Extraction

"Aye," Kyro calls, his forehead wrinkling as he watches Cage walk forward, eyes down. Silent.

"Hmm?" Cage turns, looking back at Kyro with an oblivious air to him.

Kyro raises his brows, pointing past the bare-foot man to the volcano now rising just before them. A thin bog of smoke rises from the jagged opening, like the open mouth of a creature, jagged fangs baring to the sky. The ash has lightened its fall some, though it still falls all the same. Kyro has visited this planet several times, and each time, ash has clouded the land. Sometimes light like this, and other times, it falls so thick his blue skin would be smeared with grey patches.

Cage gazes up at the volcano at Kyro's suggestion, finally ripped from his foggy river of thoughts. In his gaze, dark grey billows of smoke paint the sky behind the volcano. That crimson moon hides again, like a shy child thinking his mother's skirt will protect it. Cage wipes the sweat from his forehead, his nose scrunching with the stench of burning iron. His black eyes trail down the volcano's sharp, ragged slope, and he finds that small cave opening soon enough.

Cage points up to the cave entrance, which he guesses is maybe thirty feet from ground level, a small natural platform stretching from the entrance to the continuing slope, "There, in that cave. There's a slope leading down to where the stones are. It should be easy for you to climb down there," he says, turning back to gaze at the approaching Rajin.

Kyro hums, gazing at Cage as he approaches, chin raised and light blue lips pursed. He stares at the back of Cage's head, dark, disheveled black hair falling down his back like a lion's mane. The last hour has been strange, to say the least. Their conversation had ended with talk of the Massors, and until now, Cage had been silent. He only stared at his feet as he tread the land, eyes unblinking. Kyro called to him a few times, the eerie silence unsettling even him, but Cage never answered. He just kept walking.

Kyro tucks the thought away, saving it for later. He looks up, eyeing the tiny cave entrance. The blue man sighs a moment later, not exactly pleased with the deduction that worms into his mind. He pulls the bag from his back and unties the string, rummaging inside with a large blue hand.

"What are you doing?" Cage asks with a wrinkled forehead.

Kyro glances at Cage, pulling something from the bag, the rope from earlier, "I'm not going to fit in that hole," he says, tightening the grey strings on the bag, "Here," Kyro gestures for Cage to come closer. He does so, standing still as the rope is tied tight around his waist.

Kyro straightens his back, holding the bag forward, "Be quick. These volcanos are erratic. And parasites aren't the only threat here," he says as the bag is received, "Try to grab all of them, and tug on the rope a few times when you're done. But, if I tug, then get out. I will not let you die over some blasted rocks."

Cage nods, gazing up at Kyro, "Why protect me?" he asks, stone-faced and flat.

Kyro cocks his head back, scoffing, "You're questioning that?" he responds, pausing. Does the man not want to be protected? Well, too bad, Kyro thinks. He turns and walks towards the volcano glancing with a side-eye at Cage, "Come. The locals might show up if we're not quick."

The Rajin arrives at the base of the Volcano quick, the slacking rope dragging along after him. Cage follows close behind him, raising a brow as Kyro then does something strange. The man squats low until the back of his thighs and calves are touching. That black leotard stretches over rippling leg muscles, and silence stills the stuffy air surrounding him. With a quick inhale, Kyro pushes off the ground, the rock below cracking with his leap. Up and up, Kyro bolts past the platform until his ascent suddenly halts as if the air itself stops him. He lands on the platform with his knees bent, releasing a long exhale.

Cage stares up at Kyro, meeting his grey eyes with parted lips. "I'll pull you up," the Rajin says, grabbing the rope and pulling the slack. Is this normal? With all that's happened since he awoke here, Cage should not be surprised, but he can't help it.

Cage lifts his legs and walks slowly up the volcano, the rope the only thing holding him up. Will he be able to jump like that? Cage believes that he will, eventually. Wishful thinking, he knows it is, but the thought of forever being a normal human saddens him. After all, if Kyro can do it, then what's stopping him?

The answer slaps Cage across the cheek a moment later. He steps up on the platform, studying Kyro as he turns to look at the cave entrance. Even under the leotard, Kyro's massive, sharp structure is like a neon stop sign, a bright and staggering reminder of the poor state of his own body, "Can everyone like you... jump like that?" Cage says, catching those grey eyes as they look back at him.

Kyro raises a brow, his lips curling slightly, "Like me? You mean Rajin?" he asks.

Cage nods.

"Of course. If they couldn't, then they'd find it hard to survive childhood," Kyro chuckles, eyeing Cage, "Why?"

Cage huffs, flat eyes staring up at Kyro and that incredulous grin, "Forget it," he says, "Let's get this over with."

Kyro nods, stepping to the side and gesturing to the cave. Cage steps up to it, scanning the rim of the opening. The black stone is smooth with circular bumps surrounding it like the ripples of a stone dropped into water, and shifting to the regular jagged and sharp rocks of the volcano slope further out, "Do you have anything I could use to see? It's dark in there," Cage says, glancing to the side at Kyro.

Kyro shakes his head, "No." he responds, "Don't like the dark?"

"Not at all," Cage says, sticking his legs into the opening, arm holding him up by the rim. It's the truth. His experience with darkness has not been favorable in the least. When he climbed up the slope before, it reminded him of that place more than he liked. Though the burn in his tired limbs had kept him from thinking about it too much.

But that matters not. Cage said he would do this, so he will. He tugs on the rope tied to his waist, checking its hold on him. Good. He takes one last glance at Kyro, "Well, see you in a few minutes. Hopefully," he says.

"Don't think about it too much," Kyro says, now leaning against the volcano wall, "Remember; when you're done, tug. If I tug, then get out." The Rajin nods and it's reciprocated. He watches as Cage lowers himself into the hole, trepidation knocking on his heart. Too many people have met their fate under Kyro's watch, even his own nephew. He does not know Cage that well, but he fears that he may not be able to handle another loss.

Cage shimmies forward, bare feet brushing against the rocks littering the dark slope. His backside lowers next, and he releases the lip of the opening. Suddenly, Cage slides down the slope against his will, the protruding rocks scraping his legs and backside asunder. He yelps with each bump and scrape, a high-pitched noise Cage didn't know he could make.

Cage finally slams against the floor of the cave, legs, and backside burning with small cuts and scrapes. He groans, body tensing up as every wound burns terribly. Compared to the pain of his arm being ripped from his body, it's nothing. And after a few moments, the pain fades and the cuts begin to close slowly. It seems Cage was not hallucinating earlier.

"You alright down there?" Kyro's deep voice echos into the cave.

Standing, Cage peers back up the slope. Only darkness is there, no light from the entrance, "Yeah!" Cage calls in response, sighing. He rubs his backside, and surprisingly, finds the leotard is unaffected. Comfortable, fitting, and durable? Why wear anything else?

The bag is also untouched, thankfully, and the rope is still attached to his waist.

Back to the task, Cage thinks. He looks around the cave, dim crimson light revealing the same rough and rocky walls and smooth floor. Cage steps forward, eyes raising to the Rage Stones jutting from the ceiling a few feet above him. He was wrong about the number earlier, there must be at least fifty. They cover the ceiling entirely, packed together with a few inches between each of them. Cage shrugs the bag from his back, and it plops on the ground before him.

Cage bends his knees and pushes off the stone floor, jumping into the air with his left arm outstretched. He flies upward, hand cramming against the ceiling and eyes coming merely inches from the sharp edge of a Stone. Cage's feet slap against the ground hard, his eyes wide as he stares down. He expected to be able to reach the stones, but that jump was much more than just reaching. A grin plasters to his lips, he may not have to wait long to catch up to Kyro.

Cage looks up again, breathing deep and only hopping this time. The stones come closer, arm straining with a stretch upward. He grasps a single stone, and it releases from the ceiling with a quiet grating sound. Cage lands again, holding the stone before him with that same grin. The Rage Stone warms his palm, and for a single moment, Cage gets a hint of why the Rajins are so desperate to find them.

His fingertips tingle with power and raw strength. Standing here, Cage feels as if he can crush the stone with just a squeeze. He gasps, brows raised in surprise as something strange suddenly occurs. From Cage's hand, a familiar black smoke pours out, as if spewing from the very pores of his skin. His brows furrow and Cage focuses on the bizarre smoke as it wraps around the stone, the tendrils moving slow, but with purpose. It covers the stone completely, and after a few moments, Cage's hand closes into a fist, the smoke slithering its way back into his hand.

The man stands silent, and something is there inside of him. Cage thinks of what Kyro said earlier, about him somehow absorbing the parasite. He hadn't known what to think about it earlier, but now he's seen it for himself, "I don't have time for this right now," Cage mutters. Rage Stones now, weird smoke that eats things later.

Cage hops again, snatching a stone from the rock. He's careful to not accidentally devour the stone before tossing it into the bag. More hops, snatches, and tosses. Every once in a while, the black smoke shows itself again, inching towards the stones in his hand. Cage throws them into the bag quickly when this happens, and the smoke returns to its home. It seems to have a mind of its own.

Another stone clinks against the others in the bag, and the burlap-like material bulges with sharp edges at the bottom. Sweat drips from Cage's forehead, and his hair sticks to the back of his neck. When he awoke, Cage liked his long hair, even with the disheveled look and dead-ends. But now, the hair is like an extra weight on his head, hot and in the way.

Another hop. Another snatch. Another toss. Cage wipes the hair and sweat from his forehead, his calves tight and burning. Empty holes litter the stone ceiling, and just above him, the last few stones glow dimly. The cave is nearly pitch-black now, and Cage finds himself snapping his neck to look into the darkness now and then, as if some terrible creature will appear. That would be better, Cage thinks, better than returning to that place. Anything is better.

Cage freezes, knees bent slightly. He straightens, holding his breath, listening. A tiny, quiet scratching sound comes from outside the cave. Cage listens closer, closing his eyes. It's outside, on the wall of the volcano. Is that Kyro? What is he doing?

The rope tightens around his waist with a tug. His eyes widen at the signal. Time to go. Cage grabs the bag, straining slightly at the added weight of the stones. He throws a strap over his shoulder, taking a step. The rope tugs again, this time throwing him through the air towards the slope. Cage's skull cracks against the floor as he tumbles, the bag ripping from his shoulder. He slams into the steep incline of the slope, his lungs refusing to take in air, no matter how hard he tries.

A few moments later, Cage regains his ability to breathe, haggard and quick as they are. He stumbles to his feet, dizzy, skull pounding. A terrible ring in his ears causes Cage to grimace, muddling his mind for another moment as he tries his hardest to regain his senses. Those moments come. The man's head still pounds, and he still sways on his feet, but he can think straight.

Behind him, Cage sees the bag, and the stones strewn across the floor. A large gash spans across the material of the bag. It's useless now. He's startled by a sudden thumping, vibrating the floor beneath him. A man screams, something between a battle cry, and a cry for help. Kyro.

Cage pulls on the rope, the dim glow of the Rage Stones his only light. His brows furrow at the lack of resistance, and they raise as the rope falls from the slope. The end of the rope lies curled on the floor before him, frayed with red liquid staining it. Blood.