Ignisabeth looked out of the window of her apartment, a part of one of the strong buildings of unalloyed iron that was built next to a large channel of orange lava. Smiling, she watched in content at the streets bustling with activity, as well as the bubbling of the lava that filled the channels.
"Hiya!" Two nymphs on a tungsten gondola passed by, the orange-haired gondolier and her beige-haired companion waving at Ignisabeth as they were sculling, a silent passenger on board.
"Hey hey..." Ignisabeth said as she waved back happily, taking another satisfied breath of the sulfuric air. "Today's another beautiful day..."
"Hey, Beth..."
"Oh, hello..." Ignisabeth turned around as she was approached by a young man with dark skin and short frizzy hair, wearing a black polo shirt and beige legwear.
"Morning, big sis." The young man stretched his arms as part of some muscle training, although his biceps were tiny compared to the ones sported by the team captain of the Alphas.
"Hey, Ignicio." Ignisabeth crossed her arms, also taking a brief and content look around the moderately furnished living room.
"Having my third Eruption match today. Mark my words, the Draknights are gonna win this one for sure. Won't be my first time." Ignicio put a smug yet lighthearted look on his face as he joined his sister at the window.
"You'll get this, brother. I know you will." Ignisabeth said.
"I do hope so. I'm optimistic, but... we do have a new member. I think we can get used to it, but you never know." Ignicio crossed her arms as he took a glance at his sister, with Ignisabeth returning a curious look.
"New member?" Ignisabeth tilted her head in response.
"Yeah, Stoney dropped out. Man said he wasn't 'feeling it' anymore. I guess the game doesn't excite him as much as it once did. I hear that he's currently on his way to get a formal goodbye from Altezar." Ignicio said as he looked out of the window. "Oh, hey look who we got there..." Ignicio said as he looked down at the gondola that was close to leaving his line of sight.
"Maybe you can call for him. No one would mind it with all the bustling outside." Ignisabeth suggested, noticing the many people on the streets, all clad in clothes made of volcanic ash, chainmail and other materials that could withstand the extreme heat, going about their daily errands from shopping to sending the young Tephra to school.
"Stoney!" Ignicio called. "Stoney!" He called again. Although the two tour guides responded with another wave, the somewhat recognisable passenger in the boat did not show any response. Not long after, the tungsten boat was out of sight.
"He should've heard you..." Ignisabeth placed her hands against her sides.
"Well, doesn't matter much. He was getting tired lately, anyways. Worry not, sis. I won't end up like him. I'll stay in the game for as long as I am physically able to. You won't see me getting tired of it. Watch!" Ignisabeth's brother smirked as he looked the woman in the eye.
"That's the spirit. Enthusiasm brings one a long way, brother. A very long one. It is why I'm still in the game at thirty-one. You've got plenty of time to keep going." Ignicio's sister gave her brother a supportive pat on the shoulder, followed by a friendly hand squeeze. "Hunt em down, brother!"
"Always." Ignicio laughed as he shared a high-five with his sister.