Surging forwards, the men and women fell upon the stream that was embedded in the floor? Erika wasn’t sure what to make of it, carved stone made an oblong channel that poked into the room under the adjacent wall, the water was clean and clear but Erika saw blackish gunk, staining the bottom of the… indoor river?

She didn’t bother saying anything as the others drank, thirst would kill quicker than gunk, but she made sure to drink from her waterskin alone, as a life shaper Erika had a rather distressing understanding of the realities of diseases which made her disinclined to risk even this, also she wasn’t sure she trusted it yet… a river of clean water appearing right when they needed it? Sure, they’d had to look for it and it was in a logical place but that still didn’t seem normal.

“You not hovering a drink lady vitki?”

She didn’t seem to be the only one that thought that either, as Solvor was suddenly stood next to her with a studiously blank expression, Erika considered doing politic for a half second then didn’t because she hated any sort of double speak.

“This is way to convenient and I think it might be a trap, so I'm not triggering it so I survive.” Remembering some of her mothers’ lessons on how not to offend people Erika hurried to add. “If you die a horrifying painful death, I promise to try to find a pyre and burn your corpse… but if presented with no other option and if it’s before you start rotting, I will eat your corpse, but i'll try to burn the organs at least... if i can.”

Solvor looked at her face somehow even more blank than before. “That is… kind of you?”

“I try.” Said Erika modestly, she then added. “Also, I just integrated like three galdr all at once and I think my brain isn't working properly.”

Solvor suddenly seemed to come alive. “Oh, thank the gods I thought you were serious.”

I was Erika didn’t say, she wasn’t dying here and if survival meant eating a corpse she would, but it was still true that her head felt floaty and vague ever since she crammed three new sagas worth of magic and emotions into it, she wasn’t even sure if two of them were castable yet but it was better to try and fail she thought… although that might be the headache talking.

“Is this a commotion thing for vitki?” Solvor asked, Erika wasn't sure if she was being polite or looking for weaknesses.

“You mean the learning new galdr thing? No not really, most vitki learn all they need before they become journeywomen but… well like Alvis said, I’m only an apprentice, I really shouldn’t be away from my teacher yet.”

“ROOOOOOOOOOAR.”

“I really really shouldn’t be away from her yet.” Erika quipped, she couldn’t help it, terror made her do that reflexively. Of course, Solvor wasn't paying attention to her, unlike a stage play people don’t stand still and listen to your smart comments, instead most people react to the roar of the giant monster thing that was somewhere nearby.

But where, that was the question, the air smelt of nothing but the cold tingle of fresh ice water, the echoes bounced the sound to-and-fro obscuring its direction, by Hela they weren’t even in a corridor! They were in the back of some strange kitchen things basement pantry. Where would a big monster be lurking?

The delvers had organised perfectly of course, even tired and hungry the experience of a veteran shone through, a shield wall with axes held high backed up by spears and a few thunderarms with a pocketful of slugs between them. Platted hair and wiry beards still dripping water which wetted leather and iron, buckles and belts, drip drip drip went the drops falling onto the cold floor. Nothing else moved in the stillness, the sound of the water the only noise, even the echoes of the roar had faded away.

As the moments passed tense muscles relaxed and straight pikes were lowered, a few people even did that little chuckle and head rub that speaks of bashfulness at an overreaction. The water splashed and dripped as people moved again, Bjorn stalked up to the pantry door and glanced around the doorframe then turned back to us and began to shake his head… and froze.

“BEHIND!” He screamed and hurled his axe, Erika watched frozen as it spun through the air over her head and hit something, something which screamed and roared at the pain. Thunderarms roared but hit only stone, the shield wall tried to pivot in place but tangled with itself and half collapsed and Erika, driven by instinct and fear, dived to the ground just a moment before something huge and heavy made a whistling sound as it swung through the air her head had just occupied. Behind her was… a giant? Twisted and misshaped, its limbs had too many joints and no symmetry, one almost a tentacle and the other a gnarled half calcified club, its stomach bulged with starvation and its skin was covered in warts… and water? Fresh water?

Erika cursed and unleashed a wave of acid which scoured the creatures face and sent it tumbling back screaming.

“IT CAN SWIM!” Shouted Bjorn who had come to the same conclusion Erika had, this weird malformed giant had been IN THE RIVER! It had been swimming though the water that came in under the wall, it wasn't unexpected that it was deep but that deep? How did a monster fit in it?

The roaring thing swung its many fingered club like limb through the air back and forth driving the delvers back as its long thin arm lashed out like a whip and grabbed a man by his head and crushing his skull with a sickening crack.

A moment later it screamed as Bjorn’s axe bite into the sickeningly flexible limb, carving a strip of flesh and twisted fingers off. It stumbled backwards but despite its monstrous appearance even Erika could tell it had training, Aesir damned training! As it fell back it brought its club hand up into a crude but recognisable boxing pose. Bjorn’s follow up blow glanced off the gnarled bone and leathery skin as it punched repeatedly, using its iron hard striking surfaces as a shield.

Erika took a deep breath and focused, this was a perfect test! Ok well not technically, really it should be quieter, but this malformed giant was just the kind of thing that needed a heavier combat galdr to kill… although?

Maybe?

Possibly?

Could she, do it? Her soul had expanded over these days of traveling and fighting, clashing with thing's she never would have fought before, seeing things she never though to see, what if her soul WAS robust enough? What if she could circle up?

The group would win either way… she was gonna try it, it was stupid and impatient but damn if it worked… then Erika might get a saga of her own one day, not many vitki hit the third circle before its due time, mostly it took ten years for each circle up until most vitki stopped getting much better around fifty and the fifth, third in her twenties? Her mother couldn’t hate her if she did that!

Erika flung herself back into her memories, she grabbed the saga, she comprehended the words, the deeds, the little notations of emotion and attitude. She’d tried studying quite a few of the third circle galdr but only one fully, only one to comprehension, and even then only for a few hours… but…

“[Twisted Skin]” Erika mumbled and trust her hand forwards.