"You've got to be kidding me." Percy stared in dismay at the cavern ahead through a gap in the rock, watching the shimmering gold surface of the enormous floating skull glint in the torchlight. "Why is this fucker always where we are?"

"There might be multiple," Polaris said, unperturbed. He was halfway through a bag of candied fruit he'd brought from the surface, munching none-too-quietly on his treats.

"Great," Percy mumbled in reply. He had half a mind to ask Polaris for a piece of fruit, but thought it best not to. The chestnut Courser could be a little standoffish about sharing food, he'd realised.

"I'm sick of running from that skull," Lujayn said calmly. "We're going to fight it."

"Agreed," Percy said.

"No, absolutely not!" Annaeus cried. "What part of our contract says anything about going out of our way to fight enormous floating heads in the middle of the dungeon? What about me seems to scream 'yes, I volunteer to put myself in the path of that thing yet again'?! I refuse, unequivocally, to be a part of this hare-brained plan!"

"Alright," Polaris said. "You can sit here and watch the bodyguards you hired fight the skull, and oh...wait. Didn't your contract expire yesterday?" He knew it had; Lujayn had mentioned nearly a week ago that their contract was soon to come to an end, and Polaris had been waiting to call the entitled minor lord out on it.

Annaeus' ears flew back and his eyes widened. "I don't believe so."

"It did, actually," Percy said flatly. "We just haven't left you down here out of the kindness of our hearts. If I recall, you...'didn't want to be fearmongered into buying the return-to-surface package, which cost ten coins per day more."

"I- you-" Annaeus spluttered.

"I'd suggest you either shut your trap and get on board with the plan, or find another group to adventure with," Polaris said. "My lord," he added dryly.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin," Annaeus said, and promptly fainted.

"Well, if he's faking, he'll be the first target for the skull," Lujayn said, her veil of professionalism finally able to be lifted. "I, for one, am looking forward to sticking my sword in that jumped-up magical floating head."

With a roar, they charged forward. The skull rotated slowly to face them, seemingly unsurprised despite the speed at which they covered the ground towards it. Percy and Lujayn, heavily armoured, took the lead in front of the smaller Polaris. 

With practiced precision, Percy and Lujayn split, allowing Polaris a clear path to throw his daggers, and flanked the skull.

The skull began spinning. Slowly at first, knocking Polaris' blades aside with contemptous ease, and then faster, creating a small windspout under it. It was all the Coursers could do to stand their ground; they hadn't seen this tactic from the skull before. 

"Hang on!" Lujayn cried as the wind increased, whipping her short tail and tugging at the sword in her mouth.

Percy's goose, Sir Timothy, honked in alarm as he was driven from the saddle. Instinctively, he opened his wings to fly against the gale and was immediately thrown back, somewhere farther into the depths of the chamber.

"Sir Timothy!" Percy yelled. He knew better than to go after the goose now; if he moved his feet at all, he'd be swept along by the tiny tempest in front of them. Blast!