In just a few moments, I have discovered exactly what could be so bad about brimstone. It is another name for sulfur, and it stinks to the highest heavens. A sulfurous yellow smoke spirals into my face, and I try not to choke. I hold one arm over my nose and try to breath through my mouth. The tunnel grows darker, and I wish for a lantern. As if the Powers That Be are listening to the wishes of my subconscious for once, a golden orb poofs into existence before me. It bobs along helpfully before me, as though waiting for me. I can hear it whispering to me.
"Come here, come here, follow me, I know the way to what you have always dreamt of," it seems to say.
I step forward, and the orb races forward. It's all that I can do to follow the glob of light. I sprint along, rolling up my trousers for added speed and freedom. The light bounces along, and I bounce with it. The light glides along and then floats in the air a few yards before me. I run to catch up with it, but something grabs my arm. I twist around, my stomach full of roiling anger. Whoever is keeping me from the light is going to pay! But it is my mother. She yanks me back.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" I scream, flailing against her. "That little light was going to lead me to my destiny!"
My mother shakes her head. "Not unless your destiny is sudden doom." She points towards the light. I now see that what I was about to walk on is the edge of a cliff. Below the cliff are churning waters full of sharp rocks. A bit of gravel breaks away from under my left boot, falling into the water below. There's a count of at least twelve before I hear the faintest of splashes.
"That's a will o' the wisp, Lorelei! They garner entertainment from leading naive travelers to their deaths with promises of power. You were about to die!"
I look at the light. It doesn't seem quite so friendly now. It has a little face, and its tiny features are twisted into a lustful, nasty expression. It sticks a tiny tongue of flame out at me, and then fizzles away into nothing.

My mother takes my hand and leads me along. There are so many paths, and we now have no idea where to go. The map was only leading us to the correct spot where we might begin to find Mayestika Rolutha. We wind back and forward, left and right and catty-cornered until I can't see anymore.  We have turned in a complete circle, and are now back where the will o' the wisp tried to lead me. It is a strange spot. The water below the cliff is full of strange blue light, and beyond the water, a strange city full of light shines in the distance. The caverns have grown colder, and I can't smell brimstone anymore. I never thought that I would want to smell that horror.
"Um, are we lost, Mother?"
My mother spews a series of words that I have never heard before. I'm not sure that I want to hear them ever again. "Yes, I suppose we are lost."
I groan and slam my head into my hands. Suddenly, I hear a strange noise behind me, like a tinkling little laugh.
"Are you lost?"
Behind me sits a small girl, really a waif of a thing. Her long hair is brown and rather curly, and she has flowers in it. She has a lilac petal gown, and her feet are in little boots made of a flower. She must be a fairy sort, because she has delicate wings. She poofs, and then reappears behind my mother.
"I can help you if you want." She smiles impishly and vanishes again.
I spin in a full circle, searching for her. I hear a giggle and reach up. She's sitting on my head. "Or I could not. It's all up to you. If you would rather be lost, then please, by all means keep walking."
I reach to swat her off, but she's off again. "Little strange fairy girl, can you please stop being mystical and poofy and just explain what you mean?" I ask. She flutters to one side and perches on a sort of cliff shelf.
"Okay, let's take this all from the top. I'm Fantasia Moletica Runon, but you can call me Fanny. I am your garden-variety fairy, quite literally. I take care of the flowers, and mostly do the more menial magical tasks. What are you looking for here?"
My mother beams. I can tell that she is charmed by Fanny. "We are trying to find Mayestika Rolutha-"
Fanny doesn't let my mother finish. "Oh, you want to find her! Well, I'm sure she won't want to see you, but I can show you where she lives anyway. She lives in the cave at the end of Perilous Pass. That is the one with the scarlet light. Please, if you feel tired, sleep, but don't do it near Scavenger's Cliff. The Scavengers scare me."
"What are the Scavengers?" I ask.
Fanny shudders. "Th-th-th-th-th-those!" She points a dainty finger, which is shaking. I look up. Circling in the deep sky are strange, feathery black shapes. They are massive, large enough to scoop me up in their claws. One swoops near us, and I can see its face. That face is some horrible thing that I never want to see again. It has wolflike features and sharp teeth and yellow eyes, but that in itself is not the frightening part. Blood is caked into that fur, and some nasty fleshy something is stuck on those sharp teeth.

I clutch my mother's arm. "Let's go, Mother. The Scavengers are scaring me."
She nods. "Me as well, Lore. Thank you for your help, Fanny."
Fanny waves, blows a rather sloppy kiss, and then flies away. I pinpoint the tunnel with the scarlet light and then careen down it. I care not for walls or rough spits of rock. All I want now is to get away from the Scavengers. I slow after a few moments, glad that they are not on our tail. At that moment, I notice that the air is growing much hotter. It smells more like brimstone than ever, also. The red light is so bright now that it washes over my hands and face and makes me look crimson all over. I hear a loud noise, a sort of guttural roar, that shakes my very soul. I walk on. Suddenly, a massive shape comes into view.

The dragon is huge. I am used to working with dragons, but this one is bigger than any I have ever known before. Her legs, thicker than tree trunks, are taller than me. Her scales are scarlet, but they are like a beautiful ruby. Her eyes are massive and deep, illuminating green. She is seated atop a massive heap of gemstones. But something is wrong. Her legs are trapped in thick chains, and she is howling like I have never heard before. Every few moments, she snorts flame into the air. I approach slowly. I know that when meeting a dragon that has authority, you must bow and show deference and respect. I bow down, and gesture for my mother to do the same.
"Oh Lady Mayestika Rolutha, please grace us with your words. Tell us why you are chained here, O Mighty One."
She tosses her massive head and snorts again. Her eyes are rolling, and she stomps about. "I have been captured here by the Scavengers, those accursed beasts. They are barbarians, and one must avoid them at all costs. Save me, please!"
I gaze around the cave. A glimmer of silver catches my eye. Stabbed into a stone is a sword, but it is unlike any I have ever seen. It is wide, silver with the Ancient Runes of Magna Dracos. On instinct, I can tell that this blade could cut through those chains like paper. I run to it and pull at the handle. The sword is stuck so deep into the stone that I think it is actually in the cave floor. I yank it, and then everything goes black.