Fire Legend 5; Scorn

The 'Hyperion Mountains' -- a volcanic range in the 'Corona Badlands' that winds and splits all across the land, making up most of the badlands that isn't the 'Eternal Desert'. The volcanoes in the 'Volcanic Range' are all active, normally spilling over with lava on a regular basis. There are very few safe roads that lead through the 'Hyperion Mountains', and there is nothing but more volcanoes at its end.

However, there was one special volcano far larger than the rest that made itself paramount to the 'Volcanic Range' -- the 'Grand Vulcanus.' The most prominent volcano in the Hyperion Mountains, what is now known as the 'Grand Vulcanus' was once the home of the previous Fire Guardian, Akira. It was carved in the image he wished directly into a volcano, and upon his abandonment and the renaming of the lands, his house became the new honorary 'Grand Vulcanus'. It also just so happened to be the very mountain that the fire deity, Vulcanus, once resided in, furthering the choice of its name. Still having his own set up inside, it is a great volcanic castle that has the face of a dragon upon it. Lava oozes from many sides and creates a moat around it, and there seems to be a bridge over it that leads to the front door. Stylish.

This particular place is important because, well, sometimes, the Fire God -- Titus the Magnus Ignis -- resides here. He watches over all of the Corona Badlands in the Land Of Fire, but this is one of his 'estates' so to speak -- the Grand Vulcanus.

*D-BLOOSH!!!*

The sound of the active volcano exploding from its top with a massive amount of magma that shot straight up into the sky, splashing down upon the 'Craterous Crags' below the Volcanic Plains.

*BL-BLOOSH!!!*

Another explosion, this violent volcano seemed to be more than active today -- it was damn near obliterating.

*K-DOOSH!!!*

One could only wonder what was going on in the Land Of Fire that was making this specific volcano go off like that, making pools and pools of lava at its base and streaming down the sides like melting ice cream...

"OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!!!" a woman's voice screamed with a vicious pleasure, "GIMME THAT HOT STUFF, YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!" Of course, one with such a foul mouth could only be Misery, but why was her voice so loud? What could she possibly be doing that was causing a volcano -- the largest volcano, mind you -- to erupt like this?

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" Misery said with an antagonistic euphoria, "YOU AIN'T SHIT. YOU AIN'T NOTHIN!!" Whomever she was talking to, she was getting quite roused by them to the point of degrading them... But, no, Misery did that to everyone and everything, really. "FUCKIN' DESTROY ME, ASSHOLE!!"

She was asking for it.

And 'it', she got.

What was going on behind the scenes that was 'Not Safe For Work' was a malicious lovemaking that seemed more like malicious abuse than actual sexual misconduct.

The loud roar of what sounded to be something like the mix of a dragon, a bull, and a demon screeched deeply from within the belly of the Grand Vulcanus, followed by another immense explosion.

*KRAKATOWA!!!*

Cracks appeared in the mountain as heat and tension rose up to the proportions of quaking the entire land, many other smaller volcanoes going off in the wake of the explosion of the Grand Vulcanus this final time. The hideous sound that came from what had to be a monster was followed by repetitious beating which one could only believe to be bludgeoning over a megaphone. Lava flew everywhere like hot rain as it spewed from the tip of the volcano, splashing upon the smaller ones and melting some of them away.

Equivalent to the sound of the monstrous beast that lurked somewhere in the depths of the Grand Vulcanus was a moan of pleasure that bellowed throughout the land like a wicked siren. "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!!" Misery shrieked, screaming out afterward with ecstasy that also sounded like a crazed, insane laughter. "UNLEASH THE BEAST!!!" Less than quiet about their engagement, Misery practically demanded that she receive more pleasure from the one lover that gave it to her like a raging demon. However they were doing it, it was going well... At least, on her end. "MAMA'S BEEN WAITING A LOOONG TIME FOR THIS!!!" She couldn't get enough! But that was to be expected, being both a Succubus and a Goddess. There were certain standards that had to be met in order to satisfy those sorts of needs, and it sounded like Misery was being satisfied sufficiently, despite her defamation.

"ENOOOOOOOUUUUUGH!!!" the Fire God shouted explosively, EVERY volcano erupting in the land after a final few earth-shattering pounds. "The Land Will Be Covered In Lava If We Continue. I Must... Restrain Myself!!" The Magnus Ignis could see through all of the lava that covered the land and saw what it was doing to the pathways that went all throughout the Corona Badlands. "The Creatures That Live Here Will Die If I Continue Like This," he said. "No More."

Finally, the two of them were seen inside of the pit of the Grand Vulcanus, Titus the Magnus Ignis having been in half Beast mode, placing Misery down from being mounted upon him -- as, he was standing whilst they were fucking -- and withdrawing his fiery horns, letting his red skin become fair once again. "We Must Be More Gentle," Titus said, binding his fiery hands back together, "I Do Not Want To Destroy."

"Pffft, fuck THAT," Misery said as she raised her skintight shorts back up, "I was having a BLAST." She laughed, not really understanding how much destruction was caused by her insisted violent lovemaking. "'Sides, it's not like I get that side of you often. I like to savor it when I get it out of you." She giggled and stuck out her tongue playfully, winking at Titus. "Who cares if we destroy a few things in the process? As long as I get WRECKED, I'm okay with that." She waved her hand in a passive fashion. "We can just clean it up later." She paused. "... And by 'we' I mean 'you'." Misery grasped Titus' waist, "Just gimme a little more and we'll call it square for you leaving me alone for so long."

"NO!" Magnus Ignis bellowed, pulling himself away from Misery. "You're Clearly Drunk. You've Had Enough." She was intoxicated with the pleasure she received but was blind to the destruction it caused for her to receive it in that fashion. "I Have A Mess To Clean Up Now That Isn't Just Something On Your Face." He was a monk, for God's sake. He was supposed to be more chaste, anyway. "If We're Going To Do It, We Need To Do It Less Recklessly And More... Passionately." His words were tender at the end, and his sharp, hard eyes softened. "... It Is Passion That Drives Me. Not Destruction." He turned away from her. "It Would Do You Well To Learn This Before Our Next Session, As I Will Not Become 'The Beast' For You Every Time You Want To Have Sexual Relations!" Suddenly, Titus became more frustrated than usual. "The Beast Is Not A Toy. It Is A Dangerous Part Of Me Meant For A Specific Purpose. If You Will Only Treat It Like A Monster..." He winced, "... Treat ME Like A Monster..." He turned to face Misery again, "Then We Cannot Have Sex Until You Understand That My Internal Being Is Not A Sex Toy!" He was firm about this, and when he was done speaking, he said, "I Will Be Out Fixing The Mess We Have Made. I Pray That You Think About The Words I Have Spoken," before fizzling out in a large flicker of a flame.

Shocked and appalled, Misery's mouth hung open as Titus told her off after they just made love. She didn't even have words for him before he took off, but her rage told the whole story. She walked toward the entrance of the Grand Vulcanus, muttering profanities and other things about Magnus Ignis as he left her there to stew. "... Make it seem like it's MY fault..." she mumbled. "... Just because I wanted a little bit of a special type of love..." She grasped her genitals tightly, smiling after she did. She was sore. But soon after, she let go and her face soured. "How can he not have enjoyed ME? I enjoyed HIM..." Misery continued to have these thoughts as she walked across the bridge, then got a glimpse of the destruction that they caused with their sex.

"... Uh, whoops," Misery said, chuckling nervously. "Guess we did do a number on this place..." She looked off to the side. "... Even if he did most of the work..." Misery was mostly just along for the ride. "... But that's not how it's supposed to be, is it...?" Misery reflected on this for a moment before shaking her head and frustrating her face again. "What the hell am I saying?! I'm a Succubus, Goddammit! That's how we work!" Though, she knew she could do a little more work than just sit back and take the heat. She thought of what Titus said about 'Passion' and it made her wonder. "... Passion, huh...? I thought we... Had that already..." She remembered fondly of the times before he left when that 'passion' was there, but she also recalled him being angry about something, as well. "Damn, he's so sensitive for someone so huge and menacing!" Misery sucked her teeth and continued walking toward the roads, which were blocked off by lava. It didn't bother her any, though, since she was a Fire Goddess. She could easily walk atop lava.

But she knew that it wasn't about that. In the past, she knew she was selfish and she promised to change that... But that old selfish Misery is what he loved. Though perhaps it wasn't as balanced as it was back before she became a Goddess. "... We used to be a team..." she whispered, "... But that was because I put in work when it was time..." All she'd been doing since she'd seen him was bitching. And she was known for that, but normally her bitching was done a little differently. It wasn't as... Selfish. It had more... Scorn to it. Something like a rivalry... Or a competition. He hated both of those things when it came to a relationship, but Misery thought it spiced things up. "That fire..." Misery said with her brows furrowed, "... Is gone, isn't it...?"

Well, she was going to get it back. Her eyes sharpened and lit up with a fiery red glow. Misery was going to get that 'Passion' that they had back, and she was going to prove that she didn't just see Magnus Ignis as 'The Beast' and a sex toy. Though she wouldn't admit it, those words hurt her deeply, but they drove her to want to be more understanding. "Fuck it, I'm gonna make sure I fuck HIM up next time!" She smirked, eyes burning. "... I won't be able to live with this hatred inside me if I don't..."

All the while Misery reflected on her own actions and feelings, Titus had a different task to complete. He had to clear the pathways of the Corona Badlands so that people could get through without worrying about molten hot lava pouring on them or blocking their way. He appeared in the sky out of a spontaneous combustion, arms still locked in place where they usually were. He meditated deeply and envisioned the whole Volcanic Range in his mind, tracing the heat signatures of the lava where they were most prominent.

Soon enough, the lava covering all of the pathways would rise up into the air and hover just above the volcanoes, about the height where Titus the Magnus Ignis himself was. The lava would come together quickly to create a very large ball that floated ominously over the land. This ball of lava would be supercondensed into the form of a small sphere that glowed with the light of a thousand suns, so to speak.

When this ball of supercondensed lava was created, Magnus Ignis opened his mouth to consume the superheated lava and feed himself. With it, he was given a great deal of refreshment, as if drinking a glass of water or eating a fruit. He smiled warmly as his task was completed, turning to face Misery down on the ground. She was in deep though, he knew, and from her heat signature, he could tell that she was really concentrating on something. He crossed his legs and let her be, hovering off somewhere else in the Corona Badlands.

Misery looked up to watch how Titus resolved the problem with the lava, effectively removing it all from the passages that their sexual escapades brought it upon. However, when he looked at her, she could sense something coming from him that made her angry... And when he floated off, she became angrier.

"Oh, so you're just gonna LEAVE ME, huh?" Misery wasn't feeling very appreciated by her lover right now, and that brought deep rage to her. "I'll go fuck something else up if you feel that way! Watch!" Suddenly, bull horns extended from Misery's head, red and burning hot. It completed her demonic look, but she was still a Goddess. A destructive Goddess, but a Goddess nonetheless.

She tilted her head toward the nearest wall and charged straight for it, blowing a hole through it with her horns as she made impact, and continuing to break through the solid rock that made up the walls and cliffs and such of the Volcanic Range. "FIX THIS, BITCH!!!" Misery cried as she hurtled through rock and lava, causing the volcanoes to spill what they had into the pathways yet again, only this time from below instead of from above.

Hatred coursed through Misery's veins... And it showed.

Now, Magnus Ignis had already left the area, but his omniscience over the Land Of Fire was absolute. He could see everything that went on from several different perspectives -- lava inclusive -- and manifest himself from any of the things that were there. When Misery began her rampage, he could see through all of the lava spewing where she was going and what she was doing, and fused his essence with the magma for the time being.

When the magma spilled out, it would rise up and take on the form of a magmatic giant, similar to one of the creatures that roamed the Hyperion Mountains -- the Hyperion Colossus. As Misery ran, more and more lava was drained into the form of this creature and not upon the roadside as she intended. The gigantic being looked down at her and glared silently, white hot eyes narrowed. It said nothing, but the intensity of its burning discontent was expressed prominently.

Taking a step forward, it stomped in front of Misery's path and would force her to run headfirst into a wall of lava that was now condensed to the point of being solid, yet still retaining its porous nature as a liquid instead of becoming rock. This was to trap her in a glob of lava as she ran so that Magnus Ignis could withdraw her up to the head of the magma monster.

Even in spite of what Magnus Ignis did, Misery kept on trucking it. She saw the foot come down and instantly drew her blade from her palm, the edge sharp and hot. With a single slash, she cut through ALL of the lava in her way and made a path, wherein which she would blaze through in a flicker as a streak of flame before it closed in on itself, then continued to run uninterrupted.

"I CAN TURN INTO FIRE, YOU IDIOT!!!" Misery screamed, running toward a cliff. She hopped it, her stride reaching all the way to the next cliff, which she landed on with a hard thud. Misery was already blindingly fast back in the past, and was even more so now that she was more experienced and powerful. She ran up one of the volcanoes and shot herself up toward the face of Magnus Ignis, sword hand cocked back and ready to swipe clean through. The worst of it was her 'Burning Condemnation', which engulfed the blade in its flame of red and blackness. Whatever it touched was burned in the very essence of its being, usually the soul. That meant that one hit from her 'Burning Condemnation' blade would deal severe damage to Magnus Ignis, even in a form that wasn't his original or true form.

Alarmed, Magnus Ignis swerved his upper torso to the side to avoid Misery's gliding swipe of Burning Condemnation and let her soar through the sky. His anger intensified severely after seeing that she was taking things too far YET AGAIN and not understanding the ramifications of her own actions.

So, Titus would rise up from the top of the magma giant's head, sitting in a meditative position and sharp eyes glaring down the soaring Misery. He still said nothing, but inside, he was feeling quite a bit. Whilst Misery was unable to change her course in midair, Titus took it upon himself to fill in all of the gaps and holes she made with the lava, hardening it back to stone. Any excess lava was supercondensed much like before and made into a burning ball for him to consume.

Devouring the lava ball, Titus had no words for Misery as she continued her rampage, but he did have retaliation. The sun burning high above them would bring one of its rays into a singularity, shining a spotlight on Misery and following her like an eyeball. The ray eventually became a beam that was shot straight from the sun itself -- an 'Iris', as it was called -- and had the power to blow a huge chunk out of the ground should it make impact, which it intended to make with Misery to pin her down. The 'Iris' wasn't at maximum power, but it was at juuuust enough to counter Misery's power, since Titus knew how strong she was firsthand.

He himself floated in his meditative position over the Corona Badlands, watching Misery as closely as the Iris was targeting her, almost as if it were his own eye gazing at her.

Though Misery had her aerial assault figured out, she didn't have a plan for landing. Oh well, she could just crash into something or turn into fire or whatever and shoot herself to the ground. But that wasn't the point right now. The REAL issue was that there was a light shining on her that she KNEW was coming from Titus. He was attacking her.

Still, the ever skillful Misery twisted in the air and used her blade to deflect the shine, then swung it fully to knock the beam away. Misery was also super strong, though definitely clearly not as strong as Titus was. Her strength was one of her trademarks next to her speed, so deflecting a laser beam that could blow a chunk out of the ground was almost nothing to her. The impact did, however, send her hurdling to the ground from the clash, wherein which she would land on her feet with a powerful stomp. A HUGE crater was made upon impact, and several nearby volcanoes erupted simultaneously with her landing.

Without even so much as a second though, Misery shot herself back up into the sky with a powerful thrust from the ground, using every bit of the force from the impact to bounce back faster and higher than before. She streaked toward Magnus Ignis, sword blade still jutting from her hand and covered in Burning Condemnation flames, black and red fire fluttering from her body as she sped ever closer. She saw the look in his eyes and felt a deep hatred in the pit of her stomach rise up to her head and through her body, further igniting the already burning sword with a larger flame. "EAT THIS, BITCH!!" She grabbed her arm with her other hand and swung her blazing sword of Burning Condemnation as hard as she could, aiming at Titus' head.

It only took the raise of his fiery hands up toward the burning sword as it neared his head to halt it in its tracks, as if the flaming fists bound together by each other were solid and hard. Magnus Ignis stopped the blade with his fire hands, never unlocking them, and never changing his glare at Misery. Now, however, it had intensified into something of burning hatred. She understood nothing. Knew nothing. Learned nothing. And so, this was their fate; to fight based on each others' hatred for the other and not for the love that they both shared mutually. It made Titus sick.

"..." Still he was silent, rage intensifying. Whereas Misery allowed her fury to run rampant as soon as she felt it, Titus let it build gradually, having patience where patience was due. Though even as Lord Patience, his patience could run out. There was a time for everything, wrath inclusive...

But his wrath was not yet so.

Merely a gaze of scorn.

The Magnus Ignis did not simply leave Misery's blade betwixt his burning hands, however. No, he thrust them forth with great strength, enough where it should have been able to send Misery flying yet again clear across the Corona Badlands. Wherever she ended up, Magnus Ignis would appear there on the ground in a burst of flame, ready to deal with Misery close range. His hands remained locked in place.

Misery continued to look Titus in the eye, finding his scorn to be infuriating to her. She couldn't stand that look on his face... Like he was better than she was just because he could keep his anger inside of him. Like he was unhappy with her because she was being who she was. She couldn't take it.

"Those are the eyes..." she said, being flung away, "THAT INFURIATE MY SOUL!!!"

Speaking of souls, Misery's 'Oversoul' burst outward around her, encompassing her body fully in an orb that resembled a skull. She did hit the ground, but not physically; her soul cushioned the fall for her as she landed. She had fallen into the 'Craterous Crags', where the lava pools were natural and the ground held open holes to the magmatic underground that functioned something like geysers. When she touched down, her 'Oversoul' disappeared, but she was starting to use the power of her own soul to fight... She was putting her very being into this now, giving this her all.

Why did this mean so much to her when she was the one at fault?

It was because of how Titus handled situations between them. Instead of getting outwardly angry, he got silent... Until he exploded with anger and became The Beast again. She was able to push him there, but this time seemed different... He didn't seem like he was holding the thing back. Maybe he'd gotten better at it while he was away... Or maybe he just didn't feel like Misery was worth that effort. Whatever the answer was, Misery still felt nothing but scorn for Titus as he looked at her with those hateful eyes. Like he hated her. Something about her. Anything about her. She hated that.

There he appeared before her when she was on the ground and immediately, she started to swing her blade around violently and swiftly, making blurs of black and red in the multitudes as she raised her hands to slash at him. She wanted to cut his soul... Like he did hers.

Titus could see Misery was putting a great deal of effort into trying to strike him. She was serious. But so was he. He wanted her to realize for herself what she was doing was not the way instead of hearing another chastisement from him. He grew tired of telling her over and over not to do things in that fashion; the way that hurt herself and others. The way that hurt him. But it seemed like this time she was TRYING to hurt him. Had his stare of scorn really infuriated her very soul? If so, then that still meant that he was on the right track with her, for it meant she could see his own hatred for her actions. Though it may not have been the correct reaction, it was definitely a step in the correct direction -- recognition. Eventually she would see what it was he hated... Or maybe she already knew.

Was Misery trying to defend herself?

Did Titus cut into her being when he chastised her?

She was feeling attacked, and so she attacked. He knew that about her very finely. The issue was that she SHOULDN'T feel attacked when she was wrong, and that was something that she needed to work on. He couldn't keep cleaning up after her or letting her do as she pleased being reckless and destructive just because it was in her nature. The Veritas was their home, regardless of their origins. That, and no one felt like cleaning up messes all day that didn't have to be made. Accidents happen, but purposeful things could be avoided. Maybe she would understand that. That was all he wanted her to recognize without feeling like he was trying to change her or attack who she was, which she seemed to be confused about as of present.

Still saying nothing but holding in his anger, he dodged the sword attacks skillfully by partially changing into fire and flickering in different directions like a wavering flame when the wind was about to blow it out. The force of each strike would blow the flaming upper torso of the Magnus Ignis in a different direction, allowing evasion altogether without any sort of effort or movement from his place on his part.

Finally, to end the onslaught, a burst of lava shot up from one of the craters in the area like a geyser, knocking the sword away and likely giving distance between Titus and Misery. When that happened, his flickering body shifted fluidly back into flesh and he looked at Misery with eyes of compassion. They were still sharp and cutting, but this time, there was tenderness behind them as if he understood her own troubles going on within. If his eyes infuriated her, perhaps they could endear her, as well.

Missing every swipe and being blasted back, Misery's fury knew no bounds now. "You son of a--!!" She was about to attack him, but when the lava stopped spewing, she saw his eyes again. They were the same, but different somehow. She knew when she looked into them that he was repentant for how he'd hurt her, and so, she felt the same way about doing what she had done and being a little too careless and rowdy than was proper.

Misery withdrew her sword back into the palm of her hand. She looked down and said to Titus, "... I get it." That was about as close to an 'I'm Sorry' as he was going to get, but she knew that he would understand from her actions that she was sorry for what she did. "... I'll get myself together and keep it together," Misery said. "... Like you do." Part of her hated that he was like that because she wasn't like that when she needed to be, but she also admired it about him because he was able to control himself so well nowadays. As much as she loved the wild ride that The Beast was, she respected the Monk that the Fire God had become and the control he had over his flame.

"But don't think that you're off the hook for trying to leave me!" she said, getting fired up again. "What was that all about? We are lovers. We haven't seen each other in I don't know how long. Why would you even THINK leaving me alone after what happened was a good idea?" Misery wasn't the only one at fault here. As sensitive as the big guy was, he was quite insensitive at that moment. Usually it was Misery being insensitive, but when it came to love, she was actually rather tender. "Well? Explain yourself!" Misery tapped her foot on the ground, placing her hands on her hips in a saucy fashion.

Titus closed his eyes, smiling softly. "Mm..." he hummed gently, feeling the warmth of compassion in his chest. The hatred was fading with every word Misery said, and her understanding grew to a point where the Magnus Ignis could actually speak to her without her blowing things out of proportion or taking the matter to heart in a way that wasn't so. His chastisement was harsh in terms of action and wording at times, but he always meant to do and make good by it.

"I Was Leaving To Let You Reflect On What You Seemed To Have Come To The Conclusion Of Before," Titus answered Misery, "But It Seems As Though I Moved Too Soon And You Mistook My Actions For Negligence. I Wanted You To Come To Realize What You Know Now On Your Own Without My Help." And she did... To a certain degree. Sure, it took a fight to work it out, but she did it... Mostly on her own.

In regards to the fight, Magnus Ignis was actually rather impressed that Misery was still so sharp after being docile for so long. He opened his eyes and let them rest tenderly on her, feeling inside of him the passion that was the flame between the two of them flare up again, for he admired one who was skilled in combat. "If Our Issues Are Resolved," Titus would begin to say, "... Then Let Us Make Love Again." He felt like Misery earned it, and that she wouldn't treat him like a sex toy for her pleasure. He knew her growth was at least that great.

"Ohhhh, okay," Misery said, understanding now that she took his actions to leave the wrong way. "Yeah, my bad," she said as well, rubbing the back of her head as she looked away.

But then Titus said something to her that made her swoon. She knew after those words that she'd truly been forgiven, and also that she got a certain level of admiration from the fight that she knew he didn't have before. "Hell yeah!" Misery shouted, raising her fist up into the air, "Let's do it, baby!" She was actually not thinking about the external pleasure, but that fire inside that happened from the internal pleasure of lovemaking -- something she had, at first, thought was gone. "I'm gonna give it to you good!" Misery assured him, feeling like she was going to be the one to do some work in the bedroom now. "Let's get it ON!"

Chuckling softly, Titus would look to Misery with love in his eyes and in his heart, lifting his shackled hands up and over her head, pulling her close to his body. This time he was going to take her to the Fire Sanctuary so that there would be no need to worry about any type of casualty, since that was their home, anyway.

With a spontaneous ignition, he would change both of them into fire and flicker out, ready to see the love of Misery for himself... And to give her love in return.