We went back to the main room holding the keystone in triumph. As far as I knew, this meant that we were very close to the dungeon's end. According to Alexius, once we put the last keystone in place, part of the floor in the main room would open, revealing a platform which, once we all stepped on it, would lower us to the dungeon's end, where we would fight against the Dungeon Master. I must say, after two trials that stretched me to the limits of my concentration, I was really exhausted mentally. I even accepted some of that strange black potion that Kardenon seems to love so much. It is bitter, but I must admit that after drinking it I felt somewhat more energetic.

Once we had rested for a reasonable amount of time, Alexius raised a fist to rally us toward the last goal.

“Come on! This is almost over. We just have to defeat the Dungeon Master and this will be over. I know we have the energy for it.”

I sighed. Even though we had rested, I was still not sure whether I was ready. Alexius went to the last altar and inserted the keystone. All the keystones started glowing and the altars started sinking on the ground. After the altars were gone, glowing lines started to appear on the ground, delineating a circle. That was likely the portion of the floor that would open up. As the floor opened, I couldn't help but be confused. I looked at Alexius, then back at the open floor, then back at Alexius, demanding some kind of explanation.

“Let me see if I understand this correctly, yes? You said there would be a platform here waiting for us to step on it.”

Alexius threw his arms in the air as if giving up any kind of explanation.

“That's how it should be! I don't understand!”

I looked back at the open floor again and chuckled sarcastically.

“Hehe, that's funny, because all I see is an open pit with a not too big staircase leading down. I seems to take some really weird twists and turns, sometimes not even being there, requiring us to jump over gaps. I wonder if I might be forgiven if I think that this is only slightly more difficult than a DESCENDING PLATFORM!”

I put as much emphasis as I could on the last two words. Alexius could only look back at me apologeticaly and manage to say in a small voice.

“Sorry... I don't know what's going on.”

Unbelievable. There were more things we had to get through. Kardenon shrugged.

“Well, there's nothing to do but to do this. We aren't going to give up are we? Not after what we had already gone through, right?”

I turned to him.

“Of course not! We are not turning back at this point! We have already done way too much to just give up now. Come on, both of you, let's go.”

I turned to walk towards the pit when Kardenon gently stopped me by holding my shoulder.

“No offense, but I think either me or Alexius should take the vanguard.”

Oh, right, of course. I let Alexius go first, then followed him, Kardenon was last. We can't afford any mistakes now, not after all that we had already gone through.

As expected, the descent into the pit was in no way easy. Walking down the stairs that had no rails or any kind of safety whatsoever by itself was very unnerving. To that, you have to add the fact that every once in a while, the entire dungeon would shake slightly, creating the very real danger of falling down the pit. More than once I was saved by Kardenon or I had to save Alexius with one of my projections. This was bad enough, but eventually the wall riding golems that had appeared in the last trial started showing up to harass us. This time they were armed with slings. While Kardenon and Alexius protected me, I would chant frost bolts that were good enough to destroy them.

“You think this is going to take much longer? I am exhausted. I don't think I have much more mana left... Even though I stopped using my projections.”

Of course, as soon as I say that, a small shake happens. I throw my weight backwards and let kardenon catch me. Alexius falls on his knee for balance. This time, however, a few stones fall from above.

“Whoa! Watch out! Ack.”

As he calls it out, Kardenon crushes a boulder that is about to fall on my head. He is then hit by one falling on his head. Alexius dodges forward the stone that was aiming for him. It falls on the stairs, breaking them and creating a gap.

“Thanks. Anyway, how do you keep yourself so firm even with these shakes?”

Kardenon chuckles a little.

“Heh, I just fuse the base of my armor with the ground momentarily. Pretty smart eh?”

I suppress a sigh. It actually is smart, but does he have to say it so smugly?

“Yes, yes, very much.”

I prepare to jump the gap, but Alexius gestures me to stop. At the same moment there is a golem on the wall, aiming to shoot at me as I jump. Kardenon picks a piece of stone from the stairs behind him and throws it to destroy the golem. We keep descending. The shakes become more and more frequent.

“Well, at least we haven't seen any of the stupid golems in a while... Wha?”

As the ground crumbles below Alexius, he starts falling. I react.

“Alexius!”

I grab his hand without really thinking. I am too tired to create a projections. We are going to fall to our deaths... Except Kardenon grabs me and doesn't get pulled down.

“Oomph. There, grabbed you. Be careful.”

He pulled the two of us up.

“Thanks, and sorry. I didn't expect the ground to break under me.”

“Yeah, no problem, it seems that a dungeon's specialty is throwing strange things at us when we least expect it.”

From that point onward, Alexius advanced with much more care, making sure that he didn't put too much weight as he walked. Whenever the ground beneath him crumbled, he didn't lose his balance. Me and Kardenon had to make sure we stepped on the exact same places as Alexius. Thus, the unnerving descent continued. Until we reached it, finally.

“Look! We've arrived!”

Alexius didn't hide his excitement. I sighed, this time from relief.

“Well, it took us a while descending this terrible pit, but we finally arrived at the supposed platform, huh.”

There was an altar in the middle of it holding an orb. Touching it would probably take us to the Dungeon Master, so I did not go anywhere near it.

“Hey, you two, is that what I think it is?”

Kardenon pointed to an alcove. Inside it was something that I hadn't realized before that I really needed, but now that I saw it, it was a big relief.

“A latrine! Praise Virtue!”

I prayed for a moment. It seems that at least the dungeon would allow us to completely recuperate before the last fight. Good. I needed some real relief. I was really tired, and hungry now that I think about it.

“From what I read, there is no problem in eating, resting and doing all manner of things before heading to the Dungeon Master's chamber. I'll take some food from the treasury.”

I thought of retorting that the dungeon had been slightly different from what he had read about. But I guess I will take him at his word. I am so tired...