As they climbed, Harry glanced out over the city.
From above, the labyrinth resolved into looping streets and dead ends. The sun had crept well past noon, light slanting across the maze and laying long shadows between the buildings.
He turned his gaze farther out.
To the south, the land darkened into broken black flatlands. The lava fields stretched away in jagged swaths, hard and lifeless. Beyond them lay a wide band of dark green, thick and uneven, the bogs spreading out like a stain. Past that, a thin blue ribbon cut through the green, the river winding its way across the plain.
System, it is still mind boggling to me that all of this is in a dungeon.
:: System: Perhaps it would help to think of the dungeon as a portal to another realm rather than an entrance to a contained environment.
Actually, yeah, that does help.
They reached the top without incident.
The summit was square, roughly thirty feet to a side, flat and empty but for an altar at the center. It was white marble, stark against the black stone around it. Pristine except for a dagger driven straight down into its smooth surface.
The dagger was black obsidian, its blade shaped like a serpent’s fang. The hilt twisted in on itself in a way that made his eyes slide off it, hard to focus on for more than a heartbeat at a time. The blue glow pulsed from the blade, slow and steady, bathing the altar in light.
Before stepping onto the platform, Stan lifted a hand and muttered through a quick casting. He shifted, repeated the motion, eyes flicking between the altar and the dagger.
“Altar’s magic. Dagger too,” he said. “Strong. Need to get closer for Identify.”
Harry concentrated on his Blood Sense. Nothing but insects, scattered and small. The winged serpent was long gone.
Harry lifted a hand, palm out. “I’ll go first.”
He tapped the platform’s edge with the butt of his spear. When nothing happened he stepped up. Paused. Still nothing.
He moved farther in, boots scuffing lightly on stone, every muscle coiled and ready to spring. He stopped a few feet from the altar and waited.
No change. He half turned and waved the others up.
They stepped up and spread out, circling slowly, scanning the sky, the city below, the surrounding stone. No movement. No sound beyond the wind.
Harry moved to the northern edge to finally get a clear look at the mountain pass. At the base of the pyramid lay a small courtyard. On the far side of it, a path climbed into wide terraces carved into the rock, rising in steps a little higher than the pyramid itself. The gardens that covered them had run wild, thick green growth tangled with bursts of red and yellow flowers.
Above the terraces, a winding path cut back and forth as it climbed higher into the mountain.
On either side of the gardens, narrow waterfalls spilled straight out of the rock face, running down beside the terraces and collecting in small pools at the bottom.
Jo stepped up beside him. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is.”
She glanced at him. “Remind you of any more poems?”
“Dozens.” Harry kept his eyes on the terraces. “But I was thinking of one of Martha’s favorite quotes.”
“Tell me.”
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
Jo stayed quiet, looking out over the gardens and the falling water. After a moment she said, “We should be so lucky.”
They turned back and joined the others as they gathered around the altar.
Stan muttered under his breath and leaned in, fingers twitching through a casting. He went still for a moment, then let out a low breath.
“The altar’s called the Serpent’s Vault,” he said. “It’s enchanted to hold and protect.”
He leaned closer to the dagger. Blue light pulsed across his face. His head tilted. His eyes widened.
“This is Stonefang.” He straightened slowly. “The breaker of mountains and destroyer of earth.”
Jo stepped back. “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”
Harry frowned. “Destroyer of Earth?”
Stan scratched at his chin. “Maybe the way outta this dungeon is destroyin’ it with the dagger.”
“That does not work,” Cedric said at once. “This level was added specifically to stop Sir Harold. Anything we find here must be considered in that light.”
Stan glanced at him. “Couldn’t the Dungeon Aspect ’ave moved it here after addin’ the level?”
Cedric’s eyebrows rose. He stared at Stan for a long moment. Finally, he stepped closer and placed a brief hand on Stan’s shoulder.
“Constantine is correct,” Cedric said. “This blade could indeed be the final prize.”
Harry looked between them. “So you’re saying we need to take it?”
Cedric nodded. “I would advise that you do so.”
Harry looked to Jo and Stan. Both nodded.
“Fine,” Harry said. “Give me space.”
The others backed away. Harry stepped forward and reached out.
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The moment his hand closed around the hilt, the blue glow flared bright and went dark. He braced for a shock, for something, but nothing came. The hilt felt cool and solid in his grip.
He gave it a careful pull first. No resistance. The blade slid free of the stone as if it had never been set there, leaving a clean hole behind.
Harry held it up at chest height and studied it.
“Well,” he said. “We have it. Now what?”
The others edged back in, closing around him to get a better look.
Stan moved toward the altar. He leaned over to peer into the hole.
Harry’s Blood Sense was suddenly crowded with signs of nearby life.
A green and blue snake, about three feet long, shot out of the hole at Stan's face.
He jerked back, throwing up a hand. The snake struck and latched onto it. He yelped and stumbled away from the altar, shaking his arm as the snake’s body whipped and coiled around it.
As he backed up, his spear clattered to the stone and he grabbed the snake by the head, trying to tear it loose.
Cedric was already moving. His belt dagger flashed into his hand. He seized the snake with his free hand and cut cleanly at the base of the head. The body went slack and dropped.
“Look!” Jo snapped.
They turned. She was pointing at the altar.
More snakes were spilling out of the hole. The same green and blue. The same size or smaller. They poured over the marble and onto the stone, spreading in every direction.
Cedric and Stan got the snake head off his hand and dropped it. Stan scooped up his spear. The two of them backed toward Harry and Jo as more snakes slid out of the altar.
Several on the floor were moving their way across the platform.
They kept backing up, aiming toward the north edge.
“Come on.” Jo moved down a few steps. “Let’s go.”
Harry slipped the dagger into his inventory. He was still expecting something to happen. Nothing did.
They turned and hurried down the steps.
Stan stumbled. His feet went out from under him and he slid down several steps, his spear slipping from his grip and clattering farther down.
Cedric swore under his breath, shoved his own spear away, and grabbed Stan by the arm. Harry moved down fast and scooped up Stan’s spear and stowed it.
They kept moving, half running, half sliding, Stan letting himself be hauled along.
At the bottom, Harry glanced back.
Snakes were spilling over the top of the pyramid now, bodies cresting the edge and slithering down the steps after them.
“Harry!” Cedric called.
Harry turned. Stan stood slack-jawed, eyes wide, looking around at nothing. Sweat soaked his hair and ran down his face, skin gone pale.
“Dammit,” Harry muttered.
Jo glanced at Stan, then back at Harry. “Can you give him your blood like you did Cedric and the puma?”
“No,” Harry said. “That’s not how it works. I’d need to get poisoned by the snakes first.”
Stan jerked and threw his arms up. “Look out!” He dove to the stone and covered his head.
The others crouched low, eyes snapping to the sky before spinning to check every direction.
Nothing was there.
Harry swore. “Dammit.” He looked around wildly, eyes landing on the flowers. An antidote had to be there. But there was no time. He checked his inventory even though he knew there was nothing there that would help.
System, do you recognize that snake?
:: System: Not precisely, but it is similar to a serpent breed whose venom induces hallucinations and loss of coordination. Historically collected for ceremonial and recreational use. Lethality is low. Risk increases through panic and secondary injury.
Small mercies.
He stepped in to help Cedric. “Let’s keep moving.”
Together they hauled Stan up by the arms and dragged him along.
Stan grinned at them, his eyes unfocused. "Oi, let's pop by the Dusty Lantern, yeah? First round's on me."
They crossed the small courtyard and started up into the terraces, keeping to the center of the path as vegetation crowded in from both sides, green growth and bright flowers pressing close.
Stan started to fight them, twisting and ducking. He pulled back and batted upward. "There! It's divin' again!"
Harry flinched when Cedric’s voice came through party chat.
- Cedric: Will Stan be alright? Justiciar says he only needs rest.
- Harry: I think so. System said something similar.
Harry risked a glance back toward the pyramid. Snakes carpeted the courtyard below, bodies writhing over stone. He couldn't tell if any were moving up into the terraces. With his Blood Sense, they seemed to be staying in the courtyard, packed together but not pursuing.
- Harry: Keep moving.
They pushed on. The terraces climbed in even steps, stone half lost under vegetation. About half way up, Jo jerked sideways, pulling free of the plants along the edge.
- Jo: Be careful. These ones up here have thorns.
Harry looked closer. The vegetation had changed. Broad leaves spread low and wide, long vines hanging down, each studded with hard, pale thorns.
Jo took another step and caught her foot. She cried out as a vine snapped tight around her ankle and she went down.
Harry and Cedric stumbled to a halt, Stan going slack between them.
More vines shot out and wrapped around Jo's legs. She dropped her bow and grabbed at them. "Help! Get them off!" The vines tightened, dragging her toward the thicker growth at the edge of the terrace.
Harry let go of Stan and lunged for her.
He caught her by the arms. More vines snapped up, coiling higher, starting to cinch around her chest. He hauled back, boots skidding on stone. Thorns bit into his palms. He ignored it.
Jo was still sliding away.
Harry used vitae for strength and pulled harder. Jo cried out as her arms were wrenched tight, her shoulders drawn past their limit.
Vines whipped around Harry’s feet and began to pull.
He heard a startled cry behind him and glanced back. Cedric was moving toward them. Stan had slumped to a sitting position, vines snaking in from the far side of the path and wrapping around his torso and legs. Cedric checked himself and turned back.
Harry burned vitae into speed and strength, drew his normal dagger from inventory, and dove forward. He hacked at the vines binding Jo, pulling and cutting, the blade flashing as green lengths fell away.
More vines lashed out. They caught his legs, his arms, crawling up his body.
He dropped the dagger. His hands lengthened into claws and he tore at the growth, ripping vines and flinging them aside.
He’d cut himself free. He could jump back but Jo was still sliding away, dragged deeper into the mass of plants. He went after her.
He tore at the vines wrapped around her, claws shredding through the growth. More lashed around his legs, his waist, climbing his arms even as he ripped them free.
There were too many. His movements slowed. Inch by inch they were bound together. One claw raked across Jo's arm, opening a long gash. Blood welled up fast.
He let his hands return to normal, fingers shortening, claws receding. The vines wrapped tighter, pinning them completely.
“Well damn.” Jo shifted, trying to find a position that didn’t drive the thorns deeper. Harry could see her face tighten as they bit into her arms and neck. “And you cut me.”
“Yeah,” Harry grimaced. “Sorry about that.”
- Harry: Cedric, are you and Stan free?
- Cedric: No. I can’t move. I can see Stan nearby. He’s stuck too.
- Stan: No worries. I got this.
Jo tried to shift again. The vines held her fast.
- Jo: Great. We’re trussed like pigs and Stan is out of his mind.
- Stan: I’m tellin’ ya. I got this.
***
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