At the end of it, they'd had to drag Creature up over the side - it'd nearly missed, almost slipped down below. Since then, Litany had been leaned against Creature's hip, clingy in his distress at the near disaster.

Oddjob was in the lead again - and pulled up short as his hawk, Lean, suddenly turned back up ahead, landing on the head of Odd's shovel, and chattering in agitation.

"... Hm. He doesn't like something up ahead. Let's be careful." Odd intoned, not sounding particularly concerned themselves - but they never really sounded urgent, save for when they'd bellowed once before, in the poison room.

"Understood." Shield murmured, falling into a bit more of a cautious step behind Oddjob. Creature clicked thoughtfully, Litany's head draped over his bony shoulders.

The corridor yawned ahead, dark and Hungry, and they edged further down it.

There was a glinting metal grate blocking the corridor.

"Well. Perhaps he's not bothered, just can't shove through that, associates." Odd said - and Litany, prying himself from Creature for the first time since they'd fished him off of the ledge, edged forward, and bumped the grate with his nose, curiosity eking back in.

"Shield, I think you and Odd could move i-" Litany's voice cut off in an almost choke, a dreadful shape rushing out of the dark - he leaned back, but not too far.

It was a courser, except its head was a clean skull - which it crammed halfway through the grate, stark blue eyes pleading out at them.

"Please - Please, can you move the grate aside, I've been- I've been trapped in here, for so long, so long, I just want company, I just need company, please, you must understand, I've- trapped-" Shield could see Litany's face already creasing with sympathy.

"I- be cautious, Lit."

"I think... well, it just looks a fellow who's fallen prey to an unfortunate curse, is that right?" Litany said, brushing his muzzle across the stark white bone of the trapped 'courser's'.

"Y-yes, YES, that's exactly it, it's - there was a horrible, awful thing, a massive skull, like a man's skull but colossal, in the air- it- it killed the rest of my party, and nearly me as well - when - when I beat it, I... I didn't notice for a long time, that anything was different." The courser's 'head' hung a moment. "I came on a puddle, and my face was... this. And the way out was shut off."

"... We can't just leave him here-"

Oddjob shook his head violently, edging backwards. "There's another corridor this way. We can think about it, and come back later."

Shield nudged at Litany. "We'll - we'll think about it, alright, but we don't know if he's safe."

Litany looked apologetic, but turned to follow - and the 'courser' howled desperately, pleading.

"WAIT, wait, WAIT PLEASE it's been so long, no one ever - NO ONE EVER COMES BACK-" It's head lurched, skull like jaws clamping over Litany's neck, holding him in place. "Please, PLEASE-"

Creature SNARLED, and rushed at it.