While Ani flew around to look for an entranceway into the mountain, the girls went to the nearby town to refurbish their supplies. Yuan only had two flares left so she needed to conserve them for when they were most needed. They filled up their canister of petrol (maybe not the wisest decision, with them about to go into a mountain of fire) and bought a few handaxes, and climbing gear, that might come in handy. 

They gathered back at their temporary camp and made plans for a course of action. Ani flew them up to a location he believed was the entranceway. They entered the mountain, the natural forming tunnels were very narrow and were very difficult to traverse, often winding back upon themselves. In many places there were sheer drop offs and were glad they had the foresight to purchase a length of sturdy rope. 

There was not much room for flying so Ani held the top end of the rope while the girls rappelled down. He then precariously flew down, often bruising himself in the process. It was very slow progress, so they decided to make camp for the night. In the morning they continued their journey to the heart of the mountain. But the further they made their way, the more stale and more humid the air became, and often they became winded, and needed to have a rest. After many more difficult hours, finally there was a change in the terrain, ahead the tunnel opened to a larger cavern.

 The stench of sulphur was so strong they needed to over their face with a cloth to endure it. Bai suddenly became sick and retched, but it passed and when they reached the cavern. They were greeted by an awe inspiring sight. The walls were covered with a shiny orange-yellow rock. It appeared to glow, but that was as just an optical illusion.The light source was a magma chamber about 500 meters below where they were standing. There was a sharp drop off a few meters away. The ground was slick, so it was too dangerous to move any closer to the edge.

"Looks like this is the end of the road, what do we do now?" , a dejected Yuan protested.

"All this effort for nothing, I don't think I have the energy to make the return trip to the top.", Replied Bai

An exhausted Ani screamed in frustration, the sound of it echoed repeatedly. But in the background, there was something else, something that was growing louder and louder by the second. A swell of ominous, maniacal laughter could be heard. The girls jumped back in surprise as a massive clawed hand thundered onto the edge of the abyss. The ground beneath them shook, a large snake's head rose into view and surveyed them with cold, crazed, unfeeling eyes.