“Uh…Pyre Knight?” I said, staring at the copper-haired woman who looked like she was all of…maybe twenty years old. “Well, pardon my ignorance, ma’am, but what is that?”

Now, I might not’ve had much in the way of a classic mama—you know, in the traditional sense, bounced around as I was from foster to foster—but I’d been fortunate enough to have been raised with some manners. Julia and Mona, in particular, had always tried to make sure I was a proper gentleman when talking to women—so, even though I was standing there in front of a gal who looked like she was three seconds away from cutting me down, I couldn’t help but try to put on the charm.

The woman—the Pyre Knight, I guess—leveled her gaze on me, raising an eyebrow like she thought I was some kind of alien. I mean, I was, in a sense, so…good on her, I guess, if that’s where her mind was. She looked me up and down and then sneered.

“Your ignorance is noted, but not pardoned,” she said finally.

Well, that’s kinda rude…

“Further, I don’t believe it is my duty to inform you of what I am—though I admit to being a bit intrigued that one of your lineal pedigree would be so ill-informed of something so rudimentary.”

Well, that was a lot of words for a little bit of a statement, I had to think.

“Pardon—again, my ignorance—but I weren’t exactly reared in the traditional fashion,” I said, flashing a wide grin and trying to just steamroll on through with force of personality if I could. “I’m Leo, by the way. Leo Trask—that second part you already knew, though. Nice to meet you.”

“Lio?” Pyre Knight woman asked, smirking. “The scion of Clan Trask is a daughter, then?”

Oh, right…lady name.

“I’ll admit, it’s a bit irregular,” I said. “Just a nickname, though. I assure you, though, ma’am, it’s a man here standing in front of you. Got it on good authority too, considering I’ve been referred to as ‘son of the Bog’ a time or two.”

Her eyes danced with a cold amusement. I got the sense like I was trussed up in front of a predatory creature—like a cat spying a particularly foolish mouse.

“So…” I said, trying to adopt a relaxed posture. “What, uh, is your name, then—if you don’t mind me asking?”

The woman was silent again for a moment, then sighed, and…did she roll her eyes a little?

Yeah, definitely impolite.

“I am of Clan Bolcan, Trask—that is the extent of what you will wrest from me.”

"Clan Bolcan, huh?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant but my mind was racing. Bolcan wasn't a name or even a word I recognized, but then again, my knowledge of this place weren’t much deeper than a puddle in a pothole. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.”

I glanced at her sword again, still exposed to me, and swallowed.

“So, you part of this Trial then? Or just out here for a leisurely stroll in the swamp?"

"Part of the Trial?" The woman spat—almost amused at the notion, her voice taking on a tone that suggested she found the whole damn idea preposterous. "I am here of my own volition. I wanted to see the returned twig of the Trask tree for myself, to judge his merit."

I raised my eyebrows, slightly taken aback by her candidness.

"Ah, I see. So, this is more of a... personal inspection, then?" I ventured, trying to keep the mood light despite her apparent seriousness.

She nodded, her gaze still piercing.

"Your lineage holds significance, and your return has been... observed. It's only natural to assess whether the heir to the Clan's legacy holds any of the virtues that title demands."

I couldn't help but think how abrasive she was, prickly even.

Probably ain’t getting invited to a lot of parties, in any case.

"Well, I appreciate the interest," I said, bolting a smirk on my face despite the way her ‘tude was making me feel. "I’ve a mind to always enjoy a good ol’ fashioned evaluation."

Her expression didn't change. "Pretense does not become you, but, you have been placed on notice, Leo Trask.”

“Well, that’s better,” I said, unable to help myself. “See? Weren’t so hard, huh? Saying my name. Like good neighbors. I take it you’re from…a different region? Strata, I think they call it?”

She scowled.

“Is your history so truly lacking?” She pondered, then she shook her head. “It is embarrassing.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I said. “Leo Trask—professional clown. Always putting my foot in my mouth, and such. So…”

“Yes, if your scope is so painfully immature, I will play at illuminating you—I am from Réimsí Dóiteáin, what you might be tempted to call, ‘the Inferno Fields.’”

“I…inferno Fields?!” I said. “Like…hell? You a demon or something?”

She sighed, and I’ll admit, that made me feel even sillier than before—but can you blame me? I’m not stupid—I don’t think so anyway—but, come on, magic world, now, folks. You can’t think it would be a stretch to assume something like that is possible, right?

“Incorrect,” she said simply—though it almost seemed like I could see a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You have the esteemed honor to be speaking with the Magma Warden, Trask. The Inferno Fields exist…a ways away, one of the sixteen Strata of Valdrimoria.”

“Why, uh…why’s it called that?”

“I would imagine it is because of the scores of volcanic terrain, wouldn’t you?”

I just stared at her.

“Well, ma’am, I didn’t rightly know that—been gone for a spell, haven’t I? Don’t know much about the landscape here in the world.”

You know…I didn’t really appreciate the way she’d been speaking to me so far—really unfriendly—and I’m a friendly sort of guy, I reckon. She was making it difficult to stay that way with her icy attitude—ironic considering where she claimed to be from. Still, though, I was going to mind myself for the moment. Not just ‘cause I still thought it was important to show a modicum of good nature due to how I was raised, but mostly because something told me she knew precisely how to use that blade hanging on her hip and would slice me into bacon strips before I could so much as shout. So, I’d hold my tongue, let her have her fun at my expense. For now.

“Volcanoes, though?” I continued. “Like…real ones? Damn, I ain’t ever seen one of those up close—what’s it like?”

This, at least, seemed to melt a little of the frost in her communication, she smiled, still slightly though it was there, and relaxed her shoulders. Now we’re gettin’ somewhere!

“It is a beauty unrivaled, Trask,” she began, her voice softening just a touch, betraying a hint of pride. "The land is alive, ever-changing. The ground rumbles with the power of the earth, and the air is thick with the scent of sulfur and ash."

She paused for a moment, as if lost in thought. "The sky glows with the light of the lava flows, painting the horizon in shades of orange and red. It's as if the land itself is on fire, an endless dance of destruction and creation."

I listened, fascinated despite myself.

"Sounds pretty…intense. Dangerous, too, I'd bet."

"Dangerous, yes, but also invigorating," she replied. "Living there, you learn to respect the power, to adapt and survive in an environment that is as harsh as it is beautiful. It molds you, makes you strong."

Her gaze drifted off into the distance, and for a moment, I thought I saw a glint of something like nostalgia in her eyes. But then it was gone, and she was the stoic Pyre Knight again.

"But enough of that," she said briskly, snapping back to the present. "You have your own path to tread, Trask. The Inferno Fields and their challenges are mine to bear."

I nodded, understanding.

"Sounds like you're pretty well-suited for it, though. The Magma Warden, was it? Bet that's a story in itself."

"Perhaps," she allowed, a flicker of a smile crossing her lips. "But that is not your concern. As I said, I came to see if you merited the title of your forebears.”

I tightened the grip on my club.

“So...what now? We gonna, like, duel…or something?”

The woman snorted derisively.

“Hardly,” she said. “Coming into your familial domain would be a foolish battleground to choose—were I even interested in that sort of…task. Regardless, I could not strike at you for now while you partake in your Trial—the Boglands would not allow that sort of interference. No, mine is merely an…academic pursuit. To know one’s enemies is to peer into the future.”

“Yeah…sure,” I said. “But, honestly, I ain’t got any ill-will for you, Ms. Bolcan—the opposite in fact. I think you’re quite a lovely person.”

She scoffed.

“Then you are a fool,” she said. “An outlook such as that will result in your swift death.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” I said. “But, hey, at least I’ll die with a smile on my face and an extended hand of friendship.”

She shook her head, but I continued before she could voice more issues with my intelligence and demeanor.

“Besides…what about the Nine Emperors?” I asked. “Ain’t they the real enemies? Shared ones, if I understood things clearly.”

“You clearly know little of the Nine if you would so flippantly invoke them. What is your point, Trask?”

“My point,” I said, “is that there’s something to the adage of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ dontcha think? If they’re trying to wipe us out, wouldn’t it make more sense to band together?”

This was the first time I’d heard her laugh, and I didn’t like it one bit. It was a cruel sounding thing, full of mockery. I ignored it and let her get it out of her system.

“Surely you jest,” she said. “You think that you would be capable of any manner of defending yourself against them? The Nine Emperors? That is a preposterous notion. Right now they are likely watching you even more closely than I, waiting for your failure in the Trial so that they might invade the Boglands uncontested. Even if you were to pass, that is when the true challenge will begin for you, Trask. They despise weakness.”

“Who’s weak, now?” I said, unable to help the anger that suddenly bubbled into my voice.

“You,” she said. “Was that not clear?”

I paused—I mean, I had to—because I was right on the edge of saying something real stupid that would probably get my head stabbed. I took a long second to wrangle myself in before I spoke again. But…

Sorry, Julia. Mona. I tried being a gentleman.

“I ain’t weak,” I said, letting a little bit of flint out. “I’m sorry, ma’am—Ms. Bolcan—but you don’t know me very well. If anyone—and I mean anyone—tries to wander in here thinking they’re going to have an easy go of messing with me, then they’re sorely misinformed. I might not seem like much right now, but that’s alright. People can have their opinions. But I don’t back down. And I ain’t a quitter.”

I took a breath.

“I haven’t considered myself havin’ much skin in the game so far since I arrived, but make no mistake—if beating this Trial—and I will beat it—is what it takes to roll some silly bullies, then that’s what I’m going to do. When I’m done here, ain’t nobody going to be saying Leo Trask is weak. Not by a long shot.”

I let that sorta hang, mostly because I couldn’t say anything else or I knew I’d get the business-end of her blade—but that was alright. I’d said enough. Maybe not enough for her, but enough for me. My mouth had suddenly sprouted a mind of its own, it seemed. I wasn’t lying. This was all just sort of a ‘make the best of it’ situation up until now. But, man, I tell you: nothing tweaks my whiskers quite like being told I can’t do something. So I guess I was going to have to finish this trial now, huh?

“Hm,” the Pyre Knight said, quietly contemplating my words.

“Yep…” I said, feeling like the situation was awkward now.

“Very well, Trask,” the woman said, shrugging. “You may profess as you wish. It’s of little consequence to me. I suppose we will see if you do pass the Trial, and then, beyond that, what opportunities the Nine Emperors take. Until then…”

She nodded.

“Carry on,” she said then.

“Yeah, you t—” I started, but there was a snapping sound and suddenly she was gone. I caught the faint smell of sulfur in her passing, and it caused me to wrinkle my nose.

“Yuck,” I said. “Teleportation in the Inferno Fields is a stinky business.”

Well, there was nothing much else for it, I supposed. I had made a lot of bold claims in the last couple minutes that I was now going to have to see through to the end. That couldn’t happen, though, unless I got back to the task as hand. So, turning back to the trees I lifted my hand to my mouth.

“Heeeeeere Verndari! Come on, boy!”