The tunnel abruptly came to an end exposing an immense void, of incredible depth. An arched stone bridge spanned the divide, clinging precariously to two massive piers sunk into either cliff face. Far below, a molten sea of lava churned and crashed, throwing up waves of flames that licked at the underside of the bridge. From the lava's fiery surface, jets of gas erupted and burst, piping embers and sparks up towards a ceiling. The heat was searing, hot enough to melt flesh from bone should any of us loose our footing.

The cavern itself was a vision of grandeur entombed beneath the mountain, a monument to a lost kingdom now in ruin. I looked upon the massive carved stones with awe, intricate patterns carved in relief swirled across the stone surface. Colossal statues stood as sentinels , gazing down upon us with eyes that seemed to follow our every step. The way across the bridge was lined by these ancient guardians, they clutched swords with curved blades in hands of stone ready to be raised against any intruders who dared venture here.

We pushed onward, The glow of lava from below reflected off the statues sculpted cheeks, casting shadows that gave life to faces locked in fury. The bridge itself was a wonder, arcing over a span of empty air and fire. I had not dreamed such architecture was possible, the scale was too immense, too perilous to comprehend. A road so monumental could not be crafted in the world above, the skill simply did not exist. Even China with all it's grandiose modern designs could not create a bridge of this scale. Nor would anyone above, dare risk journeying across its span with such disrepair where one misstep meant instant death. As we carefully made our way across the stone road I noticed the span was fractured and worn beyond mending. I could not explain what caused such extensive damage.

An unearthly shriek traveled from the depths below, shaking embers and ash from the cavern walls. I watched Clifford grasp his sword with anticipation of a fight. Tyler's blades gleamed red in the fire light, though I knew no mortal weapons could stand up against what might spew forth from the molten depths.

As we ventured deeper into the cavern, the unusual engravings covered every surface, glowing brightly and then fading again. Sam studied the images carefully, his brow furrowed in concentration. "These speak of a ritual performed long ago," he murmured, "to seal away a great evil and protect the kingdoms above."

One carving showed a warped figure locked within magical chains, and strange entities fleeing from the light it emitted. It seemed to depicted a broken seal, and below it was an image of fire raining from the sky as mountains crumbled. I wondered if these carvings represented something that happened long ago.

An odd silence filled the cavern, it was as if the molten rivers below stopped churning and the shriek of strange beasts disappeared. Those sounds where replaced by the deep resonating voice of the game.

Welcome Adventurers, you have reached the Caverns of Sorrow.

On the walls of this cavern are three riddles, hidden from view. You must find and solve each riddle correctly. You will have two opportunities to answer correctly. If you fail the rivers and lakes below are your fate. If you succeed you will be rewarded with a key that opens the doors to the next leg of your journey.

Find the Riddles, Think wisely before you answer each one. If you answer correctly you will receive your reward.

If you are unsuccessful, your demise will be quick and painful!

Good Luck!

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The cavern was dimly lit by the orange glow of molten rock flowing through massive rivers of lava below. High above, the jagged walls of the cavern rose into darkness, carved over time by the heated vapors rising from the lava. I scanned the cavern walls, something caught my eye - a strange symbol etched into an outcropping of rock on the far western wall. The symbol seemed deliberate, not natural, as if etched by an intelligent hand. When we arrived at its location, We realized it was the first of three riddles hinting at a hidden secret within this volcanic cavern. The first riddle was carved at eye level on an isolated spike of obsidian jutting from the wall.

It read: "The root of stone that knows no death, Yet gives life to all and binds heaven to earth."

Sam puzzled over it, stroking his chin like he always did when thinking hard. "A mountain," he said after a while. "Goes up forever but brings water down, connecting the sky and the ground."

We all nodded, used to Sam figuring these things out. Brains over brawn, and all that. I clapped him on the shoulder. "Nice work, as usual. We'd have given up ages ago without you."

He just nodded, humble as always. A rust covered key appeared out of nowhere and when he picked it up, the boulders blocking the path to the next riddle crumbled away, leaving a narrow ledge. "

We would need to scale the outcropping, climbing carefully over the rocks to reach a small illuminated ledge about 30 feet up. There, in a shaft of light coming through a small crack in the cavern ceiling, were a series of symbols scrawled into the dust, spelling out the second mystifying riddle.

"The eye of twilight, Open and close, Brief as lightning, Black of night; the herald of calm repose."

We puzzled over that one for a while. Tyler traced the words with his dagger, thinking out loud. "An eye opens and closes fast as lightning, a winking light maybe."

"And the light lasts for just a second like lightning, before turning to the black of night" Clifford pointed out,

"Night heralds a calm" I added

"The "eye" in the riddle refers to the single point of light from the first visible star at twilight. Signaling dusk or the beginning of night!" Tyler snapped his fingers.

"Its the first star at twilight that sparkles before nightfall " Sam said.

"Ans darkness falls after the twilight star, leading to stillness." Nicely figured I said., as always. I high-fived Tyler, who actually smiled for once. "Two down!" A silver key appeared, etched with sun and moon and radiating light. It unlocked another passage.

Onward and downward!" Tyler shouted, already scouting ahead. Impatient as ever. Clifford just grunted, reminding us to be careful.

The final riddle was the most treacherous to access, carved into a narrow stone footbridge arching over a lava river 60 feet below us. We would need to edge out onto the precarious span, buffeted by the rising heat, to read the riddle etched into the rock. Accessing it would be no easy task. We secured our ropes and climbed down the crumbling cavern wall, seeking out any handhold we could grasp onto in the craggy surface. More than once, my foot slipped on loose stones, nearly sending me tumbling into the molten lava. My arms strained with the effort as we gradually descended into the sweltering abyss. After what seemed an unending descent we finally dropped down onto the footbridge - if the rocky span could even be called that. It was scarcely wider than one mans width, winding precariously across the lava river with no guardrails to clutch for balance. The ancient stone was cracked and damaged in places, narrow gaps revealing the fiery rivers mere feet below the footbridge. Step by unsteady step we inched out above the hot river, focusing intently on crossing the spindly bridge. A careless misstep now would mean certain death. We found the riddle was etched in a footfall just ahead. The final riddle read: "Thief of the sun, escape without end. The faster we run, the more time it will spend."

I waved my hand, impatient. "A shadow? Day and night?" Tyler shook his head at my guessing. Even Sam was stumped. This one twisted logic into knots. Only Tyler stayed calm. "Time," he said, grinning. "The more we rush through life, the faster it slips away. An 'escape' we chase each day, yet still 'spends' til the end."

Crafty as ever, Tyler won these fights with wordplay, not weapons. An ornate golden key materialized before us, set with a single diamond that refracted in our torchlight in miniature rainbows. Sam's Cleric instincts sense a powerful magic locked within. He reached out and touched the key, a ripple across the cavern disturbs the air and flows outward, slowing the churning lava to a sleepy ooze and stilling rattling stones that threaten to rain down from overhead. For a moment time stands still, the way is cleared to a new doorway ahead of us. Sam places all three keys in his pack. We move along the footpath and I hear Clifford's warning once more "Tread carefully, The fall would not be so long and but it would be perilous."