Jasper had knelt a warrior, and now rose as a Champion.

"Take pride, Jasper," Lady Pele of the Eternal Flame declared once her divine light faded away. "Now blessed with my flame of victory and the blessing of the Longstrider, never again shall you know defeat!"

"Jasper!" His troops and fellow warriors sang across the cavern. "Jasper, Jasper, Jasper!"

"Thank you, milady," Jasper replied to the applause of the other magmorians, though he considered himself unworthy of this honor. However hard he had worked to make up for his previous failures, the shame still stuck to him like oil.

Lady Pele's Altar at the heart of Citadel Sapphire was a sight to behold. It took on the form of a towering cube of spiked iron on which stood a ruby statue overlooking the lava pools in which magmorian soldiers rested in between shifts. A greater number of soldiers had gathered today to witness their goddess and watch Jasper's introduction among the ranks of her Champions.

Jasper, like all magmorians, had been a follower of the Eternal Flame from which his entire race sprang from since birth. Nonetheless, he had always imagined its incarnation as fire incarnate and had been quite surprised when its goddess manifested in a form unlike the flames he had expected. Lady Pele's spirit instead chose a shape closer to that of human women, albeit with long hair of fire, a crown of flowers, and hands of magma. She radiated the same divine glow as wolf-faced Wepwawet, on top of a comforting warmth.

"I am ready to serve at your leisure, milady," Jasper promised, though his tone wavered. "However unworthy I am of this honor."

"That is for me to decide," Lady Pele replied imperiously. "I have no doubt you will perform admirably."

Jasper wasn't so sure, but he didn't dare defy his goddess' assessment. "Lady Pele, if I may ask you a question?"

It had been bugging him for a while and none had been able to answer him. He figured a goddess would know.

Lady Pele raised an eyebrow. "What is it, my faithful Champion?"

He cleared his throat and mustered his courage. "What is an olive?"

A short silence followed, with Lady Pele blinking a few times before answering. "It's a… fruit, I guess?" Her puzzled spirit stroked her chin. "I don't think it exists in this world though… or does it now?"

It didn't exist? Then why did that foreign god speak of an olive branch?! It didn't make any sense! Had that foul god Wepwawet been trying to mess with his mind all along?!

"Anyway, you have your answer," Lady Pele said as she dismissively waved her hand. "You may now resume your post."

Her spirit vanished afterwards, allowing Jasper to face his fellow magmorians. General Peridot, who had enjoyed a prime position in the audience, walked up to greet him.

"My most sincere congratulations, Jasper," General Peridot said as he patted his soldier's shoulder. "Only a handful of us have been deemed worthy to rise among Lady Pele's Champions."

"I still cannot believe it myself," Jasper confessed. The ranks of Lady Pele's Champions included the entire royal family of Lavaland, Vizier Malachite, and high-ranked figures like General Peridot himself. Jasper was little more than a flame surrounded by firestorms. "I do not understand what she sees in me."

"The same thing I do, I suppose," General Peridot replied. "Now come. There is someone else who wants to meet you."

Someone? Jasper clenched his jaw and followed his superior through the scorched shores of the underground magma chambers. The stench of sulfur filled the bowels of Citadel Sapphire while soldiers constantly patrolled its stone corridors or carried metal crates filled with supplies teleported straight from the capital. The magmorians' base crawled with activity, its kobold-run forges working at all times to sharpen weapons or carve armor with the Eternal Flame's symbol.

Fire Sultan Onyx had gathered quite the sizable force to take Verglane, more than Lavaland ever fielded against any other nation in the past. Magmorian soldiers, kobold auxiliaries, and magma wyrm mounts now awaited the order to march. Jasper had even heard a rumor that the army had contracted a powerful dragon to fight on its behalf, though he wasn't sure whether that was true or not.

Would that be enough? Jasper was a firm believer in his nation's military prowesses, but his defeat in Narc had tempered him. The werelings and their god were not to be underestimated. Moreover, he wondered if this invasion was necessary at all. While he wasn't foolish enough to doubt their goddess' orders, Verglane had been willing to lend them their magma chambers. Trying to take them by force sounded like a waste.

He suspected General Peridot shared his skepticism, but his superior kept his thoughts to himself.

General Peridot led Jasper outside into the fortress' courtyard, where dozens of royal magmorian janissaries in metal armor knelt in properly ordered lines. Jasper guessed that they escorted either Vizier Malachite for the inspection, or maybe Princess Bloodstone herself.

Instead, he saw her walking up to him, radiant and ethereal.

"Jasper!" his princess glowed with joy upon seeing him, figuratively and literally. Her singing voice melted Jasper's core within his chest. "My faithful shield, how happy am I to see you again!"

Princess Topaz never failed to leave Jasper speechless. Whereas most magmorians were shaped from the magma that gave their species its name, Fire Sultan Onyx had carved his most beloved daughters from gemstones. Her lustrous, feminine figure was made from glittering topaz, her perfect eyes from rubies, and her glass dress was woven from the finest obsidian in all of Lavaland. Her hair of smokeless crimson fire flowed from her head with a shine that rivaled the very heart of the sun!

"My princess…" Jasper immediately knelt so quickly that his knee left a small impact on the stone ground. He kindly took his princess' warm hand and kissed it with all of the strength of his love. "Forgive this magma worm for being blinded by your beauty!"

"Oh, Jasper, not in front of the troops…" his beloved princess covered her perfect mouth with her free hand in embarrassment. "How long my days have been without you. When you failed to send me a stone tablet message, I thought you had forgotten me."

"Never!" The mere thought that he had worried this, this living goddess of love filled Jasper with horror. "There hasn't been a day since I haven't thought of you, my lady of fire!"

"It is a great honor for us to receive, Princess Topaz," General Peridot said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I hope your journey went well."

"It did," Princess Topaz replied kindly. "My sister said teleportation would have been quicker, but I wanted to visit all our settlements along the frontier. It has been so many years since a member of our family came to listen to their petitions."

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"My lady's kindness is only matched by her gracefulness," Jasper complimented her, which only caused his princess' blazing hair to redden further. "Allow me to carry you on my back so that you may rest your feet!"

"That won't be necessary, my dear Jasper," Princess Topaz replied before inviting him to rise to his feet. "I would rather stay by your side and you by mine, like old times."

Oh, how such kind words filled him with both joy and grief! A common magmorian carved from mediocre stone like Jasper was unworthy of becoming a princess' consort, so he had left his bodyguard duty in the hope of winning enough glory on the battlefield to win her affections. How many times had he imagined himself proudly announcing his victories on stone tablets, welcoming her to his newest conquest, and then asking her to marry him under the moonlight?

Instead, he had only found defeat and shame. Jasper had felt so guilty and humiliated he couldn't answer the princess' messages, not until he had regained his honor. How could he hope to protect her as a husband when he failed his own men? So many had perished under his command and they had yet to be avenged.

Standing in the princess' magnanimous presence only hammered home how unworthy he was to even breathe the same air she did!

Nonetheless, he could only meekly obey when she insisted that he follow her and General Peridot in reviewing the citadel. They walked up to the outer walls' battlements, where they could see both the landscape and the vast armies of magmorians waiting for the order to conquer Verglane.

"So many soldiers…" Princess Topaz muttered under her breath, her blazing hair wavering with the wind. Jasper immediately moved to shield her from the unruly current of air with his body. "Is such a force truly necessary?"

"I fear this won't be enough to occupy western Verglane, let alone the entire country," General Peridot said.

"Truly?" Princess Topaz asked with a gasp. "But my sister Bloodstone told me that we had at least three times their numbers and each of our soldiers is worth two of their own. Surely the wicked Wepwawet will falter at the sight of our armies and his oppressed peasants welcome us as liberators."

"'Oppressed peasants?'" Jasper asked with a frown. "Who told you that, my princess?"

"Lady Pele, of course," she replied innocently. "She told us the werelings yearned for freedom from their false god and his vile servants in their heart."

"That's… not quite true, my lady," Jasper replied with some embarrassment. The werelings were quite happy with their godly overlord from his experience in Narc, but he couldn't deny the Eternal Flame's wisdom. Could Lady Pele have been misinformed?

"Numbers aren't everything either, princess," General Peridot said. "Verglane is frighteningly vast and our foes know the terrain better than we do. Advancing into the werelings' territory will stretch our supply lines thin and leave us vulnerable to hit-and-run strikes. I do not think the werelings will be eager to welcome us either. All the reports I've received indicate that they're solidly united behind their new god."

Princess Topaz studied him for a moment. "You sound like you don't want this war at all, general?"

"I am simply stating the truth," the general replied without truly answering the princess' query. "I hoped to intimidate the werelings into negotiation, and I am ready to follow through with a military strike should they deny our ultimatum, but I warned both Lady Pele and Fire Sultan Onyx that we are in for an uphill battle with limited benefits. Storming Narc would be our best hope for a quick victory, and I expect significant casualties even if we throw all our forces at the task."

"I see…" Princess Topaz joined her hands and turned to Jasper. "My faithful shield, I've been told that you have spent time with the werelings. What are your thoughts?"

'Spent time' was a kind way of putting it, but Jasper didn't have the heart to correct his princess.

"The people of Verglane… they're determined and ready to destroy their own home to win, my dear lady of fire." Remembering how they flooded their own village to flush out his troops still gave him nightmares. "They believe in their god, and will think of us as invaders; doubly so after we refused their offer to settle their magma chambers peacefully."

"But that was just one of the vile Wepwawet's plots for us to give him hostages!" Princess Topaz protested. "Lady Pele said so herself!"

General Peridot marked a short pause before speaking up again. "Is that so?"

"General?" Princess Topaz asked.

"Nothing," the general replied. "Whether genuine or not, the fact Lady Pele forewent any attempt at negotiation did not let us win the hearts and minds of the people. Some of our own troops are doubtful."

Jasper nodded sharply. It was possible that this Wepwawet had made his offer in bad faith, but the fact Lady Pele of the Eternal Flame ordered their troops to claim territory by force puzzled many soldiers on the ground. While all magmorians would die for the Fire Sultan, most didn't understand why, and that bothered them.

"Lady Pele told us that the werelings' god was false and wicked, a deceiver who will lead them to war against her and her chosen husband," Princess Topaz argued. "He has already tricked Verglane into following his command. Surely we cannot stand idle."

"Perhaps," General Peridot conceded. "However, I believe we may still fulfill Lady Pele's order without firing a single fireball through diplomatic pressure. Would the Fire Sultan consider a less… aggressive approach?"

Princess Topaz considered the proposal for a moment before sorrowfully shaking her head. "I fear that my father's orders stand absolute, and my older sister will soon arrive to lead our forces herself," she said while shifting in place. "I would like to give peace a chance, but I'm not sure they will lis–"

A screeching sound echoed across the entire fortress, startling everyone and causing bonfires to rise from atop its watchtowers. Jasper straightened up, as did his superior.

"What is that sound?" Princess Topaz asked in incomprehension.

"That is Lady Pele's alarm magic," General Peridot warned as he drew his sword and looked over the walls. "An enemy has entered our perimeter–"

A mighty gust of wind nearly threw them all off the battlement, and a dark shadow passed over them. Jasper barely had time to look up before a massive shape descended upon the outer walls like a falcon diving at its prey. He saw a reptilian hand flash out in the blink of an eye.

His princess was in front of him one instant, and gone the next.

No… Jasper felt his fiery blood turned to ice in his veins, his head snapping at the horizon. An enormous white dragon was flying east while holding the love of his life in his claws! "Princess!"

"Mine!" the dragon boasted to the army below him, his wings flapping so fast they sent tents flying in their wake. "Mine!"

Jasper barely paid attention to the creature's bragging. All his ears could hear was his princess screaming his name. "Jaaaasper!"

"Princess!" Jasper shouted back in horror as the citadel's ballistae began to fire at the dragon. The creature skillfully dodged all projectiles with eerie grace and reflexes. It was like the creature had practiced such an operation dozens of times before!

Thank the Eternal Flame, Lady Pele's blazing spirit materialized above the citadel in a burst of fire. She glared at the dragon, ready to visit judgment upon him, and then waved her fiery hand in his direction.

Jasper watched on in horror as a mighty sphere of lava hit the dragon from above with the strength of a meteoritic impact. The beast lost altitude and nearly dropped Princess Topaz in a terribly agonizing moment, but managed to quickly catch her and continue its flight across the horizon.

"He's out of my reach!" Lady Pele cursed. "Send troops after him!"

"You struck the princess!" Jasper snarled at the goddess' spirit. "You could have harmed her!"

"Relax, Jasper," Lady Pele replied without solemnity. "No flame of mine could harm a child of fire."

"And what if the dragon had dropped her?!" Jasper snapped angrily. So great was his wrath that he completely forgot who he was talking to. "Are we immune to falling from hundreds of feet too?!"

Lady Pele's eyes glowed at him with cold fury. "Are you questioning me, mortal?"

Jasper nearly snapped back that yes, he was, in a display of suicidal anger, but General Peridot quickly grabbed his shoulder. "Our soldier is simply worried sick for the princess' safety, Milady," he said. "Could you simply teleport the princess back? I was informed you could summon all your Champions to your side."

"Oh, yes, of course I can do that," Lady Pele said with some hesitation, as if she hadn't considered the idea in the first place. She waved her hand and frowned in confusion. "Dimensional Fortress?" Her jaw clenched in anger. "Damn it, Wepwawet cast some spell on the dragon! I cannot teleport Topaz back so long as he holds her!"

"As I feared, this must have been a carefully prepared hostage-taking operation from the werelings." General Peridot turned to Jasper. "Take our fastest magma wyrm and give chase. The dragon is bound to stop and rest at some point, especially after taking Lady Pele's divine punishment."

He didn't need to tell him twice. Having no time to waste climbing downstairs, Jasper jumped off the outer wall, endured the pain of hitting the cold ground below, and then rushed to claim the first mount he could find.

Meanwhile, General Peridot remained on the walls. He stared at the dragon—who had quickly become little more than a black spot flying across the horizon—and then back at his goddess.

Lady Pele squinted at him. "What?"

"You are not what I expected you to be," General Peridot replied with false serenity, his hands clenching into angry fists behind his back. "I will keep that in mind."

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