He turns away from the plinth with a shake of his head, and as he descends down the crumbling staircase leading up to it, another stone panel clicks into place underneath his feet. Surely this isn't the death trap he'd been so worried about. Unmoving, he waits for his end to come, but nothing happens, not even after the sixty seconds he counts in his head. When he lifts his hoof, the sound of metal gears engaging each other again resounds behind him, grinding loud as they reel the treasure back into the earth until next time.

"Good lord," he says finally, tension bleeding from his body as he does. He feels like his knees are going to give out from underneath him but miraculously he stays on his feet. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this, Talia."

Halwyn prefers the relative calm of exploring ancient ruins, taking in the artifacts left behind by things he doesn't understand. He enjoys taking in the architecture of their builds, the meager glimpses into the lives they've led displayed through their paintings and craftworks, and what may have become of them when he comes across rusted armor still protecting that which put it on, even if all that remained were bones. There's a story to be told, left open-ended for him to continue it himself.

He means it as a joke but the owl makes a noise of agreement.

"It was a joke," he tells her as such. "You're not meant to agree with me, dear."

Despite, the two of them laugh their nerves off and try to put the past behind them. Halwyn takes them back the way they came until they reach the cistern once more. The gentle sound of flowing water is cut through by the sound of droplets raining in from above, but more than that, the disgusting sound of something wet and sticky as it toils casually towards them.

Verdant green in its appearance, Halwyn doesn't think it sentient at first until it peers up at him with one single eye. He stares back at it with wide ones of his own and for a moment neither of them move. This thing isn't bothered by his presence as much as he's bothered by it and thankfully it doesn't look to mean them any harm, even as it stumbles forward a few more feet.

"Oh," he starts, "what a cute thing you are. I must've missed you on my way in."

The slime thing doesn't reply. It doesn't even look at him.

"Don't let me be a bother," Halwyn says. "I'm on my way out anyway."