The building towered above him, an old dinosaur of a building that had withstood the test of time. Sylus passed the front of the apartment block and proceeded down a side alley, looking for a backdoor to this soon-to-be ruin. As he approached the back of the building, he was greeted by a tall fence bordering the block's small yard. This, of course, meant little to him. His smoky self sifted through the gaps in the face, and directly under the crack in the backdoor.

Sylus reformed on the opposite side, and breifly checked his surroundings. He was situated in a quaint little hallway, with two sets of stairs on his left. One up, one down. The immediate vicinity was deserted, though he could hear the footsteps of the building's residents above him. Fearing confrontation and knowing the way his devastation must travel, Sylus chose to head down. He ended up in a small basement split into 3 rooms: a maintenance area, a small storage closet, and a large community laundry room with several washers and dryers. After peaking into the closet and maintanence room, he came out with the fuel he was looking for, paint solvent.

He continued into the laundry area, and perused the dryers, looking for one that was running towards the end of its cycle. After a short search, he came up with some dry clothing and sheets. This he arranged in the corner of the room, and doused the surrounding area with the flammable lquid. Lowering himself to one knee, Sylus prayed in front of his makesihft pyre.

His words echoed lightly around him, filling his soul with a purpose and perseverance that he had come to know and enjoy.

"Please..... take this and return to me what I have worked so hard to earn. These souls return to your forge from my hands. From this destruction, may an equal creation be returned to me."

Riley was pleased. All too often, dates ended at Aurum’s place. Yes, it probably had something to do with the fact that it was in a nicer part of town, better equipped, and full of the kinds of things that Aurum was always mixing together into delicious food. (Seriously, who kept things like star fruit and cumquats just laying around?)

Sometimes they still came back to her place though, and Riley supposed it made her feel a little less panicked about the whole them thing that they did that. It was nice to come here, to see all her stuff, and to remind herself that she did in fact come back here almost every day. All of her clothes were still in her closet and drawers, all of her toiletries were still in her cabinets, and there was even milk in the fridge that wasn’t any more expired than it would have been when she was single.

The elevator ride upstairs was always eventful, and there was always a bittersweet pang when it made it to her floor without getting stuck. Out they went though, and into the apartment with all those reassuring things Riley had just been thinking about.

”We should do movies more often.” she commented as she shut and locked the door behind them. ”I really liked that one.” Sure, a movie was a cheap date, but Riley didn’t mind at all. There had been something about sitting in the dark theater with a tub of popcorn that had been so ideally cute and romantic that she wanted to repeat the experience.

”Hang out for a second, I’ll be right back.” she said, heading towards her room, only to stop in the doorway and roll her eyes.

All the bedding was gone. Every piece! What was worse, was that her romance novel stash was sticking out from underneath in a way that would usually have been covered by the comforter and bed skirt. Now, it wasn’t a sure thing that they’d end up back here, but if she was being honest, Riley didn’t want to take the chance. So back to the front of the apartment she went.

”Want to take a field trip down to the laundry room with me? I just realized that all my bedding has been down there for a while. Hopefully nobody stole it…”

Aurum got up from the ugly red couch. My, but it sure was an ugly red couch. He was glad to be off it. Being on it with Riley was okay. Because she was not an ugly red couch. But sitting on it by himself, sipping his coffee... was not. Okay, that is.

"Okay," he said. They could do that. Get the laundry. And maybe browse for couches in the alley out back on the way upstairs. It wasn't a huge detour or anything. It would be fine. Unless it got stuck halfway up in the stairwell like in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and no laws of mathematics or reality could explain how it had gotten there in the first place, or how, short of a sawblade, it would be getting out.

So off they went, to the laundry room! Because that didn't involve sawblades at all.

"You chose me to be your prophet, and I have been a willing tool used by your hands." Sylus continued his prayer, looking down at his own massacred hands. " When my own sacrifice was not enough, I sent you more. Still, you will not return Katherine to me. Scora.....you forged me as i am. You know I will not stop, and maybe thats your plan. Maybe I am meant to be used again and again, forever fanning the Flames of Creation." A look of sorrow and regret flashed over his features. "I will burn this whole city down if that is what you require........ So please...."

Sylus's gaze raised to the sky, a single match flared to life in his hands. It's solitary flame reflected in the shine of his eyes, the tears that scarred his soul appearing in the faint light.

"Remake the woman I love."

The request was met with the rush of displaced air as the pile of soaked cloth went up in flames. The light from the growing fire danced across the walls of the basement as Soot wiped his eyes. A look of sheer determination replaced the sorrow.

Scora was a harsh god, and only extreme effort brought reward. It was time to make with the death and destruction.

Had Riley known Aurum's feelings about her couch, she'd have made sure he never needed to sit on it again. It was one of the things she loved about her apartment...even if it was a little ugly. It was the first thing she'd bought on her own for the apartment, and it was special. Still, he'd been smart enough to keep his mouth shut and hadn't said anything.

Now they were headed downstairs to get her sheets. Maybe she'd even ask him to help her put them on the bed. That had potential for fun. The stairs were much dimmer and darker than the elevator, and reminded Riley why they generally just risked the trip up in the unreliable thing. Down they went, down again, and down a third time for good measure. Something smelled funny. Kind of burned and hot...

"People in this building suck..." she said by way of explanation with her hand on the doorknob. "Nobody ever cleans out the lint traps."

The door opened, smoke poured out, and Riley cursed.

"Holy shit! Fire!" she shouted, eyes darting to the man standing somewhere around 4ft away from her in the room. "Who are you?! Get out of there!"

He knew the scent of fire, surprisingly enough. Of burning things. Because one didn't start out a pro. And even they made mistakes. This wasn't popcorn, though, or S'mores, or cookies. He couldn't place what it was, other than 'not those', but it by itself wasn't instantly a cause for alarm. Maybe it was lint.

Maybe not.

Smoke signaled. As Riley conveyed eloquently. The automated fire alarm system seemed to hear her, and lazily took this opportunity to wail loudly as if making up for its slow noticing of things. A 'yes, yes I hear you' abating cry.

Aurum's eyes snapped around the area, taking note of the situation. His arms found themselves around Riley's shoulders. He didn't want her rushing in to drag out the guy. If he needed help, he'd be getting it from him, not her. There was an ax behind glass nearby on a wall for if things got serious, and... Aurum coughed. "We need to cover our mouths..." A hand went to Riley's shirt collar before tugging on his own.

A shout filled with fright and concern told Sylus that someone had walked in on the blaze that was slowly filling the apartment building's basement. The concern came from a young female. She was worried for him, afraid that he may become consumed in the flames. Ironic, considering she was the one in real danger. Soot was not troubled by the heat around him. Scora had given him the gift to escape the fire, even if he was standing right in the middle of it. He reached deep inside himself for that gift, one tiny fraction of the power of a god. Yet he found nothing. His body did not dissolve into the air. He did not flow with the current of the rising heat around him.

Sylus stared briefly down at his physical, mortal body; a look of shock on his face and fear in his eyes. Fear of a divine punishment. The burning smite of an angry deity. For the first time in years he did not feel at peace within the ember he had made. The warmth around him, once womb-like, now pressed down on him as if he were simmering in a covered pot. Terror slowly filled his heart.

Scora had forsaken him.

Images of the first blaze, the fire that had ruined the skin of his hands and took the life of Katherine, flashed through his mind. Walls with dancing firelight, the sharp pain of burns on his skin, the weight of a torched support beam, the crack of the floor as it had given away beneath him. But mostly, of the sorrow in his soul as he watched his beloved fall to the searing flames.

'Not again' Sylus thought to himself, panic rushing adrenaline through his limbs.

As smoke made its way into his system, he coughed and covered his mouth with his forearm. He desperately made plans not only for survival, but to please his god once more. The voice of a second person in the room, male, reached his ears. There were two people who would undoubtedly try to stop the ritual, or at least evacuate those who were supposed to burn up. Scora would not approve of such an outcome. Thus Sylus did not approve. There was only one option left, keep the sacrifices contained or die trying.

Soot pushed a finger through a hole in the bottom of his t-shirt, and ripped off a large section of it. Wrapping it around his mouth as a makeshift bandanna, he turned and ran toward the couple standing in the doorway.

Things started to move in slow motion. It was funny how flames, fire, and smoke could do that when they were constantly in motion. Arms were around her shoulders, and Riley didn't even notice until she tried to move forward. Once she realized it was Aurum, she stopped, there was no way she was going anywhere if he wanted her to stay.

They needed to cover their mouths, and as Aurum tugged at the collar of her shirt, Riley pulled it up to oblige him. There was no point in suffocating, but if that guy didn't move fast they were going to have bigger problems on their hands.

Speaking of which, the man turned and looked at them, and something about him made Riley shudder. He moved, almost imperceptibly, and the widening of his eyes and the fear that was written clearly on his face made Riley gasp through her shirt. She'd seen that look before, a couple of times.

"He's a mutant..." she coughed, her shirt not providing much relief from the stinging smoke that was quickly getting thicker. It was a split second later, and the man charged.

Aurum was big, and strapping, and muscular, but he also had ahold of Riley. There was no time to move though, so she braced herself and put a knee out, hoping to hit something squishy if a collision proved impossible to avoid.

Like El Toro the bull fighter, Aurum swung his flag (Riley) up and away. They turned out of the charging man's path. If he wanted to run, he could run. If he was innocent, he might. If he wasn't, Aurum seriously had to think about how they'd handle this. They were in a burning building. What was most important now were evacuations. The alarm wailing throughout the building was putting that in motion already. Fighting the fire, also important, but the fire department would be better equipped for that.

Riley was light. He set her down and let go of her, stepping away. His shirt was still up against his mouth.

He wasn't sure what would come next, but it would be coming, all the same.

At first sight of Sylus's charge for the door, the pair standing just outisde the door did the reasonable thing and got the hell out of his way. The gentleman had quickly moved himself and his female friend from Soot's just before a fateful impact. This was fortunate, considering that the woman was seemingly as useful as a deer in the headlights. Oddly enough, the couple fit together like a stag and a doe. She was a lithe beauty, with midnight hair and a sense of innocence about her. Her bright blue eyes reflected not only the flames in the room, but the fear in her soul. He, however, seemed the picture of confidence. The gentleman was slightly taller than Sylus and had the build of a man who saw the gym at least once a week. The intelligence and determination behind his eyes said it all: This was not a man to be taken lightly.

Even worse, he was quick to react. A man who ould work under pressure. Hauling these two to the door of Scora's forge would not be easy, even with the will of a man gone mad. But this mission would not be forsaken by a man such as Sylus, even at the risk of death or imprisonment. There was everlasting punishment for someone who failed a god. So instead of running past these two, past the fire and pain and retribution, he stopped and turned. His body now stood in the way of the only exit from this dismal place. With flames and smoke at his prey's back, there was nowhere for them to run. He crouched low in the hallway, trying to find more oxygen while centering his balance.

His voice rang clearly, even above the roar of the blaze.

" I am afraid this is as far as the two of you will go. Your intrusion upon my little ceremony was unexpected. A wrench in my plans. So I must move to the overtly risky Plan B. Tonight this basement becomes your tomb, and it is my god given task to become its keeper. Even if I must burn with you, neither of you will leave this place tonight. It will be a tragic and grisly death, but take solace in the fact that it is all for the greater good. I am the scorched right hand of Scora, and by his name and the glory of his work, I swear none shall pass this line."
Desperation and insanity leaked from Sylus's very being. What came next would be more than a battle for the souls in this building, it would be a battle for the favor of a god. And in a fight with those risks, it would take the will of a hero to topple this fanatic. The tension in the basement rose with the flames in anticipation of the brawl to come.

Aurum turned to casually bust the ax out of its glass case, then taking it up in his hands, charged Silus. Cuz hey, if a guy's gonna start something and start saying dramatic stuff about basements becoming tombs, that's justified cause.

(( OOC: Juli approved turn order switching for us, because it made sense. ))

Sylus had made a mistake.

Maybe he should have taken into account the fire axe on the wall when he had made his declaration to Scora.

And maybe he shouldn't have chosen to try and confront a man mu younger and more spry than he was.

Hell, maybe he shouldn't of even gotten out of bed this morning.

But all the hindsight in the world wouldn't save him from an axe blade to the skull..

That's what the training was for.

The man's rapid footsteps rang in Sylus's ears as the axe descended. Soot's body reacted without thought. Pausing a moment for timing, Sylus took a step and slid underneath the effective range of the axe. He took the weight of the blow on his right shoulder, the blunt shaft of the axe perpendicular to his body. Then, lifting both of his arms up between the man's, he pressed outward, relieving the man of both his grip and his weapon. The axe toppled off Sylus's shoulder, clattering to the ground below.

With the immediate danger gone, Sylus's hands whipped around in a quick circle, giving a light double palm to the man's chest. The shove rocked him back a step or two, leaving a foot or so between the two of them. Taking advantage of this newly acquired space, Sylus turned turned his body so that his left foot was at his back, centering his balance and making a smaller target. A soon as his weight was on his back foot, he lashed out with his front. The attack went low, aiming for the man's leg and hoping to use the momentum from the shove to land him on his ass.

The whole thing was one fluid movement, ending with Sylus's open hands raising to chest level, ready for anything that may be coming his way.

The air in the small basement hallway slowly filled with smoke. The deadly fumes raked at Sylus's eyes and lungs, causing him to cough and his eyes to water. Whether by fist or fire, this fight would not last long.

Everything moved so quickly. One second Aurum was grabbing that axe like the manly man he always was, the next he was getting some ninja shit pulled on him and falling back on his ass.

Riley had to react. Aurum had tried his best, and the fire was starting to spread. Someone had to do something so that they could get out.

If things had moved quickly before, now they were in slow motion. Blue eyes scoured the room for anything that could be used as a weapon and finally landed on an old paint can that someone had left in the stair well.

Riley almost whispered thank you as she ran over and grabbed it. Forward she came after that, swinging it by the handle as hard as she could at the back of the arsonist's head. Hopefully, her aim was true.

One moment, he had the axe, the next, it was gone. Stupid ninja shit was right. The rapid series of blows sent him reeling. The leg sweep finished the job, sending him to the floor. Aurum wasn't a trained fighter. He played basketball now and then, enjoyed a good soccer game, and went to the gym. He wasn't a pushover when it came to your average flexings of muscle, but he was hardly trained to deal with someone who knew how to fight. All of the actions had gone by too fast for him to take them in.

The air was getting hot and painful. He let out a cough as he tried to get back his wind after the fall. This really sucked. If they didn't get by this idiot, they were all going to die. All of them. Even the idiot. Even him. What the hell kind of game was he playing?

His back hurt. Falling does that. And his chest ached from where he'd been punched. His eyes were starting to water. It was getting hard to breathe. But none of that meant he had to roll over and die. As Riley moved, unbeknownst to him, Aurum stayed the focus of the madman who'd started the blaze as he pushed himself, tiredly, raggedly, to his feet.