Author's Note:
Greetings from a student who is now back in college. My pace is going to slow, but we're still making progress. I hope you've packed your sunscreen, because we're heading to Fire Rock!
-Tangent
"Do you feel that?" Rye asked. "The air is getting warmer already."
"That's not possible." Emma responded from her place next to him at the railing of the ship. "We would have seen the volcano already."
"Still, I can feel it." The ranger said, closing his eyes and letting the breeze brush his hair.
"It's actually both." Came a voice from behind them, and the green-haired pair turned to see Ava approaching, dressed in her usual attire. Her purple hair stirred slightly in the breeze, and her eyepatch twitched. "The winds are blowing the warm air towards us. That's why we can feel it."
"Do you think we'll arrive soon?"
"A couple of hours, give or take." The woman said, shrugging. "Hard to tell when I've never been this far west."
"That's reassuring." Emma murmured as she stepped away from the railing. "I'll tell the others, shall I?" Rye watched her go with a feeling that was not quite unpleasant.
I'll figure this out soon, I swear.
Thankfully, the last leg of the trip was uneventful, and Ava called the party up top as they neared their destination.
"You see it?" She said, pointing to the north. There, in the distance was something that looked like a large red blot. Even from far away, everybody could see the light generated by the fire mountain.
"That's it, then?" Gavin asked, and Ava nodded.
"About an hour until we get close enough to see it properly."
As they neared, the air began to grow steadily warmer, and Rye felt sweat drip down the back of his head. The temperature was that of a hot summer day, something he was distinctly unused to while being on the ocean.
And as the ship sailed closer, the ranger began to appreciate just how large the volcano was. It towered over the ocean, made exclusively of rock that were red, gray, and black. Streams of molten rock glowed orange as they flowed down the slope of the formation and into the ocean, where they created clouds of steam.
"Incredible." Emma murmured from next to him as she gazed up at the volcano. Steam obscured the peak, but Rye guessed that it could not have been too much higher above the clouds.
"Will it erupt?" He shouted to Ean, who shrugged, excitement written in every line of his body. Nicholas had briefed them on the volcano, although they had no way of knowing whether or not this one was active. "Just great."
"You scared?" Emma teased him, and he nodded fervently.
"We're in the middle of the ocean, on a wooden ship, approaching a fiery mountain. Of course I am!"
"Well, I'll protect you from the mountain if it becomes necessary." The woman said, poking him in the shoulder with a finger. "But I think Iya and Gavin can handle it. And the water should prevent us from catching fire."
"Thanks." The ranger said sardonically, smiling down at her. "At least my partner has my back."
As they got even closer, Ava pointed at the base of the volcano.
"I see some sort of entrance or cave there. You think it's safe to sail into?"
"I can check." Ean said, and flung himself over the railing of the ship. A split second later, a griffin soared towards the volcano and vanished amidst the steam.
When he returned, Ean's face was alight with excitement.
"There's a cove inside the volcano, and it's cool enough for the wood of the ship!" This caused quite a stir among the crew, who glanced fearfully at the volcano.
"You're sure?"
"Positive." Ean replied confidently. "I've not come this far to let the ship burn." With a sort of resigned look on her face, Ava steered the ship forward, into the depths of the volcano.
The cove was marginally cooler than the air outside for some unknown reason, which meant that the heat was merely sweltering rather than unbearable or dangerous. The sailors sweated profusely, but Ava had provisioned the ship to the brim with food and supplies, especially water.
The ship was anchored next to a beach of black sand which led to a passageway, carved into the walls of the volcano.
"We should be safe here, but let's be quick." Ava said, leaping down onto the beach after speaking to her crew.
"Everybody got their packs?" Ean asked, and they all nodded. The elf reached into his own bag and extracted eight silver amulets, all encrusted with a large ruby at the center. "Put these on, too."
"What are they?" Emma asked as she slipped her own on. "Oh!" She exclaimed a second later, spinning to look at her surroundings. "It just got colder!"
"The necklaces should help with the heat. It looks like we'll be going deeper into the volcano, so be aware. If you feel dizzy or ill at any time, tell us and we'll stop." Ean said, looking around at each person. "Understood?" They nodded. "Good. Be careful. We have no idea what's in here."
The party moved away from the beach and up the rocks, with Ean in the lead. Now that he was touching land, he thought he could feel a distant buzzing, like that of an insect.
Stay focused. It might be the behemoth the others mentioned.
As they arrived at the passageway, he peered inside. It was a tunnel, carved upwards through the black rock and sloping towards the heart of the volcano somewhere above them.
"I guess we go up." Rye said from behind him. "Ean, didn't the Oracle give you something for this?" The elf nodded, pulling a black stone from his pocket. It was the precise color of the rocks around them, and it seemed to pulse with energy.
"She gave me this, but I'm not sure where we're supposed to put it."
"Perhaps the answer is up ahead." Iya said. "Shall we?" Her mate nodded, and they proceeded into the tunnel.
"My question is, how did this get here?" Jack's said a few minutes later, his voice echoing oddly in the space. Although they were encased in rock, the tunnel had large amounts of natural light, allowing them to see as though they were in daylight. "This tunnel can't be natural. It keeps going up."
"I was thinking that as well." Gavin admitted from behind him, where he was bringing up the rear, staff at the ready. "I've not seen signs of civilization here, but this tunnel was clearly made by something.
"If it's a monster, I'd rather not meet it." Nicholas said quietly, and Jack nodded.
"I see a bright light up ahead." Ean called. "I think the passage is going to widen out in a moment."
A minute or two later, the party emerged into a large cave that stretched out before them. Streams of cooled magma formed natural pillars across the area, and Ean could see several hardened streams on the ground as well. However, the rest of the rock had clearly been carved away deliberately, creating a room inside the fiery mountain.
"Look at the walls!" Gavin hissed. He was quite right. Here and there, pictures had been painted onto the uneven walls, most of them depicting the volcano they now stood in. At the end of the cave, the wall gave way to a massive circular disc, inscribed with strange symbols and glittering gems.
"Incredible." He breathed, stepping closer to one of the paintings. It showed figures in boat, sailing towards an island with lush plants. Although made with crude tools, the pictures were both colorful and skillfully rendered.
"So humans were here." Gavin muttered, tracing the walls with his palms. "I wonder what these symbols mean, and if they spoke our language."
"Perhaps there's more further in." Jack offered, trying to pry one of the gems from the disc.
"Stop that." Ean said, whacking the boy lightly. The offender merely grinned slyly at him as he moved back, allowing Ean and Iya to inspect the wheel.
"There's a hole here." The female elf said, tracing it with her fingers. "Right in the center, too. Almost as if it belongs." She glanced at Ean, who already had the stone in his hand. The rest of the party gathered around them as the elf reached forward and inserted the item into the hole.
The effect was immediate. The chamber shook violently, and a crack appeared in the disc, gleaming with a bright light. As they stepped back, the whole wall split in two, and the disc shattered into a thousand tiny pieces that glittered as they fell. The shaking continued for a few more moments, then stopped.
"That was scary." Nicholas said gravely as he picked himself off the floor. "Everybody okay?"
"Think so." Ava said as she inspected her clothes, then the others. "I thought the whole mountain was going to come down for a second. What happened?"
"We opened some sort of door." Ean said, moving forward to inspect the wall. There was another passage, although this one was much larger than the previous tunnel. "It opens up into some sort of cavern.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Gavin said with a grin, and waved them through the passage. As they neared the end, Ean saw a crude sign hung upon the wall, and stopped to read it.
Brimstone Underpass -
"That's hardly reassuring." Iya remarked.
"Do you smell that?" Rye asked suddenly. "It smells like… burning." The party rounded the corner, and stopped short.
"No way." Rye's voice was hoarse as they stepped out of the tunnel and into the interior of the volcano.
There was no way to measure how big the area they stood in really was. All around them, rocky walls shot skyward until they vanished in the smoke and steam. In fact, they could not see any of the far walls or ceiling, and Ean realized that the volcano must have been almost completely hollow. At the same moment, he realized the source of the unending heat.
Lava was everywhere. It roared in mighty waterfalls that fell past them into the depths of the earth, in the rivers that flowed next to and around them. Above them, Ean saw paths of stone that crossed back and forth across the space, big enough for several people side by side. Their path led to one such walkway that arched high over a lake of lava below.
"How is this place possible?" Gavin coughed. "It's as if the whole inside of this volcano has been hollowed out."
"I don't know." Iya said. "But this must be what we were send to find. Besides, I only see one path." She gestured to the ground in front of them, which was composed of gray, hexagonal stones. "We follow it, I assume."
"Don't fall." Jack said nervously. "It's a long way down." As they approached the nearest bridge, Ean saw several long cracks running through the stonework. Below, lava bubbled and frothed, yet did not erode the pillars of their bridge.
"Check that out." Gavin said, peering over the edge. "These must have been made specifically to resist the extreme heat and erosion. They're still really solid, too."
"So it's fine?" Emma asked nervously, and the warlock nodded.
"Obviously they won't last forever, but they still look sturdy. Still, let's not linger." Heeding his advice, the party hurried across the bridge, not daring to look over the edge any more.
"So where do you think this leads?" Jack said, brushing ash from his face. Gavin gestured upwards.
"I see more bridges, so we're likely heading towards the summit. If there's anything hidden, it'd be in the most dangerous part."
"That's comforting." Ava remarked as she trooped past.
The next hour consisted of alternating stone bridges and tunnels carved into the mountain, always leading higher and higher. As they climbed, the air began to heat even more, although the amulets still protected them. Talking was sparse, as ash could get into the mouth and lungs easily.
They had just emerged onto a plateau overlooking the depths of the volcano when Ean held up his hand.
"Up ahead. I saw something." His fingers pointed at a spot that was empty, save for another swirling river of lava.
"I don't see-" Rye began, but was cut off as the lava suddenly bucked, and three pillars of lava shot forth. They twisted and writhed before settling into the shape of three fiery birds with gleaming teeth and claws made of rubies.
"What the-" Jack said, palming his daggers. "The lava is alive?"
"Seems that way." Ean said as the birds let out a cacophony of shrieks and shot towards them. "Get them!" One of the birds, which could only be described as a phoenix, had opened its mouth, shooting a fireball. The elf rolled to one side and slashed at the bird.
To his surprise, the lava parted easily beneath the claws, but sealed just as quickly. He leapt backwards, away from the second bird, and saw Iya holding the third back with a magical barrier.
"Ean!" Gavin shouted. "They're like those living flames!" The first bird shot fire at him, but the warlock canceled it out with his own dark blue flames. Reaching into his back, the man pulled out a scroll and tossed it towards the enemies.
There was a deafening blast, and shards of ice flew in every direction. When the mist cleared, two of the birds were on the ground, hardened to stone by the extreme temperature change.
"Nice!" Jack called. "Are those the blizzard scrolls?"
"Yeah, but I've modified them a little." Gavin admitted as Iya flung out her hands. The last bird was blasted backwards by a spear of ice, vanishing back into the molten river.
"Not so bad." She breathed, tying her hair out of her face. "I suppose ice is really the only way to hurt them, then."
"Gavin, how many of those scrolls do you have?" Ean asked.
"Oh, a few dozen."
"Perfect. Give one or two to each of us, except Iya. It's probably best if we can all protect ourselves." The warlock distributed the items, giving a basic rundown on how exactly to unseal the magic within the scroll. "Everybody good, then?"
"At least the enemies have an obvious weakness." Jack remarked. "Makes it easy to defeat them."
"Just don't get hit." Nicholas said seriously. "I can't replace something that's burnt off." Jack paled slightly and did not speak for a while.
As they climbed, they encountered more and more of the firebirds, which emerged from every conceivable angle, as long as there was lava. They had taken to strafing the party, staying out of reach of the scrolls and harassing them constantly. As a result, their outer clothes were covered in ash and burn marks. Rye had a large hole in his sleeve, where a fireball had nearly hit him head on, and part of Ava's shoes had melted from contact with the molten rock.
"This is rough." Emma wheezed as they took a short break, drinking water and inspecting their armor for damage. Thankfully, the party was inside a tunnel, meaning that the air was cooler and less smoky. "Even back in Thais, we didn't go through this."
"Agreed." Nicholas groaned. "I'm not built for manual labor."
"Sounds like an excuse." Ava remarked, her brow slick with sweat.
Ean watched the rest of the party, his own exhaustion creeping up on him. He had considerably more stamina than the rest, excepting Iya, but even the elves were finding the extreme conditions difficult to navigate.
"You alright?" Iya nudged his foot with her own, and he tilted his head to look at her. Her damp hair was in a knot, and she had shed her thick robe for a lighter, sleeveless version that made her look both stylish and intimidating.
"Yeah." He passed her the water, and the female elf took a deep draught before speaking.
"There's another creature here, isn't there?" He stared at her for a moment.
"How'd you-"
"You tense up whenever you sense a fight like this. It's not hard to tell when we're… you know…" Her cheeks turned pink.
"Can't argue with that." Ean said. "I shouldn't be surprised you noticed, I suppose. To tell the truth, I'm not sure anything's here at all. It's just-"
"-A feeling. I understand." His mate finished, and he smiled at her.
"Indeed. I-" He was cut off by a violent tremor that caused the whole tunnel to shake around them.
"Move!" Rye shouted. "It might be unstable!" The group leapt to their feet and dashed up the tunnel, stumbling and staggering as the mountain rumbled around them.
Ean emerged first, and spun to see the others right behind him. Jack came out last, pale-faced and sweating as the rumbling slowly died down.
"What was that?" Gavin asked after a moment, and Iya glanced at message was clear.
Tell them.
Taking a short breath, Ean told the rest of the party his suspicions about the creature that resided here.
"I think it's the one causing the shakes." He finished, and Rye nodded.
"That makes sense, but where could something that big be hiding?"
"Anywhere." Ava said darkly.
"Perhaps. I think it's likely to be higher up. As far as I know, it's not any more immune to the magma then we are." The elf said with a shrug. "But I can't pinpoint its location until we're closer. The spirits are good at hiding from me, now that they know I'm looking."
"So we keep our eyes open and make for the top." Gavin said, strapping his bag back over his shoulders.
"Quickly." Added Jack as another smaller shake dislodged rocks from the walls.
The boy's sentiment had been accurate. As the party continued to traverse the mountain, they began to see cracks and fissures intersecting their road. Rocks had fallen in several places making the terrain even more hazardous. Often, these obstacles had to be removed, wasting time.
"How long have we been in here?" Jack panted as he helped Rye and Ean move a large boulder to one side.
"Hours, at least. I would guess six or seven, meaning it's mid-afternoon." The ranger responded. "Hard to tell with no sky in here."
"Still, we're getting closer." The elf pointed out as they finished their task. "Each bridge is shorter than the last, which means we're high up. Look, you can't even see the bottom!" He gestured to the edge, and the ex-thief peered over dubiously. Ean was right. All he saw were the endless bridges they had crossed, and streams of molten rock far below. The firebirds had been driven away, and had not made a reappearance.
The party preceded past them, filing across the stone bridge. This particular area was treacherous, owing to the waterfall of magma directly next to it, barely a few feet away. The heat was immense, but there was no other way to proceed.
Ean was second to last, just in front of Jack, and they moved quickly across the stone structure. The elf's feet had just touched the hard rock of the tunnel ahead when he heard a scream. Immediately, he spun around to see Jack writhing as he tried to pull away from whatever kept him trapped.
"Jack!" He bellowed as he sprinted back to the boy, only to see that a hand, made of magma, had emerged from the falls next to them and had seized the boy by the forearm. Even as he neared, the boy reacted, drawing and flicking his knife across the wrist of the fiery limb. It released him, and the smell of burning flesh reached Ean's nose.
Jack stumbled backwards, and Ean seized him around the waist before he could topple off the edge. He dragged him backwards as Iya came out of the tunnel, staff raised.
"Take him, Nicholas." Ean demanded, and the healer was there, taking hold of Jack's uninjured arm. The boy hissed with pain, but did not scream.
Turning back, Ean saw that the hand had become the whole body of a woman, composed entirely of lava. Its eyes were fixed upon the party unblinkingly, and the lips were drawn up into a snarl. It stepped out of the falls onto the bridge, and magma hissed as it pooled on the stone.
"Get out of here!" Gavin snapped, and an ice scroll exploded in front of the spirit. It stepped forward, unfazed, and sent two balls of blazing heat towards the warlock, who darted to one side as Iya erected a pink barrier between them. A second later, she raised her hand, chaos swirling upon it. The temperature dropped, and a massive wave of ice shot forth from the elf's feet, smashing down upon the monster.
It struggled for a moment, a bright light amidst the suffocating cold, then fell back into a puddle of magma that dribbled over the edge of the cliff, back into the torrent. The water melted, and the creature was gone.
"Jack." Ean murmured, and turned back to the boy, who was sitting against the nearest wall. Nicholas had removed his burnt clothing and was moving his hands over his arm, murmuring under his breath.
"It got… my mail." The brown-haired thief panted. "But my arm really hurts."
"I'm just glad you're alive." Ean said, relief washing over him. "Next time, let me go last."
"Be my guest." Jack groaned, a pained smile flickering on his face.
"What was that?" Rye asked, his eyes still on the spot the monster had emerged from. "That was no bird."
"A fire spirit." Gavin said. "A powerful one, too. We'll have to be more careful."
After a few minutes, Nicholas looked up.
"He'll be alright, but the arm needs to heal on its own. So no throwing knives or anything like that, okay?" The boy nodded.
"Thanks for that, Nic." The healer gave him a small smile and pulled him to his feet.
"I would tell you to rest, but all things considered, it might be best to find what we're looking for and get out of here as soon as possible."
"Agreed." Emma said. "It can't be much farther.
They continued up the path, albeit a bit more slowly. Several times, the whole mountain seemed to shake, the motions growing in intensity each time. Although he did not say it, Ean knew they were getting closer.
Or it's getting closer to us.
He rounded a corner and stopped quite suddenly. They had arrived, it seemed, at the top of the lava waterfalls that plunged down to the depths to the mountain. Instead large drops and high bridges, they were on the edge of a massive lake which appeared to be the source of the magma.
"Are those… buildings?" Iya said suddenly, pointing across the lake. Indeed, the elf could see large rectangular structures, carved into the walls of the massive cavern. Several stone platforms could be seen in the middle of the fiery sea as well.
"They are." Gavin said softly. "So this was a city…"
"It might still be." Ean said. "We've not seen anybody, but that doesn't mean they aren't here."
"What was that?" Jack said sharply, and they turned to look out into the lake.
"I don't see anything." Rye said. "What was it?"
"I saw something move, I swear!" The boy said, wincing as he moved his arm too much. "It came out of the lava and went back in!"
"We'll check it out." Ean said. "And look, I see a way to get across." Instead of bridges, stones big enough for the whole party had been set onto the surface of the lake, forming paths that could allow them to pass over.
As they approached, Gavin knelt.
"These are made of the same stone as the bridges and paths. It should be safe." And with a large step, he moved out onto the first stone. The others held their breath, but the rock did not sink. "See?" The warlock grinned.
"This is crazy!" Rye yelped as he leapt across the stones, followed by the others.
"Head for that closest structure!" Ean called, helping Jack to make sure he wouldn't accidentally slip.
When they got closer, the elf could see that the building was ornately decorated, with black roofs and gray walls that emerged from the ground. Several rough windows were carved into the structure, and another path led towards more of the ruined houses. As far as he could see, most of the homes had been built on the edge of the lake, rather than in the lava.
"Nobody here." Gavin said as he strode through the ruins. "But these are residential areas. The outskirts, maybe?"
"They had wealth." Emma pointed out, gesturing to a ruined door inlaid with gems.
"I'd guess the volcano is rich is jewels and minerals. Might be why they came here." The warlock responded. "No clues here, though. We'll need to move deeper into the city." Just as they were about to step onto the next stone, the magma bubbled, and three of the same fire spirits rose from within, teeth bared.
"Come on!" Rye complained as he reached for a scroll. "That's not quite fair."
"Save it!" Ean said, flicking his claws out. "Take them out!"
A minute or two later, all three monsters had been dispatched, courtesy of several ice spells. They moved on, back and forth across the lake. Homes had been built on all sides, in small communities that had their own paths leading towards the center. On the far side, Ean could see a massive structure that he assumed was important.
As they passed through each area, Gavin took the time to inspect the houses, searching for clues as to what kind of people had lived within a volcano. A scrap of paper in one of the houses gave him the name: Ovenwood. Still, he found no mention of any inhabitant, nor how long ago they had lived.
The next path took them to one of the large stone disks in the middle of the lake, an area that, according to the warlock, looked like an area where markets and social events were held. The remains of several stalls and the like were scattered around the area, containing various burnt items.
"This place is eerie." Emma said as they moved through the destroyed shops. "All the signs of people, but…"
"Nobody." Ean said with a sigh. "I fear they may have perished, or left long ago. Still, this must be what we're looking for."
"You think these people knew anything about the prophecy, or the nymphs?" Iya asked him, and he shrugged.
"Hard to say. I've not seen any more writing."
Gavin let out a cry from one of the stalls, and emerged holding what appeared to be a tattered, half-burnt book.
"Look what I found!" He said, and the others gathered around as he opened it.
"Hey, it's written in our tongue." Rye pointed out.
"Not so surprising." Gavin said. "After all, every race speaks the same language." He flipped through the pages, reading what writing still remained legible. "It's a journal, describing preparations for some…large festival, I think. It gives a name I can't make out, but the purpose is to appease or attract some spirit. Odd. Other than that, there's not much to go on."
"What would they be doing?" Ean asked.
"Well, this lake would be full of vessels, placed there by the inhabitants. A fire would be lit on the center platform, and it would call out to whatever or whoever they were trying to summon." The warlock placed the book gently in his pack, and turned. "That must be the center platform." He gestured towards the deepest part of the lava, where another, larger circle of stone had been set.
"It looks like we have to walk around to get there, though." Ava pointed out. "Do we check it out?" Ean nodded.
"Worth looking at. Maybe we'll find these spirits the book mentions."
As they moved back and forth along the shore, another tremor shook the mountain, causing rocks to rain down from the ceiling into the lava. Two building collapsed upon themselves, causing the party to sprint to cover.
Suddenly, Ean's head throbbed as he felt, rather than heard, a distant roar that sent ripples across the lava. He staggered, and Iya grabbed his arm.
"Ean!" He closed his eyes.
"Are you alright?" Cigne asked, her beak touching his shoulder gently. "He is close."
"The behemoth?" The griffin nodded.
"He is strong." Amari said cautiously. "And he has been in this volcano ever since the rest of us were imprisoned."
"What is this place?" The elf said, looking at the spirits. "Do you know?"
"We do not. It is older than us." Edward rumbled.
"Indeed." Cigne added. "This 'Crimson Valley' must have been here for a very long time. I doubt they were here when Erik arrived."
"So the witch knew about this place, then. But why?" Ean said, feeling his brows furrow as he concentrated.
"I do not know. But be very careful."
"Can you feel him?" The beasts were silent for a moment.
"Yes. His anger lashes out at us even from here. Ean, he may not be sound of mind. Perhaps it would be best if-"
"I know." The elf broke in. "I believe in us, Cigne. Just be ready."
Ean opened his eyes again. The tremors had stopped, and he was sitting against a rather uncomfortable rock wall.
"He's nearby." He murmured, and heard Iya's sharp intake of air.
"Can you feel him?"
"No." He said, rising to his feet. "But I expect he'll come soon enough. We'd better get to that platform quickly." The party hurried across the next series of interwoven stones, moving much more quickly than they had previously. As they approached the final altar, the elf was struck by how large it was. It towered over him by several feet, and several houses could have been constructed on its surface with room to spare.
The top of the disc was mostly flat, save for several stone arches that ringed the edge. In the very center was a circular table, made entirely of precious metals and jewels.
"Now that's something." Jack said as he ran his fingers over the surface of what Ean supposed was a place for offerings. "The craftsmanship is equal to anything I've ever seen."
"It all is." Rye murmured. "This city must have rivaled Thais, Candar, and any other kingdoms." As they moved towards the far side of the platform, Ean saw a bridge, leading straight to the citadel he had glimpsed earlier.
"Hey, look at this!" Jack exclaimed a moment later, and the elf turned to see the boy holding up what appeared to be a dagger, complete with an ornate sheath. The blade was razor-sharp and gleamed unnaturally bright, even in the dim light.
"Let me see." Gavin said, and Jack passed him the dagger. "It's magic, alright… A ritual weapon, perhaps? Or something that belonged to a soldier? Either way, we should hang onto it. You keep it, Jack."
"Are you sure?" The boy said, holding up his hands.
"Who else could use it like you?"
"Fair point." The thief remarked, and slipped the weapon into his belt. "Where to next, though?"
"The book mentions a treasury and library within the keep." Gavin told the party. "Perhaps there's more information stored there."
"Then that's where we need to go." Ean said, turning to leap down onto the bridge. Just as the elf bent his legs, the whole bridge shook so violently that he was thrown back onto the ground.
"Not again!" Emma yelped as she fell to one knee, and Rye seized her arm. The whole disc was tilting slowly, and he realized with horror that if the quaking continued, they would all be thrown into the lava.
"Stop!" With a roar, Ean transformed into the hulking cyclops, which slammed both fists down upon the disc, temporarily stopping its momentum. Two small cracks appeared in the stone, and the platform stopped, wobbling back and forth upon the surface of the magma. And then, as Ean shifted back into his regular form, a large, black claw appeared from below and seized the edge of the platform.
"What in the name of the Goddess is that?" Nicholas breathed from behind him, but Ean did not respond. They were rooted to the spot as a second massive arm appeared, and the behemoth dragged itself into view.
It was a monstrous figure, with black scales that ran the entire length of its body. Brown fur covered much of the torso, and cracks lined with the deepest red could be seen all over the creature. From its back, two obsidian wings jutted outwards. The face itself was rather small, with four beady eyes and a gaping maw filled with crooked teeth. As the behemoth pulled itself up onto its two scaly feet, they saw just how large it truly was. The creature towered over them, and Ean guessed that it would be at least twice as tall as the cyclops, if not more. Lava dripped from its smoldering skin onto the platform.
"It's going to-" He shouted as the dragon-like figure raised a hand, but it was too late. With overwhelming power, the fist descended, and the shockwave blew them away even as the stones shattered under their feet.
Ean's head hit the altar, and he saw stars. Blinking twice, the elf leapt to feet to see the behemoth lumbering forward.
"Erik?" He said uncertainly, but the beast merely bellowed loud enough to vibrate the ruined platform. Behind him, the others had avoided falling into the lava, although Nicholas had missed the edge by only a few feet.
"He's furious." Amari said, her voice sad. "Oh, Erik…"
"No choice now." Ean said, and flung himself forward, transforming as he went.
It immediately became obvious that the behemoth was unlike any of the spirits Ean had faced before. Whether that was because of Erik's unrelenting anger or the fact that he was the first creation of the witch was irrelevant. Every form he had taken had failed to do any significant damage to the monster, only causing beads of blood to fall to the floor.
The others had not fared much better. Rye's arrows had glanced off the skin of the beast, and Ava and Emma had not managed to penetrate the armored hide with their blades. Gavin and Iya were weaving around the behemoth, but their magic seemed just as ineffective as arrows or swords.
"Any ideas?" Ean panted as his real body leapt aside from another thunderous strike. "If we can't force it back soon, we'll lose!"
"Even this monster must have limits." Cigne muttered. "Just keep going!"
Meanwhile, the creature had turned its attention to Gavin, who darted behind a pillar just before a black fist destroyed it, sending it flying into the sea of magma. Iya flung a series of magical daggers that protruded from the skin of the beast like needles, eliciting a roar of anger.
Ean shifted again, intercepting the beast as it lumbered towards the female elf, and the cyclops bellowed as it smashed both fists into one leg of the beast. It staggered, and Ean delivered a stunning uppercut to the jaw of the behemoth, which had been lowered in surprise. It fell back, and he pressed forward, aided by Iya and Rye.
"The eyes!" Vincent snarled as Ean's blood sang out with the thrill of battle. "Blind it, and maybe we can kill it."
Ean transformed into the werebear, darted under the monster, and leapt upwards, clawing at its back and neck. The behemoth groaned and spun, trying to rip the elf free. For a moment, Ean felt safe, but the next second, he had been seized by a black claw and flung unceremoniously over the edge of the platform. The temperature surged, and he heard Iya cry out.
"Ean!" Her voice was panicked, and Rye and Gavin shouted with anger. He saw a flash of light as Gavin brought a bolt of lightning down onto the creature, and then…
The griffin screeched as it shot skywards, and the elf took a moment to catch his breath.
"Close one. Thank you, Cigne." The griffin merely let out a soft caw in response, and Ean narrowed his eyes.
As he shot back up onto the platform, the griffin let loose the full force of its wind, and the behemoth was pushed back several inches by the gale.
"Thought we'd lost you." Gavin panted as Ean landed next to them, resuming his usual form.
"Almost did." The elf said. "What's going on?" Instead of resuming its attack, the behemoth had stopped, as if thinking.
"Look at the neck!" Iya hissed from his other side, and Ean looked closer. His winds had stirred up a wave of lava, which had landed upon the behemoth. The molten rock was steaming, and to their surprise, appeared to be burning through the thick scales of the creature. A second later, it was gone, leaving several holes where the scales had dissolved. The beast let out a rumble, as if distressed by the feeling.
"That's it!" The elf exclaimed. "We don't have much time, so listen…"
A minute later, he had outlined his plan, and the others nodded as they gathered around him.
"We'll only get one shot, so make it count." Ean said as the behemoth began moving towards them again. "Now go!" They scattered as their enemy struck with so much force that cracks ripped through the entire area, further destabilizing the platform. Ava stabbed at the creature from behind, and her blade sank deep into one of the exposed areas. Black blood poured everywhere, and the monster turned slowly to face this new unknown.
There was a deep thrum, and two arrows sprouted from the behemoth's scaly side, drawing another moan of anguish. A second later, Gavin hurled a cloud of darkness over the creature, preventing it from seeing where the attacks were coming from. It whirled, blind and confused, as Rye sprinted around the cloud, accompanied by Jack. Together, they kept up a storm of projectiles as the monster thrashed within the mist.
"Whoa!" Jack said as he flung his new knife, only for it to return to his hand on impact. "This thing is really cool!"
All the while, Emma and Ava were pacing around the beast, luring closer it and closer to the edge of the platform as their blades flashed in the dim light. But they were tiring, and their movements had slowed.
With a howl of rage, the behemoth tore the cloud of darkness aside and saw Emma in front of it. It swept a fist out, and she rolled under it, green hair flying.
"Do it now!" Ean shouted, and he transformed into the griffin once again. As he took off, he saw the others running away from the behemoth which turned to pursue them.
He heard Iya and Gavin give an almighty shout and spun in the air, hurling all of his strength towards the monster. It manifested as a mighty rush of air that swept across the distance between the two spirits.
His aim was perfect. Just as his blast of wind reached the platform, he saw Iya and Gavin gesture, and magma blazed upwards from the crack in the center of the disc. The behemoth had no time to react before the maelstrom of air and fire hit it, and Ean thought he saw a brief flash of panic in the red eyes.
He landed slowly, all his energy spent in one desperate move. The others were not in much better shape, with Iya and Gavin having exhausted their stamina by raising the magma. Everyone else was still, facing the cloud of thick black smoke that had enveloped the behemoth completely. Ean could smell burning flesh, and his stomach twitched.
"Did we get it?" Ava panted, leaning against the altar. Rye's quiver was nearly empty, but he still nocked an arrow in preparation.
Nothing stirred for a moment. But then, the smoke moved, and a single burnt arm emerged, smoking and singed. The behemoth bellowed its rage as it emerged from the haze, eyes glowing red. All of its scales had been burnt away, leaving only blackened and burning flesh. As they watched, it raised a fist, which was suddenly lit by an intense red light.
"Oh, no…" Amari whispered.
"Run!" Ean roared, and the fist descended. Nicholas leapt in front of them, hands flaring, and the entire platform shattered.
The attack, simply put, was more powerful than anything the elf had ever seen. As the behemoth struck, the platform disintegrated beneath it, and the stones flew in every direction. Nicholas's barrier flared and shattered after a moment, and Ean felt the mountain shudder as the party was blown away.
And then, blackness.
"You must rise, Ean!" Vincent roared, and his eyes snapped open.
He was lying upon what must have been the remains of the circular disc, a chunk of rock a few meters across. Immediately, he remembered what had happened, the red light that had tossed them away like leaves.
"No, no…no…" He whispered, and spun, looking for his friends. The platform was now composed of several pieces, all separated by a few feet of bubbling magma. The behemoth lay still on the furthest piece, smoldering. Behind them, he could see the citadel across the bridge.
"Ean!" He heard Iya's shout, and whirled to see them upon another piece of the disc. Summoning what little strength he had left, he leapt across the gap to them, stumbling to a halt. Thankfully, everybody was alive, although severely bruised and battered. Nicholas had a large cut across his face, which Rye was currently bandaging.
"You saved us." He told Nicholas, who winced.
"Wish I hadn't. Is it dead?"
"It has to be." Jack said, winding another bandage around his arm. "Nothing could survive that much."
"If it gets up again, it's all over." Gavin wheezed, clutching his chest. "I've just about had it." Ean rose slowly, and Iya seized his arm.
"I need to look." He told her quietly, and she released him with a nod.
"Everybody start heading across the bridge. I'll be right behind you." The elf said, and the other nodded after a moment.
Slowly, Ean moved across the broken platform, leaping from piece to piece as he approached the fallen mound. It had lost an arm, likely due to its final attack, and blood was pooling around it.
"Cigne?"
"I can't feel him, Ean." And yet, there was no sign of the little statue that had appeared following his defeat of the other spirits. The elf moved closer, until he was a foot away from the behemoth.
"What's going on?" Vincent. "Where's Erik gone?" In his peripheral, Ean saw the others rise and begin moving slowly towards the bridge.
"I don't know." He responded after a moment. "I-" Ean stopped quite suddenly, aware of another voice within his mind.
"Ean?" He held up a hand. The voice was quiet, but it was unmistakably coming from the behemoth. It sounded like a child.
"I can't hear you!" He called.
His hand stretched out to touch the behemoth.
"Run…Run…" The words echoed in his brain, and the elf froze. "Run!"
Just as his fingers brushed the arm, it moved, and the claws seized him around the waist. The eyes, which had been so empty, flashed with sudden red light, and the mouth opened and closed as the behemoth lifted him off the ground.
And now the voice had changed into a deep, rumbling roar that shook his body and his mind. He felt the spirits torn away from him, their avatars vanishing into the darkness as the behemoth spoke.
"I will not let you take my power away!" A shadowy arm wrapped around his throat, and he thrashed vainly.
It squeezed, and pain ripped through his body. The monster was moving, and he realized what it intended to do.
"No!" A second voice shouted. "I don't want to hurt him!"
"Silence! If I perish, so does he!"
The creature had stumbled to the edge of the lava, and he heard the others shouting as they ran back to save him.
"Ean!" Iya shrieked, but it was too late. The behemoth fell, taking the elf down into the lava with a colossal splash. The cavern shook, and the platform sank too, the pieces vanishing beneath the depths of the magma.
"Ean!"
He was lying on something cool and soft. It felt like a pillow, but it couldn't be. He was… He was…
The elf blinked once, twice. Sunlight was streaming down on him, filtering through the canopy of leaves about him.
Wait. Leaves? His body felt rough, incomplete, but he sat up nonetheless. He was in a forest, oddly similar to one he had seen before, The sun illuminated the wood in stripes, and color blossomed across his vision as he saw the flowers, growing in a small circular patch around where he had lain.
And then, he heard the faint sound of crying. Turning, he saw the small figure of a child tucked up against a tree, head in their arms. Their body convulsed with quiet sobs, and he instinctively felt a pang go through him.
"What's wrong?" The boy continued to cry, and Ean saw that he was wearing a tattered red shirt with tan shorts. "Please, tell me."
There was something important he'd forgotten, but what?
The boy finally looked up, revealing a red face and swollen nose. Still, he said nothing as tears flowed silently down his cheeks. He couldn't have been more than 12.
"I didn't want to…" He moaned quietly after a moment, and the elf moved closer.
"Where are we?"
"He made me do it… I'm sorry…" Making up his mind, Ean moved over to sit next to the boy.
"Listen, I'm not mad about whatever you did, and I won't punish you. Okay?" The boy looked up again, water still glistening on his face.
"He made me hurt you."
"Me?" The elf said, inspecting himself for injuries. "Who did?"
"The pale man did. He said you were bad, but I didn't want to hurt you. He forced me to." The boy hiccupped as he spoke, evidently on the verge of crying once again.
"But you're a boy." Ean said dumbly.
"I've got a monster inside of me. It scares people. Hurts them if it gets out." His voice trembled as he spoke. "It hurt you."
"I don't-" Ean started, then stopped. Slowly, the memories began to return. The red light, and falling into the lake. Then, nothing but searing heat and pain. Reaching inward, he tried to contact Amari, Vincent, Edward, or Cigne, but it was as though there was a void inside of his head. "Where did they all go?"
The boy did not respond to this, but merely put his head back in his arms.
"I hurt you. So now you're stuck in here with me." He mumbled, and Ean's eyes widened.
"Are you… Erik?" Immediately, the head of the child shot up, and he leapt to his feet, backing away from the seated elf.
"How do you know that?" He said. "Are you a bad person too?"
"No! No, I'm not." Ean said calmly, mind racing as he got to his feet. "But I do need your help." The boy cocked his head, but did not speak. "My friends are waiting for me. How do I leave?"
"It's impossible." Erik said timorously. "I've tried, and tried… But the monster won't let me leave." Ean felt a surge of anger. The witch had trapped a boy inside the body of a monster! It was unforgivable! Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he lowered himself to one knee.
"I can get us out. You just need to lend me your power."
"No!" Erik cried frantically, shaking his head. "My power hurts people. I won't use it on you!"
"Erik, please." Ean pleaded. "You can see your friends again? Do you remember anything about the village? About Cigne, Amari, Edward and anyone else?"
"I… I remember a little. Miss Cigne was nice to me."
"She needs your help, Erik. They all do. I can free you from this curse, if only you let me try." In his mind, Ean saw an image of Iya, kneeling at the edge of the lake. Her tears fell, and he felt such a surge of strength that it burned his insides.
"I… What if I hurt them?" The words came out in a rush, and with them came the boy's deepest fear.
"I won't let you. I promise." Ean said, and Erik seemed transfixed by what he saw in the elf's eyes. "What do you say?"
Wordlessly, the boy held out his hand, and the elf shook.
Iya was sitting on the hard stones of the bridge, not caring that blood was running down her legs, or that the others were behind her, stunned. All she knew was that Ean, her mate, had gone into the lava and had not come out. A tear ran down her cheek as she reached out, as if she could pull him back out through force of will. The rest of the party was shocked, rooted to the spot.
Please, Ean… don't leave me here alone.
"Iya…" Rye had come up behind her, his face pale and gaunt. "The bridge might collapse next. Please, we need to go." The elf shook her head wordlessly, and the ranger touched her shoulder.
"Ean wouldn't want thi-"
"He is not dead." She snarled at him. "I refuse to believe it." She turned her gaze back to the lava, willing him to appear.
"Iya, he fell in. He can't have survived." Rye's voice cracked.
"He'll come back. I know it." She would not accept it, no she would not. He wasn't allowed to leave, not when they had finally been…
The thought trailed off, and another tear fell into the lava below. Immediately, there was a rumble, and Rye seized her by the arm.
"We have to go!"
"No!" She screamed, but the ranger dragged her away as the lava began to bubble and boil, frothing violently. "Ean!"
And then, a geyser of lava shot skywards as a figure rose from the center of lake, steaming as it was born from the molten rock. It was a familiar shape.
"The behemoth!" Gavin gasped, and Iya's mind came to a halt.
Ean?
The spirit roared its triumph, and renewed tears sprang to her eyes.
"Ean!"
"No way…" Emma breathed. "He fell into the magma. How did he survive?"
"I know it's him!" Iya said. "See?" The behemoth had spotted them as it waded across the lake, seemingly unharmed by the magma. It let out a warbling bellow, and a smile stretched across the elf's lips.
"He'll meet us on the other side. Hurry up, before the bridge collapses!" Ava said, as the party ran as fast as they could, the stones sinking into the lava behind them.
As he burst free of the lava, Ean couldn't help but let out a joyous shout. He was free, he had done it! Instead, all that that came out was a deep rumble, and he realized what had occurred.
Piloting the behemoth's body was odd. It responded slowly, and the eyes covered everything with a tint of red, but it made sense as Ean moved his arms and legs, moving through the lava. His scales would protect him long enough to get to shore. He saw the others, staring disbelievingly at him, and couldn't help but let loose another happy cry.
"Ean?" Erik's voice was full of wonder. "Is that you?"
"It is. Isn't this amazing?" He felt, rather than saw, the boy smiling slightly.
"It sure is. The anger… it's finally gone." As he move closer to the shore, Ean felt a series of pops as each spirit returned to him.
"Ean!" Vincent roared. "You're alive!"
"Good to see you too, Vincent. I feared you were gone forever." Amari, Edward, and Cigne greeted him as well.
"But how did you escape the vampire's trap?" The griffin asked.
"I had some help." Ean said simply, and there was a silence as the other spirits saw their newest member.
"Miss Cigne?" The boy said tentatively. "Is that really you?"
"Erik." The woman said simply, and he could hear the tears in her voice. "It's really me. I'm so glad you're okay."
"Ean helped me." Erik said, his tone shaky. "But I don't know what happened."
"I'll explain, darling." Ean smiled as he approached the shore, the ground sloping upwards.
"Take care of him, will you?"
"Of course. Thank you, Ean. For everything."
Slowly, as he stepped out of the magma, Ean felt himself shrinking. His legs and arms returned to normal, and his brown hair sprouted from his head. He blinked once or twice, making sure all of his joints still moved correctly.
And then he was driven backwards by a pair of arms wrapping around him, and Iya was hugging him harder than he could remember.
"Ean!" Her voice was muffled by his shirt, but the elf could hear the raw emotion in her voice. How it had felt to see him fall into the lake… He did not want to know.
"I'm okay, Iya. Really." She looked up at him, and he saw a glimpse of the smoldering fire he knew lay just below the surface, reserved only for him.
"You are now." She said, and kissed him. He returned it enthusiastically, even though they were both filthy and tired and who knew what else.
There was a cough after a suitable interval, and the two elves separated, panting slightly. Rye was standing there, his face dirty but alive with happiness.
"I thought you were dead."
"Me too." Ean said as the ranger approached. Iya opened her mouth, but he forestalled her. 'I'll tell you later. Let's just get out of here before the whole cavern collapses."
"What's that?" Jack asked, pointing to his hand. Ean glanced down. To his surprise, his left hand was clenched tightly around a small wooden figurine. It was the behemoth.
"I guess we won." The elf said slowly, and tucked the statue into his bag. "Now come on. We're nearly there."
Behind them, the last remnants of the stone altar sank below the surface of the molten lake. The lava rippled for a moment, and was still.