The Baron turned to face Chad and Yorick, his posture straight and commanding.
"We must act quickly," he said, his voice strong and authoritative. "Yardix will soon realize his curse has been broken. We need to strike before he can regroup."
Chad nodded, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.
"But how do we find him? And what exactly are we supposed to do?"
The Baron strode to a nearby chest, pulling out fresh clothing and quickly dressing.
"Yardix has commandeered the lair of the dragon Ganymode, a half a days ride from here. As for what to do..." He paused, looking pointedly at Chad's codpiece. "That magical braye of yours is the key. Its power has been awakened now, and it's our best weapon against the sorcerer."
Yorick, having regained his senses, began hastily pulling on his breeches as the Baron continued.
"If we leave immediately we can be there just after sunset and might have the element of surprise."
Chad instinctively glanced down at his codpiece, a mixture of awe and trepidation washing over him. He had always known it was special, but to hear the Baron speak of it as a weapon against a powerful sorcerer was almost too much to comprehend.
"But... I don't even know how to use it," Chad protested weakly.
The Baron's eyes softened slightly. "The power will come to you when you need it most. Trust in yourself, and in the magic that has chosen you."
Then Yorick spoke up. "Sir, is the tool you had made to fight Ganymode or Yardix?"
"Both. It will help us gain access to Ganymode's lair, which you will see is not a trivial undertaking." The Baron explained, "Now come, we must get moving."
Less than an hour later, they began their journey westward. Chad rode his horse while the Baron and Yorick followed in the wagon. The rolling plains and hills that surrounded the castle slowly faded away, replaced by a vast expanse of dry plains. As the sun inched closer to the horizon, Chad noticed a distinct shape in the distance: perhaps a hill or small mountain rising from the dry, desert-like earth of the plain.
As they drew nearer, Chad realized the shape was no natural formation. It was a massive structure, its dark stone walls twisting upward in impossible angles that seemed to defy gravity. Spires and turrets jutted out at odd intervals, giving the entire edifice an unsettling, alien appearance.
"Ganymode's lair," the Baron muttered, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and dread. "Yardix has corrupted it with his foul magic."
The sun had just dipped below the horizon as they approached, casting long shadows across the barren landscape. Chad's heart raced, his palms sweaty on the reins. He could feel a faint warmth emanating from his codpiece, pulsing in time with his accelerated heartbeat.
As they got closer to the peculiar structure, Chad noted that it was difficult to tell where the entrance was, if any, given the enchanted nature of the place.
"This is where the tool comes in," the Baron said as the wagon stopped and he dismounted. He then went to the back of the wagon and began releasing the latches securing the mysterious box.
Chad and Yorick dismounted as well, moving closer to see what the Baron was unveiling. With a final click, the large wooden box fell open, revealing a strange contraption inside. It appeared to be a long metal rod with various gears, levers, and intricate mechanisms attached to it. At one end was what looked like a large corkscrew, while the other end had a handle and several dials.
"This," the Baron said, lifting the device with a grunt, "is our key to entering Ganymode's lair."
He approached the twisted stone walls, studying them intently before selecting a spot. He positioned the corkscrew end against the wall and began to turn the handle. The device whirred to life, the gears clicking and spinning as the corkscrew bored into the enchanted stone.
Chad and Yorick watched in amazement as the device drove into the wall when suddenly and without warning it stopped.
There was a humming sound, then the unit began to glow red as if being heated, and it slowly reversed and backed out of the hole it had created. As it fell to the ground, the Baron's mouth fell open in amazement.
There was a blinding flash as Chad watched the corkscrew explode, but he felt nothing from the blast. The Baron and Yorick, however, were thrown backward and away from the wall, landing on each other and rendered unconscious.
The wall where the corkscrew had been drilling now opened to reveal a dark passageway. Chad turned towards it as his codpiece glowed, throwing light into the darkness of the portal.
Chad hesitated for a moment, torn between helping his fallen companions and investigating the mysterious passageway. The pulsing warmth in his groin seemed to urge him forward, and he found himself drawn inexorably towards the opening.
As he stepped into the darkness, unsheathing his sword, the glow from his codpiece intensified, illuminating the narrow stone corridor ahead. The walls were slick with moisture, and strange symbols were carved into the rock at irregular intervals. Chad's footsteps echoed ominously as he ventured deeper into the lair.
The passage twisted and turned, leading him ever downward. Chad lost all sense of time and direction as he walked, guided only by the light of his magical garment. Just as he was beginning to wonder if he'd made a terrible mistake, the corridor opened up into a vast chamber.
The room was circular, its high domed ceiling lost in shadow. At its center was a large circular pool with mist swirling at its surface.
Chad watched as the swirling mist opened to reveal a figure gradually rising from beneath the surface of the water.
