We fell, plummeting into the darkness. Shadows passed by in a blur. The screams of my companions fading into the void. Heat radiated from the magma below, and I could feel it licking at my feet.

This is it. This is the end.

Flint and Eliaria were screaming, I could feel their bodies pressed against mine. Light exploded all around us, and the roar of the magma grew louder. The heat became unbearable, and I screamed, my voice mingling with theirs.

Flint's face came into view inches from mine, he was trying to tell me something, but his voice was lost in the chaos.

Someone grabbed my hand, and I strained my neck, looking up to see Eliaria, her face streaked with tears. "Take a deep breath," she yelled, her voice barely audible above the roar.

There was no time for questions, no time to think. We were falling, and the heat was increasing. The magma was coming.

"Do it!" she cried.

I opened my mouth and inhaled. The air was scorching, and I could feel the heat burning my lungs.

Flint grabbed both our hands and pulled us close. He looked at us and nodded, and then everything went black.

For a moment, all I could see was darkness. There was no sound, no air, just a sense of weightlessness. I floated in the abyss, the darkness enveloping me.

I wasn't alone, I could sense Eliaria, her presence was like a beacon in the darkness. There were other things as well, some books, a half-eaten apple, a dagger.

I exhaled, and tried to breathe in again, but I could not. My lungs were empty, my body felt numb.

Oh, shit!

There was no air in wherever the hell we were, I was running out of oxygen, and it wouldn't be long before I suffocated. I reached out, searching for Eliaria, my fingers found her hair, her skin, and then her hand. I pulled her in close, feeling her warmth against my body.

I was about to die, again, and this time I would not be alone.

My eyes began to burn, and I could feel my body shaking. I squeezed Elia’s hand, and felt her squeeze back. I couldn't hold on anymore, my body was shutting down. I tried desperately to find oxygen, but it was no use. My lungs burned, and then, I felt something brush against my lips and the sweet taste of oxygen flooded my lungs.

Eliaria pulled back, her lips parting from my own. And then I saw it. A light appearing, a distant speck, like a star. It grew closer, brighter, until it was all I could see. I shielded my eyes from the brightness.

I gasped, and the world rushed back in, a blur of color and noise.

I took a deep breath, my lungs filling with blessed air. I looked up, seeing the dark roof of a cavern above. Eliaria was by my side, panting heavily.

"We made it," I whispered, my voice hoarse.

Eliaria nodded, still gasping for air.

Flint stood over us, relief on his face. "Wasn't sure that would work," he said.

"How..." I started to ask, then I realized, he'd sucked us into [Arcane Vault], we'd been stuck inside the portal.

"You cast [Float] on yourself," I said, "that was clever."

Flint smiled, his teeth flashing in the gloom. "One of us had to be."

I rolled my eyes, then winced, pain lanced through my hand. "What the hell happened?" I asked, and then I remembered the dagger wound.

Eliaria touched my arm and healing magic flowed through me, repairing the damage.

"You'll be fine," she said.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Eliaria smiled, her eyes shining in the gloom.

"So," Flint said, "do we step through it, or what?"

I looked around, taking in our surroundings. We were at the bottom of a pit, a pool of magma surrounded us. And in the center of our little island was a door. A massive, metal, double door, decorated with elaborate carvings of the sun and the moon.

It looks like the craftsman was given one instruction when he made the door, ‘go big.’

"Well," Flint said, "are we going in or not?"

"It's our only way out," Eliaria replied, her voice sounding small in the cavernous space.

"Right," I said, "let's do this."

"Do we knock?" Flint asked.

Eliaria shook her head, "I don't think it works like that."

"Right," Flint said, "then I guess we break it down."

"Maybe not," I said, noticing the intricate runes inscribed on the door. "I think we just open it."

I placed my hand on the door, feeling a pulse of energy run through me. The runes began to glow.

Is this a mistake? I wondered. But then the door opened as if in response to my desire.

"Last chance to turn back," Flint said, his staff gripped in his hand.

"Not a chance," Eliaria said.

"Right then," I said, "let's kill some dragons."

We stepped through the doorway and the door closed behind us.

***

The cavern was massive, larger than any I'd seen before. The walls were covered in glittering jewels and the ceiling was high enough to be lost in shadow.

"Where are the dragons?" Flint asked, his voice echoing in the chamber.

Steam erupted from a geyser, obscuring our view.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"I don't know," I muttered. "Just stay alert."

The steam dissipated, and something moved in the shadows. I squinted, trying to make out the shape, but it was too dark to see clearly.

A low rumble filled the room, and the temperature began to rise.

"Shit," Flint said, his eyes darting around the room.

A river of magma oozed across the floor, the heat causing the stones to crack and melt. I jumped onto a rock and watched the magma flow past me.

"They're playing with us," Eliaria said, her eyes scanning the room.

"Yeah," Flint agreed, "like a cat and a mouse."

I gritted my teeth, feeling the frustration rising inside me.

Are they hiding from us, or are we so insignificant that they haven't even noticed us yet?

The magma rose up, and the ground cracked and broke apart, opening a massive hole in the middle of the cavern.

"I don't like the look of this," Flint said, backing away from the hole.

A loud roar filled the room, and the sound of wings beating the air echoed through the cavern.

"It's too late," Eliaria said, "they're here."

I spun around, trying to see the dragons, but the room was dark and there was too much steam to see clearly.

"What the hell is that?" Flint shouted.

An invisible force grabbed hold of us, drawing us to the center of the room like we were caught in the current of a raging river.

I struggled against the invisible grip, but it was no use, the pull was too strong. Rocks, dirt and magma flew around us as the room shook violently.

"Hold on!" Eliaria shouted.

Flint grabbed hold of a stalagmite, and I clung to a rocky outcropping, my nails digging into the stone. The geyser erupted, and a jet of scalding steam hit me. I screamed as the heat seared my flesh.

"Fuck this!" Flint yelled, his staff glowing brightly. He cast [Rift Bolt] into the void and the spell detonated, blasting a chunk out of the roof of the cave.

I don't know what to do, if I could just see the dragons I could fight, but in the gloom, I feel helpless.

Eliaria cried out, and the force gripping us intensified.

"I can't hold on much longer!" Flint shouted.

I cast [Toxic Barrage], and it exploded against the wall as the venomous gasses caught fire, causing a chain reaction. The ceiling cracked, and a giant stalactite came crashing down, heading straight at us.

I tried to move out of the way, but the invisible force held me in place.

Eliaria raised her hands and cast [Sky Shield], the barrier shimmered, and the stalactite shattered against it with a thunderous crash.

The force holding us released, and I staggered backwards, breathing heavily.

"We need to get out of here," Flint said, his face grim.

"Agreed," I said, blinking away the sweat that dripped in my eyes.

Eliaria scanned the room, her eyes narrowed. "There," she said, pointing towards a narrow passageway.

"Go!" Flint said.

We held onto each other and fought against the gravitational pull, making our way towards the passage. Through the gloom, I saw two thrones, sitting side by side. Lunaris sat upon one, his skin like marble, his hair dark as midnight. He looked at me with his black eyes, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

Tiamara the Mother Dragon sat upon the other, she was in human form, a woman of incomparable beauty. Her eyes were green, like the emeralds that adorned her throne, and her hair was red, like the rubies that encrusted it.

The couple looked down at us like gods watching ants scurrying across their floor.

"You dare to interrupt our reunion?" Lunaris spoke, his voice deep and sonorous.

Tiamara laughed, her voice was like music, she raised a hand curling it around her husband's cheek, "My love," she purred, "they are but children, let me play with them."

Lunaris smiled, "As you wish, my queen."

Tiamara rose from her throne and walked towards us, her movements were graceful, and she flowed across the floor like water. As she walked, her skin began to change, her human form melting away to reveal the true form of a dragon. Scales appeared on her skin, her hands elongated into talons. She opened her mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Now," she said, her voice was like silk and seemed strange coming from a monster's mouth, "Let's have some fun."

Fire burst from her maw, engulfing the room in flames. The walls singed, the rocks turned to ash, and Eliaria's shield of air shattered.

I watched in slow motion as the flames closed in around Elia.

"No!" I screamed, popping my [Etherix] and shooting forward at a speed that defied logic.

The flames were so intense, so powerful, that they scorched the surrounding air, turning the very oxygen to fire.

Eliaria was in my arms when the inferno hit us. I turned my back to the flames, shielding her with my body and cast [Shroud Form]. The fire lapped against my skin like water, harmless and cold.

I held her tight, her face buried in my chest. The flames continued to burn all around us, and I knew I couldn't go on for much longer. My spell would run out eventually, and then the fire would consume us.

"Flint!" I yelled, my voice barely audible over the roar of the flames.

I turned around and saw him, his portal open wide, absorbing the inferno like a whale drinking in the ocean.

The flames died down and Tiamara hissed, smoke rising from her nostrils.

She was just too powerful. We were barely able to defend ourselves against her first attack, but we had no way to counter.

We can't survive a second round.

I dropped the spell I'd been channeling, and the shadows dissipated like mist.

"Our guest is almost here," Lunaris said, his voice calm, "end this now, and so we can welcome him properly."

Tiamara growled and turned back to us, her eyes burning with delight. "As you wish, my king," she said, her voice cold.

She stalked towards us, her steps slow and deliberate. Cracks formed in the floor beneath her feet, the very earth itself trembling with each step she took.

"Now," she hissed, raising her clawed hand.

A massive wall of magma rose up behind her, like a tidal wave of liquid rock, and came crashing down towards us.

I didn't have time to think, to strategize, all I could do was react.

"Flint! Take Elia and run! I'll hold it off!"

Eliaria screamed as Flint grabbed her, from the corner of my eye I saw them retreating towards the door. If I didn't stop the wave, it would catch them before they got there.

I was running out of time, I didn't have any choices left. If I had the time, I would have studied the cards I'd gotten from Kardoch and seen if they had been of any help. But there was no time, I would have to wing it.

I raised my hand, summoning [Rootbound Bison]. The massive creature appeared in front of me, its cloven hooves digging into the ground. It snorted and shook its head, its massive branch-like horns glinting in the fire-light.

The wall of magma approached, growing as it moved, soon it would engulf the entire room. I felt a moment of despair. Who would pay for this mistake, would it be Eliaria, would it be Flint?

"Bring the roof down!" I commanded the bison.

Roots shot out of its fur, reaching up to the ceiling and embedding themselves in the rock. The roots grew, spreading out like a web and covering the ceiling.

A low rumbling filled the room and the rocks started to crack. The bison's eyes glowed a brilliant red and the ceiling gave way, the rocks raining down upon us.

I braced myself, preparing for the crushing blow.

The magma wave was only feet away, I knew this was going to hurt.

I glanced back a final time, Flint and Eliaria were climbing over fallen rocks, the door still seemed so far away from them.

The ceiling collapsed in front of me, giant boulders crashing down and diverting the path of the magma wave.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I've done it, I've saved them.

The rocks shifted and rolled, the magma spilling through the cracks. There was nowhere left for me to run. I was trapped.

The bison let out a bellow, its cry echoing through the chamber. I dismissed it, and it vanished, returning to the realm from whence it had come.

Tiamara's laughter filled my head, the sound was pure joy, pure happiness. It was terrifying.

The magma washed over me, burning my skin. I screamed in pain, my voice drowned out by the roar of the fire. My bones cracked and melted, my flesh turned to ash. My organs were vaporized and my blood boiled.

It was the worst death I'd ever experienced. And yet, even as my body was destroyed, my mind remained intact for an instant, just long enough for me to see Eliaria and Flint reaching the door, just long enough to see a crow flying overhead, cawing madly.

And then the pain was gone, the room fell silent, the magma cooling and hardening around my corpse, everything faded to black.

***