Priestess led the group toward Doomsphire. It was outside the ruins of the city. The party crossed a wide open stretch of desert where the imposing rock formation rose before them. As they neared, they saw a partially collapsed entrance.

“Is that safe to enter?” Gilreg quietly asked Raine as they walked.

“I don’t think so,” Raine answered. She turned toward Priestess and asked, “what happened?”

“Powerful adventurers came. Big battle, they cause rocks to fall trapping Elenorak,” Priestess explained without emotion.

“Is Elenorak alive?” Gilreg asked.

“Of course.”

Nothing else was said. The group followed Priestess through the gaps between the large boulders. Gilreg could have sworn he heard a rumble, and he expected the crushing rocks to fall any minute. They passed through tunnels. Some intact, others half collapsed.

In some cases, they had to squeeze through tight spaces. Along the way, they passed many groups of Dragonspawn that were hauling rocks out. The creatures were carrying them or dragging large sleds filled with massive stones. Finally, they came into a cavern. It was still enormous, even though more than half of it was covered with boulders. The sight that befell them caused each one to stop in awe. They were afraid and sad at the same time.

The massive head of Elenroak and one of her claws were visible. The rest of her majestic form was hidden behind tons of rock. The claw was tiredly pawing the ground. It would thud to the floor to scrape dirt and sand, then raise slowly to come back down and scrape again. One large faded yellow eye looked at the group with a dark vertical pupil the size of Gilreg’s leg. Elenorak weakly grinned, showing rows of sharp teeth and a maw that could easily swallow the large orc prince whole. The group could only see one side of her long head, and the single visible nostril they saw on her snout snorted. It kicked up a cloud of dust that slowly settled onto her grey scales. Priestess bowed her head in reference and slowly backed out of the chamber to leave the group alone with the trapped dragon.

No one talked, and the only sound was the slow breathing from the dragon. It rumbled like a distant storm. Her giant eye studied the group. After several moments, Gilreg bravely stepped forth and bowed.

“Wise Elenorak, we seek your counsel,” he said.

Shaymus snorted with a stifled laugh. Booger’s eyes went wide with shock at the pale-eyed goblin’s show of disrespect. The others froze, hoping the dragon did not hear. Then Elenroak chuckled. It was a deep vibrating sound that made Gilreg fear that it would cause the remaining spaces within the chamber to collapse. Her chuckle emanated from her throat, kicking up dust around her massive head.

“Wise?” Elenroak asked, her voice deeply feminine. It resonated off the walls and the floor. The group felt it vibrate within their hearts. It was ancient and powerful.

“The Demon-Touched was correct to laugh. Look at me! I am clearly not wise,” The dragon rumbled loudly, raising her head to face the group. Then, she tiredly lowered it to the ground with an audible thud.

“How did you become trapped?” Raine boldly asked, her curiosity giving her courage as she stepped forward.

“I had many months to reflect upon that question. Do you know I am thousands of years old? I have been here when your kind were still throwing rocks and living in caves. I’ve seen your cities rise and fall to dust. Seen all there is to see in this world. I have learned the secrets of magic and the universe. I am a goddess to the Dragonspawn. So I thought. It was my arrogance that has led to my current predicament. I did not study architecture and engineering. And so, here I lay trapped in the tomb of my own making,” said Elenorak.

“We are chased by the same adventurers that did this to you. We are looking to enter the Dungeon to speak with the Dreaded One,” Gilreg said.

“The favored ones came through here to enter the Dungeon. If they were clever enough to best me, I am certain that the Dreaded One is also defeated and dead,” Elenorak said. The dragon opened its massive mouth to yawn, and the goblins feared they would be sucked in from the rapid intake of air.

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“Can you show us to the Dungeon entrance?” Raine asked.

“Yes, I could.”

“Where is it?”

“Why?” Asked the dragon.

Tassarion scowled. The dark elf mumbled something about a waste of time and walked over to sit by a boulder. Booger shrugged and joined the elf. The diplomacy he was used to involved ritual combat, and that is much simpler, the orc prince thought to himself. Nulrok leaned on his staff.

“We have questions about this,” Gilreg said and held up the Chalice. Elenorak snorted, and hot dust was blown over the party.

“That is a silly relic that Demons and Gods fight over. Gods and Demons, Demons and Gods. What are the differences? None there are, yet they fight and bicker. I grow tired of it,” she intoned with a rumbling voice that shook the ground.

“Will you help us?” Shaymus demanded with a hiss. Her fists were clenching.

The demon-touched goblin was answered with a rumbling chuckle. Nothing more.

Raine’s sharp eyes studied the chamber and immediately saw the structural patterns. Her blue eyes went wide with a sudden realization. It looked like the adventurers baited Elenorak to attack recklessly. The large dragon was able to destroy key structural elements of the Doomsphire, and this all resulted with the chamber collapsing and trapping the behemoth. What concerned Raine were the Dragonspawn moving rocks without the proper structural knowledge.

“If your Dragonspawn keep digging, they might collapse more of the tunnels!” She exclaimed.

“Do you have a solution, little one?” Asked the dragon, her large eyes shifted to look at the chieftain’s daughter.

“I do.”

“Tell me!” Elenorak roared, her claw slamming on the earth, kicking up dust and causing pebbles to rain down from the high ceiling.

Tassarion and Booger stood up. Their hands moving near their weapons. Things were getting interesting and maybe dangerous. Gilreg positioned himself in front of Raine, his shield at the ready. Raine rolled her eyes and nudged the warrior aside. What would his little shield do against the mighty Elenorak?

“First, show us the way into the Dungeon,” she stated.

“You dare to play games with me, goblin?” The dragon asked, a deep vibrating growl issued from her throat. The noise nearly froze them with fear.

“You are the one playing games!” Challenged Raine, her fists planted on her hips.

Booger cleared his throat loudly, drawing their attention to the number of Dragonspawn warriors blocking their only exit. Priestess stood in front with her arms crossed over her chest. The warriors were armed with spears and shields.

“Come on then!” Challenged Shaymus. The pale-eyed goblin invited the Dragonspawn with her dagger, her sword held ready in her other hand.

“I do not intend to die in the company of goblins and orcs,” spat Tassarion. Booger arched an eyebrow, but the dark elf stared intently at the warriors before them.

“You kill us, and you remain trapped. Or, you can show us the way to the Dungeon, and we can show your Dragonspawn how to safely remove the stones,” Raine yelled.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” Gilreg said quietly to Raine. The warrior’s hand was near the handle of his axe.

Raine nodded confidently and inquired loudly to the trapped dragon, “do we have a deal?”

Elenorak rumbled deeply and for some time. The party fidgeted. Booger flexed his fingers around his heavy-edged polearm. The rings on the blade jangled. Shaymus grinned evilly at the Dragonspawn, and twirled her weapons. Tassarion scowled. Stupid goblins going to get me killed. I should have known. The dark elf thought cynically to himself. Nulrok held his staff in front of him, the words to his spells ready on his lips. A rolling sound of hiss and clicks emanated from the Dragonspawn at the only entrance and exit to the chamber.

Then Elenorak made a loud noise. At first, Gilreg thought it was a roar. The others readied for the worse. It was after a moment that they realized that the mighty dragon was laughing. More pebbles and rocks fell from the mound that buried her and rained down from the high ceiling.

“There are three ways to open a portal into the Dungeon. One is that you have the Talisman and a Portal Gem. There is only one Talisman and two Portal Gems in known existence. The other way is from the Dreaded One, who is likely dead,” the dragon stated.

“And the third?” Asked Raine.

In response, the dragon raised its only untrapped claw. It pointed one long finger, and a swirling purple portal appeared before it. Vaguely visible, they could see what appeared to be a hallway made of smooth dark stone and blue dimly glowing lines. The dragon lowered her claw, and the portal vanished.

“Are we in agreement?” Gilreg inquired. The dragon nodded her head once and then lowered it to the ground. Her eyelids drooped nearly shut.

“I better get started. Shaymus, come with me,” Raine ordered.

“What? Why me?” The pale-eyed goblin whined.

“You have a keen eye for such things. Stop delaying and come!” Raine said and motioned the other to follow her out of the chamber.

Nulrok sighed and sat down against a boulder. He released the energies he was preparing. Tassarion and Booger shrugged at each other and stowed their weapons away. Gilreg slouched over next to the mage.

“That was close,” he observed. His friend nodded their spikey white-haired head in agreement.