The song for this chapter is "Wake Me Up" by Avicii. Does better travel music exist? If so, I haven't found it yet. :)

*is jamming out to the song and notices my evil muse peeking around a corner to watch me* "No, don't you dare! It's not time yet!" *chases after my evil muse as it disappears back around the corner*

Chimalus had mentioned that the bts team had wanted to build Thel Olihm in a snow biome (they never could find one, and then budget issues came up). Here's my take on the dwarven city the heroes never got to see. :)

*Waglington's POV*

Well, this was...interesting. The rise we'd been climbing dropped back into a relatively flat valley. I could see mountains surrounding it in a wide arc. We had climbed one of the lowest points in the ring. The road we'd been following dipped down into the valley, but it appeared to be underwater in several places once the valley leveled out. The water didn't look normal either. It started a vibrant blue in the center that bled into green, yellow, then orange at the edges of the pools. None of the water was frozen, despite the ice and snow coating the ground, and steam rose from the pools, obscuring them somewhat. There was a familiar smell hanging in the air too—sulfur.

The others caught up to Mot and I and stared at the road ahead. Mot turned to look at us. "Okay, we're going to have to stray from the road to avoid the water. It looks harmless from here, but it's extremely hot. You fall in, you're dead. Got it?" Mot glared at Tom a few seconds longer than everyone else. "Good. Oh, and if you hear any hissing or bubbling, get as far away from the water as you can, some of these will be geysers."

"Um. Don't geysers only form in volcanic areas?" Jordan asked.

Mot didn't even turn around as he answered, "Yes." He and Martha started down the slope. The rest of us looked at each other nervously before following. Snow started falling in tiny flakes as we descended into the valley. I cast a wary eye at the "ring" of mountains I'd noted, wondering which of them might be a volcano. (Oh, Wag... You've never been to Yellowstone, have you?) As we carefully skirted the hot springs, I noticed how each had a visible vent at the lowest point where the water was rising from. I also noticed the lack of living vegetation aside from sparse lichen and moss growing on the rocky soil. There were plenty of dried husks where shrubs and trees once stood. They had died when the hot springs expanded to this part of the valley. The horses were understandably skittish, occasionally dancing sideways or throwing their heads when the dead branches rattled in the wind. More than once Martha had to use magic to calm the beasts. I was mildly concerned by the abundance of near-boiling water. I didn't know if my armor's enchantments would protect against that, and I didn't plan on finding out.

We didn't stop to rest when evening came and the snow stopped, though we'd made it almost halfway through the valley. Mot was worried about our not seeing any active geysers so far and was muttering something about eruption intervals under his breath. We could see the edge of the geyser field a short distance ahead. A forest of evergreens lay beyond it. We camped once we were safely under the cover of fir, spruce, and pine trees. We set our tents by mage light, ate a quick meal, and collapsed on our sleeping bags. I was pretty sure I heard a geyser spout off as I drifted into a dreamless slumber.

The next day we set out through the trees, finding and following the road again. The snow got thicker on the ground and trees as we traveled, and I noticed the others shivering. Jordan went to his spectre dimension at one point to fetch some jackets. Mot had brought his own coat, and those of us with magic were relatively unfazed by the cold. Memento greatly disliked the snow and took to flying to avoid getting his feet wet.

My friends found this amusing. Tom finally caved to the temptation of a moving target and chucked a snowball at Memento. He dodged of course, but the snowball ended up hitting Sonja in the back. There was a moment of silence; then all hell broke loose. Snowballs flew fast and furious in a free for all. Donella, Mot, and Martha steered clear of the action, but the rest of us enjoyed ourselves immensely. Tom and Tucker were keeping score at first but lost track after the first ten minutes. Things started winding down when I landed a solid hit to Tom's face at the same time Jordan hit him in the stomach. Tom fell dramatically yelling, "I'm hit! Go on without me! Everything's going dark. Tell Doughnut I love him."

"That's because there's snow in your eyes," Tucker said in a fed up voice. Jordan, Sonja, and I just laughed.

A few more projectiles were tossed as we sprinted to catch up to the actual adults in the group. They had stopped on the road a short run away. We saw why when we came to stand beside Donella and Martha. Ahead of us, several of the tall trees leaned or had already fallen to block the road. Mot had dismounted to take a closer look at the base of one damaged tree. I sidestepped to get a look and saw the problem, though I didn't understand it. There was a 3 foot long spike of crystal clear ice protruding from the ground at an angle. It had cut through the tree's roots on that side. The dirt and snow piled around its base made me think it had pushed its way up from the earth. But that doesn't make any sense. Ice doesn't grow like this. I've never seen an ice mage or elemental do something like this either, I added, looking further ahead to see great spears of ice competing with the trees in height.

"Do you feel that?" Donella asked quietly. I turned to look at her. "It feels similar to the magic of the blood moon, but there is a subtle difference." Now that she mentioned it, I could feel a faint magic permeating the forest. The blood moons had a distinctly malevolent feel that weighed on the soul. This felt a little different; it was a magic that worried the edges of the mind. I shuddered at the feel of it, and Donella nodded her agreement.

We proceeded with caution, picking our way through the trees and ice spikes. Finally Mot called a halt again, this time at the base of a sheer cliff that had been smoothed and polished to the point of reflecting light. A few four foot tall statues stood sentinel in front of the cliff. The stone behind them was decorated with intricate carvings and runes. Some of the work was obscured by icicles hanging down from the cliff top or the massive ice spike piercing the cliff half way up on one side, but I could tell the three gods were depicted looking at something at the top of the cliff, now hidden in ice. Large cracks radiated outward from where the spike had hit; one of the cracks ran through the carving of Dianite. Rows of carved dwarves and humans covered the lowest parts. I thought at one point the mural had told a story, but I couldn't piece it together. While I stood mesmerized by the artistry, Mot approached a surprisingly simple doorway carved in the center of the cliff. Oh, how'd I miss that?

Mot stopped next to the cliff and whispered something to one of the statues. Much to my surprise, the statue moved and gripped Mot's arm in a friendly greeting. They had a quick discussion. Then the statue—which I now recognized to be a living dwarf—bellowed a command that sounded more growl then word. The ground rumbled, and I could hear the grating of large gears and the squeak of hinges in need of oiling. The door in the wall swung outward to grant us entry, and Mot beckoned us forward.

One of the other guards came forward to take the horses, and we followed them and Mot into a dimly lit, descending tunnel. The horses were led off a side branch to where I assumed the stables to be. It was quite warm in here compared to outside, and my friends began taking off their coats before we reached the end of the entry tunnel. The tunnel opened onto a massive underground city built into the walls of a large volcanic vent. Jordan could have flown the Flyanite down the vent with plenty of room to spare. The top was open to the grey sky, and the vertical shaft continued deep underground. I could see a faint orange glow at the bottom. Large braziers and torches lit the walkways. Homes and businesses were carved out of the walls, and stone walkways and stairs spiraled and crisscrossed each other in a bewildering manner that seemed random at first glance. Looking down the vent, I could tell there was an overarching design to the pathways that reminded me of the intricately knotted patterns carved on the cliff outside. The vent also had multiple lifts and pulleys to move dwarves and goods more quickly between the levels.

A few spikes were present here too, though these were of stone and were much larger than their aboveground counterparts. The spikes jutted out into the vent and occasionally bridged it to impale whatever building had sat across from it. "Welcome to the great dwarven city of Thel Olihm," Mot said, waving a hand at the view.

---Time Skip---

Mot had told us that despite any appearance of simplicity in some of the dwarves' work (like the unadorned door on the cliff), they were very fond of complicated enchantments. They worked many of them into the city itself, including a ward against flight magic. Apparently there was some long standing grudge between the dwarves and the wizard who first invented angel rings. (Dwarves were also renowned for their grudges.) So we were forced to walk.

Martha guided us down a set of walkways in a commercial section of the vent. She had picked up on Steve's location telepathically and was zeroing in on him. She seemed rather displeased when she stopped outside a set of doors. It was a tavern judging by the raucous laughter and horrid singing coming from inside. "This is the place. Steve will know where Ilanna is," She said to Donella and I.

Mot led the way, shoving the pine doors open. The inside looked much like any other bar, though everything was in slightly smaller proportions. Well, almost everything; the beer kegs lining one wall were big enough to fit a ghast comfortably. Tucker had to duck to make it through the doorway, though the ceiling was high enough inside. The establishment was surprisingly well lit with chandeliers made of interlocking elk antlers, and a few redstone lamps by the bar. There appeared to be a drunken karaoke session going on in one corner, and a large group was gathered in the back, listening to someone telling a story.

Martha made a beeline for the group in the back, and I heard a familiar loud voice. "Aye, they got me, but I walloped those dingoes when we broke out." Ah, there's Steve.

The crowd of dwarves parted before Martha once they noticed her. She walked up to a booth to find the farmer with his hat off and a red face. Drinks had started early today. "Steve," Martha said sternly.

Steve turned around, and his face lit up at the sight of Martha. "Martha! This is the sheila I was telling you about," He said, turning back to the gathered dwarves who were watching us with interest. "A round of drinks for the new goddess and company!" He called in the direction of the bar.

Several of the dwarves gave Martha half bows as a sign of respect. Martha smiled kindly at them and returned the gesture, surprising many of the dwarves. She shook her head when the barkeep looked to her for confirmation of Steve's order. The stout dwarf shrugged and went back to filling a set of pints for the singing group. "Steve, where's Ilanna?" Martha asked, trying to hide her amusement.

"Ah, don't worry. I didn't leave her alone. She's over there," He waved to a table a little distance away before downing the last of his beer.

"What?! You brought her to a bar; what were you thinking?!" I demanded, my voice hitting a sharp pitch. Donella had a dangerous look in her eyes too as she sized up Farmer Steve. Memento growled beside me.

"Hey, Wag! Good to see you're yourself again!" Ilanna called, standing up from her chair to wave at me. "Don't be mad at him; I've only had cider."

"Non-alcoholic cider," The dwarf sitting across from her added to clarify. Donella and I inspected the redheaded dwarf suspiciously, and he offered us a gap-toothed smile. "Bright lass, you have here."

"Yes, she is," Donella agreed, having made up her mind not to kill anyone. Ilanna froze when she realized who Donella was and looked slightly afraid. "The Fyre wizards have been quite worried about you, young lady, but I am glad to see you've handled yourself so well." Ilanna loosened up a little and meekly accepted the compliment.

"Not to interrupt this lovely reunion," Mot said sarcastically. "But we have a ritual to attend."

"Yes, and you're running late," A booming voice said behind us. I turned to see Mianite standing in the middle of the bar, looking impatient. His hair was disturbed from its usual neat curls, as if he'd run his fingers through it and forgotten to fix it afterwards. My friends had stayed back while Donella, Martha, and I talked to Steve, though I knew Tom had missed him like family. Now they stood between Mianite and I. Knowing his usual policy regarding wizards, I hoped Donella and Ilanna would escape his notice here at the back of our group.

I heard Steve growl behind me and Ilanna gasp. I glanced back at them to see Ilanna hiding behind Steve, whose fists steamed as he glared at Mianite. He was barely holding himself back. I'd heard what had happened to Ilanna, Annika, and Charlie from my brothers, and for once I agreed with Steve. I managed to hide my fury and kept an eye out for any sign that Mianite recognized Ilanna.

I glanced over at Donella to see if she was ready in case there was any trouble. I was shocked to see her staring at Mianite with wide eyes. She looked pale and lacked the air of self assurance I'd always associated with her. She whispered quietly enough I almost didn't catch it, "It wasn't a metaphor." (Hm. What in Mianite could she be referring to? ;)) Okay, she was starting to worry me.

"Gaines is ready to begin, but we can't get started until you bring the artifacts to him. Do hurry up, heroes," Mianite urged with uncharacteristic exasperation. With that he teleported away.

Donella seemed to snap back to reality from wherever she'd gone when the god left. She caught me watching her and asked in all seriousness, "Do you trust him?"

"No, of course not. Don't be absurd."

She nodded absentmindedly. "Good."

"Come on," Mot called, walking towards the door of the now deserted tavern. Mianite sure knew how to clear a room. "The sooner we revive Dia, the better. They'll be down in the throne room with his body."

"The main corridors are all blocked," A baritone voice said. It was the redheaded dwarf from earlier. Why was he still here when all the others ran at the sight of Mianite? "We've dug other passages since then. I can show you the way."

"What do you mean 'blocked'?" Mot asked, suspicion audible in his voice.

"And who are you exactly?" Tom asked, fingering the hilt of his sword. To my surprise, Ilanna moved to stand next to the dwarf, hand hovering close to the hilt of her own sword.

The dwarf looked between Mot and Tom in surprise. "I didn't know you had a brother, Mot." The Dianite champions bristled at the comment, and Sonja snickered. The dwarf continued without pause. "I don't visit the lower caves often. So I shouldn't expect you to remember me. Alroy Hammer is my name. (Yes, I gave the dwarf an Irish first name. Fight me. XD) At your service." He gave a courteous bow to our group. "As for the tunnels, the quakes and stone spikes have done a number on them."

Mot and Tom grudgingly accepted his service as guide, and we headed out. As we walked down the stairs to one of the wide metal platforms that served as a lift dock, Mot asked Alroy several questions about what had happened in his absence. I tuned them out, as it was mostly business matters. Tom, Jordan, Sonja, and Tucker were joking animatedly about what Dianite would do when he got back: kick Mianite's rear or sneak away with Mot for some "Motanite" time, as Sonja called it. I didn't claim to be an expert on relationships, but I suspected the latter would take priority. Ilanna was asking Donella for news of home, and Martha and Steve hung at the back of the group, whispering to each other and holding hands.

We made it to the platform, and Alroy talked to the engineer there in dwarvish (or whatever they called their language). The engineer eyed our group with interest before nodding and throwing a set of levers on the control panel beside him. Woven steel cables as thick as Steve's arm began moving, raising a metal box from one of the lower levels. It was just big enough for all of us to squeeze inside. Donella just stood on the platform and eyed the spot we'd saved for her and Akatena. "C'mon, Donella. Let's get a move on!" Tom said from his spot in the back.

Donella shook her head and said, "You all go ahead. I'll teleport to James once you're down."

I shrugged, and Alroy had the engineer send us on our way. Down, down, down. How far down does this vent go? It got warmer as we descended until the heat became uncomfortable for Jordan, Tucker, and Sonja.

"Gods, it feels like the Nether down here!" Tucker complained.

"I know. Isn't it great?" Tom said.

"Why is it getting so hot? Is this volcano active?" Sonja asked.

"Yes, actually," Alroy replied. "But we're coming down on the forges. We'll pass them in a minute." The forges were a sight, making my smeltery look like a child's first attempt at a campfire by comparison. Lava from the volcano itself was being pumped up to feed the massive furnaces. The stench of burnt metal and smoke filled the air as we passed. The air cooled to a more tolerable temperature once we'd sunk below the foundry.

Next we passed a set of large, collapsed tunnels, some of which had been highly decorated by the carving I could make out on the bigger chunks of rubble. We stopped at a platform maybe 10 feet below them. "This is the maintenance tunnel for the wiring and plumbing of Dianite's residence. We broke in from here," Alroy told us as we disembarked.

As the others trooped ahead, I hung back to give Donella plenty of clear space around me to teleport into. A minute later I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was being watched; then Donella appeared beside me. Even though I knew she was coming, I nearly had a heart attack and let out a very undignified squeak. "Next time, key in on Ilanna," I said while my heart pounded in my ears. Donella patted me on the shoulder and walked after the others, chuckling.

It didn't take long to catch up to everyone. Jordan was freaking out and swinging his scythe at his feet, but there was nothing there. "Mind spiders," Sonja told us as we joined the group, which was watching from a safe distance. Tom was finally catching up with Steve while Martha attempted to calm Sparklez.

After Jordan got over his bout of insanity, we followed the lines of pipes and electric cables down the smooth corridor. We traveled without incident until we came to a nexus of multiple hallways. Several of the new tunnels had roughly cut walls and a single strand of light bulbs hastily tacked to the ceiling.

We paused here for Alroy to consult a map on one of the walls. He'd admitted himself that he didn't come down here frequently. I leaned against a wall and imagined what my brothers might be doing right now. Phil's last rocket should be completed by this point. They were most likely packing. Kay would make sure they didn't forget anything important. They'd be able to leave as soon as Donella and Ilanna got back. Wait, why hasn't Donella teleported back yet? I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows, looking in her direction.

Donella caught my eye and nodded towards one of the tunnels. I followed her far enough that the others wouldn't be able to hear us and asked, "You have Ilanna now; why haven't you left yet?"

For a split second Donella appeared conflicted on how to answer. Then she said, "Call it a hunch."

I was about to ask what she meant when we heard Memento yowl in distress, and a spike of fear shot through my consciousness. I bolted back to the nexus without a second thought and found my familiar fluffed out and looking around wildly. Donella rushed over to Akatena who was similarly affected. I mentally pleaded with Memento to tell me what was wrong and finally heard what he was hearing: a very low rumble, too low for humans to register. It was growing louder.

I had no idea what it was until the lights above us started to flicker, and dust fell from the ceiling. Then I felt it, the beginnings of an earthquake. We all stared in shared horror as cracks spread through the ceiling. There was a crash somewhere above us, likely from Dianite's home, and chunks of the roof began to fall as cracks turned into fissures and connected. We stumbled for the closest tunnel, and I heard a cry of pain behind me. The lights failed as I dove for the opening of the tunnel. I landed and rolled as I felt small chunks of debris hitting my back. The last thing I remembered was a sudden, sharp pain in the side of my head.