Zeni had been wandering the dungeon for what had to be hours, her legs aching from the endless twisting corridors and treacherous obstacles that lay in wait around every corner. She’d fought several more monsters, and exhausted a lot more ingredients in her efforts to heal herself, but she was getting better. She was beyond drained, her Ka strained to the absolute limit and her body ready to give out. The air was damp and heavy, the darkness of the underground space broken only by the occasional flicker of a torch mounted to the stone walls.

She was growing more tired and irritable with each step, her thoughts turning to the comforts of her life before she had found herself trapped in this ancient, unforgiving place. A soft bed, a hot meal, and the company of friends seemed like distant memories, replaced now by cold stone and the ever-present threat of danger. How had she ever believed she was meant for a place like this?

Then she recalled the flashy Rahhalah and their valiant steed, swooping through the village and depositing swift justice upon the minor sphinxes and she remembered why she was enduring this whole mess. She needed to get stronger, and this, it seemed, was the best way to do it.

As she rounded a corner, she spotted a flickering light up ahead, casting an eerie glow on the stone floor. Picking up her pace, Zeni followed the light, her heart quickening as she wondered if this could be some kind of exit, or at least a reprieve from the endless labyrinth. Could her struggle be done? Could she be close enough already? You know, emerge from the depths of this place victorious, ready to brag about her adventures and the spoils?

To be fair, she hadn’t really gotten many spoils, though she had found some rotten vegetables a few chambers back—did that count? They certainly were spoiled.

But instead of an exit, Zeni found something else entirely—a vast underground lake, its still waters stretching out before her like a mirror of the darkness above. To her ultimate disappointment, the area she was in seemed to be a rocky beach, with no visible signs of traversing further. It was just her luck—the only way forward was to travel across the expanse of water. She looked to her right, and saw a sight that was confusing to her sentiments. The light she had seen was a small fire, its flames dancing on the surface of the water and casting shadows that seemed to dance and flicker along the cavern walls.

And there—wouldn’t you know it—seated by the fire, was the armored warrior.

Seriously? She wondered. Look at how long his legs are, why am I always catching up?

Zeni approached cautiously, unsure of how to broach a conversation with this mysterious figure. The armored individual didn't react to her presence, his gaze fixed on the fire as if he were lost in thought.

"Hey, uh, you," Zeni called out, her voice hesitant. "I don't suppose you know how to get across this lake, do you?"

The figure remained silent, not even acknowledging her question. Zeni frowned, her frustration mounting.

"You really like building campfires, huh?" she muttered, mostly to herself. “Twice now you’ve left me holding the bag—the last time it was holding a scroll. What gives, man? I know you don’t talk much, but you should really be less…I dunno, absentee? I'm fightin’ for my life out here and it would be nice if the one thing not trying to kill me would stop being an ass.”

In a huff, she withdrew her map and found the chamber they were currently in. Maybe there’d be an easy solution to…

Her thoughts trailed off as it was then that she noticed the strange glyphs and symbols etched beside the illustration of the lake on the map. Curious, she turned her attention to deciphering them, while the armored individual continued to…sit by the fire.

She squinted at the symbols, trying to make sense of them. After a few moments, she noticed a pattern: they seemed to correspond to the phases of the moon and the position of the sun. Beneath the half-circle at the end she saw a little ‘x’ emblem. A grin spread across her face as she realized that the answer was quite simple: they just needed to wait for sunset, and a path would be revealed. The only problem being…there was no indication of when sunset would be.

Zeni scratched her head, trying to remember if she had ever encountered a situation quite like this one before.

"Well, this sucks," she muttered, mostly to herself. She turned to the silent armored figure, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I don't suppose you happen to have a sundial tucked away in that armor of yours?"

As expected, there was no response. Zeni sighed, then chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn’t think so. That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"

Left with little choice, Zeni plopped down beside the armored figure, deciding to make the most of their predicament.

"You know, I've always been more of a sunrise person, myself. Something about the promise of a new day, the light chasing away the darkness… But I suppose there's something to be said for sunsets, too. A beautiful ending, the world bathed in a golden glow… It's poetic, really."

She glanced sidelong at the armored figure, hoping to catch him in some sign of agreement, but was met with the same stoic silence. Undeterred, she continued.

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"I mean, I guess it's a bit harder to appreciate when you're stuck underground in a damp, dark dungeon. But still, there's a certain charm to it."

Then, realizing she hadn’t actually told him about the solution, and feeling pretty proud of herself, she leaned back, placing her arms behind her head in relaxation.

"Hey, uh, you," she called out. "In case you were wondering, I figured it out. We just have to wait for sunset and the way across the lake will show up."

The figure didn't react to her statement, remaining as stoic and silent as ever. But Zeni was undeterred, still feeling chuffed despite his lack of response. She sat down next to the fire, warming her hands and basking in the glow of her own cleverness.

"We make a pretty good team," she mused, glancing at her silent companion. "Me with my brains, and you with your…armor. And your silence. Very impressive silence."

As the minutes ticked by, Zeni found herself growing impatient. She tried to pass the time by whistling, humming, and tapping her feet, each attempt at distraction more unsuccessful than the last. She even attempted to engage her silent companion in a game of "I Spy," but quickly realized that the limited scenery made for a rather uninteresting challenge.

"I spy with my little eye… something gray," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, what could it possibly be? The walls? The floor? The ceiling? This is riveting stuff, truly."

It turned out there wasn't much to spy in the dimly lit cavern, after all.

Instead of continuing, she turned her attention back to her quiet companion, frustrated by his continued silence.

"So, do you always just sit around in full armor, waiting for things to happen?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice. "Or is this like a hobby of yours?"

No response.

Growing bored, Zeni removed some of the dried food she’d brought along with her and, because there wasn’t much else to do, began roasting it with the heat of the flames. Then she set to eating the food, enjoying the sensation of twice-cooked goat jerky.

"Y'know, you really need a name," she said between mouthfuls, studying the hulking figure next to her. "It's getting a bit tiresome just thinking of you as 'the big ol’ armored guy.' So, let's see…"

She thought for a moment, chewing her lip as she considered the options.

"How about Clanky?” Zeni looked over at the warrior, but his helmeted face revealed no reaction.

"No, no, not quite right," she continued, undeterred. "You really don’t make much noise, do you—which is weird and suspicious, I should mention. What about Mr. Mute? You are rather, well, mute."

Again, no response.

"Helmet-head?" she tried, a hint of a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Sir Hush-a-Lot?"

Silence.

Zeni sighed, but refused to give up.

"Tin Can Man? Armor-All? Quiet Quincy?"

Still, the stoic warrior remained unmoved, staring into the fire as though she hadn't spoken at all. Zeni frowned, her frustration mounting, but then a new idea struck her.

"Iron Giant?" she suggested, feeling a small surge of excitement. "No, wait. Dave.”

She thought about it for a moment longer before deciding she couldn’t just call him ‘Dave.’ It would be funny, imagining this colossal individual hauling around a dungeon with a name like any other dude—but she’d known a Dave back in the old world, and he’d been a little bit of a jerk. So, Dave was out.

“How about…Captain Silence! That's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

The warrior made no indication that he had any opinion on the matter, but Zeni was undaunted.

"Alright then, Captain Silence it is," she announced, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "I mean, unless you've got a better idea. I'm open to suggestions."

When no suggestions—or any reaction at all—were forthcoming, Zeni shrugged and continued her meal. "Fine. Nice to properly meet you, Captain."

And with that, Zeni felt a small victory. In a strange and occasionally horrifying dungeon, it was the little things that kept her going.

—

She wasn’t sure how much longer it was, but at least a few hours later, Zeni saw a boat approaching. It appeared fairly small and was piloting itself without anyone else inside. As expected, classic dungeon nonsense.

Standing excitedly, she dropped the monster scroll she’d been perusing and pointed frantically at the nearing vessel.

“Boat! Boat!” She called, looking back toward…the Captain and finding that he was likely asleep, leaning back against a rock.

“Oh, come on, big guy,” she declared, slugging his armor once to rouse him, but only receiving a sore fist for her trouble.

“Fine,” she stated soberly. “Miss your ticket out of here, then. See if I care.”

When there was no response, she hit the figure with a little Ka, and that seemed to do the trick. He jerked to a standing position, seeming incredibly confused by the goings-on as Zeni just smirked.

Seems like invocations rule the day once again, she thought.

As the little boat approached the shore, Zeni eagerly hopped in, her eyes wide with excitement. She could hardly believe their luck—finally, a means to cross this dumb lake! As it neared, she became increasingly aware of the minute size of the craft, judging it to be too small to safely transport the both of them.

“Sorry, Captain,” she said. “But I think I’m going to need to cross first, and then you can a little later.”

She wasn’t sure that was how it worked, but she was overjoyed simply to be able to continue on. But her excitement was short-lived when the massive armored figure lumbered over and climbed into the boat as well. The vessel groaned under his weight, sinking precariously low in the water.

"Uh, are you sure you want to come along?" Zeni asked, her voice wavering as she eyed the sinking hull. "I mean, I appreciate the company and all, but I don’t think this boat can handle both of us."

The armored figure didn't respond, simply taking a seat opposite Zeni, causing the boat to dip even lower. The water lapped at the edge, threatening to spill over the sides.

With a nervous laugh, Zeni tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, I suppose if we do capsize, we'll just have to swim for it. Good thing you're wearing all that armor, right?"

The boat remained silent, save for the creaking of its strained wooden frame. Zeni wondered if Captain Silence was even capable of laughter, or if he was just really committed to maintaining his stoic demeanor.

As the boat began to move of its own accord, Zeni couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of their situation. Here they were, crossing an underground lake in a tiny, ancient boat that seemed ready to burst at the seams any moment. It was like a skit. One with potentially deadly consequences.

She glanced over at her companion, still clad in his impossibly heavy armor, and couldn't help but chuckle. It was almost as if he was daring the boat to give out beneath them, his unyielding presence defying the laws of physics and common sense alike.

But against all odds, the boat continued to glide across the lake, its slow, steady progress a reminder, to her at least, as to the wily nature of this dungeon. Zeni found herself holding her breath, half-expecting the vessel to suddenly give up and sink beneath the waves.

As the minutes passed and the boat remained afloat, Zeni found herself growing more relaxed, even daring to enjoy the journey. The gentle lapping of the water and the flickering torchlight on the cavern walls created an almost serene atmosphere, despite the ever-looming threat of a watery demise.

And as they finally reached the opposite shore, both Zeni and her armored companion still very much dry, she chuckled. Of all the things she’d faced so far, this had been the most nerve-wracking. She was exhausted.

With a grin, she turned to the armored figure as they disembarked.

"See? I told you we made a good team, Captain Silence."