With the puzzle solved, it was Solace who first saw what lay beyond the doors that had fallen open.

And based off of the expression xey bore, it wasn't good.

"What is it?" It was Leiken who asked first, stepping up alongside xem to peer through the strange darkness and into what lay beyond the cliff-side gate. His tail flicked side to side as he squinted into the painted dim, dust from the long-sealed door's opening swirling about the group of adventurers as they stared ahead into a faintly familiar location. The looming high walls and the circular room that lay just beyond asked as many questions as it answered, but with the hair along Que's back suddenly standing on end, Leiken had one guess as to what was waiting for them. 

Euele huffed, speaking the realization aloud. "The ghost arena." Her ears twitched then pinned as she glanced towards Solace, an unasked question lingering in her silver gaze. 

"If you're worried it might be more dangerous... you're right." Solace's voice rose like smoke from xir throat, causing dust to swirl around xem as xey spun answers into being. "I spoke to the Harvester before coming down into the dungeon. He had warned me that the spirits we may run into will not all be peaceful." Xey nodded towards the huge circular room that lay just beyond. "If that is another ghost coliseum, we may be facing a different foe than what we've faced before." Solace reached for xir pack, gently nudging Dusty aside as xey removed two strange vials from within. "Melt, pour this oil on your blade. It's proven effective for fighting against ghosts... and it doesn't fair well for the living either." Solace's eyes briefly locked with Melt's daring them to do anything like a betrayal. Melt merely ducked their head, accepting the oil as the others prepared for a fight.

Melt's ears perked towards the dark doorway. "Do we have any clue what may be in store for us, if it's not what you're expecting?" They asked, their expression difficult to read.

When Leiken and Euele stepped forwards, Solace let out a quiet chuckle. "I have no idea of what to expect." The courser gripped xir poleaxe tightly, nostrils flaring with a snort that sounded almost like a battle drum. "But whatever it is it won't like messing with us." Xey lead the others through the door, standing side by side with Leiken and Euele, looking on with a dangerous sort of glint in xir eye like xey were itching for this fight.

All at once the arena was lit up by spectral torches, the usually silent crowds of shadows ghosts now a lively host of humanoids so distinct that one could almost tell them apart in the incredible din. At the far end, where a shadowy ghost of a courser usually stood, something else lingered, head down, eyes ablaze, lips pulled back into a permanent snarl, too long teeth glinting black in the eerie green lamplight. Melt felt their heart lurch into their throat a strange familiarity hanging around the beast. If not for the dark colour of its hide, it may well have been their faithful friend The Hound standing there, waiting to fight them.

Solace, Euele and Leiken felt no such lurch in their fortitude, steeling themselves as the strange courser-like thing raised its head and howled. It jerked forwards, teeth gnashing, eyes wild and flaming as it flew towards them on narrow limbs and violent fervor. It circled at first, Solace only allowed it to circle once, charging into it's side with every intention to impale it on xir poleaxe's spear, only for it to lunge aside. Soon the air, already full of the shrieks of the long dead, echoed with the beautiful fury of Euele's magic as it blossomed into silver light that washed everything free from the horrid green light. Leiken's magic, far less flashy but perhaps even more potent than Euele's streaked after, hitting the creature with such force to force it off its path towards Melt's throat.

Solace's shout managed to break through to them, stirring them to raise their blade and bring it down. If it weren't for the fact this fight was no simple matter, Solace's piercing golden-brown gaze may have lingered on the gangly heraldic being. Alas, as it were the group of four was having a hard time keeping up with the singular monster. Somehow it managed to flail and thrash about in such a way avoiding magic blast and weapon blow by some accident. It fought like neither a dog nor a courser, throwing itself upon them without care, teeth snapping, strange hooves lashing, as though it cared not for its physical being.

Solace snarled, pole-axe whisking through the air, nearly getting knocked off xir feet as the thing slammed into xir legs as it tried to snap at xir soft stomach. The poleaxe clattered to one side, Solace letting xir weight drop as xey attempted to pin the monster beneath xem, thrashing with xir hooves in an act akin to desperation, something in xir gut telling xem it would be a bad idea to let those fangs pierce xir hide. Somewhere above xem, xey heard Euele approach shouting orders xey couldn't understand above the shrieking of the thing xey'd managed to trap beneath xem. It was all xey could do to keep it down, silently whispering hopeful words towards to the Harvester, hoping he could hear to whisk the thing away.