“Keari… …ke up, wa… .p WAKE UP, KEARI!” it took a while, but I slowly regained consciousness. Mom was standing over me with a food tray. “Come on, Keari, you can’t sleep now, everyone’s waiting for you.” Who’s waiting for me? Ah crap, the expedition. I must’ve fallen asleep while organizing my gear.

I got off the bed and grabbed the offered food. “I’m all prepared, mom, just gotta finish eating.” Mom nodded, then gave me a hug. “Take care, dear, and remember to enjoy yourself on the trip. While finding new ore veins is important, it’s also an opportunity for you to just relax and enjoy some fresh air for once.” Mom’s tails wagged slightly, showing a hopeful optimism that I might enjoy the trip.

How was I supposed to be annoyed at mom when she looked so hopeful? I grabbed my bags and headed towards the door. “Don’t worry, mom, I’ll try to have a good time, promise.” I gave a smile and headed out into the hallway, though the smile didn’t last until the end of the corridor. I didn’t like the idea of going to that volcano. The thought gave me chills, yet I couldn’t explain why.

As I entered the foyer, Amber’s voice carried over the din of the crowd. “Hey, Ashes over here, come on sleepyhead.” I ignored her taunts while I walked over to her. She was at the forefront of the crowd, next to Captain Slate, who would be leading the expedition. He gave me a stern look and grumbled through his beard, but said nothing.

Great, the expedition hadn’t even started, and I had already gotten on the wrong side of the one in charge. This would be a trial and a half. “Well then, now that everyone’s here, I can finally begin the briefing, so ye better pay attention. I will only say this once!” He glared across the crowd, daring anyone to show a hint of inattentiveness.

When he found everyone was alert and looking right at him, he continued. “Alright ye lot, were heading for the volcano looking for veins of darksteel and adamantite. The latest shifts in the underground melted half the mines and cut off our greatest veins, so we gotta find new ones elsewhere. Unless ye fancy diving into molten rock to mine for ore.”

There was an awkward silence, as no one knew if the Captain had just cracked a joke or not. “Well, what are ye lot standing around for? GET MOVIN!” We began marching out the main door and down the steep, rocky path that would lead to Therinos’ slopes. Just looking at the distant mountain was making me uncomfortable.

Amber looked at me as we walked. “Relax, Ashes, can’t be that bad, right?” I looked down at her. “Best-case scenario nothing happens, worst case we disturb Sarirrva while prospecting, or one of us falls into a crag, and there are plenty that can go wrong in between.” Amber shuddered. “Please don’t mention the dragon, just thinking about it makes me nervous.”

I gave Amber a pat on the back. “Come on, you really think mom and dad would send a prospecting team to Therinos without permission from the dragon? I mean, they did a lot of dealing back in the day and we still send a yearly tribute as thanks for all the help.” Amber didn’t seem completely convinced, but then I couldn’t blame her.

“Seriously Amber, I know dragons can be unpredictable, but Sarirrva has a pretty good relationship with the clan. Besides, I doubt mom and dad would send us to the mountain to prospect for ore without permission. Right, Captain?” Captain Slate turned to look at me for a second. “If yer parents sent us there without sending words to the Wyrm first, were all dead. I can’t really imagine either of them being that stupid. Especially not with you coming along, Princess.” I turned back to Amber. “See? We’re fine.”

Amber nodded, and curiosity slowly replaced her fearful expression. “So, why are we prospecting on the volcano, the mines aren’t empty yet, are they?” I looked at her with a confused expression. “Amber, remember the earthquake the other day? It flooded the mines with lava, so either we dig through kilometers of obsidian, or we find a new vein elsewhere.” Amber blinked. “Huh, I must’ve missed that bit of news.”

I shook my head with a mischievous grin. “I can guess why. You were eating Honeyshrooms when the news arrived, you mushroom addict.” Amber’s face gained a ruby coloration. “Hey, it’s not my fault those things are so tasty.” Amber went quiet and began brooding, so the rest of the trip across the valley occurred in silence.

The climb up the broken, boulder-riddled slopes of Therinos was as unpleasant as expected, and it didn’t take long before we were all covered in sweat. The air had a heavy smell of sulfur and it didn’t take long before the two clerics, Brimstone and Pock, had to cast antidote spells for sulfur poisoning. “Don’t worry, everyone, we got ye covered.” They grinned as they kept casting.

Finally, after almost two hours of climbing, we reached a part of the mountain that was more evened out. Slate looked around. “Get the ropes ready, one wrong move here and ye’ll be falling into a vent.” I pulled out the rope from my pack and tied it around Amber and me. Once I finished, I handed it to Slate, who grabbed it and tied it securely around himself.

Through the sulfurous vapor, I could see cracks where geysers burst forth at even intervals. Some spewed water, others molten stone. I didn’t fancy the idea of a misstep here. The trip across the geyser field was even slower, and the air was misty and warm. “Come on, everyone, keep up.” Slate was up front, keeping the column moving.

The hot vapor caused our clothes to get soaked and made us gag and cough. Soon Brimstone and Pock had to hand out charms with poison protection, since they would exhaust their magic by repeatedly casting antidote spells otherwise. “Mining here is going to be a damn nightmare.” Amber was speaking again, probably to distract herself from her misery.

I glanced at her. “This is nothing, it’s gonna get even worse after this since we need to reach the area with lava lakes and rivers to find adamantite and darksteel.” Amber groaned in response, but kept going. It took about another hour to pass through the geyser field, and the entire party was utterly miserable. “If we are going to be mining in this hellhole long term, we need to get a road going.” Slate mumbled to himself as he sidestepped a geyser that burst forth from a hidden crack right next to him.

I couldn’t help but to agree, though Amber seemed to have a different idea. “Perhaps a gondola would be better, it would make transporting the ore far easier too.” Slate scratched his long grey beard. “It’s certainly a possible, but we gotta find an area that’s worthwhile to mine first and secure it.” Slate looked further up the steep hill, his brows furrowing.

A few moments later he lifted his hand with his thumb, index, and pinky finger, pointing down towards the ground. A signal which meant “Everyone, heads up, a potential danger up ahead.” I nodded and sent the message down the column. There was no outward sign that something had changed. However, every single member of the team was now on high alert, our eyes scanning the hills for even the slightest movement.

With a single small whistle, Slate had us moving again, the ascent slow and steady as we made our way up the wide, rocky slope from the geyser field. “You see anything Ashes?” Amber’s whisper sounded loud in my ears, though I doubted anyone else could hear. “Not a single thing, but Slate isn’t the type to imagine things. If he saw movement, then something’s out there.” I looked down at Amber for an instant and noticed she was fumbling with something under her cloak.

As the ascent continued, I noticed more steam in the air. Though this seemed different, it wasn’t yellowish from sulfur, for one. “Hot springs?” Slate looked at the mist, his expression unreadable. “Maybe, it would be a good place to rest if that’s the case, but might also hold danger, so stay alert.” Sure enough, soon we could see the bubbling pools of water, and also what Slate had spotted earlier.

It was a small creature, about the same height as Amber, or slightly shorter. Through the misty vapor it seemed strange, out of focus, like it was a patch of solid darkness given form. As we approached, it noticed us and looked towards us. It had two blue spheres for eyes, and no discernible facial features aside from an unusually wide mouth, filled with pointy teeth. “Oh, hello there.”

Its voice was a strange hissing growl, far deeper than what its small frame would suggest. It waved, then looked back into the hot spring, as if searching for something.

Whatever it was, it was intelligent and didn’t seem afraid or hostile. Suddenly, it looked back up at us. “Think you could help me? I had an item to deliver, but I dropped it into the deep spring, and I can’t swim. I can point out a good mining location if you do!” Its long, drooping, rabbit-like ears perked up as it spoke.

Slate looked at the small thing with skepticism. “Delivery? Who would you deliver to out here?” He didn’t seem to like the little thing. The creature looked at him and its huge mouth broke into a smile, showing many large, razor-sharp teeth. “My orders are to deliver it to the child born from the dream of ice and fire.”

The child born from the dream of ice and fire? That sounded strange, and yet… Well, it didn’t matter. The thing clearly needed help and if it could get us to an ore vein faster, all the more reason to help. “I can help you, little guy.” I broke from the line and approached the small thing, which forced Amber and Slate to follow. The little thing scurried to the side and pointed into the hot spring. Much to Slate’s clear disapproval.

I looked into the spring itself. For me, it was rather shallow. However, I was four times as tall as the shadowy little thing, so I could see how it would struggle to retrieve the large, ornate lockbox from the bottom. “Just a moment, lil guy. This shouldn’t take long at all.” I got on my knees and reached down, a bit of fumbling later, and I had gotten a hold of the box itself and lifted it out.

It was heavy, much to my surprise. Whatever was inside must be quite valuable indeed. “There we are.” I grabbed the other handle and moved to hand the box over to the creature when the box, much to my surprise, unlocked with a loud click. Both the creature and I looked at the box.

“Um, was it supposed to do that?” The shadowy figure looked up at me. “Only if the content was yours.” Well, mom found me in an icy cradle floating on a molten lava lake, or so I was told. “Well, don’t mind if I do, then.” The creature nodded eagerly. “Please do, most esteemed and helpful lady.”

I put the box down and carefully opened the lid. Inside was a pair of gauntlets. They had razor sharp barbs on the fingers and made from some kind of silvery metal I hadn’t seen before. “They are beautiful.” Amber noted as she moved to get a closer look.

Slate followed closely behind. “Rubolg’s beard, they’re made of Starsilver. Those are worth a king’s ransom lass, whoever made those for ya are rich, or powerful beyond comprehension.” On top of the gauntlets was an intricate labyrinthine pattern surrounding a gemstone, a sapphire on the left, and a ruby on the right. “Hmm, there’s written something on em, never seen letters like that before, however.” He pointed to the left gauntlet, between the pattern and the knuckles of the gauntlet.

I looked closer. There was indeed something written. However, while I couldn’t recall ever seeing the inscribed letters before, I understood them perfectly. Inscribed on the right gauntlet was “Insult” and on the left “Injury.” As I puzzled over how I could read the strange letters, a small flash of light appeared from the box.

Inside was a small note, with a message written in the same strange letters. “Keari, I have a little something for you that should be of great use for you in the future. Think of it as an investment in your current growth and my high hopes for your development as a person.” There was no signature, but it left no doubt the gauntlets were mine.

Slate and Amber were studying the gauntlets, though they had made no move to touch them. Meanwhile, the little creature picked the box back up. “The ore vein I mentioned is this way, please follow me.” This made Slate focus on the task at hand, and shortly after we were following it up the mountain through a well-hidden trail we would have missed otherwise.

I had put on the gauntlets before we began climbing, and they were a perfect fit. I was right behind the little thing. “So, who are you anyway, and who hired you to deliver those gauntlets to me?” The shadowy figure didn’t look back, but I could see a shudder go through it.

“I am the embodiment of Greed. As for, who told me to deliver the gauntlets to you? They are someone dangerous enough that even I, who covet everything of value, would not dare to refuse the request or steal the box and its contents.” Greed turned back and looked at me. “Please don’t ask for more, I’d rather not lie.” Greed turned its attention forwards again and resumed climbing in silence. Who or what was powerful enough to scare an embodiment? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

As I pondered that, someone tapped my leg. “Hey Ashes, those new gauntlets of yours are even better than you think.” I turned back towards Amber. “How so?” Amber had a slightly maniacal grin. Was she ok? “They are emanating enough magic to make my head spin all over the place!”

She dissolved into a giggling fit, showcasing gnomish magic sensitivity at its finest. No other species could literally get high off of being close to magical relics. “Are you gonna be alright Amber?” she looked up at me, fighting to remain lucid, and was patting her pockets for something. “I will be in a moment.” She pulled out a jar of pills and downed one.

“Ugh, horrible.” Amber grimaced as she took a second. “At least the effect lasts a while, and by then I should have adapted to those things.” She nodded towards my hands. “You brought sensitivity suppressors along?” Amber just shrugged. “Preparation is paramount, or so my old man always said, may he rest in peace.”

She put the jar away and scurried up beside me. “Besides, better have it and not need it than the other way around. You know how I get after a while if I just leave it be.” That I did indeed. Amber had wrecked half the market area in a magic induced stupor the last time. As a result, she received a lifetime ban from all magic facilities in the mountain home during the aftermath.

By now, the layout of the surrounding area had changed. Not even grasses grew anymore, and a distinct rumbling was ever present. “Were getting closer to the peak.” Amber looked up at me as we scrambled up the incline. “Really, what gave that away? The ash clouds, or the insane heat?”

Amber was sweating buckets. Was it really that warm? I couldn’t feel anything, strange. I looked down at the gauntlets. Were they shielding me from the heat? “Hey Amber, do you-?” Before I could finish, we reached the top of the current hill, and a spectacular sight was before us.

Just ahead of us was a massive lava lake. A lake that somehow felt, familiar to me. “Amber, remind me if I am wrong, but I have never set foot on this volcano before in my life, right?” Amber, who was still sweating buckets, shook her head. “As far as I know, the only time you were on this mountain was when your parents found you... On a Lava… Lake, oh.”

This was where mom and dad found me, floating in a cradle of ice on a lake of molten rock. It was, surreal to think that I might be standing in the same spot mom and dad had been standing when they picked me out of that cradle. “Hey Slate, you think this-”

FLASH! I could see movement. Someone or something was standing above me, looking down at me. I tried to keep focus, but I was just so… sleepy. Everything was so fuzzy and far away. Distant voices were talking. A few moments later, something or someone picked me up in hands almost as large as my torso. FLASH!

What was that? A memory of when my mom found me? No, something was different about that memory, but I couldn’t place it. “Hello, Ashes, anybody home?” Amber was jumping up and down and could barely get her arms into my current field of view.

“Huh? Oh, sorry Amber, spaced out for a moment.” Amber gave an annoyed grunt. “Well, do so later. We found a huge adamantite vein here.” She pointed towards the cliff next to the eastern shore of the lake. There was so much adamantite inside the wall, there was more adamantite than stone. If it continued for some distance, this wasn’t a vein, it was a motherlode.

I approached the wall and put my hand on it. [Dowsing] “Hmm, this vein goes deep, beyond the reach of my [Dowsing] skill. Greed wasn’t kidding.” I looked at the small embodiment, who was grinning widely. “Well, my work’s done, so I better leave, before the boss gets annoyed.” The embodiment bowed, jumped into the air and seemed to turn into a small sphere of utter darkness that faded away to nothing.

———————————————————

Greed materialized on the floor in front of my feet “Mission accomplished, Boss” The embodiment stood there fidgeting, it didn’t take a genius to know what it wanted. I looked to my left. “Flint.” He nodded. With a snap of his fingers, a quartet of Duergar entered the room, carrying a massive chest filled to the brim with starsilver jewelry and platinum coins. “As we agreed, and a small bonus for helping the Duergar find a good replacement vein.” Greed wasn’t listening, instead the embodiment was hugging the chest as if it was a long-lost lover.

“Well then, Greed, we have settled our business. I will call upon you again if I have need of your services.” Greed lifted the chest with ease and nodded before vanishing again. The embodiments thrilled laughter echoing in the chamber. “I don’t like that… thing.” Flint grumbled angrily. “You’re only annoyed that Greed helped Granite out of a pickle.” Flint winced, proving me right. Even over a century later, that was still a sore point for him, it would seem.

Flint predictably changed the subject. “Should we tell Lady Labyrinthia?” I shook my head. “She’s the one who put me in contact with Greed, so I have little doubt she already knows.” As if on cue, I could sense a significant amount of satisfaction through my bond. No doubt Greed had just earned himself even more money by also telling Labyrinthia.

Greed moved fast. I had to give the embodiment that. “Greed just informed Lady Labyrinthia, and should have received another king’s ransom.” Flint’s already dour expression darkened even more. “Why does our Lady allow Greed to charge such sums, anyway?” I shrugged. “Probably because we have so much of it, she doesn’t know what to do with it. Besides, Greed knows that being obedient yields more riches than any mortal could offer it, so it has a strong incentive to remain loyal and helpful.”

Flint nodded slowly. “Makes sense, I suppose. Doesn’t mean I like it, though. But, why use Greed, wouldn’t the Draconian’s do?” I shook my head. “Your guess is as good as mine, Flint. Personally, I don’t even know why she’s so concerned about that child. However, she does nothing without due reason, we just have to accept that and be in awe when the truth reveals itself, if it ever does.”

What gave that away, Archives? Wow, Archives, it only took you about a century to learn to recognize sarcasm. You’re right, I shouldn’t be taking it out on you. I’m just gonna ask Pearl. Hmm? Huh… hadn’t noticed. Either way, she better have some answers.

———————————————

“Oy, watch the right side, wall’s gonna collapse.” Slate was in his right element now that we had found a vein, and his skills as an overseer were clear. I had never been on an expedition with Slate before, and back home I only knew him as the Captain of the Guard. However, Slate had led mining teams before. That was obvious.

As we began stripping the rock from the wall in preparation to set up a mining outpost, we found that calling this a vein was an understatement. It turned out that my [Dowsing] had not been wrong, but had been nowhere near accurate. It was more correct to say we had found an absolutely massive adamantite slab. “Hey, Ashes, how much do you think this thing weighs?” I couldn’t even calculate it.

“I can’t say, Amber, but it’s massive. It went beyond my dowsing sense, and if it’s like that all the way in, that’s over a hundred meters of pure adamantite. Even crazier, it splits, close to the edge of my senses I could sense a branch going downwards.” Amber looked at the wall in with a strange expression. “You think the dragon knows about this vein Ashes?” Well, if Sarirrva didn’t before, she sure would once we began mining.

Just as I was about to answer, the ground rocked, sending everyone scrambling to keep balance. “EARTHQUAKE!” Slate staggered past me, towards our packs. “Secure the gear, reinforce the scaffolding, watch out for crags forming!” Wow, Slate didn’t miss a beat. The Duergar and Amber could keep their balance through the quaking, but I just couldn’t. My height was a downside, since I had a higher center of gravity.

Then came the one sound we all had dreaded, the sound of cracking stone. “GET AWAY FROM THE LAKE!” Slate and the others began hauling the gear away from the edge as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, I could barely manage a staggering walk just to keep my damn footing.

Just as I thought I was clear, the ground disappeared beneath my feet and I plummeted into the crag that had been forming beneath our feet. “ASHES!!” I could see Amber on the edge as I fell, then something hit the back of my head and everything went black.

—————————————————————

I stared into the crag as Ashes hit an outcropping head first, then tumbled in mid-air, only to land hard onto another outcropping with a sickening crack. I had to get down there. Ashes needed help, I had to get down there before -. “Lass, get away from the edge, it’s about to cave in!”

I looked back at Slate, then back at Ashes. Then, as if to mock me further, another quake hit and Ashes slid off her perch, and fell once more. It was as if the world moved in slow motion, as if the mountain itself mocked my hope of saving her as she plummeted into the lava river below. With a splash and a hiss, she sank into the lava. “No… ASHES!”

Strong hands grabbed me and pulled me away from the edge, just in time to avoid following ashes into the lava river. However, I didn’t care, Ashes she was… was… I began crying.

—————————————————————

“You know, passing out while falling into a crag would usually spell certain death.” A strange, distorted voice was speaking to me. I looked around and found I was in complete and utter darkness, and as far as I could tell, I was alone. What was this place? “The place between dream and reality.” The voice replied to my unasked question.

The place between dream and reality. How did I wind up here? “It is too early for you to know that, Keari. Answers will come in time, I assure you. However, telling you now would put you in far greater danger than you realize, so for your own sake, I can’t.”

Danger? Did it have something to do with what Greed said earlier, about me being born of the dream of ice and fire? “Oh, Greed said that? I will have to make sure Greed keeps quiet in the future, for both your sake.” Aha, so I was right. No reply. Then how was I supposed to get out of this place? “You will once you regain consciousness, though given your current location, that would probably cause more panic than anything else.” The voice seemed… amused.

Cause me to panic? “The crag you fell into opened up to an underground lava river, you’re currently busy circulating around in it, and there are only two ways out. The first drops you off inside the lair of Sarirrva, the Black.” What about the other?

“Well, you will have a long time contemplating how painful the landing will be.” You mean I would get ejected from the peak of Therinos? There was no answer, but that was the only option. Wait, a moment, how was I still alive while submerged in lava? Again there was silence, but before I could demand an answer from the strange voice, the world brightened around me.

——————————————————————

The first thing I noticed as I regained consciousness was that I had a splitting headache. I sat up and felt something thick flowing and pleasantly warm flow down my sides. A sudden sense of vertigo and an urge to puke passed through me, and I had to pause for a few moments before I felt safe opening my eyes. I was lying on the edge of a small pool of lava, covered in obsidian and drying lava. If I took the vertigo into consideration, I probably had a concussion. “Great work, Keari, you got yourself into a real pickle this time.”

Bah, talking to myself wouldn’t really help, however, if that strange voice was real, and telling the truth, this was inside Sarirrva’s lair. If that was the case, I might get out of this unscathed, emphasis on might. I got to my feet and began walking from the small chamber I was in, into the larger cave outside.

After just the first step, pain ran through my right leg. I must have crashed into the walls while traveling along the lava vent. “Rubolgs accursed axe, that hurts…” Yeah, scratch getting out of here unscathed, without direct aid from Sarirrva herself, I probably wouldn’t get off the mountain, period. I had sprained or broken the leg, and neither was good for me.

As I entered the greater chamber, by leaning against the wall so I didn’t have to use my right leg, I noticed that the voice had told the truth. In front of me, resting on a huge pile of gold, jewels and other precious items, was a huge black dragon. It was so big it could grab me with its hand, paw, foot? What would you call the front appendage of a dragon? They walked on all fours, but could use their front legs as arms if they wanted.

Before I could contemplate any further, the dragon spotted me. “Well now, what do we have here, a little thief trying to make off with what’s rightfully mine?” Its voice was so loud I could feel it reverberating inside my chest. I sank to the floor in front of the dragon. The pain in my leg made it impossible to remain standing. “Great Sarirrva, I assure you I am no thief, nor was it ever my intent to disturb you in your lair. I am part of the Duergar expedition that came here to prospect. Surely, my father and mother informed you of our arrival today?”

I could see Sarirrva’s glowing eyes brighten for a few moments before she took a deep breath. “Ah, yes, I recognize the scent of Duergar on you. But if you were with them, how did you wind up in my lair, let alone in that small dead end?” How could I explain this? I mean, I could hardly believe it myself and I had experienced it. “Well, Great Sarirrva, I know what I am about to tell you might sound impossible, but I swear it’s the truth…”

———————————————————————

“I’m doomed, I am completely and utterly doomed.” For the last two hours, Slate had been repeating the same few lines over and over with his head in his hands. “If Granite doesn’t cut my head off, I am certain lady Yunika will rip it off with her bare hands. They asked me to keep her safe.” I wasn’t sure how to react to this unfamiliar sight. Not that I was in a much better state myself.

“Come on, Slate, it’s not guaranteed that Ashes is dead.” My voice sounded strangely thin, even in my ears. “I mean, its Ashes, she always… always…” I fell silent. If I kept talking, I knew I would just start crying again. Slate looked up at me. Then, with a shaking hand, patted my back. “I know, lass, I know.” His own voice was shaking as she struggled to remain calm and supportive, bless him.

Come on Ashes, you can’t be dead, I can’t lose you too, not like my parents, my siblings. I began hugging myself where I was sitting. I suddenly felt cold, lonely, and cold. However, just before I could break down completely, I could hear a new sound. Wings, huge wings.

Something was approaching through the air, and fast. “Slate, you hear that?” Slate paused his patting, then froze. “Sarirrva is out and about, no doubt. Here’s hoping she’s not mad at us.” The dragon flew over us, took an u-turn, then began circling.

“Make room for me to land.” The dragon’s booming voice had us all scramble to make room as the wind from its wings threatened to send me flying. Slate grabbed my arm and held fast, preventing me from being blown away. The dragon landed and looked at all of us. “Who leads the expedition?” Slate stepped forward, while also putting himself between me and the dragon, who seemed rather annoyed.

“That would be me, oh Great Sarirrva.” He bowed his head deeply. If the dragon killed us here, we wouldn’t be able to resist anyway, so better to be polite and hope we survived, than to antagonize it. The dragon glowered down at him, then stretched out her hand and unceremoniously dropped something on the floor. “Do you recognize this one?” I looked past Slate to see what she had dropped.

My eyes widened. Shock, confusion, and elation flooded through me. And without even thinking about it, I rushed forward. “ASHES!!” Slate followed right behind me. “Brimstone, Pock get yer asses in gear and heal her, can’t you see she’s injured?” Slate then seemed to remember the dragon.

“Ah, forgive me, grand and magnificent Sarirrva. We know her. She is the adopted daughter of our king and queen. We feared she had perished when she fell into that crag about 2 hours ago.” He pointed to the wide crag that had cut us off from the adamantite motherlode.

Securing the area would take a lot more personnel and materials to take the tectonic instability and the crag itself into account. “We honestly thought her lost to us and we feared the worst. Sincerely, thank you for saving her.” I toned out Slate’s conversation. It didn’t matter. Ashes were fine. I wasn’t alone.

The dragon looked down at Ashes, with a strange expression on her reptilian face. “So her wild tale was true. I thought it’s best to verify it, since she claimed she was Granite and Yunika’s child. Unfortunately, she fainted before I could finish my questioning, but then, I had other ways to get answers.”

Sarirrva’s strange expression changed to one of intrigue. “I had thought I had outgrown surprises, intriguing. We shall meet again, daughter of Yunika and Granite.” Before anyone could say anything else, Sarirrva took off and flew away. Personally, I didn’t care, as I was too busy paying attention to Ashes.

I grabbed Brimstone the moment he stopped casting. “She will be alright, right?” Brimstone, who was usually the stoic and silent type, actually winced in pain from my grip. I loosened it, while blushing. “She’ll be fine. Her leg was a mess, but, Pock got that handled, it’s less severe than several of the mine accidents we have treated before. She also had several cracked ribs and a really ugly head injury. The strange part is that she ain’t bleeding. In fact, all the smaller injuries she should have, like bruises and cuts, aren’t there. Someone or something healed her, but there are no remnants of healing magic.”

He then nodded towards her. “Another strange thing is that, despite her lava bath, all her clothes and gear are still intact, well, mostly for the clothes, but ye get my point.” I nodded slowly. I was about to comment on the report when Slate interrupted.

“We better get back to the Mountain home. We need engineers to secure this area properly, considering crags might open up like that all over. Not to mention that the Princess is unconscious and injured, Granite and Yunika would flay us alive if we didn’t bring her back for proper care.”

At the mention of Granite and Yunika, a collective shivering went through the group. Queen Yunika had put a Duergar in the infirmary for months for cracking a joke at Granite’s expense. What would she do if Ashes fell into a coma or got maimed? “What are ye waiting for, we have not a moment to waste!” Slate seemed half panicked as he began rummaging through his pack.

All thoughts of the motherlode flew from all our minds as we constructed a stretcher to carry her on and hurried off the mountain. Slate looked back at us. “Careful now, no jostling.” As we laid her on it.

As we walked, I stroked Ashes cheek, “Hang in there, Ashes, we’ll get you home safely, count on it.” Even as we walked, Pock and Brimstone were spending all their available mana on healing her. They probably wouldn’t stop until they were on the verge of collapse.