What is fire? The answer wholely depends on whom you are asking. A farmer might tell you it is the sun in the sky, which gives life to the world. A student may say it's a common-form of energy, along with electricity and wind. A scientist will tell you it's a super-heated gas which forms the state of matter plasma. A poet will tell you it is the flames of passion in our loins and desire in our hearts. A classic philosopher might say it is the spark of innovation, of creativity and the power of transformation. Fire is so much a part of our lives.

Sarah gazed around. The floor was made of ash and a few saplings had sprouted about. Sarah felt warmth all around her, not scalding hot, but the cozy warm feeling you love cuddling in before night sleep. What really had her worried was the mountain face ahead of her. It had a cave entrance and she felt she had to go in to proceed. Of all things she couldn't believe she had to go back into a cave. She ran through some thoughts over what god could await her in a cave.

"Enter, time may move slow here, but to us it still moves." Powerful voice.

Sarah instincually considered running, that voice sent chills down her spine. Logic however made her move foward. She passed the cave entrance and was astounded by the sight.

Gold, Silver, Jewels, Treasure. Everywhere she looked she saw precious coins littering the floor, they were of diffrent eras with a million diffrent faces of kings and queens. The ocasional jewel the size of a baseball lay scattered amongst the treasure: Saphires, Emerald, Rubies, Diamonds, and many more she had no names for. Bejeweled chalices, pitchers of silver and chests of gold. Ornate glowing weapons lay in racks, knightly sets of armor were arranged as if standing guard. Complex crowns, which looked like three sets welded together beautifully. There was likely more wealth here than any single person had ever amassed in its lifetime. Sarah was extremely certain as to what awaited her here.

"Do you like my collection? It's real you know, not this one here, but its a construct of my memory." The Voice said proudly.

Strangely the voice sounded a lot lower now.

"Where are you?" Sarah shivered, unsure she wanted to know.

"Are you not afraid?" The voice questioned with curiousity.

"Yes... I'm afraid." Sarah replied honestly, feeling faint.

Her response elicited a joyful laugh that rebounded the cavern.

"Then you are well on your way to wisdom. Many come here and feign bravery. Fools." the voice spoke.

Silence descended once more.

"Why am I here?" Sarah inquired fearful, wanting to be gone.

"Are you not here by choice then? Did you come here for nothing, spark child?" The voice said mirthfully.

"I came here for power......... Why did you call me that?" Sarah tilted her head, confused and off-balance.

"Well you came to the right place. And all humans are little children, compared to me." The voice said.

"I meant the spark part." Sarah frowned, this person was skirting the issue.

"Hmmm..... You are curious yes? Asking, learning and sharing are a part of you?" The voice said.

"Well... I suppose yes. So?" Sarah scrunched up her face, even more confused.

"Among my kind, we call that the spark, as we see it. Many cultures, in many worlds, have a similar comparison somewhere. It is a pleasant thing to see in any person, if only everywhere was filled with such people." The voice took on a dreamy quality.

"Oh." Sarah took a step back, thrown off by the explaination.

"At ease little spark, I mean you no harm." The voice continued.

Using her a breathing technique Sarah calmed her heart.

"Do you know why I and the group I'm with are stuck in a cave in real life?" It was the most important question Sarah had in mind.

"How would I know that? I see only what I live and what is asked of me here." The voice was casual, but somehow Sarah had the impression it was having fun.

"Don't lie please. We were abducted .......somehow and we woke up in the middle of no-where. Now we are fighting for our lives, with magic against all these monsters." Sarah bit her lip and her gut was tight, she was desperate for answers.

"Calm yourself little spark. Tell me the whole story, I'm not understanding your nonsense." The voice calmly spoke.

Sarah detailed her experience to the voice, hoping it would know something.

"So you knew nothing of spirit, save stories?" The voice questioned.

"Yes, do you know where I am? Or why any of this is happening?" Sarah pleaded.

"As a matter of fact... I do, but all guides have been told to not reveal this reason. 'It will only distract them from surviving' they said." The voice answered slowly.

"Please! God help me!....... and my comrades." Sarah begged, hope dwindling.

"God? I suppose that's flattering, but I am not a god. What led you to believe that?....... Also I'm sorry little sparkling, but even if it were not forbidden it is truly unfair to give you information which may lead to your early death." The voice responded.

"Please! Help me!" Sarah was breathing heavily, losing composure by the second.

"Shhhh.....I never said I wouldn't render aid. I will, but not the way you think." The voice was cool and relaxed.

"How!?" Sarah perked up at the thought of rescue.

"Where you are I cannot follow. But I can gift you the power of knowledge, to best your trials." the voice responded.

"Power of Knowledge?" Sarah's eyes widened with wonder.

"Metaphorically speaking child. I can tell you how to use your own power to save yourself and your friends." The voice once more adopted an amused quality.

"Oh." Sarah sighed a second later, even as the last vestiges of hope crashed and burnt.

"Ah youth. The young never seem to grasp the true potential of knowledge. Little spark, going about ignorant as you are, you are liable to die. Sooner, rather than later." The voice was clearly even more amused now.

"What!?!" Sarah jumped, spooked at possible unknown dangers.

"Tell me, your kills have unlocked much potential quickly within you, no?" The voice spoke as if she already knew the answer.

"I suppose so..." Sarah frowned, thinking over the speed of the glowing tattoo's.

"All beings in magical worlds have these 'tattoo's' as you call them. The stronger their advancement, the more potential their deaths unlock." The voice mono-toned.

"Oh... I suppose that makes a certain sense." Sarah thought, but shrugged, she couldn't see how that helped her.

"What you do not know. Is that there are limits to your growth." The voice said.

"........What?" Sarah looked about lost, unable to find the sorce of the powerful voice.

"Sparkling child. Both bottle-necks and eventually racial limits will hinder you." The voice droned.

Sarah's mind raced through the possible consequences of this new information. This meant every point the used should be used carefully and with much though. At least that was what she gathered from the voice's explaination. Still she needed more information. She paid rapt attention.

"It is possible to over-come both, but lets focus on bottle-necks. As I sense you will quickly encounter your first." The voice said.

Sarah paid vivid attention to the voice, she and the others had been mucking about in the dark without light. This was truly the moment they could turn their situation around. Not the one she was hoping for, but anything, anything they could use was helpful.

"The Bottle-necks are when a being reaches certain total sums of their attributes, these have been figured out by constant testing and comparison throughout races, each point regularly costs one more essence per point and each bottle-neck doubles the total essence required to gain a single attribute point." The voice lectured.

Sarah scrunched her face, uncomprehending. Did that mean she had to kill one monster more each time? Or did different monsters grant different amounts. She quickly deduced the latter since they hadn't quite been killing just one extra monster to gain an upgrade.

"Okay and when do we hit them?" Sarah asked politely.

"The first bottle-neck is encountered when a being reaches a third of their total potential. The second at half, the third at two-thirds and the final bottle neck is encountered at five/sixths total potential." The voice droned.

"Are the bottle-necks the same for both genders?" To Sarah that was an important thing to know, men were naturally stronger than women after-all.

"Yes, men of most species usually start advantaged in Body, but a devoted woman can match him eventually." The voice answered.

"What are racial limits then?" Sarah asked.

"Racial limits are how high a being can take their singular attributes through the 'tattoos'." the voice said.

"So there is an overall limit I suppose?" Sarah

"Once your overall racial limit is hit, there are a few ways to overcome it, but leave those worries for when you get there. Which won't be soon, unless you manage to fell a being so great, even I would commend you." The voice droned.

Sarah digested the news.

"I would suggest focusing on a singular combat-attribute for now, advancing further along will become harder and thus if you spread youself thin will be a problem eventually." the voice recommended.

"What do you suggest me and my friends do?" Sarah inquired.

"My element is extremly potent at killing. I suggest you make use of it. As for the others. That life-boy you spoke of will be able to heal wounds, focus entirely upon that, that earth-boy will be durable focus on his Body and Spirit in equal measure. And The other girl? Well she sounds slightly useless for now, maybe focus her entirely on the Mind, there are some useful benifits on the higher numbers." the voice said.

Sarah asked her about the benifits of focusing on mind, but the voice was vague, stating to wait and see what the girl developed, as it varied greatly.

"Are you ready for my gift, my little spark?" The voice questioned.

"What are the racial limits for humans?" Sarah asked.

"Humans are a curiousity if I recall correctly, its the only reason I bothered remembering. Each racial attribute limit is a total of 10." The voice responded.

Sarah did a quick calculation, if she was right then humans hit bottle necks at ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five total attributes. Oddly convient, it seemed ....almost predesigned. It gave her chills just thinking about it.

"What does my magic do? My friend chose life and is able to heal himself and soon others. I can't see any diffrence in myself." Sarah questioned.

"Our gift prepares us for our eventual powers, imagine burning yourself to a crisp the first time you attempt a gout of flames. We also stay warm in even the coldest of storms. Our blood can become a searing intense heat when split searing any whom touch it unprotected." The voice said.

"Oh. So fire Immunity, eternal warmth and fire blood? Is fire-control next." Sarah shrugged, overall it wasn't overly impressive, but it sounded like the right choice for fire-powers.

"In imprecise terms yes, you are simply fire resistant as of now. That will change with more power. And yes my gift will grant you power over fire." The voice said.

"Is there nothing more you can do?" Sarah once more asked.

"Well we could speak for an eternity, discussing history of various worlds, but time is passing on the outside, if slowly, and you need time to think. We shall meet again little spark." The voice said.

"Very well. I'm ready for you gift." Sarah said, suddenly worried about any pain this could result in.

"Approach. I'm here on the left behind the gold pile by the tall purple mithril armor-set." The voice said.

Passing the gold slowly Sarah saw what was the first glimpse of the figure. Laying stark-naked atop a bed of gold was an enchanting womanly creature, fiery was the only word that described her. Her aurburn hair spilt downwards in curls, whilst a tail flicked back and forth expectantly. Pale white skin glistened as if she had just recovered from a jog, with a perfect curves on her rear any man would drool for. Perfectly erect pink nipples were clearly visible on large shapely breasts. She sported two curled horns protruding from her temples, which curled backwards. Her loucious lips peeled back into a dazzling smile, revealing longish canines. The woman's hand supported her jaw as she gazed at Sarah.

Sarah felt herself speechlessly mesmerized. Something about the situation was suddenly hot and Sarah felt herself breathing heavily. The sensual creature lifted her hand and crooked her finger, beckoning her foward. Sarah staggered foward slowly feeling faint, and reddening from the attention the creature gave. The creature outstrectched her hand asking for hers in turn.

The touch sent sensual-erotic-shocks up her arm and into her spine. Her grip soon clamped around her wrist and pulled her foward gently. Sarah was soon laying on the bed of gold. Soon the womanly creature gazed predatorly down upon her with red-cat eyes, an erotic-smirk on her face. Her nose trailed her neck and a serpintine toungue flickered along her neck, tickling her ear. By now Sarah's breathing were erratic and her heart was hammering inside her chest.

The womanly creature purred straddling Sarah. She held her face on both hands and smiled lovingly at her. Soon her tongue found Sarahs and she passionately recieved the kiss. Sarah's loins felt on fire and she melted. Sarah felt something warm flow down her throat.

Blinking Sarah came to once more infront of her friends and she felt her face heat. That... that thing had just teased her and that kiss, sex didn't compare. Suddenly she felt a warmth over-flow from her chest and felt slightly hot, reminding her of the passionate kiss.