They had escaped the constricting passage way, and not a moment too soon. Dirigo had long abandoned Rotharde and flew ahead due to the bay stallion's trembling and perspiration. Everyone in the group remained quite, not poking or asking after him when the answer had made itself so apparent: Rotharde was claustrophobic. Not an ideal trait for a Dungeon Courser seeing as there was never a guarantee that space would be plenty, which explains why he'd not even told Rustica about it. Out of the lot, she seemed the most concerned. She'd left Rigo in the eyes of Ansgrim (though not entirely, her glances were frequent) as she remained at her brother's side, lips downturned and fretting over the dampness of his coat.

"I'm fine, just leave me be." Rotharde attempted to swat the hovering female with his words, but Rustica remained as steadfast as any flitting insect.

"The temperatures will drop the lower we go, you'll catch a chill."

"I said I'll be fine, now watch after your kid rather than me." He finally snapped, anger lacing his clipped words as his harks laid back into his silver tresses. Rusted eyes bore into his sister, chargin painted across his umber face and darkened brow. Rustica seemed to hold her breath as she battled the glower with a stern stare, but eventually lost with a puttering sigh. She strode forward to join Ansgrim and Rigo, who both turned to her upon approach.

In the lantern light, Ansgrim's citrine and azure eyes sparkled, "We're all going to be just fine. Look how far we've come." Hewlette barked immediately afterward, punctuating their success. It was true, they were managing far longer than before. Whether it was simply the application of their experience or their bolstered numbers they weren't entirely sure - and if you asked the recuperating Rotharde he would absolutely deny that Rigo's addition had anything to do with it. Still, even a greenhorn could be of help.

The carved stone walls steadily transformed around them with their progress. More vines and roots weaved between them, many of the bricks crumbling from the pressure and breaking away. Colonies of mushrooms sprouted here and there, and from time to time the temperatures belayed their closeness to the Earthen Furnace. They were getting deeper, deeper than any of them had probably been, and that settled over them in a determined silence.

That was until the next room.

Rigo was the first to see it, passing over the threshold of a massive archway they all could have easily walked through together with room to spare. Immediately he stopped, head shaking back.

"What? Did we go in a circle?" He inquired over his shoulder to the others.

"I don't really think that's possible, it's been a straight path without many deviations." Ansgrim responded, coming besides him. He too felt the immediate wallop Rigo had suffered, and his jaw literally went slack. "Rustica, Rotharde, look at this."

The siblings hurrired their strides and came beside them only for Rotharde's head to roll to the side as he angrily exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding."

Another giant skeleton lay twisted and abandoned on the floor. Another greatsword pierced through its skull - this time almost inside one of the empty eye sockets. The blade winked in the lantern light that spilled from them as if mocking them. Dumbstruck they all stood there a moment simply staring at the third skeleton (second for Rigo) they'd come across of mammoth proportions. Whatever doubt there had been about giants once roaming the Buried Kingdom faded. Three whole, nearly intact, remains with weapons? Some sort of battle was hard fought and these poor souls were the reminants of such a war.

Rigo stared at the blade before them, before his visage scanned to his left and right. "Well... are we going to try and pull it out again?"