The path she had squeezed through had actually been a shortcut to the next adventure. In front of her lay the doorway to the next level. She was expecting something a little more mysterious and hidden but what was in front of her was quite a plain looking wooden door. It arched, every ancient scrape and dent evident from the decades of wear and use. The doorknob was round and worn from every touch it had experienced. Plus, it was signposted! On the front of the door was a rustic, handmade sign. Scrawled on the front was 'EARTHEN FURNACE' in crude, hand-drawn letters. She was about to pass through the doorway every ancestor before her had passed through.

A quick snap of a twig startled Trixie's attention. She snapped her head round, looking at the one who was the source of the noise.

"Hey."

"Hey," she said warily.

Since she had begun this journey, she hadn't met another soul down here apart from her little friend who was hidden away, recovering from his injuries. When he was strong enough, he would find her and join her once more but, for now, she was alone. Until now.

"I'm Fetch," the stranger said, trying to break the ice.

"I'm Trixie."

"You seem to be hesitating."

"I..." She paused, hesitating on whether to trust them or not. "I'm not sure I'm ready."

"Me neither."

She held her breath for a moment, not sure what to do. Thankfully, Fetch broke the awkward silence.

"Want to go in together?"

Her eyes narrowed. Was there an ulterior motive? Or, maybe, they're just trying to be friendly, Trix?! In response, she nodded.

"Let's go then."

Fetch stepped up beside her and they looked at each other for a moment before opening the door to a new beginning. It creaked with age, sticking against the stone floor as it scrapped against it. Instantly, they were slapped in the face by the overwhelming heat. Trixie stepped back, hesitant to leave behind what she knew.

"It's scary, isn't it? The unknown. I think of it often."

"So do I."

"It's a good thing we're together then."

Together, they stepped forward through the doorway which slammed closed behind them like magic. There was no turning back now. They walked in silence for a while, taking in the sights, the smells and the god awful warmth that clinged to their sides. Sweat beaded on Trixie's forehead as they walked. It was a dry heat, the burning furnaces pumping out a low-lying smoke which consumed their lower legs. It was almost suffocating. Her chest tightened, her breathing becoming short and shallow as she tried not to choke.

"What made you want to come down here then?"

"Ur...I'm not too sure. I just sort of ended up down here by other choices I made until this was the only decision left. Backed into a corner until I surrendered to this lifestyle. I don't know if I regret it. Probably. I just know I'm not enjoying this."

"Oh, that's a shame to hear. Why aren't you enjoying it?"

"Everything is out to either kill or maim me. Every step I take could end in my death. There are no positives to this little game."

"What about the thrill of the adventure or the treasures you find along the way?"

"Nope. Nothing is fun about any of this and it looks like it's only going to get worse," she gestured to her surroundings. "What about you? Why are you in the dungeons?"

"Well," Fetch looked down to the ground. "That's a difficult story to tell."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I wasn't planning on it," they snapped suddenly. "Sorry. I didn't mean..." She trailed off, not making eye contact.

They continued to walk in silence, the awkwardness growing in the void between them. Making friends was going swimmingly.

Fetch stopped. "Look, you're better off without me. You should go on alone from here."

"If this is about what happened, I'm sorry I pryed. I didn't mean..." she spoke quickly, tripping over her words before Fetch cut her off. "No, no. It's not about that. Well, it is. Look, I'm sorry. Just..." Her head dipped down, avoiding Trixie's gaze. Without another word, Fetch turned on their heel and left her alone.

Well, that went great. Alone again. Alone forever.