Of anywhere in the mountains to end up, why did it have to be here? The desert sands were trying to climb up the mountain side here and the stones were blackened with fire. There had been a community here, nestled within these harsh rocks. The sand storm that had seared her this way had blown itself out against the mountains, unable to find passage to the other side here. Ornell let the wrap about her head and face fall loosely around her shoulders more like a mantle now then a mask. The rest of her clothing was mostly in gray fabric, excluding her bardic armor, and two blades were sheathed on her hip. She had her bag, her spellbook, and plenty of food and water, more then she felt was needed! They had insisted though, which she found very funny. Why The Burning Fists were like that, she really didn't know. It was like they thought it was their responsibility to take care of her when she knew it was the other way around. She was getting better at traveling through the desert now, but this wasn't really part of the desert. Either way, she started to climb up the blackened rocks. Who knew, someone else or something else may have taken up residency here in the caves.

This was where she had found The Burning Fists, the group she had so easily adopted, and been adopted by. She found that they had a very harsh life here, after living it herself for some time. She had never mentioned her rank or title to them. They had thought her as lost and took her in. She had become one of them and she wanted to keep that. The fact that they were dieing out here though... that was what had made her tell them the truth and how they all ended up in the Temple of Fire with her. Now they had been scattered with the loss of the temple, though she was hoping to gain it back. That would take some work though now that she wasn't an Avatar and Lady Era was gone. She adored them, The Burning Fists, they were her friends, her family. This place now... now it was so very empty. Perhaps though, perhaps something else could be found here.

Falcas cursed colorfully as he hiked the path, using a fair-sized stick. His the useage of his rather broad vocabulary in this area was largely due to a stubbed toe, a result of dwarven impatience when he had discovered a shortcut, only to discover it ending up in a dead end, courtesy of a large rock. In his anger, he had kicked it and began taking chips out of it with his morning star. Fortunately for him, however, his star ricoched off and broke a cluster of roots, revealing another passeageway. Angered and humbled, he had torn his way through the knots of roots and made his way through the tunnel.

He had exited a quarter mile ago, long enough to dry the clay-ridden water into a fine layer of clayish powder on his beard. he ran his stubby hand through the forest of red-brown hair on his chin, atempting to straighten the clumps of hair. He spat and pulled himself up the last reach of trail to find a sandy area, with seared rocks. He paused momentarily to ooh and aah, before continuing by. He nearly passed the woman standing in the area.

He paused, bent over to catch his breath, and spotted a pair of feet nearby. He jumped to his feet, pulling his morning star free of it's straps and buckles, swinging it with ease. It gave off a low thrum, a soothing sound to his ears. Seeing she meant no harm, his arm slackened, the ball and chain hitting the ground with a dull thump.

"What's a nice woman such as you doing in such a harsh climate?" He laughed heartily, reaching for his flask of mead.

Ornell stood looking around, wondering if they would have to come back here now. She didn’t want to bring them back, but there was more shelter here than in the open desert. The Burning Fist deserved better than this scorched bit of earth. She would find them a place, a place to call home that wasn’t like this, not like this… Ornell’s spirits were low and she felt almost bitter. She knew why Lady Era had left and there had been no way to know that those odd lizards would take over the place so quickly. They were probably aligned with the Smith in the mountain… He was like she was now. She wondered if she should pay him back for what he had done, even though it had backfired on him so badly…

A sound broke her train of thought and Ornell turned to see a dwarf. Her hand had flown to her blade at the sound, but she let her arm relax, her hand dropping once more to her side. He was busy himself, going on about something. He had clearly been traveling for a bit, as he paused to take a breather. She waited, wondering if perhaps he was blind or something. Just as that thought crossed her mind, he saw her and greeted her with the oddest little phrase. Well, he must be tiered then as he’s not blind exactly.

“I’m not such a nice woman.” She said a little sharper then she had intended. She had just been plotting an attack on one of her own after all, though Smith was not one of The Burning Fist he was still her kin, more so then anything else on this plane. Ornell sighed and looked away from the dwarf. “Sorry, I’m not in the best of moods. As far as the climate, I find it rather nice with the exception of the occasional sand storm. I was heading for Therab, but it seems that such a sand storm decided to adjust my course a bit.” She turned her gaze back to the dwarf. “So do you have a destination in mind sir?”

Falcas winked. "Yer nicer than ye might think. Fer a Giant, that is." He chuckled pleasantly. He enjoyed the company of the larger folk, stereotypical views of dwarves or not. After all, several thought he himself was like the other shorter-folk, all buisness and no play. He had left the mountains of his own adventorous spirit, after all. And he enjoyed a drink or two. or ten.

When the girl mentioned Therab he couldn't help himself. "Bwahahaha. A funny lass ye are. Therab and sandstorms. Funny stuff, that." He wiped a tear from his eye, until he noticed she was not joking. "Yer dead serious, aren't yer?" He said in a somewhat wondrous tone. "Tough or barking mad." He muttered to himself quite loudly. He was a very opinionated dwarf, and did not care what others thought of it.

She called him sir, and Falcas grunted. "I'm not much fer titles myself. Call me Falcas, if yer like." He winked and bowed. The action brought his hand around near enough his flask to grasp it with three stubby fingers. He plucked it from his belt and sloshed the contents around curiously. "So what'l i be calling yerself, if i might ask?" He smiled and took a swig of the mead, savoring the flavor while he contemplated her last question.

"Nowhere in particular in mind, mostly wandering, visiting the place of me past." He held a hand to his heart and looked to the sky, saying the last bit with grandeur, as if proclaming the place a kingdom of the greatest king of all time.

With a wink, he offered her the flask. "Want a gulp?" He asked, not wanting to appear rude.

Jasmine sit atop Calphurnia in mid flight, scanning the rugged mountains below. She, along with her mighty phoenix, was on her regular hunt and patrol of her territory. The Gwilkith Mountain Range recently became her home and she had grown fond of it. The range gave her the freedom to better her fire skills and was close enough to Istan when she had the urge to shed blood. With leather strapped tight and katana safely sheathed at her hip, she held fast to Calphurnia. The air was warm and smelled of faint smoke and ash. Therub was not far off.

At first there was nothing to be aware of save a few small birds that the fire bird caught in the air. The phoenix did not see or hear anything that would be any kind of threat to them and began to change coarse, heading back to the volcano. Just as they had made their turn, both Jasmine and Calphurnia spotted the strangest thing. A dwarf and a girl stood on the path that lead to the burning volcano. Jasmine was both shocked and angered to see an actual living being in her territory. She slowed her flight and began to descend. She was curious as to what would happen, and would not hesitate to question their motives, either by their will or by her force.

Jasmine leapt of her bird of fire before they landed. She never liked her landings; they were too rough and jolty for her. They were less than fifty yards away, a safe should they decide to attack without warning. Jasmine closed the distance and stopped with several yards of them when she felt it was safe. She had one hand on her katana and the other ready to cast any spells if needed. There was no room for mistakes out here in the mountain range; it would only result in death.

The two of them looked a little worn. They must have been traveling for some time which made Jasmine all the more suspicious. Why would they be wandering the mountains? Did they have a purpose in coming here? Were they sent to destroy her? There many questions raised in her mind. She would have to get answer now.

“Well looky what we have here. A lil’ boy with an ugly face, and a weakling girl. What you be doing in my mountains?”

Jasmine looked them up and down. The dwarf looked an easy fight, but there was something about the girl that made Jasmine uneasy. She could not put her finger on it, but the girl had something that Jasmine was curious to find out about.

Ornell smiled slightly at the dwarf's offer and said in what she hoped was a gentle tone, "Thank you for the offer, but it is something that clearly fogs one's thoughts. I didn't think that a change of armor and not being with my dragon would make me appear that different. Guess I was wrong. We've already met Falcas. I'm Ornell. If you don't mind though, I don't plan on lingering here long. I'm looking for some friends." She tucked a stray bit of her ash gray hair back behind her ear and was about to turn back up the path to the volcano.

A light caught her attention, a phoenix? Her stance shifted as she turned to face the bird and rider. The woman who approached had an air about her, one that made Ornell inclined to see Falcas on his way. Drinking might make him a bit too bold for this. This feeling was only confirmed when the woman spoke. A smile tugged at the corner of Ornell's mouth as she chose her own words in reply.

"My dear girl, it appears your sight is rather weak. Most likely from riding atop such a fine creature." Ornell's gaze shifted to the bird and inclined her head to it in greeting. "If your eyes can not take such light it is unfair to make them suffer so. I do believe there are some healers in Taras who might be able to repair the damage before you've lost your sight completely. Loosing one's sight for such foolish reasons is such a waist." Ornell turned her back on Jasmine as she added, "I was just parting ways with this fine dwarf on my way to Therab. Just passing through." Ornell waved over her shoulder, looking back out of the corner of her eye to make sure she wasn't going to have to intervene on the dwarf's behalf.

Falcas snarled at the newcomer, disliking her instantly. "Little boy? ah, ye poor lass. Yer obviously blinded by the pride of yer bird." He sneered. "Yer know, i've no quarrel with hittin a woman."

He spat at her feet. He was ready to fight now, mace in one hand, Thumper in the other. The head of the enchanted morningstar bobbed, bursting into flame. He grinned, ready to charge.

He dropped his guard momentarily when Ornell spoke. "Ah, Ornell you misguided girl. Are ye askin me to step down from a fight? Ye should know better than to ask such a thing." He smiled at her. She was a powerul woman, he knew that.

He wondered why she would ask him to leave. surely she thought he was strong enough to handle it. A laugh came fom him as he thought if it was the mead. "Bah, it'll take more'n a couple drinks to get me
drunk, lass." He grinned.

Jasmine’s eyes began to glow red from the insult. She hated to be talked down even though she did it to others all the time. Fire burned within her soul that very moment, threatening to burst without. She had a very bad temper and it was about to be unleashed. Her hair burned with small flames and light smoke started to rise from her skin. Jasmine would have unleashed her fury right then and their if she was not so curious about the girl. She looked down to the little dwarf and smiled in spite of herself.

“I don’t be thinking a fight between you an me be wise thing to do right now little one.”

She looked up at the girl and studied her a brief moment. Jasmine thought as to what it might be about the girl. Magic was the most logical answer. It was a magic that Jasmine did not know. A new magic. Jasmine was half Fire Genasi and could sense others of her kind, but this was throwing off her senses. This girl that stood before her was no Fire Genasi at all but somehow Jasmine could sense that she was kin to the element of fire. It was an odd thing for Jasmine to think about, as fire was a natural thing to her, a part of her.

A warm wind pushed at Jasmine’s back, racing toward Therab. The girl turned her back on her and mentioned that she was headed that way. Jasmine would have to be smart about this. The nearest civilization was miles and miles from here. If Jasmine were to get hurt up here in these mountains, her chance of survival would be slim. She would have to play it out for now. She would find out what she needed to find out and then she would strike them down.

“Me sight be not blind, little girl. You say you be making way to the Great Therab. I meh be of assistance. The path leading there can be….. What’s the word….. Treacherous. Take my help or let the mountains destroy you.”

Jasmine let go of her sheathed katana. This was time since she could remember that she offered help to someone.

Ornell turned her attention back to her path when she saw that the woman was not picking a fight. Why everyone thought her so young though was odd. She was much older then this body, even if it had been reborn from the ashes of her once Divinity, she had given that up. Such strange people. She paused as the woman offered, well... threatened, to aid her on her way. Ornell stopped where she was and turned about. She took a slight mental note of the woman's appearance, but didn't find it a threat.

"If the point of this journey was only to get to Therab I would have been and gone already. I wouldn't have even bothered crossing the desert. I'm sure these mountains can't be worse then the Dragonspine, which I have crossed more then once. I'm looking for something though, and hoping not to find any signs of it, so no thank you. Besides, why would I accept the help of someone who is so insistent on insulting me? Help I do not want, nor do I need." She turned back around, flipping up the fabric about her shoulders up over her head so it lay like a hood, and started back on her way.

She was looking for the scattered members of the Burning Fist, upset that the temple had fallen so quickly after Era had left. She was worried she would find some here, clinging to their old home, but it didn’t look like any of them had come this way. She wasn’t about to explain that though. Why should she?

The fire within Jasmine’s eyes returned to a deep orange, and the smoke on her skin lightly clouded the air around her. Jasmine was not used to being insulted by people who stood right before her. It was also very angering for some one to refuse the little help that Jasmine so rarely offered. Jasmine was so confident that the elf girl would accept her help. All calm left her and her blood boiled. Jasmine lifted up her hand in the direction that elf girl was. The molecules in the air rotated in rapid movement which caused a spark to ignite, which in turn fed the fire ball that would soon find the girl’s back. At the same time Jasmine was unsheathing her katana. She would not even give her warning, nor pay attention to the dwarf standing in front of her.

The moment the fire became a full orb, Jasmine cast toward the girl, sending it for the center of her back. She was grinning now, taken over by her thirst for blood. She had all sanity and reason. There was only one thing that mattered to her now and it was that these two die by her hands. The Fire Genasi within her wanted to wreak havoc and chaos all about the area. The aspect of that was very seducing.

With katana fully in hand now, Jasmine gave it a flick of her wrist and enchanted it with raw magic power. The blade began to glow a soft, pale purple. She could hear small crackles come from it, whispering hints of the magic that it wielded now. Jasmine was ready to destroy. She would not kill them, for death was only an escape to those who stroked her anger. Jasmine would make sure that they suffered greatly, that they spilled blood and moaned in pain and agony… it was all Jasmine could think of.

The ball of fire's aim was true. Ornell turned to see it, making it so that instead of hitting in the back where her wings were tucked snugly against her back under the fabric, it hit her square in the chest. She blinked in surprise, but didn't bother avoiding it. As it hit... nothing appeared to happend. Something had happened though, she had absorbed it. Ornell looked at the woman then and spoke with a nod. "If you wish." Ornell said calmly and put her makeshift hood back down around her shoulders.

She drew one of the two blades at her side, the vampric one with the lovly blade design, and hefted it her hand, looking at for a moment before both her hands lit on fire and that same fire raced up the blade of her weapon. There were a few reasons she favored that blade. It was a bit bigger then the other, which meant with some practace she would be able to wield them both, and this one returned health to her when ever she hit her target. With her free hand she called a small red stone out of her pocket to hover above the flames on her hand. With a slight movement she lightly tossed it into the air, where it hovered effortlessly about four feet from her left shoulder. It shifted color from red to a golden yellow. The ex-avatar shifted her stance to be ready for an attack, but did not advance herself. Any range attack she could use right now had a high chance of harming the dwarf who seemed eager to fight this woman.

Edit:
((OOC: Aww, Falcas got skipped! :( ))