Zeroth awoke in the mage guild's sleeping chambers a bit later than everyone else it seemed. As he looked around and stretched, Zeroth noticed that Varic and Ardric must have already woken up before him and went out to get some food. When Zeroth looked to the side of his bed and locked onto his battle axe he instantly gained a massive amount of energy.

"Oh shit, the axe, I need to go ask Thalamar about this, he may know something," Zeroth said to himself, grabbing the axe and sliding it into the holster on his back. Zeroth rushed out of his room to where he assumed Thalamar's main room was and knocked on his door excitedly, luckily choosing the correct room. Thalamar, hardly awake, answered the door to see an ecstatic dwarf who hadn't even brushed his beard out yet.

"Pardon the early intrusion, Thalamar, but I nearly forgotten to inquire about this interesting axe," Zeroth declared, presenting the axe as if it were his child.

Thalamar, a mix of curiosity and mild annoyance at being disturbed from his morning routine, raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's head down to the workshop. We wouldn't want any unexpected surprises with that axe of yours." As they traversed the guild, Zeroth spotted Ardric and Varic engrossed in a hearty meal with Tingle. Zeroth waved at his friends, gesturing toward his axe and Thalamar. With synchronized nods, Ardric, Varic, and an excited Tingle joined the procession toward the workshop.

"Good morning, friends. Enjoying your meal?" Thalamar greeted them as the group shuffled after Zeroth.

"Absolutely," Ardric responded through a mouthful of sausage.

"Tingle is very happy to be with new friends," Tingle added.

As they reached the workshop, Thalamar directed Zeroth to a marked area."This is where we'll see what that axe can do beyond simply cutting things. Show me something special." With a mischievous glint in his eye, Thalamar conjured an ethereal blue pavise shield that illuminated the room with a cool blue light.

Zeroth was momentarily distracted by its elegance. "That is probably the best-looking shield I've ever seen. I hope it's as strong as it is cool." Zeroth held the axe aloft, as if preparing for a strike but slowly lowered it out in front of himself.

"Well, it's supposed to catch on fire..." he mumbled uncertainly. Thalamar raised a hand, arcs of blue lightning dancing across his fingertips.

"I have an idea, though you may not enjoy this," he announced before sending a bolt of magical lightning into Zeroth, who yelped in surprise and pain.

The second Zeroth yelped in pain his battle axe flared to life. Thalamar's eyes widened in shock at how untamed the flames seemed, how they seemed to want to engulf him even though they appeared to be normal fire, even though they came out of the axe itself. In another split second Zeroth shook off any pain he felt and brought his axe down into Thalamar's magic shield, the flames engulfing all of the shield, the axe splitting through with minimal resistance. As Zeroth pulled his axe back, Thalamar noted the flames seemed to eat away at the magic shield until nothing was left. Ardric, with his mouth still half-full of sausage, stared wide-eyed at the display of the Flaming Berserker's power.

Swallowing hastily, he mumbled, "By the gods, that's one hell of a weapon. Never seen flames eat through magic like that. Reminds me of the time we fought that fire elemental many years ago, but this... this is something else."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Okay, I yield, no more swinging," Thalamar said holding his hands up in surrender. The workshop was filled with a charged silence as the flames on the axe subsided.

Thalamar, recovering from the shock, spoke with a hint of amazement, "That axe is something beautiful and terrifying. The flames seem to actively respond to danger, as if they want to protect you."

Tingle, ever the eccentric inventor, was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement. "Oooh, fiery! Tingle likes, Tingle likes! Can it do that with anything magical? Can it burn through anything? Tell Tingle more!" He started jotting down notes on a small scrap of parchment, eager to dissect the intricacies of the Flaming Berserker's capabilities. Zeroth, catching his breath, couldn't help but grin. The Flaming Berserker had revealed a facet of itself that went beyond its fiery exterior.

Varic, still adjusting to the energetic atmosphere of the guild, crossed his arms, a mix of skepticism and admiration in his expression. "Well, that was quite the display. Useful, if a bit flashy. Fire tends to draw attention, you know. But I suppose it's handy if we ever find ourselves facing anything made of magic or darkness."

As the last embers of the enchanted shield vanished, Zeroth couldn't help but marvel at the potential of his weapon. However, amidst the admiration, a flicker of realization ignited in his mind. He recalled Tingle's story of the Whispering Abyss Sanctum — a place where the worst kobolds gathered for nefarious purposes. The realization hit Zeroth like a fiery revelation.

He turned to Tingle, whose eyes were still gleaming with fascination over the recent spectacle. "Tingle, you mentioned something about a Whispering Abyss Sanctum last night, didn't you?"

Tingle, still caught up in the remnants of the fiery show, snapped to attention. "Oh, yes, yes! Tingle was there, a very bad place. Very scary, very dangerous!" Zeroth's mind spun with the possibilities. If the Whispering Abyss Sanctum was indeed as ominous as it sounded, there might be a connection to the sorcerers responsible for the dark rituals and the kidnapped gnomes. He turned to Thalamar, who was observing the exchange with a keen interest.

"Thalamar," Zeroth began, "we might have stumbled upon something more sinister than we thought. Tingle here mentioned escaping from the Whispering Abyss Sanctum. It's a gathering place for kobolds, and if I'm not mistaken, they're the same kind we encountered last night after the fight with that undead boar." As he spoke, a memory stirred in the depths of Thalamar's mind. He furrowed his brow, deep in thought, and then a spark of recognition brightened his eyes. "Yes, I remember now. A fellow mage, an old friend of mine, has some ties with kobolds. She resides in the neighboring town, only two days travel east of here." He turned to Zeroth. "Her name is Elara. If anyone knows about the goings-on at the Whispering Abyss Sanctum, it's her. We should head to town and seek her counsel. Be warned, though, she's a tough one." With a shared sense of purpose, the party began making preparations to visit the neighboring town, where answers and potential dangers awaited in equal measure. The town on the horizon held the promise of revelations and challenges as the group ventured into the unknown.