As soon as they were past the threshold, Justin took a good look around, hoping the gate was right there and ready to access. Of course, it couldn't be that easy. What was revealed instead was a massive circling staircase, not only going up around the floor's periphery but also down.

Justin watched Eldrin's compass, noting that it was pointing toward the staircase leading down. But instead, the demon entourage was going up.

Justin had used his charisma to get into the tower. Maybe he could subtly steer them in the direction they truly wanted to go.

Justin cleared his throat, pausing at the landing. "Say, Crispin. The gate is downstairs, is it not?"

The Fyrspawn turned and scowled. "Yes. Too dangerous downstairs. Mayor Emberlyn upstairs."

"Mayor? Are you sure it's not Demon Lord or something?"

"Emberlyn good mayor. She smart. Smarter than Crispin." The demon's lips upturned in what Justin assumed to be a devious smile. "Smarter than you."

Justin smiled warmly, giving a nod of respect. "Ah, I see. I look forward to meeting her, then. Lead on."

Crispin grunted, and the entourage continued up the steps.

Justin quickly explained to the others what was going on, and they both agreed it was the best course—for now. Especially given that the gate was somehow "dangerous." Justin figured they could run down those steps, but there was no guarantee it would be accessible. Then they'd look like fools at best, or be attacked at worst.

Better to go along with things, at least for now. Eldrin's Ranger's Intuition wasn't tripping, and that was enough for Justin, at least for now.

As they walked, Justin wondered what they were in for with this Emberlyn. He couldn't help but think the name sounded like something you'd find on a Millennial parenting blog rather than the leader of a demon colony. More than once, these Fyrspawn had surprised him. He had been expecting bloodthirsty monsters incapable of reason, but they had kids, women, markets, fishing rods, and apparently mayors named Emberlyn.

It was hard to reconcile their attacking Kythralis with all that, not to mention setting up at the entrance of the caverns. It was probably not wise to mention that. They were after the gate, and nothing more.

They went up a few floors, quickly passing a few floors in the interim. There actually wasn't much to see, just what appeared to be a circular corridor, with various doors lost to the curve of the hallways.

Thankfully, wherever Emberlyn was, it wasn't at the top of the tower, as Justin had feared. On the third floor, there was a lot of activity. At least a dozen Fyrspawn were in there, mostly females with yellow flames. To Justin, it looked like some sort of hall, complete with stone benches and tables. Most of the beings were at the very end, and now a few were stopping their conversations and looking toward them in shocked silence.

Justin stood straight, waiting to see what would happen. He was very conscious of the position of the Sapphire Star in his pack. He judged he could have it on within seconds if it came down to it, and he could use his Sapphire Aegis to cover Eldrin and Lila long enough to make a dash for the lower levels.

But hopefully, if all went well, he wouldn't need it.

One Fyrspawn approached with a decidedly angry gait, a female who was taller and thinner than the rest. She said something harsh and aggressive to Crispin, who seemed to wilt under the verbal barrage. Above her head, Justin's monocle told him that she was a Level 12 Fyrspawn Fire Guardian. Justin wasn't sure if that was a class or a role assigned by the System.

After a few seconds of this, she at last turned to Justin.

"Are you really sent here by Queen Grizshara?" she asked, in perfect Goblinese.

"You're the mayor, I presume?" Justin asked.

"No. I'm her head guardian. Before you can even come close to her, you need to tell me why you're here."

"We hope to talk about the gate."

"Yes, Crispin told me as much. And you may talk to her as soon as I determine you're not a danger."

"We would also like to make that same determination. Might I propose an agreement?"

"What agreement?" the guardian asked suspiciously.

"I have a skill that will bind us all to nonviolence," Justin said. "It will make communication go much more smoothly."

"What skill? I've heard of no such thing."

"It's a Mythic tier skill, called Gentleman's Agreement," Justin explained. "Let's just say no violence between either of our parties for the next, say, twenty-four hours. Clean and simple."

"You're being serious," she said. She looked him up and down. "And you have Vorthatk's Flame...what class were you, again?"

"Socialite," Justin said.

"I see," she said, somewhat cautiously. "Well, if you feel it's necessary...how does the skill work?"

"Please don't be alarmed," Justin said. "I'm simply using the skill to demonstrate it to you."

Justin invoked the skill and was surrounded by an aura of yellow light. The other Fyrspawns' eyes widened in surprise. A golden light extended from his hand, halfway between him and the mayor's guardian. A paragraph of text appeared in the space between them, visible to all.

----------------------------------------

[A Gentleman’s Agreement has been proposed!]

For twenty-four hours, no one in Justin Talemaker's party may attack or do violence to any Fyrspawn currently within a one-mile vicinity. Likewise, no Fyrspawn currently in a one-mile vicinity shall attack or do violence to any member of Justin Talemaker's party. This agreement is vouchsafed by the Creator Himself.

----------------------------------------

"I agree to the terms," Justin said easily.

The Fyrspawn watched him closely, seeming to hesitate. "I do not have the authority to make such a decision. I'll take you to the mayor directly, but if you try anything, you're dead."

"Point taken."

"Follow me."

With a final, withering glare, she led them across the circular hall. The rest of the Fyrspawn followed in a line behind. Justin figured if they were going to kill them, they could easily do so now.

The rest of the Fyrpsawn parted, leaving just one behind. She had sharp, angular features framed by flowing crimson hair, with two small horns jutting from her forehead. Like the rest of the female demons, her body was ensconced in yellow flames, but hers seemed to burn brighter and hotter. Justin took it to mean she was stronger than the others. Indeed, his monocle denoted that she was a Level 15 Fyrpsawn Sorceress. She held a long staff with a fiery jewel at the top.

She spoke with her guardian for a bit in their own language before she took over the conversation.

"Pyra tells me you come from Grizshara to talk about the gate, and you have some sort of 'agreement skill.' How do I know this isn't a trick?"

Justin bowed slightly. "I understand your suspicion, Mayor Emberlyn. It’s not every day someone shows up with an offer wrapped in such a strange package. But I assure you, this skill is very real, and it comes with the full weight of its terms. It’s a simple gesture—a way to ensure that we can talk freely, without worrying about sudden attacks or misunderstandings."

Once again, he invoked the skill and gestured to the golden light. He continued to explain while Emberlyn scanned the terms, apparently in some language and writing that she understood.

Justin continued. "The skill doesn’t lie. It binds both parties to the agreement, and as a gentleman, I will honor it completely. I have no interest in causing harm to you or your people. All I ask for is the chance to speak and to be heard."

Emberlyn then looked him in the eye, as if sizing him up. To his surprise, she actually smiled, but Justin could tell something was hidden behind it. The expression was so small that he doubted he would have caught it had it not been for his Insightful Gaze boon.

"I trust you," she said. Justin felt himself relax, if only a bit. "But rather than simply agreeing to nonviolence, I have...another proposal."

Justin arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"You said you were here about the gate," she said. "And yes, we are having a certain problem with it. We will guarantee our nonviolence, not just for the next day, but for the next year."

"Wonderful," Justin said. "What's the catch?"

"There is one condition," Emberlyn said. "That you will do everything within your power to fix the problem we're having with our waygate. You should know exactly what that is if Grizshara sent you."

Justin realized she had trapped him somewhat. He'd already figured out the truth: that there was a waygate, as supposed by Ryak, and it served as a portal between this old gnomish city and the depths of Drakendir. He supposed such a thing shouldn't be too surprising. It would be natural for the gnomes, or whoever created the gate, to want a quick way to travel to another important underground cavern.

"How do you propose we fix this gate?" Justin asked. "That's the whole reason we came here. To see what's going on."

"Is it?" Emberlyn asked. "Well, we will supply you with the means by which to fix it."

"Can you be more specific?"

"At this moment, I cannot, regrettably. But suffice it to say, there is a way to turn it back on."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

It sounded quite ominous, if Justin were to be completely honest. "And once the gate is 'turned on,' as you say, are we guaranteed to be able to use it safely?"

"Of course," Emberlyn said easily.

"And if I don't agree?" Justin asked.

"Well," Emberlyn said, "you are three people vastly outmatched by dozens of Fyrspawn at my command. You have no choice but to agree."

Justin smiled. "Ah, I see. You offer peace, but with a very sharp edge." He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering. "But rest assured, Mayor Emberlyn, while I may not have numbers on my side, I still know how to play this game. Let’s just hope we don’t have to test your threat, yes?"

She watched him, a flicker of doubt entering her eyes.

He straightened. "But there's no need to worry. I’ll do everything within my power to get your gate back on, as long as the terms are as agreed."

"Everything?" Emberlyn asked.

A pause, then he added with a smile, "Yes, everything. After all, I am a man of my word."

Justin amended the agreement. It seemed to do it of its own avail in response to his thoughts.

----------------------------------------

[A Gentleman’s Agreement has been proposed!]

For one year, no one in Justin Talemaker's party may attack or do violence to any Fyrspawn currently within a one-mile vicinity. Likewise, no Fyrspawn in the same one-mile vicinity shall attack or do violence to any member of Justin Talemaker's party. In addition, Justin Talemaker’s party agrees to do everything within their power to resolve the issue with the waygate.

Mayor Emberlyn agrees to demonstrate a means of successfully powering on the gate and to allow Justin and his party to use it without impediment for the term of one year. If either party refuses any of these stipulations, the agreement is null and void. If Emberlyn does not provide a means to power the gate, the terms of this contract are immediately enforced, guaranteeing the safety of all parties involved.

The agreement executes as soon as the gate is powered on. Justin Talemaker and his party are required to attempt to turn on the gate in good faith before they may leave the Aurora Caverns. They may not agree to turn on the gate and leave without making an attempt.

----------------------------------------

This agreement is vouchsafed by the Creator Himself.

He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but he also had to have a bit of faith. The agreement was about as good as he could get it, covering every loophole he could think of.

"I agree," Justin said.

"As do I," Emberlyn said.

There was a flash of yellow light around both him and Emberlyn, the System's confirmation.

Emberlyn nodded toward the stairs. "It's time to put this agreement to the test, shall we?"

She addressed the room at large in her own language, while Justin turned to the others.

"What just happened?" Lila asked.

"Look, it's going to sound bad, but bear with me..."

Justin explained everything that had happened. Lila's face paled while Eldrin listened closely.

Lila's jaw dropped. "Wait, so if we don’t turn on their gate, they can just...do whatever they want to us? This is insane!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but this is our shot. If we play this right, we have a chance to get just what we need."

Eldrin tapped the wall, thinking it over. "I don't like it either, but I see your point. And if it doesn't work, well, we're no worse off."

Lila glared at him. "No worse off? That’s your take? ‘No worse off’ means dead, Eldrin."

Justin grinned. "Yep, dead. We're already in the oven, but if we play this right, we just might not get cooked."

Lila blew a frustrated strand of hair out of her eye. "I should have gone with Kargan and Ryak..."

"Too late now," Justin said. "Let's just give it a try, shall we?"

Before she could get her own retort in, the mayor turned back to them. "It's time."

Justin nodded. "After you."

They followed the mayor and the rest down the spiral steps. It seemed like everyone was coming; clearly, they expected some sort of show, and a show that went in the mayor's favor.

Eldrin glanced once more at his compass. To Justin's relief, it followed the staircase, even after they passed the main entrance.

They spiraled down far longer than he would have guessed. It was probably a solid twenty minutes.

At last, they reached the bottom. Every surface, floor, wall, and ceiling glowed with crystalline light. The entire thing was covered with ether crystal, all powering an arched gateway that stood in the very center of the chamber.

But the plane was empty, only showing what was on the other side of the room. It was clearly off or dysfunctional in some way.

But it was not to the gate that Emberlyn was leading them. It was to an elevator that was built into the far side of the room.

An elevator covered with a green sheen of magic. Justin got a bad feeling when he looked at it.

"Not again," he said.

Eldrin and Lila were having similar reactions, judging by the gravity of their expressions.

Emberlyn turned back to regard him, almost triumphantly. "It's quite unfortunate, really. We have but one gate key, and my Captain of the Guard and some of our strongest fighters went down there with it. We'd been trying to get this elevator to work for months, and finally did...about a couple of months ago." Emberlyn watched him closely. "As you know, that's about the time the gate stopped working."

Justin gave a slight nod, not really confirming or denying, in case her words were a trap of sorts.

"Anyway," she continued, "they went to explore the depths and never returned. That was when this Vault formed. And as soon as it did, the waygate to Drakendir stopped working."

"So, let me get this straight. This 'gate key' is the only thing that allows this gate to open and close. And when the Vault was created, its magic seemed to cut off the gate entirely."

She nodded. "That's the gist of it. It's my fault, of course. But I sent them down there for a good reason."

"And what's that?"

She paused for a moment. "Well, it's a long story, and I don't want to tell the whole thing. But the short version is that several generations ago, our people found the gate key and used it to pass through a world gate. We're originally from Solanis."

"Solanis," Justin said. "Another world, then."

She nodded and then pointed to the elevator shaft. "The world gate is still down there, of course. Connected to an extremely rich vein of ether that powered it."

Justin nodded. Ryak had been wrong, then. There was a world gate here, and not only that, but a waygate to Drakendir. "Amazing."

Emberlyn continued. "For a time, we could pass back and forth, at least until a generation ago when the elevator stopped working, cutting off our access. Along with some of our other tribe members and family who were on the other side." Her voice grew heavier. "To this day, we don't know their fate. We had fled here, but sometimes we would go back to give our people the rare resources of this world."

Justin nodded. "So, once you repaired the elevator, you sent your soldiers down there to find this world gate and open it up again."

"That's right," Emberlyn said. "We've been marooned here ever since. Our home world goes through these...cycles. And they can be quite destructive if you're caught up in them. But more than enough time has passed that we can return safely. Assuming we can find that key."

"I see. And with that Vault, you have no one left strong enough to retrieve it."

Emberlyn nodded. "That's right. I got a bit desperate and sent some of my forces to the surface recently. We were trying to get some sap from that tree up there that the Ice People worship. It's said to have extremely powerful magical properties. We thought we might make use of it, either to clear the Vault or power the gate somehow. But nothing ever came of that, and I haven't heard from them in about a week."

Justin thought it was prudent to stay silent on that point.

Thankfully, Emberlyn moved on. "So now, you understand the terms of my agreement. Why I didn't want to tell you the key was in a Vault. You would have never agreed to help me otherwise. That's why I made repairing this waygate a condition of guaranteed peace."

"A shrewd deal," Justin admitted. "Allow me to look at the Vault."

At some point in the conversation, Eldrin had gone to investigate it; Justin went over to join him. Its information populated on his interface.

----------------------------------------

Vault Discovered: The Lost Expedition

Recommended Party Level: 28

Average Party Level: 15.67

Risk Level: Fatal. You are almost certain to die if you enter this Vault.

Description: Long ago, during the time of the Ethereal Era, Zanthera was the greatest gnomish city of all, tapping directly into the Veins of the World itself to power its wonders. Besides its bounteous riches, it was also the site of the Gate of Solanis.

Two months ago, an expedition of Fyrspawn entered and vanished, holding a gate key with their fates unknown. You must discover the cause of their disappearance, retrieve the key, and survive the dangers that still lurk in the ancient city's depths.

The city above, newer and built in a different age, is but a fragile shell above the true heart of Zanthera. Only those who survive the secrets of the old city will find the truth—and a way forward.

Rewards Upon Completion:

* Experience: Scaled to party member level and individual contributions.

* Guaranteed Gold-Level Armor Set: For each party member. Includes headpiece, arm piece, leg piece, chest piece, and foot piece, with a unique enchantment combination.

* 1 Class Core: For each party member.

* Access to the Gate of Solanis.

Do you accept the Vault’s challenge?

----------------------------------------

Justin stepped away from the Vault, sharing a glance with Eldrin and Lila. He quickly explained everything Emberlyn had told him up to this point before turning back to the mayor.

"Well?" she asked. "I hate to force your hand, but you have no choice but to go down there and retrieve the key. I would be willing to give you the last of my warriors. A last ditch effort to get that key back."

Justin watched her closely. "You know as well as I do that our party is not equipped to deal with this Vault. Even with all the help you can provide."

"I know," she said. "But if we work together, there is a chance...however small. The gate key is too important to our people to leave behind. This place was never meant to be permanent. Our people will die out if we stay here too long. As the generations go by, our sacred fire weakens. It'll be years yet, but we are on a clock."

"I understand perfectly," Justin said. "You're just doing the best you can for your people."

"I'm glad you understand. When do you plan to get started?"

Now this was the hard part. "Before I do, mind if I take a look at that waygate?"

Emberlyn looked at it, puzzled. "Sure. But it's impossible to turn on without the key."

Justin just had to hope the Sapphire Star would work on it as surely as a world gate. If not, they were completely screwed. There was no way they could take the risk in clearing a Level 26 Vault unless they absolutely had to. Rewards be damned. He wasn't going to mess around with, "You are almost certain to die if you enter this Vault."

He walked forward, within touching distance of the gate. He reached into his pack and quickly retrieved the Sapphire Star and donned it.

Instantly, the room was awash in its sapphire-blue light. There were rattled gasps and growls as the Fyrspawn cried out in shock.

Justin took the Star and walked through the waygate. Instantly, its light pulsed, and an ethereal hum sounded throughout the chamber.

He placed the Star under his shirt, which mitigated most of the light. Indeed, it seemed to dim quite a bit, but not quite all the way.

Inspecting his handiwork, he could see that the gate was clearly open. It had a bluish hue, a color that reminded him greatly of the portal he had been thrown through to get to Eyrth in the first place.

A message then flashed before him.

[The Gentleman's Agreement has been fulfilled! Starting now, you have entered a forced truce with all Fyrspawn within a mile radius. For the period of one year, they are unable to attack you and your party, and you and your party are unable to attack them. You also have free access to this waygate for that same term.]

Emberlyn just stared at him in shock, along with the rest of the Fyrpsawn.

At last, she recovered from the betrayal, her eyes narrowing. "This wasn't the agreement, Justin Talemaker."

"It was," Justin said. He hated this part, but what else could he do? "It stipulated that the gate needed to be turned on. I did so. Simple as that."

"But that wasn't the spirit of the agreement!" she protested. "What about the gate key? The World Gate? The expedition I sent?" She paused. "Our very lives and futures?"

Justin was torn. He understood their predicament, but the mayor had tried to trick them too, and would have gladly sacrificed them for a small chance to get the key back. A key she lost because of her own mistakes.

"It would be suicide," Justin said. "I understand, truly. But we have fulfilled our end of the bargain, as stipulated in the agreement."

Her form suddenly brightened, and Justin got the sense she was trying to attack him but was failing. Eldrin and Lila rushed to join him.

"This isn't over, Justin Talemaker," Emberlyn said. "I would think twice before going through that gate, if I were you. It doesn't lead to where you think it goes."

Justin’s heart skipped a beat as he considered this. Yes, there was that risk, but she had already mentioned it led to Drakendir. That was good enough for him.

"If you say so, Emberlyn. But for now, we’ve honored our part of the deal. If I ever come across a gate key, well, I may come back someday." It sounded lame, but what else could he say? He had to ensure his own party's safety.

He turned to Eldrin and Lila. "We’re done here."

Eldrin simply nodded. Neither of them understood a word, but he could explain afterward. It was probably easy to guess what he was saying from the tone.

Justin walked toward the shimmering portal. He wasn't sure if it would stay on or turn off once they were through. Even if the Fyrspawn followed them through, they couldn't hurt them. The worst they could do was find some Fyrspawn more than a mile away, who were not under the agreement's effect.

Justin could only hope she wouldn't go through the trouble, or that perhaps the gate would close after they were done with it.

With one last glance at Emberlyn, Justin stepped through the portal, his companions following closely behind. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge.