Rosie's Tunnel Adventures: The Fire Pits

Hisspan and her friend Rosey stood at the entrance to the tunnel, peering down into the dark expanse. Rosey glanced over at the cobra, frowning.
"So these are all over the valley?" she asked.
Hisspan nodded.
"Yeah," she said. "No one's completely sure just how many there are, but they weave all through the area."
Hisspan had told the dog earlier about the escape tunnels that dotted the walls of the Valley Of Venom, and how her husband Wolfen liked to explore them. What had caught Rosey's attention though, was that none had ever been successfully navigated by a warm-blood.
"So I could be the first one to make it all the way through one of these?" Rosey asked.
Hisspan fidgeted nervously.
"Well, first warm-blood, maybe. But..."
The cobra looked at her friend, worry etched on her face.
"Rosey. Others have tried. Jason, Wolfen. Every attempt they've made has failed. And often they end up looking quite the worse for wear. The tunnels are specifically made to exploit cold-blood abilities. Being resistant to heat. Being able to hold your breath for hours. Agility only found in our races. That sort of thing."
"But Jason and Wolfen keep trying, right?"
Hisspan nodded.
"Well yeah..."
"Then I want to try too," Rosey cut in. "It sounds like an awesome adventure. Besides, you'll be with me. What could go wrong?"
Before Hisspan could reply, Rosey started off down the tunnel, whistling happily.

The tunnel was dark and creepy, lit only by a faint greenish glow from fungus that grew on the walls. Rosey held her hands out in front of her, trying not to stumble. Beside her, Hisspan walked along easily, unhindered by the lack of light.
"How long have we been going?" Rosey asked, her voice quiet.
"About 10 minutes," Hisspan replied. "If I'm right, we've been slowly spiraling down and towards the east."
Rosey frowned.
"How can you tell that?"
A bright flash about 100 yards down the tunnel lit up the area. Hisspan held her breath as the light died down.
"Because we're heading towards the fire pits," she replied.
Their hearts in their mouths, Hisspan and Rosey made their way forward cautiously, the tunnel opening up into a large, well lit chamber. Rosey gasped. The floor of the chamber was dominated by a deep pit with no way to navigate around the edges. Heat and flames rose up out of it. Suddenly a plume of flame flared up and scorched the ceiling. Hisspan stepped forward, ignoring the temperature rise, and looked down.
"Magma," she said.
Rosey edged up beside her, peering over the edge of the pit.
"Um, Hissy, how do we get across?"
Hisspan glanced about, looking for a clue. She paused.
"Well," she said pointing to a thin metal beam that was strung across the chamber above the pit, "I'd say we use that."
"What? There's no way to walk around?"
Hisspan shook her head.
"Not unless you're a gecko and can walk on the walls."
Hisspan took a few steps back and set herself.
"Just do what I do," the cobra said.
Hisspan ran forward and jumped. She arced across the gap and grabbed onto the bar with her fingertips. Using her momentum, Hisspan swung up, tucking in and perching like a tightrope walker. Her tail stuck out straight, balancing her body. Rosey grumbled.
"Yeah, right. Just do that."
Rosey gave herself room and ran. At the last second she launched herself forward, arms stretched out, fingers grasping. Hands grabbed her wrists as she began to sail under the bar, and Rosey looked up. Hisspan had dropped down, hanging by her tail, to grab hold of her.
"Tuck and roll!" Hisspan yelled.
Rosey cried out, shocked when Hisspan let her go as they reached the apex of their swing. The dog flailed. She saw the ground surge up to her and tucked her head and arms in, landing hard. She rolled, terrified that at any moment she would feel the burning pain of the magma.
"Open your eyes, Rosey!"
Rosey opened her eyes and peered about. She was on the other side of the pit. Hisspan had managed to get her across. She took a deep breath as she watched Hisspan continue to swing. Building up momentum, the cobra flipped forward and joined the dog on the other side. Rosey stood up. The adrenaline and fear faded, and a smile crossed her face.
"That was awesome, Hissy!"
Hisspan chuckled nervously.
"Easy now, Rosey. That was just one of the simpler obstacles."
Rosey smiled and grabbed the cobra's hand, dragging her along. She couldn't wait to see what other tests and traps lay ahead.

Rosey hopped form foot to foot, her feet burning slightly through the soles of her blue sneakers. It was obvious she and Hisspan were still within the fire pit region of the tunnel system. Orange light from steaming vents made the baked clay walls look ruddy and harsh. The young dog started to step forward but was stopped when Hisspan grabbed her arm.
"What's the matter?" Rosey asked.
"Look at the floor," Hisspan replied.
Rosey looked. The floor of the tunnel was paved in carved tiles that depicted a stylized lizard head.
"Pressure pads and fire vents," Hisspan said. "You need agility to get across."
"How agile?" Rosey asked.
Hisspan shrugged.
"Lets see."
Once again the cobra took the lead. She jumped and skipped, performing flips, leaps and somersaults. Hot plumes of flame shot up all around her, shooting from the mouths of the carved faces whenever she set hand or foot onto the ground. One plume caught her side, burning her jumpsuit. Hippsan hissed and with one final leap, managed to clear the remaining tiles. She landed and stood up straight, turning around.
"You OK, Hissy?" Rosey called out.
Hisspan nodded.
"I'm fine. Just need some new clothes when we get back," the cobra replied.
Rosey grit her teeth. She lacked the agility that Hisspan had, and it was almost certain that she would get burned. Hisspan seemed to read her mind and called out.
"Hang on, Rosey. I'll come back. We can try one of the other tunnels another day."
Rosey shook her head.
"No. I want to try," she called back.
She may have not have been fast. And she may not have been agile. But Rosey knew she had one trait that could get her through: She was determined. She took a deep breath and charged, running as fast as she could. Hisspan cried out. Flames erupted all around her and Rosie screamed a war cry to take her mind off of where she was. With eyes closed she barreled into something, and tumbled to the ground.
"Rosey! Rosey!"
Rosey gasped, her senses coming back to her. She had made it through the tiled section and collided with Hisspan, knocking them both to the ground. The two friends stood up and dusted themselves down. Hisspan looked at the dog and chuckled. One of her bangs was singed off, and her clothes were charred and tattered. Soot blackened her face, covering the scar she had on her cheek.
"Are you alright?" Hisspan asked.
Rosey nodded.
"I feel like a burger that's been cooked to long, but otherwise fine," the dog replied.
Hisspan breathed a sigh of relief. Rosey looked down the tunnel, and Hisspan knew she wanted to continue. Together they set off, determined to find what else awaited them...