"The floor is lava. Quite literally. Magma has begun to pool under your hooves. How do you escape?"

---

Lunden was learning, quickly, that he was not built for such things as dungeoneering. Despite the pull, the call, that he felt in his chest... he was a creature of fine living whose most perilous feats consisted of picking a cloak color or helping decide on dinner. He was accustomed to instances where gold and gilded trinkets did the heavy lifting for him.

Unfortunately, magma had no interest in such things.

It was a danger that treated all who tested it equally.

"We're going to have to jump it you know," Crispin commented idly, as though he was speaking of something as plain as the weather. It made sense, being as experienced as the gray was, but that didn't change the expression of disbelief that was firmly planted on his patron's face. "Unless you prefer to turn back 'round?" The dungeoneer added on, an offer before they well and truly passed the point of no return.

With a sigh Lunden looked over the trial ahead of them; it was a lake of lava with a clear, albeit perilous, pathing of stones that one could jump between. But full caution would have to be given- one wrong move and there was no coming back from that fiery fate.

"I might consider your offer... if the bridge wasn't gone to," The courser recalled their prior encounter, "Could we even go back...?" A genuine curiosity.

"Yep, but we'd go a different way. Longer. Hellhound territory."

Before Lunden could respond the Furnace rumbled, basalt pillars falling while obsidian spikes split and cracked- and then it died down as suddenly as it started. Less experienced adventurers might have brushed it off as natural shifts in the magmascape; the dungeon ebbing and flowing in time to greet future coursers with new challenges.

But Crispin knew it was something far more dangerous; a time bomb. With a snort, the gray raised their head to observe what was happening.

"... Time to go," Without hesitation the dungeoneer stepped back, allowing themselves plenty of ground for the first jump. "Follow me exactly; forward is our only choice now aristocrat." With a short burst of speed, the courser cleared the first jump and landed firmly on the first rocky island amongst the lava lake.

Lunden might have been confused at the sudden change in resolution, but the heraldic earned an answer soon enough. In the moment they took to ponder any confusion the Furnace began to rumble once more- rocky outcrops breaking apart as parts of the dungeon started to shift and change. Lakes and rivers of liquid fire poured from one location into others, levels shifting with each new quake.

... Including the very ground the roan was standing on.

Magma began to spill down onto the level Lunden was; it started to move along the landscape as though it might carve a new river into the rock.

Now Lunden understood the sudden change in how Crispin approached their situation.

"Come on, there's no guarantee the path ahead will stick around!" The grey yelled, more authority in their tone as they needed the blue roan to move it.

With a curse and a shake of his head, Lunden followed Crispin's lead; after backing away a few steps he dashed forward to allow himself ample air in his jump. And while his agility was graceful, his landing held little favor for the stone pathing- hooves slipping on the rocks as Lunden landed.

His slip might have been dangerous too, if Crispin hadn't clamped down on Lunden's mane to steady him.

"I suggest you get good at landing pretty quickly," The gray snorted, "We have a whole lake's worth of lava to cross."

The heraldic gave an annoyed snort, ears pinning back as he hated the very idea of the task ahead of them. "Just show me where to jump," the roan settled their eyes on the other.

I'll keep up.