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Uncertain what she meant, Ryziel took a step back. "It's to help mark your progress. You'll start here and work around. Xilya will be working the other end, and I will be right nearby, at this wall." Ryziel tossed the can over by his things and gestured for her to take off her bag. She did so, and he opened it up to take out the dissolver, a shiny metal gun with a small cylinder-shaped canister affixed to the bottom and top.

"This is what you will be using to find the minerals," Ryziel said, handing the dissolver to her. "Once you get deep enough inside, use the trigger and spray along the wall. The chemical won't hurt you but will start to dissolve the rock. Most of the minerals should just drop out, but if not, you can use a small chisel to weasel it out." Ryziel took out a chisel from his own side bag and handed it to her. Then he took up a metal canister and untwisted the lid. "Once you have the minerals, you will place them in here and close it tight." He gave it to her then stepped closer to the small opening, crouching down. "I will be close by watching you as I work. If you hear anything or see anything beyond where you are working, tell me immediately."

Aly nodded her head and crouched down beside him. She turned on her suit lights then peered inside. She seemed to hesitate before beginning to crawl her way in. Ryziel watched her go, making sure she was able to move inside without issue. For a brief moment, he felt a strong urge to follow her but knew that he couldn't. Instead, he watched her take up a crouched sitting position then turn on the gun and begin to spray the wall beside her.

He watched her for a long moment. When he was satisfied she would be fine, he forced himself away.

***

It was an hour or so into their work when they heard the noises. Ryziel's receptors vibrated, and he knew whatever it was was just beyond the outer wall. He looked to Xilya first, who gave him an icy glance, then he immediately rushed over to where Aly worked.

As he crouched down to look at her, he saw that she had turned deathly still, her eyes wide in the darkness.

"What is that?" she whispered.

Ryziel could make numerous guesses but judging by the shrill screeching, he made his bet on nyghi, large vicious beasts that roamed in small packs. He mentioned this to her, and she seemed to shiver.

"It sounds like...like banshees," Aly said. "Or cats fighting to the death."

Ryziel wasn't sure what any of those were, but he trusted they were things from her world that sounded similar. "They should pass soon. As long as they don't pick up our scent, we should be fine."

This didn't seem to calm her much so Ryziel continued with, "I will be right here. Nothing will get to you."

This worked better. She calmed considerably, even gave him a nervous smile.

"You could probably take one on yourself with no issue I'll bet," she said.

Ryziel met her eyes and was surprised to feel a smile playing on his lips. "One of them? Yes, if I was trapped and had no choice but to fight. But I would prefer to hide if I could."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Besides talons that could shred a man in half? Venom. Painful enough that you would wish you were dead."

A loud shriek rattled the walls nearby, and Aly tensed once again.

"They wouldn't happen to be related to the grex by any chance, would they?" She laughed nervously as she edged her back against the rock behind her. Ryziel studied her closely and could see she was joking for the most part. He could also see she was talking to keep the edge off.

"No, not at all," he replied, wanting to help distract her. "The nyghi are different in every way. I've only seen one once from a distance, but I have heard their shrieks many times. I'd say you'd have to see one for your own eyes to understand, but I would prefer we didn't."

Aly nodded. "They don't happen to just kill someone and leave them lying around, do they?"

Ryziel frowned. "No. They will eat whatever they kill."

Aly closed her eyes and slunk closer to the rock. After several moments, the shrieking died down until it was nothing more than a distant echo far away. Aly took a slow breath and looked back at him.

"Looks like they passed." Ryziel looked back at Xilya and saw she had hunkered down by the cave wall and was now returning to her work. Ryziel turned back to Aly. "It's okay now. Let's just keep going."

***

They finished without another incident. An uncommon occurrence, Aly was told, after so many hours in the Keep.

Once they had filled up their containers with minerals and sealed them tight, Ryziel went on ahead through to the narrow passage beyond to make sure the way back was clear. Once he returned, they packed up and headed out, this time with Xilya taking the lead and Ryziel guarding at the back.

As Aly pushed through the narrow passage and came out to the massive chamber on the other end, she was once again awestruck by the unimaginable size. It was like walking through a giant's hallway or perhaps a god's. As they walked onward toward the door, she swept her gaze across the vast hall and along the pillars and realized she could see farther than her light entailed because there was a grayish blue glow illuminating the very chamber. When she tried to pinpoint the light's source, however, she was unable to grasp its exact location.

She slowed then turned her head back to Ryziel, who was trailing closely behind, and pointed across the way.

"That light, where does it come from?" she whispered.