The group, now whittled down to a mere seven, trudged westward through the night under Bishop's lead after their encounter with Raaz and the ogres. They quickened their pace, knowing their pursuers were on their tail. Allendra, the weak link, was slowing them down until the priest ordered an ogre to hoist her onto its broad back. When she protested, the beast silenced her with a vicious slap that left her senseless.

  "Did your ritual work, priest?" Raaz queried.

  "As well as it needed to," Bishop replied.

  "Did the girl find us the way?" Raaz pressed.

  "The ritual was a test. Let's say she passed the test. The priority now is to follow this path and locate the temple. The girl might come in handy at the temple. Shah Maran could be requiring a virgin sacrifice."

  A repulsive grin spread across the man's face, exposing his yellowed teeth. Sis, the elven warrior, responded with a similar expression. Baz, who had been eavesdropping silently, remained stoic.

  The group was tracing the newly-formed rivulet, its currents reflecting a resplendent blend of golden-orange tinges, stemming from the amalgam of crimson-hued soil and glistening sand. Though Allendra had regained consciousness, she continued to put on a show of being comatose, believing that this was the river she had been dreaming of for nights. The end was nigh, and with trembling hands, she looked back in trepidation, aware that the ford was lurking around the corner. Her fate was inescapable.

  The dawn's onset was imminent, the hour plunged in deepest shadows. They treaded the path without any source of luminescence, the mist elves and ogres possessing inherent night vision. The priest, on the other hand, whose eyes were no use in the pitch-black surroundings, was guided by Raaz.

  "The water's flow is ebbing," Raaz observed.

  "We must be in close proximity," Bishop responded with fervor.

  As they descended the hill, they followed the sinuous curves of the stream that meandered down the side of the elevations, creating diminutive cascades and sculpting natural stone staircases into the golden sand dunes. Each step they took was wider than the last, and Baaz immediately perceived that these steps had always existed, unearthed by the current of the water. At the end of the natural staircase, they arrived at a spacious plain nestled among hills of varying sizes composed of crimson rocks. Here, the water had generated a petite pond, and the flow terminated beyond this point. The streaming water had swept away all the sand from the surface of the craggy hills encompassing the pond, leaving behind crimson cliffs that resembled fortresses.

  "Behold, the crimson fortresses," Allendra murmured in a voice too low for anyone to hear.

  "Here it is," Bishop hissed.

  "At this point, the water disappears underground," Baaz observed, listening intently to the ground.

  "Indeed. The temple we seek has been buried in the sand for centuries, and there was once a river delta surrounding it. According to legend, the red river that originated from the Bloodwall Mountains flowed into this area in the distant past," he declared.

  As daybreak approached, the priest's zeal grew, and he issued instructions to all.

  The mist elves scoured the area, seeking a pathway. Bishop directed one of the ogres to wade into the pond. The waterline rose to his knees and elevated to his midsection. The ogre basked in the coolness, taking refuge from the oppressive sun. Abruptly, a resounding snap sliced through the air.

  "Augur, remain immobile!" Baaz's voice echoed.

  The ogre stood frozen.

  "What's the commotion?" Bishop questioned.

  "I assume Augur set off a snare. The clamping stones must be submerged beneath the pond," Baaz responded.

  "Are you confident?" Bishop skeptically queried.

  "Traps are my area of expertise, priert," Baaz asserted sternly.

  "What's the next course of action?" Bishop reluctantly inquired.

  Baaz withdrew a rope from his backpack and fashioned a noose.

  "Everyone ascend the hill at the rear and vacate the premises. I'll endeavor to hoist him out," he instructed.

  The others obeyed his command. Baaz adeptly aimed and ensnared Augur's waist with the noose, with a distance of approximately fifteen meters between them. However, just as he prepared to draw the ogre out, Bazil perceived the swishing of an arrow. The missile struck Augur's chest, and the colossal creature plummeted to the ground, lifeless.

  As Baaz had foreseen, the mechanism sprang into action with lightning speed. Successive reverberations emanated from the locking stones resting at the bottom of the pond. Just as the soil was collapsing into a bottomless pit, Baaz raced at full throttle and clutched a jutting ledge on the hillside at the eleventh hour. He dangled in mid-air for a moment before gently lowering himself to the ground once he felt confident he was out of harm's way.

  A crater of at least fifty meters in diameter had opened up where the pond was, and the cascading water continued to pour into it. Raaz, attempting to discern the arrow's origin, spotted the Galanadel elf about four hundred meters away.

  "We must descend at once, Bishop. They're approaching," Raaz exclaimed.

  "Right ahead of us, Raaz. See it? That's the temple's entrance," Bishop exclaimed with enthusiasm.

  The mist elf gazed at the designated spot. Across from them, carved into the rocks, stood a structure resembling the head of a cobra snake. The snake's head fashioned the entrance portico, with exquisitely carved eyes peering directly at them. The door, reminiscent of an open serpent's mouth, was wide open, and water flowed in that direction. Leveraging the rocky heaps formed by the crumbled boulders, they found a route down and rapidly descended.

  Baaz, who had already reached the entrance and was scrutinizing the threshold, issued a warning to the others, "It's suspect that the entrance is devoid of any doors. Traps could still be in place. Wait for me to inspect the serpent effigies."

  "Time is not on our side," Bishop retorted, seizing Allendra's hand and tugging her towards the opening. The little girl put up a fight, but they took a few steps forward and heard a distinctive click.

  A viridescent plume of dust emanated from a cobra statue at the entrance. Bishop had inhaled the smoke and started to cough uncontrollably. Raaz aided the poisoned priest, who was struggling to resist the toxin's effects.

  The minute detail that only Baz had perceived - who had pulled Allendra back with remarkable celerity, saving her life when the trap was sprung - was that Allendra had triggered the mechanism. The young girl had fought with all her might while the priest was dragging her, and had touched every nook and cranny of the snake statue at the entrance.

  And the detail that only Allendra had taken notice of was that she had undergone a bizarre sensation upon touching the serpent effigy.

  Allendra pictured herself suddenly standing before the door, only to realize that she was now taller. Her hands caught her attention next. They were those of a young adult woman. Adorning her was a top-quality, dark blue robe with intricate runes woven onto it.

  As Allendra scanned her surroundings, she recognized the unique figure of Paliborn, though he appeared somehow different, at his side stood a fierce-looking warrior, with a mass of brown hair framing his chiseled features, and a second warrior, whose noble bearing suggested he was a knight of the highest order - his breastplate emblazoned with the Orion emblem.

  Allendra's gaze drifted to the raven-haired woman, whose ebony skin gleamed like polished obsidian, her luscious locks adorned with brilliant blue beads that glinted in the dim light. And then there was the towering elf, his feathered cape billowing behind him like wings - a being of otherworldly grace and majesty.

  And finally, there was Baz, unrecognizable without his make-up, but still unmistakably him. All of them stood with unwavering attention, examining the entrance with vigilance and determination.

  "How curious. It's like I've been here before, I'm experiencing such vivid déjà vu," Allendra exclaimed in her alluring and commanding voice.

  "I've had the same sensation, Allendra. Paja fu or something," Pal chimed in.

  "I know it may sound strange, but I felt it too," Baz added in a warm, friendly tone.

  "We don't have the luxury of solving your enigmas, wizard woman. Let's focus on our mission. Time is slipping away," a stern voice interrupted.

  The untimely, mysterious moment evaporated like a faint reflection, lasting but a second before disappearing without a trace.

  Baaz, the mysterious mist elf, pulled the shivering little girl inside, and back to reality, just in time to save her from the icy grip of her daydream. The ogre that trailed in behind them narrowly dodged a bolt that whizzed past him, grazing his back. The arrow missed its mark, slamming into a sharp-toothed motif on the top sill of the main door and bouncing off.

  "You were hasty, Arvedas," Pal grumbled, racing up the natural steps and scouring the terrain for the quickest descent.

  "We could have crept a little closer," he added.

  "At least one ogre is down," Dylan huffed, struggling to keep pace from behind.

  As the entrance to the Temple of the Snake God loomed before them, Xian, a devout history buff, could hardly contain his excitement. "Unbelievable! We've really found the Temple of the Snake God," he exclaimed.

  "We didn't find it, they did," Pal corrected him, already below.

  "Our priority is to seize them before awakening Shah Maran," Arvedas cautioned.

  "Rescuing Allendra must be our foremost concern," Pal insisted.

  As Xian descended the jagged boulders, Pal and Arvedas glowered at each other, their tempers flaring.

  "Now is neither the time nor the place for debate," interjected the sagacious Quanas elf.

  All four of them nodded in unison before stepping cautiously inside. An elongated passageway greeted them at the threshold of the temple. It twisted and turned like a serpent, and the walls were adorned with intricate designs akin to the scales of a snake. The passageway eventually opened up into a spacious chamber, with a portal leading to a new section that bore a striking resemblance to the toothed maw of a serpent.

  The ceiling of the hall towered above, casting a shadow over the snake-headed statues that were embellished with gems and stood at least thrice the height of a man. Golden columns, fashioned in rows and glistening like scales, reached up towards the sky. Human-sized, embossed clay pots were scattered about, while hieroglyphs etched upon the walls, from ceiling to floor, told tales of an era long gone. Drawings on the ceiling portrayed the bygone world in all its glory.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Would that I had the time to scrutinize each piece," Xian lamented with a deep sigh.

  "I would fancy adding some of these shining gems to my collection," Pal jested with a wink.

  The group briefly surveyed the interior of the temple, heedless of the stories it held. Two archways leading to other sections of the temple were discerned, from which emanated the sound of people descending.

  Arvedas keenly listened to the fading footsteps, postulating, "At the most, a couple of the ogres are heading west. The noises emanating from the eastern flank are feeble."

  "Agreed. Then we shall part ways. Xian and I shall venture into the eastern wing," Pal asserted.

  "No, let Dylan join you. Mist elves are treacherous. I'll fend for myself," Arvedas dissented.

  "Take care, Arvedas," Pal respected the elf's choice.

  All in the group acknowledged Galanadel elf's potency and resolve. They traversed their separate paths, hastening away without goodbyes.

  Amid the corridors veiled in a reptilian skin-like sheen, Xian confessed, "Honestly, I felt more secure with Arvedas at our side."

  "I would have guarded you with my life," Dylan vowed.

  "Grateful, knight. But stay vigilant."

  "This complex and its passageways appear to have been hewn from stone, fashioned as if for a colossal serpent to roam," Pal mused.

  The passageways were five meters wide and ten meters high, colossal in scale. They meandered through the winding structure, the sound of flowing water echoing off the walls. Water droplets fell from every crevice, like tears from the weeping stone.

  Dylan's hand brushed against the wall, sending shivers down his spine. "The walls are frigid and moist, akin to the slick skin of a serpent," he remarked.

  "Quiet," Pal hissed.

  Dylan's brows furrowed in question as a deep rumbling from below filled their ears. They ran towards the sound, their hearts racing.

  "Something's amiss. The ceiling may have collapsed, a treacherous trap," Pal warned.

  Two turns later, they entered another level, only to find a hall entrance obstructed by broken statues and a dead ogre. The gloom was thick, and Dylan's torch did little to dispel it. Xian cast a spell, conjuring clusters of shimmering orbs that floated in the air and illuminated every corner of the hall.

  The grand hall stretched about a hundred meters long, with ornate columns sculpted in the likeness of ancient beasts, statue graveyards meticulously lining the walls, and colossal weapons suspended from the ceiling.

  On the other end of the hall stood a larger door, its surface etched with the snarling visage of a serpent, complete with eyes that glimmered like precious jade in the darkness.

  With unyielding determination, Baaz moved a hidden mechanism, and the door groaned open with a thunderous clamor, revealing Allendra for the first time.

  "Hang on, Eli. I have come for you," Pal bellowed as he charged forward.

  But before the priest could pull her inside, Allendra warned Pal, "Flee, Pal. The mist elf is a lethal foe, hell-bent on your demise."

  "Raaz, you guard the entrance. Baaz, you are with me. Other deadly traps may need your deft touch," the priest ordered, as he stepped into the chamber.

  As Baaz prepared to follow, he launched an arrow in Pal's direction. Allendra lunged at him, obstructing his aim. Pal narrowly evaded the arrow, diving behind a towering column for cover.

  The warrior mist elf voraciously drew his keen falchion and dashed towards Pal with great fervor and zeal.

  "I shall vanquish this sword-wielding fiend, Xian. You, two depart. I shall avenge my comrades!" Dylan exclaimed, brandishing his lengthy blade in the air and lunging towards the mist elf with all his might.

  "Alone, you shan't succeed," Xian objected.

  "Go," the knight commanded resolutely, placing himself between Dylan and the mist elf.

  "One on one, till death. My favorite kind," Raaz taunted, guffawing heartily.

  "I'll send you back to the hell whence you came, demon-spirited elf," Dylan riposted.

  The two warriors tested each other with reciprocal moves. Watching the clash of swords, Pal, after a brief moment of indecision, pulled Xian towards the door. He wished the proud knight fortune, for he would require it sorely.

  As they pushed through the double doors, they knew they had entered the grand chamber of the temple. It was a cavernous expanse, spacious and natural, with a ceiling towering several times higher than the other halls. The exact width of the cave eluded them.

  In the western wing, a towering altar stood on high foundations at the center. Surrounding it like a fortress wall was a massive, slumbering cobra statue, coiled around and lying on the ground. Dozens of meters in length and several meters in width, it possessed two emerald lights that glimmered like pale beacons at human level. Save for the faint flickers of the stones, no other source of illumination existed within the chamber.

  With jaws agape, Pal and Xian surveyed the lifelike statue from afar. The sole entrance to the altar lay just beside the snake's head. Xian conjured a few clusters of light spells, illuminating the surroundings. As the orbs of light danced like fireflies, they beheld scattered skeletons, skulls, gold, and other precious metals strewn haphazardly about the floor – the telltale remnants of visitors who had come ages past.

  Xian remarked, "We seem to have stumbled upon the den of a dragon."

  "We are in the company of an entity equally as mighty and mythical. The forefather of the Nagas," Pal replied.

  "I feel as though a weight is pressing down on my mind. Do you feel as though you're intoxicated?" Xian inquired.

  Pal nodded, acknowledging Quanas' formidable mental fortitude.

  "Could the origin of this sensation be attributed to a spell affecting our minds, cast by the priest?" Xian mused aloud, while Bishop was absent from their sight.

  "No, this pressure must be caused by the phantom of the entity residing in this cavern. Or, more accurately, the residual trace of its formidable presence from long ago," Xian concluded, answering her own question.

  The halfling was stirred by numerous memories and associations. To regain focus on their present surroundings, he shook himself and smacked his cheeks a couple of times.

  Pal, his mental fortitude bolstered by a sliver of hope, noticed the female elf carelessly sprinting ahead of him. He was about to caution her about the dangers of haste when an arrow's ominous whistle split the air just before it impaled her slender leg. Or rather, it would have struck Xian, had not the gallant half-elf Quanas flung himself in harm's way, sacrificing his own safety.

  As Quanas began to slip away, his vision blurring and his life draining, he sensed the insidious venom coursing through his veins, devouring him from within. Xian wasted no time and cast a spell to ease his suffering.

  "I cannot arrest the poison's malevolent course, but I can ease your agony. It may buy you some fleeting moments," offered Xian, his voice laced with concern.

  Pal, still reeling from his injuries, struggled to his feet, swaying as he surveyed his surroundings, searching for the elusive elf lurking in the shadows. He pondered why the archer hadn't loosed a second arrow yet.

  Unleashing his xistera, Pal loaded it with a clay sphere and tensed its cord for the shot. He knew he had but one chance to turn the tide. His acute ears picked up the faint creak of the crossbow being reloaded, the bowstring pulled taut. Without hesitation, he hurled the ball, releasing a guttural cry. A deadly projectile arced upwards, only to plummet back to earth as the elf doubled over in excruciating agony from the impact.

  The priest gingerly navigated the narrow, serpent-shaped passageway, formed by a winding statue of the snake. Upon reaching the altar, he commenced chanting a prayer. Originally, he had intended to traverse the snaky pathway with Baz's aid, but ever since he entered the cavern, his mind had been a befuddled haze. He could barely recollect when he had separated from his companion. Bishop surmised that his confusion was due to the venomous toxin he had been exposed to during their entry into the temple.

  The blackened priest was clasping Allendra firmly, while simultaneously keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. Bishop unsheathed his knife and sliced deep into the girl's right arm, allowing her blood to gush onto the altar.

  Meanwhile, Xian, who had pinpointed the priest's location, cast a spell upon him. This incantation was the same one he had used previously to distract the ogre. However, this time it was ineffective against the priest's resolute willpower.

  "Shah Maran, the divine Lord of Snakes, who once reigned over the Pharrah realm during the era of antiquity! Hear my supplication. This is the summons of the nefarious Lord Therion. Awake from your prolonged slumber, O God of Snakes, awake!"

  Pal succumbed to the venom's effect once again and collapsed onto the ground. His leg had stiffened, and he felt an overwhelming nausea. Breathing had become arduous as the toxin crept towards his heart.

  The earth quaked, and the pointed stalactites began plummeting from the ceiling. Xian stood by Pal, invoking a barrier spell to safeguard them. Baaz attempted to dodge the falling formations.

  The serpent's eyes sparkled brighter, illuminating a larger space. The priest continued his incantations, calling upon the dreaded deity in an archaic tongue. Ebon shadows arose from the darkness, one after another, surrounding the cleric.

  As the priest finished the invocation, a mystical gateway in various shades of emerald manifested beside the serpent's head. Allendra broke free from the priest's grasp and dashed towards Pal. Tenderly touching his cheek, she smiled with assurance.

  "Fret not, Pal. I shall rescue you and become stronger," she proclaimed.

  Hearing Allendra's voice, Pal reopened his fading eyes and returned a grin.

  "Let's depart, Eli. Lend me a hand," he struggled to say.

  "I must complete one final task, Pal, and then we shall leave," the little girl replied like an adult, taking Pal's dagger and hurrying back to the altar.

  As she scurried away, the blinded girl nearly avoided the stalactites' descent. However, the stalactites didn't drop near the altar, presumably due to the priest's protective enchantment.

  "Eli, desist, don't do it!" Pal yelled.

  At that precise moment, Arvedas strode into the grand hall, bearing Dylan's grievously wounded form. Galanadel, the elven warrior, had outsmarted the ogres that had breached the west wing, thwarting their advance by unleashing a trap at the entrance with his trusty bow. Then, just as Raaz was poised to deal the finishing blow to Dylan, he appeared in the nick of time and dispatched the mist elf.

  Arvedas tenderly laid the blood-drenched knight to one side before drawing his immense and exceedingly long bow. Without hesitation, he pinpointed his target. His arrow, imbued with deadly intent, was aimed straight at the priest, whose fervent incantations persisted. But the mystical shield intercepted the arrow, causing it to clatter to the ground.

  "Curse it, he's warded himself," Arvedas muttered.

  He shifted his focus to a fresh target. The elf marksman murmured an enchantment as he plucked two arrows from his quiver slung across his back. Two shafts were soon loosed, their flight slicing through the air like a shrill whistle, and striking the giant snake statue's emerald eyes with pinpoint precision, causing the precious gems to fissure. At that same moment, Allendra let loose a piercing scream, unleashing all of her pent-up rage, and plunged a sharp dagger deep into the priest's back.

  Xian could have sworn that the serpent had sprung to life in that fleeting moment and let out a blood-curdling screech.

  Pal, however, was uncertain if the ear-splitting shriek had emanated from the little girl or the serpent itself.

  The serpent's eyes burst with blinding radiance and deafening thunder, and the passage of time seemed to decelerate.

  Pal, who had timely covered his ears and shut his eyes, endeavored to crawl towards Allendra with ponderous movements. Xian was partially blinded and deafened, flung backwards a few meters.

  Rising to his feet was a slow process. The priest, notwithstanding the blade impaled in his back, remained standing. Dragging his feet, he ambled towards the luminescent, emerald-green magical portal with a zombie-like gait. Blood trickled from his eyes, ears, and mouth.

  "I am coming for you, my liege," the man muttered in an indistinct voice.

  As he attempted to traverse the magical threshold, he was torn to shreds by its power and flung back violently. Flesh and bone fragments were sent hurtling in slow motion in every direction. The remnants of his remains collapsed onto the ground, and his visage was utterly unrecognizable.

  The mystical gateway still remained agape, its magical aura illuminating the space. The quaking earth rumbled with increasing ferocity, and the sharp, dagger-like stalactites ripped from their moorings overhead, hurtling down in slow-motion as if they were feathered arrows as their descent prolonged by time's retarding effect.

  Allendra was drenched in blood and viscera, yet she gazed at Pal with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

  "My apologies, Pal. Elia beckons me. This may be our only hope to stop her," she said, taking determined steps toward the flickering emerald-green portal.

  "Hold on, Allendra!" Pal shouted.

  Arvedas approached Pal, avoiding the falling stalactites, and cast a spell. The sensation had returned to Pal's leg.

  "Why didn't you reveal your healing powers to me?" Pal inquired.

  "I am but a humble ranger, Pal. I only forestalled the spread of the poison in your veins. Go and rescue your friend now. Farewell until we meet again," the elf said with composure.

  The halfling suppressed the inquiries burning in his mind, and halted his steps just in time. "Till we cross paths again," Pal replied, and bolted after Allendra, poised to step into the mystical threshold. Without a second thought, he darted after her, through the gateway. To his surprise, Baaz trailed closely behind.

  Xian caught sight of the mist elf emerging from the shadows and alerted Arvedas, but the elusive elf was too fleet-footed. He had already vanished into the gate. Suddenly, the gateway slammed shut, vanishing without a trace, and time resumed its usual pace.

  Arvedas scooped up Dylan's lifeless body, which lay abandoned by the gate, and signaled to Xian. "We must depart this temple before it crumbles."

  "What of them?" Xian asked.

  "They shall find their own path. Their course has always diverged from ours. We merely intersected for a fleeting moment."

  "What became of the God of Snakes? Is he deceased?"

  "No, he slumbers still. Let him be. When the hour calls for him to rouse, he shall."

  As they sprinted towards the exit, scrambling up the slope, the duo beheld the crack between the pillars filling up with sand. Upon emerging from the secret sanctuary, they found themselves drenched in a downpour of sand.

  Xian gazed upward in shock, "An implausible occurrence is transpiring. Sand is pouring from the sky."

  Arvedas, unfazed by the peculiar happening, remarked, "The gods are obliterating any evidence of our visit. As though it never came to pass."

  For a while, they observed as the pit and the valley where the temple resided vanished beneath the sea of sand. Afterward, guided by the Xhar Rax tribe, they journeyed towards the east, towards the city of Pharrahville. No tales were shared, and the tribe chief refrained from inquiries. All were aware that something best left forgotten had taken place.