#goodbye fire lizard!

The Gardens of Ynn,

Depth 8: The Burnt Tower, The Free Flame

Tired of attempting finesse, Drum gave up on the lock and instead struck at the glass side of the lantern cage. It shattered in a burst of shards, and the burning amphibian wasted no time in crawling its way out, wrapping around the ornate spire atop its former prison.

"Aha! Free at last, oh how wonderful, how Glorious. I feel renewed, reinvigorated, I simply must relish this."

As it spoke, it puffed up in excitement and seemed to grow larger and larger. Around the sides of the plaza, the shadows seemed to strain away from the burning light that was growing increasingly intense.

"Oh, poor darlings, they know I will burn them, but they are drawn to my light all the same, they cannot resist the allure of everything they are not."

The salamander was now the size of Durm, if not already larger. It looked down and saw the look of worry in his face. Its voice was growing deep and rough, like the boom and crackle of burning logs.

"I promised I would not hurt you, little minstrel, but I would hasten you on your way, before my flames do you harm in spite of myself. I fear I can only hold for so long."

As it said that, the wrought iron lamppost began to buckle and twist under its heat and weight. Durm reached down to grab the elixir from under the tiles. Just that proximity to the creature now of pure flame was enough to singe him. Its burning tail pointed back to the far corner of the maze.

"Go! Walk through the hedge and keep going. Goodspeed to you, Flame Friend."

Durm ran for the hidden exit, bursting through the gap in the fence and kept running along the narrow shortcut that ran through the hedge maze. The hedge maze that was quickly catching fire as a mad cackle filled the air.

The shortcut stopped at a sudden cut off, where the hedge maze gave way to a large clearing, seemingly already burned black. It was a crater, centred on a tower, somehow still standing. This was where the star had fallen. Spread all through the blackened landscape were small pieces of alabaster, standing out from the black, spread out in a perfectly symmetrical pattern.

Last time: Durm tried to free the Salamander.

Post overview.

Find the Gardens of Ynn here!