"What kind of healer knows how to throw around fire arrow spells?"

Nela's whispered question was worrying. The signs pointed to Hamond not just being a healer, but a thaumaturge concealing his own skills. And worst of all was that his sister seemed to be completely unaware of what it meant.

The other side of it was that Hamond clearly didn't want them dead. If he did, he would have just left them to the kobolds. Myron supposed their current situation was better than being magically forced to serve some malevolent elf, but still...why wasn't he being honest? Once they were done down here, at some point before tomorrow afternoon, he would have to warn her.

Dishonest or not, Hamond's vision had led them to a domed chamber. A worn railing, broken at points, surrounded a hole in the floor. A glow came from below, lighting up this room and confirming Hamond had not been lying about seeing something in this direction.

"Watch your step on this balcony," Hamond said. Myron closed his eyes briefly, berating himself. Hole in the floor...what had he been thinking? They were clearly on a ledge. Dizzied at the thought, he barely stopped himself from staggering to the side.

Edeline cautiously stepped over to the edge, looking down. "Is that...a person down there?" she blurted out.

"Let me see." Hamond walked over and peered down as well. "I can't tell, but more importantly...that's visible magical energy. A very powerful spell."

"So, can you look at it with your magic eye spell and tell us what it is?" Nela extended an arm to support Myron, letting her other hand's grip on the crossbow relax. Myron took it, grateful.

"I'd rather not go blind," Hamond remarked dryly, "If there's enough magic there that we can see it, whatever spell or spells are active down there are channeling a huge amount of energy."

"So we have found it. How do we get down there?" Edeline's gaze was fixed on the space below.

"Go around to the other side?" Letting go of him, Nela pointed across the way. Sure enough, there was a stone archway there, with darkness beyond it.

"How we missed seeing that, I wouldn't know," Edeline grumbled, just loud enough to hear.

"Too busy looking at the pretty lights, clearly." Nela grinned mischievously at them. Unable to stop himself, Myron laughed.

"Well, since we're hoping to end up below, you will have the opportunity to look at them as well," Edeline replied without hesitation, face straight.

"A chance of a lifetime," Nela said.

"I'd watch your footing," Hamond warned, having turned to inspect the way forward. "Otherwise, this will be the end of your lifetime."

Still a bit off-balance, Myron didn't need the reminder. Following them carefully around the circular balcony, he passed through the arch into the next room.

What a room it was. It was also round, and even larger, so much so that he could not see the far wall. A pair of stone staircases spiraled around and down the room's walls, leading to the lower level. This amount of space could have held a hexty people, and more besides. The real question was why.

"You know, I am surprised no one found any of this by digging wells," Edeline commented.

"Who's to say they didn't?" Hamond said with a shrug. "I wouldn't have believed it if I stumbled into one of the tunnels."

"Assuming they didn't run foul of the kobolds," Myron pointed out. Most people would have been overwhelmed in mere moments. No chance of fighting back, only certain death.

"I think someone would have noticed if that was what happened," Nela said, "Anyway, we're wasting time."

"Agreed." Edeline turned and started down the stairs.

As they reached the halfway point going down, an orange light flared from the far wall. It revealed a deep-set alcove in the wall, reaching to nearly the roof of the chamber. It spread from, and illuminated, the enormous figure standing in the alcove.

Memories of the battlefield flooded back. Screams of men dying, others running for their lives. Chaos as their defense broke, their camp flattened. His own fear, as he fell before the advancing doom. Surviving by the closest of calls, being pulled away by Nela into their own flight.

It was a gigant.

"Ronny! Ronny!" Nela was shouting, forcing him back to reality. Looking around, Myron realized he'd frozen in fear. Edeline was standing in front of him, back turned, blade held out.

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"Sorry," he muttered, trying to shake it off. His heart was pounding, but Myron knew he couldn't let what happened back then get in the way of their immediate situation. It hadn't moved yet, so perhaps they could sneak by it.

That hope was lost a second later as a voice resonated through the room, through his head. Both echoing and deep while somehow being a barely audible whisper, it was unlike any Myron had ever heard.

"Intruders. Leave this place."

Gigants could not talk. At least, none of the ones Myron had seen on the battlefield could. They were mindless destroyers who obeyed orders, nothing more. And yet...it seemed this one had that capability, even had its own intelligence.

"Shit, is this real?" Nela echoed Myron's disbelief.

And yet...getting a closer look at the gigant, it was different. The Spellking's gigants were crudely formed of stone and clay, rough with no features. This thing was carved with swirling patterns on its limbs, and a mask-like face set in the front. The orange glow swirled around it, flowing like some kind of cloak. This was ancient magic, Myron had to guess. And if this maze of passages was that old...

...then likely so too was this gigant.

"Leave this place now."

Edeline took a couple of steps down the stairs. "Are you the protector of this place?" she asked, somehow keeping her voice calm. Myron wondered how she did it.

The gigant did not answer, but turned its carved face to regard Edeline.

"We would warn you," she continued to speak, stepping even closer to it. "We believe a treacherous foe seeks the power you guard. We entered here hoping to prevent him from laying his hands on it. If need be, we can aid you in defending it."

The gigant shifted with a grinding sound, moving out of the alcove. It was not quite as large as the Spellking's gigants, but it was still a towering being of rock, imposing as it loomed over them, even if they were still on the stairs.

"You know nothing about what is hidden here. And words will not aid you."

The gigant reared back, then swung one of its front limbs in a brutal punch aimed at Edeline.

The world slowed down as the punch descended. Myron stumbled forward, trying to get to her, legs far too slow. Move. Move. The fist drew closer as Edeline started to step aside, also too slow. He wasn't going to make it.

"Corpus volt."

Light burst around Edeline's body, sparking that reminded Myron of lightning, and then suddenly she was not there. The fist crashed down against the floor. He could feel the impact, but he paid it little heed. What mattered was Edeline was safe.

His momentum carried him in front of the gigant, who immediately took notice. Without stopping, the stone behemoth raised his arm once again, now targeting Myron. There was no time to move out of the way. All he could do was raise his shield, bracing himself for the strike.

The shield shattered as the punch landed, sending shards of wood and metal flying. But above that was the crunching sound, the searing pain as his arm gave way before the heavy blow. Stumbling backward into Edeline, he gasped in agony. Pain. Agony. Pain.

He found himself being pulled away, up the stairs, Edeline backing up alongside him. Somehow he kept his other hand's grip on his sword hilt, the point bouncing with a plink on each step. Even with his injury, he had to be ready to fight.

"Is he going to be alright?" he heard Edeline ask.

"I'm on it," Hamond said, coming into Myron's view. " Panakeia logos." A warm feeling spread through his arm. He hadn't felt the sensation of healing magic in some time, not since that one crossbow shot had gotten him in the hand. While the pain faded somewhat, his arm still hurt.

"What kind of shit are you trying to pull?" Nela demanded, coming right up to Hamond's face.

"I'm healing him," Hamond stated, "If you'd rather do it, you-"

"That's a spell for healing minor injuries, you stupid arse!" Nela was screaming now. "He's got a broken bone! You could have ruined his arm forever! What kind of shit healer are you?"

Hamond's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Before he could say anything else, Nela shoved him aside and grabbed Myron's arm. "Let me see...this isn't good." She glanced around a bit, before fixing her gaze on Myron's sword, still held in his other hand. "Let me borrow that a moment."

"Uh...sure." Myron released his grip, unsure what she had in mind. It was Nela, though. He was safe in her hands.

"This is going to hurt a lot. Grit your teeth or something." She then lifted the sword, and pounded it down hilt-first on the outstretched arm.

The pain burned hotter still. Myron gasped, trying his best to not thrash around. His vision blurred with tears. He looked up at Nela, trying to see her face.

"Pegnumosteon." A different feeling, one of his arm vibrating slightly as countless pinpricks pierced it, surged. The pain subsided slightly, this time fading to a dull persistent ache.

Nela let out a relieved sigh, then turned and pointed a finger at Hamond. "Once we get out of here, you better have a good reason for why you don't know shit about healing."

Hamond's face was pale in the lantern's light. "I can explain."

"What...about the gigant?" Myron sat up, ignoring another surge of pain looking around. Fortunately, it had not pressed the attack, and seemed to be waiting to see what they did next.

"Don't worry about it," Nela said quickly, "It'll be a hexday or two before your arm is fully healed, so you aren't fighting any time soon." She looked over at the gigant. "We aren't taking that thing down anyway."

"I doubt our Elefae enemy could get past it either," Hamond agreed, looking over at Edeline. "We can come back later, perhaps with a plan to deal with it." Myron had to agree.

Edeline was just standing there, staring at the gigant. "Edeline?" Myron asked, suddenly worried. When she was younger, she had possessed a stubborn streak. But fighting this was beyond them all. Even if they had a bombard, there was no way they could get it down here. They had nothing.

"Take Myron to safety," she finally said, voice cold.

"Edeline! Stop!" Ignoring her brother's shouts, she began to descend again, back towards the undefeatable guardian. Myron tried to push himself to his feet, only for his arm to flare in pain once more. He wanted to stop her. He wanted to help her. He wasn't in any condition to do either.

All he could do, as Hamond pulled him away, was watch.