The first sign that something was wrong was indeed the silence.

The chamber ended abruptly at a large circular section, darkened without a flame in sight. Thankfully, no pit of lava, or any pit in which case, was visible. From where they could initially tell, the room was bare without any curious marking of any kind. The bricks laid undamaged, and the large slabs of rock that made up the floor were smoothed to a fine texture. And yet, they sensed an eerie presence lurking within, although entirely out of sight. Knights are trained to feel the life energy among living creatures. It helps when trying to track down animals and criminals in the wild. But they sensed nothing. So, where did this unease come from?

Lyse decided to step in; first, his hand was firmly placed on his blade. There were no traps. All the bricks and slabs looked precisely the same, indistinguishable from one another. He still could not sense where this presence was, even if the room was nearly blank, until he noticed something moving in the corner of his eyes. He was not the only one who saw as Gray and Elena readied themselves, and Gray unsheathed their blade. Edlund wielded a knife that Elena had equipped but stayed behind both, knowing he's inefficient as support. Lyse immediately drew his sword and aimed it directly at the heap in the darkness, ready for it to pounce and for himself to cut it down. Still, the rise did not move. It stayed still. He could not tell what it was, but it was at least human size. It wasn't till he tried to move closer that did it do anything.

"Stay back!" yelled a shrill, hoarse voice as another sword peaked from the darkness. Lyse furrowed his brow and then made his sword glow in the dark to see this person. As it slowly lit, it revealed the figure to be another knight, fully dawned in armor. A quivering mess of a man was shuddering against the wall, and a shield pressed up against himself in protection. Utter fear was in his hazy eyes as they focused on Lyse's face. Blood could be seen dripping alongside his armor, and his sword was stained heavily. Upon seeing Lyse, the man leaped up and slashed out of pure fear. Lyse parried it effortlessly and tripped the man as he tumbled past him. Lyse has never seen anyone like this. His movement had no thought besides survival. As soon as he fell into the light of the corridor and in the sights of the rest of them, they all were taken aback, expecting some hulking creature to descend upon them. He was not expecting a babbling man fumbling with his sword and shield standing up.

"Who are you," Lyse pointed his sword at him in a warning. The man, upon seeing this threat, dropped his shield and held his sword tightly with both. The others decide to enter the room and surround them, sheathing their blades.

"I'm warning you," he went on, looking nervously at those who now surrounded him. "Stay back, please."

"I think he's mad, Lyse," Edlund said. "Just look at him. Jumpier than a cat."

"What happened?" Lyse asked him in calming tones, hopefully trying to relieve the tension. The man looked tiredly at those around them, as if for once taking in their features and realizing that they were not, in fact, monsters. He dropped his sword, clanging on the ground, then fell to his knees and began sobbing to himself uncontrollably. Streams of tears wet the floor as he completely broke down before them. It was more than an unsettling display. They could only guess what turned this man into such a wreck. Lyse looked around the room for any indication of danger. The other end seemed normal, the corridor continuing without any visible impediment.

"What happened to your squad," Lyse asked him. Of course, he already knows part of the answer at this point. They are most likely dead now. But he wanted to learn more.

"They're . . . dead," he said slowly. "They're dead, all of them. Ripped to pieces like bloody toys. It didn't leave a single scrap of them left."

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"Is it a monster?" Gray asked, now examining this room as well. "Is it in here?"

The man lifted a finger down the opposite corridor. It leads to another seemingly identical room to this one. Lyse furrowed his brows in concern now. He looked over to Edlund and the others, and they seemed just as lost and worried as he was. They thought of many scenarios coming into this dungeon, but this was very low on their expectations. Lyse sheathed his sword but kept his hand ready for the moment to arise. The others followed his lead while Edlund still clutched his dagger and stared attentively at the man. Lyse bent down to his level to make eye contact, kneeling and letting his head carefully. The man's eyes were still concerned, but at least now he gained a bit of clearance into his mind.

"Who are you?" Lyse asked him firmly but still in a low tone. The man swallowed a lump before hastily responding.

"L-like I said . . . I was walking through with my group . . ."

"How many were there?" Lyse asked sincerely.

"Five," he answered, his breaths growing slower with each sentence. "Picked up another one who made it past the first trial. We made it into that corridor. It seemed so safe. But then . . . like lightning . . . we stood no chance."

Lyse took all of this to his head and analyzed the situation. The thoughts were distressing, to say the least, and apparent to all those who were listening then. Gray shook his head in silent disbelief and anxiety. They were all trained to handle these kinds of situations with a sort of care and delicate nature. Part of the career of being a knight is knowing how to handle solving problems that may be domestic in nature. But they were far from domestic now. A thousand hand-drawn pictures of monsters ran through their minds as to what could have killed four well-trained knights in mere moments. Something had to hit fast and with coordination not very indicative of creatures of lower intelligence. And based on the bloodstain on his armor, the blows were swift and accurate, that much Lyse could tell. Still, the list was far too varied to guess what lies before them reliably. And they will get little done deliberating any longer.

"Are the corpses still in the room?" Lyse asked him, and now he looked at Lyse incredulously, like he had just told a bad joke.

"Yeah? Why does it matter?" he queried.

"Did it attempt to eat them?" Lyse asked in a more confirmatory manner, like questioning a scout.

"I-I didn't get a good look," the knight shook his head. "I just turned up on my tail and ran as fast as I could. A miracle that I did not die as well."

"This is certainly troubling," Elena said, joining Lyse in the middle of the room. "This creature is most definitely attempting to lure others into this trap."

Lyse nodded morbidly and then looked to Edlund and Gray, who seemed to begin to grasp the situation. The knight, however, looked between all of them as this continued, a bit lost on where the conversation was going. Because by the sounds of things, they seemed to be bent on continuing their path, despite everything he just said.

"We can't go back there," he nearly shouted at them, and they all turned their attention back upon him as his breathing spiked and his eyes looked down at the sword still sheathing in his harness, "We can't fight that thing in there. We have to avoid it."

"You certainly like saying 'we don't you," Edlund brusquely. "If you don't want to come along, then you can tuck your sword in and shuffle back to the entrance. But for us, we are here to become knights. Real knights. That's a nice sword you got tied to you. Mind parting ways?"

Edlund greedily opened both palms in a gesture similar to that of calling a hound. The knight recoiled, his hands back on his blade as he took a cautious step away. It was clear that Edlund was getting pretty impatient with the man and with the recent parting with his sword. However, the knight did not seem very adamant about lending his own. Lyse sighed and put a hand before Edlund, signaling him to wait a moment before anything brash happened. He looked back to the knight, who was now looking very anxiously at his surroundings and seemed to be considering his next course of actions very frantically.

"You heard my friend," Lyse told him. "Either come with or leave."

Edlund coughed abruptly and very deliberately, which Lyse met with another sigh. "And also, leaving the blade for my friend to use would certainly be useful."

The knight stayed silent as he pondered this rapid dilemma that presented itself. Either risk the journey of traveling this maze of corridors alone, possibly running into other monsters far more terrifying than what he has encountered, and return to his home defeated, his dignity and sword lost. Or certain death at the hand of some unseen killer. His body shakes with discouragement till he finally stands, rapidly takes off his belt, and throws it to the ground before running. Before Lyse could question whether or not he could defend himself, he succumbed to the darkness of the tunnels and was out of sight. Edlund, Gray, and Elena looked astonished at what transpired, and the sword was lying on the ground. It is a strict moral code never to leave a sword sheathed on the floor, a sign of disrespect to the knights themselves. Edlund precariously picked up the blade and inspected it. It seemed well made and ripe for battle. There were minor dents along the surface, signifying its rampant use. Edlund was troubled to see a blade-like it dumped and the owner run away like a small girl. But, he tried to think nothing of it as he secured it around his waist.

"So what is our next move then?" Gray asked. "Is all this even worth it?"

"We have to keep going," Lyse told them all, and they each silently agreed. "It's a little too late to turn and run. We must cover one another's blind spots; that is the only way to secure ourselves defensively. IT this beast is that fast and skilled; we must prepare for the worst if that is at all possible. Be ready to use zoi if need be."

They each nodded in confirmation and secured themselves in a tight formation, Elena heading them off ahead with her sword in one hand and her large shield covering the front. Flanking her sides were Edlund and Gray, and finally, Lyse covering their backs. They paid acute attention to their surroundings, trying to sense this danger the best they could using zoi, but nothing disturbed their senses. As they entered the next chamber, the smell of fresh blood was practically wafting from around them. The floor was still covered in several bodies lying limply where they had died. One closest to their entrance had his head cut off, his helmet still attached, and blood pooling around him to congeal.

All the kills had a uniform swiftness, one single strike to end one's life. This was most certainly no beast that watched them approach its lair. Instead, it watched with anticipation, a mind known by strategists—swords at the ready to kill, taking the satisfaction of taking a life. And as the group made it further inward, it anxiously hissed at them, launching from the ceiling and upon them. They all turned just in time to see what appeared to be a woman. Her upper torso was completely normal, some plated, rusted armor covered in blood, fresh and old. It was wielding two scimitars made from some sort of golden metal. Serpent yellow eyes locked onto them, and black oily hair flickered wildly. The lower torso was that of a snake with dark red scales. They were scarred by many battles and the length of ten men.

Using its girth, the snake woman surrounded them in a ring of itself. It moved at quite a staggering speed as she seized her new prey. She decided upon Gray first, taking her scimitars and slicing at the base of his neck. However, she was soon stopped in her tracks as he took his blade and slammed it down at his feet. Immediately a wave crashed in all directions away from him. Everyone was thrown back as seawater briefly filled the room. The woman was more than a little disorientated, nearly dropping her weapons. But she did regain balance however and held both at the ready. Lyse coughed up a bit of water, not entirely expecting such a rapid set of events.

Elena managed to recover quickly as if used to this kind of fighting. She immediately charged the serpent woman, unsheathing her sword. However, Lyse noticed something different about it now. Instead of a longsword, the blade became an arming sword. One-handed, she slashed at the creature's torso. However, the attack wasn't quick enough as it slithered out of the way once given a chance. Then, it began flanking maneuvers, easy enough with its kind of mobility. It slashed and stabbed, testing the defensive skills of Elena as she constantly had to keep her shield raised. Lyse and Edlund rushed to either side to assist, and at a moment's notice, the creature switched occupations and slashed at both of them. Edlund managed to block her slash and quickly realized how strong she was. Her blade dug into his own. Lyse managed to duck under the swipe to his face and finally get a good shot at its torso. It attempted to recoil back to deflect the blow, but Lyse immediately used aura to enhance his speed and slash at a visible gap under the arm.

He got a clean slice, a wound that would be debilitating for any mortal man. However, the serpent woman didn't waste a moment, using its massive tail to slam into Lyse's side and banging him against the wall, pinning him with her enormous weight in the process. Edlund attempted to assist, Elena coming from behind. But once again, the female serpent seemed acutely aware of her surroundings and managed to evade them all. She moved quickly to the other side of the room to gather herself coiling up and taking a more defensive stance. Lyse was able to breathe, no longer constricted against the wall finally. He began to evaluate the situation further as everyone took just a moment to catch a breath.

He found it odd that suddenly the serpent women chose to dodge rather than counter-attack or parry. He guessed that her senses were far beyond their own, allowing her to pinpoint the location of everyone without really seeing them accurately, just like them. Her impressive speed was extraordinary. But then, he realized something else rather odd. Her movements were slower than when she initially attacked. She was moving at such speed that blocking would be a more complicated feat to accomplish. And while her actions were still quick and unpredictable, they were slower. As he stood to lock onto her presence, he saw that the creature was shivering violently, sneering at them all, but especially at Gray. At that point, Lyse put the puzzle together rather quickly. She was, in fact, cold blood, and a sudden blast of cold water would undoubtedly dampen her movements to conserve energy. And finally, he realized who was before the.

"You're a Lamia, aren't you?" Lyse asked.

The Lamia hissed violently, sticking out her tongue. "This information will not serve you. You, humans, dared to contain me here. I swear to kill every last one of you."

"Great, a monster that can talk," Edlund readied himself, dual-wielding his dagger and sword in preparation for another attack. It is rare to find monsters with the ability to speak. Lamia's are among the most common to see in this group, primarily to the easternmost regions of the clans, where the rivers and mountains meet deserts. While Lamia is not initially hostile, they attack outposts and villages if the need arises. So they are classified as a creature, like centaurs, and to be killed on sight. It is not surprising that one would be placed in a dungeon to test knights. However, this one's ability with combat is unlike anything any of them have seen. And it seems to have a passion and pleasure for their deaths. It was blocking the entrance with its tail, making it clear that combat would be the only solution to this predicament.

They began spreading out, taking a wide semicircle to the creature as it started to uncoil and prepare to attack. Lyse wondered whom it would strike first. But the choice was obvious as it immediately jetted towards Gray. He was somewhat unprepared for the quick attack upon him and only him. He parried the first strike, but the second came right at his face. Just barely, he grabbed her arm as she quickly forced him against a wall. Her scimitar did sink into his shoulder, and he gritted his teeth, but he kept it from going any further. She hissed loudly in his face, which was now only inches away. Fangs are clamping down in an attempt to bite Gray in his neck. He used every ounce of energy on a technique to increase his strength but still struggled. The others descended upon the Lamia, but a broad swipe of the tail kept them all at bay.

Elena growled at this, sheathing her blade. She dropped her shield, and Lyse saw as the hilt of her arming sword extended, and the guard became a little broader. So she pulled out her blade; the length became even longer as the sword shifted from an arming rapier to that of a great sword. The edge alone was quickly her height, and she used this new range to attack Lamia's tail. The blade sunk a few inches in before the bottom recoiled again, and the Lamia arched in pain. Lyse immediately sprung to action, leaping over the tail entirely and stabbing at the creature's back. Channeling his energy into the sword, it glowed before sinking into its back. It let out another horrible scream, finally letting go of Gray as he rolled away from being cornered. Unfortunately, the blade went in much more profound than Lyse intended, as the other end poked through her chest and was lodged in the disfigured metal. It thrashed wildly, clawed hands swiping and attempting to grapple Lyse. Before he allowed it to grab him, he dislodged the sword painfully and rolled to safety. The Lamia looked on haggardly, being gravely wounded through the chest but still clutching the blade.

"Filthy humans," it raised its hand, prepared for another attempt. It was clear it was on the verge of death. Even if it somehow killed them, they will very well die from these wounds they inflicted. But before it could make a few feet towards them, an arrow suddenly lodged itself in her sternum with a resounding thunk! It was a metal-tipped bolt of a crossbow, and the creature let out a small alarmed breath before another punctured just next to it. They all quickly turned to see more knights entering the chamber, another group. The Lamia screamed once more in vain defiance before it simply collapsed on the ground; and its whole body going limp. The archer who got the killing blow gave a sure nod before slinging it over his shoulder.

Along with two sword-wielding knights, they quickly entered with swords at the ready. Then finally, another walked in coyly, clapping his hands. It was Dagmyre. His armor was just as spotless as when they entered, not even a new scratch upon them. They were immediately on guard now.

"Quite a delight to meet you all once again," he said, looking over them. "Still no relic?"

"No," Elena said firmly.

"Well then, I guess our efforts were a complete waste of time," he sighed. "When that fool came running like an infant, we assumed that some abomination of a monster was wreaking havoc. But it was just a Lamia, I suppose. By the looks of things, it was giving you ll a hard time."

"We were going to finish it off," Edlund snarky told him. "A mere pebble could finish the job. But a bolt did the job fine enough. Good thing you surround yourself with seemingly competent knights."

Dagmyer sneered. "Are you proposing that I am not"