One month later…
"Finally, we reached Moltenforge Town," Aeron sighed in relief.
The three of them sat in the back of a creaky carriage as it rolled past the town's massive border gate. Heat waves shimmered in the air, and the scent of molten steel filled their noses. The constant rhythm of hammering echoed in every direction. For as far as the eye could see, there were only workshops, forges, and stores overflowing with metal goods.
"Where do we even start looking for someone who can break these chains?" Aeron asked, glancing down at the cursed chain binding him and Allesio.
"This town's got hundreds of blacksmiths. We just have to find the right one," Arcane replied.
They asked in shop after shop, but the answer was always the same: No one could break it.
Eventually, they reached a modest, timeworn forge tucked into a quiet corner of town. An old blacksmith with a weathered face and soot-covered hands inspected their chain.
"This is Obsidiansteel… the strongest obtainable metal known to mankind. Forged with ancient magic. It can't be broken by human hands," he muttered.
"Isn't there any way?" Aeron asked, desperate.
"There is… but it's dangerous," the old man said, pausing. "Not far from here, there's a volcano. Deep within it sleeps an ancient dragon. They say its flame is so hot, it can melt anything—even Obsidiansteel."
Arcane's eyes lit up. "Where is this volcano?"
Later that day, Aeron, Allesio, and Arcane arrived in a shady-looking village. The place looked poor and forgotten—roofs patched with straw, buildings cracked and weathered. The sky above the nearby volcano glowed faintly red, its peak wrapped in thick, dark clouds.
"There it is," Arcane pointed to the towering volcano surrounded by dense forest.
"Let's go," Aeron said firmly.
Just then, an old man approached them, leaning on his cane.
"Are you three heading to the volcano?" he asked, his voice wary.
"Yes," Aeron replied.
"That dragon's been asleep for centuries. If you wake it… this village will burn," the old man warned before slowly walking away.
Aeron looked around and thought "We can't risk the lives of innocent people."
"This maybe our last option to break the chain," Arcane said.
"Let's stay the night here. Tomorrow we'll return to Moltenforge and keep searching," Aeron decided.
That night, they took shelter in a horse stable, sleeping on piles of hay.
A sudden sound startled Aeron awake. He sat up slowly, ears straining. Faint whispers came from just outside the hut. He caught a word—"burn."
"Burn?" Aeron whispered, confused.
Then he smelled something—fuel.
"Wake up!" he shouted. "We're in danger!"
Allesio and Arcane jolted awake. "What happened?" Arcane asked.
"Someone's trying to burn the stable!" Aeron replied.
They rushed outside and saw two men near the stable—one of them holding a torch.
Without hesitation, Arcane and Allesio pinned them to the ground.
"What do you think you're doing? Burning the stable and killing us" Arcane demanded.
"Burning the stable?" the man confused. "You've got it wrong. We're trying to burn that."
He pointed to a massive dead creature nearby.
"A… Zephyr?" Arcane recognized it immediately.
The Zephyr was the size of a mammoth, with two long, spiral horns, its gray fur matted with blood. It was a beast known to feed on livestock and terrorize remote villages.
"They come every day—trample our fields, eat our animals," one of the men growled. "We kill them, but they keep coming."
"Wouldn't the dragon wake up from all the noise?" Aeron asked, glancing toward the glowing volcano.
"We believe it only awakens with physical contact. Sounds don't seem to bother it, What we assumed so far" the second man answered.
Aeron thought for a moment. "Is it okay if we see the dragon tomorrow? We won't touch it."
"As long as you don't wake it up," the man warned.
Back inside the stable, the three of them sat on the hay, the flames from the burning Zephyr casting dancing shadows on the wall.
"So… why the change in plan?" Arcane asked.
Aeron's eyes gleamed with determination. "I'm thinking of trying something."
"What exactly are you thinking?" Arcane asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll see," Aeron replied with a mysterious smirk.
"I have a bad feeling about this" Arcane sighed
The next day…
Three of them stood at the base of the volcano, staring into a massive, gaping hole carved into its side. Heat radiated from within, the air thick and heavy. They carefully approached the edge and peered inside.
At the heart of the cave, a colossal dragon lay dormant. Its body was enormous, coated in dark obsidian scales that shimmered slightly in the orange glow of the surrounding lava. Jagged spikes ran down its back like a row of deadly mountains, and thick smoke rose from its nostrils with every breath. The dragon slept atop a large stone slab, surrounded by pools of molten lava that bubbled and glowed ominously in the dim chamber.
The three of them stood cautiously on a narrow ledge near the cave's entrance, the sheer heat forcing sweat to pour down their faces.
"It's… insanely hot in here," Aeron said, wiping his forehead.
"What exactly are you planning?" Arcane asked, eyeing the dragon nervously.
"We might not be able to use the dragon's flame, but we can use that molten lava to melt the chain," Aeron said, pointing toward the glowing pools below.
"That's extremely risky," Arcane said with concern. "How do you plan to even get close to it?"
"See those slabs scattered near the lava?" Aeron asked.
Arcane squinted. "Yeah, I see them"
"I think they're solid enough to hold our weight."
"You're serious about this?" Arcane asked in disbelief.
Aeron gave a nod. "It's the only shot we've got."
The walls of the cave were steep but carved like uneven stairs. Carefully, they began making their way downward, every step dangerous. As they neared the bottom, the heat became almost unbearable, making their skin sting and clothes cling.
"That's a big jump," Aeron said, staring at the wide gap between their ledge and the closest stone slab.
"If we leap, we might make it," Arcane said.
"But if we miss… it's over," Aeron muttered, calculating the distance.
As they debated, the volcano suddenly trembled, a deep rumble shaking the entire cave.
"The volcano—!" Aeron shouted.
Chunks of stone began crumbling from above. The three of them turned and rushed back toward the entrance. Just as they reached the top, a large chunk of rock fell—and landed directly on the dragon's body.
The dragon's eyes snapped open—burning crimson. It slowly raised its monstrous head, its mouth parting in a deafening, guttural roar that shook the mountainside.
The three froze in terror.
"Oh no," Arcane muttered.
"We're in big trouble," Aeron whispered.