In the depths of the dungeon, the clattering of heavy chains echoed. From the stone walls came the groans of tortured souls. Mamir, Ener, and Runya pressed forward through the dark corridors when suddenly, a crimson glow flared before them.
At the great door stood two towering guardians of fire. Their flaming bodies were twice the size of men, their eyes burning like embers.
One of them roared in a deep, hollow voice:
— "None shall pass this gate!"
Mamir unsheathed his blade, Ener tightened his grip on his daggers, and Kabur stepped forward with a fierce neigh. Then the battle erupted.
The first guardian raised his hands. Fire swirled in his palms, forming a blazing orb. With a roar, he hurled it at Mamir. Mamir brought his sword forward, slicing through the spell, but the explosion knocked him back several steps.
Ener darted in like a shadow, slashing at the guardian's joints with his daggers. Sparks scattered with every strike. The guardian swung his burning hand like a claw, flinging Ener against the stone wall. His breath was stolen away as he hit.
The other guardian slammed his flaming axe to the ground. A wave of fire rippled across the hall. Runya's face was scorched by the heat. She raised her hand and wove a shield of fae magic. For a moment, the shield glimmered… then shattered into fragments of light. Runya fell to her knees, sweat dripping from her brow.
Mamir charged, fury burning in his eyes. His sword clashed with the fiery body of the guardian, sparks and flame scattering. The creature howled but did not fall. Another fireball shot toward Mamir. He rolled aside, barely escaping the blaze.
Ener recovered, moving behind the other guardian. This time, he drove both daggers into its back. The guardian shrieked, flames bursting from its core, nearly burning Ener's hair, but the rogue refused to retreat.
Runya clenched her teeth, tears spilling as she whispered her final incantation. Light surged from her palms, stripping the fire from the air. The guardians flickered, weakened.
— "Now!" Mamir roared.
With all his might, he swung his blade. The Elf Light Sword cleaved through one guardian's neck, severing it from its body. Ener struck the other in the chest with his twin daggers. As Runya's magic extinguished the last of their flames, the monstrous bodies crumbled to ash.
Silence fell in the dungeon. Runya collapsed, but Mamir rushed to her side, catching her arm.
— "Hold on, Runya…" he whispered.
Meanwhile, Ener was breaking the prisoners free. As he loosened one set of chains, he heard a frail voice whispering, "Kirarya… Necor…" The sound made him freeze.
It was a woman — black-haired, pale-skinned, her beauty barely veiled by suffering. She lay trembling on the ground. Ener's eyes widened, and he called out:
— "Mamir! Quickly! This woman… she's muttering something!"
The chains fell away. Her weak gaze lifted, and when it found Mamir, recognition shone. Her lips trembled.
— "My nephew…" she whispered, before fainting.
Mamir's heart thundered. This was Bete Turok, his mother's younger sister. She was only twenty-seven, yet the horrors of torment weighed heavily on her.
Runya, with the last of her strength, laid glowing hands upon Bete. The light sealed her wounds just enough to let her breathe, speak, and rise again.
Bete opened her eyes, tears streaming, and pulled Mamir into her arms.
— "When we reached Elandura with your mother, you were but ten years old… And now… look how much you've grown…"
She drew a shaky breath, her voice soft but resolute.
— "There is so much I must tell you, my dear nephew…"
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