If anyone happens to remember the collection this story was in, or the story title/author I’d be greatful. Even pointing me to a searchable database for short stories of the Fantasy genre would be appreciated. I am not sure if this was in Dragon Magazine or not, it might have been, but I am uncertain. I recall it ias being part of a collection though.
What I remember of the story is, the hero was a young man, a Bell Dancer. He had bells implanted into him, and had such muscle control that they only rang when he wanted them to ring. He was of a special class/sect, and he could be Judge, Warrior, Spell Breaker or find the truth with the special magics of the dances he could perform. For each Role he was about to take on, he would comb out his long hair and tie it in a different knot, part of the ritual before beginning the dance. The story I am thinking of, (I do not know if there are other stories about this character and world or not, I hope so.) he goes to investiage why a mage and his assistant have not come out of the cave they went into to study bats. The reason they haven’t is because they have been caught in a spell that was once dorment, but they managed to awaken it. A woman is on a plinth, being burned alive by spellfire, then reformed and burned alive again. The Bell Dancer frees his friends, the woman, and himself by dancing along with the pattern of the flames, finding the flaw in the pattern and slowly unraveling the spell from the inside out.
None of those were it. Thank you for helping though. 
This setting had Magic, humans, and I would say it would be more akin perhaps to Persia than Africa, but with a distinct European flavor to the cultures too. The Bell Dancers and their rituals were sort of Asian though, rather monklike/Zen, but more hot climate Asian and not mountain Asian. I am not sure if only males could be Bell Dancers or not, I don’t remember. I remember the main hero’s hair was thick, straight, black, and very long. Bell Dancers were revered like Priests or Bards though. They were given high status, but they served the people. They train over their lifetime, beginning in childhood to become a full fledged Bell Dancer and have the (golden?) bells implanted in their skin. Bell Dancer is a title, an office, a vocation in this setting.
Here is a link to the Dragondex, which lists all the short stories that appeared in Dragon Magazine. I remember many of them. I’m not sure if it did appear in Dragon Magazine or not though, but it’s worth a shot seeing if anyone can help put a name and author to the story.
A little more detail, it was a Sorceress’ spell, animals could come and go from the cave freely, but humans were sealed into the cave. There was a chamber in the cave network that had the woman on the plinth, with white magical long flames whipping around her burning her alive, then her ashes would swirl and reform her. The spell was slowly consuming her life essence, using her life to power itself. ETA: I’m leaning more and more towards this story was in a book now, and not a Dragon Magazine issue, due to the length of the story. Still a short story/novelette though.
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No one else remembers reading this story? 