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Chapter 417
Leesa stepped around Kai and Rave, moving toward the door in front to examine it. Rave and Kai followed close behind her. The others also crept closer.
The panel revealed by Leesa’s magic glow was breathtakingly beautiful, made of some metal that shone under the light like polished silver. Intricate etchings of dragons, mountains, trees and flowers covered the entire surface. Whoever had fashioned this door had taken great pains in the craftsmanship.
Unfortunately, Leesa could see neither a handle nor hinges on this side. And the edges of the panel fit seamlessly against the rock on all sides.
“This is gnome work, by the look of it,” Kai said from behind her shoulder. “Very ancient, I should guess.”
Leesa looked at the panel again. To her, the metal did not seem aged at all—the surface was still shiny and the details of the etchings remained as clear and sharp as if they had been carved yesterday. Shielded as it was fro
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 418
Rave was the first to move through the now open passageway, wrapping Leesa in a warm hug and kissing her on the forehead.“Nice job,” he said.“Mmmmm,” Leesa sighed as she returned his embrace. “I almost hope we come across a couple more sealed doors I can open.” Reluctantly, she let go of him. “I guess we should be getting back on our way, though.”“We need to be even more careful now,” Kai said. “There may be more booby-traps ahead. Fiona, you go lead the way now. Check the ground VERY carefully for us.”Fiona chirped a short acknowledgement and floated slowly off down the tunnel, staying just a few inches above the ground. She flew in a zigzag pattern, allowing her to examine every bit of the stone from close up. The company followed behind her, staying as close to the center of the passage as they could. They traveled much more slowly this way, but they needed to be cautious.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 419
“Well, it's good to know we’re getting close,” Rerun said after Ariandre’s voice disappeared.“I could have done without that ‘grave danger’ part, though,” Doc added.“What, did you think we were following this tunnel down to a picnic in a park?” Sneak teased lightheartedly.Doc shoved him playfully on the shoulder. “Shut up, you.”Leah felt buoyed by the cheerful spirits of her friends. She was glad they were all here with her, and were taking this so well. She lifted her chin toward Dolph.“What are we going to do with him?” she asked no one in particular.“I can maintain the shield for awhile if we leave him,” Leesa said, “but eventually distance will end the spell and he’ll be free.”The gnome watched them with interest, but just like they could no longer hear his spellbinding voice, he could not hear theirs. He could tell they were talking about him, though.“I don’t like the idea of having him loose somewhere behind us,” Kai said. “I think we should bring him along.”“I agree,”
Leesa's Advent Chapter 420
When they exited the tunnel, most of the company looked down over the side of the ledge to view the bubbling lava far below. They didn’t look long, though. Not only was the heat greater without the ledge to shield their faces, but the molten lava was a reminder of the grisly fate that awaited them if something went wrong.They weren’t all that much happier when they turned their gazes to the nearly two hundred foot long bridge they needed to cross. More than four feet thick in most places, it appeared sturdy enough, but it seemed awfully narrow to provide a safe crossing. At the far end they spotted the dark entrances to three more lava tubes. How they would choose which one to follow they didn’t know—but before they decided that, they first had to get across to the other side.Their misgivings heightened as they drew nearer to the foot of the bridge. From here, they could see that the rock span was never more than twelve inches wide, and in som
Leesa's Advent Chapter 421
Leesa stared in mute horror at the spot where the love of her life had just disappeared. Her entire body felt limp, empty, drained of all life, all vitality. This simply could not have happened. She and Rave were supposed to have hundreds of years together, blissful centuries to enjoy their love. She knew not even Rave could survive the fiery heat of the molten lava. Somehow, she should have been able to save him. What good was her magic if it had failed her when she needed it most? The guilt and the heavy weight of her failure added to her sorrow.Tears streamed unnoticed down her cheeks. All her dreams for their future had just vanished in this one terrible, horrifying moment. She continued to stare blankly down at the lava, waiting for what, she had no idea.Suddenly, Rave and Lights burst up through the bubbling surface of the lava, flying upward in a twisting, tumbling manner so awkward it appeared unreal. The motion was so impossible she thought she must be imagi
Leesa's Advent Chapter 422
They set off into the tunnel Dolph had indicated, with Rave and Kai once again leading the way and Fiona flying between them. As usual, Leesa and Leah followed close behind the two men.The trek through this new passage was far shorter than the previous one. The lava-filled chamber they had just crossed told them they must be getting near to the center of the mountain, and in less than fifteen minutes they reached it.As before, they stopped a few paces from the end of the lava tube, remaining sheltered within its dim confines. Ahead of them the air was awash with the flickering, bright red and orange light of reflected lava. Leesa noticed that Fiona’s glow had dimmed considerably in the last few minutes and wondered why.The faerie twittered quietly to Rave and Kai.“Fiona can sense the presence of Ariandre’s horn,” Kai explained to the others. “It’s not far away.”Fiona chirped again.“She al
Leesa's Advent Chapter 423
Leesa and Plush needed to keep their eyes glued to the magical yellow mark and to the horn as they continued pulling Sneak back toward the cave, but everyone else looked down and saw Baalgur lift his huge scaly head, shaking it slowly back and forth as if to wake himself from a deep slumber. A moment later, he unfurled his leathery, membranous wings. A cloud of flame snuffed from his mouth as he readied his dragon fire for attack.With one flap of his enormous wings he spiraled upward, using the rising currents of hot air from the molten lava below to add speed to his climb.Leah watched anxiously, measuring the dragon’s speed against the pace of the shining white horn drawing ever nearer to them. The race was going to be a close one—it could go either way. She had a decision to make, and not much time to make it in.Baalgur opened his massive jaws. Leah could see a ball of orange fire rising from his throat.“Run, everyone!” she c
Leesa's Advent Chapter 424
The company headed up the tunnel at a brisk trot, maintaining a pace that would put distance behind them without exhausting their lungs and muscles too quickly. Once again, Leesa, Lights and Fiona illuminated the way, risking slightly brighter lights than before because of their accelerated pace.When they came upon a second lava tube branching off to the right, Kai led them into it. Simply retracing their steps as they fled was not an option—it would have only brought them to a dead end in the chamber where the rock bridge had collapsed. They needed to find a new way out of the volcano, and any tube that angled upward was a possible exit. They just had to hope the new tunnel did not come to an abrupt end in a wall of rock somewhere.Plush was the first to feel the effects of their extended run up from the depths of the mountain. Using her Power to carry Dolph and then to help lift Sneak had depleted her energy reserves.“I need a rest,” she hu
Leesa's Advent Chapter 425
“Do you have something in mind, Sergeant?” Colonel Gallway asked.“This tunnel offers some protection,” the sergeant replied, “but it also limits our field of fire. I don’t know if our bullets will affect that beast at all, but our best chance to find out is from below, where we can aim at its belly. You and me and Jordy can slip a short way down the slope and find some rocks to shelter us. When Baalgur confronts Leah, we can shoot up at it from down there.”“Okay, we’ll do as you suggest,” Colonel Gallway said. He looked to the others. “Any other suggestions?”“I’ll stand with Leah,” Leesa said, “and add my magic to her Power. Perhaps it will help make the difference.” From her recent close call with Baalgur’s fire, she wasn’t at all certain her hope would prove true. She kept that thought to herself, though.“There’s one other th
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