As they approached the passage leading to the next trial, the air thickened, the faint hum of magic pressing against their skin like an invisible tide. Robert sensed the dungeon's presence shift subtly, a quiet warning that this chamber would demand more than brute force. He glanced back at Hamish, whose reckless, almost feral grin spread wide, his eyes glinting with the promise of a fight.
"Hamish," Robert said with a knowing look, his voice steady but edged with caution, "you might want to save your strength for what's ahead."
"Ach, dinnae worry about me," Hamish replied, cracking his neck with a sharp pop that echoed faintly. "I've got plenty to spare for whatever stony bastard comes next. Bring 'em on, and I'll teach 'em to regret being born out of a bloody rockslide."
Snow stifled a giggle behind her hand, her sapphire core pulsing faintly with a soft blue glow, betraying her readiness beneath her amusement. "Just don't get too reckless, Hamish. We need you alive and kicking, remember?"
"Aye, aye, Mother Hen," Hamish teased with a smirk, his tone light but his gaze sharpening as he turned toward the chamber ahead. "But if one of these bastards so much as looks at you wrong, I'll knock their rocky arse clean to next week."
Robert shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself. Hamish's knack for drawing enemy attention wasn't just bluster—it was a honed tactic, one that had already spared Snow and him from countless blows. The man's booming curses and audacious swagger turned foes into moths drawn to a flame, and Robert couldn't deny its effectiveness.
They stepped into the next chamber, where shifting platforms and glowing barriers unfolded before them. The floor was a chaotic mosaic of uneven stone tiles, each grinding and sliding with a faint magical shimmer. Above, crystalline orbs hovered, their cores swirling with elemental fury—lightning crackling, fire smoldering, and frost glinting coldly in the dim light.
"Careful," Robert warned, his eyes narrowing as he studied the room's lethal geometry. "Those orbs aren't just for decoration. They'll likely attack or block us if we're not coordinated."
Hamish let out a low whistle, his gaze roving over the chamber with a mix of glee and challenge. "Aye, this'll be fun. Just a wee game of dodge the death trap, eh?" He hefted his jagged kobold sword, its edge catching the light as his grin widened. "Let's see if these sparkly bastards can keep up."
The first orb flared to life, its surface rippling with electric currents that snapped and hissed. With a sudden lurch, it unleashed a bolt of lightning straight at Snow, the air sizzling as it streaked toward her. Before Robert could move, Hamish roared, a guttural sound that reverberated through the chamber, and lunged forward, his massive shield raised like a wall of defiance. "Oi! You overgrown glowstick!" he bellowed, his voice a thunderclap against the stone. "You think you can ignore me, eh? Come get a proper fight, you shite-for-brains sparkplug!"
The bolt veered midair, drawn to Hamish's taunt like iron to a lodestone, and slammed into his shield with a deafening crack. Sparks erupted in a dazzling cascade, illuminating the chamber in jagged bursts of light. Hamish staggered slightly, his boots scraping the stone, but his grin held firm as the orb turned its full fury on him.
Snow stared wide-eyed, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and worry. "Hamish, you're insane!"
"Aye, lass, but I'm also bloody brilliant!" Hamish bellowed, charging the orb with his broadsword swinging in wild, reckless arcs. "C'mon then! I'll shove your lightning up your crystalline arse!"
Robert seized the moment, gesturing sharply to the shifting platforms. "We need to get to those barriers and disable them while Hamish keeps that thing busy. Can you use Frost Aura to slow the platforms for us?"
Snow nodded, her sapphire core flaring as she raised her staff with a determined flourish. A wave of frost surged across the floor, the air chilling as ice crystals bloomed along the tiles' edges, locking their erratic dance into a sluggish crawl. "Done!" she called, her voice crisp with focus. "But we need to move quickly. Hamish can't hold their attention forever."
Robert grinned, his eyes flicking to Hamish, who now faced a second orb spitting jets of fire. "Don't underestimate him. That man could probably curse a mountain into submission."
Hamish's voice roared across the chamber, brimming with colorful fury. "YOU CALL THAT A SHOCK, YOU SPARKY WEE GOBSHITE? I'VE HAD STRONGER DRINKS THAN THAT! GIMME YER BEST, YE OVERGROWN BLOODY GLASS BALL!" A fire orb joined the assault, its flames licking at his shield, and he laughed—a deep, rolling sound that defied the chaos. "Ah, now we're talkin'! Let's see how hot you can get before I crack your shiny head open!"
Robert and Snow moved as a unit, leaping across the frost-slicked platforms with careful precision. Stray blasts singed the air, and Robert summoned barriers of Light and Earth, their golden glow flaring briefly to deflect the onslaught. Snow countered the frost orb's icy tendrils with streams of water, her staff twirling as she disrupted its rhythm with fluid grace.
They reached the first glowing barrier, its surface pulsing with arcane light. Robert channeled his magic, merging Light and Fire into a searing beam that melted through the seal like wax under a flame. Snow's water swirled around them, cooling the air as the barrier dissolved. "One down!" Robert shouted, his voice cutting through the din. "Two more to go!"
Hamish danced a chaotic waltz with the orbs, his shield scarred with scorch marks and crackling with residual lightning. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?" he roared, his tone mocking as he deflected another blast. "I'VE SEEN SPICIER COALS IN A FROZEN-DEAD FORGE! C'MON THEN, YA BLINKIN' ROCK CANDY!" The orbs fixated on him, their attacks a relentless storm, giving Robert and Snow the opening they needed.
As the final seal shattered, the room quaked, and the orbs halted midair, their glow dimming before they burst into motes of light that drifted like embers. Hamish lowered his shield, chest heaving, but his grin was wild and unbroken. "HA! That'll teach the lot of you to mess with Hamish MacFarlan! Who's next, eh? I'm just warming up!"
Snow hurried over, her expression torn between exasperation and relief. "You're impossible, Hamish. But thank you... I mean it."
Hamish winked, leaning on his sword with a roguish tilt. "Ach, don't worry about me, lass. You just keep your magic ready for the next round. I'll handle the daft buggers."
Robert joined them, clapping Hamish on the shoulder with a wry smile. "You're insane, you know that?"
"Aye," Hamish replied, his toothy grin flashing in the dim light, "but it works, does it not?"
Robert chuckled, glancing at the newly opened pathway deeper into the dungeon. "Come on, you two. Let's see what else this place has in store for us. And Hamish... maybe tone down the insults."
"Not a chance," Hamish laughed, his voice booming with defiance. "These bloody rockheads deserve every word. Now, lead the way, boss."
The chamber beyond stretched into a cavernous expanse, its walls aglow with countless crystals that cast shifting shadows. No immediate threat loomed, only a stillness that prickled the skin. As the trio entered, the dungeon core's voice rolled through the air, calm yet unyielding.
"Welcome to the Trial of Unity. This challenge will not test your strength or magic but your trust in one another. Only through honesty and vulnerability can you proceed."
Hamish frowned, his hand tightening around his broadsword's hilt with a faint creak. "Honesty, eh? Sounds like the kind of trial that'll dig up what you don't want to share."
Snow edged closer to Robert, her voice soft and uncertain. "What does it mean? What are we supposed to do?"
Robert studied the crystalline walls, their glow intensifying as he stepped forward. "I think... it wants us to talk. To confess something. Probably something we wouldn't want the others to know."
The dungeon core's voice returned, firm and measured. "Correct, Master Robert. Each of you holds a secret—a burden that, if left unspoken, could undermine the unity you share. Confess your truths to one another, or remain here indefinitely."
Hamish growled, frustration roughening his tone. "Bloody dungeon... Fine. Let's get this over with. Who's first?"
Robert's mind churned, the weight of the trial settling over him like a shroud. This wasn't a fight. It was a dissection of their bond. But with Hamish and Snow watching him, their eyes steady, he steeled himself. "I'll go first."
He stepped into the center, the crystals' light converging on him. For a moment, he stood silent, the memories he'd buried clawing their way up. His parents' laughter, his sister's teasing grin—all gone in a flash of fire and ruin. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, his voice steady but taut. "My family is gone. All of them." His hands trembled faintly. "Years ago, back when I was just a young man, there was a terrorist attack in my hometown. A group of extremists targeted the university where my parents worked... and the neighborhood where my younger sister and I lived." He paused, his throat constricting. "I wasn't there when it happened. I came home to rubble... to silence. I couldn't save them."
Snow gasped softly, her hand rising to her mouth. Hamish's stoic mask faltered, his brow creasing with quiet concern.
Robert pressed on, his voice cracking like dry wood. "For a long time, I didn't think I'd ever have a family again. I didn't want one... I didn't think I deserved one. But..." He met their gazes, his eyes softening. "You've both reminded me what it feels like to belong. You've become my family. And I don't ever want to lose that."
Silence hung heavy until Snow stepped forward, tears glinting in her eyes. "You're not going to lose us, Robert," she said, her voice firm despite its tremble. "We're here. Always."
Hamish nodded, his gruff tone laced with sincerity. "Aye, lad. Family isn't just blood. We've got your back."
The crystals dimmed slightly, accepting his truth. "Your turn, Hamish," Robert said quietly.
Hamish squared his shoulders, his usual fire dimmed as he stared at the floor. "I killed a man," he began, his voice low and rough. "Not just any man. My commanding officer."
Snow flinched, but Robert held still, listening.
"It was back when I served in the military," Hamish continued, his fists clenching. "We were in a small village... just poor folk, barely scraping by. Our orders were clear: take what we needed and leave no witnesses." His jaw tightened. "I refused. I wasn't going to be part of a massacre. When the commander tried to force me, I... I put him down."
He looked up, his gaze hard but unflinching. "They locked me up for it. Military prison. Spent decades in a cell for doing what was right. By the time they let me out, I was an old man with nothing to his name. Took the first job I could find, diggin' holes and keepin' me head down. That's how I ended up working with you, Robert."
He sighed, his voice softening. The weight of those years, the cold stone walls, the silence—it had nearly broken him. Until Robert's quiet offer of work, and Snow's unexpected warmth, pulled him back. "I thought I was done with people. Thought I'd live out the rest of my days in quiet, digging and drinking... but you changed that. Both of you did. So there's my darkest truth. Do with it what you will."
Snow reached out, her hand resting lightly on his arm. "You did the right thing," she said, her voice steady with conviction. "Even if it cost you everything, you saved those people."
Robert nodded, his tone firm. "You didn't deserve what happened to you, Hamish. And you're not alone anymore."
The crystals glowed, then dimmed as Hamish stepped back, muttering under his breath, "Bloody dungeon, makin' an old man bare his soul."
Snow stepped forward last, her hands trembling as she gripped her staff. "I... I don't know who I am," she whispered, her voice fragile.
Hamish frowned, his brow furrowing. "What d'ye mean, lass?"
"I mean," Snow said, her voice wavering, "I don't know where I came from. My parents... if I even had parents... they left me. Abandoned me in a snowbank outside Kilrain when I was a baby. The villagers found me and took me in, but they always thought I was... different. Like I was some sort of curse or test from the gods."
Tears streamed down her face, her voice breaking. The whispers behind her back, the cautious glances—she'd felt them all her life, a shadow she couldn't escape. "They never treated me badly, but I could feel it. The fear, the uncertainty. They raised me, loved me even, but I was always an outsider. Always... something else. I tried so hard to be useful, to help them, to make them see me as just... me. But no matter what I did, I could never shake the feeling that I didn't belong."
She looked at Robert and Hamish, her eyes pleading. "I'm afraid that someday, you'll see me the same way."
Robert stepped forward, his hand firm on her shoulder. "Snow, you belong with us. You've always belonged."
Hamish nodded, his voice gentle, a rare softness in his gruff demeanor. "Aye, lass. You're one of us. And if any gods have got a problem with that, they can bloody well take it up with me."
Snow laughed shakily, wiping her eyes. "Thank you... both of you."
The crystals flared, their light warm and steady. The dungeon core's voice returned, softer now. "You have passed the Trial of Unity. Your confessions have strengthened your bond, and the path forward is open."
A wall shimmered and dissolved, revealing a deeper passage. Hamish exhaled loudly, his gruffness resurfacing. "Well, that was bloody awful. Next time, I'd rather fight another golem."
Snow giggled, her voice light with relief. "I think we did okay. Maybe honesty isn't so bad."
Robert smiled at them both. "Let's keep moving. If this is what the dungeon considers a warm-up, we'd better stay sharp."
Together, they stepped into the corridor, their bond forged anew.
The chamber was vast and circular, its stone walls gleaming faintly under the dungeon core's ambient glow. Three crystalline targets towered at its center, each ten feet high and pulsing with energy. Red like molten iron, blue like glacial ice, green like a storm's heart. Their hum filled the air, a living thrum.
The dungeon core's voice echoed, steady and calm. "This is the Trial of Might. Each of you must destroy one target. You will have one strike. Fail, and the trial ends here."
Hamish huffed, crossing his arms with a scowl. "One strike, eh? Bloody cryptic as always."
Snow tilted her head, frowning thoughtfully. "It's not about just hitting them, is it? We need to be deliberate. We need to use our strongest abilities."
Robert nodded, his gaze tracing the targets' shimmering surfaces. "Exactly. These things aren't just stone or crystal. They're infused with magic. If we're going to break them in one blow, we need to give it everything we've got."
Hamish grunted, cracking his knuckles with a sharp snap. "Aye, but I can't hit 'em at my best if I'm running on empty. Let's take a moment to gather ourselves... then we'll see what we've got."
They rested briefly. Snow knelt beside Robert, her hands glowing with healing mist that eased the ache in his limbs. Hamish stretched, rolling his shoulders and muttering curses at the targets in guttural Gaelic, his voice a low rumble.
Refreshed, they tapped their crystals, channeling earned M-power. Robert felt his crystal pulse warmly against his chest, a guiding surge that steadied his resolve.
Hamish rose first, gripping his kobold broadsword. His crystal flared, energy coursing into his weapon and limbs. He focused on his Double-Beat technique, the skill sharpening as M-power flowed through it.
Moira's voice whispered in his mind, calm and clear. "Hamish, your skill has reached its peak. You may choose its evolution. Consider carefully."
Three runes glowed before him: Cleave of Fury for sweeping strikes, Piercing Strike for armor-breaking power, Debilitating Blow for crippling effects. Hamish stroked his beard, muttering, "Multiple strikes'd be handy... but I'm not fightin' armies here. The debuff's nice, but I'd rather crush a shield outright. Nothing like splitting some tosser's armor to teach them respect." He chose Piercing Strike, feeling it settle into his bones.
Facing the red target, he growled, "Alright, you great bloody stone bastard... let's see how you like this." With a roar that shook the air, he charged, his broadsword blazing with energy. The first strike slammed into the crystal with an ear-splitting crack, shockwaves rippling through the floor. Without pause, he spun, the second blow slicing clean through. The target erupted in a violent burst of red shards, scattering like embers before fading.
"Ha! Take that, ye glorified boulder!" Hamish barked, triumphant, his grin wide as his crystal pulsed.
Snow stepped up, her eyes locked on the blue target. Her crystal pulsed, energy flooding her mind and mana reserves. She honed her Icicle Spear, feeling its power swell. "Let's see how strong I've become," she murmured, her voice soft but resolute.
Raising her staff, she summoned a massive icicle, its jagged surface shimmering with frost. With a thrust, it hurtled forward, piercing the target's core with a shattering crunch. Ice spread, encasing it in a frigid shell, then exploded into glittering fragments, a cold mist swirling in its wake.
Snow exhaled, a faint smile curving her lips as her crystal glowed. "That wasn't so bad."
Robert approached the green target, its hum taunting him. He'd always been the weakest, the one scrambling to keep up; now he'd prove himself. "I'll show you," he muttered, drawing on Fire and Air. The elements clashed in his hands, buzzing and crackling. "Come on," he urged, forcing them to fuse.
A bolt of electricity sparked to life, wild and jagged. Robert grinned, exhilaration surging. "Lightning. Perfect." He thrust his hands forward, and the bolt streaked forth, striking with a deafening crack. The crystal shattered in a blinding flash, leaving smoldering fragments.
Moira's voice rang with awe. "You have discovered electrical magic, Master Robert. Its applications are vast. Well done."
Robert turned, blowing smoke from his fingertips with a satisfied smile. "Your turns weren't bad either."
"I felt like a Sith Lord. Heh heh!" he chuckled. Snow crinkled her nose, puzzled, while Hamish squinted. "A wha' now? A sick what?" Robert shook his head, amused. "Aw, never mind. We'll have a movie night one of these days."
The dungeon core spoke. "You have passed the Trial of Might. Proceed to the heart of the dungeon, where the final challenge awaits."
A path opened. Hamish hefted his sword, grinning. "Let's hope this core's got something worth all the bloody effort."
Snow chuckled, adjusting her staff. "After all this, I think we've earned it."
Robert nodded, eyes forward. "Let's finish this."