Lili wasn't sure how much time had passed while she was underground, but the sun was high in the sky as she approached the Salamanders' home. It was scorching hot, and Lili was tired and thirsty and more than a little bit cranky when her path led her to a field which was ablaze with a roaring wild fire. Lili moaned and sank to the ground. The fire was spreading quickly, and Lili couldn't see a way around it. As she sat on the path, holding her head in her hands, a small lick of fire broke off from the main column and seemingly ran across the grass towards Lili. She was about to jump out of its way when the flame stopped and transformed into a small, red and orange mottled lizard.
This lizard reared up onto its hind legs and addressed Lili. "Lilith!" the Salamander exclaimed. "I heard that you were in our realm. And just in time too! This fire is spreading out of control. Come help me contain it."
The only audible sound was the clicking of the Salamander's tongue flicking in and out of its mouth, but Lili could feel its speech in her body like ripples of electricity and somehow, as with the Gnomes and Sylphs, she understood every word.
"We must work quickly Lilith!" the Salamander urged. "See how the fire eats up all of the grass in its path? Fire energy is important, but it should never have been allowed to spread here!"
Wearily, Lili got to her feet and began to cut the grass down around the fire with her sword. She drove its blade through the sod and peeled back a wide strip of turf, working in an arc around the fire and hoping to complete her circle before the fire reached her line of defence. The Salamander and others of its kind scurried around the fire, lapping at its edges and trying to keep it in check, but the dry grasses were too tempting for the spreading flames. Lili quickened her pace, struggling to keep ahead of the flames.