They stepped into a corridor whose walls bore intricate patterns of roots and leaves etched into dark stone. The air felt heavier here, dry and tinged with dust, as though the earth itself held its breath. Levara ran a hand along the carvings, brow furrowed. "This must be Earth's domain," she said softly.
Danek knelt, pressed his palm against the floor, and narrowed his eyes. "Solid," he murmured, "but I sense hollow spaces below." He rose, glancing at Krans del Leon. "Could be traps."
Arrix hovered near Krans's shoulder, restless fingers curling in and out of fists. "We handled Wind, we tamed Water," he said. "This might be harder."
Krans gave a calm nod. "No reason to panic. Let's keep the same approach—thoughtful summoning, steady teamwork." He paused at a fork in the corridor. Two passages diverged: one slanting down, the other curving up. Both bore faint greenish light, sourced from tiny glowing lichen.
Levara pursed her lips. "Up or down?"
Without missing a beat, Krans tapped the side of his cheek, thinking aloud. "Down might lead to shifting ground. Up might mean fragile ledges. Which would you prefer to test first?"
Arrix swallowed. "I'd rather stable ground, if it's all the same." But his voice wavered slightly.
Levara rolled her eyes. "Stable? Since when is anything stable here?"
Krans raised a hand, silencing the banter gently. "Let's choose the upward path. Airy vantage might reveal what we face." He moved forward, steps sure and quiet.
They climbed a slight incline. The green light intensified, revealing a cavernous chamber ahead. Roots hung like thick ropes from the ceiling, and pillars of stone jutted at odd angles. In the center, a broad platform of cracked tiles waited. On the far side, they could just glimpse a lever—similar to previous trials—but no water, no breeze, only a hushed stillness.
Danek touched Krans's arm. "Look at those pillars," he said. "Unnatural angles. I suspect movement once we step in."
Arrix's voice lowered, "If the floor cracks, can we summon something to hold us up?"
Krans offered a reassuring smile. "We can summon creatures that cling to stone, or form partial bridges. Remember, we're Summoners—ingenuity is our strength."
Levara folded her arms. "Then lead, del Leon," she said, voice edged but not unkind. "Show us how to handle Earth."
Krans advanced first, boots tapping a loose tile. Nothing happened yet. He beckoned Arrix and Levara to follow on his left, Danek on his right. They spread out slightly to avoid all standing in one spot.
Halfway across the platform, a muffled thud shook the chamber. Dust plumed upward. The stone pillars groaned, and suddenly three large chunks of rock slid free from the walls. They toppled onto the platform, reshaping into hulking silhouettes like stony golems with hollow eyes.
Arrix hissed, stumbling back. Levara cursed under her breath. Danek's jaw tightened. Krans stood firm, lifting a hand. "We face stone guardians," he said calmly. "They must respond to pressure on the floor. Let's see if they can be distracted."
The three golems lumbered forward, heavy limbs scraping tile. They moved slowly but deliberately, forming a loose semicircle around the Summoners.
Levara snarled, "I'll conjure something sharp." She closed her eyes, weaving mana into a sleek panther-like spirit with stone-piercing claws. It emerged beside her, growling silently before sprinting at the nearest golem.
Danek summoned a stout rhino-form creature, all curved horns and thick hide of compressed mana. It pawed at the ground, ready to charge.
Arrix's eyes darted nervously, but he summoned anyway—a swift, snake-like spirit that coiled around his feet, waiting for commands.
Krans waited last, observing. The golems raised heavy fists, ready to smash intruders. Levara's panther lunged, striking sparks off a golem's leg. Danek's rhino rushed another, horns scraping stone chest. The golems grunted low, unhurried by pain, as if testing their adversaries.
Arrix stepped closer to Krans. "They're not falling," he whispered, voice trembling. "Hard as bedrock."
Krans nodded. "Raw force might not break them. We should try cunning." He knelt, pressing a palm to the ground, feeling for hollows as Danek mentioned. "If we weaken the floor beneath them, maybe they'll sink or lose footing."
Levara dodged a heavy swing of a golem's arm. "Hurry," she called, voice strained. Her panther's claws chipped away at stone but didn't do real damage.
Danek's rhino battered its target, but the golem stood firm, cracks minimal. Danek scowled, sweat beading on his brow. Arrix's snake darted in, biting at joints, but the stone was too dense.
Krans exhaled slowly. He shaped mana threads into a mole-like spirit, stout and built for tunneling. This new creature shimmered into being at his feet, then dived into the tiles without disturbing them—phase-summons could pass through solid matter if well-crafted.
Arrix watched, impressed. "Brilliant," he breathed. "You'll collapse the ground under them?"
Krans nodded, eyes half-closed in concentration. He guided the mole-spirit beneath the platform, feeling the tension in the stone. One of the golems advanced on him, heavy footfalls causing small tremors.
Levara's panther darted aside, while Danek's rhino kept ramming, trying to buy time. Sparks flew as horns met stone. Arrix's snake looped around a golem's arm, distracting it.
Krans's mole pushed through layers of earth, creating a cavity beneath the largest golem. He directed the spirit to gnaw at key supports, leaving hollow pockets. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he retracted the mole and whispered to the others, "Pull them this way!"
Levara understood at once. She guided her panther to taunt the largest golem, swiping at its ankles, then retreating toward Krans. Danek's rhino backed off, forcing that same golem to follow. Arrix's snake hissed at it from the other side, herding it onto a single weakened tile.
With a grinding crack, the tile gave way. The golem pitched forward, half its body sinking into a sudden hole. It struggled, arms flailing, unable to climb out easily.
Emboldened, Danek and Levara repeated the tactic. Arrix smiled, summoning a smaller mole to help widen the trap. Krans directed these subterranean creatures with calm efficiency. Soon, all three golems found themselves caught, pinned, or partially sunken. They flailed but could not move freely.
Breathing hard, Levara wiped sweat from her brow. "They're stuck," she said, astonished. "We didn't break them, but we stopped them."
Danek's rhino vanished with a shimmer as he released the summon. Arrix's snake unwound from a golem's arm and fled. Levara's panther licked spectral paws before fading. Krans's mole scurried back above ground, flicked its ears, and dissolved into sparks.
The path to the lever stood clear. Arrix jogged forward, face lit with relief. He pulled the lever, and the door beyond swung open, stone grinding against stone.
Krans stepped over a fragment of cracked tile, meeting each ally's gaze in turn. "Well done," he said, voice warm. "All of you."
Danek nodded silently, respect shining through his eyes. Levara shook her head, smiling crookedly. "Del Leon, you turn every challenge into a lesson."
Arrix exhaled, shoulders relaxing. "I never thought I'd help bring down stone giants with tunnels."
Krans only shrugged, a modest tilt of his head. "That's what Summoners do—we adapt."
They left the chamber as the golems still thrashed in their stone trap, no longer a threat. Ahead, another passage, lit by steady orange glow, likely the domain of Fire. The trials pressed on, yet they moved as a stronger team now, their summons and wits intertwined.
With quiet confidence, Krans led them forward, never hurrying, never hesitating. Earth had tested their resolve, and they passed, unbroken. Now only Fire remained, and they would face it together.