Most striking was the river of liquid fire, glowing orange and red, which appeared to emerge from a channel on the opposite wall of the great valley, spilling downward like a garish, mighty waterfall. The spume tumbled hundreds of feet from its lofty origin, burning the whole way, splashing explosively at the base of the wall. There the liquid fire bubbled and churned amidst a great lake of crimson-orange. Dark outcrops of rock jutted like islands above the surface, while currents eddied and surged along the inhospitable shores.
Other lakes and ponds-some fiery lava, others dark and sludgy as oil, or lightless water-dotted the broad valley floor. Far to the right the wall of the massive cavern was obscured by mist, as water from some unseen source made contact with the scalding rock and sizzled into steam. The cloud seethed and shimmered like a living curtain, and as they watched, it expanded to fill the whole end of the cavern. A few moments later, it dissipated, dissolving into a shower of rain that spattered and hissed on the hot rock, instantaneously evaporating, then thickening into fog, as the process started over again.
A thunderous blast rent the air, shaking the bedrock beneath Ankhar’s boots. To the left a geyser of liquid fire erupted, shooting a spume of burning rock hundreds of feet into the air. Several massive pieces of stone broke free from the walls and ceiling, jarred by the force of the blast. They tumbled and rolled down the slopes, most coming to rest in tangled piles, while a few plopped into the viscous lake of fire to be quickly swallowed up.
“Do we cross this place?” Ankhar asked skeptically. “Did dream show you that?”
“No. We must go down there.” Laka pointed to the vast lake situated in the middle of the cavern. “That is where we will find our ally.”
“Huh! Then let’s go find this ally,” the half-giant grunted, though he was hardly eager to visit the lake of fire.
“Be ready with your spear,” the ancient shaman hissed before turning to Hoarst. “And prepare to use your spells. There will be enemies here, and we must vanquish them or die.”
Ankhar drew his great weapon off his shoulder, taking comfort in the feel of the smooth, familiar haft. He looked around for something to stab, mildly disappointed to discover the absence of any foe. He started down the rocky slope, his long strides easily taking him from shelf to shelf of the natural staircase. With his spear in one hand, he helped Laka over the ledges, some of them set at precipitous intervals. All the while, he kept alert, his eyes scanning the cavern, looking for the enemies his mother had warned of.
The first such enemy abruptly rose into view close to them as they neared the cavern floor-it had crouched among the rocks, indistinguishable from the boulders strewn everywhere, until its sudden movement. The thing reared now, a giant-sized being made of stone, with rippling sinews of rock outlined in two legs, two arms, a torso, and a great crude block of a head. A pair of dark hollows gaped beneath a clifflike brow.
Despite being startled, the half-giant struck at once, thrusting his great spear against the stone fist punching toward his face. The emerald head of his weapon, enchanted with the blessing of the Prince of Lies, shattered the stone fist, and the elemental creature of stone and dirt staggered back. The creature was larger than Ankhar but less nimble, and the half-giant followed his first thrust with a series of fierce stabs, chipping pieces away from the grotesque being. Finally Ankhar thrust his weapon straight into the stony torso, a blow that knocked the beast backward off its perch. Tumbling to deeper bedrock, the elemental shattered into so many crumbs of gravel.
Before Ankhar resumed a more cautious descent, he saw Laka reach down, paw through the shards remaining from the elemental, and select a piece that was small enough to hold easily in her palm. Nodding in satisfaction, she tucked the stone away in one of her many pouches and curtly gestured to the half-giant to continue his pace.
They proceeded downward, alert and careful, toward the cavern floor. They came to a broad ledge, perhaps halfway down from the vantage where they had entered the chamber. Ankhar took a step onto what he thought was a solid shelf of rock, but stumbled as his foot sank into soft, oozing mud. He toppled and lurched forward, maintaining his balance only by plunging his second foot into the mire. In a matter of a breath he had sunk to his knees and felt the warm goo steadily rising up toward his thighs.
“Hsst-beware!” cried Laka, raising her totem. The green light outlined a shape rising from the mire just a few paces beyond Ankhar. This was another elemental, forged from the muddy water much as their first opponent had been crafted from rock. The half-giant stabbed with his spear, but his balance was poor and the blade made only a small gash in one of the elemental’s limbs. The water swiftly flowed back to close the wound, and the magical creature continued to rise from the pond, drawing the liquid from the pool to collect itself into a gigantic foe more than twice the height of the half-giant.
“Drop down-duck!” said Hoarst, and Ankhar instantly squatted. So much earth had been drawn into the creature’s body that the half-giant could fling away mud and hurl himself to the side as the wizard behind him snarled out the words to a spell.
The eruption of magic was soundless and lightless, but the great power of it penetrated to the half-giant’s core. The savage blast of cold passed just over Ankhar’s body, leaving an icy chill skittering across his skin as it swept outward in an expanding cone of lethal frost. The spell struck the mud-giant full across its body, covering it with an instantaneous layer of frost, then freezing the creature hard in its posture of mid-attack. One leg still twitched, but the rest of the body twisted rigidly, awkward and frozen.
“Now-strike it with your spear!” cried the Thorn Knight.
Ankhar stabbed with all of his strength, again holding his weapon with both hands, driving the chiseled emerald head into the frozen water elemental’s midsection. The monster shattered like a statue made from ice, blocks of frozen water tumbling to the ground, slowly melting back into the residual muck of the ground. As with the stone elemental, Laka paused to reach down, collected a piece of the creature’s remains, and placed it safely in one of her pouches before giving Ankhar the signal to continue.
“We must hurry,” Ankhar urged, lifting Laka by one arm and swinging her to the far side of the pit before striding after her. Hoarst, moving quickly, skirted the bowl-shaped depression to join them on the far side. The half-giant glanced back warily, wondering if the pieces of the water-monster would show signs of reassembling into life. But the blocks of ice remained inert, even as they melted into little puddles of muddy water.
Strangely, the ancient shaman seemed gratified by their encounter. “These are the servants of the one we shall enslave,” she said proudly. “And to judge by his retainers, he is mighty, indeed.”
Next to materialize were guardians made of fire, a trio of flaming giants spewing up out of the liquid rock. Waving crazily, uttering roars like the fiery blasts of a furnace, they emerged from the lake of lava to block the travelers’ path. Casting sparks, dripping flames, they surged up the slope toward the mortal intruders. Ankhar pierced one with blows of his enchanted spear, though not before their flames singed both his fists. Laka doused the other pair when she brandished her skull totem and somehow conjured forth a rainstorm that spilled torrents of water over the fiery shapes. They hissed and sizzled and eventually, washed out of existence. Before they completely faded, she gingerly picked up the glowing ember of one fire guardian and hastily dropped it into a chain-mesh pocket.
As they drew near to the edge of the fire lake, the searing heat practically baked their skin. Sweat flowed in rivulets down Ankhar’s face, and he had to blink repeatedly to clear his eyesight. Shielding his eyes, he felt something surprisingly pleasurable-something cool. A breeze wafted over his skin, evaporating his sweat and easing the infernal heat. The only trouble was that the growing breeze came from another attacker.