Through smoke and ash in the burning stacks, Livira fears wasting the portal’s last power but presses on with Evar and Malar. She summons the guide dog, Volente, by name and asks him to find Sscythic’s A History of the Gratatack Cavern Wars, Volume Six, believing Arpix or Meelan carries it. Volente obeys, and the trio follow.

They traverse Chamber 16 toward 29, phasing through shelves to shorten the route. Malar balks at walking through wood until Evar shoves him through, and they outrun the worst of the fire. From the shelf tops Livira sees Chamber 17 ablaze and mourns the likely loss of the books Arpix had stacked. Volente leads them through the tunnel into 29 and toward the Chamber of Ruin (46).

In the dust-drowned expanse of 46, Evar notes dust and fire can explode. They spot a large dust trail—over twenty—heading north toward 47 and move to intercept without raising their own sign. Livira worries her friends could not have come via the forbidden chamber but follows, hoping to catch up.

They meet a band of thirty canith, scorched and bloodied from the assault. Livira recognizes an older female priest who once marched Dust children in ropes, and a scarred warrior from that raid. The priest squints as if sensing Livira, unsettling Malar. Evar rises and briefly touches the priest’s mind, sensing she perceives a book.

When Livira draws her collection of stories, the canith react with alarm; dust jumps, weapons lift, and an arrow-stick booms past her. Malar charges to protect her as Evar dives, shouting for Livira to drop the book. Livira cannot let go, emotionally bound to it; Evar collides with her and together they clutch the book as the confrontation ignites.