Sympathy for the Devil

[Rezantis]

Nathan steps out of the limosuine first, his eyes sweeping across the parking lot.  There's nobody else here, right?

[Brian]

The parking lot is -- for the moment -- otherwise deserted.  Glowing vending machines illuminate the path towards the peak.  Distant rivers of light dim in the rising sun.  Shortly they'll be invisible beneath the light, and only later will be recognizable as highways.

Still, Fuji is a major tourist attraction.  It can't stay empty for long.

[Rezantis]

That's a relief, at least.

Nathan retrieves his bow from the warbag and slings it over the shoulder, buckling on his quiver as well.

Once everyone else is ready, up the mountain they go.

[Dracos]

"Calm before a storm of fire?" Dracos jibbed as they started up the mountain, the early hour not harsh yet.

Dracos

[Carthrat]

"You never put a volcano on the stage unless it's going to erupt," replies Tom.

"I guess it'll be hard to get lost with that there, though!"

[Dracos]

"Well, no.  Sometimes it is for the throwing of someone into it," Dracos proceeded to sidetrack in thought.  "Or alternately, simply to provide the correct backdrop to giant towering demons."

Dracos

[Bjorn]

"We've already blown up one city," Bjorn points out, stepping up the pace a little.  "Let's just pretend this one is here simply to throw ourselves into."

[Rezantis]

"That one was asking for it."

[Carthrat]

"Haha, now you're just saying stuff to shit me."

[Rezantis]

"At least I got to loot some stuff before it went up, though!"

[Carthrat]

"Did you kill people before or after taking their stuff?"

[Rezantis]

Nathan shuts up, and goes back to walking rather than answer that one.

[Carthrat]

Tom goes silent when Nathan does, looking rather uncomfortable. He opens his mouth, briefly, as if he's going to continue, but clamps it shut, looking just about everywhere but the people he's travelling with.

[Rezantis]

It's a while before Nathan responds, but he eventually does answer.

"So I guess to answer your question, yeah, we killed Cabal's oracle and took his stuff, but it was too late to stop him killing ours.  It's . . . a . . . sore point, alright?"

[Carthrat]

"Uh..huh. But... no, never mind. Sorry," offers Tom. "But you seriously blew up a city?"