Screams echoed through the stone tunnels, rebounding endlessly as the creature's victim was torn apart. Others came, from throughout the underground network, drawn by the young girl's painful screams. Luminescent stones made the blood gleam an odd color.

Lapping up the blood, one of them stopped, spreading his finned ears wide. A tiny clink of stone on stone. He turned just in time to receive an arrow through his skull. More flew from the dark passage, striking targets with a grace that only an elf could muster. The beasts turned to confront this sudden threat, only to be crushed by the massive figure behind them.

A steady stream of pale figures rushed from the passage, fleeing the end that had met so many of their brethren had fallen. A figure stepped from the shadows, his knocked bow held in an easy grip, his long ears tight against his skull. From the other side there emerged a massive figure, grey stone covered his body and his right arm was slowly grating back into the shape of a six-fingered hand.

"Weee weeeerre tooooo laaaate, toooo saaaave theeee girrrll…" The young elf nodded.

"She has gone to the everlasting fields. We should not mourn her death, only the pain that was brought with it." The stone figure nodded its misshapen head.

"Theeeee beeeeeaaaaastsssss aaaarrre grrrrrooooowiiiing moooorrrre nuuuumerooous by the daaaay." He nodded, his pale skin glistening in the strange light.

"Yes Aak, I know. That is what worries me most of all. The Dryads say they see them most every night-"

"Aaaaas dooooo myyyyy wooooooden coooouuusiiiinsssss"

He nodded again, "They breed like rats, an infestation."

"Aaaaaand theeeeey shooooould beeeee haaaaaandlllled aaaas ooooone, stoooommmmped oooouut oooof eeeeexisteeeence."

The elf smiled a sad little smile and the Golem cocked his granite head to the side.

"Wwwwhyyyy doooo yoouuu smmmiiiiile?"

"You remind me of someone."

"Whooooo?" The elf's blonde hair fell into his eyes as, opening his mouth to respond, he was thrown off of his feet by a tremor. The elf glanced at the granite beast once, before they both raced for the exit. Massive stones fell around them as the Golem stopped, slamming his hands to the walls. "Go! I will hold it together as long as I can!" His voice sounded like two stones being bashed harshly together, as it always did when he was stressed or angry, producing a harsh tone that cut off the vowels he usually held. Aphoris nodded as he bolted towards the harsh sunlight. He didn't make it. Aphoris put all strength into one final leap, and was almost completely out, when a massive boulder landed on his foot, crushing it. Aphoris screamed in agony as countless shards of broken bone punched through his skin. The boy desperately tried to drag himself free, but the stone was massive. Blood was flowing like a gentle brook from his ankle, he heard the creaking of massive tree's… and saw nothing but darkness.