There amidst the glowing stones of magnificent glory above and the darkness of the void below, a pungent odour filled the air. It was one of darkness and rot, sampled by the spilling blood of long dead dwarves. Many of the horrors facing the crystal warriors had been felled one way or another. Some sliced by the animal blades, others crushed by magics of differing types. One particular magic, that of ice cast by Shinsou struck the chests of the lumbering horrors. The gelatinous forms of the creatures within the hulking bodies froze solid, causing the beasts to fall forwards and shatter their insides across the caverns stone floor. The remaining ice shards travelled past the abominations and struck the surface of the lake.

The ice spread out from the points of contact as more of the lumbering horrors emerged from the water’s dark depths. The beasts struggled against the ice to no avail, instead they were encased, partially or fully by the magic. With part of the lake frozen and the numbers of both small and large horrors dwindling it seemed that those that held the crystal blades were at an advantage. This was not so.

The ice heaved upwards as some ungodly power pushed against it. There was a pause, although the stoppage was not heeded by the horrors already out of the lake that continued to lumber after their prey. Crrrrrraaaaaaaakkk the ice sheet burst into the air as a giant tentacle, more than several humans in length, pushed it high into the air. The ice balanced upon the coiled tip of the dark appendage, the glow of the crystals above clearly illuminating the five giant horrors caught within. The tentacle flicked the sheet of ice like it was little more than a pebble towards the crystal warriors. The projectile promised to release the five horrors tombed within once it struck the cavern floor, or indeed those carrying the crystal swords.

Sir Soleil planted his feet and lifted his sword towards the ice projectile. His frame and form radiated confidence.

“Sun’s Brilliance!” he shouted as he had done only minutes before. The blade failed to answer its wielder's call, instead a row of teeth-like spikes burst out from across the length of the blade. The magic the knight had tried to summon had failed, usurped by another that was not his own.

With the ice hurtling towards the warriors the giant tentacle slipped back into the dark waters. With the ice removed a dozen lumbering horrors burst from the water and dragged their twisted forms of tentacles, flesh and bone forward. Long dead, their ghastly forms driven forward by the large peering eyes appearing from within the wounds that had allowed them original access to the dwarves’ bodies. The numbers of dwarves that had disappeared from the halls of the Deep Kingdom numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands.