The walkway widened out and stopped quite abruptly; lava was steadily seeping over an outcropping to their immediate east, oozing across the floor. Lawrence quickly flung out an arm, stopping Domingo before he could go much further, and gestured to their newest predicament.
"We've got to find higher ground, and fast," he growled. "Pretty soon the floor will be covered with this stuff, and I don't want to still be standing here when that happens."
Lawrence now leading the way they quickly and carefully picked their way across the floor, and reaching the wall they started to climb. Although the rate of the magma flow was not great, the face of the wall they now attempted to traverse was almost exactly vertical, and hand- and foot-holds were few and far between. Once Domingo slipped and nearly dunked his heels in the bubbling lava, but Lawrence reached back just in time to grab a fistful of the treasure hunter's shirt. So although it was a close thing, the pair scrabbled over the ledge and took off at a run again, unharmed.
Little explosions were taking place all throughout the chamber, for it was very hot now and the temperature was angry within the lava. Domingo wiped his brow with the back of one hand and wasn't at all surprised when it came back drenched in hot sweat; Lawrence was similarly looking tired, but would not allow them to stop and rest.
They crested the gradual incline and looked down; magma was spilling over that side and slowly filling the second half of the cavern. They were at the highest point and relatively safe for the moment, but unless they found another room soon and could seal off the entrance, that would not matter.
"There," said Domingo suddenly, and following the treasure hunter's finger Lawrence saw a small, dark opening to the northwest, high above the lava flow and accessible from the single narrow path that criss-crossed the chamber. Immediately the helmsman made a move toward it, but Domingo's hand clamped his shoulder and spun him back; Lawrence saw that Domingo was now looking at something else, and slightly perturbed he looked back.
A crumpled form was laying quite still on the incline opposite them, and the lava was seeping dangerously close to him. Before Lawrence could stop him, Domingo had started on his way toward him.
"Domingo! Get back here, you fool! You'll never make it in time!" hissed the mercenary.
"We can't leave him!" Domingo insisted over his shoulder, and although his steps were unsure and fearful he seemed determined. Lawrence did not follow, merely stayed behind and crossed his arms with a heavy scowl.
Panting and sweating Domingo reached the prone man, who seemed alive but unconscious. His clothes were very strange; he wore sweeping tan robes trimmed in a brilliant green, soft jade slippers and silver-framed, half-moon glasses. His hair was long and tawny; Domingo may have mistaken him for a woman from a distance. Kneeling down (the lava was only five feet away by now), Domingo lightly slapped the man's face until he came to, then said clearly, "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"
The man gave his head a little shake, possibly to clear his vision. Then in a soft voice he said, "Yes, I will be alright. But what are you doing here? It is a highly dangerous place, this!"
"Practice what you preach," Domingo answered with a little chuckle, and he hoisted the robed man up and half-dragged, half-led him back up the slope to where Lawrence was waiting. All the while the molten magma lapped at their heels; as they approached the mercenary quickly scaled the rickety ladder leading up to the narrow walkway, and Domingo helped the man right himself.
"Can you climb?"
The man nodded once grimly and started to ascend behind Lawrence; Domingo waited until he was ahead ten rungs or so, then speedily started his way up as well. Above him he heard Lawrence curse loudly, followed by a thud upon the stone; as soon as the man ahead of Domingo had crested the ladder he flung himself forward in a dive. The treasure hunter, bringing up the rear, had enough sense to keep his head down before completing the climb.
Hooking his foot on the ladder he came up in a standing position and began firing his crossbow; there, swooping down upon Lawrence and the strangely-dressed man, was a monster seemingly made of lava. The bolts of blue moon stone struck the creature's flank just in time, driving it away from the kneeling mercenary, and with an unearthly howl it soared higher into the cavern until they could not see it. Domingo finished the climb and urged them on ahead; the lava was rising higher, and soon the entire chamber would be filled with it.
"We must hurry!" cried the man Domingo had rescued, and he pointed over their heads to the flying lava monster. "It will soon attack us again!"
Even as he said this the creature swooped down on them, howling like a banshee, but Lawrence was ready for it this time. He shouldered the broadsword like a baseball bat and took a swing, blue blade slashing forth and scoring a hit along the already injured flank, driving the crossbow bolts further into the steaming flesh. Yet their solitary assailant seemed made of stronger stuff, refusing to be shaken, and now it was blocking them from the room's only exit.
Domingo hurled himself at the creature, bringing his kukris to bear but suffering a stinging burn across his face and neck for the daring move; Lawrence was waiting to relieve his comrade, turning his blade to strike stabbing-style and glancing the lava monster's melting face.
And all the while the sea of lava rose beneath them, now mere inches from their boots.
They wondered why the man they had saved did not jump into the fray, but over the wailing of the lava ghoul they heard the final trigger phrases of a spell; jade eyes intense, the man cast his hands out before him and shouted "WEVLEN!"
The powerful water spell sent waves lashing all throughout the chamber, and the effect was ingenious; the lava hardened into steaming, glowing black rock, stopping the flow and saving their lives. The ghoul was so terrified of the massive amount of water that it zoomed upward again, leaving their way to the exit clear.
Lawrence grabbed Domingo's collar and shoved him through; the robed spellcaster followed swiftly, and they shoved the next slab of stone over the entrance in earnest.