With all the focus and attention Hunter could muster, he stared at the first mask. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice, “Identify!” His tone held a dangerous edge, as if daring the mask to defy his command.

Nothing happened.

Hunter paled, blood draining from his face as he realized the gravity of the situation. By now, words should have scrolled above the mask, providing Hunter with useful details about it, the most important being whether it was the one true mask.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, breaking him from his dread-filled daze.

“You look like you’ve seen the ghosts of your ancestors…”

He broke his gaze from the masks and forced himself to look He Xiangu in the eye. “Perhaps the ghosts of my past have caught up with me. My Identify skill is not working.”

He Xiangu’s hands fell to her hips, and she scowled. “What do you mean it’s not working?”

Hunter lowered his gaze, his mind reeling in search of the reason why. “I mean, without my Identify skill, we'll have to find another way to determine which of these masks is the correct one.” In his mind, he yelled at Claude and Tower, but they remained stubbornly silent. This far from his own time, it was no surprise he was on his own.

He Xiangu opened her mouth and promptly snapped it shut as elemental runes on the wall began to glow.

Like a torch in his mind, it shed light on the problem. “See those runes? I wager they're what's stopping me from using my Identify skill, just like they stopped the water dragon Saiphan from flying over that chasm.”

He Xiangu’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the walls. Rubbing her chin, she slowly nodded in agreement. “It’s wise that we take our time and closely examine each mask so that we can whittle them down to the most likely candidate.”

She stepped closer, her fingers tracing the outline of a glowing rune. It shone brighter, and the walls shook.

In the four corners, large vents appeared, dark, black, and ominous. From them, sand poured like a waterfall, forming mounds that spread out. Hunter's pulse spiked. “So much for taking our time. How long do you think we have before this whole chamber fills with sand?”

He Xiangu growled but didn’t answer. She stepped back and glared at the runes, her fists clenched as if she wanted to rip them from the wall with her bare hands. She turned her attention back to the masks. “They all have different symbols. Look at each one; it has to be a clue. Do you recognize any of them?”

Hunter hesitated to reply. At first glance, they looked completely foreign, but his parents had encouraged him never to give up easily. He wasn’t about to start now. Scratching his jaw, he examined the symbols on the first mask. Pointing to it, he caught He Xiangu’s attention. “This bears some similarity to cultivation sigils from my world, but—”

A flash of light blinded them, and a voice boomed in warning, “Trespassers, be warned! I am Guardian Azul, formerly of the Shadow Mountain Sect. I am the protector of the one true mask. You dare defile this chamber with your presence without my permission. Bear my wrath!”

Hell no!

Amidst the tension, a whirlwind of crimson robes, accompanied by a cloud of white hair, burst from a dark recess. The figure, brandishing a shining glaive, moved with a grace that spoke of a bygone era of mastery. However, this display of agility swiftly crumbled, revealing the toll of age on the guardian. Mere steps into his entrance, his stamina waned, and the heavy pole-arm seemed to anchor him to the earth.

He Xiangu, quick to react, caught him in her arms. Her expression twisted into a grimace as she skillfully deflected the glaive with one hand, while the other steadied the venerable figure.

Gasping for breath, the guardian's initial robust proclamation softened into a wheeze. “Junior Sister, today, fortune smiles upon you. My mood is merciful.” His wide, searching eyes betrayed a moment of surprise, as if the encroaching sands had unveiled themselves to him in that moment.

Hunter’s shoulders tensed, expecting more strangeness to follow. He couldn’t help but wonder about the man’s origins and his survival in such a relentless environment.

The old guardian's demeanor shifted from shock to a serene acceptance. As he stroked his long beard, a sense of peace seemed to envelop him. “By touching the sacred runes, you have challenged the gods of Shadow Mountain. This chamber will fall, swallowing the mask for all eternity. And us along with it.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing.” He Xiangu exchanged a look of concern with Hunter. He was wondering why the man was smiling at the prospect of their demise.

“As a member of the Shadow Mountain Sect, I once disgraced my elder by allowing our most sacred scroll to be stolen. For penance, I was tasked with protecting the one true mask, to slowly age but never die, and serve as a warning to all souls who dared seek such a dangerous relic.”

With each moment, the sand grew bolder, inching closer, eager to envelop anything in its path. Hunter, realizing the peril, lifted his feet in a deliberate, almost rhythmic motion, extracting them from the greedy grasp of the sand that sought to claim him as part of the chamber's forgotten tales.

He Xiangu cocked her head to one side. “You say you’re a member of the Shadow Mountain Sect. If so, you must be hundreds of years old; that sect fell apart with the death of Emperor Kulun.”

“If what you say is true, Junior Sister, then I have served my time, and I look forward to meeting my loved ones in the hall of my ancestors.”

He Xiangu stepped back, her figure a silhouette of defiance. “I’m in no hurry to meet my ancestors, especially those on my father’s side. We're here for the mask, and we're not leaving empty-handed.”

The guardian's soft, sad eyes drifted to a skeletal warrior, propped against the wall where he died, slowly being covered in the rising tide of sand.

“What happened to him?” Hunter asked.

Gesturing to the masks, the guardian sighed. “He chose poorly.”

The sands rose higher, forcing He Xiangu and Hunter to wade through the mounds to inspect the masks. "We don't have much time," Hunter said urgently, his eyes scanning the symbols on each mask as the shadow of the Guardian ominously loomed behind them. His voice, echoing over their shoulder, carried a solemn warning, "If you wish to claim it, choose wisely…" His voice trailed off, muffled by the relentless sound of falling sands.

Hunter's heart hammered in his chest as they stood before the masks—all six a masterwork of uncanny symbols and ancient craftsmanship. As his gaze drifted from mask to mask, his mind raced to connect the dots between the symbols, a small voice inside him urging that there had to be some common theme.

"These symbols." Hunter traced the air in front of a mask with a pattern that felt oddly familiar, "They’re not only decorative. In my world, similar sigils are used to denote elements of power, protection, and… truth." His voice echoed in the chamber as a spark of understanding began to flicker in his mind.

He Xiangu leaned closer, her dark eyes lit with curiosity. "Truth?" She slightly tilted her head.

Hunter nodded, his brow furrowed as he struggled to recall which symbols represented truth, protection, and power. The symbols seemed to blur together, his frustration mounting.

He Xiangu’s voice broke through his tension, soothing yet filled with excitement. "There was an old story my mother used to tell me about an immortal cultivator who wore a mask imbued with the power to reveal the heart's true nature. It was marked with the emblem of the Eastern Dragon, a symbol of protection and wisdom in her family's culture. If the tales carry the truth, then we know the one true mask is aligned with the Ethereal Plane. "

A pause settled between them as the pieces of their puzzle began to align. "If these masks carry symbols that resonate with the concepts of truth and wisdom in both our worlds," Hunter reasoned, his eyes narrowing in thought, "then perhaps the true mask is the one that embodies both the mark of the Dragon and a symbol for universal truth."

He Xiangu gripped his arm, her free hand pointing at the mask at the far end. "And in the story… it mentioned the mask's ability to shine with its own inner light, much like the moon. A light that reveals truth amidst shadows." Her voice was wistful, as if lost in the memory of her mother's voice.

Together, they turned their attention back to the collection of masks, this time with renewed focus. They examined each mask, not just for symbols but for lines flowing in the form of a majestic dragon as mentioned by He Xiangu.

Hunter’s heart sank as soon as he laid eyes on another mask at the opposite end; it contained an inner glow, much like the one He Xiangu had brought to his attention. The dragon symbols on both masks bore little difference.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Looks like we've narrowed it down to two, better odds than before. If only I had my lucky rabbit’s paw." Hunter chuckled, trying to lighten the mood with a half-hearted joke.

"We need more than luck." He Xiangu’s eyes narrowed, her finger hovering over a dragon symbol he didn't recognize. "The Dragon enveloping your sigil of truth... This mask, it seems to emanate a soft glow, unlike the reflective sheen of the others. Are you certain that one is the true symbol of truth you recognize from your world?"

Sweat beaded on Hunter’s brow as he glanced over at the Guardian, who wore a serene smile, seemingly at peace with whatever outcome awaited them. Hunter wasn’t ready to give in to fate yet.

He swallowed hard, taking a final glance at the two masks. Digging deep into his memory, he tried to recall the last time he saw the symbol for truth in his world.

The eye sees what the mind believes. The echoes of Mistress Arista’s encouragement during his Trial of Worth whispered in his mind as he focused his gaze and steadied his breath.

The symbols of protection conjured an image of his father as Hunter glanced down at his storage ring. Living in Delphare, their exterior walls were adorned with the symbol of protection every few hundred paces to remind them of their safety.

As Hunter focused more on the symbols from his life, his uncle's image cut through his father like smoke. The mere grit of his teeth as he stared down Hunter made his chest burn with rage. The hilt of his uncle’s sword bore an etched symbol of power, enhancing his uncle's capability of suppressing others into inferiority. Hunter grew more curious about how many lives had been claimed by his uncle’s demands.

A quick breeze whisked Hunter’s shaggy hair out of his eyes. He glanced at the source of the draft where a new chamber opened to rushing sand.

“Hurry it up or we’ll be swimming like dust mites.” He Xiangu gestured with her hand.

Hunter raised a brow at the expression but refocused at the sudden crack of a cane, jolting him back to childhood.

Mistress Arista ushered everyone to their seats, pressing Pheres with chi for arriving late. There, Hunter froze at the memory. Above Pheres’ head on the archway to the classroom, the symbol of truth hung.

He chuckled aloud.

Wading through the sand, He Xiangu approached the pedestals, hands outstretched over both masks. “Hunter! Which one?”

“That one.” He pointed to the matching symbol from his memory. “Arista was always a seeker of truth, beyond the school. I’d trust her more than anything.”

“Ugh, I’ll kill you myself if you’re wrong!” He Xiangu lunged to the side as another ceiling trap dropped a slew of sand. She grabbed the chosen mask, and the remaining masks on the pedestals burst into flames.

Guardian Azul sighed as he reclined on a pile of sand. "You chose well, but alas, the immortal sundial is not on your side." His laughter turned to sputters as he deliberately stopped resisting, letting the sand fill his mouth.

Hunter's eyes widened in alarm, his hands reaching out in a futile gesture of aid towards the guardian, a last-ditch effort to pull him back from the brink. The old guardian, however, offered Hunter one final, meaningful look before gracefully bowing his head, allowing the cascading sands to envelop him completely.

He Xiangu, with a resigned shake of her head, carefully stowed away the mask. "Leave him. This was his chosen path, a final act of devotion to the honor of the Shadow Mountain Sect. It's time we returned to my father's, now that we have the mask in our possession."

Rumbling echoed in the distance. “What is…” Hunter’s voice trailed off as a great crevice formed along the back wall, the cavern caving in with rocks tumbling onto the piles of sand.

“Go!” He Xiangu yelled, pumping her arms forward through the thick sand. Hunter scrambled, activating his Earth chi to gain ground, parting the sands enough for them to escape the sand and rock tsunami chasing them.

Hunter stopped at the edge of the fire wall. “The rune is on the other side. We can’t reach it from here. We have to find another way out.”

“I don’t care if you end up bald as an immortal monk, move out of my way!” A smoky billow formed around He Xiangu as she charged through the flames.

Hunter inhaled, holding his breath, forcing his chi into his legs and sprinting in her wake, the heat from the flames licking his exposed skin. Clangs of metal against rock dampened the fires ahead of Bravo, reducing the heat. She was unstoppable as she slammed her boots along the bridge, leaping from one earth tile to the next. He understood why Claude chose her as an initiate.

“Don’t touch the last one, I have an idea!” Hunter yelled as he bounded after her, keeping pace. He Xiangu made a final leap across the chasm’s bridge, pivoting back at him. Hunter leapt onto the wind tile, and a distant roar grew louder into a sharp whistle. He leapt as the bridge buckled with the sudden blast of wind, the momentum flinging him forward, his arms outstretched grasping for the edge of the chasm.

He Xiangu grabbed his arm and swung him upright. “You’re an egghead!”

“I don’t want anything else unexpected chasing after us.” Hunter shrugged, wearing a smug expression on his face. Another fissure cracked, growing between his legs. He leapt to the side. “No need to argue about this now. Let’s just leave.”

“Saiphan!” He Xiangu whistled, summoning the dragon from the shadows. Its blue eyes cast a faint glow on the chamber.

The dragon growled upon her approach, whipping her tail around from behind.

Hunter's heart raced at the unexpected attack. He scanned his beast tamer skills. It still stated the dragon was approachable.

The tail lashed forward as the ceiling above them quaked, sudden impact shifting the stone to the side. Hunter exhaled with relief washing over him. “An intuitive water dragon.”

Snorting, Saiphan groaned. “On, now!”

Hunter and He Xiangu leapt on the layered rock that formed a bridge as the ground quaked, crumbling to pieces. On a gust of wind Saiphan took flight, leaving the rubble behind them.

Hunter’s palms ached from clinging tight to Saiphan, her ice blue scales cool to the touch. Shifting position, he leaned in close behind He Xiangu as she guided the water dragon towards a wide river at the bottom of the mountain. With each beat of Saiphan’s wings, the water splashed the banks, launching further into the tree’s verdant canopy.

“Do we really have to get so close to the water?” Unable to tear his gaze from the lake’s bottomless depths, Hunter lifted his boots as Saiphan twisted her body to the side, a large rock plunging next to them.

He Xiangu laughed. “Better than being crushed to death by the falling boulders. Plus, the river and lake will lead us across the Komodo Dragon breeding grounds.” She paused, her tone darkening as Saiphan’s tail skimmed the river crests casting a stream of water flicking into the air. “Exactly where we should have been sent in the first place.”

“That demon guard of yours ears must be red, I don’t think he liked being threatened by you.” Hunter smirked.

He Xiangu glanced over her shoulder at him, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched like she considered punching him off the water dragon. A distant shriek seemed to break her concentration. Her chest heaved as though she let the frustration escape before she returned her attention to the journey. “Saiphan, beyond the next canopy. You’ll sense the portal.”

The shrieking filtered the air, but Saiphan’s words were as smooth as pearls above the mating noise of the amorous komodos. “My honor to offer my speed and grace to the ones who served me.” The water dragon dipped her head and neck into the rapid river wave before soaring between a set of trees with the largest fronds Hunter had ever seen. In mere moments, she rested on her haunches, allowing them to slide free of her blue-scaled armor. The violet hues of the portal flickered nearby, highlighting the source of the shrieks—komodo dragons too busy to pay them any attention. The dragon snorted. “How wretched, it is a minor miracle those creatures have any offspring when they make mating sounds like a strangled cat!”

Holding back a laugh, Hunter nodded to Saiphan before turning to He Xiangu. “We shouldn’t return to the palace until we know you have the right mask.”

Last thing he wanted to do was disappoint a being capable of tearing him apart with his bare hands.

Her eyebrow raised. “There are no runes here to disrupt your ability.” She withdrew the mask, its subtle glow seemed to show the symbol of truth brighter next to Saiphan’s presence.

“Identify.” Hunter whispered as he focused his chi into the mask. His face paled as he read the notification that scrolled across his vision.

“What?” He Xiangu shoved his shoulder, breaking him away from the description. “This is the right one, Guardian Azul mentioned it was so.” He Xiangu scowled, placing a hand on her hip.

Hunter shook his head. “It is the right one…but you can’t give that mask to your father, the demon emperor. It’s…it’s more powerful than he led you to believe.”

Unimpressed, she took one last glance at the mask before stowing it away once more and turning toward the portal. “You served your purpose in locating the mask, it’s my quest to deliver it to my father.”

Hunter grabbed her shoulder, her sharp gaze locked onto his. “You’re his daughter. Can’t you reason with him? It’d be best to destroy this artifact. Or even store it safely in the tower.”

He Xiangu narrowed her eyes. “Right now you’re being incredibly vague, it’s no surprise the mask is powerful and dangerous that’s why it is so sought after. No negotiations occur in the demon emperor's palace. You’ve met my father…”

He released his grip. “That’s exactly the reason we need to leave, with the mask. It is more powerful than any one immortal should hold. Take it with you to the tower, you cannot allow it to fall into your father’s possession.”

Her gaze shifted to Saiphan as though there was a brief connection they’d shared from their short experience. Hunter wasn’t sure if it was the flight she’d been thankful for, but she bowed to the water dragon. “We’ve both been betrayed. You deserve better than this world can offer you. Come meet Sleidai.”

Saiphan slowly blinked as if pondering her words. “I am curious to meet this Sleidai of yours and would like to see if he is as impressive as you claim.”

Hunter scratched his chin. “Are we leaving for the tower with your komodo?”

A scowl formed on He Xiangu’s face. “Someone sent us to the wrong location. The Killer Ginseng had no place in Saiphan’s lair, let alone outside the Underworld. Someone summoned it from the Ethereal Plane, I don’t know if it was my father or that damn sentinel at the portal post.”

Hunter cleared his throat. “Going back to the palace is a bad idea. Grab Sleidai and let’s leave before anyone knows we returned.””

“I didn’t take you for a coward--” He Xiangu smiled thinly.

“This has nothing to do with being brave, if we had more time I would explain everything. We don’t so trust me when I say giving that mask to your father will not only destroy this world but cast menacing ripples into many realms beyond it.” The conviction in his tone disarmed He Xiangu.

Her smile faded. “I trust you.” She released a heavy sigh. “If I’m never coming back to my world, then there’s one thing I have to take with me. Come on, I’ll explain on the way.” She gave a short whistle and pivoted, Saiphan following with fluid motion towards the portal.

Hunter was about to protest but she shot him a look. “Trust goes both ways.”

Patting the water dragon’s scales, He Xiangu whispered into the mighty beast’s ears as they stepped through the portal. As soon as they emerged to the otherside, the scent of smoke and tainted blood filled Hunter’s nostrils. He glanced down at the putrid mess that coated the ground. Peeking out from underneath Saiphan’s paw was the demon guard’s long black claws, curling like a withering plant.

He Xiangu stood next to Saiphan with a grim smile. “He deserved a slower death, but I don’t have time for such matters now.” Crouching low she withdrew her blade. “Sleidai, however, will be pleased.”