Mistica Chronicles


Welcome to Issue 70

black_shadow Winning Entry

In the darkness of the night, Inferno Terrain was alive and moving. Pets, born of flesh and bone but transformed into cinder and ash, moved about freely, entering shops, talking to friends, and enjoying themselves. One who watched them would never think that the town found in Inferno Terrain had problems.
But they did. Big problems. The volcano that lay up on the hillside had been dormant for years, and the glow that kept the heat of the land going and kept the less-than-sane pets away was starting to dim with every passing day. Soon, it would be out completely, and the Inferno Terrain's residents would be at the mercy of the monsters.
The town needed someone with powerful fire magic, powerful enough to where the volcano would light up again, and stay lit. It required someone who didn't mind staying in one place for the rest of his life, someone who was wise and powerful and could beat back the monsters that appeared. Someone like--
"Volcan!"
A young fire dragon sitting on a charred log in the darkness turned at the sound of his name. A group of kids ran towards him, a young Haruba taking the lead. Volcan recognized his friends, and stood.
"Clayton, Lance, Teshia, Jeremy, what's going on? Why are you out of breath?"
Lance fiddled with his mane. "W-we heard... that the volcano will be out tomorrow night. We need to evacuate."
Volcan looked stunned. "Tomorrow? But the leaders were saying that we had at least another two nights! Why did they change it?"
"The monsters are showing up, Volcan." Jeremy explained quietly, the Tarinooki flicking his tail in worry. "Their appearance is an ominous sign, or at least that's what the leaders keep telling us. So we're moving out a day early, just in case."
"But what about the town?"
"Unless we can find someone to keep the Volcano alive, it's doomed." Teshia said sadly.
"We need someone patient." Clayton added. "Someone who doesn't mind staying in the volcano for the rest of his life, who had enough magic to fill it up and keep it going, even at night."
Volcan opened his mouth, and then closed it. It was true that he himself was all those things - he was actually looking for a place to settle down in right now - but he didn't want to seem arrogant.
He supposed he could always go back when the others left...
Nodding to himself, he said, "Alright, thank you for telling me."
The next night, when the rest of the Inferno Terrain's residents left, fearful for their lives and saddened by the loss, a small flame was spotted in the distance, heading for the volcano. The denizens all stopped and stared, wondering who it could be that would enter the volcano.
"Where's Volcan?" Clayton asked suddenly. Everyone looked around, but the young dragon couldn't be seen anywhere.
It was at the same time they realized that the volcano lit up, and smoke begin to rise from it once again. The monsters, frightened by the reappearance of the flames and the heat, scattered. The denizens hurried back to the volcano, where they found Volcan situated at the bottom with a few pals he had already transformed to survive the heat.
"I'll need something to keep a steady flow of magic going," he called up to the stunned townsfolk. "If you'd be willing to act as my messengers, could you spread the word that I'm accepting quests as of now? I'll trade MC for items."
And so it was that the Inferno Terrain, once doomed to die, was reborn, and travelers from all over began to seek out Volcan to reap their fortunes.