They left the dead, broken husk behind. Pandora hurriedly explained what was happening back at the library. The most important detail was that Roland needed help. They passed the still unconscious Commander as they ran. Ban’Koliath and Mal stopped to check on the man but Pandora urged them along.

“Don’t worry, he’ll live,” Pandora said between breaths as she ran. “I’m sure they won’t expect Dakon to need backup and he should wake up any minute now.”

The trio came out into the Gallery of Opulence which was rapidly filling with smoke. Across the room, the wall that led into the library had several new holes and a deafening blast sounded from inside. Ban’Koliath ran to the door trying to wave the smoke away.

“Ro-” cough, “Roland!” Ban’Koliath yelled into the inferno.

Orange flames licked wickedly over the stacks of books consuming all with its endless hunger. One of the shelves gave way and sent up a fresh blaze. Ban’Koliath put his arms up to shield himself. The hair along his arms singed off and exposed the ebony skin beneath. His eyes madly combed the inferno finally spotting a fallen figure inside trapped by a ring of burning shelves.

Mal stayed by Pandora’s side while Ban’Koliath ran into the blaze smashing and knocking away burning books and shelves. He was relieved to see it was Roland who in turn reached out for the minotaur. Ban’Koliath clasped a firm hand on Roland’s outstretched arm and dragged the mage to his feet. The pair stumbled back through the wall of smoke and out into the Gallery.

“Wh-” -cough- “were-” -cough- “thinking?!” Ban’Koliath demanded harshly.

Roland put his hands on his knees and tried not to hack up a lung all the while keeping one eye on the raging inferno. When Kaelic didn’t come stumbling out he reached into his azure robe to retrieve his flask. He took a tentative sip at first, then considered all that had happened, and took a much deeper swig. He put the flask away and patted his robes and felt the Star Chart still nestled inside.

“I found the Star Chart is what I was thinking! Did you find Ian?” Roland asked in a raspy whisper.

Ban’Koliath shook his head and pointed at Pandora. “She said you needed help, so we came here,” he gestured to Mal, “he’ll be able to find Ian.”

“Glad to see you are alright,” Pandora said looking towards Roland. Then she hastily added, “Both of you, I mean.”

Mal huffed in a ‘sure you did’ manner then put his nose to the ground. The smoke didn’t impede him as he tracked Ian’s scent. He led them back to the training floor and then to the armory at the back.

“Seems we both had our issues,” Roland said as he spied the broken figure of Dakon.

Mal’s nose guided them to the door leading into Ivy’s lab.

“Stand back,” Roland said, pushing his arms out to either side. The others did as they were told when the air began to shift and stir. Roland was fighting with the door. Or so it appeared. His hands clenched into inverted talons as he pulled back trying to draw the seal from the door like poison from a wound. Through gritted teeth he instructed, “When I say to, hit the door.”

Ban’Koliath stood at the ready Void clutched tightly in his hands. The red seal began to bubble outwards becoming a tangible mass of runes and energy.

“Now!” Roland suddenly commanded.

Ban’Koliath swung Void slamming into the seal and causing an eruption of arcane light to blossom between the hammer and seal. A wind kicked up in the hallway as the two forces clashed. The minotaur ground his teeth and leaned into the blow to add more pressure. And Void attempted to do what it was designed for absorb the spell. The minotaur gritted his teeth as the haft of his hammer heated up burning his palms.

“Don’t, you are going to get us all killed!” Roland gripped his friend’s shoulder and shouted over the gale.

“Ahrgh!” Ban’Koliath roared and jerked hard against Void peeling the weapon free. He dropped the superheated handle of the weapon and blew on his hands. His fur was shining with sweat and he was panting from the strain. “Fine. Suggestions?” He asked, still shaking his hands to cool them.

Roland walked up to the door and ran his hand down the flat surface revealing a complex series of arcane symbols while Pandora tended to Ban’Koliath’s hands. Sigils, magic circles, and runes from every discipline he’d heard of, and some that he hadn’t, were crafted into the door. It was impossible to make heads or tails of what he was looking at. His eyes went wide at a sudden realization, the cave!

“Whoever wrote this also wrote the anchor spell that brought Ian here! I can get through it but it will take some time,” Roland said and he set to work without waiting for a response. Already exhausted from the firewall he pitted his magical muscle against the lock.

Most magical locks were surprisingly similar to their physical counterparts a series of tumblers, some springs, and maybe the odd trap. All of which were represented in the arcane language of runes and sigils. To bypass all that, one only needed the right tools. A spell to mimic the key or to manipulate the runes in the fashion of a combination lock.

This lock was none of those things. It was the most complicated seal that Roland had ever come across and had it not been for his unique background, he would’ve had zero chance at success. He spun one of the rune sigils until it mentally clicked and then he moved on to the next. All the while he kept applying magical pressure to the door to keep each tumbler and combination disc from falling back into place.

Roland was working furiously and he felt himself becoming drained to a dangerous point. Each time he surmounted an obstacle he expected the door to open only finding another lock. He felt the fringes of his vision go black as he flexed his magical muscle. He sent a powerful pulse into the door attempting once more to magically pry the damned thing apart. As he did, his eyes went wide and he saw the genius of the trap.

“Stupid,” Roland said between clenched teeth. The true lock was hidden within an illusion in the very first sigil. Everything else was there only to distract and drain. He let the pressure off achingly slowly. Precious minutes ticked by as he backtracked. Then, with a simple twist on the true lock, the door swung open.

“Welcome,” Roland said, and then promptly fell against the far wall. He slid down as a wave of vertigo crashed into him. Pandora swiftly moved to aid him but he held up a hand, “I’m alright, go. Help Ian,” Roland said, and smiled weakly his face was pale and drawn, “I need to rest a moment; then I’ll join you.”

She begrudgingly nodded and then looked to Mal. “Protect him for me?”

The lupine parked himself next to Roland gently licking his face.

Pandora stuck close to Ban’Koliath as they entered what Ian had thought of as Frankenstein's Lab.