I thank my brethren for taking my fears and worries seriously. I know my particular brand of skills is useful, if often unreliable, and am glad to have your trust in such matters. Cumulus, I will provide you what aid my forecasts might provide. Let us meet in three days’ time at the Gates of Udopeln. I have research to conduct. Information to gather that I believe will be of use to you in the days to come. – Letter from the Voice Cirrostratus

“We are, of course, more than willing to help you where we can. That said, I must confess that we had to give up before the final challenge in the dungeon. There is only so much confirmed information we can give, along with a healthy amount of hearsay we traded for with various other adventuring parties in the center of the dungeon.”

Azim had insisted on maintaining an uncomfortable formality during their meeting, something that had never been Sahar’s strong suit. In fact, her discomfort with formality was one of the many reasons she spent so little time among other members of the clergy. She much preferred maintaining a relaxed atmosphere that could encourage clear, open communication. Still, you didn’t get through seminary school without being able to at least play along with the formal types.

“Apparently defeating this dungeon is common, as far as such things are measured, with at least one completed clear a year. We were lucky enough to arrive a few weeks after the last successful clear. A party of Bio-Mages called Animal Kingdom was apparently responsible, and they were more than willing to share their experience afterward.”

Bio-Mages. Now that was interesting. They were comparatively rare, being that most types of Bio-Magic were considered Ancient Magic. Technically Balam fell into that type, but Bio-Mages were generally considered any type of mage whose magic focused on their own or other’s bodies rather than a broader, outside concept. It wasn’t an official classification, like those designated by the system, and what did or did not fall under the classification often changed based off of local traditions. Some would even count forms of Healing Magic as Biomancy.

“Any information would be appreciated of course.” It would be best to downplay her interest here. There was no hard price on knowledge, and any success at downplaying the depth of their interest could pay large dividend. “Are you headed back out of the dungeon then?”

The leader of Twin Calderas gave something of a wry smile after that. “Yes. Leaving the dungeon and, probably, leaving the country afterwards. We know our limits and we’ve gotten as far in this place as we’re going to manage for some time.”

“A wise decision to leave then.”

Sahar did her best to keep her excitement from her face. If she was lucky, and the other party really was leaving, this could be an opportunity for Green Dawn. They might have some amount of specialty equipment they would be willing to part with if they had something of interest to the other group.

“Perhaps you would be interested in a trade of more than just knowledge? If you truly intend to end your dive that is.”

The man’s return smile alerted her that he was more than amenable to such a transaction. It also made her weep for her pocketbook. He knew he had something. Something she would want, and probably desperately.

“Ah, certainly. I think you will find we have some very unique items available that you would be hard pressed to find equivalents of in the Zoramir Kingdom. We come from Helathrin, you see, far south of here. Our land is known for the large amount of volcanic activity in the region and we have worked for generations to create enchantments for dealing with such areas. It is part of why we attempted this particular dungeon.”

It appeared she had found something serendipitous for herself and her team. She’d almost call it a gold mine, if not for the absolute certainty that their money would soon be flowing in the opposite direction.

#

She knew something interesting was going on in the camp. Not only was another group, the first they had run into since leaving Alejandro’s little outpost, down there, but the rest of the party had returned from their various secret tasks. She still didn’t know what Xavier, Andre, and Balam had been doing these last days. Every time she’d asked about the three, Sahar had told her to focus on her own task.

That was fine though. She’d been playing with her options after Balam had reminded her, she wasn’t the scout. She didn’t need to be able to clear traps, just avoid them. With that in mind, she needed to stop thinking of this as a two-hundred-foot bridge. She needed to think of it as a one-hundred-and-seventy-foot bridge, which she could then Thunderstep the last thirty feed of.

That was easy. She could run that in about ten seconds. Throw in the fact that the traps took a solid second or two to actually activate, that meant she only had to keep running for eight seconds to make it through. If you didn’t account for the stopping power of burning hot powder smacking into your face. Besides, based off of what she’d been told, without Sahar and Veronika’s protection even that little bit of time would be enough to kill her. Sahar wouldn’t count just running through the cloud as a success.

The key word there, of course, was just.

#

“According to Azim, the final challeng in this dungeon is exactly what we had previously heard. A boss rush.”

There was a chorus of groans at this, along with more than a little disgruntled muttering. Nobody liked dealing with boss rushes. At least sane person did. Even Veronika hated dealing with the stress of fighting so many dangerous monsters in a row. Most parties wouldn’t even attempt a boss rush unless they were at least a rank above the dungeon. Or they had spent a fortune in resources to deal with each opponent.

“Damn it…I know we were not planning on actually clearing this dungeon, but boss rushes are always a nightmare. Were they at least able to tell us what we would be fighting?”

Sahar smiled at Veronika’s words. She didn’t like boss rushes, but she also wasn’t one to turn away from the chance for hunting potentially unique creatures. The draw of rare trophies was just too much for the woman. In her mind they had already decided to at least try to kill the first few.

“More importantly,” Xavier interrupted. “Where they able to tell us if leaving between the boss monsters was an option? Or would challenging one result in us having to challenge them all?”

His role as the voice of reason for their group wasn’t always glamorous, but it was important. They would never have made it so far without his input. Sahar would always be glad she had managed to convince him to come adventuring.

“Azim made it clear that you do not need to challenge all ten bosses. His own party made three attempts on the final challenge, and were able to defeat the third boss on their final attempt. According to him, there in nothing preventing you from abandoning the field at any time. At least at first.”

“At first?” The Earth Mage obviously didn’t like the sound of that.

“At first.” Sahar confirmed, “Apparently the center of the dungeon is surrounded by a spinning column of fire. Our little road here goes straight into it, and ends in an isthmus on the other side. Each group that goes through the wall of fire is taken to a different instance of this final room, allowing an undetermined number of groups to challenge the bosses at once.”

“Spatial manipulation? I know it is more common in dungeons with boss rushes, but isn’t it fairly rare in such low rank dungeons?”

It was rare for Balam to speak up during these strategy meetings, he must have been exceedingly curious.

“Yes, it is surprising to see. Not unheard of, but certainly strange. The even stranger part is the fact you aren’t locked into this other space. You may walk back out through the fire, ending a boss fight early.”

Xavier spoke back up at this, “Strangely considerate. Such behavior usually means the challenge itself is all the harder though.”

“True. I also believe it is something of a mental pressure point as well. Twin Calderas could not confirm this next bit, but according to the information they had gathered leaving is far less of an option after the fifth boss. The route leading out will melt, leaving you stranded on an island, and the flames themselves cease being harmless. You can still technically leave, but most who do are left with severe burns. From there, the island will shrink with each fight and the flames become hotter and hotter, making it more and more of a risk to even attempt escape.”

“Lovely,” Came Xavier’s sardonic response.

“As for Veronika’s question, they were able to tell us a number of the monsters we will certainly phase and some we might face. According to Azim, once a day for ten days a monster will be spawned to fight the adventurers in the final space. The first five are at least somewhat consistent, though the last five change rather drastically. At least two dozen potential monsters have been identified so far.”

“So, the first five are meant to make people comfortable and cause them to let down their guard, only to be trapped and crushed on the back half?”

Asher’s comment caught Sahar off guard. She hadn’t expected the other woman, intrepid as she was, to participate. Most new adventurers were a bit too intimidated, or too scared of saying something stupid, to speak up in their first strategy meeting.

“That is exactly what the point of this is, at least in my mind. It is rather devious, but you see those sorts of designs in the older dungeons.”

“Well, shouldn’t we at least attempt the first four? It seems like any argument for the last half should be based off of how well the early fights go. Until then, the goal remains the same. Try to get to the center of the dungeon and keep gathering information.”

Sahar smiled at the other woman, “That is exactly my thoughts. With that in mind, let’s talk about what else our guests have to offer.”

#

Twin Calderas had agreed to stay another day while Sahar bartered with them for their remaining equipment. It had been a calculated move on Azim’s part. They were far enough out at this point that he felt comfortable selling some of their more useful equipment, but they were still close enough to the center that parties would be worrying about what they might need for the final fight. Every day after this, the equipment would lose some small amount of value as that need became less and less pressing.

At least for most of what they carried.

One or two of the types of items they carried would be useful anywhere in this dungeon and they would hold onto most of it for as long as possible. After all, they would be just as useful for protecting a weakened party attempting to leave as they would a lower rank party trying to advance.

As he left his tent, finished with his morning prayer to Ak’telan the Earthbreaker, he noticed that the girl from the bridge yesterday was once again pacing and observing the earth closely. The woman who was his counterpart in the other party was also present, keeping a watchful eye on the girl. It was strange. The younger woman was obviously looking for the traps on the bridge, but as far as he could tell she couldn’t actually see anything.

“Is something wrong with your rogue’s sensory skill?” He had heard of certain circumstances that could cause such abilities to begin to act up, though his own Motion Sense had never given him such issues.

“Oh no, Asher doesn’t have a perception ability. Not yet at least. She is new to the adventuring life, and I have told her she must attempt to cross the bridge on her own. Something of a test. I might have even implied being capable of such a feat was to be expected from someone of her level by mentioning that all the rest of us have a way through.”

Azim blinked at that. “She has no perception ability, but has managed to make it a quarter of the way across the bridge regardless? Impressive. What type of magic does she use? Are you hoping to help her awaken a sensory skill specific to traps?”

The woman laughed a little. “No, I am not trying to awaken any particular type of sensory skill. Her element is not well situated to such a use regardless. The girl is simply very headstrong. Brave, or perhaps foolish depending on your viewpoint. This is simply meant to be a lesson that not all dangers are obvious. I believe in another few days, this will be driven deep enough into her to have solidified the lesson.”

Azim decided to tactfully ignore that she had snubbed his first question. It had been somewhat questionable to ask in the first place. Asking another adventurer, especially one you did not plan to team up with, specifics on what they could do could be seen as anything from uncouth to an outright threat. Especially this far into a dungeon.

“Ah, you hope to teach her the importance of having a team you can trust and not simply rushing ahead.”

“Precisely. She spent to much of her foundational moments forced to act as a one-woman force. It has given her some unhealthy habits. She does well with a team, and there has been no friction, but she still thinks of herself as an individual rather than a part of a whole. One person can not be expected to do everything.”

“Very true. Still, there aren’t many who would be willing to spend so long failing to do something.”

“True. But like I said, she was forced into a situation where the only thing she could count on was herself. She has a drive very few would match. Perhaps she’ll surprise me and accomplish my little task. I am undecided on if that would be better or worse for her current development.”

“It is always a risk with the young ones. If you set before them a goal, and they accomplish it in a way they were not meant to have they still learned the right lessons? Have you, as the teacher, done more harm or good by your actions?”

“Hah. It doesn’t matter what age your student is. That worry is always there.”

#

She had told Sahar not to bother paying too much attention to her this morning. She had a new idea in mind, and it was going to take some practice before she could implement it. That meant she wouldn’t even be attempting the bridge until at least the afternoon, possibly even the evening.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

What she was trying was a stretch. Not so much on her magic, as on her own concentration and ability to multitask. Any individual piece would be easy. It was doing it all at once, under a strict time frame, that would be the problem. She was going to have to juggle three fairly simple activities, all without loosing focus on her surroundings.

With that in mind, the first step was easy. To anyone observing her, all she was doing was running back and forth in a maybe five-hundred-foot line. That theoretical observer would also note the numerous times she seemed to trip over her own feet and go sprawling to the ground.

#

Unlike normal, Balam had been sent to heavily scout the area behind Green Dawn. He was supposed to be looking for a route that would take the other group toward the south of the lake. Apparently their own scout, the man with the broken leg named Johan, had mostly recovered, but still didn’t feel up to the task quite yet. As part of their trade deal, Sahar had offered up Balam’s services in the meantime.

He had been given the other party’s own rough map of their route through this area and had been asked to spend the day adding to it. Same as he would for their own group, he was on the lookout for traps, monsters, and other potential hazards. He had also been given the directive to look for alternative routes as their original path had apparently been convoluted and rather dangerous in places.

He couldn’t say that he had the best impression of Johan’s skills.

Still, at least he was getting the chance to really run. It was hard to do while the group was moving, since he needed to constantly double back to make sure they were following the right route and no new dangers had appeared. It was rare that he really got to go all out.

Running through the dungeon felt freeing in a way he couldn’t quite describe. Like every step was another little accomplishment. It also helped him get out of his own head as he had to focus on the job. No time to worry about how he had probably made an absolute embarrassment of himself in one way or another when he needed to focus on finding out where some sort of giant fire-breathing snail nested.

Maybe it wasn’t all bad, He thought as he ran along. It seems like something I said made a difference. She’s definitely trying something new.

He also had to admit it had been pretty funny to watch her hair frizz out when she lost her temper after tripping and tumbling in a pot hole. Magic could have strange effects when emotions got high. Hers apparently give her the worst bed head he had ever seen on a person as static built up in it and caused it to poof uncontrollably.

She must have been pretty frustrated. I wonder if there is anything I can do when I get back. He thought about it for a while, considering things he enjoyed when something was frustrating him. Maybe a nice cup of tea.

It never occurred to him that most people would consider a hot drink in the hellish heat surrounding them to be a torture all its own.

#

When she finally grew too frustrated to continue with her first training exercise, Asher moved on to the second. Which was more running. This time though, it was more obvious what was going on. Especially when random sparks of electricity started popping and crackling every time she lost concentration, flying between herself and anything that got too close.

At least Veronika had taken some amount of pity on her, helping set up a large, circular tent Green Dawn apparently kept on hand for meetings with bigger groups. Even then, it was only about thirty feet across. She had to run around the outer perimeter five or six times to equal her earlier distance. It was worth it though to be in the shade, especially when Veronika started using her magic to decrease the temperature inside the tent.

“It’s just so frustrating! If I try to focus on the spell, I can’t keep track of what is in front of my feet. If I try to run without tripping, I start losing the spell. I can feel that it doesn’t want to be used this way. This isn’t how it is meant to work. Its close enough to force the change though.”

“Some spells are like that,” Veronika nodded along. “Still, with a little experimentation and a lot of repetition you should be able to make small adaptations like that to the spell. Just be careful not to go too overboard. Too many changes in too many directions will cause the spell form to break down, and then things start getting dangerous. It is hard to tell exactly what that limit is too.”

“I’ve heard that. Rebecca called it something…attuning a spell I think? Basically, making small shift to the core purpose of a spell a little bit at a time to change it from something generic to the exact tool you need. It also is supposed to make casting the spell in general easier right?”

“Yep. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Most mages will attune all their spells at least once over the years. More than once if there is a major change in their magic. The process takes months at minimum, but when it is finished the spells just feel so much better.”

“Well, that will be good in the long run. Doesn’t help me much now though. Guess my only option for now is to go for ‘good enough’ and keep practicing once this is all over.”

Veronika gave her a little bit of a look at this. “You think you have a way to beat Sahar’s little challenge? Did you purchase a new spell or something?”

“Yeah, I do. And no, nothing like that. Probably would have resorted to that sooner or later if Balam hadn’t given me a bit of advice though. I’m glad too. As much as I recognize how important trap sensing is, I really didn’t want that to be the goal of my next purchase.”

“Well, whatever happens just remember. Failing this is not the end of the world. I am not saying do not try your best. I am just saying to remember that what is important is the lesson you take from the test, rather than whether you succeed or fail.”

“I’ll do my best Veronika. And by that, I mean I’m going to take a lesson from it and beat it.”

#

“You can’t be serious. Some of the things I’ve offered are worth way more than that! I don’t care how good your woodworker is, I refuse to believe his carvings are would make the difference!”

Azim had to admit he had been enjoying his day. Barter had always been something of a passion of his. Most of the reason he did adventuring was to supply his own mercantile interests. Something he had gathered was a bit of a shared spirit with this other group. That goodwill wasn’t going to let him take a bad deal however!

No, he owed it to his party to get the best price possible out of this other group. Even if the woman across from him was almost uncanny in spotting when he was willing to go lower on his prices.

“It is a fair offer. I suggest you take it, before I have Veronika take my place in here. She would undoubtedly tell me I am being far too soft.”

“Veronika, that is the pale woman who helped your trainee set up her tent?”

Azim found it hard to believe there was a tougher negotiator in the other group. Especially that woman. She and the scout seemed the most like your more average adventurer. Here for the story and the excitement, not the potential riches.

“Oh yes. I’m only bartering with you because I like you Azim. Veronika is who we usually send to make these types of deals. Apparently, her family thinks of trade as something of a competition and source of pride. She’s been browbeating merchants into subservience since she was seven.”

He had heard that many of the far north tribes considered merchants as important as warriors. Something about being the only reliable way to get the supplies their tribes so dearly needed and their best traders being considered something of a guardian of the tribes’ well-being. Supposedly they’d been making something of a terror of themselves in various markets the last decades.

And if that massive fur coat the insane woman walked around in was anything to go by, she was certainly a northerner.

“I thank you for your consideration then. Still, I can not help but be skeptical of your friend’s fame as a carver. Perhaps you have a fewer higher end pieces you might show me to prove his skill? If I am being honest, I am far more interested in the stone statues I’ve seen your earth mage making. Would any of those be available for trade?”

“Xavier’s work? I’ll admit he has an eye for fine detail, but the art dealers have never had as much interest as Andre has enjoyed. At least not for the small stuff.”

“I suppose there is a certain amount of beauty his creations have an advantage in. Still, I have no eye for carvings and can not speak to its value. You must understand, wood is a prized material where I come from. There is good soil, but trees grow too slowly. They are destroyed far to often by the lava flows. What wood we have is saved for more material purposes. Stone, on the other hand. I know the value of such pieces. While he will never be a household name, Xavier could easily make a living selling such works in my homeland.”

“I suppose that makes sense. I would think that merely makes Andre’s work all the more valuable though…”

Soon the two had moved on to the next topic, each eager to see what other treasures they could extract from their opposition.

#

The first thing Balam heard as he returned to Green Dawn’s camp that afternoon was a series of booms from atop the bridge. Whatever Asher was doing, she had apparently explosively set off more than a few traps. He hoped she wasn’t trying to merely break the things with brute force. That would just result in a continuous cloud of poisonous ash filling the area until the dungeon repaired itself.

The pressure wouldn’t be able to build, so it would me more of a creeping stream than a blast. That would still make the route impossible to anyone without solid defensive magic though. Which included himself, and he had been hoping to do some more scouting on the other side of the bridge this evening.

When he got closer, he found Asher deep in conversation with Veronika. A rather irritated looking Sahar stood to the side next to a visibly concerned Azim. It appeared the two had set up inside Sahar’s tent and had been deep in conversation when the explosion had gone off. The two seemed less than pleased, though Azim seemed surprisingly understanding all things considered.

“Sorry everyone!” Asher called out to the camp. “There was an…unexpected reaction and I used a bit more mana in my spell than I meant to. I don’t think there is any danger though!”

Balam was only half paying attention to her words. He was too focused on a number of black scorch marks that surrounded several of the traps. Whatever she had done, she definitely hadn’t been holding back. That or she had much larger mana reserves than he thought.

#

“It was expensive, but our new acquaintances had a number of items of value. The first new toys are for Andre and Xavier.”

It had been a productive day in her mind. Maybe a little overly exciting toward the end, considering it was supposed to be a peaceful day in camp, but she couldn’t complain too much. As she spoke, she took a pair of shields out of her backpack. Each was constructed of some sort of leather. Leather that was strangely smooth and reflective, almost more like flexible obsidian than some type of skin.

“According to Azim, these are made of Lava Eel leather. Not only are they highly resistant to heat and fire, they are also significantly tougher than any normal leather shield. They have also been reinforced with an enchantment, while a second shares some amount of those heat resistances with the user and their magic. Twin Calderas apparently has two entire sets of the armor made of the stuff, but they were unwilling to part with it. Not that it would have been likely to fit.”

There were a number of appreciative gasps at her description, which she was gratified to hear. She was particularly proud of convincing Azim to part with them. They had only agreed because they had four shields in total and had hunted enough Lava Eels to make a dozen or more replacements. Even then, it had hurt to part with so much of their collective fortune for the items.

“What I have next is a little less impressive, but will probably be even more important in the long run.”

As she spoke she pulled out a stack of black bandannas, each embroidered with silver thread. They didn’t particularly stand out and were, in fact, quite unremarkable beyond a certain durability that the thicker than normal cloth conveyed. Thankfully, each appeared unused, almost new.

“These are apparently something of a staple product of Helathrin. Each of these bandannas is made of a material Azim would not share with me, but that will naturally filter smoke and ash. This has been enhanced with a minor enchantment that does the same, along with one meant to retain moisture and one to protect against heat.

Not a necessity for us, but a welcome relief to the hardships of this dungeon in my opinion. Well worth the comparatively low cost he assigned them. I have purchased two for each of us.”

While the shield seemed to mostly elicit excitement and interest, this item was greeted with more than a few sounds of gratitude. It was easily apparent that everyone else was as eager to escape some of dungeon’s the constant discomfort as Sahar was.

“Along with the bandanna’s, I also purchased these. They were a little more expensive, but should add to our comfort during the remainder of our stay.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a set of four identical pins. Each was shaped into a war hammer overlaying a hollow ring of flame. Sahar showed that she had already clipped her own onto the front of her robe and gestured to Veronika who pulled open her coat to show one buttoned on the inside.

“These were a little more expensive, as the party had no extras. They were willing to part with them only because they were leaving the dungeon and did not expect to need a replacement until returning home. These pins are enchanted to stabilize the environment within a few inches of the wearer, bringing the surrounding temperature more in line with the users own.

“Originally, they would only reduce the surrounding temperature, but Veronika’s assistance meant we were able to adjust that with the help of Twin Calderas’ enchanter. Now they will also increase the surrounding temperature, so they should be good for cold weather as well.

“Keep in mind this is still a rather weak enchantment, so don’t expect it to magically make the temperature perfect. If you feed it mana though, you can get small bursts of real comfort out of them.”

If the scarves had been met with eagerness, there was a downright race for the remaining members of the party to claim their pin.

“The rest of the items I bought are a bit more situational. They’re all single use and could make all the difference in a fight. A handful of fire resistance potions, a scroll of solidification that has been edited to be extra effective on magma, and a Blizzard scroll.”

There were gasps when she mentioned the final item, along with stunned silence that left Asher confused until Sahar continued.

“I know, a scroll with an Advanced spell. Something nobody at our rank could ever expect to have on their person. Most of my time was spent bartering for this one item. A weapon that is effectively our trump card in this place. We had a few things going for us, thankfully, or we never would have been able to afford it.

“Twin Calderas received a pair of these scrolls from the third boss monsters when they defeated it. Something considered a very rare reward. Twin Calderas only agreed to part with one because they had nobody who could charge the scroll with mana. Veronika is going to be very, very busy tonight. She’ll also be using three of our mana potions to finish in time.”

There wasn’t much else the party could talk about with what remained of the meeting, there was too much excitement surrounding their new equipment. Along with a certain amount of fear on more than one face at the small fortune Sahar must have spent while they were whiling away the day.

#

It was early the next morning when Asher made what she knew was going to be her final attempt on the Bridge. She had managed to convince Sahar and Veronika to give her a single chance before they headed to sleep after a long night of work. Veronika completing finicky, careful mana transfer while Sahar kept her going without loss of concentration.

As she prepared herself for the attempt, she readied an Electropulse Enchantment. It was the core of this plan, since she knew the mana from the enchantment would set off most magical traps. The main issue was that she needed the power to be released in a slow, steady stream rather than a single burst, something the spell was not naturally inclined to do. It took focus to limit the outflow so that all the mana wasn’t used at once.

The second complication was that she needed to severely limit the power and range. She needed to set off the traps, but using a small amount of power meant it took almost two and a half seconds for the trap to actually go off after being tripped in this way. A higher voltage would cause it to go off in a fifth of the time. She needed to keep the range short enough that the resulting delay allowed her to implement the second part of her plan.

The final problem, and the one she had run into yesterday, was that magical traps would apparently ground her spell, causing it to rapidly siphon off the mana reserves. Her original plan had called for loading the enchantment with enough mana to last the entire ten seconds she needed for running across the bridge. The instant discharge from the grounding effect had been…explosive. To counteract the issue, she needed to constantly stream a tiny amount of mana to keep the reservoir from emptying. Without supplying so much mana that she caused a massive overload.

Part two of the plan was to use Overcharge to notice the signs of trap activation as early as possible. With the delay from the low charge, that would allow her to instantly change her direction to avoid traps before they went off. The problem with this was that running while her mind was sped up was disorienting at best. She had to entirely relearn her pacing to account for what felt like moving much, much slower. The issue was less prevalent in short burst, but when she needed to maintain a running pace and the spell for at least a dozen seconds it could become a real issue.

The important part though, what she had determined with some early experimenting the previous evening, was that it worked! It was taxing, and took so much concentration that she was basically a sitting duck while she ran, but it could get her through the trap field.

It was to her almost maniacal laughter that the rest of the camp woke, hearing her call of victory as she ran the last few feet. Clouds of deadly ash hot on her heals, she dove forward and activated Thunderstep to jump past the last section of the bridge. Laying on her back on the far side, fists pumping in the air in victory, Green Dawn could only smile that she had managed what most, but not all, of them had thought would be impossible.

#

Shortly afterward, Twin Calderas had interrupted their small celebration to give their own congratulations and wish them farewell. It was the last the two parties would likely see of each other, but had enjoyed a fairly comfortable alliance for what short time they had had. It was the last truly interesting event Green Dawn would experience before reaching the Central Caldera of The Blighted Basin a few scant weeks later.