The Fire-Blood Maiden

The buried road opens into a broad waystation carved beneath the earth. Stone bays branch from a central floor of fitted slabs, their arches buried in dust and silence.

Braska advances between the empty bays, carrying the bronze coffer above its padded shoulders. Ahead, a sealed arch bears the crooked branching sign, worn but unmistakable.

The coffer answers the distant tone with a second chime. Beneath the dust, faint lines of old magic awaken across the fitted slabs and trace a crossing beyond the chamber.

Braska stops before the sealed arch and lowers its horned head. The coffer’s bronze fittings glow faintly, while the lizard’s injured leg remains carefully lifted from the cold stone.

The old magic brightens in a narrow path leading from Braska to the sealed arch, then fades into darkness beyond it. The waystation waits without revealing its price.

Kara nods and keeps her feet beyond the faintly glowing crossing. Braska lowers its head, then steps onto the old magic’s narrow path before the sealed arch.

The fitted slabs brighten beneath Braska’s careful weight, revealing branching lines that curve around its padded support rather than binding it. The bronze coffer answers with a low, resonant chime.

Kara follows as Braska advances across the crossing. The old magic gathers beneath each step, steady and pale, while the sealed arch’s branching sign begins to glow from within.

At the arch, Braska pauses and turns its horned head toward Kara. Its injured leg remains lifted with care, and the coffer rests securely above its shoulders.

The final line of magic reaches the sealed arch. Stone groans softly, dust loosens from the ancient joints, and a narrow opening appears beyond Braska, leading farther into the buried road.

Kara draws close behind Braska, placing each foot only where the fitted slabs remain dark. Her attention catches faint seams beneath the dust, revealing which stones bear solid weight and which conceal hollow gaps.

She reaches Braska’s shoulder without disturbing the glowing path. The old magic bends around her boots in pale threads, accepting her careful presence beside the pack lizard rather than treating her as another burden.

Braska glances back at Kara, then advances with renewed steadiness. Beneath its next step, a concealed line brightens and unlocks a second narrow arch to the left of the sealed passage.

Braska lowers its head toward the newly revealed arch, then waits close beside Kara. The bronze coffer remains secure above its shoulders as the alternate passage opens into cool darkness.

Kara nods and pats Braska’s broad shoulder, then follows as the pack lizard turns into the newly opened side arch. Her touch is brief and careful, leaving its injured leg undisturbed.

The alternate passage slopes gently downward, its cool walls crowded with branching marks. Braska guides the coffer through the narrow opening, and the padded support clears the stone without a scrape.

Kara keeps pace through the arch. Behind her, the ancient stones settle into silence; ahead, a faint daylight-colored glow gathers along the passage floor and reveals a distant exit.

Braska emerges into a sheltered ravine beyond the buried road, where pine roots grip the rock and a narrow stream threads through moss. The bronze coffer remains secure above its shoulders.