“I can’t believe we made it,” Josh said, wincing as his girlfriend smeared a thick burn salve on his arm before bandaging it.
“You should’ve been more careful!” she scolded, still focused on the injury. “That dragon could’ve fried you!”>
“But it didn’t,” he said. “And I had to distract it so that you could shoot it, didn’t I?"
“Shut up,” complained Jake. “Let’s just get the amulet and destroy the damn thing so that the empress will die and we can go home.”
Quickly, the trio hurried over to the tunnel that led deep into the mountain. Shera drew out her dagger and recited the spell that caused its jeweled hilt to shine brightly, then led them into the unknown path. Slipping slightly over the loose rock and shale, she almost didn’t see the tiny chest secreted in a crack of the cave.
“What’s that?” asked Shera, grabbing the note that lay inside the box. She held up the light.
Nice try
, said the note. It was signed,
Empress Adrienna.
“You mean it’s not here?” said Jake, throwing it to the ground in frustration. “Damn it!”
“Look out!” screamed Shera. But there was nothing they could do. A rush of water was already cascading through the tunnel, sweeping them along and bashing them against rocks until it suddenly emptied into the river of fire with an enormous hiss of steam. Once the tunnel was clear, a gnome opened a hidden door in the cave and placed another rotten wooden box in the crevice.
“That’s 2 this month already!” he grumbled to himself. “If the keep this up, I’ll need another shipment of chests.” He slammed the door behind him, leaving the trap reset for the next adventurous hero who wanted to defeat his empress.
