Chapter 7 The Flaming Serpent

There was a sudden rise of confused and concerned whispers, which the king caught onto and smiled. He waved his hand towards the entrance, the mouth of the cave dark and inviting. "I understand your concerns—ten relics for 60 combatants. I can inform you that you all will be paired into teams of four. Every four-person team will have the chance to return with this artifact. But, there is another problem involved."

"Problem?" Edlund asked, and Lyse looked a bit pale as he realized what the king meant and saw the same worried expression dawn on the faces of many around him."

"Not every team will be able to uncover a relic, and those who don't will be disqualified and will have to return to their masters in shame," The king's announcements made the total confidence less and less. While Lyse tried to wear a straight face, he feared for the worst. That maybe he will not be able to uncover a relic. Immediately he and Edlund were at a disadvantage, as both knew no one outside of their town, and many here were either from the capital or nobles. Many know one another and group dynamics can be found quickly. These problems pounded at his brain, and concern followed. Edlund promptly got a grasp on the stakes as well and saw already that many of their peers were quickly forming their groups, as the king and Paladin patiently awaited and quietly observed those around them. Although he did not doubt his and Lyse's skill, he was sure that both of them together could not complete this mission, especially when they would probably have to fight other four-person groups of knights.

He immediately turned to Gray and Elena, but they were both being approached by a pair of nobles who seemed very adamant that they had joined their group. One wasn't wearing much in armor and carried a single sword at his side. The smile he wore was off-putting, as well as his manner of speaking. He would sway his long golden hair like it was entrancing, which Elena seemed not bothered about. But gray looked very defensive, as if trying to avoid his gaze and shrink behind Elena. Lyse managed to overhear the conversation and wasn't all that comforted by what he heard being exchanged, leaning in closer to hear.

"Come on, with your skill, we could easily clear this silly test. So what is the harm?" he asked Elena, to which she merely nodded.

"I told you, Dagmyre, I am not forming a group with you," she crossed her arms. "I choose whom I ally myself with. You don't have any honor."

"And what does honor have to do with anything," he bit back. His unchallenged demeanor slipped away, leaving only a more cruel smile as if he planned to back her into a corner. "Just because you're having fun with the roach doesn't mean you should associate to his level. You are far better off joining us."

"And I said no," she said firmly, then glanced at Lyse out of the corner of her eye, and smiled. "Besides, we already have our team, don't we, Gray?"

Gray looked a bit confused, glancing at her, till she nodded in Lyse and Edlund's direction, and his eyes brightened to a thankful glow and waved them to come over. As soon as Lyse and Edlund walked into view, next to Elena and Gray, they were met with a scornful look from Dagmyer. Lyse recognized that name. It was a noble family from the capital that had extensive networks in supplying weapons and equipment. He had heard that they are among the wealthier families of the region and that a significant number of properties of the capital and beyond belong to them. Lyse half expected to meet someone like him here. He guessed he was the first in his family to become a knight; how he managed to pass, he could only imagine. And he assumed it took a lot of money. He wonders what is it that connects him to Elena and Gray. But one thing was for sure, he was adamant about seeing her on his side and saw Lyse as an immediate threat, grasping the hilt of his sword in a challenging manner.

"Pray tell, who might you be?" he asked in the most elite of tones.

"None of our business, I can tell you that," Lyse placed his hand on his sword in the same gesture. "Knights are to treat one another with respect and dignity. I don't know if your actions have slipped your mind or if you are a dullard, but our squad has been assembled."

"He's right," Elena gestured to the crowd around them. "You have a sea of other applicants for your little group. And not a lot of time."

Although she spoke directly to him and with far more authority than Lyse, Dagmyre locked eyes with Lyse as if angered and dumbfounded at how he directly challenged him. It only took a glimpse, and he was able to see that Lyse was of no high status, no distinguished name, and certainly not the pristine weaponry and armor. He turned his back and walked away wordlessly, his partner following on his heels, not looking at anyone. Though they wore a large helmet, Lyse noticed short tufts of brown hair peeking through.

"What an ass," Edlund sighed. "I can't believe guys like that can become knights."

"Tell me about it," Gray said quietly.

"He talks a lot, but he can also back it up," Elena told Lyse and Edlund. "Dagmyer is no pushover, but he tends to treat his so-called 'peers' as simple tools and weapons. He knows no honor."

"And he will be one of our competitors, so it seems," Lyse sighed, then looked down at his pendant. He had not realized it, but he was holding it now. A faint blue glow slipped through his fingertips. "I'm glad we're teaming up. We don't know exactly how we would have found others to team together."

"Then we are in luck," Elena smiled. "You seem pretty competent. I'd like someone like that on our team. We won't be able to survive; otherwise, you know."

"Couldn't agree more," Lyse complied and smiled. But he now felt it. All around him, eyes looked at him with disdain. Like he had become the target, not these artifacts. He then realized why Dagmyer would be quite a threat. He could see him conversing with a few of them, most likely his team, and looking directly at Lyse from the corner of his eyes. The others caught glimpses of Lyse, signaling immediately that Dagmyre was indeed speaking about them. Whatever monsters, puzzles or traps reside in this maze of a dungeon, Lyse knew off the bat that their greatest enemy would, without a doubt, be other knights. The king waited till they were all organized into their separate groups and then gestured to the entrance to the dungeon itself. The Paladins seemed very interested in the groups, talking amongst themselves but not gesturing or making it clear who they were speaking of for apparent reasons. He again warned them of the danger. There will be monsters within them, many of them have only heard of, and fewer have faced. Dungeons are of no laughing matter, and every step could be death if not taken the necessary precautions. Superior fighting skills and a sharp mind will determine this event, and he finally said farewell to them all.

As soon as the king's hand fell at his side and he shouted the word, everyone charged. Two days seemed like a long time, and everyone should have no trouble finding these artifacts. But that is not how dungeons, traditionally, are structured. Time is of the essence, and they could not afford to waste it.

They made sure to stay remarkably close to one another out of fear of separation. The tunnel extended for about a hundred feet before them, primarily unchanged and with slight variations to the walls. Some of the knights have already drawn their weapons, swords, axes, maces, and spears. Even Edlund had him at the ready. However, Gray and Elenor still kept theirs in their sheath, not revealing what was inside. So Lyse decided to do the same. It did not take long until the first significant decision was to be made within this dungeon. The tunnel abruptly ended inside of a large circular chamber, cut smoothly and lightened by mounted torches. Ahead, three separate entrances lead to different tunnels. Some other groups had stopped, taking in what was a troubling test. They all decided to stop as well, seeing others disappear into the darkness. They saw nothing that differentiates one from another; each path seemed equally trotted and worn. Some knights randomly picked one.

"Well?" Gray asked Elena. "What do you think we should pick? Middle?"

"What's the difference?" Edlund asked them.

"Depending on the path we take," Lyse explained. "We could get treated to fewer traps and monsters. But it looks like there is nothing to signify this."

"And we can't waste any more time, can we," Elena gave a troubled sigh without speaking, rushing towards the middle one. Gray immediately followed, Edlund and Lyse reluctantly following as well. By now, not many other squads were insight. It was just them and the dungeon. Lyse could not shake this dreadful feeling he had. The walls were closing in. Monsters were at their heels and clawing at their backs. It was undoubtedly distracting, and he tried to keep his eyes up ahead. The tunnel wasn't nearly as long as the previous, and the rectangular hall now became a steady decline without warning.

"What is that?" Gray complained, and Lyse looked over at him, sweating. So were Edlund and Elena. Lyse could feel the temperature rising, but nothing that was too uncomfortable. However, the three were looking a bit dazed, like life was being sucked out of them. The stone's color steadily became darker and scorched, as if remnants of flames were burning on their surfaces.

They decided to fight the heat and keep going to see what was down there. The armor, plated or chainmail, began to wear on their backs, and while running, their movements became sluggish. Finally, they found the source of this sudden heat, and finally, they came upon a bright orange glow up ahead that seemed to signify this source. And what they found was a little startling—a pit of liquid flame. The heat was even more intense in here; although Lyse didn't seem all that bothered, the other three were panting and covering their noses. The pit was rectangular and stretched the middle third portion of the room. A bridge led to the other side, made out of some sort of metal. On the other side was the open entrance that led to presumably the rest of the dungeon. The magma seemed to be a few meters down within this chasm, but still, he couldn't even feel it. He pondered for a moment why he wasn't so affected but then looked down at the pendant, which seemed to glow very faintly on the emerald gem. He sighed as yet another question was stored for later and focused on what was ahead of them.

"Heat this intense," Gray squinted at the chasm of lava. "I never felt anything like it."

"Looks like we'll have to make it quickly across or risk being roasted alive," Lyse told them. "We'll probably have to move very quickly using some techniques as well."

They all nodded in agreement, but none of them wished for that to be the case. Metal or not, being directly over a pool of lava for more than a second will be a detriment. So, they all concentrated, pouring their energy into their leg muscles. They felt their aura exciting in their limbs, and the world around them slowed to a crawl. And they began moving. It didn't even feel like running. They barely felt their legs hit the ground as they bounded for and over the iron bridge. The heat was non-existence. The air was colder. Using this technique, knights can move faster than any horse or eagle. It was exhilarating to see a world like this. It felt like nothing could touch them. However, there were few beasts whose speed outmatched that of many other beasts. They thought it before it happened, like a warning before the reaper. The lava began to crest. Even at these speeds, they were only halfway across before they saw a maw open from the lava in their directions. A fiery light billowing within pitch-black darkness. They were barely aware of this as they barreled off the bridge, as a spiral column of flame shot past them.

The flames alone were nearly deafening, licking at their skin and ears. They scrambled to their collective feet to bear witness to what was before them. A giant red serpent now appeared within the lava-filled chasm, lava spilling off of its form, itself unbothered. Serpent red eyes immediately locked onto the four of them and bared long black fangs dripping with lava. Just the portion that showed itself stood fifteen feet above them, nearly touching the high ceiling. The two doors immediately shut, iron bars sealing them all inside this chamber and locking. They all looked on in absolute terror at what was before them and the tribulation it now proposes as it eyes its newfound prey.

"What the hell is that thing?" Gray exclaimed, clamoring to his feet, his eyes wide with fear.

"It's a fire serpent," Lyse unsheathed his sword, although he did not know what he should do with it. "They are common threats deep in volcanic temples of Imoque of the Umani."

"Of course," Elena sneered, placing a hand on her blade but not unsheathing it. "Must be a challenge Novia thought would be perfect for beginners. We are going to have to be careful."

The serpent reared its head and, like lightning itself, struck with such speed no regular human could react to it. However, they managed to sense its sudden movements and jump aside once again, and the rock was obliterated as the snake's snout smacked into it. Lyse took this opportunity to counter, slashing out at the side of its head as it recovered. He made a decent gash, but the scales lining its face seemed very thick and rocklike. Especially around the eyes, while glowing, it was surrounded by thick rocky scales. It treated its wound with minor annoyance, rearing back for safety among the pit. However, Edlund wouldn't let it get away so quickly, running along the bridge and taking a slice at its midsection. This time, he managed to draw blood as his blade slid between two scales and into soft meat. However, he immediately dropped his sword and cursed, waving his hand. The sword laid half melted at his feet, the blood of the serpent sizzling on the blade and iron bridge.

"By Fate's luck," He cursed. The serpent's tail arched up on the other side of the bridge and then attempted to swat him away. Unfortunately, Edlund was a little too slow to react, and the serpent's tail threw him straight over to the other side of the room. The impact burned like fire, even if he was wearing armor, and he clutched his arm as he shakily stood.

Lyse looked back at the locked doors. "Looks like we are not getting out of this place unless we slay the beast."

"Gray, we need your blade for this," Elena swiftly turned to him, and Gray nodded. He steeled himself, taking a deep breath and placing a hand on the hilt of his blade. Before he unsheathed it, Lyse immediately noticed a faint light build within the sheath that suddenly released when he pulled forward the sword. It was a clean make, a double edge blade on the thinner side, but it looked acutely sharp. The most bizarre attribute, however, was what was endlessly seeping from the blade itself. Gray ran at the belly of the serpent and then slammed it down to the ground. As soon as the edge made contact, a sudden water wave erupted and slammed into the snake. Steam hissed as the lava met the cooling seawater, and the serpent reeled in anger and pain. A layer of the lava solidified further, turning into a rock, and they all squinted as the room filled with steam. The serpent hisses loudly and opens its gate even more prominent than before, the fire billowing once again in the direction of the one who caused this. Elena saw this and immediately rushed over with her shield ready as another stream of fire rolled over them. The heat was more than intense, and they felt their skin begin to bubble as flames moving off the shield licked their frame. The spray only lasted a minute before finally, it ceased, and the serpent submerged itself within the lava.

Elena nearly collapsed where she stood. Through the steam, Lyse could see her armor scorched, and she seemed a bit pale now. Gray didn't look as bad, but he could tell that the last attack took quite a bit out of him. And Edlund was still struggling to stand after that final blow. If the serpent chose to attack in such a manner again, it would kill them all.

"It's taking in some of the lava to prepare for another attack," Lyse told them. "It takes on it to keep us away. We need to stop that."

"Easier said than done," Elena struggled to her feet. "What are we going to do about that fire breath."

"If we can't damage the outside, then we must attack its insides," Lyse helped Gray up. "Do you think you have another one of those in you?"

"Sure," he said curiously. "What are you planning to do?"

"Your attack seemed to hurt it," Lyse told them. "If we time it right, it may allow us to attack all at once and bring it down. But unfortunately, we don't have much of an option left if it fails. Once it's vulnerable, we have to attack it with everything we have."

"We'll only get one chance," Elena said, taking a deep breath and preparing herself. She unsheathed her blade, a longsword almost as tall as her. Edlund looked over to see their ready stance, and Lyse held up his hand, a finger pointed up to the ceiling. Edlund immediately nodded, grunting as she stood. The knight's sign of getting ready to attack told him to prepare for a signal. He quickly moved to pick up his blade that had skidded away and wait for any movement below the pool of lava. The surface had hardened significantly, puffs of steam and fumes now filling the room. It was getting harder and harder to breathe the longer they stayed. The shut doors meant they were now basically in an oven. Still, the hardened volcanic rock flexed and rippled, not exactly solid under the tremendous heat of the lava and what was moving beneath its surface. A drone of hissing overtook the room as they all prepared themselves.

"Then, they all heard the rock crack once again, as the serpent's head bursts from the surface, facing Gray again. It wasted no time to attack its target, opening its toothy maw in its direction and billowing yellow fire erupting in its throat. This was the signal, and everything seemed to move at once. Before the flame could exit the creature's mouth, Gray slammed his sword against the stone floor. As the wave crested into existence and hit the beast, Elena, Lyse, and Edlund rushed it. Elena immediately attacked its midsection, leaping onto the rock surface that had now become rigid. She slashed as hard as possible at the softer underbelly, quickly carving into the plated scales and hitting deep inside its internal structure. All bladed alit with aura now ready to deal devastating damage. And it reared back in unimaginable pain; Edlund leaped from the ground in the inhuman distance and was suddenly along its back. He plunged his sword almost to the hilt inside, and the creature shrieked in pain. He quickly jumped down before the creature could react in its confusion, but as he came to a roll on the opposite side of the room, he found his blade half-melted and ruined. It seemed even the blood of this creature was hazardous.

        Lyse aimed at the base of its neck. Taking his sword, focusing on the metal till he felt it glow within his hand, he slashed it across its exposed neck. A sickening gurgling sound rang out as an immense rush of blood poured forth. He landed next to Edlund, hearing the rush of blood in his ear and his heart thumping against his ribs,  his blade warm to the touch from the brief contact with this creature. Elena climbed back from the pool before the serpent crashed into the rock and disappeared below the surface. So much happened so quickly that almost no one could get their bearings. If they had mistimed their attempts, if the creature even had a moment to react to even one of them, that would have been the end of their story.

"Shit," Edlund cursed, looking down at his opened palms. There weren't any severe burns, but his palms were as red as apples, and a few blisters opened. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"At least we're alive," Lyse lifted his sword to inspect it. As he thought, it was still flawless, not even a dent of a scuff in its blade. He looked over to Elena, tending to her and Gray's burns with a small medicinal kit. He saw that her sword was also not melted or damaged by the creature's blood. It must have the same or similar enchantment that he has. He wondered why she was so hesitant to draw it then. As soon as possible, she sheathed her sword and turned with a gracious smile at the door, which was now open. The stone disappeared into the ceiling. The corridor outside was dark, with no candles or torches to light the way. But the quick cold breeze that rushed the room was more than gratifying as a reward. Gray rubbed at his bandages, looking beyond the exit.

"All that just to keep walking," he grumbled.

     "The king told us that there will be many monsters lurking within," Lyse said. "I would not be surprised if there are more just as terrible if not more terrifying than this creature."

"And I no longer have a sword," Edlund lamented, tossing his aside

    Gray sighed. "That's a weaponsmith's worst nightmare. Hardly anything you can do with a melted blade like that. We don't have to cry about it, though. Who knows, there might be loot or treasure with some unbelievable sword for you, then times better."

     "Oh, there better be."

"We need to get going," Elena said, bandaging her arms and slinging her shield across her back. "We don't have a moment to waste down here. No doubt that some of the other groups made it past their tests out of here."

"That got me thinking," Lyse said. "Since we turned down that corridor, we haven't encountered another group down here. They were right behind us."

"Has to be the dungeon," Gray said, a little spooked now. "This place has all sorts of tricks and weird magic stuff from back when Torlak and the clans were much closer. This place is designed to kill us, I'm telling you."

"Wouldn't be much of a test otherwise, I suppose," Lyse told him. "We'll probably run into more the closer we are to the relics. I hope that we don't find some competition from the knights. Monsters are one thing. Fighting others . . . let's hope it doesn't come to that."

They all nodded in silent agreement. Lyse already knows what it is like to spill blood, human blood. Even if it was an assassin, who most likely would have killed him without a second thought, the feeling was sickening, unlike killing giant serpents or basilisks. If they had to fight people, or worse, kill them to pass, he wished it not to come to that.

The corridor stretched evenly through the mountain. They gladly welcomed the cold stone over the lava pit. They all wondered what would come next after that encounter, what awaited them further in. The tests will be life-threatening no matter what and probably even worse. They all found it strange they had never heard of this place. Ever. And from what the king spoke of, he was well aware of this and treated it like a regular event. That made this place even scarier than before. They all made sure to keep close to one another. Moving to a place like this can make it easy to be separated from one another. Lyse noticed that Edlund hadn't said a single word since leaving the chamber. His eyes were unfocused, and he was looking at the floor like he was lost in dreadful thought. In the meantime, Lyse couldn't get Gray's sword out of his head. Since leaving the room, Gray hasn't said a word, but he wanted to pass the time by at least learning something.

"So, where did your sword come from," Lyse asked.

Immediately Gray tensed, but he seemed just reluctant enough to share some details. Lyse knew this. He was eager before coming in here to tell him all about his father's creature, as well as learn more about the properties of Lyse's sword. He patted the pommel of his sword and turned to Lyse.

"It was a sword blessed by a nymph," he said.

There were a few moments of confused silence. None of them were pretty expecting that answer, and Edlund seemed only somewhat intrigued by it, although drawing blanks. But the words did make Lyse falter a bit, his brain now pulsing with even more questions than before.

"A nymph?" He nearly yelled. "How . . . where did your dad find a nymph."

"He won't tell me," he shrugged. "But you gotta admit this is a pretty powerful enchantment. When I'm holding it, it's like I'm holding an ocean at my fingertips. So it's pretty powerful, isn't it."

"Lucky we have it on our side," Edlund said in a low voice.

"My dad's most prized possession," Gray said proudly. "Said he'll never have anything like it again. So now I'm going to use it to become a knight."

Lyse looked at the sword curiously. If a nymph blessed it, then it far outclasses anything he had seen in a while. The power to control water itself is fantastic in its way. To put such power within a blade and put it into the hand of a trained warrior could turn the tide of any battle. It made his sword look like a child's toy by comparison alone. However, by the looks of Gray's treaded breath, he cannot expend so much energy. Creating water from nothing is no small feat and is remarkable for someone not fully trained in the arcane. Lyse guesses that he can only produce three of them, then severe damage would be done to himself at that point.

They continued to explore, finding the occasional room filled with bones decimated with dark stains and the faint scent of blood. The conversation died down to mere remarks about their surroundings. In one room, they saw what appeared to be ten or so skeletons, picked clean of clothing and muscle, lying in heaps around a central pedestal, where a giant black box sat covered in runes. The scent of death was overbearing and made them uneasy even to intake. They moved on, fearing the stench alone would make them go mad, let alone whatever beast decided to take these lives. Lyse wondered how many had died since the start of this trial. Making an assumption based on the first monster they encountered, not many could have passed the first. And it was made all the more apparent by the lack of other teams they saw along the way. This trial is not the first, and it will not be the last.