Shadowfall

[Battal]

"Well, if I do that a couple thousand times, I might have the balloon!" Jakob growls as the water continues to get closer and closer.  "What other options do I have?"

[Blewcheese]

Uh... Can you swim in magma?

[Battal]

"What kind of question is that?!? Are you going to shove molten rock down Joseph's throat?"

[Blewcheese]

Just hot water. Answer the question.

[Battal]

"Well, probably!  I've never tried..."  Jakob says, eyeing the rising water.

[Blewcheese]

At that, the water begins to sizzle, and it's color slowly becomes red. The consistency grows thicker, and it begins bubbling. Red hot magma.

[Battal]

"That's more like it!" Jakob yells.  He wills the fiery liquid to flow around his boots, then floats upwards on a seeping pile of it.  He walks forward, the magma generating more collumns for him to step on.

"Alright.  Where to?"

[Blewcheese]

The boats in the sea earlier, however, did not survive the transition. They burn and melt, sending screams of agony through the air as the passengers melt and burn.

Head away from the coast.

[Battal]

Jakob winces at the screaming.  "Sorry, wierd consciousness people."

He travels onward, traveling in a straight line away from the sandy coast.

[Blewcheese]

Overhead, birds caw loudly. They are too far away to make out, but something seems somewhat odd. Jakob soon finds out why they are so strange when a flock of five dive at him. They have two heads and four wings each.

[Battal]

"Oh, great.  The welcoming committee."

Jakob cools the magma at his feet, creating a solid collumn of volcanic stone.  He raises the lava around him to create a fiery shield of sorts.

[Blewcheese]

The birds fly straight into the magma shield and sizzle. Son after, however, Joseph's voice can be heard in Jakob's head. He sounds very, very sleepy.

Wwwhooooo are yoooouuu?

By the sound of it, you found Sloth.

[Battal]

"Are you kidding me?  'The Seven Deadly Sins'?  Really?"

[Blewcheese]

Hey, that's just how it works. I'm sorry if you don't like the system.

Aaaannsweer thee queeesstioon, mooortall...

[Battal]

"Bah!  Jakob Battal, at your service, ya bastard!  Now what do you want?"

[Blewcheese]

Ssssstate your buisnesssss....

[Battal]

"Give me a reason and I'll think about it!" Jakob says, defiantly marching forth.

[Blewcheese]

I knooow that he isss briiidging this...

The magma around Jakob begins turning back to water, leaving Jakob with just a small island of lava.

[Battal]

In response, Jakob begins to levitate the lava he stands on.  It carries him forth.

"Nice effort."

[Blewcheese]

I neevver make an eeeefort...

At that, Jakob's ability to control the floating magma dissipates, and it simply floats in place. Additionally, a large wave of water begins traveling towards Jakob.

[Battal]

Jakob rolls his eyes, pulling off a convincing 'Yeah, I don't care' look.  However, on the inside, he is panicking.

"Return my powers to me now, or I shall transform into a dragon!  You cannot stop me!"

That was a lie.  Jakob doubted he could pull off a small lizard, much less a fire-breathing mythical creature.

<Uhh, a little help?>

[Blewcheese]

Jakob, you're going to have to jump into the water. Trust me on this.

I caaare nooot of your fooorm...

[Battal]

"Oh, really?  Behold, as I leap into the water and -"

<Die painfully?>

"TRANSFORM INTO A SEA SERPENT!"

 

With that, Jakob jumps off his platform and into the water.

[Blewcheese]

Rather than plunge into the water, Jakob falls face first in a somewhat familiar plains. There is a hound on one side, but it doesn't seem to notice Jakob.

You lived, right?

[Battal]

"You could say that." Jakob says, wiping off his jacket.