Upon reaching the topic of Ashok Obsidian, the master smith’s expression changed drastically, his volume increased as he explained. “Why don’t you follow me tonight? Meteor metal is too sturdy to be melted by conventional lava. I must forge it with my own energy on top of that volcano!” the master smith said slowly. “No problem!” Zephyr lit up, unable to reject this offer.

Nighttime came by fast.

Under the escort of the town guards, Zephyr and the master smith made their way to Mount Ashok. They had already felt the intense heat from the base of the volcano, feeling much like they were in an oven. Near Mount Ashok, be it stones or plants, all carried a crimson hue. A possible cause being the intense heat.

“You lot can stay here. Assessing your current level, it would be difficult for you to withstand the high temperatures further on up,” the smith said. Upon hearing this, the guards could not help but glance at Zephyr, and wondered if a young man such as himself could be far superior to them. However, upon remembering the things Zephyr had done, they quickly realized the old smith was not kidding.

The master smith was a straightforward albeit crude person. An honest man, one which left Zephyr at ease. The two of them started their journey up the mountain. When they were halfway up, a sudden gust of wind came down, carrying much heat, much hotter than at the foot of the mountain. Zephyr felt his skin burn and boil from the wind, and he quickly used the Way to shield himself whilst absorbing some of it too.

‘What heat! It’s already much hotter than normal lava, and this was just a breeze brought on us by the wind!’ Zephyr thought, alarmed by the greatness of the mountain he currently stood on. “According to legend, Mount Ashok was the final resting place of a great phoenix. Phoenixes never truly die after all, they will only be in slumber, awaiting to be reborn one day. In its slumber, it churn and as it churns, came forth Mount Ashok!” the old smith relayed. “Master smith, is this legend true?” Zephyr asked curiously. “Does it matter?” the smith shook his head.

When the two of them reached the top of the volcano, a great gust of hot air blew at them. The earth trembled beneath their feet, the volcano churned and lava violently spurted erratically, each drip looked as though it had a life of its own. This was no ordinary lava, in fact, it could be made to be a stronger and hotter type. The volcano gurgled and rumbled, suddenly a great surge of energy came up, the volcano had burst a lava bubble. The lava spout looked like a dragon, ready to burst forth from its fiery restraints, yet it had something keeping it at bay.

The master smith’s expression changed to a serious one, “Were this beast to explode, all of Starlight would disappear. None would be able to withstand nature’s wrath!” Zephyr grimaced, thinking to himself, ‘Huh… that sure is something.’

Zephyr looked at the lava below, before sending forth a small stream of energy, reaching out to touch it. As his energy connected with the lava, he heard a great roar which shattered his spirit.