Korinn

KORINN

S hifting in my chains, I knelt beside Denna, cradling her limp form against my chest. The damp cave air clung to my skin, overlaid with the acrid stench of sulfur that permeated everything. The walls glistened with an oily sheen, and each breath felt like inhaling liquid fire.

My heart pounded in my ears as I brushed a strand of sweat-soaked hair from her face, my fingers lingering on the curve of her cheek.

"Are you burned?" I asked, my voice rough with worry.

Denna's eyes fluttered open, hazy and unfocused. She patted herself down weakly with her free hand. "No," she whispered. "You?"

"Me, neither. How did they bring us here, bind us without leaving burns? You saw the same as me, yes? Men made of lava, of rock."

She nodded, her gaze sharpening. "Lava men. With skin of stone. Why would they want us?"

The question hung heavy in the air. I didn't have a clue, and the possibilities made my stomach churn. "Never have I heard of these lava men," I admitted.

From outside the cell, sizzling, bubbling voices drifted closer. Two of the lava men passed by, their fiery eyes sliding right over us as if we weren't even there. I tensed, my arms tightening instinctively around Denna.

"It seems that sometimes, they aren't aware of our existence," she murmured, her breath hot against my neck.

I hummed in agreement, but I didn't want to dwell on it. The implications were too disturbing. If I had to guess, I'd say the lava men left their captives to die, to decompose in the warm, wet atmosphere. Most of the bone fragments littering the floor looked ancient, picked clean. Lava men were good at being oblivious, it seemed.

I crab-walked us awkwardly to the wall behind me, the chains attached to the ring in the stone clanking and scraping. A quick test-pull told me the shackles were firmly attached, unyielding.

"Your Valti might have the strength," Denna said, her voice tinged with hope.

I glanced down at the manacles binding my wrists, the metal biting into my skin. "These cuffs are too tight. I can't guarantee the transformation would break them. Or that they wouldn't break my wrists in the process."

Denna made a small, frustrated noise in the back of her throat. "How do we escape then?"

Another lava man passed the mouth of the cave. But this one didn't continue on like the others. It entered our prison with purposeful strides, its flaming eyes never once touching on us huddled in the corner. Its movements were eerily fluid for a being made of stone, each step leaving a trail of cooling embers.

As we watched in horrified fascination, it bent and grabbed a chunk of bone from the floor. The fragment smoked and sizzled in its molten grip, filling the chamber with a horrible burning stench. Then it popped the charred bone into its flaming maw, chewing noisily as it left.

"We're not going to be food for those things," I growled, renewed determination surging through me.

I maneuvered Denna off my lap and onto the floor, making sure she was propped comfortably against the wall. Then I rolled onto my back, facing the stone ceiling. Gripping the chains with both hands, I planted my feet and heaved with all my strength.

My back left the ground, my muscles screaming in protest. My knees shook from the strain. But after a long moment, I fell back to the hard floor, grunting in frustration and failure.

Denna's fingers intertwined with mine, her touch grounding me amidst the frustration.

I gripped the chains once more, my muscles burning with renewed determination. One arm free—that's all I needed. Planting my boots against the unforgiving rock, I heaved with every ounce of strength left in my battered body. Legs, back, and arms strained to their limits.

These chains looked ancient. Why wouldn't they yield?

My entire frame shook from the effort. Jaw clenched tight, neck cords bulging, I refused to give in. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision as spots danced before my eyes. Still, I persisted until I crashed back to the ground, lungs heaving for air.

The cursed links remained unbroken, taunting me. The air grew thicker, harder to draw breath. How long before this pit became our tomb?

A sharp pain lanced through my skull where the lava men had struck. I gingerly probed the tender lump, my fingers coming away tacky with half-dried blood.

"Perhaps you should rest a moment," Denna suggested gently.

But I couldn't stop. Not with my growing suspicions about our captors. The lava men's behavior led me to believe they had no intention of providing sustenance. In this oppressive heat, dehydration would claim us swiftly.

I kept those grim thoughts to myself, unwilling to voice them aloud.

My mind raced through scenarios—what if escape only led to worse peril? But the alternative was unthinkable.

Teeth grinding, I grasped the manacle on my right arm with my left hand. Using the full length of chain, attachment point, and wall bolts, I positioned myself for maximum leverage. Something had to give.

It held fast that time. And the next. I lost count of how many times I frantically wrenched at my restraints. My wrists grew raw, muscles screaming from the repetitive assault.

Just as I neared collapse, drenched in sweat, I felt a slight shift.

"Korrin! Look! That link!" Denna cried out, pointing with a shaky finger.

I swiped at my eyes, blinking away the salty sting of sweat. There! A small gap had appeared in one of the metal links. Not enough to slip the chain free, but it was a start.

Energized, I trapped the faulty link against the cave floor with my left hand. Then, using the cuff on my right wrist like a makeshift hammer, I pounded at the weak point over and over. Each impact bent the metal a fraction more, the sound echoing off the stone walls.

"Gods dammit!" I roared, bringing my cuff down in one final, mighty blow.

The link didn't split apart any further. Instead, to my shock, the cuff itself broke, falling to pieces around my wrist.

I sat frozen for a heartbeat, hardly daring to believe it. Then I ripped the mangled metal away, nearly giddy with relief. I flexed my freed hand, closing it into a fist.

"You did it!" Denna exclaimed, her eyes shining with renewed hope and admiration.

I studied the remaining cuff on my left wrist. The lock mechanism was simple, just a peg secured with a pin. But positioned as it was, it would have been impossible to disengage with both hands shackled. The manacles themselves were crude, more reliant on the wearer being fully bound than any real sophistication. With my right hand free, however...

I took the loose end of my broken chain and set about hammering the pin flat. Then, bracing the peg against the floor, I knocked it free with a few well-placed strikes. The cuff popped open and I slipped it off, savoring the feel of cool air on my abraded skin.

Denna and I gained our feet at the same time, moving slowly to avoid drawing attention.

"Make for the stairs?" she asked, keeping her voice low. Her eyes were intent on my face, searching.

I hesitated, thinking. "I'd prefer to find my sword first," I said. Not that they'd likely do much against beings of living rock and flame, but I felt naked without the familiar weight at my hip. Vulnerable.

"If the lava men stay true to the pattern, they probably just dropped it thoughtlessly nearby," Denna mused.

I was already moving to the arched doorway. Pressing my back to the warm stone, I risked a quick glance out into the tunnel. "You're probably right. But I have no idea where we were initially attacked."

Denna sidled up next to me, her shoulder brushing mine. "Follow the heat," she breathed. "Remember that vent in the floor? The stairs were right outside that big cavern with the shining walls."

Reluctantly, I eased into the connecting passageways, senses straining. There was no sign of our captors, but the gurgling of distant lava and the pop of molten rocks kept me on edge. We moved cautiously between branching caves, pausing at each juncture. Closing our eyes, we focused on the play of air currents over our skin, trying to trace the origins of the blasts of heated air.

Right when I was starting to feel foolish, wondering if we were wandering in circles, we stumbled into a familiar chamber. The cavern with the fissure in the center, glowing with barely contained lava, yawning at our feet.

"I see them!" Denna pointed, keeping her body angled behind an outcropping.

Her blade still rested in its scabbard, tossed carelessly a few feet from the vent. I could make out the scorched imprint of a molten hand on the leather. My own sword lay naked beside it, the metal winking dully in the reddish light.

I scanned the uneven walls, mapping our position. "Where did we enter originally?"

Denna squinted, then indicated a narrow offshoot with a subtle jut of her chin. "There. On the right."

"So the stairs we glimpsed before must be on the opposite side," I concluded. But from our vantage point, the continuation of the cave to the left was hidden from view.

We lingered in indecision for a few breaths, straining our ears for the telltale grinding of stone feet. Silence reigned, interrupted only by the menacing hiss and pop of the lava pool. Exchanging a quick glance, we slipped from our meager cover and dashed for our weapons.

Denna scooped up her sword and buckled it around her waist in one smooth motion, never breaking stride. I swept my own blade from the floor and fell in behind her, eyes roving the shadows for any sign of pursuit.

Together, we rounded the bend and sprinted for the distant staircase. It spiraled up into darkness, rough-hewn steps fading into obscurity.

"Keep your eyes open," I panted as we climbed, taking the steps two at a time. "I'll watch our backs. If you spot trouble up ahead, sing out."