Caliaphy winked again and allowed the loremaster to take the lead down the long stone hallway leading to the palantir. All seemed normal at first but as the three of them progressed, a female laughter unknown to them echoed throughout the old halls. The voice taunted them, "Three little mice, three little little fools come to thwart me? You shall never reach the palantir. Arbor Haven is MINE!!"

The kurori huffed, "Never say never...you baddie-person-you!"

"Yeah!" Serna shot back defiantly, "Show your face, you mean, nasty baddie, so we can kick your butt and take your name!"

Arlhenwe didn't utter a word as they walked and kept an eye out for danger. The voice was hard to discern due to the echoing yet seemed familiar.

"Who is that?" The Shield Maiden whispered to The Fairy as she readied her Weapon of Power, "I thought we were alone down here."

"This place is designed to test those worthy enough to achieve the goal of finding and activating the palantir, Serna." The loremaster reminded her, "but who or whatever may hinder or help us, other than that I do not know. I am sorry."

"That's okay, you have nothing to be sorry about," Serna confessed as she took the Loremaster's hand reassuringly, "You didn't know there was some mean, nasty baddie creeping around her in the dark with us. We'll find her, take care of her, find the palantir and save Arbor Haven. Okay?"

"Okay!" The kurori exclaimed.

High above them they could hear the sounds of horns sounding all across of the city itself. Arlhenwe closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, "Let us continue, the enemy has come much sooner than anticipated I fear. We must go now!"

"Agreed!" The Shield Maiden replied as she hastened her steps.

The trio made their way through the winding corridor and came up to the first of three trials when Arlhenwe held up her hand. "Watch your step, Serna. Walk where I walk as in walk exactly where I walk and do not step on any other stones."

"No problem," Serna replied as she prepared to walk literally in Arlhenwe's footsteps, "Lead the way and I will follow."

Even Caliaphy followed in the loremaster's footsteps after the shield maiden without saying one word after noticing a series of holes on the walls on both sides of the room. Once across, she breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew! That went rather well, do you think, Serna?"

Arlhenwe nodded, "Agreed. You did well, Serna but our journey is far from over. Come along."