As they fell, Master directed the group toward a chamber whose wall had partially collapsed. Better to take their chances there than keep falling to whatever lay at the bottom of the abyss… assuming it even had one.

Drifting like leaves carried by the wind, the adventurers floated one by one through the opening and landed safely inside.

"I have to admit," Master said once everyone had both feet on solid ground again, "you were useful. Well done, Healer."

Without giving the compliment any more importance than she intended, she turned her back on the group and walked toward the massive iron gate blocking their way.

"Rogue, check for traps. We're in completely unfamiliar territory." Master wait for a response that never came "...Rogue?"

The Adventurers' Group exchanged uneasy glances, searching for Rogue among them.

"Master... I'm sorry," Healer said. "Rogue stayed behind to make me jump, and one of those strange arrows caught him."

Master answered only with a low grunt, seemingly biting back whatever she had been about to say.

"Don't worry," Swordsman said optimistically. "We'll rescue him on our way out."

"What if they've already killed him?" Dragoon asked, unusually serious. "You saw those creatures. They surrounded us and threw everything they had at us. I don't think they were trying to capture us."

"On the contrary," Cleric replied in his usual calm voice, even in a situation like this. "The reason we're here is because the goblins have started capturing travelers alive. Whatever they're doing with them, I don't see why Rogue would be any different."

"Then we need to save him before they can do whatever it is they do to their captives," Dragoon said, some of his usual enthusiasm returning.

"Correct," Master agreed.

Without wasting another second, she snapped her fingers, and her clothes shifted into an imitation of Rogue's outfit. She knelt before the gate. The moment her palm touched the cold metal, she closed her eyes. Dice began to roll. Some appeared before them, others did not. When the last result had fallen, Master rose and turned to the group.

"Beyond this door are several chambers protected by trials. They may be riddles... or other kinds of challenges. I believe we've reached the corridor leading to what used to be this castle's treasury. What we came here to find may lie beyond those trials... or we may find nothing but a dead end. Our options, however, are limited. We can try our luck and move forward or we can try our luck by continuing our fall to see what's waiting at the bottom of the abyss."

"The abyss has to end somewhere, doesn't it?" Archer said, speaking for the first time in quite a while. "I mean... if a castle was built here, it had to be standing on something. I doubt the castle is

that

big."

"You'd be surprised," Master replied.

"Besides, it could've been built on top of a cliff or something," Cleric added. "But that's not the point. It's true we might find the treasury beyond these trials, but..."

"...there's no reason to think the goblins would be using the treasury," Swordsman finished, interrupting him.

"And why are we so afraid of facing a few challenges?" Healer asked eagerly. "Let's do them. If it turns out to be a dead end, we can always come back and find out what's at the bottom of the abyss."

"Because we'd be wasting time and energy," Archer replied sharply. "Remember, Rogue is depending on us."

"It's funny, Archer. Of all people,

you

, the

Queen of Riddles

, are the one arguing against that route," Dragoon teased.

"Oh, shut up. I'm not in the mood for your nonsense." She glared at him. "Don't you realize this isn't a game? We have to save Rogue. We can't afford to waste time."

"So?" Master interrupted, taking control of the discussion once more. "The treasury, or the abyss?"

"The abyss," Archer voted.

Cleric silently raised a hand in agreement.

"The treasury," Dragoon countered.

Healer raised hers as well.

"Swordsman?" Master asked, noticing he still hadn't spoken.

"Well... I guess... the treasury."

"Of course you do," Archer spat, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Archer, for disagreeing with you," Swordsman began. "It's not because of Healer, or whatever it is you're upset about. It's because—"

"Enough," Master cut him off. "Stop behaving like children. We don't have time for this."

Without another word, she pushed open the massive iron doors.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The first chamber was a vast square room built from bluish stone. Elegant aqueducts traced the outline of a smaller square at its center. There, a brilliant blue light enclosed a perfect circle. Inside it stood four nearly two-meter-tall suits of armor, each frozen mid-attack with either a sword or an axe in hand.

The group entered, marveling at how different this place was from the rest of the ruins. Unlike everything they'd seen so far this chamber showed no sign of decay.

"No idea... maybe we have to rearrange the statues? Or pick the right one? Or turn them arou—"

"At least let us get closer first, Dragoon," Swordsman said.

As they approached the circle, they realized the light was unlike anything they'd ever seen. It wasn't sunlight or lamplight. It looked solid. While everyone wondered what it could be, Dragoon impatiently stepped forward. He walked straight through the barrier without the slightest resistance until his spear touched it.

Everyone stared in amazement. Dragoon's body had passed through effortlessly. His spear had not. It remained outside the circle, unable to penetrate what, to the weapon, was as solid as any stone wall.

They tried several things. Swordsman struck the barrier with his sword. It felt like hitting rock. Archer fired an arrow. It bounced off.

"Well..." Swordsman said. "I guess we'll have to go in unarmed."

"If there's no other choice," Dragoon replied.

He let go of his spear, leaving it outside the barrier.

The instant he was completely inside the circle one of the statues moved. The one with the axe raised overhead completed the attack it had been frozen in. A pair of crimson eyes flared to life behind its blood-red helmet.

Nervously, Dragoon rushed toward the barrier. He slammed into it just as his spear had moments before.

"Guys... I need some help."

He pushed desperately against the glowing wall.

Without thinking, Swordsman dropped his sword and rushed inside after him. The moment he crossed the barrier a second statue awakened. This one wore turquoise armor and completed a sweeping slash with its sword.

"How are we supposed to fight these things without weapons?" Swordsman asked, already regretting his decision.

"Easy." Master stepped toward the barrier, her outfit already shifting back into the version with the leather straps and books. "Maybe a spell can get through."

A massive fireball burst from her hand and slammed into the wall of light. Nothing happened.

Master let out a frustrated grunt. She walked up to the barrier, ready to enter. Inside, she could simply summon a weapon and switch to a warrior class—

The three adventurers still outside watched in horror as Master crashed straight into the wall of light.

"That can't be possible... I..."

"I'm going in!" Healer exclaimed nervously. "Swordsman! Dragoon! Together we can do this!"

"No, wait!" both boys shouted in unison.

She didn't.

The moment Healer crossed the wall of light, a third suit of armor sprang to life and charged at them. While the three adventurers struggled to dodge the relentless attacks, those still outside desperately debated what to do.

"Maybe the answer is out here," Archer said, though she sounded far from convinced. "Maybe we don't actually have to go inside. Maybe we just have to solve some kind of riddle... find a clue..."

"Or maybe four people have to enter," Cleric suggested. "There are four suits of armor. Maybe that's the key."

"And what if all we accomplish is activating one more enemy?"

"Then at least they'll have another ally in there... Master? What do you think we should do?"

Master didn't answer immediately. She simply stared at the hopeless battle unfolding before her. For the first time she looked genuinely worried.

Seeing her like that only made Archer and Cleric feel even more helpless. Both of them fell silent. Neither had another idea.

"I'm going in," Cleric said at last. "I can't just stand here doing nothing."

Before either of the girls could stop him, he stepped through the barrier. He arrived just in time to shove aside a suit of armor that was about to strike Dragoon, who had fallen to the floor.

As soon as Cleric entered, the fourth and final suit of armor came to life. But the event didn't stop, just as he'd hoped it might. Still, he'd managed to save one of his companions.

The armored enemy crashed to the floor. Its breastplate cracked apart in several places, exposing pieces of a skeletal body in an advanced state of decay.

"They're... they're zombies," Dragoon said as he scrambled back to his feet. "That means you can destroy them with your abilities, Cleric! We can do this!"

"I need my hammer for that, Dragoon. I'm sorry."

He barely avoided the next attack.

"Why isn't Master coming in?" Swordsman shouted as he retreated toward Cleric. "We need backup!"

"She can't get through the barrier. It must recognize her as a weapon... or something like that. We're on our own."

"Damn..."

"Guys!" Healer shouted as she ran from the turquoise-armored zombie. "I have an idea! But I need you to break their armor first!"

"An idea? What are you—" Swordsman stopped mid-sentence.

Healer had changed direction. She wasn't running toward them. She was running toward the zombie whose armor had already been cracked.

The instant she reached it, she enveloped her hand in golden light and jumped, thrusting it through one of the openings in the shattered breastplate until it touched the creature's rotting flesh. A die rolled.

Golden torrents of light burst from every crack in the armor. Moments later the zombie collapsed into smoke.

"Just as I thought," Healer said. "Healing magic hurts the undead."

The three boys stared at her in astonishment. They didn't have long. The remaining three enemies were already charging at them again.

"Come on!" Healer shouted. "I need your help if we're going to pull this off!"

Without another word, they got to work.

Taking advantage of his size, Cleric dodged one of the armored zombies' attacks and threw himself against it, bringing it crashing to the ground. The impact shattered part of the breastplate across its back.

Dragoon and Swordsman worked together against another. After dodging a downward axe swing, one slid between the creature's legs while the other leaped up and drove a kick into its helmet. The blow knocked it off balance. It stumbled backward and fell.

As the armor continued to crack apart, Healer followed close behind, using her healing magic to reduce the undead to dust.

They left the final enemy to Cleric. Repeating the same strategy one last time, he slammed it to the floor, breaking its armor. Healer immediately rushed in. Golden light flooded through the cracks. Moments later the last zombie collapsed.

The blue barrier vanished. The chamber trembled. A section of the far wall slowly slid open, revealing another corridor beyond.

"Healer! You're amazing!" The three boys surrounded the new adventurer, celebrating their victory with her.

Behind them, Archer and Master remained silent. Each for her own reasons.

Master, however, was the first to recover. She walked past the group, offering each of them nothing more than a brief nod of approval before taking the lead toward the next chamber.