I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Curiosity had pulled Natha back down into the ground where she'd first seen the river of fire. She worked her way into the cave opening then slowly she maneuvered down farther and farther. As she worked her way through it got hotter and hotter. Skæ had opted to guard the entrance rather than follow her down but Myskia clung quietly to her back as she travelled. Soon Natha emerged into a larger room. The familiar heat washed over her and she squinted at the bright light coming of a river of magma that glowed red hot and moved slowly through the earth. She shuddered, wondering why on earth she was back here again. Hadn't she said no creepy, dark spaces ever again?

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus had gotten lost. He was traveling north toward the battlefield using a path he didn't normally travel and now he'd gone and gotten himself turned around. Frustrated, with stormy weather on the horizon, Aureus sought out shelter. He noticed a cave entrance and slipped inside, looking for a place to ride out the storm. However, when the tunnel finally opened up into a room he found himself face to face with the magma. It paralyzed him. He could barely move as he stared at it. His heart raced and for a moment he wondered if he was some how beneath Mount Volkan. Was it going to blow again? Why was he just standing there?

He heard movement and immediately pressed himself up against the wall, wondering if some sort of monster was about to emerge. Instead it was a lynx. He eyed her for a moment before stepping out and clearing his throat. "I uh… do you know where we are?"

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha attempted to get closer to the river of magma. She moved gingerly and deliberately until the heat got to be too much for her to take. She tried not to imagine what it would be like to slip and fall in. As much as she hated water at least there was a chance you could survive it. She didn't see how anything could survive the magma.

She heard movement and her head whipped around as a large male wolf appeared. Her fur immediately stood on end but he didn't seem particularly interested in attacking her. "Hell's River. I couldn't tell you why its here though, or what it connects to. My name is Natha, who are you?" He had the scent of pack but it wasn't a pack that she recognized. Not that she knew many packs.

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

The cat frizzed up at the sight of him but she soon calmed and introduced herself as Natha. She stated that the place was called Hell's River. Huh, that seemed like an apt name for such a place. It still unnerved him that she didn't know for sure where it lead to. This could very well be the beating heart of Mount Volkan. He felt anger stir in his stomach. He wanted to stop that heart from beating. His eyes examined the rocky ceiling. How thick was it? Could he dig down and expose it to air? No, that was silly. He couldn't dig through solid rock but he hoped that maybe the fierce winter storms of the north could choke off the magma river. He had heard Griff mention explosives once before. Maybe he could find some way to shatter the rock. "It's well named. My name is Aureus, by the way. Do you think we're beneath Mount Volkan?"

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha shook her head. "No, we are not beneath Mount Volkan. That's quite a ways to the east yet but this may be one of the magma floes that feeds it. It's hard for me to say. The north has a lot of dormant volcanos… though the existence of this river makes me wonder how dormant they really are." She resisted the urge to shudder. Even though the volcano had happened before she arrived she did not care to ever experience one. She'd seen enough of the after math to get an idea of its destructive power.

Natha took a few more moments to examine the cavern and take in the stone walls and the heat of the place before deciding that this was enough. She didn't plan to ever be down here again. Besides, something about the other wolf bothered her. She could sense anger bubbling there, not anger at her but even so. "I've had enough of this place. You'd be better off seeking shelter in the mountains just north west of here." With that she slipped away, back into the dark tunnel that lead to clean, fresh air.

TIED TO WHAT IS LATE, AIN'T YOU NOW

Aureus felt some sense of relief that they were not directly under Mount Volkan but that relief was snatched immediately away. This could indeed still be a floe that fed it and if it didn't feed Mount Volkan it might feed another volcano. He felt his heart hammering and closed his eyes tightly to get a hold of himself. It was far to hot down here!

His ears perked up at the mention of there being some mountains that could offer shelter. He'd seen them in the distance but was uncertain how far away they really were. Maybe it would be worth a shot. As he thought about it he'd rather be swept up in a storm than stay down in this wretched heat. The cat left and Aureus was quick to follow. For the first time in a long time he felt compelled to pray.