Justin adjusted the straps of his pack as the party ventured deeper into the tunnel. It felt notably lighter without the key crystal, dagger, and summoning core. He was still fuming over the theft. It wasn't that he could use the items; it was the principle of the matter.

Not that he expected Valdrik to have honor.

The air grew colder with every step. The frost-covered walls glittered faintly in the light cast by Justin's cane.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, they passed through a small chamber filled with piles of elemental dust. There were dozens of them, evidence that the Baron and his team had dispatched a large wave of elemental wraiths.

"All this is worth a small fortune," Eldrin said, kneeling and brushing a gloved hand across the floor. "The burn marks here suggest fire magic. Rothian, no doubt.”

Kargan glanced at Justin. “They’re clearing the way for us, at least."

"We should keep moving," Lila said.

They moved on, their steps crunching softly against the frost-covered path. The tunnel gradually widened, its ceiling rising to dizzying heights. The walls split into crisscrossing tunnels and pathways, forming an intricate labyrinth. Sunlight poured through the top. Clearly, they were at the bottom of a deep fissure within the glacier itself.

“It’s like a honeycomb,” Lila said. "There's no telling how far it goes.”

"Or how deep," Kargan said glumly.

Some of the tunnels were enormous, their icy archways towering overhead. Eldrin glanced at one of the larger paths and frowned. “Big enough for a drake to pass through, I would think. It must have taken decades to carve all this out."

Justin grimaced. “Alden said Vorthyrn isn’t as large as Rimefang. But he also said she's more dangerous and could cast powerful magic."

“She’s worse, no doubt,” Eldrin said. “A smaller size only means she can maneuver more easily in these tunnels.”

Kargan looked down the wider passage, his brow furrowed. “She could ambush us anywhere. Maybe it's safer to stick to the smaller ones for now."

"Which way did the Baron go?" Lila asked.

Eldrin shook his head. "No telling. Wolfram is giving them the benefit of Pathfinder's Pace. Unfortunately, we just have to guess."

"Maybe following them too closely isn't the right move," Justin said. "It's not them we're after anyway."

Eldrin nodded toward a smaller passage on the left. "This one will do as well as any."

They followed the passage for a few minutes until it opened into an expanse that made a chill run down Justin's spine. Two drakelings lay sprawled on the icy ground, their lifeless forms partially obscured by frost. Each was about ten feet in length, and their hides had lost their blue shimmer, having gone ghostly pale. The fire magic that killed them had scorched away their life and essence.

“Drakelings,” Lila said, approaching cautiously. “These were young.”

Justin’s stomach tightened. “We already killed her eldest son, and now Valdrik’s group has taken out more of her family. She’s not going to be happy to see us.”

“Where there’s a female,” Eldrin said, standing back up, “there’s usually a male.”

Kargan tilted his head. “You think a male drake comes here? Maybe just to mate? The Vault description said nothing about that."

"Males are solitary, from what I understand," Eldrin said. "Until they come of age, they live with their mother."

"So, how many kids does she have?" Justin asked. "Seems she's been busy."

"Well, she's been holed up here for centuries. There could potentially be dozens, if not hundreds, of drakes."

Lila's face went even paler than usual. "No wonder Ryak's tribe is having problems hunting and fishing."

Eldrin nodded. "We’ll need to be ready for anything.”

That was when Lila's eyes seemed to catch something from one of the wider tunnels. “You see that?”

Justin wasn't sure what she was talking about until he paid closer attention. On the icy floor, right at the tunnel's entrance, was a circle filled with glowing red lines set in an intricate pattern. Their fiery red glow just made them stand out all the more.

“Don’t get too close to that," Eldrin said sharply.

He stepped in front of her, approaching until he was about ten feet away.

“What is it?” Justin asked.

“A glyph,” Eldrin said. “From the color, I would guess it's laced with Fire Magic. Step on it, and it’ll go off in flames.”

"Is it their plan to break the frost veil?" Justin asked.

“Depends on the strength of it,” Eldrin said. “Typically, traps like this hit much harder than a standard spell thrown in the heat of the moment. So, I think that's a good possibility."

"Either that," Lila said, "or they left it here to slow us down. Or even kill us outright."

Justin frowned. “That can't be possible. We’re in the same party. Wouldn't that be considered an attack?”

Eldrin shook his head. "The glyph isn’t a direct attack—it’s just a magical hazard. Normally, these wouldn’t glow so brightly. That's because the person who cast it is a party member. If Rothian were hostile, we would not be able to see this trap so easily. Still, that won't save us if we aren't careful."

Lila crossed her arms. “That seems like a loophole for them to exploit.”

“It is,” Eldrin said. “Rare as they are, there can be gray areas to exploit, though they aren't easy to find." He gave a rueful smile. "And who knows? Perhaps this glyph actually is meant for Vorthyrn and not for us."

Justin studied the glowing glyph. “Can we disable it? Maybe Kargan can stand a good distance away and let his ward touch it. Or use his Sacrificial Armor."

"That might work," Eldrin said. "But is it worth the risk?"

"I say we find another way around," Justin said. "But if they set up these glyphs in a certain way, it could be leading us down a path we never chose."

"I'm all too aware," Eldrin said. "Let us proceed with caution."

They pressed on, the icy tunnels stretching endlessly ahead. Every few minutes, they encountered another glyph glowing ominously on the ground. The designs varied, but each bore the same fiery hue.

“These aren’t random,” Eldrin said, inspecting one of the glyphs from a safe distance.

"Rothian is leading us by the nose,” Lila said.

“At Valdrik's direction,” Justin added. “They’re forcing us into a funnel.”

Kargan huffed, crossing his arms. “Great. Let’s walk straight into their trap, then. Brilliant.”

Eldrin's face was grim. "I see your point, but I have the feeling we have little choice. If we were to set one of them off, even if Kargan's magic could block it, it would draw attention."

Justin's gaze narrowed as the next tunnel loomed ahead, their only option since the other two were covered by glyphs. It was long and straight, quickly lost to darkness.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Justin caught Eldrin's eye, and the Ranger nodded, seeming to look to him to lead. It was a strange realization. While the battle plan had been Eldrin's, it largely depended on Justin's execution.

Justin cleared his throat. "Let's move."

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the end of the tunnel. The walls widened dramatically into a massive chamber. The air felt charged, as if holding its breath. Jagged icicles hung from the ceiling, and frost covered the floor in uneven ridges.

She had to be in here somewhere.

Eldrin swept his gaze across the space, his bow in hand and an arrow nocked.

“The Baron?” Kargan whispered.

Justin turned back, only to find a glowing barrier blocking the passage about thirty steps behind him. The surface was perfectly smooth, unnaturally so. Beyond that, there was no sign of Valdrik or his men.

The others followed his gaze, Lila's eyes widening.

"Predictable," Kargan said. "And we walked right into it."

"It doesn't change the plan," Justin said. "In fact, it might only help us."

"What if we need to retreat?" Kargan asked.

Justin shook his head. "We lost that option the moment we stepped into this place."

"Justin is right," Eldrin said. "They must have let us slip by at some point, then picked up our trail. Probably somewhere around the first glyph."

Justin then saw the Baron's plan. Let them start the fight. In a bid to survive, Lila would be forced to summon Starlance, hopefully bringing down the drake's frost veil. At which point the Baron would join in. Assuming Vorthyrn fell, Justin and the rest would have no recourse, and the Baron would hold all the cards.

But they still had one ace. Or perhaps more accurately, a Hail Mary pass.

Justin headed back for the barrier, peering beyond it. His cane's light didn't reach far enough to illuminate the tunnel fully, but he knew the Baron was down that tunnel, watching. Calling for him would be pointless. The man was sure to ignore him and wait for Justin to dig his own grave.

Of course, Elea's Whisper was still active, but Justin saw no point. No need to bow and scrape to the man for mercy.

Not yet, anyway.

Justin invoked Elea’s Whisper, so if the Baron was somehow using magic to listen to them, he wouldn't hear a word.

One by one, he spoke directly to his companions. He concentrated first on Lila.

We’re moving forward. Watch my back, and stay ready.

Lila cracked a smile. It's what I always do, isn't it?

He next focused on Eldrin. If the plan isn't going to work, let me know as quickly as you can. Then we can call an audible.

I haven't heard that term, but I catch your drift. All we need is a bit of sunlight.

Justin nodded, switching his thoughts to Kargan. Stick close to me. If this goes south, I’ll need your Sacrificial Armor spell to tank the first hit. I've only got one dodge. I hope not to need it at all.

This is foolhardy, Justin. There's still time to go back to work with the Baron. Strike a deal.

Justin almost wanted to consider it. And yet he would be doing so from a position of weakness. Whatever deal he cut with the Baron now, if any, would be worse than what he could have gotten earlier.

It's too late for that, Kargan. The plan will work. You'll see.

Kargan muttered something under his breath, but in the end, he gave a nod.

Eldrin's eyes met Justin's. The Ranger nodded and stalked forward, arrow at the nock.

It was time to find this drake. Clearly, from their conversation, the creature wasn't in here, unless she was listening from the shadows somewhere. But Justin had the feeling they were getting close.

As Justin walked behind Eldrin, he took in their surroundings. This chamber was vast, its high ceiling featuring small cracks that let in shafts of light, casting eerie patterns across the floor. Seeing it was open to the surface made Justin relax a little.

They moved cautiously through the space, searching for anything that could give them an advantage. Toward the far side of the chamber, Lila found a cluster of three eggs. They were massive, each as tall as Justin’s cane. Their shells shimmered with a faint blue light, and frost clung to their surfaces like a protective barrier.

Justin suddenly felt very exposed. What mother would leave her eggs in the open like this, especially when she knew there were strangers in the Vault?

Still, they were able to slip away unchallenged. Justin considered grabbing one of the eggs for a bit of leverage, but it was bulky and that just risked enraging Vorthyrn. Plus, how was he supposed to defend himself if he was lugging a giant egg?

Near the back of the chamber, they found a massive opening in the ice. The tunnel beyond stretched upward, its walls smooth and wide. The sunlight was stronger toward the end.

“This is the main exit,” Eldrin whispered. "She must be out hunting."

Justin nodded. “We need to set up somewhere visible. Close to the eggs, but not too close."

Kargan's amber eyes, better attuned to the darkness, seemed to catch something on the opposite side of the chamber. "Something's over there. Another passage."

Justin had a bad feeling about that, but there was nothing to do but go forward and investigate. As they moved toward it, details resolved themselves, revealing a narrow crack in the icy wall. It looked far too small for a drake to fit through. In fact, it looked too small for a human to fit through. Faint light filtered through.

“Good thing you found this, Kargan," Eldrin said. "A place we can retreat to, potentially."

Justin stepped forward, peering into the crack. “Looks like it leads somewhere.”

"Yeah," Lila said. "The drake's mouth."

“Maybe,” Eldrin said. “I think if she were here, she would have shown herself by now. Stay close. It’s tight, but we can make it.”

The passage was narrow and winding, the walls pressing in almost claustrophobically on all sides. Justin tried not to think of those stories of cave divers getting themselves stuck, doomed to die in the dark. The thought made his chest tighten, but he forced it down, focusing on the faint light flickering ahead.

After what felt like an eternity, the passage widened, spilling them into a chamber that made Justin’s breath catch in his throat.

The walls shimmered with ice so clear it reflected their faces in perfect, warped detail. The ceiling featured a wide hole that let pale sunlight spill into the room. The air carried a biting chill, and every sound felt muted, swallowed by the cavernous space.

At the center of the chamber, slightly below their vantage point, was a circular plateau on which sprawled Vorthyn's hoard. It was a sea of gold, silver, and copper coins, gleaming faintly under the cold sunlight. Weapons and armor were scattered across the pile—some glowing faintly with enchantment, others bejeweled. There were swords, hammers, spears, and more. Shields were studded with gemstones. Orbs of various colors glowed in the loot. Class cores.

And yet, Justin had eyes for only one thing. There, set atop a pedestal carved from black ice, was a pendant pulsing with sapphire light like a heartbeat. Its soft, azure glow washed over the chamber, despite its small size and the distance. Justin couldn't make out the finer details, but there was no doubt.

"The Star of Elara," he said.

And yet, the treasure was out of reach. Between their vantage and the plateau lay an open expanse—a bowl-like depression in the chamber floor. Its smooth surface, patched with ice, left nowhere to hide aside from a few scattered boulders. The cavern was so large that there was plenty of room above for a drake to maneuver. That wasn't even counting various ledges in the chamber's wall, where the drake could safely retreat if needed.

Justin’s gaze traveled up to the jagged edges of the plateau, to the opening above it. If the drake used the opening to fly in, she would have every advantage. There was no way in the Nether that they could even get close to that treasure without scaling the plateau.

Worse, if they had to retreat into the fissure, it was too tight. The drake could easily freeze them with its frost magic.

"It's a death trap," Eldrin said. "We're stuck here for good or for ill."

Justin swallowed hard. "Remember the plan. Any updates, Eldrin?"

His face firmed. "She's coming. Get ready."

Not a moment later, a guttural sound rolled through the chamber—deep and resonant, like distant thunder. Justin’s heart seized as a shadow passed overhead, blotting out the light from the opening above. He looked up just as a shape swooped down, faster than his mind could process.

Vorthyrn descended from above, landing in front of her hoard with a predator’s grace. Her violet eyes, glowing like twin amethysts, picked them out instantly.

She was smaller than Rimefang, perhaps half his size, but far more menacing. Her deep blue scales—so dark they bordered on violet—shimmered with frost. A faint, swirling cloud of icy mist clung to her body, coiling and shifting as if alive. Justin recognized it immediately: her frost veil that would make her practically invincible.

Her wings unfurled, leathery and vast, a deliberate display of power. Jagged spikes ran down her spine, like shards of black ice. Her whip-like tail lashed the ground, its serrated spurs gouging deep furrows in the frozen floor. Her eyes glimmered with an unsettling intelligence.

Justin’s grip tightened on his cane.

[Affinity Chosen: Nyriss’ Frenzy. Your words spark passion and discord, boosting your ability to instill Berserk and Charm effects.]

He flexed his arm, activating Dandy’s Swagger—the signal that the madness was about to begin. He let his pack drop and shrugged off his parka. He spread his arms wide in a theatrical display, twirling his cane. He allowed a plume of frost breath to escape from the drake's head.

Lila’s clear voice broke through the tension as she launched into Bardic Inspiration. The melody was the same as during the Rimefang fight, but it carried a sharper edge now, as if daring Vorthyrn to listen.

Justin turned in place, his Coat of Highcliff’s Elegance flaring dramatically around him. The train whipped through the frosty air like a banner. He tipped his hat to the drake, letting a confident grin settle onto his face.

He had to make himself believe one thing to the depths of his bones: confidence and a bit of theater could make even gods blink.

He quickly checked his Charisma Attribute. With Lila’s buff, Dandy's Swagger, and his stat-boosting gear, it sat at 41—higher than it had ever gone before, even with Alden's influence. He hoped that Nyriss' Frenzy would lend an additional edge.

And still, it might not be enough.

Vorthyrn’s talons coiled against the ground, ready to launch her forward as she let out a low growl. The frost veil thickened, swirling violently, as if responding to her building fury.

There was no more time.

Justin activated Dazzling Display. The chamber pulsed with sunny yellow light as he floated a few inches off the ground, the train of his coat billowing outward. For the briefest moment, Justin felt the mantle of the role settle over him—one of his favorite actors playing his favorite superhero of all time.

His voice rang out, booming and clear, echoing through the cavern like a royal decree.

“Vorthyrn! I’ve come to bargain!”

The words hung in the air, reverberating off the frozen walls.

Vorthyrn’s eyes narrowed, her head tilting slightly as if appraising him. Her wings lowered an inch, but the frost veil swirled tighter, crackling faintly with cold magic.

Justin’s pulse pounded in his ears. If this worked, he would have to thank Benedict Cumberbatch later.

The drake had heard him.

Now, she would decide if he lived long enough to say another word.