A long wide hallway stood before Khulna. The floor used to be white but it was covered in a layer of dust, dirt and... was that blood? Down the center of the hallway was a long brown carpet, a few specks of red and gold poked through the layer of grime signifying that this used to be much brighter but now it was worn and frayed. At the end of the red carpet was a massive chair that appeared to be made out of obsidian. The back of the chair was curved in covered in wicked spikes, as well as the armrests. The seat had a dull red pillow with bits of stuffing sticking out. Sitting in front of the throne was a massive iron chest that was splattered with fresh blood, the chest was being held down with chains. Khulna felt uneasy being in this room she wanted to step away but the drake hissed for her to go forward.

"This one would not recommend going near that," A voice spoke out and Shauna's head reeled looking for where the voice came from. Looking behind her she saw a Courser stick it's head out from behind the door. The Courser nearly made her scream in fear. It's white fur was covered in blood and it's eyes were clouded over! Was it unread? Khulna snorted and tried to hold her ground but the Courser made no attempt to come closer. "There is a creature contained within that chest. This one would not recommend opening the box, no, no, not a good idea. Not a good idea at all," It clicked its tongue and shook its head. "It would be a shame to see a young Courser's light go out so soon." Upon closer inspection the Courser was not covered in blood instead it was a dark madder red, it was skinny and it's striped markings along its ribs only helped enhance the corpse-like effect.

"Is that a threat?" Shauna's drake hissed and opened it's maw, a glow pulsed in it's throat as it threatened to let loose a gush of flame. The strange corpse-like Courser did not flinch.

"This one is confused? If it had made a threat, why would it warn them of a threat? Why would this one alert you of its and the creature's presence? This one wishes only good will upon you, so much so that this one will tell you that there are more among us. Through the door on the right a Courser of noble smoke awaits with a drake of their own. This one hears heavy footsteps coming to the door, a Courser, but friend or foe, this one does not know."

Khulna looked through the doorway and pricked her ears, sure enough a Courser, or at least another creature with hooves was coming their way. She then looked towards the throne where a door was closed. "Is the noble," She paused unsure if there was even nobility in the dungeons, "A friend or foe?"

"This one could not say, but they have not made threat or quarrel, this one remains neutral."

"And who is this one?" Khulna asked not sure if this Courser would even say, did it even have a name?

"This one's name is Ethnography, and who may you be?" Khulna was genuinely surprised to get a straight forward answer from the Courser and decided to respond in kind.

"My name is Khulna. I have come here to meet someone who I do not know. I must assume since the Drake has not specified that it is you, you are likely not who I am here to meet." Khulna stumbled over her own words trying to match Cyhyraeth's cadence but she didn't feel quite as smooth. Cyhyraeth nodded.

"Tis true, this one had no appointment but your company has been pleasant. The one you wish to meet may be through those doors or perhaps they are about to reach the door." Cyhyraeth looked down the hall where a large figure cut through the darkness. The Courser was huge! They towered over the two of them as they stepped into the dim light of the room.

"G'morning," The Courser greeted in a thick drawl. "My aren't you a sight for sore eyes, nice to meet'cha pretty lady," The Courser, a puck, turned to Cyhyraeth and bombastically cringed at the sight, "My aren't you a sore for eyes, did ya get dug out of a grave?"

"Not recently," It was not at all clear if Cyhyraeth spoke in jest or was telling the truth, their deadpan tone and face gave nothing away.

"No kidding? Apologies I lost my manners for a second there, you just scared my soul from my body! The name's Mac!" The puck introduced himself. He was large yellow fella. His face was a bright orange-y yellow but most of his body was a much paler yellow, a roan with fancy, fluffy white socks. "Are ya'll lost, do ya need some help?" Mac offered making an attempt to sound much more pleasant his gaze went from Cyhyraeth, which he could not help but visibly cringe each time, back to Khatuna where his eyes lingered longer, not daring to stare at the strange Courser.

"I am supposed to be meeting with someone, another Courser with a drake like him," Khatuna motioned to the drake that was perched on her back. The drake hissed agitated with the delay and parade of bizarre Coursers.

"well look at that! Ain't you fancy! How do you get a pet dragon? I don't think I could handle a dragon, all I need is my good friend, oh... wait I think I left him behind again," Mac ducked into the doorway again and yelled down the hall, "Come on! You can catch up! I found us some friends!" No one yelled back, except for Mac's own echo. "Don't worry he'll get here,"

"Unfortunately I really shouldn't stay here much longer I need to go," Khatuna tried to politely disengage. The Puck looked visibly disappointed as his rabbit-like ears drooped.

"Ah yea, no worries. What about you?" He looked to Ethnography who looked actually surprised for a moment.

"This one has no where to be, for this one dwells here. This one will offer the same warning, the chest should not be touched. It binds a creature in its maw. The creature wishes us harm and should not be released from this binding, lest we be destroyed."

"That's one heck of a warning," Mac grimaced.

Khulna gave the chest a wide berth and went to the door pushing it open. Inside was a large room, it looked like things used to be stored in here but they laid scattered, destroyed or noticeably absent. The only thing, or rather person, in the room was a Courser she nearly missed in the darkness. Their coat was a smoky black color that blended into the darkness. The green drake lounging on their back was much more noticeable with it's bright red eyes. "Excuse my intrusion but I believe I was supposed to meet you." Khulna said softly trying not to startle the other Courser. The Courser looked similar to her in build. A muscular body, cloven hooves, a long feline tail ending in a puff of hair.

"I have been expecting you, but unfortunately we need to leave this location has been compromised," The Courser spoke, "Come with me we shouldn't dwell here much longer."

"Compromised? What do you mean?" Khulna tried to keep her tone relaxed and in charge but she felt a deep sense of unease the entire time she had been in this throne room and the Coursers insistence on leaving didn't make that feeling any better. The Course turned her head towards the box.

"This was not supposed to be here. I don't know who put it here or why but I don't think we should be anywhere near it." She explained and sneered at the box.

"I don't understand, Cyhyraeth claimed there was some sort of creature in the box and you are also saying there's something in the box but I don't see anything that wo-" Khatuna was cut off as the box began to shake, making the chains rattle. It was one a few shakes at first but then a loud THUNK! Came from the box as it was pushed forward. Something was inside it! "Never mind! What's in the box!"

"I don't know, I don't want to know, we should go." The Courser picked up her pace but Khatuna couldn't help but stare at the box as it began to shake and the thunks became louder and quicker. THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNKTHUNKTHUNK! Khatuna froze as the top of the box popped open for just a second before the chains slammed it back close.

"We have to go!" The Courser shouted back at her.

"Well if there's a monster in this here box we should destroy it so no one else had to deal with it!" Mac called out as he stepped over and slammed his front hoof down on the lid of the box. Whatever was inside the box squealed in protest as the box refused to budge beneath his hoof. "What do you think miss lady? You wanna help me make sure this thing ain't bother nobody again?" Mac looked to Khatuna who was still frozen in place as she listened to whatever creature scuffle and scrape against the iron. Whatever it was, it had claws that etched into the iron that scraped against it, like a knife slipping on porcelain and making that terrible screech.

Khatuna remembered that the drake had been training to defend herself and he had repeatedly told her that she was expected to look out and protect her herd. These three Coursers may not be her herd but it didn't seem like a bad idea to pitch in and help. She was supposed to prove herself as a leader and as a superior too all Coursers. Having this random Courser she met mere minutes ago solve her problems was not a solution. "I'll stay and help." Khatuna said firmly earning her a confused hiss from the drake who wanted to flee, and a cheer from Mac.

"Alright! Miss lady you know how to fight? This is gonna be great, you and me we're going to make a great team!"

"You're going to get yourselves killed if you let that thing out," Cyhyraeth warned them.

"And if we leave and this thing gets out, then what? It will wander the dungeons and devour another unfortunate soul that crosses its path? No. It is my duty to make sure that nobody else gets hurt."

"A noble and valiant goal, but this one believes it would be best to lock the door and lose the key, no? The Beast gets free, roams the dungeon and hunts a meal? It is but the circle of life. Courser stays, Beast smacks them around and eats them, it is... unfortunate. This one offers another solution. We block the door, Beast cannot leave, Courser cannot get in. No harm comes to anyone but the Beast as it is trapped in a hall with no exit."

It wasn't a terrible idea. Blocking the door so that no one else could get in or out was a potential solution, but if the Beast was trapped in a locked and chained box then what would stop it from getting through a metal door? It may take a little while but it would have to get out eventually, wouldn't it? The Smoky Courser looked between the three of them. "There's no time to keep thinking on this. Pick something, pick anything, just pick!" Her ears pinned back clearly distressed as she watched the box begin to shake even under Mac's hoof. The scuffling in the box died down and instead was replaced with the heavy sound of something beating. It sounded like a heart. Mac looked like he was having second thoughts about fighting this thing.

"Ya know what, maybe it is better to leave well enough alone. Les' get on outta here, right miss lady?" Mac gave her what should have been a smile but it was a grim grin.

Even the drake on her back leaned against her ear. "Whatever is in that box should remain inside. Something about it is not right and we should not meddle in the dark magic that is being used to contain it. We can return at another point to eradicate it, but for now you should focus on getting the others out of harms way, nothing good will come from making them fight against this." Khatuna still felt like she should be trying to prove herself but with her mentors blessing she nodded and turned to Cyhyraeth, "Show us how we should block this door."

"Of course, come this one will show you." The four Coursers wasted no more time getting to the doorway. The double doors that swung into the room were pulled back slamming the doors closed. There was a loud click of a lock. "That will likely not be enough. Find a boulder we must block it's way." The four looked around the cavern for a boulder or anything else that was large and heavy that could block the way.

"Over here!" Mac called out the four Coursers found a large round boulder that was shaped like a sphere on the top but had a flat bottom.

"I don't think we'll be able to move that," said the smoky courser.

"Not on my own, sure, but together I think we could do it. Come on!" Mac slammed his shoulder into the rock moving it a few inches but not any more as he grunted and tried to push it forward. Khatuna sighed and attempted to help move the boulder and together they were able to push it a few feet before the two of them were sweating and exhausted.

"Perhaps expectations of security should be lowered. Something a little easier?" Cyhyraeth suggested and Mac scoffed.

"You didn't even try!" Mac huffed.

"This one knows their limitations. The rock shall not be moved, so this one does not move it."

"Yea, yea, what about you? I don't see you helping neither," Mac turned to the other Courser who shook her head.

"There is no need. The door is locked. We should get away, we contact the adventurer's guild they can send others who are prepared for a fight. I never came here too fight. I was supposed to have a meeting which has been dramatically postponed due to these unforeseen circumstances. I would prefer to leave this location so I may have my meeting with no further interruptions." The smoky Courser stated in a stern tone. Mac rolled his eyes.

"Well miss, the dungeons ain't a place to be having a fancy meeting. If you don't wanna help feel free to move alone, me and Miss Lady here will keep on trying, won't we?" Mac smiled at Khatuna who was caught off guard at being recruited.

"Unfortunately Mac, I would love to help, but I was the person she was supposed to be meeting."

"What!? That boring stick in the mud. Come on, you don't need her or a fancy-shmancy meeting. You, me and corpse-y can be a party."

"You presume that this one has no other obligations," Cyhyraeth stated.

"Do you?" Mac looked intrigued.

"No."

"Well then you come join us!" Mac was trying to encourage them all but Khatuna shook her head.

"Mac I really do appreciate it but I have to go." Mac looked deflated as his ears flopped down again.

"Alright, I won't keep pressuring you Miss Lady, but if we cross paths again we should work together, you and I would make a good team." He gave her a smile and Khatuna chuckled good-naturedly.

"I have no doubt about that, Mac."

"Good luck out there Miss Lady," Mac bowed his head and Khatuna nodded in return before making her way over to the smoky courser, "And you, Miss whatever your name is!"

"Wren,"

"When what?"

"My name is Wren," She said looking thoroughly done with this long-winded goodbye. "Come, we have much to discuss." Khatuna and Wren continued onward but Khatuna couldn't help but look back at the two Coursers she left behind. She didn't know them long at all but she couldn't help but feel drawn back to them. With any luck their paths would cross again...

Mac turned to Cyhyraeth, "So... you wanna team up?"

"This one..." It sighed, "Why not?