"A 3-0? Oh joy, what a loss..." Incinera giggled mockingly. "The Alphas got you pretty good. And all goals scored by the same person?"
"Can you quit that 'oh joy'...? You keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means." Plasmandy groaned with her arms crossed, her voice tinged with annoyance as she looked up at the woman who was sculling the gondola in which Plasmandy was sitting. "And this is Ashlynn Blaze that we are talking about. She's a beast! Just look at her. Of course it was gonna be a difficult one."
"Oh joy, someone's not in the mood today..." Incinera giggled again.
"Of course I'm not in the mood. How would you feel if you were part of the team and you are kicked out over a minor inconvenience during the game?" Plasmandy growled.
"I have been informed that you've been underperforming for a longer time, Plasmandy..." Scoria said calmly as she sculled the gondola with practiced ease.
"We're reaching the core. You can see the tunnel, right there." Incinera pointed with a giggle at the opening in the middle of the large Flamisle channel. "Everything's gonna be just fine, beauty."
"I don't feel too good about this... if I gotta be honest..." Plasmandy wrapped her arms around her legs, looking up at the two gondoliers with trepidation in her voice.
"You won't feel bad ever again after this. ,The sooner you figure out how a formal goodbye works, the sooner you'll realize that this is your last time feeling burdened." Incinera said softly with her usually flippant tone, her artificially-appearing smile lightened up by the glowing and bubbling lava that surrounded them.
"Just cheer up." Scoria looked down at the disgraced Pyrhene who refused to make eye contact.
"Yes, just cheer up, dear Pyrhene. Being in a bad and tired mood weakens the flesh. Altezar won't appreciate that." Incinera added.
"What do you mean, weakens the flesh?" Plasmandy raised her voice as her tone turned critical. "What is this all about? Why am I being sent there?"
"Oh joy, I already told you. The sooner you figure out what this is, the sooner you'll realize that I'm telling the truth and that you'll never feel sour again. You'll be sweet. For him." The main gondolier giggled again. "Altezar ends all problems. Even the ones that you have."
"No... no!" Plasmandy said to herself shortly after they had entered the tunnel. As they were descending while the lava beneath them began to turn blue, fluid and fluorescent, the alerted Pyrhene tried to stand up. Just as the boat slowed down, she jumped out, sinking her feet into the undeep lava as she ran in the opposite direction, eventually trying to climb out of the tunnel.
"Don't go." Incinera giggled as she threw one of the three lilac-colored pots that were placed near the front part of the boat. With a proper throwing arm, she threw it at Plasmandy. With the pot breaking open and unleashing a large purple cloud with a sickeningly sweet odor, Plasmandy's muscles weakened immediately.
"What's going on..." The Pyrhene yawned as her eyelids felt heavier. Before she realized it, she was back in  the gondola, forced right into it against her own will, but too tired to resist.
"You are disgraced, but Altezar can forgive you. He will come to love anything that he hates... our dear leader always does, for in the end, he loves everyone, even after a poor performance. You will just be given a formality, Plasmandy, no need to be in fear..." Incinera let out a final giggle as the gondola eventually made its way into Altezar's domain.
Altezar looked up as he awoke from a moment of apparent slumber when the two gondoliers entered his realm, greeting the dragon with a dignified bow.
"My faithful nymphs... fairies of the hot and sulfuric channels that encase the terraformed land." Altezar said proudly and domineeringly as the two loyal gondoliers had entered the hot and crystalline core of Magma Heaven, holding a limp Plasmandy.
"You..." Plasmandy sighed as she looked up, clearly straining and struggling to keep her head up, gasping as she tried to keep eye contact.
"Ah, Plasmandy. Underperforming again? It seems that Classie was no longer tolerating of your pathetic way of play." Altezar said pompously, his wide mouth on his draconic head almost forming a smile that showcased several of his sharp teeth. After the two nymphs dropped Plasmandy, Altezar spread his wide black wings. He gently wrapped two of his large fingers around Plasmandy's body.
"What's happening... tell me..." Plasmandy continued to hyperventilate.
"You are done. Fired. You will not be showing your face to the Pyrhene Company again. Listening? Or are you not performing well in paying attention either, my failure?" Altezar asked mockingly.
"Can I go now? I... I've been discharged... please." Plasmandy said in an almost pleading tone as she felt the muscle functions return to her body. Not long after, Altezaar retreated his hand. With a sigh of relief, the fired Pyrhene turned around. "Hey, where did they go?" Plasmandy's eyes widened in tension as she realized that the gondola and the two faithfuls had left.
"You will come back to me. Back into the flames..." Altezar let out a brief and low-pitched laugh as he grabbed Plasmandy again. A scream from the Pyrhene followed.
"Let me go!" Plasmandy hyperventilated as she began to cry out in panic.
"You may be disgraced, but you are still a strong one. You were a blessing to your team. And the stronger you are, the more fitting you are as my sustenance. Now, if only someone would miss you." Altezar said mockingly as he carried Plasmandy, who was screaming like a suckling pig, to his array of teeth. Black smoke steamed from his mouth and caused Plasmandy to cough. "I may have humoured your performances sometimes, but I come to love the things that I hate. These beautiful, delicate parts that form you. And fear and betrayal, they... they build character. The delicious, delicious adrenaline... sustains me." Another low-pitched laugh was heard, followed by a final agonizing scream from a disgraced athlete a few bites away from becoming the great leader's sustenance.