Grey (Random scene)

The heat in the air around the volcano intensified the closer they got to the opening, until finally Grey was the only one still walking. He saw the skin of his hand turn bright pink, then red, and blisters formed across his knuckles as he watched. As the desire began forming in his head, the blisters faded away and his skin returned to a normal color once again. 1

He smacked himself mentally; if he kept letting his power trigger unintentionally like that, he would soon completely lose control of it altogether. Finally, he realized he didn't need the demon king's protection from the fire. If he'd been able to manipulate flame while the demon's gift was subdued, that meant he could do it without the cursed magic and its cost.2

When he began walking again, though the heat only grew worse the closer he got, he was able to continue on without even a sign of discomfort. The small entrance glowed brightly, and though he remained unharmed, the bottoms of his shoes seemed to hiss every time they touched the ground. 3

Soon, the tunnel led to a large, natural chamber in the volcano. Streams of molten fire threaded across the ground in random patterns, and the cave seemed to resonate with the pressure from the heat. In the center of the chamber, a large young man with dark hair stood facing away from him. He wore no shirt, only tattered pants, yet while his skin was very flushed from the heat, he was also seemingly unaffected by the heat. 4

The man turned to face him suddenly, and Grey saw for the first time that he was also barefoot; his feet were half submerged in the lava.5

Grey stood facing him in silence for a moment before asking, “Why are you here?”6

The man's eyes were an almost auburn shade of brown, and seemed to beg for help. “This is the only safe place for me now, I can't leave here,” he said in a rough, but desperate kind of way.7

“Are you making this mountain erupt?” Grey asked, confused. He was supposed to defeat the spirit of fire here, he'd followed all of the signs.8

“I can't.. make it stop anymore, I'm sorry,” the man said, the tears on his cheeks instantly turning to steam. 9

The heat became much more intense suddenly, and the air fairly cracked. Grey's coat caught fire, and the flames swept across him hungrily, spreading across his skin but not harming him. The man's eyes seemed to glint strangely suddenly as he watched, and when he spoke again, it was as if another person was speaking through him.10

“A magic user? Your little shields can't stop Me, I was born to consume!” 11

The man's eyes seemed red now, but not like Brand's; it was as if the fire wasn't reflected, but rather Was in his eyes. He raised one hand, palm facing up, towards Grey, and bent to kiss it. As Grey watched warily, the strange man, now even stranger, blew the kiss to him; as he blew, a brilliant wave of flame surged outwards, engulfing Grey completely.12

The man laughed, still in that odd tone of voice, until through the smoke he saw Grey, still standing there, what was left of his clothes smoldering but otherwise still fine.13

The man stared for a long moment, in disbelief, and then his eyes widened.14

“You bear the witch's mark?! And it gives you power over flame.. Interesting,” the man said, with a sigh, “surely you've figured out what I am by now?”15

“No,” answered Grey, “I would say the Soul of Flame, only you're a living person.”16

“You are right, of course; though it's been centuries since I've chosen a worthy host, a fragment of My soul is passed down through some bloodlines, and when a worthy one matures, that fragment settles in them. If I choose to bestow Myself upon that one, he will survive his gift. This boy is one of those, and he's survived surprisingly long.”17

“What happens now, since you can't kill me?” Grey asked, still unsure of where this was going.18

“Through a loophole, you have defeated Me; fire is not fair, but that does not diminish the destruction it can cause. Your ability could potentially let you control Me, so rather than that, I will give you what you came for,” said the man, coming closer to Grey as he spoke.19

“I came for You,” he said slowly, “so how do you plan on giving me yourself if I'm not one of these worthy hosts you mentioned?”20

“I will give Myself over to the boy, and he will then contain My complete soul. Since I planned on passing him over, in exchange for his life he will follow you, until such a time as he chooses otherwise,” replied the man with a small smile.21

Suddenly, the man's eyes faded back to their regular shade, and he fell to his knees. Instantly, the pools of lava hardened into rock, and the heat lessened dramatically.22

Grey held his hand out, and said “My name is Grey, what's yours?”23

The man looked up, and this time, when he spoke, his voice was the same as before.24

“I'm Ruben,” he said. “I.. understand the deal you made, and I can come with you, I can control it now,” he said with a great smile.