Former Lair of the Dread Dragon Kortaza.

As the Kobolds prepared for their deaths, the Trap Master and Den Mother throwing what they could against the four Adventurers at their back, the tribe held little hope as their numbers were whittled away.

The Chief had to choose between holding back the halfling and gnome at the head of them and helping the Trap Master and Den Mother at the rear.

It didn't matter.

Every time he had to drop the shield to help out dozens of them died.

As the Kobolds were resigning to their fate a great force shook the very cavern sending the Adventurers prone and shocking the kobolds out of their hopelessness.

Could the Master be alive still? Some uttered.

Though the Chief knew that that was impossible, the Adventurers wouldn't pursue them without knowing that their Master was well and truly dead.

No. This was something else.

A great voice sounded throughout the cavern.

"SANCTUARY!"

It boomed and the earth in the side of the cavern parted and a golden light shined forth. The sight of an escape and the Adventurers, stunned by what happened, spurred the Chief to rally his people.

"Everyone into the crevice!"

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As if a spell had broken the Kobolds surged forth their possible salvation, their hopeful Sanctuary!

No matter how many tried to squeeze into the passage it never seemed to clog or stop and in a far faster time than he had realized most had already made it through.

"Chief come on, quit staring and flee!" The Trap Master shouted as he and the Den Mother were waiting at the entrance as the last few Kobolds and salamanders rushed through. The Adventurers, noticing their quarry escaping, doubled their efforts in getting their footing and rushed after the fleeing kobolds.

The Chief ran towards his fellow underlings and with them by his side held off the bloodthirsty party long enough for the last stragglers to make it through.

Throwing his last javelin.

Her salamander mount spitting a last glob of sizzling venom.

And one last shield to block the last desperate attacks of their hunters, they entered the golden passage that seemed to offer hope.

The Adventurers raced after the last of them intent on finishing their job.

But with a great force that sent them onto their backs the gap in the cavern wall that had offered the Kobolds free passage and safety, slammed shut and offered them nothing but solid stone and humiliation.

The gnome groaned as he got up. "What in the name of every Being out there was THAT!?"

"ASTRALA!" Moira bellowed.

"I'm right here Moira." She groaned and rubbed her pointed ears from the dwarfs shouting.

"What was that?!"

"Magic." The elf said simply.

"Well no SHIT it was magic! What kind?!"

The elf had gotten up and was scanning the area where their prey had made their fated escape.

As she scanned she got a hint that this was the work of something ancient and powerful.

"Something that we aren't equipped to deal with." She said with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Poppycock!" The Father said as he marched to the spot where the gap was.

"Oh Blessed Goddess Above, open this passage so that we may SMITE those vermin in Your Most Holy Name!"

When nothing happened the Father, insulted that his Goddess's power seemed to fail, tried to dispel the wickedness that surely was the cause.

"Oh Blessed Goddess! I beseech you to grant me the strength to EXPUNGE this evilness from Your Holy World!" But as he proclaimed these words the air grew tense and the rest of the party backed well away from the Father.

And with a great force the power that saved the short lizard-people sent the zealous Priest flying, the elf Ranger's body being the only thing to save him from smashing into the cavern wall.

The rest of the party looked at the place where the passage used to be and FELT the rejection and malice from it. They would not be able to force their way through and continuing to do so would no doubt lead to worse outcomes than what the Father got.

"To be bested by those little shits and a damn WALL!" The dwarf woman seethed with rage and indignity. The others were in similar moods, aside the Father and Ranger who felt pain and embarrassment.

The Party gathered and healed their wounded bodies and made their way to the capital to collect the reward for The Dread Dragon. Though they would get great treasure from the bounty as well as what they found in the beast's lair and glory from the endeavor, they all knew that if they wanted to ease their bruised egos.

They would need to find the Kobolds.

And finish the job.