Eliaria and I took the winding staircase two steps at a time, our hearts racing, our breath coming in short gasps. As we ran, I heard shouts from the guards below, followed by a cry of alarm.

"They must have discovered the men in the courtyard," Eliaria said.

"I guess the element of surprise is gone," I replied.

At the bottom of the stairs, we found ourselves facing a large wooden door. It was locked.

I pried the lock open with my dagger, then kicked the door in. As the door swung inward, there was a blur of movement and something swung at my head.

I ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, then charged forward, slamming into the man and knocking him to the ground. I landed on top of him, pinning him beneath me.

My dagger came down, pausing just short of his throat.

"What the hell," I said, looking down at Flint, "are you trying to kill me?"

"You’re the one with the knife at my throat," he replied, his eyes still wide.

I lowered the dagger and helped him to his feet. "You ok?"

I nodded, and rubbed his throat involuntarily, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Where are the other guards?" Eliaria asked.

"Taken care of," Miko said, stepping into the hall.

She held a crossbow in one hand and a dagger in the other. There was blood spattered across her face.

"You killed them?" Eliaria asked.

Miko shook her head, "They should live, well at least most of them should, if the wounds don't fester."

I dusted off my pants and sheathed my dagger, "I thought you were staying with the wagon?"

Miko shrugged, "Seeing grown men jumping out of a window screaming that death was after them made us reconsider."

I ran a hand through my hair and laughed. "Yeah, things didn't go according to plan."

"I thought you might need some help," Miko continued, "so we came through the front door."

Flint shifted from one foot to the other, all the while looking over his shoulder, "We should get moving," he said, "before the guards discover their missing companions."

I nodded, "Let's go."

"So, what's the plan?" Eliaria asked.

I looked over at Miko, "You know this place better than I do, where would the priests keep the children?"

She thought about it for a moment,"Probably in the sanctuary," she said, "but I'm not sure."

"Is that the lava pit we saw before?" I asked.

"Yes," Miko said, "all the Mother Dragon rituals are performed there."

"You think that's what this is all about?" I asked.

Miko shrugged, "Maybe, what other reason would they have for kidnapping children?"

The blood drained from my face, "We need to move fast."

***

Miko led us down the hallway, through the maze of corridors. We passed a mural of Tiamara in human form sitting on a throne beside her husband Lunaris. The two floor bosses were depicted as lovingly gazing down at the mortal realm, watching over those who followed their path.

It seemed a bit strange to have a depiction of the floor bosses, caring for the people of this floor. I suppose the temple wanted to portray a kind and benevolent god, but I wasn't buying it. We'd almost been tricked into selling our souls to the Mother Dragon, and now they were kidnapping children. I doubted their kindness and benevolence was all that genuine.

We heard guards coming, so we ducked into a side room and waited for them to pass. We didn't have time to fight every guard in the temple. Our mission was to rescue the children, after that we could worry about putting an end to the Black Briar.

Once they had moved past, we continued down the hallway.

"This way," Miko said, leading us towards the sanctuary.

After a short walk, we arrived at a set of large double doors carved with images of dragons in various poses.

"These are the doors to the main temple," Miko said. "Beyond here is the lava pit."

I pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The air was heavy with the smell of sulfur, and the temperature was uncomfortably warm. The room was dark, the only light source a dull red glow emanating from a large pit in the center.

As my eyes adjusted, I could make out a symbol etched on the ground around the pool. It had seven points, six of which glowed a dull red.

"What's that symbol?" I whispered.

"It's not card magic," Miko said, her voice trembling, "I've never seen anything like it before."

What other magic is there?

"Where are they?" Eliaria asked, "Where are the children?"

I peered into the gloom, searching for any sign of the missing children. My heart sank when I spotted a group of small forms huddled together in the corner of the room.

"There!" I said, pointing towards the children.

I moved forward slowly, trying to remain hidden in the shadows. As I approached, I saw that the children were bound and gagged. They looked terrified.

"Hey there," I said softly, "it's okay, we're here to help you."

They flinched away from me, their eyes wide with fear.

"It's alright," I said, reaching out to them, "we're not going to hurt you."

Bas'Kin, the ven'thik pickpocket, was among them, he recognized me and tried to say something through the gag.

"Hold still," I said, removing his gag.

"They're coming," he said, his eyes full of panic, "they're going to kill us all."

"Who is coming?" I asked.

Before Bas'Kin could answer, footsteps echoed in the corridor behind us.

"Hide," Eliaria whispered.

We didn't have time for hiding.

"Come on," I said, helping the children to their feet, "we need to get out of here."

"But the priests," Bas'Kin protested.

"Flint, block that entrance, slow them down," I said.

He nodded and quickly crossed the room. He shut the double doors and then opened [Arcane Vault]. From the portal he produced an iron framed bed. The exact same one from our room at the inn. With a grunt, he slid it up against the door.

"That will buy us some time," he said.

"You stole the bed?" Eliaria said, shocked.

"Hey, what's a storage portal for if not for stealing everything you can get your hands on," Flint replied.

I shook my head, it was so typical of Flint to tempt his luck with Karmic Debt just so he could steal a few useless items.

"Is there another entrance?" I asked.

"There's a small service entrance on the opposite side of the room," Miko said.

"Let's move," I said, pushing the children toward the door.

As we crossed the room, fists pounded on the doors, echoing around the lava chamber.

"Miko, Elia, you take the kids," I said. "Flint and I will hold them off."

"But..." Eliaria protested.

"Don't worry about us," I said, giving her a reassuring smile, "we'll be fine."

She nodded, and the two women led the children through the door. Eliaria paused just before exiting. She looked at me. She was about to say something, but Miko grabbed her arm and pulled her out after them.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

***

The knocking stopped. There was a brief pause and then a loud thud, followed by another.

"They're trying to break down the door," I said.

"Let's hope the bed is sturdy enough," Flint replied.

A large crack appeared in the wood of the door.

"I don't think so," I said.

I drew Swiftblade, the relic dagger reflecting the red glow from the lava pit.

"Here they come," Flint said.

The doors flew open, the iron frame bent and twisted from the impact. Several sliven priests stepped into the room, their eyes glowing with an unnatural red light. Ahead of them strode a human, tall, with a bald head and a cruel smile.

"Hello there," the man said, his voice smooth as silk, "so you are the bastards that poisoned my men. I knew there was something off about that wine, but you’ll have more luck trying to tame a Kirathi bull than getting twenty thugs not to drink free wine."

"Where are the prisoners," a priest hissed, looking around the room.

"I think you mean kidnapped children," I said, "not prisoners."

The priest smirked, "Oh, they are prisoners alright, prisoners to the will of Tiamara. Her prophet has seen the future, and these children are necessary to release her from her prison."

I shook my head, "You're delusional. Tiamara is a floor boss, a monster created by the Tower to entertain adventurers. She's not a god."

"You're wrong," the priest replied, his voice filled with conviction, "the Mother Dragon will soon rise, and her chosen will rule the Tower. You will kneel before her, or you will burn."

Flint spun Mighty Grasp, the quarter staff flashing in the red glow. "Enough of this bullshit, are we going to fight or stand here talking about religion all day?"

"End this quickly!" hissed the priest, "we need one more sacrifice to complete the ritual."

"As you wish," the Black Briar leader said, drawing a curved blade, "let's see what you are made of."

He pointed his blade at me, "I, Kardoch the Cruel, will slay you in the name of the Mother Dragon."

"You've got to be shitting me," I muttered, "that's actually his name."

Flint snorted, "What a pretentious asshole."

He raised his hand and [Rift Bolt] launched forward.

The sliven priest closest to Kardoch, took the blow in the chest, the spell teleported him back a few feet, landing at the edge of the lava pit. The creature let out a hiss, then scrambled away from the edge, its serpent tail thrashing behind it.

The rest of the priests rushed forward, their short blades held high.

I didn't want to use [Toxic Barrage] in these tight spaces, I'd seen how the venomous fog had interacted with fire before, and it was not something I wanted to happen in here.

I shot forward, moving into the gap created by Flint's attack. Swiftblade blurred through the air, cutting a deep gash in a priest's side.

Kardoch's eyes widened as he watched me move.

"You're fast," he said, "but not fast enough."

His blade lashed out, and I barely managed to dodge it.

Flint had engaged several of the priests, battering them aside easily with his staff. There were many priests, but they were untrained and weak. Kardoch, on the other hand, was not.

I parried a strike from the Briar leader, the force of the blow sending shockwaves up my arm. He was incredibly fast, and I had just managed to block his attack in time.

He jumped back, laughing as he spun in the air and landed on his feet.

A sliven priestess attacked, her fangs bared. She hissed and lunged at me. I dodged to the side, avoiding her deadly bite. I ducked just as Flint spun over head, his staff lashing out and catching her in the side. The force of the blow sent her flying, she landed in a heap and did not rise again.

"Try not to kill them," I shouted over the roar of the flames.

"Why not?" Flint yelled back, "They're trying to kill us."

"I don't know," I said, "just don't!"

Strangely, I didn't feel bad about killing the sliven, but something about the thought of murdering humans made me queasy.

What if one of my party members was a sliven, would that change how I feel?

Probably not.

Kardoch slammed the palm of his hand onto the ground, causing the earth to rumble and shift beneath our feet. His spell card took effect, and the ground turned to quicksand.

I tried to jump, but my feet found nothing to spring off of. I shouted as I sank deep into the sand. Lava spilled over the edges of the pit, into the quicksand, causing it to boil and bubble.

I struggled to free myself, but the quicksand was too strong. The more I struggled, the quicker I sank. I tried to calm myself. Just breath, I repeated the thought in my mind, but it didn't change anything, I was still sinking.

"Bloody hell," Flint yelled, "this is not good."

The ground beneath us grew hotter, and the scent of burnt flesh filled the air as the female sliven’s body caught fire.

"This is the end," Kardoch cried, his voice full of maniacal glee, "you will burn in the fires of the Mother Dragon, and she will feed on your souls."

I couldn't die to someone like him. No, I’d overcome too much to lose to this pretentious piece of shit.

I searched my mind for a solution. My thoughts flicking through my list of spell cards. I could use [Shroud Form], that would prevent me from taking damage, but it didn't mean I’d be able to swim up the sand.

An idea came to mind.

I cast [Rootbound Bison].

A giant bison, its body covered in thick roots, burst into existence. It landed in the sand, letting out a desperate cry as it began to sink beside me. Its weight was pulling me down faster.

"Use Nature Wrath!" I commanded.

The roots weaved through the sand and wrapped around my legs. I felt them tug and then with a loud roar the bison lifted me up out of the sand. I hung there, upside down, for a moment, giving me a chance to survey the battleground.

Flint was floating above the quicksand, he fired another [Rift Bolt] into a priest who was trying to pull himself out of the sand. The sliven was flung backward, hitting the wall hard.

Most of the priests were sinking in the sand, and Kardoch was standing on the edge, manic glee reflected in his cold eyes.

I sent the bison a mental command, and the roots propelled me forward onto solid ground. The bison let out a cry and I looked back, seeing its head sinking under the sand, the lava sizzling as it flowed towards it. I quickly dismissed the spell, and the now vacant spot filled with lava.

As the last sliven priestess fell to Flint’ staff, Kardoch realized that he was in trouble. He turned and headed for the double doors, his robes flapping behind him.

"Get him," I shouted, sprinting after the coward.

Flint cast [Float] on the Black Briar leader, and the man's feet lifted off the ground.

"Damn you," Kardoch screamed, as his body lifted into the air.

I reached out and grabbed his leg, pulling him back down.

"You're not going anywhere," I growled, "you have a lot to answer for."

Kardoch snarled, and swung his sword at me. I blocked the strike with my dagger, the steel clashing against the curved blade.

"We have no choice," he said, "Tiamara demands it."

"Bullshit," I said, "you're just doing this for wealth and power."

He glared at me, his eyes burning with hatred.

"If you won't serve her," he said, "then you will die."

He struck out with his free hand, his fingers extended like claws. I spun, severing the tendons of his wrist, his blood spurting across my face.

"Shit," he gasped, clutching his wounded hand.

"You're lucky I didn't take that hand off," I said.

"Damn you!" he screamed, "my hand, you bastard!"

I pulled the curved blade from his hand and tossed it into the lava.

"I'm no murderer," I said, "but that doesn't mean I won't make an exception."

Flint came to stand beside me, his staff gripped in his hand. He looked like he was ready to kill.

"We can't leave him alive," Flint said, his voice cold and unyielding.

I knew he was right, but I didn't like it. Luckily, Elia wasn't there to see it.

"Fine," I said, "but make it quick."

"Wait!" Kardoch cried, his voice laced with desperation, "I will give you my spell cards if you let me live."

I hesitated, considering his offer. I looked at Flint, and he nodded just a fraction.

"All right," I said, "give them to us."

Kardoch reached into his robe and touched his heart. Two spell cards appeared in his hands. He tossed them to me, I caught the first one, but the second one went wide, falling towards the lava. I let go of Kardoch’s leg and stretched out, snatching it out of the air just before it hit the ground.

Just as I sighed in relief, Kardoch the Cruel pulled a hidden dagger from his sleeve and stabbed at my exposed neck. I didn't have time to block the attack, both of my hands were holding cards.

I saw the blade coming, and I reacted. I raised one hand, and Kardoch’s dagger pierced the flesh between my thumb and index finger. Pain exploded through my hand, I gasped, and the world seemed to slow down around me.

Kardoch smirked, his face twisted in a cruel smile.

I raised my other hand and cast [Toxic Barrage] into point-blank range. Venomous gas erupted from my fingertips, and the Black Briar leader was enveloped in it. Kardoch's screams pierced the air, and then silence.

I stared at the cloud of toxic gas, my heart hammering in my chest.

When the smoke cleared, Kardoch's corpse was sinking into the lava pit, his face frozen in agony.

The sound of something otherworldly echoed off the walls, and a pair of inhuman hands rose out of the lava like some mythical creature. They grasped Kardoch’s corpse, dragging it under.

"Holy shit," Flint said, "what was that?"

"I don't know," I muttered.

I looked down at the spell cards in my hand, their surface coated with a thin layer of ash.

Footsteps echoed down the passage, and I prepared myself for another attack. But it was Eliaria that entered the room, her face a mixture of concern and relief.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "I was worr—"

The words froze in her throat as her gaze fell on the symbol etched into the ground.

"No, no, no," she cried, her voice full of fear.

"What is it?" Flint asked, stepping towards her.

"This symbol," she said, pointing at the symbol, "it's completed."

I looked down, seeing the final part of the symbol glowing.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

Eliaria stared at me, her eyes wide.

"If it did what they hoped it would," she whispered. "Then it means Tiamara is free."

The ground began to shake, and a deafening roar echoed through the chamber.

"We need to get out of here," Flint shouted.

"What about the priests?" I asked.

"They can rot," Flint replied.

Eliaria grabbed my arm, her grip tight. "Come on," she said, pulling me toward the door, "we have to get out of here."

The lava began to bubble and churn, the roar intensified.

Priests screamed as the floor began to crack and break apart. I looked back at them, feeling conflicted. They were monsters, but they were also people.

Can I leave them to die like this?

"Go, go, go!" Flint yelled, pushing me forward.

My resolve wavered, but only for a moment. We were too far from the exit to save them, and if we didn't leave now, we would be dead as well.

We stumbled through the doorway, the stone cracking and falling around us. The walls collapsed, and the ceiling came crashing down.

"It's not going to hold," Flint shouted.

We raced through the temple, dodging falling debris and broken columns.

"There!" Eliaria pointed at the sealed double doors leading outside.

Flint cast [Rift Bolt] on the door and the spell blasted it open.

The fresh air hit us, and we sucked in gulps of it.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the roof, illuminating the scene before us. For the first time in a hundred years, sunlight bathed the city of Caldera, and the great dragon Tiamara was free.

A terrible roar shook the ruins, and then the ground opened up, swallowing the temple whole.

"Oh, shit," Flint shouted as we fell.

My world turned upside down, as we tumbled into the abyss.

***