Eira watched in horror as the massive stone slab slid back, revealing a gaping hole in the earth. The scent of damp earth and rotting moss wafted up from the depths below, and a chill ran down her spine.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, turning to the man beside her. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a thick beard and a scar running down one cheek, he looked more like a seasoned warrior than a mage. But he had promised to help her find the Shadow Blade, and she had little choice but to trust him.
"It's the only way," he replied, his voice low and gruff. "If we're going to stop the changeling, we need that sword. And the only place to find it is down there."
Eira swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the leather strap of her satchel. "What if we can't find it? What if it's all for nothing?"
The man shook his head. "We'll find it. I've been down here before. I know where to look."
He stepped forward, his boots crunching on the loose gravel at the edge of the hole. Eira hesitated for a moment, then followed him, her heart pounding in her chest.
As they descended into the depths, the air grew colder and the darkness deeper. Eira conjured a faint ball of light to guide them, but even that seemed feeble against the inky blackness.
"How much farther?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Not far," the man replied. "Just keep moving."
They reached the bottom of the shaft, and Eira felt a surge of relief as her feet touched solid ground once more. But that relief turned to horror as they rounded a bend in the tunnel and came face to face with the changeling.
It towered over them, a grotesque combination of human and beast. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and its long, clawed fingers flexed as if eager to tear them apart.
"Stay back," the man warned, his hand reaching for the sword at his hip.
But it was too late. The changeling lunged forward, its mind already reaching out to ensnare them in its web of illusions.
Eira felt a sudden surge of power, a deep well of magic that she had never tapped into before. She raised her hands and shouted a word of power, and a blast of energy shot forth, slamming into the changeling with a force that sent it reeling backwards.
The man drew his sword, and they charged forward, their weapons flashing in the dim light. The changeling fought back with all its strength, its body writhing and twisting as it shifted its form again and again.
But Eira and the man were relentless, their blades striking true. And finally, with a final howl of rage, the changeling slumped to the ground, its body dissolving into mist.
Eira stood panting, her heart racing with the thrill of battle. The man sheathed his sword and turned to her, a grim smile on his face.
"Not bad," he said. "But we've got a long way to go if we're going to stop this thing for good."