With a deep breath, Nina gathers the scattered skulls and pieces of equipment. The task is grim, the weight of the adventurers' final moments heavy in her hands. She carefully cleans the fragmented remains, placing each bone and piece of equipment into a sturdy, leather bag she found amongst the debris. The bag is worn and smells faintly of woodsmoke and sweat, a silent testament, to the journeys of its previous owner. Once the bag is secured, she turns her attention to the larger bones. They are unlike anything she's ever encountered, far exceeding the size of any known beast in the Aethelred Empire.
The bones are thick, dense, and possess an almost unnatural smoothness; there's a strange, almost crystalline quality to their surface, catching the light from her crystal and glowing ball in an eerie fashion. Some of the bones are fused together in strange, impossible angles, hinting at an anatomy defying any earthly creature. Intricate carvings, unlike any natural formation, adorn some of the larger bones. They seem too regular, too precise, to be natural. As she examines a particularly large ribcage, a low growl echoes through the chamber. It's not Rex.
The growl is deeper, more resonant, vibrating in Nina's very bones. The ground trembles again, the tremor more pronounced this time. They crystal in her hand pulses wildly, emitting a harsh, almost painful light. Nina instinctively raises her hands, conjuring a weak protective shield, her breath catching in her throat. A shadow moves at the edge of the light cast by her conjured ball, and a pair of luminous yellow eyes appear in the darkness, reflecting the eerie glow of the crystal. The air crackles with anticipation; a tense silence fills he chamber, broken only by the frantic beat of Nina's hear and the low, guttural growl that seems to emanate from the very depths of the Whisper Wood.
Rex, usually so courageous, whines and presses close to Nina's side, his fur bristling with fear. The creature is still hidden within the shadows, but it is undoubtedly aware of their presence. Its gaze is cold, unyielding. Nina's hand grips the crystal tighter; the feeling of foreboding intensifies. The blue feather, hidden in her bad, sends a faint pulse of warmth, offering a small comfort in the face of overwhelming fear. The encounter promises to be a defining moment in her journey.