Geyser

I stare at the huge columns of water and steam spurting out of the ground. It's fascinating but unsettling at the same time, so much so that I can't look away. It's as if the earth has become a massive pressure cooker. I turn around to say something but realize that I wanted to call out to Gault. But he's not here, of course. He's like a thousand miles away. When I arrived yesterday after a long day trudging through the plains, I was told it was Atsadi who had created this place a few days ago while he was up against hordes of Belisenki. I can't believe the power he's unleashed here. They call him the one-armed swordsman or the Cicada of Dusk, and you can tell his reputation is well earned. He's literally made the ground bleed with huge bubbles.

It's weird to see that the site of such an epic battle has become a sort of aquatic amusement park. The Lyra took over the place and converted it into an open-air pool. They cooled it down, of course, so that no one got boiled alive, and then leveled it all to keep the water in. And now, everyone is bathing, splashing around and chatting... If someone had told me yesterday, as we were struggling to traverse the frozen wilderness, that today I'd be taking it easy in some hot springs, I'd never have believed it. So, while I let my mind wander, wondering if Atsadi would take on a squire, I'm suddenly splashed by a Magpeng and a Tanuki squabbling over who's next on the launch pad. The Magpeng wins the argument and jumps just in time as the ground begins to rumble. An immense geyser shoots it up into the sky as it screams with laughter.

KOJO