George’s triumph is short-lived. It is swallowed by the gaping hole that is the chamber beyond the statue. There is a short hush. Then Dante, with great caution and hesitation, enters it.
“It’s clear,” he says softly, though his voice still echoes against the stone walls. George brushes the glass from his arms and examines the cuts, none of which are serious, before following.
“Are you going to take point from now on?” he asks with a smirk.
But Dante is lost in thought, examining the smooth walls and the copper floor.
“These walls,” he mutters. “They’re too smooth to have been done by humans.”
“Dwarves?” Jade asks.
“Magic, more likely. And this stain, or lack thereof…it’s about the right shape for a dragon, don’t you think?”
“What do you think this was for?” Serai asks. She points to a normal-sized copper bath tub with deep grooves scratched in the bottom.
The other gather around and puzzle over it for a few, long, silent moments.
“You know,” Dante admits, “I’m not sure I want to know.”
Past the copper chamber, through wide, winding passages the party continues on. Soon the melody of falling water reflects off of stone. The passage widens and before the students see the waterfall, they can feel its cool spray. A grotto of shaped stones surrounds the falls, at the bottom of which is a large, bubbling pool.
“It’s beautiful,” Serai breathes, and the others agree. The cave is peaceful and light reflects softly off the water and makes the rock sparkle. Ishii stoops to take a drink and meets soft, laughing eyes in the water. A woman, naked and beautiful, emerges from the pool and smiles.
Ishii and Dante are smitten at once. Jade, immune to the wiles of the Fey, rests a wary hand on his scimitar. George, by sheer luck, happened to be examining the pool at that moment and notes with some alarm the bones, weapons and armor lying at its bottom.
The nymph beckons the gnome and the thin, pale lad closer to her, a command they are happy to obey.
“Jade, this isn’t right,” Serai whispers.
“Did you see the bones?” George exclaims.
“Nymphs can be dangerous,” Jade warns “We need to get them away as quickly as possible.”
“Please help me,” the nymph pleads.
“Of course!” Ishii exclaims.
“He doesn’t talk to me like he used to.”
“Who doesn’t?” Dante asks, wondering to himself who could possibly not talk to this radiant creature.
“The dragon,” she replies, no, coos to Dante, whose pale skin flushes bright enough to be seen in this dim light. “Please, you must help me, free me.”
“How?” Dante asks.
“Bring him to me. Bring the dragon to me and he will free me.”
“Enough,” Jade exclaims, rolling his eyes. “Come on, loverboys.”
“We have to help her,” Ishii explains.
“He’s right, she needs us,” Dante protests.
“And so we shall,” Serai replies smoothly. An ugly frown clouds the nymph’s beautiful face for a moment, but Serai continues, “We will find the dragon and get him to release you.”
For a moment, the nymph is doubtful, but Serai’s face is honest and innocent, completely trustworthy. She recedes into the pool, satisfied. George grabs Ishii’s shoulder and Jade grips Dante’s upper arm to lead them away.
“Do you think we’ll find the dragon this way?” Ishii asks.
“I hope not,” George whispers back.
“I sense something,” Serai interrupts with a slight frown. The others hush, listening. They creep forward, their breath loud in their ears, kicked pebbles echoing off the walls.
“I don’t hear anything,” Jade hisses.
“It’s…not that,” she explains. “There’s something magical ahead.”
“Magical?” For a moment, Dante forgets the beautiful nymph.
“Psionic magic,” she confirms.
The passage opens into a large chamber in which four-foot figures made of copper stand lined on either side of a dragon-sized chessboard. Dead ahead is a life-sized sculpture of a dragon head in copper. A large brass bell hangs to one side of the cave.
“It’s coming from the head,” Serai notes. “I’m not familiar with this magic, though.”
“It could be a trap,” Dante warns.
“There’s no clapper in this bell,” George notes. Dante turns with alarm to find George with his head inside the bell.
“Don’t touch anything!” Dante hisses.
“Are you sure?” Serai looks at the sculpture with disappointment and longing.
“Positive,” Dante replies firmly. “We have to be more careful.”
“I agree,” Jade says, his face grim. “We have no idea what has taken up residence here. Let’s move on.”
The chamber opens into a long hall lined with stone statues of human soldiers. The light from George’s lantern causes shadows to move across their faces, giving them a sinister aspect. Dante examines them in passing, wondering to himself about their age and the artist. They were created with some skill, he notes, with intricate detail on their weapons and armor. Tiny spiders crawl across their faces.
This hall opens into the largest chamber yet. Its ceilings, fifty feet or more above, are reinforced with arches. Light from the far end of the chamber reflects off of the mosaic tiles on the walls, which form images of a majestic, blue-scaled dragon on beds of copper and gold coins. Ahead is a workbench, twelve feet tall, with giant tools scattered across its surface as well as srystals and geodes, some radiant with psionic energy. A small building, ten feet tall and shaped like a house with a handle on its roof, stands to one side of the cave.
Serai stares for a long moment at the house. “It reminds me of a dollhouse,” she says and shudders with revulsion.
“I hear voices ahead,” Ishii whispers. He point to the light at the far end of the cavern. “From there.”
The students freeze and exchange looks. With deep breaths, they sneak as quietly as they can towards the light. They notice a crude ramp that leads to the light, but there seems to be no door or obvious light source. Ishii cautiously creeps up the ramp, concentrating on the soft light. He stares at it for a long moment, his eyes losing focus as he reaches out to the wall…
…and steps through it.
“It’s an illusion,” Dante says, grinning with appreciation. “A good one, but an illusion nonetheless.”