ares had the same idea, charging with claws at the ready.
The two clashed, with spark showers flying in all directions, brightening the chamber each time. The Olympian grabbed the hero's blade with both hands, grinning in satisfaction. However, the vine quickly coiled around, cuffing him. Without defense, Ares took a punch to the face, followed up by another. Finn continued beating the man until his claws shredded the lava vine, allowing him to withdraw.
While the vine regenerated, the cloaked villain just chuckled.
"He who bleeds longest, yet challenges the wisdom of conflict…"
Athena gradually stopped having to block any form of attack whatsoever. The woman sidestepped, dodged, or outright flame dashed away each time, beginning to wear the soldiers down. Seeing the opportunity, she began her counterattack. Producing a rather short flame sword, she swung at the next soldier attempting to slice her, cutting deep into his back. The man cried in pain, falling to the ground without struggle.
The female Olympian continued, methodically thinning their numbers. FP found zero use in continuing from her position, opting to produce her sword and aerial-charge at Athena. The woman was shocked by the sudden rush, barely catching it out of the corner of her eye, yet was able to avoid the vast majority of contact, only losing part of her bangs in the process.
Flame Princess joined her commanding officers in assaulting her again, aware that the rest were now all groaning in pain on the floor. She prayed none were too late to help. As Athena deflected all their attacks once more, the trio backed off, steadying themselves at a safe distance. The woman waited, choosing to let them come back to her. Weis smirked through his heavy breathing.
"You've awfully defensive for an Olympian."
Athena ignored the comment, producing a second short sword and entering a stance for oncoming strikes. The angle of her face in relation to the sparks produced by Finn and Ares' clashes finally showed clear features: a calm and collected expression, ruined only by the asymmetrical bangs framing her face. FP was about to attempt another attack, but was distracted as her general gasped, lowering his sword.
"I-it can't be." He stuttered.
The aged militant stepped forward, causing Athena to anticipate a charge. However, her expression finally shifted, to one of astonishment. Weis and Phoebe panicked, seeing that their ally was wide open.
"Tellus! Get the hell out of there!" the commander shouted.
Athena actually stepped back after Weis' outburst, her flame swords disappearing. The general took another step forward his face morphed into concern.
"Niolie?" he almost forced out of his mouth.
The Olympian suddenly bared her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut.
"My name is Athena!" she shrieked, holding up both hands and blasting the area with a wave of fire. The three confronting her shielded themselves, backing away.
Athena retreated to the back of the chamber, quickly swiping up a pouch and peering inside.
"It'll have to be enough," she mumbled to herself.
The woman turned to find Ares, still trading blades with Finn. The flame human was extra cautious not to be swiped, costing him many chances to counter the cloaked monster.
"Ares! We're leaving!" his counterpart called.
The female Olympian cursed as she witnessed the man ignore her order, now pressing Finn up against the wall as his lava vine shifted into a staff to hold off both glowing claws. As smoke began lifting from the weakening weapon, the hero desperately tried to find the strength to push him off. He was out of head-butting range, and his feet were nearly crushed into the floor by Ares' sheer force.
"Accept wholeness to receive its warmth…" the crazed being urged.
"Fen!" Phoebe cried, as she and the others all rushed to assist.
They were halted by another flamethrower from Athena, who was still cursing at Ares, repeatedly commanding him to abandon the fight and retreat.
"Ares! Stop. Right. Now!"
The cloaked man still held on, now raising a claw to slash at Finn's face. Using the moment, the young man pushed him back, though the claw still swiped at him, only managing to hit the chain of his locket, breaking it loose from his neck. The treasure pinged against the earth, landing nearby. The flame human reoriented and looked to Ares, surprised to see him holding his claw, as if it had been injured. His eyes darted to his locket, then to Ares again, then thoughts ran back to what they'd discovered in the tunnels.
"Silver…" he said to no one in particular.
While the Olympian was distracted, he dove for his charm, catching his opponent's attention, who lunged at him. Finn made it to his locket first, rapidly coiling the broken chain around his knuckles. With a swift uppercut, he slammed Ares backwards, earning a scream of pain from the being. When both foes got to their feet, the cloaked man was holding a claw to his face, which appeared to be steaming. Finn narrowed his eyes, keeping his chain-coated fist ready as he raised his sword.
Multiple Shadowless Thrusts assaulted Ares, as he struggled to keep up with Finn's merciless speed. The hero was being reckless with his approach, but his hunch was too important to pass up. With each successful hit, he tore off a portion of the Olympian's garb, finding that whatever lay underneath was not so easily cut. Finally, he delivered one last slug to the humanoid's abdomen, sending a clear crack to echo through the chamber.
Athena was instantly aware of the sound, gasping as she studied Ares' condition.
The numerous slashes to his cloak had taken its toll, finally causing the covering to fall to the ground in shreds. What lay underneath caused Phoebe and her fellow elementals to go wide-eyed in shock, while Finn just glared.
Ares' head was made entirely of flame, not unlike several fire elementals. The glowing smile and eyes were disgustingly wicked beside the wisps of flame jetting from the top of his head. Beneath his neckline was nothing but a slim rocky suit, encasing all but his glowing claws, which Finn assumed were his actually body. The glint coming off of the casing, as revealed by Ares' flames, matched those Finn had seen earlier I the caves, confirming its material. A large network of cracks was visible on his left abdominal, clearly worsened, but not caused, by Finn's last attack. Beneath, an orange glow was seeping out, as if trying to escape confinement.
Finn unwound his locket from his hand, now holding it up as if threatening the Olympian.
"You're not really a fire elemental, are you? Not entirely at least."
Ares briefly moved his eyes around his body, then gazed back at the young man with no visible change to his grin.
"You're an efreet."
Before Ares could say a word, he found a shard of silver being held to his throat. Athena now stood behind him, glaring furiously upon the being.
"That's enough. Stop now or I will end you."
An odd silence filled the chamber, as everyone was frozen, waiting for Ares' response. The wicked smiled faded only slightly, but remained disturbing.
"Clock-spinning reserves the embrace of the scale for all to inherit…"
He lowered his guard, telling Athena what she needed to know. She replaced the silver into the pouch, now tied around her waist, then grabbed Ares by the arm. Just as she was about to make their escape, they found themselves surrounded, with all four combatants pointing swords at them.
"It's pointless, all exits have been sealed," Weis affirmed.
Athena momentarily stared at the confident commander, eventually responding by pulling a sun-shaped gem from her pocket.
"Yet a new one has been carved," the woman replied.
Weis' heart stopped briefly, eyeing the stone in her hand.
"A heat crystal," he breathed.
"Meaning she could detect the digging team the whole time!" FP concluded.
The team was just too late to stop the Olympians from disappearing, flame dashing around their swinging blades and out one of the networking tunnels, headed directly for the newly created hole that was meant for the soldiers.
"After them!" Weis shouted, trying his best to flame dash down the same tunnel. However, fatigue had speared all of them, making chase near impossible.
Finn found this out the hard way, as his face hit the mine floor.
When the flame human initially regained consciousness, he was worried he'd ended up in the hospital again, lying down with a soft object supporting his head. The theory was challenged when he realized the 'bed' was about as comfortable as Marceline's couch and the supposed 'pillow' was unusually warm. Daring to open his eyes, he was met with the thin veils of volcanic clouds that blanketed the Fire Kingdom.
Groaning, he tried moving his limbs, finding that, although sore, nothing was broken. He did have a bandage across his nose, likely from face-planting the ground, but further damage was superficial. At last, he sat up, realizing now that he was on a roof; the same roof that he'd landed on many hours ago. Looking behind him, Finn saw that he'd been laid next to Jake 2, who was still asleep, explaining his 'pillow'.
Seeing that there was no point staying there, the hero got to his feet, taking it easy just in case. Lumbering over to the opening down to the second floor, he carefully positioned his legs to climb down.
Once inside, he scanned the area, seeing that there were only a few military personnel within, likely discussing the recent mission. Speaking of which, he had no idea how they'd made it out. Luckily, Flame Princess was one of the room's occupants, leaning against a wall holding her arms, a solemn expression set on her features. As Finn walked over, she quickly took notice, rushing over to help if need be.
"Take it easy, Fen. You might get lightheaded."
She motioned him to the bench where she'd been sitting, giving him a moment to rest.
"How did we get back here?"
FP sighed, looking at the floor.
"The general and I watched over you and the others while Weis went to get help. Those two Olympians… the digging team… they…"
She couldn't continue, risking a breakdown. Finn understood, lifting a sore arm and wrapping it around her. She thanked her knight, then continued.
"By the time he got back with the medic team, we knew who would make it and who wouldn't. Most of the squad got out with healable injuries. Others…"
She threw herself into Finn, beginning a very strained flow of tears. He held her patiently as the ruler emptied out her anguish. She felt responsible, and there was little he could do to change her mind.
"We all agreed to the operation, FP."
Phoebe shook her head against his chest.
"By my word was final. There should've been more people involved. Our men were strained, left vulnerable."
Finn tightened his grip.
"We didn't have the time. We took a shot to get ahead and didn't quite make it. There's nothing else we can say."
Flame Princess continued to shake for a while, but didn't reply. The two remained together until she eventually drained her sorrow, holding her head back up and wiping away any stray tears.
"We couldn't even eliminate one of them, let alone two. We accomplished nothing."
Finn shook his head, determined to lift her spirit in some way.
"No. We know what Ares is now, and we know how to hurt him."
FP seemed to remember something, digging into her pocket. Upon removing her hand, she presented Finn with his silver locket, to which he slowly accepted, mesmerized by it as always.
"I didn't look in it," she worriedly choked.
Finn smiled back, reassuring her.
I'd know immediately if you did, he thought.
She motioned to the chain, which seemed to have been fused back together.
"I tried my best to fix it. I'm sure someone back at the city can give it a professional look."
In this case, it was the thought that counted, as Finn was grateful for her consideration.
"Thank you so much."
After placing the item back around his neck, he went on with his analysis.
"Plus, we also now know what to look out for from that woman."
FP leaned back.
"Do we really? She didn't seem to have a definite power."
At this, the pair was stumped, unable to truly analyze what Athena could perform. Aside from great skill and tactics, she seemed like a normal fire elemental.
"I can tell you everything."
Shocked out of their contemplation, they looked up to see General Tellus, face drawn down in a mortified stare; his shoulders were hunched, his back crooked. In all honestly, he looked terrible.
"General, you called her 'Niolie'. Have you met her before?"
The aged militant took a seat on the bench opposite them, letting out a breath, whether out of exhaustion or sorrow they couldn't tell.
"She's my daughter."
Phoebe and Finn found themselves unable to move, eyes glued to the tired old man sitting before them. Seeing that they were in no position to reply, he went on.
"Many years ago, I saw her every day, back when I was just a lieutenant. She has a brilliant mind. The first time I played chess with her, she beat me; and every consecutive game, for that matter. Over time, her mother and I realized she had an unnaturally perfect memory, able to perfectly recite anything ever spoken to her, or even an entire book purely from her mind."
He gazed at the two before him, who were now listening intently.
"But, there's something else, something bizarre. She can see in infrared."
FP and her knight locked eyes momentarily, beginning to understand.
"Any movement you make she can see its exact heat pattern and distribution, memorize it, and ensure you can never use it on her again. In short: the ultimate tactician."
The veteran let out a sad breath.
"She felt restricted, unable to use her gifts in the way she wanted. We wished for her to be safe, to create a better future for herself than war and strategy. This was our mistake. One night, shortly after she turned nineteen, she disappeared."
He looked his king and her knight in the eye.
"I could never forget that face; that hardened, analytical expression."
Flame Princess stood up, moving to her loyal soldier's side and placing a hand on his lap.
"I'm so sorry, Tellus."
The general hung his head.
"She's killed my men, my brothers in arms, and yet, she's family. What am I to do?"
He buried his face in his hands, unable to keep up composure. Flame Princess felt for the man, having had to fight family before, yet, unlike her, he actually cared for his enemy. Finn watched the two, his mind swirling with thoughts. He saw flashes of his last battle, endlessly slashing with Ares in a futile struggle for dominance. He saw the gravely injured soldiers, struck down by Athena. He wondered briefly if the joker had been one of those who'd lost their lives. Somewhere, he found anger, balling his fists and clenching his teeth.
Is this what 'wholeness' means to you, Ares?
Thin trails of tears began running down his face.
Is this what you hope to accomplish? For everyone to slaughter one another, friend and family alike?
He stood up, joining his ruler and fellow warrior on their side, placing a hand on the elder's back.
Before this is over, I will end you, Ares…
Whoo! I wrote this whole thing in one sitting. Well, minus a movie break.
I'm telling you guys, season 7 belongs to the ladies. First we get character growth for PB, then the return of Canyon, and of course massive backstory and development for Marceline. Even Cherry Cream Soda gets an episode! The wait was long, but the team has delivered.
Also, Marcy is pretty much Highlander.
MCFanfics: I worry too, that I'm writing myself into a corner. Gotta stay away from them Deus Ex Machinas.
Neo Deadmau5: Well that doesn't sound good.
TheMentalAdventurer: I appreciate that. You're right. I just get on myself sometimes.
Mayojar77: Not quite, but you'll find out the full story later.
Fiery Crusader: I still leave out some details, just to keep you all guessing.
MUTO TOHO: I totally agree. But then, I suppose every show needs one of those characters who you just hate. Let's all be glad that your wish came true in Stakes.
The Guyver: Wow, that is a challenge. He's rated as one of the most evil villains in well... anything.
Godzilla: Thanks a bunch.
salapa: And that's exactly what I hope readers feel like, thanks.
gamelover41592: I certainly try.
Guest: I'll do my best.
sonicthehedgehog240: Nice to know I've still got the formula down. I'll definitely do so.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!