The heat of the Earthen Furnace gnawed at every inch of Nazgul's roan coat, despite the leather armor clinging to her like a second skin. The molten glow from the pools of lava cast sinister shadows that twisted and danced around her hooves. Beside her, Khamûl floated like a wisp of fog, his ghostly hand tracing quick, silent signs in the sweltering air.

They had ventured deep into the Furnace, the air so heavy with heat that it seemed to press down on them with every step. Nazgul’s sharp gaze scanned the treacherous ground, but she was unprepared when a deep rumble resonated through the stone.

Nazgul's ears flicked back in alarm as cracks splintered across the dark floor, glowing with a menacing orange-red from the lava below. Before she could react, the ground under her hooves gave way entirely, and magma began to bubble up, spilling out from beneath the fractured stone.

Khamûl’s ghostly hand darted in rapid gestures, urgency radiating from his transparent form.

Move—quickly!

Nazgul leaped back, but more cracks spider webbed outward, closing off the path they’d taken. She backed up, her nostrils flaring as the lava crept ever closer, filling the air with blistering heat. Her eyes darted, searching desperately for a way out, and that’s when she saw it: a long, thick vine hanging down from the rocky ceiling above.

Without hesitation, Nazgul lunged forward, snapping her teeth around the vine. The rough bark bit into her mouth, but she ignored the discomfort, her powerful hind legs kicking off the crumbling ground. As she climbed, the vine swayed and creaked under her weight, sending small bits of bark fluttering down toward the magma below.

Khamûl drifted alongside her, needing no foothold himself. His spectral hand moved, fingers forming shapes in the air as he urged her on.

Higher—don’t stop.

Nazgul’s muscles burned as she scaled the vine, the heat seeping up from below and licking at her legs. Just as she thought she couldn’t go any higher, her eyes caught sight of a small ledge a few feet above. With a final burst of energy, she swung herself onto it, her hooves finding blessedly solid ground.

She stumbled forward, chest heaving as she put distance between herself and the searing chasm below. Khamûl’s hand materialized beside her, his gestures slower now, reassuring.

Safe… for now.

Nazgul snorted, tossing her head as she stared down at the molten abyss they had narrowly escaped. The heat still radiated up in waves, a grim reminder of the danger below. They had escaped this trial, but the Earthen Furnace had more dangers waiting ahead.