The cave pressed around him, damp stone swallowing the faint scrape of his boots. His hand trailed across the wall until it brushed against wood. He lifted the torch and flame caught, throwing shadows across the uneven ceiling.
The tunnel narrowed, then widened, and he stepped out onto a cliff ledge. Wind carried dust into his face. Below, the ravine gaped like an open wound. Blackness filled its depth.
Ahead of him slumped the remains of something enormous. A skeleton leaned against the rock wall, larger than any castle tower. Its ribs curved upward like broken gates, its skull tilted to the side, eye sockets hollow.
A bridge stretched from his ledge toward the giant's chest. He placed a foot on it and moved forward.
Only when he shifted his weight did he notice the texture beneath him. The surface was metal. The plank was not wood at all but a sword. Its blade pierced through the hollow of the ribcage. Whoever had fallen here had been cut down by steel despite their size.
