A full day had passed since they’d entered the dungeon, this much Mathis knew. The harvest moon had risen above them while they were fighting the terrible skull, bathing the cavern in a blood-red light. Their plan had been a good one; with Percy and Lujayn on the ground bearing arms, Mathis had taken a shot at the skull with a large boulder from on top of a pile of slag. His phantasmal hand had dropped a vial of corrosive liquid on the skull, setting it sizzling briefly before it screeched in anger and lunged for the warriors. Mathis’ own shot had, somehow, flown harmlessly through one of the skull’s eye sockets. Their efforts had eventually been enough to send the skull away in a poof of smoke, though Mathis knew that would not be the last they’d see of the awful golden being.

They were travelling as quickly as they could, aware of the worsening situation aboveground. They alternated between a half-hour of brisk trotting and a few minutes of a more sedate walk. The pace was maddening to Mathis, who was as fit as the warriors. To him, it seemed like Flora was holding them back; the bookish mare wasn’t in the best physical shape, and he got the feeling that Lujayn was slowing for her benefit.

Ahead of them, the tunnel widened into a cavern. At the far end, a massive brick wall lay, two circular portholes built into it that seemed to split the tunnel ahead, leading down two different tunnels. A shimmering, swirling surface hid each of the paths from the party. There were somehow no gaps between the brickwork and the craggy walls of the cavern; someone, or something, had fused the wall seamlessly with the rest of the rugged environment.

They came to a stop in front of the wall and Mathis let out a frustrated growl. “Another obstacle! We’re getting no closer to finding out what’s causing the storms on the surface. At this rate, Tialn will have been washed away by the time we get back, and our families with it!”

Flora said nothing, but her tail swished in agitation at his words. She knew he was irritated with her slow pace through the tunnels, and she wondered again at the elders’ choice to send her below. She was seized with the desperate desire to be useful; despite her initial resentment towards the council for voting her onto the dungeon party, she knew that deep down, she wouldn’t want her home to be swept away by the floodwaters. She longed for her library, where the dungeon was nothing more than a fanciful story in a fantasy book.

“Oho, a flood, you say?” a voice chuckled from above one of the portholes, and the entire party jumped.

Another voice joined in, raspier than the first. “Trying to save their families, they are,” it said.

“Where is that coming from?” Percy hissed at Lujayn, big ears flat against his head. The knight was staring at a space just above one of the portholes, and when Percy followed her gaze, he saw a face.

“Paint a portrait, it’ll last longer,” the raspy voice snarled. “What are you staring for? Never seen a sentient pair of portholes before?”

“Well, no,” Mathis said. “We haven’t.”

“Oh, great, here comes the spiel,” the raspy voice muttered, its face twisted into a scowl.

“Welcome, friends!” the smoother voice boomed, face beaming with seemingly genuine happiness at their arrival. “My name is Port and his is Cullis- we are the gate to the next area of the dungeon!” His voice filled the space with a warm feeling, and the party felt themselves beginning to relax.

“Over the centuries, we have seen countless travellers pass through here- some seeking riches, others power, and a scattering of those looking for lost loved ones. All of them have to make a choice when they reach us; go through my door,” he said with a smile, “or his.” The party’s eyes naturally travelled to Cullis’ face above the second porthole.

Only Flora’s remained on Port, and she caught a flash of a maniacal grin dancing at the edge of his lips before it faded into his natural smile once more. Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. There was something…off… about Port.

“Parties have been split here; some do not trust me,” he said, frowning, “and others do not think Cullis has their best interests at heart.” Cullis’ scowl didn’t budge. His brows remained as furrowed as they had been at the start.

“I’ve seen something like this before,” Lujayn said. “This might be one of those ‘one is always telling the truth, one is always lying’ puzzles.”

“Ah, a dungeon connoisseur!” Port said with a smile. “No, we are not. Ask us a simple mathematics question and you’ll know in an instant. There is no point in such silly games. Simply allow us to convince you on the pros and cons of passing through each of our doorways.” The swirling, glittery surface beneath them formed a slow-moving vortex, and Percy took an involuntary step forward.

“Enough, brother,” Cullis grunted, and the vortex disappeared.

“You’re no fun,” Port said, smile still plastered on his face. “Fine, you go first.”

Cullis sighed tiredly. “Simply put, I am the better option. There’s a path through here that leads to a labyrinth, yes, but it is a better option than the bundle of mind games and other horrors that await behind his door.”

“Some might say that a labyrinth, devoid of any natural resources or living creatures, is akin to choosing death,” Port said animatedly. “At least if they travel through mine they’ll have a fighting chance at survival. It’s no picnic, sure, but at least they’ll have options to win the games they play rather than suffer until they perish.”

“I don’t like the sound of the labyrinth,” Percy said. “We’re not yet low on supplies, but if we get lost in the maze, we may not find the source of the misaligned magic.”

“Cunning is not our strong suit, Percy,” Lujayn replied. “We have a wealth of experience in fighting and I have knowledge of herbs and potions, but let’s not pretend that ‘mind games’ are what we’re best at.”

“At least in the labyrinth, I might be able to do something to the walls,” Mathis added. His phantasmal hand gave everyone a thumbs-up and pointed at the Courser’s bandolier, which was lined with vials of tinctures that could be mixed for various corrosive or explosive purposes.

“What do you think, Flora?” Percy looked across at the grullo mare, trying to include her in the discussion.

Flora was staring wordlessly at the brick wall. Mathis lashed his tail in annoyance, words ready on his tongue to snap Flora out of her stupor.

“Mind games,” she whispered. “This whole thing is one.”

“What was that, Flora?” Lujayn said, ears pricked.

“The wall doesn’t exist. We’re in danger. There’s something more sinister here,” Flora whispered urgently.

“It’s time to chooooose!” Port grinned at them, and this time, his eyes were slightly crazed, as if he could no longer keep up the façade.

Percy saw it too. His ear twitched towards Lujayn, and he muttered, "no sudden movements."

"Galatea," Flora said forcefully. The entire brick wall flickered, and both faces formed a deep scowl.

"Galatea," Flora repeated, and the shimmering surfaces behind both doors spun in an increasingly rapid vortex. "Galatea! Galatea!"

Port and Cullis let out twin howls as the brick wall faded. Behind it stood two craggy rock tunnels, clearly what the portholes would have been based on, but that wasn't what had the party's attention.

In between the entrances to the two tunnels stood a Courser-like being, its black coat dull and stretched tightly over a skeletal body. Its patchy tail lashed from side to side, and its eyes glowed red with malice. This was not a peaceful creature. With a low, threatening growl, it moved towards the party, its movements smooth and low to the ground. It reminded Flora of a sheepdog cornering its prey; its eyes darted between the group, as if daring one of them to bolt for safety.

"Fuck me," Mathis said under his breath. "What the hell is that?"

"Pincer," Lujayn muttered to Percy. "On three."

"One," Percy said, careful not to move towards his sheathed sword yet. "Two."

"Three," Lujayn said sharply, and both warriors sprung forward, the swords in their mouths seeming to appear out of nowhere. They charged at the gaunt being, each taking a side so that it could not pick one to single out without getting attacked by the other.

"Get to safety!" Percy called as he circled round the back side of the creature. "We'll catch up!"

Flora and Mathis turned tail and ran.