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Chapter — Ardent Hollow's Kitchen Test
Rosemary's estate was the kind of place where sunlight seemed to dress itself before entering. Soft pink curtains filtered the morning glow into a rose-tinted haze, draping the marble floors in gentle warmth. Crystal vases brimmed with fresh lilies, and the air smelled faintly of berries and spice—no doubt a hint of the princess's refined tastes.
"This is only my summer wing," Rosemary said casually, gliding ahead in her yellow dress as if she were part of the sunlight itself.
Oliver trailed behind, eyes darting from embroidered tapestries to the polished silver fixtures. Sorrel, meanwhile, had her Aether book tucked under her arm, glancing at the intricate symbols etched along the hallways—family wards, preservation charms, and some runes she didn't recognize.
After a light tour, Rosemary stopped before a balcony framed in floral goldwork. She turned, magenta hair shimmering under the filtered sun.
"Well then," she said, her tone shifting from pleasant host to poised mage, "let's not waste time."
A snap of her fingers summoned a ribbon of fire that danced across her palm. It twisted in the air, stretching and spinning until it tore open a circular frame of molten light. The heat pulsed outward in gentle waves, and beyond the threshold… a volcanic horizon burned crimson against an ash-gray sky.
"Ardent Hollow," Rosemary announced. "Stay close. The place is alive in more ways than one."
The three stepped through, the scent of roses vanishing, replaced by sulfur and scorched stone. Magma glowed in streams between jagged black ridges, and every so often, a faint hiss came from patches of molten rock cooling in the wind.
Slimes in shimmering hues bobbed around the rocky plains—some glowing orange, others a pale blue. Rosemary kept a dignified pace, unfazed by the molten air.
"To earn the Salamander elemental," she explained, "you must help someone most travelers overlook. The trial is not only of fire, but of will and craft."
They descended a winding path into a hollowed-out cliff. There, the sound of furious chopping, clattering pans, and sizzling steam erupted from a stone-built kitchen wedged between two magma vents.
Inside, a single girl worked with such speed her silhouette was a blur. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her sleeves rolled up past the elbows. The aroma of herbs and charred peppers hit them immediately.
She didn't look up until Rosemary called her name.
"Lira," Rosemary greeted warmly, "these are Oliver and Sorrel. They're here for the Salamander trial."
Lira leaned on the counter, catching her breath. "Trial, huh? Well, here's your task—make something worthy of the Slime Queen. I've been at it for days, and I'm out of ideas. Out of ingredients too. The queen demands something bold, fiery, but with harmony."
Sorrel raised an eyebrow. "In the middle of a volcano?"
"Exactly." Lira smirked. "The ingredients you need are scattered across Ardent Hollow's volcanic ecosystem. Some will try to burn you. Some will try to eat you."
Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. "So… scavenger hunt in a lava maze?"
"Pretty much," Lira said, already tossing them small satchels. "Bring me Ember Peppers from the Ash Gardens, a Lava Crab's shell spice from the basalt shores, and if you can—Molten Honey from the Fire Bloom nests. Then we'll see if you've got the flame for Salamander."
The heat outside suddenly felt heavier. Sorrel glanced at Oliver.
"Well," she said, "looks like dinner's on us."
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