Elara’s hooves clinked softly against the molten-red stone, the air thick with the acrid tang of sulfur and copper. The deeper they ventured into the Earthen Furnace, the hotter and more oppressive the atmosphere became, but she was used to this by now. A faint sheen of sweat darkened her dappled purple coat, but her bright, eager eyes betrayed no hint of discomfort—only curiosity. The scent of the place clung to her senses, as if pulling her toward something. Crispin walked beside...

The rhythmic sound of hooves echoed through the narrow passageway, growing fainter as the stone walls tightened around them. The air was cool, a sharp contrast to the oppressive heat they had felt earlier as they approached the depths of the Earthen Furnace. Elara trotted lightly ahead, her dappled purple coat blending into the dim glow of the dungeon. Her eyes darted from the carved reliefs on the walls to the winding path ahead, brimming with both excitement and concentration. Behind...