Book One Chapter Twenty Seven: King Salamander Intro

Book One Chapter Twenty Seven: King Salamander Intro

The room was gorgeous. There were thousands of tiny seats, some with little ladders to climb up to them. Massive columns held up the rock ceiling, and a golden rug led to an empty pedestal next to a giant golden throne.

And on that massive throne there was a tiny little black lizard, speckled with yellow, star-like markings. It was looking at the Chosen One, who was still admiring all the riches. It flickered its tongue out at him, a hint of flame sparking from its triple-forked tongue. On its head was a teeny-tiny golden crown, adorably askew due to the creature lacking ears.

The Chosen One, shoved by Qube so Sexy Screamy Spider Lady could squeeze her way down the ladder, finally paid attention to the little lizard leader.

Greetingssss, Light-Bringer, the tiny lizard said in a surprisingly loud voice. You have come to fulfil the Golden Prophecy, yesss?

Qube was impressed with the reptiles intuition. To know that the Chosen One was the Chosen One just from a glance-! Clearly they were dealing with a very wise being.

Then, to her total surprise, the Chosen One kneeled before the lizard royal! Qube gasped, only to realise that he was actually just rolling up the golden rug.

Yeah, steal fires start or something, right? the Chosen One said, as if he wasnt trying to stuff this creatures rug into his backpack.

Yesssss. You undersssstand, the little lizard king? It sounded pretty masculine, but then Qube wasnt sure about lizard genders, hissed. Then it reared up onto his hind legs and called out: Court Announcer!

Another tiny lizard scurried out from behind one of the thrones legs.

You called, my liege? it squeaked. It was wearing an adorable ruff around its neck.

Gather the noblesss, the crowned-lizard commanded.

At once, your majesssty, the Court Announcer chirped, before running directly up the leg of the giant golden throne. Once it was on the arm of the chair, it suddenly puffed itself up and bellowed.

Court is now in sssesssion!

The walls of lava began to writhe. In a heartbeat, a thousand strips of red-hot magma splashed onto the ground, and began racing towards the throne. As they moved, the magma sloughed off of them, revealing little lizards, their bodies glowing white from the heat.

Qube cast [Lesser Shield] on the Chosen One almost by reflex, but the wave of creatures split before the party, flowing around them like a school of fish. As they reached the mini chairs, little rivulets splintered off from the main group to start climbing them, but the main mass swarmed up the giant golden throne, lifting the tiny king as they collectively formed a humanoid body, the little monarch sitting where the head would be.

Qube looked around at the now-filled court. Each chair had a somewhat-dressed lizard sitting upright in it, staring at the king intently as the multitude of bodies cooled, slowly turning black.

Welcome, Light Bringer, to the Court of the Sssalamandersss, the head lizard - or, salamander, maybe? hissed.

---

Descending down the ladder, the next room was another wide open space. The walls still shifted with magma, but now Qube thought she could pick out tiny yellow stars and pitch black eyes as various salamanders used these heated pathways.

In the middle of the circular room, there was a shallow well with some kind of clear liquid in the bottom of it. Surrounding it were several unlit standing torches, similar to the ones outside the Forbidden Forest, and on the ground was a long wooden stick.

Once the last of the party, Sexy Screamy Spider Lady, had managed to flail her way down the stairs (watching her descend was somewhat terrifying, with her multitude of limbs waving about and trying to find purchase), Qube was horrified to see their ladder retreating back to the ceiling!

Wait! she cried, reaching out to grab the ladder. The Chosen One glanced at the disappearing ladder, but went back to studying the well. None of the others seemed particularly interested in the fact that they were now trapped inside of a fire temple with no exit. Qube fought the urge to yell at them for not helping her grab at the ladder, and forced herself to focus on the mission at hand.

Bring light to the room, Sewer Bard read the inscription etched on the side of the well.

The room was already well lit, from Qubes perspective. She wouldnt have thought that magma could give them so much light, but it was more than enough to read by and also why had someone bothered to carve such vague instructions onto the well?

The Chosen One picked up the large wooden stick and gave it a few experimental swings. Somehow it seemed to have grown, and was now almost the size of a fighting staff. He looked at the magma walls, then back at the stick. The party waited for a moment, seeing what he would do.

Qube was about to offer her expert Childhood Companion based opinion when-

The text would seem to suggest that if we can find some way to light these torches, we will be able to move forward, Definitely Bad Guy told the Chosen One. Qube frowned at Definitely Bad Guy. The Chosen One hadnt asked for his opinion! She was supposed to be the Chosen Ones guiding light!

Maybe there is something you can find to heat things up, Sexy Screamy Spider Lady said, with only her default amount of suggestive winking and abdomen swaying.

Again, Qube thought, this was her job. The Chosen One asked her when he needed advice. Why was Sexy Screamy Spider Lady telling him what to do?

Noble Patron, I believe I recall a story I once read about similar circumstances- Sewer Bard started saying.

Make Definitely Bad Guy throw fireballs! Burn the torches and the well, Qube snapped, causing Sewer Bard to stop, puzzled by the feeling that hed been interrupted. Sewer Bard looked over at Qubes vague direction. Qube ignored him.

She was the Childhood Companion, Prophecy plague them! This was her job!

And, By the Words, if she had to make them burn everything in this room in order to be the Chosen Ones guiding light, so be it!

This was her destiny!