Trouble Boiling

Willie, disguised in a red cloaked to match the majority of the people here, is wondering around the underground fortress trying to find Meliodas and Inuyasha. His satchel and most everything in his pockets have been confiscated, but he managed to hide the language amulet and a couple of other items by rearranging his robe and pockets with his thread magic. Assuming that Willie was too weak to be of any threat, they had foolish placed him in an ordinary cell. Plus, they had no idea that he's been a lock picking expert since childhood, with or without his threads. He's been wondering these halls for several hours now, and with the help of the language amulet has gotten a pretty good idea of where they're holding his two companions. Finding them, unfortunately, is proving quite difficult as this place is enormous, and the two half-demons are being held in a different mountain all together. Willie has picked up bits and pieces of what's going on and he's not sure if he can trust anybody here. He's learned this is Artemis' fortress, but he's also not sure if she's a trustworthy person. While Bishop Azarath has always spoke respectably of her, Artemis' reputation ranges from saint to morally gray at times. However, she isn't known for being evil or corrupted. He also hears the name Caelestis a couple of times, whom he knows is evil without question. He prays and tries to pick up the pace to find his companions.

Willie soon overhears something on the tele-speaker. While the amulet can't translate what's coming out of those speakers, he discovers from thoughs around him that he's now being searched for. He must keep a low profile and changes his face the best he can to match one he's recently seen. When he's certain that he's made it to the part of the fortress that his friends are being held in, he hears what sounds like Meliodas' stomach. He follows the sound to a heavy door that's partially opened and enters, only to discover the growls aren't coming from Meliodas, but some large, hungry magical beasts banging impatiently on their kennel gate.

"About time you got here." Another guy grabs the monk's wrist and drags him towards the kennel. "Come on, let's get these guys feed before they burst out of there and eat the other animals."

He hands Willie a giant pair of metal tongs then grabs a large piece of raw meat from a giant wheelbarrow with his own tongs. He carefully pushes it towards the kennel gate, drenched in sweat, and a large jackal head appears between the bars and ravenously grabs the meat. Willie shakes with nerves.

"Don't just stand there, you slacker!" the feeder says firmly; "The sooner we get this over with the better. Those lazy girls, avoiding responsibility. I don't know why Madame Artimes doesn't do this herself, they're her daughters' pets after all."

Willie reluctantly complies and picks up a large piece of meat with the tongs. He nervously pushes it towards the cell gate and a large wolf head devours it, inches away from grabbing the monk himself. They repeat this process nearly 20 times until the 4 beasts inside the cage are full. The animals back down for a nap and Willie nearly collapses from nerves and exhaustion. He can't believe he just endured that. He tries to sneak away when the guy grabs him again. "Not so fast. We still have to feed Lolong and Shelia. That's your job."

"What?" Before Willie can process what's happening, he's pushed through another door with a fresh supply of meat delivered by two other guys. To the monk's horror, there's a very large freshly killed wild boar on top of the other raw meat. The door is shut behind him. The large room looks like a swampy tropical environment, and it's very humid.

"What in the world is in here?" Willie has a bad feeling as he sees air bubbles in the water. Suddenly an oversized saltwater crocodile emerges from the water and strikes. "YIKES!" Willie manages to get behind the wheelbarrow and gets on top of it. Lolong, about 22-feet in length, is fixated on the human. A female crocodile, about half the size of the male, emerges from the water and also comes towards the wheel barrel. Willie tries to push the hog off the wheelbarrow towards Lolong's open jaws.

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Iris and Gowther are riding one Kaida. One of the phoenixgon's powers is invisibility, which Iris was already aware of. They are completely invisible flying through the sky unless they come across one of those rare people who could see them, such as Iris herself. Gowther of course is quite curious about the creature and asks her a million questions by telepathy, which she's getting really annoyed by. They soon fly over the exact same beach in Alexandera that Gowther arrived at. Iris explains by telepathy that they are taking a short cut to the fortress since it would take a couple of days riding on Kaida. She lands in the water several miles offshore and Iris slides off splashing into the water. Gowther follows, wondering how far down this secret entrance is. Kaida asks if she can head to Amalfi to reunite with her brother, Goro, especially since she can't fit into the chamber. Iris assures her they will be fine and tells her the direction to go. Thanking them for everything, they watch the pheonixgon fly off until she's nearly out of sight. As the goat sin's about to dive under, he notices that Iris is staring off into the horizon. He taps on her shoulder, and she nods but is clearly disturbed by something in the distance. She can feel that something's not right towards Naples, but she must focus on the task at hand and trust that her sister and the other can handle it. She says a prayer in her head as she dives under. Gowther doesn't have to worry about holding his breath as a doll, but he's surprised that Iris goes into two then three minutes holding hers. When they reach five minutes, Gowther's astounded and wondering how she can hold her breath for so long, and she doesn't answer. Finally, after nearly six minutes underwater, she swims into a small hole hidden behind some corral and sea plants, Gowther followers her. They finally surface inside an underwater cave. Iris takes a giant breath and tries to disguise the fact that she couldn't hold her breath much longer. Gowther can tell that she she's very winded.

"How did you manage that?" he asks; "most people would die after just 3 minutes. What's you're record?"

Again, Iris refuses to answer and turns the goat sin's attention to the cave. Gowther's amazed that there's air in here. Iris then waves her hand over some foreign symbols and makes some gestures with her hand. She then takes out the Stone of Destiney and holds it up to a spot, praying as well. The stone, then they, glow the same blue color as the grotto, and they soon dissipate and disappear into the gate.

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Elizabeth, holding a sleeping Emily, and Ban cradling an exhausted Mia, are on the road back to the church (Wild staying longer at the dance in anticipation of scrapes). Even though their bedtime's an hour away, the girls are worn out from all the dancing, running, bouncy houses, and games, passing out in some chairs. Elizabeth had been delighted by all the children and teens present, and she only vomited once. Dancing with the locals was an experience too. The taverns and parties back home seldom have music and dancing, except for festivals. Games usually revolved around gambling, drinking or fighting. Meliodas wasn't really into dancing, or music in general much. He was very tone deaf anyway and was quite a klutz on the dance floor (Elizabeth's not much better, but still enjoys trying to dance).

Ban's quite surprised by how much fun he had while not getting wasted. In fact, he was having so much fun with the kids that he only had two beers. Ban really can't remember the last time he went to a party where the adults were this relaxed and having so much fun without drinking, or not drinking a lot anyway. Non the less, he's looking forward to getting wasted again when he gets home with his best buddy. The fox sin even felt protective of Amara and Chole as they danced and had nonalcoholic drinks and chats with boys. Chole in particular seems boy crazy, especially being only 13, so Ban kept an even closer eye on her, but gave both teens reasonable space as well. When they decided to take Emily and Mia home, the teens were going off to do their own singing gathering, which for some reason made Ban nervous despite it being chaperone.

"I'm still not so sure we should've left them there without us;" says Ban; "What if they do something stupid and dangerous?"

"Ban;" says Elizabeth; "I believe they've already been to a few dozen of these events and the locals keep an eye on them. I know it's not easy to trust teens, but I feel they have good moral character and sense of judgement. After all, Jasmine trusts them."

Ban shrugs his shoulders. "What's up with me? I'm feeling so protective of those girls even though I've only known them a few days. I feel like I want to protect them from people like, well me."

"You're actually pretty protective of me;" adds Elizabeth; "And Jericho as well, which she's been complaining about by the way."

"I'm not surprised. I can't help that because she feels like a sister too me, as do you." Ban can't help but remember those short years he had with his own sister, Kilia, who died at age 4 during the pandemic. Ban's always had survivor's guilt and thinks that he should've tried harder to steal medicine for her, as well as his grandmothers whom he loved. Maybe those long-suppressed brotherly protective instincts are manifesting themselves this way.

As they near the church, the hear what sounds like a bomb explosion in the far distance. It certainly didn't sound nearby. "What was that?" ask Ban.

Mia and Emily wake up and say that it sounds like a volcano erupting, except it didn't come Mt. Vesuvius. They quickly arrive back at the church and notice the sea water on the beach reseeding in the veg moonlight.

"Don't tell me;" says Elizabeth freaking out. Suddenly, a wall of lava possibly a mile or so long springs up, blocking an oncoming tidal wave. They rush towards the church to find Zeldris flying up to them with Hawk as a devil manta ray.

"What the hell is going on?!" ask Ban.

"Get back!" shouts Zeldris; "Jasmine says to evacuated everybody immediately. There are volcanoes erupting out at sea!"

"WHAT?!" ask Ban.

After stopping the tidal wave and dissipating the lava wall, Jasmine jumps up onto Hawk glowing with lava fire, however, Hawk barely feels it. "The vulacish of Mount Edna and Stromboli are fighting each other! They're causing earthquakes and tidal waves, and I believe Stromboli just erupted. It's 300 miles away but it won't take long for its ash cloud to get here. Evacuated everybody to the Cathedral."

"What are you going to do?"

"I need to stop those tidal waves and keep an eye on Vesuvius. I need to stop them, but without Iris it will be difficult. It I get into a fight with them, we could destroy the whole coast and nearby islands for a hundred of miles. I need to figure it out."

"Let me help?" offers Elizabeth as they land and Jasmine touches the ground to calm down the magma underneath.

"No Elizabeth. You really must get as far away from here as possible. Radiadation from the volcano and ash will harm you and your babies."

"Saint Coat." Elizabeth immediately coats herself with her energy. "How do you and Scout handle them."

"Please get away from here, if you lose your focus for even a split second..."

Jasmine can't talk and must take off for Vesuvius. Elizabeth helps starts the evacuation. Soon her and Zeldris head for the mountain's summit as Ban, Hawk, and especially Goro the phoenixgon can handle it. They fly through the thick ash cloud and can barely see through it. Their coats protect them from the ash and lava, but they still feel the impossible heat through their protective coats and are shocked to see a pool of liquid lava boiling inside the cone. They are even more surprised to find Jasmine raise straight out of the lava. She lands on the edge of the edge of mountain's opening.

"What are you doing? GET AWAY NOW!"

"We can help;" answers Zeldris; "How do we stop that fight?"

"Last time Iris got between them, and we were able to reason with them, but it wasn't easy."

"We must try;" says the goddess.

"Elizabeth, I can't guarantee that your powers will stand up to theirs..."

"That's way I'm going with her;" says Zeldris; "If anybody can stop a fight peacefully, it's this lady. I won't let anything happen to her or my niece and nephew."

"Wait for me;" says Jasmine; "get away from here and wait for me on top of the cathedral. I must stop this volcano from exploding." The mountain shakes and Jasmine turns to jump back into it; "GO NOW!"

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In Japan, Elaine and Diane are on a nature walk with Kikyo, Hana, and Kagome. Kagome's not sure how they talked her into this hike, and it does little to raise her spirits. She also gives Kikyo a number of strange looks as Kikyo was the name of Kagome's original incarnation, Inuyasha's first love. She's often jealous of a dead woman (her original incarnation) and constantly denies that she's in love with Inuyasha, and vice versa, although it's obviously to everybody that they are. She has to keep reminding herself that this Kikyo isn't that woman.

Diane has asked a bunch of questions about the future, but Kagome refuses to answer, partly because it's forbidden, but mostly because she doesn't want too and is getting really annoyed.

"Oh look!" says Diane as they reach the top of a hill. She sees a beautiful mountain in the distance. It's higher than any mountain in Britannia, is perfectly cone shaped, and it still has snow on top.

"Isn't that the most beautiful mountain ever?!" Elaine also thinks it's beautiful and is in awe of it. Kagome in broken English (Britannian) tells them that's Mt. Fugi, a volcano. The giant and fairy are lost, and Kikyo explains to Elaine telepathically that Mount Fugi is one of "Three Holy Mountains" in the country, along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. Elaine asks what a volcano is, and Kikyo explains, leaving Elaine feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. However, Kikyo assures her that the volcano has been dormant for centuries.

Kagome feels uneasy. If she remembers correctly, they are in a year that Mount Fugi mysteriously can to life all of a sudden, briefly, then went quite again. It's supposed to be a myth, and Kagome hopes that it is.

They soon enter a small village. They stop to watch a weaver do her work. The types of baskets and things she's weaving are different from the ones in Britannia, and her technique is quite different as well. Both girls wish that King and Ban were here to share these wonderous discoveries with them.

Soon, a strange energy catches the attention of both Kikyo and Kagome. They leave Hana with the Britannians and follow this energy. They peak around a corner and see a red-hooded figure talking with somebody that has a tremendously strong aura. Kikyo nearly gasps seeing the face of the strong presence. It looks like Goka, the "Hellfire Goddess of Wrath" as people like to call her. She's really one of 13 vulacishes who claim territory within the Japanese Empire and the surrounding islands. She lives on the volcanic island of Sakurajima and aside from the few dozen people she allows to live on the island of whom she also protects, she's otherwise the most aggressive and lethal of them. They all have an often-uneasy, usually unspoken agreement to stay out of each other's territories, as conflict between any of them have nearly destroyed all of Japan in the past. However, they almost always isolate themselves on their volcanic islands and rarely come inland on the larger islands. Mount Fuji hasn't had a vulacish on it in centuries.

"What is she doing here?" whispers Kikyo; "If she uses her power around Fugi, it won't be good."

Kagome is confused, and Kikyo briefly explains it to her.

"You mean to tell me that she can bring a long dormant volcano back to life?!"

"Almost in an instant;" adds Kikyo; "We'd better inform Okaasan right away."

They return to the Diane, Elaine, and Hana who are enjoying a sweet treat. They are confused as to why they must return to the shrine so suddenly. Kikyo won't inform then what's wrong, but the look on her face tells the Britannian women that something's seriously wrong.

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Merlin, King, Gelda, and Norberta the phoenixgon are traveling inside a bubble with a guide and are nearing Naples. He suddenly stops and starts to land.

"What's going on here?" ask King; "Why are we stopping?"

"Sorry;" says their guide; "but there's heavy volcanic activity going on as we speak. We need to stop until it dies down?"

Merlin's alarmed; "If there's a volcano erupting, we should get there quicker to help."

"No can do;" says the guide; "You guys are in no condition to fight or breath in that gasly ash. Pastor De Santis is a vulchish and can handle this, along with Scout."

Merlin, however feels that this isn't normal, even for a major volcanic eruption. Gelda has a feeling that Zeldris is in danger and insist on continuing. Norborta, thinking of her brother, goes haywire."

"Calm that beast down immediately!" order the guide.

Merlin then powers up and threatens to use a spell on him; "If you don't get us there now, I'll make sure your days are numbered."

The guide is freighted of the look in Merlin's eyes and of her threating power. Norborta also blows threatening smoke on the guide. He reluctantly gives in and says that he'll drop them off as close as he can, but then they'll be on their own.

"That's fine;" say Gelda as she looks at the horizon; "I'm coming Zel, please stay safe."

Unknown to them, somebody else is getting ready to attack them.

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Willie comes out of a vent that he used to escape the habitat. He thinks his heart skipped a few bits.

"Why are there saltwater crocodiles here, in the European Alps? Who are these people keeping pets like this?"

He resumes his search. He passes several people who are checking faces. He tries to stay as inconspicuous as possible, fortunately, nobody stops him. He turns towards a corridor that seems to be a dead end; then he hears what sounds like hunger growls coming from the other side of the wall. Hoping he's right this time, he searches for a secret entrance since there's no visible door. After several attempts, he finds a spot in the wall that's a little worn and pushes it. Sure enough, an entrance opens. He enters and hears another loud growl, seeing Inuyasha and Meliodas inside a perfect cube. He runs up to it; "Meliodas! Inuyasha! Are you guys...?"

He stops. Inuyasha is passed out from exhaustion, and Meliodas is half covered in darkness that's gradually consuming him. Willie bangs on it hoping to wake them up. Inuyasha responds and sits up. He has managed to free his mouth from the restraint.

"About time you showed up, Willie." Inuyasha's voice sounds like an off sync double echo.

"Nice to see you too."

"What's wrong with your voice?" asked Inuyasha, "Sounds like three of you are speaking right on top of each other."

Willie thinks the same thing and realizes there's an overlapping magic in here. He spots the other language amulet and is able to turn it off.

"That's better. What happened to you guys? What's wrong with Meliodas?!"

"This high and mighty goddess lady came in and spoke crap about his mother. He got extremely angry, and this happened. I don't blame him one bit."

Willie's in shock by what Inuyasha just said. He has to see Meliodas up close, but he can guess what's happening. "I've got to get you guys out of here. Too bad I can't use absolute cancel like Bishop Azarath. If I could find an anti-magic bomb like before."

"Or if I had the Tassaiga. That bitch is in for a big surprise when she discovers that only I can use it properly."

"I think I might have seen some anti-magic bombs in that supply room." Myoga has jumped onto Willie's shoulder.

"You! You're here?"

"Myoga!" shouts Inuyasha; "How the hell did you get out?"

"Quite simple Master Inuyasha. I just squeezed through a tiny weak spot hole on the bottom. Guess I need to go on a diet, I'm not as skinny..."

"YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN OUT THIS WHOLE TIME?!" says a furious Inuyasha; "We could've been out hours ago."

"What could I have done to help Master Inuyasha?"

"Get help for one thing;" answers Willie; "Like looking for me or getting the bomb yourself."

"How could I carry that thing? I'm sure it's heavy. It would've taken forever to find you."

"Or you're just being a coward, like usual;" says Inuyasha.

"For the millionth time Inuyasha, I'm not a coward!"

"Then take me to that supply room;" Willie says grabbing the flea demon.

A scared look appears in Myoga's eyes; "Take you? I can just tell you where it is."

"You're going with me, end of discussion."

"But someone should stay here and protect Master In..."

"MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL FOR ONCE YOU LAZY COWARD!" shouts Inuyasha. He looks at Meliodas, the blackness is spreading, and his face is contorted with pain. "HURRY! He's in danger!"

Willie threads up Myoga and rushes out of the room.