The spiral staircase spat them into a cold chamber lit only by cracks in the ceiling far above.The air was thick with grit — every breath tasted of stone and soil. A faint tremor hummed beneath their feet, too slow for footsteps… too deep for wind.
Eliakim unfolded his map sketch. "This floor's wide… mostly open, but the choke points here—" he tapped the north and south corridors "—mean ambush territory. Stay tight."
---
The first came without warning.A Bigfoot, its fur streaked with mineral dust, stepped from a shadowed alcove, eyes burning ochre. When it roared, the ground shuddered. Two more emerged from the side hall.
Gideon charged first, axes carving dust from the giant's leg. Skyling slipped under a swinging arm, driving both blades into its ribs. Ezra hurled a vial — it burst in a flash of blinding white, forcing one Bigfoot to stumble.
Eliakim called directions in sharp bursts. "Left flank's weaker! Skyling, now!"Steel and shadow worked in tandem. One by one, the Bigfoots fell, their massive bodies shaking the floor. The team barely had time to breathe before the last two came from behind, forcing a split fight in the north corridor. They cleared the final brute with a coordinated push — Gideon's axes hooking the neck, Skyling cutting the tendon, Ezra's herbs sealing their wounds.
---
The tremor returned, louder now.They followed it into a vast stone cavern where the air felt heavier — each breath weighed down by unseen pressure. In the center, a hulking silhouette moved. White fur matted with dirt. A hide crisscrossed by deep scars — some old and pale, others fresh and red. Its eyes glowed like cold fire.
The White Scarred Bear stood before an enormous ironbound gate — the only path to the third floor.
Eliakim's voice was barely a whisper. "That's not just a guardian… that's a warlord."
The bear reared, roaring so loud the walls shook loose dust. It lowered its head and charged.
---
The first impact nearly broke Gideon's stance. His axes locked against the bear's skull for a heartbeat before the force threw him back. He rolled to his feet, grinning despite the ringing in his ears."Finally. Something worth the effort."
Skyling struck first blood — a line of red across the bear's shoulder — but the wound closed almost instantly beneath its thick hide. Ezra cursed under her breath, fumbling for a stronger tincture."It's defense is too high! We need to crack it!"
Eliakim's mind raced. "Force it onto its left side — there's an old scar on the rib! Skyling, bait right! Gideon, brace center!"
They moved like clockwork. Skyling danced in close, blades flashing to draw its gaze, while Gideon planted himself like an anchor. The bear lunged — straight into the trap. Ezra hurled an exploding herb bundle into the exposed scar, the blast of heat forcing the flesh open. Gideon's axes bit deep, finally drawing a roar of pain that rattled the chamber.
But the bear was far from beaten.It swiped, a single paw sending Skyling crashing into the wall. Ezra scrambled to her side, pouring a healing draught down her throat. The bear spun toward them — only to be intercepted by Eliakim, who drove his blade into the joint of its foreleg."Gideon — finish it!"
The bear reared once more, blood streaming from its side. Gideon leapt, axes crossing in midair before cleaving down into its neck. The impact shook the ground, and the beast's roar choked into silence. It toppled with a crash, the scars on its hide catching the dim light one last time.
The chamber was still again.Eliakim stepped to the gate, resting a hand on the cold iron. "Floor two… clear."
Gideon wiped blood from his face, smirking at the corpse. "Hope floor three's got something bigger."
The gate groaned open, and the darkness beyond swallowed the light of the cavern.