"A crumpled skeleton fills this chamber, bones still loosely arranged in the shape of a great and alien being. Its enormous skull blocks your advance. As you seek a way through, the glint of metal catches your eye; a blade is wedged into the fatal split in the skull’s brow. Perhaps if you could finish what it started…"

---

Fate was an awful cheeky bastard.

After chasing away the invaders the party did their best to pull together their remaining undamaged supplies and move further into the dungeon's hollows. As much as they needed the rest the larger concern was that the strangers might return; they might have a bigger party, sturdier weapons, or maybe the shadows would nip at their heels...

All things they were not willing to risk- not when the dungeon itself could serve as a foe. It's dark halls caring little for uninvited guests.

But first... they did need to get their full party back together.

"Asriel...? Where did you fly off to?!" Casper was searching the area around the campsite, a nervousness to his pace. He had left behind his messenger ally, a great grey owl dubbed Asriel, when the party had gone to inspect the library. While the grey courser knew the intelligent creature would not have gotten caught...

He still wondered where they might have disappeared.

Did they try to fly back to the castle as a message, a warning, of the invaders maybe...? Since they didn't know exactly where the party had gone...?

"They're smart, Casper," The bay attempted to calm the other's worries; a friendly nicker resonated from their barrel. "I bet they find us; they might have even flown a bit further in. Maybe thought those thieves might be too scared to venture far."

At first Casper remained hesitant, but with more comforting words from Vivaine and even Fetch the grey courser resolved to move forward. Still unsettled he sighed; distraught.

The grey would simply hope for the best.

Maybe they were right.

So further in they would delve, the party following Fetch as the dungeon-born seemed to bring them over bridges and below underhangs that did not exist in this part of the abyss moments ago. Like a puzzle with a thousand pieces they simply changed with a combination of willed magic and time.

But for something that seemed nothing more than a mere structure, to the kingdom-born, it proved to have quite a bit of personality. As it led them further the paths began to become recognizable, the smells and sights of ancient rot familiar... To Kalim, anyhow.

It wasn't until they came to a particular cavern that the knight would speak up.

"Absolutely not," The bay courser voiced his concerns immediately, ears pinned back as he refused to step any further.

Up ahead lay a giant skeleton, blade above its brow. Almost as if the dungeon had reset the passage of time all for a trick against the knight; it questioned if any lessons had been learned. Would you lay down your life again, for baubles? The sight teased; the dungeon remembered when fear gripped the knight and pained, forgotten, wrath almost brought a skeletal hand down upon the courser to crush them beneath the palm.

Fetch noticed the hesitation and blue eyes flicked their attention to the knight, "Not every test needs to be engaged," They spoke lowly, implying there were options.

Yet before a decision to turn back or continue could be made by anyone, Vivaine trotted towards the grand skeleton- eyes squinting to see what was lodged in the marrow above its brow. Once closer to the abandoned spectacle the brindled courser noticed movement; as she drew closer she noticed something perched on the blade's ancient gem-studded hilt. A spot of dark grey feathering, puffed with nerves.

It was Asriel, Casper's owl, sitting high above in a spot it assumed was safe. The chaos caused by the rogue thieves had caused the owl to panic; rather than fleeing outward, they had accidentally flown further in. They had become lost and uncertain.

"Aye Casper, isn't that your friend up there?" Vivaine looked back at the grey, a brow raised in curiosity. Her golden eyes settled on their fellow courser until they joined; Casper's own hazel looking up above at the stuck blade.

"It is! Asriel come down fr-" The courser began to speak but in a flurry Kalim had bolted towards them, his barrel blocking both Casper and Vivaine from getting any closer.

"What are you two doing?!" He gave a snort, panic in his tone as he lowered his head and tried to herd them back.

Vivaine snorted in annoyance, "What's the problem Kalim?"

"I've been in this cavern before; we need to get back while it's silent," Kalim continued to try and herd the other two back as Fetch watched from a distance.

"Asriel, follow us!" Casper yelled out to the owl who finally swooped down from the blade's hilt and settled themselves on a special perch attached to Casper's tack. With that they had returned to Fetch- the group huddled together in a small corridor that was narrow for four coursers.

Not that anyone would complain about that.

Vivaine was too busy fussing with Kalim about being blocked from exploring further.

"Alright you prick, explain yourself! No reason to suddenly cut us off like that- we're here to study the dungeon after all," Vivaine snorted, ears pinned back as their head gestured back towards the giant room with the grand skeleton; it was still empty-eyed and undisturbed. "Includes studying things like that! Not just books and trinkets!" They bared their teeth at the knight, prickling with annoyance.

Kalim looked about ready to go for a blow of his own, patience waning due to unsettled nerves. The fact he couldn't get a word in only furthered his temper.

But Casper stepped in between them before any sort of clash could break out. Fetch followed suit- standing between Casper and the larger Kalim.

"Settle down the both of you," Casper snorted with a firm but gentle tone, "I'm sure Kalim had good reason. Let's calm the tempers and talk."

Once flaring tempers had been cooled the knight courser was allowed to explain themselves. Kalim mentioned his prior encounter with the living skeleton- golden orbs glowing with pained malice in the beast's eye sockets. How the roar it let out rendered him still; scared. Something the courser, as a proud beast, would not admit lightly. His story was confirmed by Fetch too; she had been in that party and was forced to flee as well.

"It feels like a test," Fetch spoke up, ears perked as she addressed both Vivaine and Casper, "Sometimes the dungeon chooses what it wants adventurers such as yourself to find; it likely remembers Kalim... and the vulture who was in our previous party."

As much as they didn't like the idea of it, Vivaine gave a low nicker and a muttered "Sorry, I didn't know."

For a moment there was silence, then Kalim hung his head, "I am sorry I am too unnerved to lead you past that thing again; I might hold my nerves with the King at my side... but not alone."

The bay paused, head hung slightly.

"We cannot bring down something like that should it rise again," He shook his head, "Not with Fetch and I being the only ones with suitable gear."

With an understanding reached the party decided to find a way around, avoiding the search for any hidden paths that might lie beyond the skeleton and that accursed blade in its brow. A wise choice on their part as something within the great skeleton stirred...

Wrath knew patience.