Vierna moved as silently as she could. Her leg ached. She knew she would need to slow and treat it soon.

Her pursuers hadn’t followed her into the forbidden tunnels. She could try to escape here. Still, the tunnels unsettled her. There were signs of movement—smooth paths, worn by ancient feet, long before her kind had been chased from this place.

Ahead, something moved. Vierna tensed, clutching her sword more tightly in hand. Perhaps her path would end here—facing the monster of the deeps.