The first thing Carmin saw was a massive volcano. It was identical to the one in her vision. The thought was enough to make her wings splay in shock. The good thing was Dan and Zane seemed to take no notice. She could only hope her vision didn’t come true. Of course, the problem with that was that her visions always came true. Seeing her husband and his friend going ahead, Carmin flew to catch up.

They stopped at the entrance to a cavern on the side of the volcano. The pathway clearly went in one direction: toward the core. Carmin could feel its heat on her skin. Either they were close to a lava pool of some sort of this was a hot volcano.

Zane had his hand on the stone. A closer look allowed for Carmin to see small carvings near the entrance:

ἶf ყõυ მΓპ Γპმძἶῆც ནhἶჰ, ནhპῆ ყõυ მΓპ მfནპΓ ནhპ ἶནპოჰ. ἶ wἶll ცἶὗპ ყõυ õῆlყ õῆპ wმΓῆἶῆც, ནhპ hυῆན ἶჰ ῆõན fõΓ ནhპ fმἶῆན hპმΓནპძ. ἶf ყõυ პῆནპΓ, ყõυ ომῆყ ῆპὗპΓ ΓპནυΓῆ.

“If you are reading this, then you are after the items. I will give you only one warning, the hunt is not for the faint hearted. If you enter, you many never return.” Zane sighed. “Does she always have to be so dramatic.”

“Yes, she does,” Dan said.

Carmin reached out to touch the message. Most people would feel the heat of the volcano and read the message before deciding it wasn’t worth the risk. That meant they had a chance to get this item, whatever it was.

She had read about the last battle for the Forgotten War, the one where the items they were after had last been used. One needed all ten to open a portal into Negative Space, the place where the Dark King waited to be freed. The stories were enough to know that if they didn’t get the items, there may not be a multiverse worth saving.

“What do we do know?” she asked. “Do we go in?”

The two men seemed to not even consider negative possibilities before stepping into the tunnel.

The black stone around them was nothing impressive. Carmin had seen too much volcanic stone in her lifetime.

The tunnel itself was smooth, too smooth to have been carved by lava. It must have been done by the people of this world. Although, Carmin didn’t dismiss the possibly that this used to be a lava tube which was later smoothed out by –

A hand shot in front of her. Carmin gave her husband a questioning glance. There was a strange sound. It sounded a lot like metal being strained. Carmin jumped back, wings spread in surprise at the iron spikes which shot from the ground.

“We might want to watch our step,” Dan said. All she could do was nod.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

More iron spikes appeared throughout the tunnel. At times they came from beneath, other times they came from above. The rest came from the sides. The three were able to react fast enough to avoid being impaled several times over. Still, Carmin couldn’t help but wonder why their path was relatively easy. She thought there would be more protection. Had she been wrong?

No. She hadn’t been wrong. That much became clear when they reached the end of the tunnel.

The three were standing in the main chamber of the volcano. The crater. Even the two Dragonoids were taken back by the head coming from the bubbling pool of lava. Looking around, Carmin realised there was no other way out of this chamber. Their only exit was the tunnel. Had they missed an entrance to another chamber or was this all there was?

Her crimson eyes drifted toward Zane. He approached the lava, his form near invisible through the dark shield protecting him from the head. She grasped Dan’s hand as the pair moved closer. At the very edge of the burning pool there was yet another carved message:

ყõυ hმὗპ ომძპ ἶན ནhἶჰ fმΓ. υῆlპჰჰ ყõυ fἶῆძ ནhპ პῆནΓმῆეპ ནõ ནhპ ეhმოჩპΓ ყõυ ჰპმΓეh fõΓ, ནhἶჰ wἶll ჩპ მჰ fმΓ მჰ ყõυ ცõ. ჩპwმΓპ. ནἶოპ ἶჰ ῆõན õῆ ყõυΓ ჰἶძპ.

“You have made it this far. Unless you find the entrance to the chamber you search for, this will be as far as you go. Beware. Time is not on your side.” Zane rolled his eyes. “I swear to the Gods that woman needs to lay back on the drama.”

“A secret chamber,” Dan murmured thoughtfully. “There must be a secret entrance in here somewhere.” He turned back to the walls, beginning to push and prod them.

Carmin shook her head with a smile at her husband’s determination. “Don’t hurt yourself there, babe.”

“I’m being careful,” he called back moments before stumbling. Regaining his balance, he gave Carmin a nervous smile before continuing on his path.

Unable to help herself, Carmin returned to the pool of lava. She traced a finger over the carved message as Zane went to help Dan on his search for a secret entrance. She agreed there was one, but doubted it was in the wall. That was far too obvious, especially for Amneris. Were it on the wall, she had the feeling the message would also be on a wall to throw someone off. It made sense, in a way. The whole running out of time thing would have made people panic and brush past something obvious.

Her eyes focused on the centre of the pool. There seemed to be no lava . . .

“Guys.” Carmin stepped to the edge of the pool. “Guys!” she called over her shoulder. Dan and Zane appeared at her side. Carmin pointed to the centre of the pool. “Is it just me, or does that look like stone?”

“I’ll check it out.” Dan spread his wings, flying over the lava. He stopped, hovering over the stone. Carmin and Zane exchanged confused looks when he didn’t land. “Come here,” he called, waving them over.

“Funny joke,” Zane laughed. “I can’t – oi!”

Carmin had grabbed him by the waist and flew him to where her husband was waiting.

What she thought was a stone platform was actually a tunnel, leaning further into the volcano. She whistled. “Was not expecting that.”

“Dragon lady, please put me down.”

She glanced at Zane who was beginning to pale and set him on the stone ring around the tunnel. The man stumbled, quickly regaining his balance so he wouldn’t plummet face-first into the lava.

Carmin landed beside him, kneeling and placing her hand on the stone. Nothing appeared in her mind. She shook her head as Dan stood on her other side. “If there’s nothing, it should be safe, right?”

He shrugged.

“You’re so helpful.”

Zane looked down the tunnel and blanched. “Heights,” he explained. “I have this thing with heights.” He looked down again. “That’s a long way down.”

“You may have to face that fear again, mate,” Dan said cheerfully, slapping his friend’s back. “We’re going down the rabbit hole.”