[center][h2]Fire in the Darkwoods[/h2][/center]

Po was angry. Po was mad. Po burned a trail down from her newly minted molten sea, all the way to some mountain range just south of a great Mesa and wide river. Upon finding her way blocked by the mountains, she pouted and frowned and was generally… well she was mad, okay? Her frustration bubbled up from her fiery gut and with a loud roar, she spewed an angry fountain of heat from her mouth, melting herself a way through the mountainous chain.

    Through the new fiery gate she walked, stomping and swearing the whole way through, until she found herself face to face with a great and impregnable forest. Her slitted, angry eyes widened to hungry saucers.

Down below in the deep dark woods Jeon was hanging out in a tree watching a party of [adventurers] hunting for an illustrious golden beetle he’d made when he suddenly looked to the west at the fiery eruption and his eyes went as wide as Po’s had, only his were filled with a mix of wonder and fear

“Oh. Oh that can’t be good” he said, before bursting out of the tree line and being caught by his roaming glider, the adventurer swooping off towards the mountain melting menace quick as could be, borne by wind, will and worry till had cleared the forest in a flash.

The glider then angled upwards, tossing the god off it and sending him falling the final part of the distance, his garb, hail and tail fluttering dramatically behind him as he fell, hand on the hilt of his blade. Like a cat, he landed on his feet, and then with a flourish he drew his thin blade and directed it towards the burning goddess, standing between her and the tinderbox behind hm. 

“Halt! Or face the blade of Jeon Du Termas!” he commanded dramatically, taking a fencer’s posse with a stent look on his face. Then he almost immediately dropped the dramatic demeanor as he commented more casually “oh and love the whole living fire aesthetic by the way. Very cool- uh hot- no… it looks good on you!” while giving her a finger gun with his free hand.

Po narrowed her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?” She hissed, tugging her cloak closer.

“No? Trust me if i was it would be way more obvious. And have bad fire word play in it probably” Jeon replied before making a terrible decision and demonstrating  “Like ooooh, you think you're hot stuff? I used to shoot hotter flames when I coughed” 

“You never have, that’s a lie!” Po pointed a finger, taking Jeon all too seriously. “Look!” Po tilted her head up and with a blast of her voice, a pillar of searing heat melted into the sky, the oxygen around it popping menacingly. 

Jeon raised a finger, lowered it, raised it, and then just agreed “Well looks like I staaaaaand corrected” and then giving a little bow, one had pressed to his chest (and the other still holding the sword) as he said “You have me humbled, lady flame. My old sneezes are naught compared to you” before standing upright again and adding “you know I really don’t miss those now that I think about it? Wait, have I ever sneezed since I became a god?” he thought for a moment and then concluded “Huh. don’t think so” before rounding all the way back and asking “So anyway, hi! How are you? And who? Who is kinda the big one.”

Po straightened out her cloak, which then tangled into flames regardless, and gave a hidden smile. “I’m Po, and I’m mad.”

“Ok neat” Jeon said, before giving her a little wave and a “Hi Po,” before asking the obvious question: “So why are you mad?”

“Stupid Homura said I couldn’t eat her giant.” Po crossed her arms. “She said I wasn’t good enough.” A pause and then a growl. “It makes me so mad!” Po stomped her foot, the ground cracking with menacing flames.

“Wh…” Jeon began to ask, and then just rolled with it “How rude of her!”

“I know!” Po shouted. “I tried anyway, but it didn’t work… I ate everything but the giant, and now I’m just mad.”

“As well you should!” Jeon agreed, continuing to just roll with it so he could get to the important question: “So what are you going to do with all that anger?”

“I’m gonna!” Po started and raised her fists to the sky. “I'm gonna!” A pause. “I’m gonna.. Do it!” Her body exploded into blue flames. “I’ll eat everything,” Po concluded. “I’ll show Homura I can eat her giant!”

“Sounds like a good way to get fa- i mean, uh, everything? As in everything, everything?” Jeon asked, a touch worried about this prospect, and so he tried “Won’t that take a while?”

Po let her hands fall back to her sides. “Maybe, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“Well, you could try and just eat the things that are hard to eat? Like. the sea? You know, for training?” Jeon suggested, before realizing this would be an awful idea if she actually pulled it off, and so suggested instead ”Ooooor you could delegate. Like. Have other people, uh, burn stuff for you. But sustainably, so they can keep doing it forever and, not as some kind of apocalypse cult. Not that those don't make great adventuring foes.. No. No no no. Sustainable fire. Sustainable . Fire. No ending the world.” that last bit being very much muttered at himself rather than Po

“But!” Po protested. “How would that prove anything to Homura!?”

“Well. uh. Wherever she looks she’ll see mortals making fire, and it will remind her of you? Also all the mortals will love you for making it warm at night and being able to bake pies and isn’t fame and recognition its own reward?” Jeon said, actually getting into this idea now “You’ll be a big shot! Super renowned! Every cooking fire will be a tribute to your name and this Homura? Ha, small fry in comparison. No follower loser.”

Leaping forward, Po took Jeon’s hands in her own, scalding grip. “You really think they’ll call her a loser?” Her tone was hopeful.

“Sure! I mean nothing is stopping you now but like, having a big name and a load of admirers definitely backs it up and makes it a fact!” Jeon explained “You will be the goddess of flame, giver of light, and she’ll be… well I don't know what she does other than owning a giant but hey, that means you are already winning!”

“I’m winning!?” Po’s grip tightened. “And then what happens?”

“You can gloat, you know, lord it over her all smug like” Jeon explained, trying to back up and finding himself stuck in the death grip, sword and all “And, uh, convince your followers to snub her too.”

“Perfect,” Po all but shouted. “How do we start?”

Jeon gave out a sigh of relief, and then perked up “First thing first is we go into the forest, find some elves, and teach them how to make fires. Without burning the whole place down in the process”

“Eugh, well if you think that’s the best way to stick it to Homura,” Po seemed unsure about the last part specifically. “Then lead the way.”

[hr]

A few moments and a whole load of fire fighting later, and the pair were standing before a very intimidated elven [hunter] in the outskirts of the woods, the poor lad squinting as the goddess lit up the dark woods with her fabulous light. If it was any consolation his face pain and skin that had turned brassy in hue like most of his kin since they had met the similarly tinted god, was reducing the amount of sunburn he was getting by quite a bit 

“Hi there, hmmmm, Paw?” Jeon guessed the elf’s name based on the face and bodypaint and giving a happy smile when he got a nod confirming he was right, before introducing the flame goddess “this spicy lady is Po, goddess of fire and she has a little lesson for you about, well, her whole deal”

"Yes! You're going to help me spread fire!" Po nodded enthusiastically. "Remember, one fire! All fire is me and someday I'll eat the world. Until then, you'll have to do some eating for me. Are you ready?"

Paw looked goggle eyed at Po, glanced at the enthusiastically nodding Jeon who’s smile did not quite meet his eyes, and then back to Po and hesitantly said “...yes?”

"Perfect!" Po clapped her hands, sending an uncomfortable wave of heat outwards. "Now show me your offering."

“My.. offering?” Paw said hesitantly, a touch confused until Jeon raised a hand to cover his mouth from Po and whispered “food” helpfully

“Oh. Ok. So like a gift?” Paw said, this whole situation seemingly making a lot more sense now, 

They reached into a little leafy holster hanging by their side and pulled out a big chunky goldfish (that seemed to defy gravity even after it had been skewered by the Paw’s spear) and held it out for her to see: “Here, I caught this a little while ago. Would you like it?” 

"It'll do." Po waved a hand and the entire spear burst into flames.

“Ah! Ahhhh!” Paw immediately panicked as the fire’s gnawed at their hand and they dropped the burning stick and meal in fight and pain.

"See?" Po continued happily. "Fire needs food to grow. So before enacting my will of fire, you need an offering for the fire. Now go find me another offering and I'll show you have to keep your fire… because yours is already sorta…" she looked down at the smouldering spear. "Well, anyway. Go get plenty of offerings and bring them back here!"

“But you destroyed my spear. And my hand hurts really badly” Paw whined, clutching their roasted hand before Jeon stepped in saying “they can't help you if they’re hurt, here, let me just” he glanced around and then snapped his fingers causing a few plants in the area to vanish in a shower of sparkles and appear before him.

“Crush the juice out of this” he said to himself as he remembered, squeezing the aloe-vera plant to get out its gel, and then carefully applying it to Paw’s burnt hand, the elf cringing as this was done and then looking amazed as the pain started to go down

“A miracle...”

“Hmm? What? No, plants can just be used for medicine and healing if you use them right dummy," Jeon said, as if it was obvious and he hadn’t just in that very moment introduced the elf to the concept “Now run along and get your tribe’s help feeding Po. Quickly” Jeon told the elf, shooing them off as soon as possible before they could aggravate Po any more

"Are you sure these people will be the ones to spread my fire?" Po asked anxiously. "They complain a lot."

“They just need to know how to handle it properly, and they’ll be good” Jeon assured her “your fire’s are brilliant and powerful, and oh so dangerous in untrained hands as a result. Which is part of why we are teaching them! Once they’ve got it they’ll do great things with it… and for you”

[hr]

The day was late, the sun setting, and the elves of Paw’s tribe had gathered on the edge of the forest in sight of the still cooling mountain as it was bathed in the orange glow of approaching twilight. Piled before them was all the food they could find: everything from berries and nuts to roots and fruits, to bloody tonnikala and sap leaking forest-kin, all gifts to the hot one. They also looked exhausted, tired, and hungry, Jeon having urged them to put in all the effort they could to impress the goddess.  

Po looked over it, cradling her chin in thought. She had pulled back her hood to get a better look at the offerings, letting her blazing hair flicker upwards. "Fruits don't burn very well. Or well they do, but they don't keep a flame."

As if to prove a point the fruits and berries suddenly popped, an angry hiss of steam bursting from the wrinkled risens. "Wood though…" the roots, nuts and forest-kin suddenly burst into orange flames, keeping a low flicker as Po continued to talk.

"Every time you feed the fire, you feed me. You can invoke my flame by offering my favorite foods and then applying heat. Then you can use my favor to do great things… such as to cook that Tonnikala!" Po smiled at the elves. "Gain my favor enough and maybe I'll teach you how to do… this!"

She flicked her wrist and a nearby spruce erupted into flames.

The Elves where struck between looks of unbridled terror, awe, and in a few, feelings of facination the hadn’t known they had as they beheld the twin infernos. Jeon meanwhile just sighed, drew his sword and vanished in a blur, and returned again in the blink of an eye as the trees around the burning spruce toppled down and created a firebreak around the blazing evergreen. 

“W-we could do that” Paw asked, finding his tongue first among his kin thanks to exposure therapy “how?”

“Same way you do anything cool that breaks the rules of nature. Leveling of course!” Jeon stepped in to say.

Po placed her hand on Jeon’s cheek and pushed him away before stepping closer to the mortals, her flames licking dangerously close. From underneath her hood, her hungry eyes were peeking out like churning coals. “Just give me offerings and I’ll give you fire, no matter where you are. I’ll let you throw it, breathe it, spit it, pee it, whatever.”

This got a whole host of amazed looks. Also an equal if not greater of horrified ones. But it was the amazed ones who came closer rather than shy away, and so their words that reached the goddess.

“For your fire? I-I-I’d give anything,” “So strong,” “We wouldn't need to run and hide from a root serpent ever again,” “So pretty,” “How, tell us how,” “Do you have any favorite things to eat?” 

“Bones, coal, tar, wood,” Po listed, “dry things, not wet things.”

“Coal?” “tar?” “got lots of wood though!” came the replies, and then the soon to be faithful broke apart, scurrying into the woods and returning a little later with armfuls of sticks and such. By that point the rest of the elves had either gotten a safe distance away or bailed entirely, leaving the stage entirely clear for the jr pyromancers to give this whole goddess feeding business thing a go.

Po clapped with heated delight as her new faithful started lighting twigs and branches on fire to make meager camp fires. Some tried offering for spells, and from those they got sparkles and small bolts of flame. 

“Well, I’m sure this won't have any long term divisive consequences” Jeon said to himself as casually maneuvered around the [firestarter]’s camp doing a bit of fire control/safety instruction here and there to make sure no elves were roasted and no forests where burned down in the process of this little education session. The lack of casualties and collateral damage certainly helped smooth over relations with those that had initially been apprehensive, and though Jeon’s prediction might well come true sometime down the line, at the moment the displays of power where luring more and more elves out of  the woodwork and into the smoky embrace beneath the open sky.

“So, I think this has turned out pretty well don’t you?” Jeon said once he shimmied back on over to Po after things were mostly in hand.

“Yes!” Po exclaimed before tapping her cheek. “Could be hotter though.”

“Hotter? Do I… want to know what you mean by that?” Jeon asked, morbidly curious 

“Heat.” Po said. “Hot. Heat. Sizzle. Pop. Their fires are babies, not yet hot enough. They couldn’t melt a simple stone.”

“Well, I’m sure as they level and learn they’d get spicier fires” Jeon pointed out “gonna need hotter fires to do metal smithing for example”

“I don’t know if you figured me out yet.” Po crossed her arms and turned to Jeon. “But I’m not as patient as I seem.” A pause. “But if it’ll stick it to Homura like you said, I’ll do my best.”

“That’s the spirit, good things come to those who wait. And invest in the future. Probably. Probably should talk about that kind of thing with that trade goddess” Jeon tapped his lips thoughtfully and then came up an analogy “It’s like a spark, that will start a fire that will engulf the world”

“Well, thank you, John Dom Thomas.” Po put her hands on her hips. “I feel a little better now.”

“Glad to hear it!” the god replied, patting her on the shoulder and then going “ouch” and shaking his hand. 

“So, uh, what’s next?” he asked after recovering

A long, thoughtful pause grew between the two gods before Po answered. “I don’t know.”

“Well… good luck with that!” Jeon replied, before prancing down to join the fire-starters and shouting “Hey! Who wants to learn what a barbecue is?”

[hider=Might]

1 AP Might used to teach elves how to make fire real good
1 AP might used to invent pyromancy and teach it to the elves. Pyromancy requires invoking Po’s name with an offering that will then grant the holder a fiery spell equal to the quality of the offering. An instance would be holding up a bit of coal, saying the offering mantra and then hurling a ball of fire from where the coal used to be.

[/hider]

[hider=Summary]
Po is angy and burns a small path down from the taiga to the dark forest (don’t worry about collateral damage, the only big burn she did was to a poor mountain by the forest) and then she bumps into Jeon who decides to put her fire to good use rather than letting her just burn down the forest. 

So she teaches some slightly crispy elves how to make fire and perform pyromancy. She calms down a bit.
[/hider]