Volcanic Ruins IV

Volcanic Ruins IV (also known as Page 28: A Test of Wisdom) is the fourth checkpoint in Volcanic Ruins.
==Dialogue==
===Start===
Faust
: "Right, so... Press the sun here... Two arrows go here... Shift this stone slightly to the left, and... Voila!" Having killed several megabirds with one stone, Faust begins to slide around the moving parts of the mural, solving the riddle easily.
Faust
: There is a deep rumbling from behind the mural, like the sound of massive stones shaking loose from their foundations. A long fissure snakes down the mural in front of him, and it splits open as Faust stares in awe. As the portal thunders open before him, a sharp blast of hot air bursts forth from the other side.
: "I suppose this must be it, then..." Faust tentatively steps forward. He thought the hottest place he'd ever visit was the desert, but this cave feels like the inside of an oven... on the surface of the sun. But for all the warmth it possesses, there seems to be very little light. All he sees is that the walls are black, like they've been torched.
???
: "Who dares enter?" A single voice like a crackling flame speaks in the darkness. Faust realizes with a start that the voice was not, in fact, echoing through the room, but inside his mind. Suddenly a towering column of flame flares into life before him.
Immortal Bird
: An enormous bird that would put a roaring hearth to shame lands in front of him. Its whole body is engulfed in flames, with eyes that are somehow both vibrant and black as soot. Faust can hardly believe his eyes—the legends were true after all!
Faust
: "Greetings, flame-feathered one. I am Faust, a scholar and a traveler. I come seeking the secret of rebirth, not in a quest for my own immortality, but to glimpse the truth that hides behind the guise of eternity." Faust chooses his words carefully, respectful and calm as he awaits a response. He is at first fearful of the silence, but he also senses no animosity from the winged wonder before him.
Immortal Bird
: This is not to last. The immortal bird's scornful laughter reverberates across Faust's mind, and his sense of foreboding returns. "A man that makes deals with demons, and would now know the truth of eternity? How fortunate for us, to have such a... noble visitor."
: The phoenix can read his mind! And it doesn't seem likely to give it a favorable review. Faust is trying to gather his thoughts as the immortal bird's voice comes again. "Traveler Faust, you solved the riddle of the entrance, thereby proving that you are wise. But this is not all you need to learn the secret. To discover the truth behind the dawning fire, you must pass another test."
Faust
: "I have crossed a desert and bargained with Anubis. I have earned the affection of a feline queen and defeated a raging manticore. I am not afraid of your test," Faust boasts, ready for anything. The immortal bird's black eyes betray nothing, and the silence resumes. Then instantly he is surrounded by raging fire.
===Against <Infernal Efreet> Zaahir===
==Navigation==
Category:Gaia Chronicle Checkpoints
Category:Volcanic Ruins