Liar, Liar, the Mage's Desire Vol. 1 (A New Oumeno)

Kokichi and Himiko Go Dream Hopping (3: Angie)

    Kokichi and Himiko found themselves in a damp cave with the opening right in front of them. They could only see the bright blue sky above them. 

    "Nyeh...this is creepy, so far," Himiko said, looking at the cave around her. "I wonder where we are." 

   "Only one way to find out," Kokichi said. With her hand still in his, he led her out of the cave, and what they saw made them gasp with astonishment. They were on a cliff that overlooked a beautiful tropical island surrounded by sapphire blue sea. The grass and trees were a lush green, the sand on the beach down below glittered white underneath the warm glow of the sun. 

   "Wow, this place is amazing!" Himiko breathed, soaking in the beauty of the island.

    "Yeah, Angie's got a pretty nice home, if I do say so, myself," Kokichi agreed, putting his hands behind his back. Himiko blinked and then gasped. She was so caught up in the island that she hadn't registered that this was where Angie came from.

   "Yeah, you're right!" Himiko said. "She's pretty lucky to come from here!" 

   "Weeell...maaaaybe not," Kokichi said, looking behind them. Himiko gave him a strange look, then she turned around to see what he was pointing at. Himiko's heart plummeted in fear. High above them stood a volcano with smoke emitting from it. 

    "Umm...maybe it just got finished erupting?" Himiko said hopefully, though she knew well that that wasn't the case. Kokichi gave her a skeptical smile.

   "Pff...you wish, sweetheart," he teased, pinching her cheek playfully. "Now, c'mon! Let's go find Angie!" 

    "Maybe they know where she is," Himiko said, pointing below them to a line of people chanting and walking towards the volcano. 

    "Let's follow 'em and find out!" Kokichi said excitedly, tightening his grip on Himiko's hand. Himiko groaned as Kokichi led her down a path that trailed down the cliff into the forest below. They hid among the trees from the chanting tribal members who were holding up buckets of pinkish liquid that looked a lot like blood. Kokichi and Himiko followed closely behind the line of people, getting closer and closer to the volcano with each step. The tribe entered the volcano through an opening at the base. Once inside, the air immediately became much hotter, and the smell of rotten eggs engulfed Kokichi and Himiko, making them cover their mouths to hide their gags.

   "It smells gross in here!" Himiko whispered to Kokichi.

   "It's the sulfur," he replied. "C'mon, let's go up here." He led her up a small trail that stopped at a ledge with a large rock at the tip of it. Kokichi and Himiko crouched behind it to avoid being seen by the tribe a few feet below. The tribal members placed the buckets of blood in a line, right at the edge of a large lake of magma, and then bowed. One of the tribespeople, the chief, stood up to the magma lake and began speaking in a grand voice.

   "O, goddess of the volcano," he announced. "We have come to offer you the blood of our deceased so that you may live ever more!" He gestured over to the buckets of blood. Some of the tribespeople stood up and poured the blood into the magma. Then, they went back and bowed. Himiko gave Kokichi a look of confusion, but Kokichi's focus was on what was happening below them.