According to Valuan historians, the ancient Temple of Pyrynn was located somewhere in the far southwest corner of the Nasrean deserts, but the area was so infested with monsters that no one had ever found it. But the former high mage of Valua had never tried.
Ilchymis discovered early on that Cupil was a most amazing creature. It could morph into a wide variety of minor weapons, causing enough of a ruckus for the mage to cast some of his attack spells to down their enemies. The two worked in tandem so well that, on their fifth day of search, they actually found the Temple of Pyrynn. It was nestled in a canyon with very poor visibility; strong air currents from Lower Deep Sky caused massive sandstorms here, impairing vision. It took nearly two hours just to dock close to the ancient structure, then at last Ilchymis ventured up the stone steps of the pyramid with Cupil close behind.
A large dias was set in the center of a courtyard of stone, sculptures cut to resemble some sort of ancient Nasrean diety. Ilchymis was certain that the dias served as some sort of ritualistic significance, but there was no time to investigate the long-forgotten culture. It was brutally hot, and the ever-whipping sand made it difficult to breathe.
After stumbling up the steep stone stairway, Ilchymis finally passed into the dark entryway to the temple. He took a moment to regain his breath and dust off the front of his robes, then he advanced a few steps into the blackness.
"Pyri." The minor flame spell summoned a ball of fire into the mages' hand, and locating a stray stalk of pitch on the ground he made a torch. Light sped through the cavernous antechamber, illuminating a relatively square room with a sloping hallway leading north and downward. Floating beside him, Cupil gave a squeak of anxiety.
"Don't worry, Cupil--everything will be fine. Just stick close to me and try not to make much noise." Exhaling in nervousness, Ilchymis started down the sloping corridor.
Gradually the floor evened out and they stepped into a torchlit chamber with a high ceiling. The hallway turned into a narrow walkway suspended high over a river of molten lava; the walkway on which they were standing ran into the center of the enormous room, where it met and branched into several more interconnecting paths. Some of these sloped downward, much as the stone he was standing on had; others met ladders leading into the shadowy unknown, and still others seemed as though the slightest added weight would send them crumbling into the magma below.
Ilchymis took it all in with awe and a measured amount of fear. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.