Let The Dance Begin
Unfortunately you didn't keep track of just how much you turned, so you have no idea which of the tunnels was right behind you.
Looking into the tunnels you see the same red glow, feel about the same heat and can't figure out which ones go up and which ones down. Well, it has to be one of them!
Deciding to try systematically, you head into the first tunnel. If you're wrong again you'll simply return by walking backwards without turning. Now why didn't you think of that before?
A short walk later you have found a third chamber without a corpse, and the ground is so hot you have to skip and jump to keep your feet off it as much as possible. It occurs to you that this cave may be meant for the next wanderer - meaning you - to die and burn in.
This is no laughing matter, yet there is laughter in the air (along with the much more sinister smell of brimstone and smoldering dragon skin). Turning your head slightly in the direction of the soft chuckle you are surprised to see a female standing calmly by the darkly glowing rock wall. For a moment you think the dragoness from earlier has caught up with you, then you notice her red skin that seems to have a soft glow and realize she must be a salamander or something.
She seems to find your antics amusing, and you must admit you see her point - or rather would have seen it if you had been impervious to fire and someone else came in acting like you.
You try to speak, but the hot air burns your lungs, so you try to breathe as little as possible. Looking over the red lady again you notice she's wearing shoes of a strange dull gray material, and she's being careful not to touch the rock with anything but her feet. Is that what protects her?
She looks down on the ground between you, and following her glance you notice another pair of shoes standing a few paces in front of you with the heels pointing in your direction. Even from this distance you can feel how cold they are.
You are about to step forward when it strikes you that shoes are a kind of clothes.
A kind of costume.
Maybe they offer not just protection but transformation? After all the only person wearing them at present appears to be a kind of salamander creature...
Turning your head slightly you are not really surprised to see eight tunnels behind you. Well, at least you made it this far...
Then it dawns upon you that maybe the others did get this far but didn't make it back...
Written by Won-Tolla on 17 November 2007