Two: Ix

For a Tiefling, Ix had always possessed an unexplainable attraction to the cold. He fondly remembered sitting at a window in an inn, staring at the leafless trees silhouetted against the dark late fall sky as the warmth of the fireplace cozied up the establishment. A warm mug of tea and a bowl of steaming stew warmed his wind-chilled fingers. Maybe that's why he was attracted to Korbantir. Its climate and how it made him appreciate the comfort of the heat he took for granted at home.

He tried to imagine the warmth of the fire, the tea, the bowl, and his love for his adopted country as he climbed up the mountainside. The prisoner ahead of him pulled him along a chain around his waist. The stout Human man didn't seem bothered by the snow through which they slowly plowed. No, the memory of stew didn't warm his shivering bones on the damned Kleftmon peaks. Snow crunched under his padded boots, a sound alien to him until he left Dorr for the first time and set foot in human lands years ago.

Dorr, now there was a warm climate. Mild winters and hot, arid summers on an island built around the central caldera of the Koatu volcano. His teenage years were carefree and wild, spent in coastal towns, exploring his homeland, and discovering who he was as a person in the world. Many lava flows warmed Dorr's waters, emptying into the ocean and slowly growing the island with their deposits.

One day, when he was seventeen, his latest lover Ypka brought him to a newly formed cove where he claimed a cave opened up when the tides were just right. The waters were still hot as the freshly deposited lava cooled below the surface, but they managed to avoid being boiled alive. They swam against the retreating currents and made it into the cave. It was as dark as night, but as Ix ran his fingers along the walls, he could feel the smooth, round surface of the cave.

-- tieflings have darkvision!

"It's nothing like I've felt before," he said, listening for his partner's breath in the darkness. "Isn't it basalt?"

Ypka slowly paddled over and ran his fingers along Ix's chest. "Just wait until you see it."

Ix heard Ypka take a deep breath and disappear below the surface with a splash. "Ypka?"