Cleo's Game

15. In Heat

Meanwhile, at a volcano far away...

Drew's expedition was thoroughly underway, taking Blake and Scream to the outskirts of the Horned Volcano. The air was torrid and stale, with the feeling of being slowly cooked as you spent time in it. There was not a single plant or hint of greenery that inhabited the surrounding area, with inhospitable conditions and suffocating ash floating around. The rocky terrain was steep and full of cracks, with each difficult footstep having a layer of uncertainty baked into it.

The three officers walked with their footsteps in unison, despite how very different they looked in appearance. Drew wore a light-coloured headscarf to protect his trimmed, bushy hair from the intensely dusty air. His uniform had quickly become visibly dirtied by the arid, ash-laden atmosphere. Dressing formally was something that appeared to be ingrained into Drew's very being, but even he was tempted to lose the jacket. His expression remained neutral as he held his chin high, leading the other two along.

Scream was older than both Drew and Blake but was humble enough to follow the well-respected commander. He was incredibly pale, contrasting with his jet black, straw-like hair. He had already taken his leather jacket off, owing to the sweltering climate. When he agreed to go on a mission to steal documents, he had no idea how brutal what he signed up for was. The Northern Army safehouse was well-hidden and well-guarded by virtue of the average person's avoidance of the area.

The one most troubled by the temperature, however, was Blake. The desolate environment led her to be quite parched, something she planned for with the multiple containers of water she snuck out in her waist-attached satchel. Her coarse skin released not an ounce of sweat, so things could get lethal if she isn't careful. She donned a black baseball cap, tucking away her luminescent lure into the front. Her black tank top was already soaked from the water she had dumped over herself so far, and she was panting with every step.

They had already been trekking for an hour, with little to no words exchanged between them. The mountainous terrain that the enemy structure clung to was going to be able to provide shade, if they could just get there. The heat of the environment was starting to go to their heads, and they grew frustrated with both the mission and each other.

"How much longer will this fucking waste of time take?" growled Blake. Drew sighed. "You're the one who asked me to come along on this one, so it can't be that much of a waste of time. We'll be in the shade in about five; just hang on," he responded. Blake crossed her arms, remembering the reason she was here. "Easy for you to say. I don't sweat like you do," she justified. "If I knew you'd be such a fish out of water, I wouldn't have let you come."

"What the hell did you just call me?" Blake yelled, grabbing Drew by the shirt. "Easy, now," interrupted Scream. "Don't let the heat get to your head. Look, the shade is just up ahead," he continued, stepping between the two of them. Blake continued to steam, while Drew looked forward, unfazed by Blake entirely.

The volcano was as colossal as it was steep, with its sky-high precipice casting a titanic shadow. The ground became more and more erratic the closer it was to the seismic wall of rock, with stone pillars emerging alongside the cracks and crevices to make the surroundings menacingly complex. Entering the sinister reach of the shadow was the same as wandering into a gloomy night, with the bright of day being just one hundred and eighty degrees behind.

From their first step into the dark, something felt wrong. Entering enemy property was something the three of them had no qualms about, but this was different. Blake was pleased with the sharp drop in temperature, but it almost felt too sharp. She removed her hat, revealing her glowing lure to aid their vision in the dimness. Each twist and turn in the outcrops made it even harder to look around. Somewhere around here, there is a building that contains documents, and that is all that is known.

"Do you have any idea where this building even is?" Blake growled. Drew flattened one of the particularly wide outcrops, before looking over at her. "Just look around. There's only so many places it could be hidden." Scream was looking closely between each corridor and crevice, squinting his eyes just to try to see something. Moments later, he didn't have to squint anymore.

From a distance behind the group, a towering pyre of biblical proportions appeared out of thin air. Its fierce orange glow was all-illuminating, a chilling skyscraper of fire that glared down upon them. It stood motionless, with just a small, torrid arm creeping out, slithering along the ground like a red-hot snake. It moved so leisurely, as if it were trying to simply give chase, but Scream's back was turned, unaware of the fiery pursuit that was occurring. It crept closer and closer, close enough to where anyone would be able to feel the temperature, but still, there was no movement. The fire made contact with Scream's foot, but it wasn't set ablaze. Instead, it dematerialised into the air with the rest of his body.

"Nice one, man," Drew whispered in praise, as the three of them hid behind a hastily formed pile of rocks. "Thanks, I practice a lot," Scream replied, glad that his unusual power found a very practical use. Peeking from behind cover, Drew watched as the pyre shrank from its seismic stature all the way down, materialising into a fierce-looking girl with a maroon jacket over her shoulders. She had glossy black hair that descended down her back, and she looked forward with a piercing stare. She gave a malevolent grin, baring her sharp, white teeth.

"I wonder what you poor insects are looking for. If it's documents, then you're in for a long day. All that you'll typically find here are rocks and dust. But if you're really, really unlucky, you'll find me."