Sasha. Show me everything in this city.

Here you are.

Very funny. Going by the colored markings I'm traversing through the realm of my death. Don't treat me like a baby Sasha.

That was not the first time you nearly died on me. But it was the first time a poor decision nearly killed you.

I wasn't aware I was so important to you Sasha.

Not just me, so take that into account.

Vivian fell into concentration as she traversed the city. Following the blue line on her map, she avoided every threat be it sentries, guards, or just the average citizen. Sasha... are you leading me right? I have no idea what half these buildings are for, and the other half... the thought of anyone brought here against their will is making my blood boil.

This is the pleasure quarter. Casinos, brothels, slave merchants. You name it, you can find it here.

"For the Horde!"

Vivian's thoughts turned another direction as she heard that familiar yet strange cry. It came from ahead; she was getting closer to her destination. She focused not to change her current pace, any deviation would cause her problems. In the end, her emotions won out, the buildings lit with their gaudy appearances and flashing lights all turned into a blur. She followed the blue light as it adjusted to new paths. Finally, close enough, she leaped over a wall driving the blue light into a straight line as she traveled through the air straight toward her targets.

Vivian landed heavily on a wooden platform that collapsed from the sudden impact. The resultant dust cloud provided enough cover and confusion, she rushed through the crowd smacking all the Liralau present with the butt of her staff; rendering them unconscious.

"For the Horde!"

She ignored their cry and smashed the cage imprisoning the rats.

Calculating the escape route...

"Keep quiet and follow," Vivian spoke hastily and took off running. The peons held a quiet moment of celebration by throwing their fists in the air and followed immediately after her.

"Right, we need to find a suitable place to torch this city." Brawn led his peon army through the alleys.

"For the Horde!"

Brawn sighed. "Okay listen up. We don't want to be found until AFTER we've set this place ablaze. So tone it down."

"For the Horde!"

Brawn turned to look at the group following him, they all shook their heads in unison. "King's mother completed her task already? I'm impressed. Okay you lot, double time!"

Brawn doubled his pace through the city, "Keep your eyes open, you've set more fires than I have. You lot know what to look for better than I do."

Brawn traveled through the alleys and main streets. He finally stopped at a derelict and abandoned stable. His eyes caught how heavily the ground had been covered with dry grasses. He set to work, only just realizing that his following had abandoned him. He chuckled lightly, "I knew they'd find good tinder before me."

"Now to get out of here." Brawn admired his fire as it quickly spread through the grasses, and licked at the woodwork of the building. He spun on his foot and dashed back through the city looking for the peons as he made his way back to the gate.

Sasha. I don't care about these little fish, give me the shark. Jaden requested as he smacked sentries with the blunt end of the spear rendering them unconscious.

As you wish.

When I broke the gate down, I attracted all the attention huh... well, maybe not all of it. But it sure feels that way. Jaden mused as his path became blocked once again. He dashed through, stopping to look back behind on the path he just treads. The guards turned to face him in slow motion. "You lot get off easy unless you want me to hit you?"

After considering their options, they swarmed around weapons ready. Jaden sighed as he weaved himself between them and knocked them unconscious one by one. "We are worlds apart."

"It doesn't matter, we fight to defend our families." the last sentry stated before swinging his sword in futile resistance and he fell to the ground like the rest.

Jaden paused. Is... is this? He looked over the city. Contained fires had sprouted seemingly randomly throughout the city. Disregarding that, he took in the view of all the unconscious guards in his wake. His eyes blanked. "Is this how it was for the Jadendajuda? Maybe not wiped out by a single individual, but... equally defeated without any resistance?" He flipped the spear around and looked at the clean tip. "No. Not like it was for the Jadendajuda at all, they paid for their weakness with their lives. A weakness, I forced upon them."

The rising temperature made a sheen of sweat appear on his body. Jaden's knuckles paled as he gripped the spear tighter. "What happened to those who weren't killed... I..."

Do not do this to yourself. Inducing light mental shock. Gods do not give two thoughts to their actions, and you can not be accountable for what you have done as a God; even more so now as a mortal.

"Isa." Jaden shook his head and pulled himself together.

[Heat resist(weak)] Acquired.

That was all I needed... but who started the fires? The Rats?

Brains entered the city with a yawn. He made his way walking through the city, smelling the foul smoke on the air. "Brawn scares me sometimes."

Brains took off running. Even as much as it would please Queen to burn this city to the ground... King wouldn't approve. Brains passed unconscious catfolk as he ran through the alleys, finally ending up at a blazing building.

"Nope, Brawn wouldn't use a fire pit, but he found the perfect building to raze the city." Brains chuckled, "Perhaps that's my fault, I did tell him to set the city on fire after all? Wait, is this the first time he followed directions exactly?"

I am an agent of water. I request your aid. Quench this unworthy fire.

Brains' Mana oozed out of his pores as a dweomer formed in the air. He pushed it into the fire consuming the old stable building. The fire hissed and sputtered and only increased in intensity

"Shit... I didn't know Brawn could use fire magic. Wait. Brawn can't use magic at all. A remnant from the mirage dragon?" Brains sighed. "... This is going to hurt."

I am a practitioner of the sacred water. I demand your might. Douse this raging inferno.

Brains collapsed to the ground as his mana diffused painfully out of his body, forming a giant and dense sphere of mana in the air. The dweomer had a smug appearance about it as it wrapped around the burning building.

He panted heavily to catch his breath as he watched the two spells fight over supremacy. "Don't disappoint now." He crawled away to a safer distance as superheated steam exploded from the mix of dragon fire and magical water.

...

I hate fire. Seriously hate it. Brains complained and sighed as he fed more mana into his spell.

"For the Horde!"

"What are you all doing here?" Brains let his attention waver for a moment.

"Helping in any way we can," Brawn stated, "I caused a mess unknowingly."

The peons formed a circle around Brains.

We are the agents of water. We offer our combined effort to summon the supreme elemental.

Mana from all the peons merged into a single dweomer. Immediately after, they all fainted in unison.

"For the Horde!" Brawn saluted their effort.

"The forbidden forgotten art..." Brains was dumbfounded, "How long have they known it?"

I am a practitioner of the sacred water. I offer this sacrifice humbly and request your presence here.

Brains pushed the dweomer towards the fire as the last of his mana drained. He fainted in the center of the peons.

"What now?" Brawn scratched the back of his head.

"In the red corner, we have the Undisputed Master of Mayhem, Dragon Fire!" The audience cheered as the announcer finished the introduction.

"In the blue corner, back by popular demand, we have the Beginning and End of Life, the Water Elemental!" The audience cheered even louder.

"These two have been at each other's throats for millennia, will they finally settle their grudge and record of no wins, no losses, and 999 ties today in the ring?"

"What in the..." Brawn looked at the burning building surrounded by the dweomer. Inside there formed a square platform surrounded by ropes. Two humanoid shapes, one of fire and one of water, were sitting in opposite corners glaring daggers at each other.

DING

The two figures jumped to their feet and rushed at the other, meeting in the center of the ring. The audience roared as the two heavyweights collided and exchanged blows to the face.

Brawn watched wide-eyed as neither side had a clear advantage. The heat from the fire slowly diminished from every blow, but the water elemental took a bit of recoil as part of its own body turned into steam. "They're just locked in a drunken brawl, neither dodging just throwing the next punch. Well, would dodging even help? They both take a hit regardless of who threw the punch."

The water elemental threw its final blow, launching what remained of its body at the fire. A solid hit. Its body exploded into a burst of steam and the dweomer faded. "Ladies and gentlemen! For the first time... Nevermind, another draw bringing the record to 0 wins, 0 losses and 1000 ties." the announcer celebrated prematurely and finished in what could only be disappointment evident by his lack of enthusiasm; the last bit of the fire element hit the ground and extinguished. The ring, the audience, the announcer, all disappeared without a trace.

Brawn rubbed his eyes as he pulled out a bit of bread. Did I imagine that?

Vivian led the rescuees down the most direct path out of the city while avoiding any confrontation with literal ease. The Rats looked upon her with a new reverence. Her map flickered catching her attention. What's going on Sasha?

The ratmen appear to have passed out.

"Change of plan." Vivian frowned and altered her route, heading into the market district. The peons following behind heard that quite often from Brains and waited expectantly for instructions that never came.

She weaved through the streets of the market district, an entourage of peons following close behind her. Did they pass out from the heat? It's pretty stuffy in this direction. A wave of heat exploded outward, wrapping Vivian and the ratmen behind her in a scalding atmosphere. Then it was gone as suddenly as it appeared.

"The hell caused that?" Vivian asked rhetorically as she wiped a layer of sweat off her face. A blast of heated steam followed shortly after.

Heat Resist(weak) acquired.

Vivian looked at the Rats following her, they had suffered burns from the steam. "Can you keep going?" The pained looks she received in response didn't match the determination in their eyes. After a slight pause in hesitation, she nodded, "Let's go."

"Brawn... What happened here?" Vivian asked, observing the unconscious rats.

"Brains put out the fire I started on that building over yonder." Brawn took a bite of bread.

"So they've exhausted themselves?" Vivian asked, "Okay let's get them out of here. Brawn, how many of them can you carry?"

"If I had a big enough cart, all of them."

Just how much strength does that brute possess? I wonder if I could pull that off.

You could, but it wouldn't be easy.

"Let's find a cart or two," Vivian suggested.

Jaden recklessly and noisily tore through the city; crashing through anything in his path as he cut a straight line to Isa.

Hemloc cast a look over his shoulder as buildings crumbled. "You must mean a lot to them. Such a violent display."

A grey light approached and stopped before him. "Release her." a cold voice broke the silence, "Or I kill you."

"Not many options available. Well, unfortunately, I can't release her." Hemloc grinned, "I'm not the contract holder."

Jaden frowned. "I don't have to ask who is, do I?"

"No, you don't. I'm sure she'd be quite upset if you forgot her." Hemloc chuckled.

"And your role in all this?" Jaden asked, he spun the spear around and brandished the head toward Hemloc.

"Just a pawn, same as everyone." Hemloc shrugged, "Well maybe not you. Reincarnated god, as you are."

"By your word, killing you won't release her, but you won't mind if I make sure, right?" Jaden walked toward Hemloc.

"Do as you feel necessary," Hemloc shrugged, "but I wonder if you can?"

Jaden frowned as Isa stepped in between himself and Hemloc. "Isa..."

Flame gathered in her throat. Jaden rushed forward while spinning the spear. He hit her chin with the butt of it and wrapped his hand on her neck, pinching the fire within. Sasha, what can I do here?

She is a mirage dragon, she can survive a beating.

"..."

Oh right, my bad. You meant about the contract. I'll need a moment...

Hemloc watched on in amusement. Isa flailed her forelegs trying to hit Jaden away. Her claws raked his body, tearing his clothes as they dug into his back. The sudden pain made his hand clench on her throat. She flailed more wildly, her head whipped through the air attempting to throw him off as she continued trying to swat him away with her forelegs. The combined movement had put Jaden in a precarious position. Her leg hit him solidly and sent him flying through the air away from her.

Her throat free, she locked him in her empty gaze and opened her mouth.