“Here again?” 

Oolong’s steps stalled at the threshold of the cavern.  Their sigh was faintly disappointed, faintly annoyed with themself; they tilted their head to consider the moonlight that filtered down through the dungeon’s high stone ceiling, the pedestal nearly overgrown now by moss; the chest which sat upon it, filigreed with gold. 

At its base, the skeleton of a courser lay in a perfect circle, flat-toothed skull to delicate tailbones.  Behind them, the pile of other skeletons.  Oolong thought that the pile looked to have grown since the last time they had been there. 

“You must be more clear, if there’s something I’m supposed to do.” 

The rest of the dungeon did not have a problem communicating with them. 

But this room—

They had thought it was a test, the first time; they’d turned and left with a little flick of their coltish tail, and the cavern had not called them back.

But it kept bringing them there. 

At their hooves, Enoki had grown impatient.  He chewed on Oolong’s fetlocks with tiny needle teeth until Oolong side-stepped him, and then squeaked indignantly, lifting mutinous fists. 

“Stay back, Enoki.  You don’t know what might happen.” 

Neither did Oolong, not really.  But they wandered the perimeter of the room, searching for signs, and then crept up to the pedestal when nothing came; the cavern felt airless and quiet with the waiting, with the absence of instruction. 

“What killed you?” they asked the skeleton at the foot of the pedestal. 

Its eyeless sockets stared back. 

Its body lay curved in a protective arc around the pedestal.  Oolong didn’t especially want to join it there — or to challenge its dying claim.  They cast a long look at the chest, lovelier now that they were closer, the flat of its panels inset with opals, the filigree thinning to impossible fractals — the workmanship of fey, maybe. 

“I don’t want to open you today,” they told it, almost apologetic.  “So I guess I’ll be back again sometime, won’t I?” 

The chest said nothing.  The room said nothing, but watched as Oolong descended from the pedestal, collected Enoki, and left again.