Spectrum: Chapter Three 3/8

   When they entered the Ringcon Caves, Clara tried holding up the Garnet Wreath in hopes that its power would be rekindled. However, nothing happened, and the group knew that they would have to do things the hard way.

   The water from the flood that had stranded Clara in the caves had mostly seeped away or dried out, which made several tunnels that had been previously impassable now accessible. Unfortunately, this had also allowed some of the more dangerous local wildlife to move back into the area. The Silverfish were gone with the water, now replaced instead by hostile Wyrms, Fleshy Fungi, Tendrilled Slugs, and Luminous Slimes.

   Despite Clara’s protests at the, er, unattractiveness of their opponents, Seles realized that this was a good place to get used to their new magic. The Luminous Slimes had the ability to immediately and asexually divide themselves into two identical beings, providing more enemies to practice upon, and the Fleshy Fungi could plant spores that would soon sprout into new Fungi (although this was accompanied by a spray of the dangerous spores, which had to be avoided). Clara’s disgust aside, the experience they got was valuable and the battles quite necessary.

   They combed the Ringcon Caves as thoroughly as they could, searching for any clue to the entrance to the Crimson Palace. However, they found nothing until Seles realized that in the middle of one particular, otherwise unremarkable tunnel, he could feel something of a breeze. He tracked the breeze down to a slim hole in the wall that led to a long, low tunnel sloping upward. To their surprise, the tunnel came out into the bright sunshine high up in the Twilight Mountains, much higher than they could have climbed on their own. Whether this had anything to do with Rogalian or not, they weren’t sure, but it was certainly something worth exploring.

   There was something of a path out there on the side of the mountain, and they picked their way up it, fighting off Gold Vipers and Bright Eagles. The Bright Eagles used magic of their own; it was called Bedazzle, and it would blind one of them with a brilliant light, rendering them temporarily defenseless. Fortunately, Bright Eagles hunt solo, so even if one of the friends was stunned by Bedazzle, the other three could easily protect them from the Eagle’s beak and claws.

   It wasn’t until they reached the top of the mountain they were climbing upon that they realized they had unwittingly found their goal.