A daunting hole half buried by rubble stood before Percival like the gapping mouth of a giant beast ready to swallow anything unfortunate enough to step into it. The small amount of light that managed to pierce through did little to illuminate what was inside. Hinting that there was only darkness and stone ahead. Whatever dangers lived and lurked within the dungeon would not be spotted there.

Perci bounced upon his hooves, wanting to enter but wary of what he would find. Was there a monster perched beside the hole, waiting for some fool to stick in a head or hoof to be snatched? He was a large male, whatever sought to take him unaware would not be able to do so easily. And he did wonder quite often, what was it this dungeon had that lured in so many coursers? 

He wouldn’t be finding an answer just waiting outside an entrance. He had to go in.

With a feverish grin, he was diving into the dungeon, rumbling laughter from his lungs echoing through the cavern. The stone was mostly solid and stable under his hooves, some parts cracked and missing pieces, all of it caked in debris. There was nothing obvious in the shadows seeking to jump out and snatch him, just an empty darkness waiting with bated breath.

The clack of his hooves and beat of heart were the only sounds that reached his ears. There was no eerie whisper carried by the wind, nothing small scurrying between his leg, nothing dangling from the ceiling to drag against his hide. All he had to fear was his imagination. 

The deeper he walked, the darker it became until the shadows had shadows of their own that overlapped into a void. Perci drifted closer to the walls, letting his shoulder softly brush against it to keep himself steady. His heart beat faster and louder, slamming against the cage of his ribs like it wanted to turn back and return to the surface. He would not allow it.

“Hello,” he called into the void. 

“Hello. Hello. hello. hello.” It echoed back in his own voice, fading the further it bounced. 

“You’re alone Perci. Nothing’s going to hurt you,” he whispered, attempting to calm himself as fear settled heavy in his stomach. 

“You’re alone Perci.” An echo again in his ears.

Fear seized him quick as a whip, leaping back from his belly and into his hindlegs to make him buck and kick nothing but cold air. It didn’t matter if it was the breeze stirred from his own sudden movements or something else there in darkness, but the brush of cold against fur sent him rushing blindly. The clack of his hooves echoed like a stampede charging all around him, furthering his fright as he went fumbling through the void. 

He ran hard and far, until his chest ached and his hooves were throbbing, impossibly lucky enough to never find a wall or obstacle in his path. It was only when slowed that the sounds began to fade. 

He was not being chased. 

There had only been an echo. 

Perci couldn’t help but laugh, though it held no hint of humor. He must have looked quite foolish running from his imagination.