Dust village 2

Twas nothingness everywhere, nothing and no other to look beside the hue of sandy color and blue sky. Not dare to stop, the young wanderer on top of the wobbling camel trudged on the waterless ocean of sand and stone under the unforgiving sun. Squinting his eyes to avoid the dust, he saw a familiar cluster of buildings he was looking for, and a smile involuntary formed.

The building grew as the camel brought him near. The bright colored stripes on the market were a fanfare on the empty wasteland. The crowd was thinning at the settlement but the market beside it very crowded.

A toddler jumped from the window and almost tripped on her long hijab as he ran to him. "ARA!" She screamed in joy. Ara stopped his camel and slid down, only to be toppled down by the excited girl.The girl he helped once at the market, appeared to be one of the tribes surrounding the town. They became friends ever since. She was his spark of joy in the long 'holiday' that his Father filled with his faith-duty among them. But he didn't feel the need to complain. Every move and everything he did for the sake of Lava God, bring some consolation to him, that it will make the world a bit better.

"YOU'RE HERE YOU'RE HERE!" She leaped and jumped as if a rabbit.

"Aw, yeah, here I am!" Chuckling, he scrambled to get up and took the girl and threw her high to the sky. The girl burst in high pitched squeal and a series of joyous screams and giggle. Warm and happy feeling seeping into his heart as he did it, and when he lowered the child down at last, laughter colored their face.

"I miss you," Said the girl, embracing him.

"I miss you too" Ara hugged her back.

The girl chattered while he went to one of the clusters of the tent, while the child bounded along behind him and a series of mixed English-Arabic conversation ensued with one of his contact at the market while the child busy talking beside him. As the conversation deepened, Ara sent the girl to buy some baklava and sweet which she joyfully accepted.

It was almost dark when he left, and he knew that Layla will be disappointed tomorrow.

The skirt of Portland, Oregon, USA OR PT UTC - 14:00

Mission accomplished, we have the wave guy and the means to force him.

Ara closed his hand and the flame from firecomm extinguished. He put the black hood on, slithering between people over his skateboard. A small smile flashed across his face, it always felt rewarding to know the mission accomplished.

That part of the city was a slum, crowded with many shady building. Under some bridge some homeless sat, munching something or smoking or just lay there, over a sleeping bag or sat against random graffiti or bare brick. The skateboard sliding smoothly to a narrow alley, snaked all around the labyrinth, stopped in front of a big volcano graffiti, and flash fire on the crater and knocked with a secret pattern. Rat tatata tap.The door opened by a big bald man, his eyes bolted out, teeth gritted, biceps popped and he advanced menacingly. But the young man just showed the back of his right fist, and a fiery symbol lit the big man's face for a few seconds. The bald man bowed, he became very respectful in a flash and gestured him to follow. After closing the secret door, they walked into another row of a twisted alley and across a room, filled with all sorts of pipes and turbines. At last, they arrived at a locked door. There were several rooms behind it. Peeking into the room via the ventilation, he froze.

The fuck?! Layla?

But then...A slam.

Walking more steps to the next room, he peered inside. A blonde man, cuffed by an eight shape made of rock shook as a woman forced his hand to the ground. Her eyes burned menacingly while her short orange hair visibly emitting sparks in the darkened room.

"FEEL IT! WHERE IS THE ICE KING! OR.." That woman's voice menacingly turn to hiss.

"Goodbye daugter..?" She grinned.

The man stammered. "I .. I ... I "

The twenty something pushed him to the ground, tackled him and pulled his curly hair. "CAN'T HEAR YOU BITCH!"

"I c-c-cant... the-the ice king ha-haven't..ha-haven't become a king" He shook, his face as white as a sheet. The woman spat.

"Keep telling me the same lie huh?" She slammed the man's head to the wooden table beside him once more. "Keep doing it and your daughter will play in the heaven... very soon..." She hissed once more.

Puzzle pieces fell in their own place in Ara's mind, giving him complete info on why his friend the girl was here.

Damn it. It was her dad!

Raked his hair, he felt beads of sweat formed on his temple.

I should've know. Damn it. I shouldn't make a bond with enemies.

He flashed his Phoenix fist to the small one way mirror she noticed it and stop.

Too late now. Everything has to proceed.

"OKAY, I'll buy that bullshit for now," she said, and threw the thin man to a chair, and tied him. Locking the room behind her, she left, and grumbled under her breath. The woman lead Phoenix and the girl room's baby guard along the twisting alley to another room.

After they entered, she saluted. "Your majesty Phoenix" She said, sweetly, totally different from what she thought of the prince, but her deathly glare betrayed her sweetness. Measuring her for a few moments, he nodded. He sat and everyone sat with him.

The woman's name was Medusa, a very ambitious young general. She wore a shiny black leather corset pushed up her breast and her long shiny pants shaped her rather big butt. Red collar adorned her neck and shoulder, tied with black bow with a military medal. On the collar a number C2 and four embellished stars showed her rank. Her naked arms adorned only by her popped biceps and a red snake tattoo on her right shoulder. While it was meant to be sexy, when combined with her Gothic makeup, her sickly sweet voice and her stare, it felt threatening somehow.

The young man stood straight and calmly stated. "My old man sent me."

She smiled in anticipation and posed, rather alluring. "Well, I got his daughter on my hand, and I am pretty much a good interrogator, that I bet I will fish the info in no time."

She is right.

The prince tapped on his chin, his mind busy racking a plan.

"Standard procedure, effective in many cases. But I can think of a better way with this kind of man."

Medusa grinned, almost snorted condescendingly. "Oh really? Let me hear that out." She sat down and smiled sweetly.

He calmly responded. "I know that you use the daughter to force him."

"Which is effective?" Her dark purple full lips, smiled condescendingly.

He laughed, rather dry. "Really? Did he spilled out information, or is he stammered and shut up? I saw you struggling there, no offense." He played with his hoodie string, but his eyes bored into the woman's eye.

The woman fell silent.

"Wanna hear what I saw? That man becomes too stressed that he even unable to use his power. So, that way, no way you got any information dude, nope. Not a word." The red-haired young man knocked the table.

She squinted her eyes, spat on the floor and asked while raising her chin. "Who taught you to be a poser, O Majesty?"

The young man rolled his eyes "The King became impatient. He sent me here to speed things up"

"Ah yeah, Phoenix the poster child" She sneered.

Ara raked raked his hair. "Now, this is my plan."

But before he has a chance to explain, her hand on his neck and an obsidian dagger instantly formed. "Don't play any games here, or your dear dad gonna kill us both!"

The young man snorted and the dagger on his neck 'slowly melted under her astonished eyes. "Medusa, I am aware that. But you have to know that this is the twentieth mission that I help."

The older woman snarled and redraw her hand in a flash. When she looked into her hand, the obsidian has reduced to a small bent stone. She threw it.

Phoenix grinned. "Good. Who is the weakest person? Do you have almost nothing lava power person here?"

She nodded. "The chef"

A big weight crushing his heart and he gulped. But then Ara steeled his and calmly said."Bring him here"

I don't have any choice.

She gestured to the big brute guarding the little girl's room.

Phoenix looked at him, and pulled him close, whispering. Hades lean to them, curious. But the woman's eyes grew bigger and bigger, and finally, she spat: "Are you stupid? How is that a better plan?!" She whispered a bit too hard.

Phoenix snorted. "Maybe. Remember, Magma sent me here to speed things up rite?"

"If this fail, would you hang yourself for me?" She looked at him up and down and snorted.

The young man rolled his eyes. "I dunno. The other mission succeed when I help them. Is it sheer luck? Maybe. Or maybe my insane ability. But you're free to try my plan or crack the fuck up of it if you like.Yet, my old man grew impatient"

He cracked his neck, and casually said: "Ever heard of Stormlander's village?" The woman shivered.

He took his skateboard and leave. He never felt so dirty, so cruel and so bad before, but he has no other choice but to obey. He is the prince of lava! Yet a sliver of hope above hope was lit on his heart. 

I do it for the Lava God. He will forgive me.

After that, he felt better.