The Temple of Fire (1)
The rumbling connected to the source of fire echoed.
Like it would burst, it rose and rushed away again and again in a wild cycle.
Even the feeling of sliding into the veins of a fire giant’s body.
How much time had passed?
One solid mass of them appeared on the red marble.
Thud!
Most of all, Jed tumbled with a groan.
“Ouch! I thought I suddenly jumped into hot spring water!”
Even though she had never known heat, Heungmi fanned herself with a hand fan and continued.
“Ugh, seriously. It was incredibly hot. Ah! Baekya, be careful!”
Baekya, who had fallen last, was tucked under Rune’s body and flapped her white wings against the floor.
“Piyaak!”
Heungmi rushed to Rune in alarm and shouted.
“Baekya’s fallen on Rune-nim’s bottom!”
“…kyu.”
Rune rose and gently calmed the angry Baekya.
“Pii! Piiiii!”
“Kyyu.”
[Sorry, Baekya.]
Fortunately, Rune’s rising had released Baekya, who was as stuck as rice cake, back to her original form unharmed.
After the noisy cleanup, they looked around.
A red sky.
In the boiling lava bubbling and bursting, a bridge of red marble lay.
Beyond that, beyond the flames raging dangerously here and there, a red castle stood proudly.
“Ooh. The castle looks like the red sun shining.”
At Heungmi’s words, the others also nodded in agreement.
Even just staring made them feel like melting in the flickering red light.
Rune muttered without realizing it.
“Kyu.”
[This is the Temple of Fire that we heard about only in stories.]
Perdikion nodded with a stiff face.
“Kyuu.”
[Yeah. Usually even I couldn’t enter this place.]
Perdikion seemed refreshed too.
“Kyaak.”
[It’s a strange feeling. As a child, my father beat me saying I was the kind of kid who shouldn’t even step into this sacred temple.]
At those words, Rune replied.
“Kyyu.”
[But here we are. Brother.]
“Kya.”
[Yeah.]
Perdikion, who had waited for this moment, stayed silent for a while.
Then, seeing the door straight ahead, he stepped forward first.
“Kek.”
[Enter.]
Perdikion and the others stood before the door, and ancient words of fire rose into the air.
Only those with a proper purpose could enter, along with a warning that those without qualification could not.
Perdikion shouted proudly.
“Kya!”
[I, Ferdikion, son of Pasiyas, have come to receive the sacred trial of fire.]
The letters of the ancient language disappeared.
A moment later, the giant castle gate began to open.
Creak.
Kwoong!
Rune turned back and warned again.
“Kyyu.”
[I said earlier, there is no way to use this place other than fire power. It could be dangerous or get bounced back, so be careful.]
“Yes!”
“Byak!”
“Don’t worry!”
Heungmi, Baekya, and Jed answered in that order.
Perdikion entered first, followed by Rune.
As soon as he put his hand beyond the door, Rune felt a strange sensation.
“Something that would melt without even knowing it was hot.”
Rune waited for his senses to familiarize and stepped inside.
A castle made of fire metal where only fire lifeforms could stand.
The air itself swallowed and spat fire.
The red marble felt solid, yet it was as if the burning fire had frozen.
“This is the feeling.”
His body, his mind.
It made them sink into the fire.
“Kya.”
[First gate.]
A door made of fire marble.
Next to it, perhaps for guidance, ancient letters were written.
Since the boiling ground is like the sea, those visiting the temple must dip their feet and purify their bodies.
Rune mulled over the sentence.
“The meaning is clear, but…….”
Raising his eyes, he saw a river of red lava without a single bridge.
“Kyak.”
[I’ll go first.]
Perdikion, in his hatchling form, fearlessly plunged his body into the flowing lava.
Then he scrunched his face.
“…kyu.”
[Brother, is it hot?]
“Kek!”
[No! But you guys will have it rough.]
With a face as if sweating profusely, Perdikion made a determined face.
And he spoke in a tense tone.
[Just coming this far is very grateful. You all wait here.]
While trembling with heat, Perdikion strode forward.
Rune stared at Perdikion blankly.
“He’s overdoing it.”
Even though Perdikion was not yet an adult, his scales shone redder.
“Kyu.”
[If that kid is hot, we can’t just cross.]
Even the scales of the fire dragon clan were scorching, so perhaps the others would also have to accept burns.
Meanwhile, unable to resist curiosity, Jed touched the lava and leaped with a cry.
“Icky! It’s hot! Jed is flying! Hoo! Huuk!”
“Mr. Jed! My hand! My hand!”
Rune watched Heungmi blow on Jed’s reddened hand and waited until he calmed down.
And then he pondered.
“A way to cross here.”
While waving his hands frantically, Jed put his right hand over his eyebrow and looked at the far-away Perdikion.
“Whoa, you went far. You’ve already gotten really small. I guess we have no choice but to wait here, huh?”
At those words, Rune looked at Jed.
“Kyyuu.”
[We have to follow.]
“Yeah, but it’s a shame to give up here…….”
Smacking his lips, Jed made a regretful face.
For Jed, it was only natural since he had no idea when he would come to the Temple of Fire again.
“Pii?”
Baekya tilted her head and flew freely over the lava.
Seeing that, Rune thought of a good way.
“Kyuhu.”
[There is one way.]
Most of all, Jed reacted.
“Yes? Really?”
Heungmi and Baekya also turned their attention to Rune.
Rune nodded in response and stared hard at the red hatchling walking without looking back.
The trial was indeed a trial, yet it was swept up in enormous flames and then continued toward the other side.
“Kyyu.”
[That kid won’t do. It’s too far to call him now.]
Heungmi asked.
“Rune-nim. Then can we all go together?”
“Kyu.”
[Yeah.]
Rune answered calmly, and Jed asked in a sly tone.
“Don’t tell me you’re leaving me behind?”
Instead of answering, Rune looked at Heungmi.
“Kyyu.”
[Heungmi.]
“Yes!”
“Kyyu.”
[Draw out your spirit.]
“Ong! Understood!”
Heungmi, raising her hand near her eyebrow like Jed, answered.
Her fox ears perked up, and Heungmi brought her hand to the red brooch.
“Everyone, come out!”
Shok!
Shok!
Shok!
Shok!
Shok!
The fire spirits, fire cats that answered Heungmi’s call appeared, swishing their long tails.
-Nyaang!
“Hehe. It itches, my spirit!”
Heungmi laughed merrily as she watched the spirit fly and brush past her body.
Rune told Heungmi.
“Please ask your spirits to take us across.”
“Yes! Everyone!”
At Heungmi’s call, the five fire cats looked at her.
“One for Rune-nim, one for Jed-ssi, three for Mr. Jed. I’ll do four and five!”
Shok shok!
Shok shok!
Shok!
The fire cats, understanding the words, moved agilely to Heungmi’s command.
-Nyaang!
-Nyaang!
Baekya flapped her wings and boldly took the lead.
“Kyaa! A cat bit me!”
The dwarf Jed was bitten like a toy by the third spirit and let out a bizarre scream.
Rune looked at Jed and advised.
“Kyu.”
[If you struggle and fall, it would be more dangerous. Hold on a bit.]
Jed made a hee sound and wailed.
“No, that kid’s licking my back with his tongue?! It looks like a fierce beast that wants to bite with its teeth raised!”
“……”
Even though it was a spirit, it seemed influenced by Heungmi, the beastkin demon.
Still, he was too fussy.
Rune offered some consolation as advice.
“Kyyuu.”
[Even if a tiger, no, a manticore bites, as long as your mind stays clear, there’s a saying that you can survive.]
Unfortunately, it didn’t work much for Jed.
“Kkueut! Hju mndeu neukkeumhi neumeu hiseungheun di dee…….”
“Rune-nim! Mr. Jed said, ‘But the feeling is too weird.’”
Heungmi added a kind interpretation, but the situation didn’t improve.
“Kyu.”
[Just go. If the third spirit struggles, tell it to bite firmly instead.]
“Yes!”
At that, Jed gathered all his strength and stiffened his body.
His toes trembled, but.
“Kyu.”
[Then let’s go.]
-Nyaang!
The fire cats other than the third one cried out as if in chorus.
And they began to run lightly over the lava.
Heungmi shouted like a child on a roller coaster.
“It’s fun!”
With fire attribute strengthened and the protection of fire spirits, the hellish lava pool felt like a warm ondol floor.
Even flying in the air, it was very comfortable.
“Kiyohot! Kyauu!”
Jed screamed in a bizarre way like someone in the hell of itching, but.
And Rune, passing Perdikion’s back, said.
“Kyyu.”
[Brother, come quickly.]
“Kya?”
[Rune?]
Perdikion, looking at the sky with a puzzled face, barely managed to avoid being swept by the lava waves after getting distracted.
“Kyak!”
And he reached the second gate, passing the lava where flames shot up quickly.
“Kek, kaak.”
[Rune, if you thought of this, you should have told me.]
Perdikion, having crossed with lava and fire waves, said while panting.
At those words, Rune replied awkwardly.
“Kyyuu.”
[Sorry, brother. I thought of it while watching Baekya.]
“Pii?”
Perhaps thinking it was about the story, the white bird tilted her head above Rune’s head.
Heungmi added.
“Yes. When Perdikion-nim was already getting this small, you told us.”
Jed, who had crouched on the ground because his body itched, also joined in.
“That’s right. Seeing that this Jed almost got burned by his hand, I thought and told you, so please don’t be too upset, Perdikion-nim.”
Perdikion furrowed his brows but nodded.
“Kya, kya.”
[Good job. I wasn’t about to say anything anyway, so don’t mind.]
“Kyyu.”
[Yeah, I get it.]
“Yeah, I only did the hard work alone.”
Since Rune knew he had just grumbled, he answered with an innocent smile.
Now the second gate needed to be opened ten times.
“Kyyu.”
[We’re ready, brother.]
Perdikion turned to Rune, nodded, and looked back at the door.
Kugugugu.
Perdikion’s front paw touched the door.
And the sight that appeared, everyone’s mouth opened wide.
Kwaaaaraa!
Lava pouring down like a waterfall from all sides blinded their eyes.
It looked like a terrible hell and also like a sacred home of fire.
Only those with true truth open their door.
“……”
“……”
“……”
True crisis.
All eyes turned to Jed.
“Eh? Why are you all looking at me?”
With four pairs of eyes fixed on him, Jed asked in confusion.
