Lava and Sand

Jared watch to make sure Devion got off of Drake's back safely, only looking up when the angry roar sounded in the distance. "You too, D." He replied and was about to spur Drake on when Devion spoke, causing Jared to life. "Perhaps, but it would certainly be a risk on her part." With that said he pat Drake on the side of the neck and the creature quickly took flight again.

It seemed that in no time at all the desert disappeared behind them, plains and grasses passed quickly under them, followed by a thick forest until finally all vegetation was stripped away. Now they were in a land of volcanoes, grass replaced by volcanic rock with rivers of molten lava with steam vents scattered around. "We're almost there." He told her as if it mattered at all.

Jared looked at her with interest, not having expected a question. He'd expected pleas, whining, or blubbering but not this. "It's not your standard game." He said as he turned his eyes forward again, focusing on a fortress made out of lightless crystal in the distance. "I wish to see how far your group will go to get you back. If I am satisfied then I will return you to them. If not... Well, we'll see what happens then."

Finally, deep within the Volcanic Region, the sight of the fortress became clear as day. It was a large construct high on the side of an extinct volcano, one that Jared had gone to great lengths to ensure its safety. "Here we are." He told her even as Drake began to make his descent to the ramparts below.

Drake soon landed and Jared immediately got off before he reached out to help the girl down. It was not out of any real sense of kindness but he had no reason to be foul to her right now. "Pretty much." He said before he glanced around at the fortress and gave almost a smug smile. "Amazing what you can accomplish once you have enough practice."

"Of course." He said as he ushered her along with a hand on her arm while Drake took off again to find his own food. "We may be strong but we require as much practice with our powers as anyone else." Jared told her as he led her into the fortress and down the myriad of halls. "You will be staying in a room but I will need to create it first."

When they finally reached the end of the hall he put his hand against the black crystal wall where it quickly started to shift and mold into a new shape. His eyes focused on the wall, as if willing it to become whatever he wanted and, soon enough, there was a large room in front of them instead of a blank wall. "I will have to get something softer for you to sleep on but this should work."

Jared shrugged as if dismissing the idea. "I'm an inverse and I'll admit I'm not mentally stable. Doesn't mean I need to be rude to my guests... or hostages. Depends on what you prefer." He told her as he reached up the the brooch holding his cloak in place. "If you want you can stay here while I fetch some furs for your bed. You could try to escape but this is a region for high level players. It wouldn't be advisable." He removed his cloak as he told her this, just draping it over his arm to carry it more easily before he left. "Though, you could also just follow if you'd like a tour."

Jared could feel her at his back but wasn't concerned, any attack from her would be of no danger to him. "How did you get into this game anyway?" He asked as they walked and even took the time to toss his cloak onto a table as they passed it. "Did you buy it yourself, borrowed it from a friend?"

Jared's footsteps stalled for a moment as he was caught off guard by Bri's questions. He turned slightly to look at her, as if to see that she was genuinely curious and it was not a product of his own imagination. His brow was furrowed in clear concentration and he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated when it was difficult to remember anything from before the game. "I... don't know. It's a bit difficult to remember, I only know that I've been here for a long time."

The earliest thing he could remember was being with a group of friends in the game, good friends he'd known for a long time before they... before they died.

It was a little unsettling to have these questions aimed at him. Normally players did not act so cordially to him or were even interested in what he felt. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as if at a loss of how to answer. "I do, actually." Jared admitted as he turned back around and started walking again. "Drake and I are the only ones who keep watch over this part of the game and Drake isn't what you'd call talkative." He smiled almost wistfully then as he turned into what appeared to be a large storage area. "Although we are close allies I think he's still a little bitter that I beat him."

Jared looked around momentarily and finally seemed to find what he was looking for as he started grabbing some furs off of a shelf. "These should work."

Jared nearly handed her a couple of the furs from those that he was holding when she asked if there was a place to clean up. "Yes, there is. Let's just get these to your room before I show you." He said and started walking again, even glancing to his own bloody hands. "Besides, I need to clean up too."

It didn't take long at all to get there where he set the furs on what would be her bed, making sure that there's be enough cushioning, before he led her to what served as the washroom in the fortress. "I'll let you wash up first."

Jared stood outside in the hall, merely waiting until she was finished. He vaguely overheard her remark but was not entirely sure what was said, the words muffled by the thick door. When she emerged he thanked her before going to wash his own hand. "Is there anything else you want to know?" He asked with a glance back over his shoulder before he turned off the sink and left the room.

While, yes, he did enjoy chaos from time to time he was still relieved to have the dried blood off of his skin.

"Sixteen, I know that much." he said in reference to his previous remark about not remembering much. He said as he started walking again, this time towards the larder. Jared was lost in his thoughts for the moment, humming quietly to himself. The tune was familiar and he remembered the lyrics currently making their way through his mind, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it from. "How long has it been since you've had a decent meal?"

"A day, huh? Impressive." He remarked as they made their way into the larder and he began going through the food in order to pick things out. He really was genuinely impressed, most players ran through all of their money in a single day and then had to forage or hunt for their food. Of course, hunting didn't usually go well for the beginning players if they tried to go after the glitches.

"As for the Glitches," Jared reached up and grabbed something off of one of the shelves. "They do drop money but only those that are level six and up."

Jared shrugged as if it wasn't really his concern and it wasn't, it hadn't been for awhile. "When the goal of the game is to beat the Game Master, it's just another way to weed out those that are too weak." He informed her as he pulled down the last of the food and passed a couple of the items over to her since the others he held would have to be prepared. "The players that are more likely to beat the Game Master will be more resourceful and will be able to find food more easily. It doesn't have to be bought, after all." A memory struck him then and he showed her a genuine smile, followed by a just as genuine laugh. "You would not believe some of the things I had to eat while I was still weak."