Nanaua inserted the stone disk into the large door. The door split in half and opened.

  In the center of a large circular room a shackled Zhi stood. The entirety of the walls and the floor of the room were decorated in strange carvings.

  Nanaua ran to Zhi.

  “My love!” Zhi yelled as she saw Nanaua.

  The two embraced and kissed. But it was not a long moment. Nanaua looked at the chains that held Zhi in place. She swung her pike at them, breaking them one by one. Zhi was able to walk with Nanaua and join her companions.

  “They told us you both died.” Zhi said.

  “It was Throk who perpetuated that lie.” Nanaua replied. “His lifeless corpse adorns the hallways of this prison.”

  “Are you hurt?” Simeon asked Zhi.

  “No.” She replied.

  “Then we need to leave.” Nanaua replied.

  “The artifact?” Corin spoke up.

  He held the stone sphere in his hand.

  “The pieces are with me.” Zhi replied to him.

  “We should try-” Corin began.

  “Not now Corin!” Nanaua spoke. “Escaping is our only priority!”

  Corin felt as he if he must speak up, to argue in favor of using the artifact but Simeon spoke up.

  “Aye let's move!”

  The group ran. They passed the corpses of those they had slain. The guard that had fallen, the Kishtro that Simeon had shot, Throk, and the two guards that Corin and Nanaua had fought. They found themselves outside.

  “The Pyornis?” Nanaua asked Kadus.

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  “He’s over-”

  Before Kadus could finish his words a single loud sound echoed through the entire island.

  “What is that?!” Livia yelled.

  “We’ve been discovered!” Nanaua shouted.

  Corin looked over to the large rock that stood over the entire island. The skies above it began to come to life.

  “Tonatiuh!” Corin cried out. “He's awakening!”

  “We need to hurry now!” Nanaua yelled.

  She moved and brought along Zhi.

  Corin held her by the hand.

  “No Nanaua!” Corin said.

  He was not even sure where this came from.

  “We will not be able to escape from Tonatiuh.” He pled with her. “You know what we must do!”

  Thunder began to crash. The air around them hissed as the cloud filled with static electricity.

  “He's right!” Livia shouted. “The artifact! We must use it!”

  Corin held out the stone sphere.

  “ROAR!!” Tonatiuh roared in the background and thunder crashed all around them.

  Nanaua still hesitated. Zhi did not.

  “Give me the piece!” She told Corin.

  Corin obliged.

  Zhi put all three pieces on the ground. The large hollow pyramid. The smaller hollow cube. And the smallest piece, the solid sphere.

  “What are we supposed to do with it?” Simeon yelled.

  Zhi stared at the pieces. She looked back at Simeon.

  “I don't know!” She shouted.

  Corin did not hesitate. He moved to the artifact pieces and picked the sphere and the cube. He looked at the cube and saw a portion of it with rounded edges. He inserted the sphere into it. As soon as the sphere was in place it did not move. Magical energy held it tight in place.

  “What did you do?” Simeon asked.

  Corin ignored him. He grabbed the hollow pyramid and looked over it. He saw a portion of it where the opening was wide enough for the cube to fit. He put the cube into the opening and it slid in. Once it was completely in the cube locked into place. He placed it on the ground.

  “Is that it?” Simeon asked.

  Tonatiuh roared once more.

  “BANG!” Thunder crashed around them. Lightning impacted right in front of Corin, at the artifact. They could hear Tonatiuh moving his wings. Soon he would be airborne.

  “Look!” Livia shouted.

  The artifact hummed with energy. The pyramid lit up and vibrated in place.

  “It must have been the lightning!” Corin shouted.

  “Of course! The pyramid was under guard from Tonatiuh!” Zhi added. “The cube under guard by Arandu!”

  As she said this she summoned a column of water that enveloped the artifact.

  Once the column dissipated the group looked once again at the artifact. Now the pyramid and the cube hummed with energy.

  The flapping of large wings grew stronger. From the corner of his eye Corin could see a large creature flying up into the sky.

  “One more to go!” Zhi said.

  Corin eyed the artifact with a feeling verging on ecstasy. He felt a rising within him, a sensation of freedom within grasp.

  Zhi once again used her magic. This time she encased the artifact in a column of stone. Almost instantly the stone exploded.

  The sensation washing over Corin disappeared. His head suddenly felt light. He thought he would lose consciousness. He fell to the ground on his knees.

  He looked to the spot where the artifact had been encased. It had disappeared.

  “The artifact!” Livia cried out.

  “What happened to it?!” Kadus yelled.

  “Corin?” Livia asked as she approached her husband.

  As she did she fell over from a sudden shock. The ground began to tremble as a great towering creature landed behind them.

  Corin still on his knees gazed ahead.

  Standing before them was the Dragon Tonatiuh. The second strongest Dragon alive. The creature was gargantuan. Almost as large as the prison that Zhi was housed in. His eyes burned red with rage.