The relentless descent was beginning to take its toll, each step falling heavier and heavier as exhaustion burned through their muscles and the strike of each hoof upon hard, cobbled stone ached dully. Castalla's thoughts spiralled, much like their climb down, and she remained in an uncommonly bad mood, lips clamped shut and expression arranged into something sour.

The memories had left a bad taste in her mouth, still tormenting her mind even as she tried to reassure herself that this was not the Tyrant's dungeons. She was safe. She had got out. What's more, her weakness had been rolled out like a red carpet for her friends to see, inviting the pity that had shone in their eyes back in the tight tunnel. The vulnerability of it had made her uncomfortable, even with Karlach, who had learned long ago to leave Castalla be when she was in this kind of mood.

Silence had settled tentatively over the group, like cracked glass just one tap from shattering. Even Emberclaw and Beaky, who often seemed to have conversations with each other, remained silent. The only sounds were the heavy breaths of lungs aching for air, and the thuds of their hooves. Guilt tightened its claws around Castalla's heart.

Just when she considered saying something, at least to break the fragile tension hanging over them like a storm the group came up short upon a perfectly ordinary wall that blocked their path.

"This can't be it," Karlach groaned, shaking jerking her head in frustration. "We didn't come all the way down here to hit a bloody dead end."

"I am not walking all the way back up there," Wolf grumbled, Emberclaw and Autumn chittering in agreement.

Aislinn, quiet and a little pensive after their tiring trek, stared at the floor, moving her torch to light it better. "Look," she breathed, hope adorning her voice. "There are engravings on the floor, like runes."

Castalla shifted closer for a better look. "Must be some kind of mechanism," she mused, tilting her head in a canine fashion as she examined the markings.

"We could try standing on some of them until something clicks?" Wolf piped up, a lopsided grin pulling at his lips.

"Let's not get ourselves trapped down here by jumping around like idiots, Wolf," Karlach snorted, amused.

The continued to talk amongst themselves, but Castalla tuned them out, narrowing her eyes as she traced what appeared to be a pattern running through the markings.