The first sign that something was wrong was indeed the silence.

The chamber ended abruptly at a large circular section, darkened without a flame in sight. Thankfully, no pit of lava, or any pit in which case, was visible. From where they could initially tell, the room was bare without any curious marking of any kind. The bricks laid undamaged, and the large slabs of rock that made up the floor were smoothed to a fine texture. And yet, they sensed an eerie presence lurking within, although entirely out of sight. Knights are trained to feel the life energy among living creatures. It helps when trying to track down animals and criminals in the wild. But they sensed nothing. So, where did this unease come from?

Lyse decided to step in; first, his hand was firmly placed on his blade. There were no traps. All the bricks and slabs looked precisely the same, indistinguishable from one another. He still could not sense where this presence was, even if the room was nearly blank, until he noticed something moving in the corner of his eyes. He was not the only one who saw as Gray and Elena readied themselves, and Gray unsheathed their blade. Edlund wielded a knife that Elena had equipped but stayed behind both, knowing he's inefficient as support. Lyse immediately drew his sword and aimed it directly at the heap in the darkness, ready for it to pounce and for himself to cut it down. Still, the rise did not move. It stayed still. He could not tell what it was, but it was at least human size. It wasn't till he tried to move closer that did it do anything.

"Stay back!" yelled a shrill, hoarse voice as another sword peaked from the darkness. Lyse furrowed his brow and then made his sword glow in the dark to see this person. As it slowly lit, it revealed the figure to be another knight, fully dawned in armor. A quivering mess of a man was shuddering against the wall, and a shield pressed up against himself in protection. Utter fear was in his hazy eyes as they focused on Lyse's face. Blood could be seen dripping alongside his armor, and his sword was stained heavily. Upon seeing Lyse, the man leaped up and slashed out of pure fear. Lyse parried it effortlessly and tripped the man as he tumbled past him. Lyse has never seen anyone like this. His movement had no thought besides survival. As soon as he fell into the light of the corridor and in the sights of the rest of them, they all were taken aback, expecting some hulking creature to descend upon them. He was not expecting a babbling man fumbling with his sword and shield standing up.

"Who are you," Lyse pointed his sword at him in a warning. The man, upon seeing this threat, dropped his shield and held his sword tightly with both. The others decide to enter the room and surround them, sheathing their blades.

"I'm warning you," he went on, looking nervously at those who now surrounded him. "Stay back, please."

"I think he's mad, Lyse," Edlund said. "Just look at him. Jumpier than a cat."

"What happened?" Lyse asked him in calming tones, hopefully trying to relieve the tension. The man looked tiredly at those around them, as if for once taking in their features and realizing that they were not, in fact, monsters. He dropped his sword, clanging on the ground, then fell to his knees and began sobbing to himself uncontrollably. Streams of tears wet the floor as he completely broke down before them. It was more than an unsettling display. They could only guess what turned this man into such a wreck. Lyse looked around the room for any indication of danger. The other end seemed normal, the corridor continuing without any visible impediment.

"What happened to your squad," Lyse asked him. Of course, he already knows part of the answer at this point. They are most likely dead now. But he wanted to learn more.

"They're . . . dead," he said slowly. "They're dead, all of them. Ripped to pieces like bloody toys. It didn't leave a single scrap of them left."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"Is it a monster?" Gray asked, now examining this room as well. "Is it in here?"

The man lifted a finger down the opposite corridor. It leads to another seemingly identical room to this one. Lyse furrowed his brows in concern now. He looked over to Edlund and the others, and they seemed just as lost and worried as he was. They thought of many scenarios coming into this dungeon, but this was very low on their expectations. Lyse sheathed his sword but kept his hand ready for the moment to arise. The others followed his lead while Edlund still clutched his dagger and stared attentively at the man. Lyse bent down to his level to make eye contact, kneeling and letting his head carefully. The man's eyes were still concerned, but at least now he gained a bit of clearance into his mind.

"Who are you?" Lyse asked him firmly but still in a low tone. The man swallowed a lump before hastily responding.

"L-like I said . . . I was walking through with my group . . ."

"How many were there?" Lyse asked sincerely.

"Five," he answered, his breaths growing slower with each sentence. "Picked up another one who made it past the first trial. We made it into that corridor. It seemed so safe. But then . . . like lightning . . . we stood no chance."

Lyse took all of this to his head and analyzed the situation. The thoughts were distressing, to say the least, and apparent to all those who were listening then. Gray shook his head in silent disbelief and anxiety. They were all trained to handle these kinds of situations with a sort of care and delicate nature. Part of the career of being a knight is knowing how to handle solving problems that may be domestic in nature. But they were far from domestic now. A thousand hand-drawn pictures of monsters ran through their minds as to what could have killed four well-trained knights in mere moments. Something had to hit fast and with coordination not very indicative of creatures of lower intelligence. And based on the bloodstain on his armor, the blows were swift and accurate, that much Lyse could tell. Still, the list was far too varied to guess what lies before them reliably. And they will get little done deliberating any longer.

"Are the corpses still in the room?" Lyse asked him, and now he looked at Lyse incredulously, like he had just told a bad joke.

"Yeah? Why does it matter?" he queried.

"Did it attempt to eat them?" Lyse asked in a more confirmatory manner, like questioning a scout.

"I-I didn't get a good look," the knight shook his head. "I just turned up on my tail and ran as fast as I could. A miracle that I did not die as well."

"This is certainly troubling," Elena said, joining Lyse in the middle of the room. "This creature is most definitely attempting to lure others into this trap."

Lyse nodded morbidly and then looked to Edlund and Gray, who seemed to begin to grasp the situation. The knight, however, looked between all of them as this continued, a bit lost on where the conversation was going. Because by the sounds of things, they seemed to be bent on continuing their path, despite everything he just said.

"We can't go back there," he nearly shouted at them, and they all turned their attention back upon him as his breathing spiked and his eyes looked down at the sword still sheathing in his harness, "We can't fight that thing in there. We have to avoid it."

"You certainly like saying 'we don't you," Edlund brusquely. "If you don't want to come along, then you can tuck your sword in and shuffle back to the entrance. But for us, we are here to become knights. Real knights. That's a nice sword you got tied to you. Mind parting ways?"

Edlund greedily opened both palms in a gesture similar to that of calling a hound. The knight recoiled, his hands back on his blade as he took a cautious step away. It was clear that Edlund was getting pretty impatient with the man and with the recent parting with his sword. However, the knight did not seem very adamant about lending his own. Lyse sighed and put a hand before Edlund, signaling him to wait a moment before anything brash happened. He looked back to the knight, who was now looking very anxiously at his surroundings and seemed to be considering his next course of actions very frantically.

"You heard my friend," Lyse told him. "Either come with or leave."

Edlund coughed abruptly and very deliberately, which Lyse met with another sigh. "And also, leaving the blade for my friend to use would certainly be useful."

The knight stayed silent as he pondered this rapid dilemma that presented itself. Either risk the journey of traveling this maze of corridors alone, possibly running into other monsters far more terrifying than what he has encountered, and return to his home defeated, his dignity and sword lost. Or certain death at the hand of some unseen killer. His body shakes with discouragement till he finally stands, rapidly takes off his belt, and throws it to the ground before running. Before Lyse could question whether or not he could defend himself, he succumbed to the darkness of the tunnels and was out of sight. Edlund, Gray, and Elena looked astonished at what transpired, and the sword was lying on the ground. It is a strict moral code never to leave a sword sheathed on the floor, a sign of disrespect to the knights themselves. Edlund precariously picked up the blade and inspected it. It seemed well made and ripe for battle. There were minor dents along the surface, signifying its rampant use. Edlund was troubled to see a blade-like it dumped and the owner run away like a small girl. But, he tried to think nothing of it as he secured it around his waist.

"So what is our next move then?" Gray asked. "Is all this even worth it?"

"We have to keep going," Lyse told them all, and they each silently agreed. "It's a little too late to turn and run. We must cover one another's blind spots; that is the only way to secure ourselves defensively. IT this beast is that fast and skilled; we must prepare for the worst if that is at all possible. Be ready to use zoi if need be."

They each nodded in confirmation and secured themselves in a tight formation, Elena heading them off ahead with her sword in one hand and her large shield covering the front. Flanking her sides were Edlund and Gray, and finally, Lyse covering their backs. They paid acute attention to their surroundings, trying to sense this danger the best they could using zoi, but nothing disturbed their senses. As they entered the next chamber, the smell of fresh blood was practically wafting from around them. The floor was still covered in several bodies lying limply where they had died. One closest to their entrance had his head cut off, his helmet still attached, and blood pooling around him to congeal.

All the kills had a uniform swiftness, one single strike to end one's life. This was most certainly no beast that watched them approach its lair. Instead, it watched with anticipation, a mind known by strategists—swords at the ready to kill, taking the satisfaction of taking a life. And as the group made it further inward, it anxiously hissed at them, launching from the ceiling and upon them. They all turned just in time to see what appeared to be a woman. Her upper torso was completely normal, some plated, rusted armor covered in blood, fresh and old. It was wielding two scimitars made from some sort of golden metal. Serpent yellow eyes locked onto them, and black oily hair flickered wildly. The lower torso was that of a snake with dark red scales. They were scarred by many battles and the length of ten men.

Using its girth, the snake woman surrounded them in a ring of itself. It moved at quite a staggering speed as she seized her new prey. She decided upon Gray first, taking her scimitars and slicing at the base of his neck. However, she was soon stopped in her tracks as he took his blade and slammed it down at his feet. Immediately a wave crashed in all directions away from him. Everyone was thrown back as seawater briefly filled the room. The woman was more than a little disorientated, nearly dropping her weapons. But she did regain balance however and held both at the ready. Lyse coughed up a bit of water, not entirely expecting such a rapid set of events.

Elena managed to recover quickly as if used to this kind of fighting. She immediately charged the serpent woman, unsheathing her sword. However, Lyse noticed something different about it now. Instead of a longsword, the blade became an arming sword. One-handed, she slashed at the creature's torso. However, the attack wasn't quick enough as it slithered out of the way once given a chance. Then, it began flanking maneuvers, easy enough with its kind of mobility. It slashed and stabbed, testing the defensive skills of Elena as she constantly had to keep her shield raised. Lyse and Edlund rushed to either side to assist, and at a moment's notice, the creature switched occupations and slashed at both of them. Edlund managed to block her slash and quickly realized how strong she was. Her blade dug into his own. Lyse managed to duck under the swipe to his face and finally get a good shot at its torso. It attempted to recoil back to deflect the blow, but Lyse immediately used aura to enhance his speed and slash at a visible gap under the arm.

He got a clean slice, a wound that would be debilitating for any mortal man. However, the serpent woman didn't waste a moment, using its massive tail to slam into Lyse's side and banging him against the wall, pinning him with her enormous weight in the process. Edlund attempted to assist, Elena coming from behind. But once again, the female serpent seemed acutely aware of her surroundings and managed to evade them all. She moved quickly to the other side of the room to gather herself coiling up and taking a more defensive stance. Lyse was able to breathe, no longer constricted against the wall finally. He began to evaluate the situation further as everyone took just a moment to catch a breath.

He found it odd that suddenly the serpent women chose to dodge rather than counter-attack or parry. He guessed that her senses were far beyond their own, allowing her to pinpoint the location of everyone without really seeing them accurately, just like them. Her impressive speed was extraordinary. But then, he realized something else rather odd. Her movements were slower than when she initially attacked. She was moving at such speed that blocking would be a more complicated feat to accomplish. And while her actions were still quick and unpredictable, they were slower. As he stood to lock onto her presence, he saw that the creature was shivering violently, sneering at them all, but especially at Gray. At that point, Lyse put the puzzle together rather quickly. She was, in fact, cold blood, and a sudden blast of cold water would undoubtedly dampen her movements to conserve energy. And finally, he realized who was before the.

"You're a Lamia, aren't you?" Lyse asked.

The Lamia hissed violently, sticking out her tongue. "This information will not serve you. You, humans, dared to contain me here. I swear to kill every last one of you."

"Great, a monster that can talk," Edlund readied himself, dual-wielding his dagger and sword in preparation for another attack. It is rare to find monsters with the ability to speak. Lamia's are among the most common to see in this group, primarily to the easternmost regions of the clans, where the rivers and mountains meet deserts. While Lamia is not initially hostile, they attack outposts and villages if the need arises. So they are classified as a creature, like centaurs, and to be killed on sight. It is not surprising that one would be placed in a dungeon to test knights. However, this one's ability with combat is unlike anything any of them have seen. And it seems to have a passion and pleasure for their deaths. It was blocking the entrance with its tail, making it clear that combat would be the only solution to this predicament.

They began spreading out, taking a wide semicircle to the creature as it started to uncoil and prepare to attack. Lyse wondered whom it would strike first. But the choice was obvious as it immediately jetted towards Gray. He was somewhat unprepared for the quick attack upon him and only him. He parried the first strike, but the second came right at his face. Just barely, he grabbed her arm as she quickly forced him against a wall. Her scimitar did sink into his shoulder, and he gritted his teeth, but he kept it from going any further. She hissed loudly in his face, which was now only inches away. Fangs are clamping down in an attempt to bite Gray in his neck. He used every ounce of energy on a technique to increase his strength but still struggled. The others descended upon the Lamia, but a broad swipe of the tail kept them all at bay.

Elena growled at this, sheathing her blade. She dropped her shield, and Lyse saw as the hilt of her arming sword extended, and the guard became a little broader. So she pulled out her blade; the length became even longer as the sword shifted from an arming rapier to that of a great sword. The edge alone was quickly her height, and she used this new range to attack Lamia's tail. The blade sunk a few inches in before the bottom recoiled again, and the Lamia arched in pain. Lyse immediately sprung to action, leaping over the tail entirely and stabbing at the creature's back. Channeling his energy into the sword, it glowed before sinking into its back. It let out another horrible scream, finally letting go of Gray as he rolled away from being cornered. Unfortunately, the blade went in much more profound than Lyse intended, as the other end poked through her chest and was lodged in the disfigured metal. It thrashed wildly, clawed hands swiping and attempting to grapple Lyse. Before he allowed it to grab him, he dislodged the sword painfully and rolled to safety. The Lamia looked on haggardly, being gravely wounded through the chest but still clutching the blade.

"Filthy humans," it raised its hand, prepared for another attempt. It was clear it was on the verge of death. Even if it somehow killed them, they will very well die from these wounds they inflicted. But before it could make a few feet towards them, an arrow suddenly lodged itself in her sternum with a resounding thunk! It was a metal-tipped bolt of a crossbow, and the creature let out a small alarmed breath before another punctured just next to it. They all quickly turned to see more knights entering the chamber, another group. The Lamia screamed once more in vain defiance before it simply collapsed on the ground; and its whole body going limp. The archer who got the killing blow gave a sure nod before slinging it over his shoulder.

Along with two sword-wielding knights, they quickly entered with swords at the ready. Then finally, another walked in coyly, clapping his hands. It was Dagmyre. His armor was just as spotless as when they entered, not even a new scratch upon them. They were immediately on guard now.

"Quite a delight to meet you all once again," he said, looking over them. "Still no relic?"

"No," Elena said firmly.

"Well then, I guess our efforts were a complete waste of time," he sighed. "When that fool came running like an infant, we assumed that some abomination of a monster was wreaking havoc. But it was just a Lamia, I suppose. By the looks of things, it was giving you ll a hard time."

"We were going to finish it off," Edlund snarky told him. "A mere pebble could finish the job. But a bolt did the job fine enough. Good thing you surround yourself with seemingly competent knights."

Dagmyer sneered. "Are you proposing that I am not"

Edlund shrugged. "If the boot does fit, I hope you understand. I haven't seen that sword of yours unsheathed yet. Maybe those frail arms of yours can't even lift it."

The movement was immediate, as seemingly everyone moved at once. Dagmyer was face to face with Edlund with a look of rage and peering into Elund's seemingly calm demeanor. A sword with a golden handle was pointed at Edlund's throat, just hovering a few inches. Lyse was already beside Dagmyer, holding his sword towards the back of his neck, glowing faintly with white light. The archer had a crossbow bolt trained on Lyse, while Edlund and GRay took defensive stances towards the two other knights.

"We shouldn't let harsh words be the end of you," Lyse warned. "We do not need to spill each other's blood in this."

"You are more foolish than your friend if you believe your tongue," Dagmyer turned to Lyse. "There are limited opportunities to find these relics. And many in here would gladly kill to get them, then to come home a failure."

"Good thing there is not a relic insight then, right?" Lyse made eye contact with Gray and Elena, along with the other members of Dagmyer's group. They all stood down, letting their blades point towards the ground, and Elena sheathing her massive sword at her side. The only one holding his blade was Dagmyre. He looked towards them all as if summing up the easiest to stab. He scoffed finally, sheathing his sword, and moved on down the exit corridor. The archer and other knights gave unsurely nods to them, as if the incident didn't occur, and followed their leaders. Apparently, they were paid or perhaps bargained something if they managed to help him get a relic. Lyse felt the need to drag them back to finish. He hated someone who used such dishonorable means and attitudes. He can't understand it. And it seems Elena and Gray shared his frustration, watching with sneers as they disappeared ahead of them. Gray still clutched his shoulder, the pauldron sliced through like butter and blood dripping in streams.

"I cannot put into words how much I hate him," Elena said, pulling out a mobile medical kit to tend to Gray's wound. Now seemed like an appropriate time to rest. Lyse and Edlund still had sores and bruises, but they got the best of it. Gray was just lucky that he wasn't stabbed in his dominant arm.

"I can express myself, however," Edlund said as he leaned against the wall. "A real bastard he is. Can't believe that the knights would accept someone who does not value their comrades."

"A sad reality," Gray grunted as Elena slowly removed his pauldrons and bracers. "People like him are guaranteed the position."

"We'll see that for ourselves," Edlund said. "Anyway, how many more monsters or challenges do you think we have later?"

"Can't imagine much more," Lyse sighed. "It should be night now. So we should rest before going any further. But let's take turns on watch in case other creatures decide exploring will be a good idea."

They couldn't believe they were in here for an entire day. Hours upon hours of walking and near-death experiences. This place is a stern test for such green warriors. The Lamia and the fire serpent are dangerous creatures, and they doubt that if they encountered such things in the world, they would have performed as well as they have. Lyse is guessing that all the monsters here are designed to be only compatible in squads. Four-person squads. Any more movement will then get messy, and the beast could quickly disorganize them and pick them off one on one. No less, and they would be powerless if it decided to corner one. Even they were careless dealing with the Lamia and had a slight handicap with Gray's injured shoulder.

They piled the bodies in one corner of the rooms, taking whatever weapons they had handy, but not anything that personally valuable. Edlund considered taking one of their enchanted swords, and Lyse agreed. At best, they could give the sword back to their families or whoever made it. It was saddening how quickly they were killed. There was no glory in their death, no real honor or a sense of purpose. It was a slaughter, in a word—an unmerciful massacre. And only one managed to escape by running as quickly as possible. So now, these dead bodies can rest alongside the very thing that killed them, lumping them together. The ground was still slick with blood, but they managed to find a patch where it seemed thinnest and sat tight to rest.

The first "night" was unrestful here. Lyse decided to take the first watch, allowing the others what constituted sleep here. He fingered his pendant the entire time, its soft glow light radiating around him the dull green light. As the quiet took hold, Lyse could hear the distant roars and sounds of combat still happening throughout the dungeon. Lyse wondered how many actually took the time to rest or did they simply keep moving, their limbs feeling like rocks and lead. No doubt, Lyse thought, only half the amount of people remained alive. A lot, probably even more brutally than what happened in this very room. The smell of blood was unsettling. He doubts he will be able to sleep, or the others for that matter. Slowly he drifted into his thoughts, a lot of them whizzing past randomly as he stared into the empty corridor. His sword was on his lap, still unsheathed, but his hand never left the grip. He stayed in silence till a hand rested upon his shoulder, a familiar one. Edlund was rubbing his eyes with his grimy glove as he yawned. One of the swords he scavenged from the dead bodies already unsheathed and pointed towards the ground.

"All right," Edlund yawned once more. "Yor duties are done. You need to get a night's rest too."

Lyse did not argue. "All right then. Keep your eyes open and focused."

"Like a hawk, my friend," he said and leaned against a farther wall, towards the exit. Although, he seemed keener on watching the dead bodies as if expecting them to resurrect and come after them in their sleep. Lyse huddled up near Elena and Gray, slowly trying to slip into sleep. However, it was hard. Elena seemed to be getting her rest while Gray was shifting in his place. Lyse sighed, clutching his pendant and then closing his eyes. For the first couple of minutes, he was agonizingly aware of everything in the room. The drip of water from the ceiling and the subtle moans in the distance. He continued to doubt his ability to sleep. Maybe he should just take the entire watch. But as he felt the urge to stand, drowsiness completely overtook him suddenly. The pendant pulsed, the green light slowly glowing brighter, and as Lyse looked into it, he saw movement within, indistinct, unguided activities. It engulfed his vision. Nearly blinding light surrounded him. He was no longer in a dungeon but a void of infinite capacity, it seemed. The green faded away slowly, leaving only blackness around him. He was still standing, but the ground seemed to be softer than before, no longer rock. He reached for his sword, pulling it out and making it glow once more, holding it around him to gauge his surroundings. And he completely froze stiffly as he saw five pillar-looking structures around him, the ground and floor made of this leathery material. He quickly realized what this was, which confused him more. It was indeed a giant hand. Suddenly, the ground shifted in one direction, and he nearly tumbled off. The air dragged behind him as he struggled to find balance. Till finally, it stopped, and he was staring up at a giant face looking up at him.

She was beautiful, although it was troubling to capture all of her features at once. She was complete of immense size, unfathomable for even Lyse. She had a face like ancient statues that came long before the clans. Her regal robs nearly shine on their own. Her dark brown eyes focused on Lyse's small form. And a small smile curled along her lips. It was motherly, in away. A crown adorned her head, a design he was unfamiliar with.

His mind was going thousands of miles an hour. A panic rose that he could not control. But before this could get destructive, and he'd try to do something impetuous, the gem began to glow, and suddenly his head began to clear, and his breathing slowed.

"It seems that you are properly attuned to the pendant by now," a voice ranged out but sourceless. The woman's lip did not move, and it seemed to only exist in his mind. "Yet you are far from unlocking all of its secrets, and it is encouraging that you have developed so far in so little time."

"What are you talking about?" Lyse asked, standing back up. A slight chuckle met him. Not necessarily demeaning, more like a mother who saw their child play outside. She lifted him closer to her, by which only her face was visible to him. "Are you . . . some sort of giant? Where am I."

"We are within your mind," she gestured around herself. "Ignore the blankness. There were lots of things in here, and I wanted to talk to you directly. But, unfortunately, the first attempt was not very well executed."

Suddenly, Lye felt the sensation familiar to him when the pendant he now wore began glowing just a few days ago. Those images were still fresh in his mind, as if they just happened, and seemed to be resurfaced by this being he was talking with. Lyse does not know how to explain this. He knows how a human feels, their presence. Even monsters, the energy of their lifeforce. It wasn't like he was in the fact of any beast or human. The pure essence of this person exuded so much, just so much like a falling ocean to a small pond. It was nearly immeasurable. He can't explain it; nothing in his mind could comprehend this presence, this face that smiles upon him. And no way for him to stand it. And then, a single word formed in his mind placed there. And he looked up at this giant woman and whispered to her.

"God?" he asked. "Are you a god?"

She sighed with significant satisfaction. "It feels well to be recognized as such. Indeed, My race is known as gods. We were once plentiful in this world, existing in all forms of all types of every nook and cranny of this world. We were omnipresent, as common as the wind, the running water, and fields to the very mountains. And our prowess shook the world."

Lyse stayed silent, trying to process this information. Her statement was vague, but he could gather a decent scent of what she had described. "So . . . gods are powerful."

She gave him a small, sad look. "Well, yes, but we can be so much more than that. We are creators indeed, and it is why I have come to you now, Lyse Opal. A terrible fate lies before you and your home. Ancient powers have once again risen, a force we gods are unable to stop ourselves."

"Ancient powers?" Lyse echoed in confusion. "What do you mean? What is this foe?"

"I'm afraid you have already come across these forces not long ago," she told him. "They are responsible for the murder of your father and now hold your sister captive."

Lyse's eyes suddenly widened as soon as those words entered his ears. Those black-cladded warriors attacked him and his family. They were still out there somewhere, doing who knows what. And now this so-called god has come before him bearing their name.

"You know them? Who are they?" he urged. "what do they want?"

"Calm yourself," the goddess said soothingly. Almost immediately, Lyse felt his heart slow significantly, his breath unhurried. It was as if, all of a sudden, he found relaxation with his situation. "Before I can tell you why I must first answer who; I don't have much time for an idle chat, I'm afraid. This organization is known as Talin. And they want to use the powers of the gods to take over this world, to put it frankly."