When day broke, his nerves returned. The fight against the patriarch had been tough, and none of them knew what to expect from the matriarch. Annatta’s limited pool of knowledge about the dorēsah had run dry, and she simply didn’t know whether the patriarch or matriarch of the mighty beasts would prove the greater threat. So the three proceeded cautiously once they reached the cave where the dorēsah roosted.

Since Jasper was unable to match Ihra's free-climbing scramble down the cliff, they anchored ropes to the scraggly trees at the top of the bluff, slowly lowering themselves down the face of the cliff. The descent was easy enough, although when they reached the area where the cave’s mouth yawned, the three were forced to swing out over the canyon to get enough momentum to reach the landing.

Jasper's dislike of heights roared back with new urgency as he found himself suspended perpendicularly in the air, staring face down into a chasm of several hundred feet with nothing but a flimsy rope to hold him up. The rope swung down, and he barely let go in time, landing with a grunt in the dust a bit too close to the edge for his comfort. Damn, about six more inches and I'd have just kept going. Somehow, he managed to keep a firm grip on his rope, dragging it over to a fallen boulder that he fastened it to. The sound of the gurgling river below echoed off the cave’s roof, but the soothing rhythm was regularly interrupted by low, squeaky chirps emanating from somewhere deeper within the cave. Well, at least we're in the right place.

By the time he was done, Annatta and Ihra had already ventured deeper into the mouth of the cavern. He fell into place silently behind them, and they began their descent into the interior.

The cave’s shaft plunged down at an incline so steep that it was a constant struggle to keep his balance. His feet slid treacherously in the thick layer of grit and dust that covered the floor and a stench filled the air. Jasper was familiar enough with the "fresh country air" of farm animals, but this was far worse, an odiferous mix of dung, rotten flesh, and unwashed bird that grew ever more unbearable as the fresh breezes that swept through the canyon were left behind.

The passage was truly enormous. Perhaps Jasper shouldn't have been surprised; after all, the dorēsah patriarch was a monster of a bird that couldn't possibly have fit through any small passage. But the size was larger than even the patriarch would have needed, large enough that Jasper suspected a skilled pilot could have flown a plane through it - well, at least until they inevitably crashed into the bottom. For the most part, the cave looked natural, but something about the dimensions seemed off. The walls were a bit too regular, the ceiling a bit too consistent, and sometimes, peeking through the dust of the incredibly steep slope, well-worn ledges emerged that might once have been stairs.

But the going got worse as they delved deeper into the cave. About halfway down the slope, a steady stream of water joined the path, replacing the slippery layers of dust with terrifyingly slick stone. Their progress was slowed to nearly a halt as they were forced to inch their way down wading through the icy waters as the distant sound of squawks slowly crescendoed.

When they finally reached the base of the slope, a short, flat passage led forward, opening up quickly into a vast chamber. The ceiling vaulted high above them like a cathedral, its surface dimly lit by large clumps of glowing moss. And there, a few hundred feet before them, deeply cloaked in shadows, was a truly gargantuan form. Its sides rose and fell with a reassuring regularity, but that was the only thing reassuring about it.

Ihra gasped quietly under her breath when she saw the beast. “Well, I guess that answers that question.”

“Yeah,” he whispered back. “The matriarch is easily twice as large as the patriarch, maybe more. She’s a goddamned dinosaur.”

“Dinosaur?” Ihra raised an eyebrow, dismissing her question just as quickly. “Never mind, you can tell me later.”

The three skirted quickly around the slumbering form, quickly counting the handful of birds that were curled up on the ground around the matriarch.

“So there's ten adult dorēsah, plus the matriarch. But where are the infants?” Ihra questioned. The heavy breathing of the slumbering birds was broken up by the repeated squawks echoing off its walls, squawks not made by the beasts before them.

Annatta pointed to a tall crevasse running up the face of the chamber wall behind the matriarch. “I think there might be another room beyond there.” But Annatta’s face looked troubled as she examined the mother bird. “But I am not sure we can take her. Lord S̆arrābī wants you to reach a hundred, but not at the cost of your life.”

Jasper allowed himself a small smile. “Well, you would be rid of me, then,” he whispered back.

She snorted. “We already discussed this. If I returned with you dead, I would very quickly be following you into the afterlife, or else I’d be forced to flee to the protection of one of the mountain tribes and, well,” she shuddered, “Let’s just say I don’t wish to live amongst those barbarians. I’d rather take my chances at resurrection after an execution. So, as much as it pains me to suggest this, I think we should turn back.”

He glanced back at the slumbering giant before him. No part of him desired to fight the monstrous bird, but the thought of just giving up irked him. He didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on much with his newfound uncle, but he definitely agreed with S̆arrābī on at least one matter - he needed to hit level 100 as soon as possible. But could they defeat the matriarch?

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His mind flitted back to the battle in Kār-Kuppû, and a wolfish smile graced his lips as he turned back to Annatta. “Actually, I think I have just the plan for this.”

The next half hour of preparation was among the tensest moments of his life. The three worked in silence, their movements measured but swift, but the everpresent threat that the birds might wake up before they were ready weighed heavy on all their minds. Still, once he had outlined his plan, even Annatta had agreed it was possible.

The first part of their plan relied primarily on Ihra. Runic magic wasn’t as fast or as flashy as the spells he could cast, but given enough time to prepare a runic mage could potentially outstrip even a caster in damage. Thus far, the two had rarely had the opportunity of such leisurely preparations, but that was not the case here. As Jasper pointed out, as long as the birds stayed in their slumber, there was no reason not to take advantage of her runes. Taking a page out of Aphora’s playbook, the three worked to set up the same ritual that Aphora had used in Als̆arratu to destroy the warren of sleeping wraiths and wights in the upper city.

Jasper hoped the explosion would be enough to take out the lesser beasts, but he was under no illusion that it would kill the truly impressive monster curled up before him. That was where his part of the plan came into place. Well more than a month had passed since he last cast the most powerful spell Kas̆dael had given him. It was time to summon the Ophan again. Just hope I don’t need it for something more pressing. But if his long experience with games had taught him anything, it was that every time he’d reach the end with a vast collection of powerful potions and enchantments that he’d kept on hand for just the right moment - a moment that never came. Might as well use it.

With the three of them working together, it did not take too long to set up the rune, Ihra at least feeling satisfied that she had, at least as far as she could tell, successfully replicated Aphora's ritual. Since she lacked the shield relic Aphora had used to protect herself from the explosion, the best they could do was position her as far away from the sleeping matriarch as possible and pray it was far enough. Fortunately, the scaled armor provided by the royal house was, perhaps predictably, fireproof, so they hoped it would be sufficient to protect her from the brunt of the damage. It wasn’t enough to entirely still Jasper’s concern, but Ihra remained upbeat. “If worst comes to worst, my healing transformation should kick in. I don't exactly love turning into a deer, but it’s already saved my life twice, so I guess I can't complain,” she insisted.

Unlike Ihra, Jasper and Annatta didn’t need to fear the fire. The explosive concussion of the blast was still a small concern, but as he had survived it at a much lower level, he wasn't particularly concerned. Instead, before the rune was activated, the two crept silently across the vast chamber, to take up their positions near the slumbering beasts, ready to strike the moment the ritual ended.

With her stealth-oriented class, it was a breeze for Annatta even carrying a few bags of flour, She quickly scaled the giant dorēsah’s frame, without evoking even as much as a murmur from the matriarch, only to be forced to wait impatiently as Jasper snuck close to the beast. It was much slower going for him, as his class offered no bonuses to stealth. He did though have one useful spell, though: Eternal Night. It pained him to waste the essence before the battle on casting the non-combat spell, but it was a necessary sacrifice. His brief attempt to cross the distance without it had resulted in such a stirring of the sleeping birds that he feared he had roused them. Finally reaching the foot of the beast, he cast Eternal Night again and followed it up with The Bramble Crown, feeling the strange sensation of the thin bark armor sliding over his skin.

And then, with her two partners finally in place, Ihra began the ritual. Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on the edges of the runic circle and reached out with her mind for the unnatural energy. It flowed through her, little more than a trickle compared to the flood that greater spells required, but it was enough for this.

Slowly the fetid air in the room began to circulate, as the wind swirled faster and faster around the giant cavern.

The dorēsah did not sleep through it. As the wind began to circulate, the great birds were roused; hopping up on their hindquarters, their heads swiveled back and forth, looking for any sign of a threat. But they settled down quickly; the birds could not see through Annatta's stealth or Jasper's spell and the wind, unnatural though it may have been, did not register to the animals as a threat.

Still, Jasper held his breath as he and Annatta begin to pour one bag of flour after another into the underground whirlwind. But even when so much white powder clung to their oily feathers that the birds could have been mistaken for giant murderous seagulls, the birds still did not react, unable to spot any obvious danger. And when the air was sufficiently infused with the flour, Ihra drew her misericorde across the runes and turning, begin, to scamper as quickly as she could up the steep, waterlogged shaft that led into the cavern.

That was a mistake. Hidden in the darkness on the far side of the cavern, she had escaped the birds' notice, but her sudden movement attracted the matriarch’s attention. Immediately, the great bird lurched forward, moving with a speed entirely unexpected for such a massive beast. The sudden jolt nearly threw Annatta from her perch on the bird's neck, but she managed to hold on, clinging to the bird's feathers for dear life.

Jasper, on the other hand, was not so lucky. Completely hidden by his spell, he had been crouched by the matriarch's feet, and, in truth, she hadn't even noticed him. But that didn’t stop him from being flung through the air like a volleyball when she suddenly surged after Ihra, as her feet plowed directly through the area of his spell.

Eternal Night failed as he soared up into the chamber, and time seemed to freeze. Jasper frantically reached for his essence, pouring it through the pale tattoos on his hand as he sought to fire off the spells that would ignite the flour. But his unintentional flight had attracted too much attention.

He never even saw the matriarch’s head move. One minute he was flying through the air headed for a painful impact; the next, he was wiggling in her beak like a worm in a robin’s mouth. Her mighty jaws crunched down on him, and the bark armor promptly splintered beneath the overwhelming pressure. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Annatta furiously hacking at the thick plumage covering the bird’s neck, but he knew there was no way she could break through before the bird snapped him in half. Please let this work. With a final surge of will, he abandoned the broken spell he had tried to cast, and simply forced as much essence as he could gather in a plume of fire that jetted haphazardly out into the cavern. It barely damaged the matriarch, but that was not his goal.

With a boom like thunder, the flour-suffused air ignited.