As we venture deeper into the heart of the mountain, the air grows heavy with the scent of molten rock and ancient earth. The walls of the cavern are rugged and uneven, coated with layers of obsidian and glistening minerals, their textures rough to the touch. The flickering light of Lil's fiery breath casts eerie shadows upon the stone, painting an almost ethereal tapestry of dancing silhouettes.
The tunnel widens as we progress, revealing a colossal expanse that stretches far into the belly of the mountain. Stalactites and stalagmites adorn the chamber, their jagged forms resembling the fangs of a slumbering titan, and I barely direct my mind to imagine them to be the teeth of a gentle creature such as Maka-Akari, Gaea's Cradle. The distant echoes of water dripping from the ceiling resonate like a haunting melody, odd for the interior of a volcano, especially an ancient Fire's domain. The juxtaposition just barely keeps my mind away from a panic trigger.
As we press on, the path begins to decline, leading us ever closer to the heart of the dormant volcano. The ground beneath us is an unendingly turbulent cracked surface, more akin to stacks of ancient stones than a properly carved tunnel floor. The walls take on a reddish hue, the heat becoming evident as we delve deeper. I worry for Lu, but she likely senses my worry, and flashes a thumbs up my way, from beneath a plate of Lucky's armor.
The tunnel opens up into a vast chamber once more. The ceiling soars high above, vanishing into an abyss of shadow. Massive stalactites hang like chandeliers, their pointed tips nearly grazing the ground, glowing with a seemingly internal heat source. While glow-lichen is unlikely to flourish, or even survive in such conditions, it seems like the ambient warmth has brought fire-elemental spirits exceedingly close to some thin portion of the veil between our realms, lending an eerie glow across everything, including enormous geodes that cast sporadic bursts of rainbow-hued light across the space.
The air grows even hotter as we advance, and the ground beneath us trembles with a faint rumble, likely the tremor of the enforcers that we were warned about that roam the tunnels. The walls of the chamber are marred by deep fissures, and igneous rock has formed over the centuries since likely long before this place has lain dormant. I mean, igneous rock forms from the cooling of molten rock, right? So it had to have happened before it went dormant. Or am I misremembering? Eh, what am I, a geologist? No, I’m a cryptozoologist. Heh. Anyway—.
The distant sounds of echoing roars and the flap of wings reverberate through the chamber. The scent of smoldering scales wafts through the air. Surprisingly, we don't run into the enforcers, at least not yet. Either they have a difficult time navigating from their position, to that of intruders, or they haven't yet noticed us somehow. Before us, the true heart of the lair is revealed. Much closer to an intentionally carved cavern, a vaulted chamber opens up, somewhere deeper than I expected, yet altogether not so far from where we entered. My odd genre-sense-of-direction guided us fairly quickly down the correct tunnels apparently.
We've reached a hoard room with the usual piles of gleaming gold and silver coins glittering in towering mounds. There were likely many more in ages past, slowly consumed as snack and spice over the years. I recognize the shapes and facets of precut precious gems from Can'Z'aas, so I know that She Who Burns has either requested, or required tithes. If this is another greedy junkmonkey extorting their neighbors, so help me--. There are several relics, and artifacts of likely notable worth, but they are strewn haphazardly, an indicator of both laziness, and greed.
Sighing only momentarily, my attention is drawn to the titanic forms of the enforcers. Two adult, nearing-ancient, white dragons patrol the chamber. It seems they rushed here, rather than seeking out the intruders within the tunnels themselves. They appear to be panting in the heat, as they trail frosty patterns upon the ground beneath their gaping jaws loosing exhausted breath. Their scales do glimmer yet seem dulled somehow, likely due to the unfavorable clime in which they reside.
Of course, at the heart of it all, upon a throne of molten rock and precious metals, are the consorts of "She Who Burns." It doesn't bode well that the ancient blue dragon and ancient black dragon sit side by side, their eyes gleaming with recognition that intruders have arrived. Their massive forms exude an aura of power, and their serpentine bodies are coiled with a regal grace, but I was hoping we'd face them separately from the enforcers. Worse, it seems we've reached her honorable burninator herself as well. All five at once? Not how I pictured starting things off.
Unintentionally, I yawn while standing atop the back of Lil as we cautiously approach. I’m glad we haven’t been attacked yet, but it’s obvious everybody knows we’re here. Maybe Lil and Lucky’s draconic appearances, and perhaps even my horns and tail, let us appear as emissaries. Ugh, if we’re emissaries of someone that she might expect, or be willing to deign fit to see, it’s likely of Terrorzin. I begin to announce myself, but of course I’m interrupted.
She Who Burns roars, “Speak only when spoken to worm! Dismount the handsome young man at once!”
Oh boy, I can see where this is going. Poor Lil. Lil’s giggling for me getting told off, but we’re still probably going to end up killing this woman, this ancient dragon, if she’s subjugating the refugees. I do of course dismount as requested, trying to see if I can seek a peaceful solution, in order to not waste further resources today. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like I’ll get much of a chance, as She Who burns motions to her enforcers to hem Lucky and me into an alcove, while she addresses Lil.
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In an exceedingly flirtatious tone, She Who Burns coyly begs of Lil, “What brings you to my domain you delicious young man?”
Please don’t do what I think you’re going to do Lil. Lil responds, “Well hottie, I’m just here with my pal Rej and my pup bud, and my Gal Pal. I guess Rej wanted to know if you were treating some people okay or something. They’re all heroic and stuff, and I try to be a hero too most of the time, but it’s hard, like Rej wants to save all these people that surrendered, but they were working for Terrorzin! We beat ‘em up, and now need a place to put ‘em, even though I think we should just put ‘em all face down in the dirt. Six feet under. Rej did let me kill a bunch of ‘em though that weren’t really going to cooperate with the surrender, so I guess that makes it okay, maybe? I dunno. My pal thinks of things way differently than me, but that’s okay. Oh I can talk all day, sorry, I’ve got otter breath boost from being a Shellcracker. I don’t really need to stop to breathe for quite a while, or have to charge my breath, because I’m Can’Z’aasian, so I can just breathe longer and longer, and my flames just keep getting stronger and stronger. That’s why I’m Aliased Sun of the Onyx Dawn. My momma aliased me, she’s the best! Did you want a turn to talk, ‘cause I can just keep going, or stop whenever, I don’t really know how to talk to ladies, especially not hotties, so I either clam up, or just keep talking and talking.”
Biting my lips, I can see She Who Burns’ scaled eyelid twitching as Lil rambles, and I fight to keep from laughing. Lil spilled a bunch of pretty vital info, but it may work out in our favor. I know She Who Burns will act to spite Terrorzin. Luni is still hidden from view, but Lil did mention that there were four of us by announcing that he’s here with his gal-pal. She Who Burns seems to be peering around for a young-adult female Red. I’m still struggling not to giggle. I’m glad the young-adult female Red that Lil is enamored with isn’t here. I wouldn’t want to expose Ixeyla to this kind of danger. Plus, I get the vague hint that She Who Burns might kill a rival lover out of jealousy pre-emptively.
Gathering herself to appear imposing, not impressing Lil in the slightest, She Who Burns attempts to coerce more info out of him, “You say this, ‘Rej’, let you kill some of your foes? You answer to them? Some tiny little abomination, the one that rode upon your back perhaps? What say do they have in your battles? Why should you answer to anyone save perhaps a woman your elder? What forces of Terrorzin were you fighting?”
Shaking my head, I know Lil’s going to answer every single question honestly, and he does, “Yup! Rej is a great pal. I mean, answer to is a weird term, but like, Rej has got the mega best brains, mega mega mega best brains. That’s Rej, right now they have horns and a tail, because of magic, Rej is always doing more and more magic stuff, and I don’t even know what to expect like a tenth of the time. I guess that’s why they’re an archmage. Though momma gave Rej that title, but Rej was always spooky super good with magic, mega mega mega super good with magic. I mean, Rej does like, lots of the planning, and sometimes lots of the fighting, sometimes even more than any of the rest of us. I think Rej probably took down half of a fortress a couple days ago, and then like, today they’re out there with me, and pup, and Gal-Pal, and we’re all rahh you’re going down Vorzog and your whole keep! Rej is like, ‘We’ll spare some of you because I am a Hero of the Onyx Dawn, and all my other six bajillion titles, and I offer mercy to everyone, even if you don’t deserve it,’ and I’m all whatevs Rej wants, because I accidentally killed Rej before, and thankfully momma saved their life. I’da been so sad if Rej stayed dead, mega mega mega sad. I mean, I guess they kind of die plenty, but they always bounce back. I mean, they died again today, can you believe it? Really, what’s a guy supposed to do with a pal that keeps dying all the time? I’m worried that one time, they won’t pop back from it, y’know? Then again, Rej always comes through, always always always comes through. They’re the best at magics, the absolute mega best, mega mega mega best. Well, I guess I do answer to an elder woman, kinda? My momma, Kinzul is probably like the oldest person on the planet, I think, but I don’t think of her as elder, I just think of her as my wonderful beautiful momma. I guess I kinda already answered what forces we were fighting. Rej kinda goes out of their way to fight, save, or kill, whoever needs to be fought, saved, or killed. Today it was Vorzog’s keep, and—.”
She Who Burns holds up a hand as she barks, “Enough!” before stroking her enormous scaled temples as if she’s got a migraine.
Bursting with laughter, though I try not to, I have a fit of the giggles as Lil basically calls me either immortal, undying, or infinitely reincarnating, by the way he makes it sound like I die and come back so much. She Who Burns gazes warily my way for a moment, contemplating whether it’s worth attempting to have her enforcers fight me. Wait, wait. Wasn’t there a thing? Kinzul commented on how me having telekinetic grips as a matter of fact was something incredibly impressive. Swapping gear, I hold my breath and leap to the roof of the cavern.
Now that I’m here, I leap sideways across the roof of the cavern, and then rocket down towards the throne, behind She Who Burns. I catch myself in one of my telekinetic grips, as another telekinetic grip draws Frostburn. After fishing out a tome from one of my dimensional bags, I open it to the beginning. Using another telekinetic grip, I levitate the tome near me, and I reserve the secret of my fourth telekinetic grip. I flip through the tome, simply pointing my finger at it, reading as I float lazily, appearing to lounge upon, or at least just above, the throne of She Who Burns, between her consorts.
The fury I sense burbling up within She Who Burns is almost as intense as the wariness which now cautions her. Perhaps a tad too cheekily, I comment, “Oh no no, pay no mind to me, please, keep flirting with my best friend, and son-in-law, Lil. I’m sure you’d make an excellent daughter-in-law.”