Within the black tunnels that snaked below the plains, Balon pressed on. His massive body pushing the water created a current of his own, and the occasional sound of his bronze sabatons scraping the rock floor echoed through the reticent depths. Of course, as the giant followed the winding tunnel closer to where he sensed the source of the malevolent aura, he soon caught the attention of some guardians. They things shot through the dark water with both grace and deadly speed. Accustomed to the black depths of his underwater prison, Balon was able to see them clearly enough in the dark. They resembled the eels and tapeworms that had been his only companions for a few centuries, down in the trench that had been his kingdom. Then, the dead eye fell upon them. Their flesh festered and oozed, and soon enough any resemblance was gone.

Another creature, quicker and smarter than the last, managed to dart through the waters without catching the old king's glare. Its tail lashed at one of the giant's feet, only to be deflected by one of the thick slabs of bronze that armored the giant. It was a futile and altogether laughable attempt. However, at the same time, the creature's head found a small gap in the armor of Balon's other root. The runner's blade-like teeth dug into the giant's flesh, soft from years of degenerating in the dark depths of the sea. Virulent blood gushed out of the giant's body, still carrying some of the ancient plague that had been death incarnate. Balon let out a cry of pain that more resembled a deafening roar. Spinning around, the old king attempted to drive his shield, a huge slab of enameled bronze, into the pitiful creature that bit at his heels. The water might cushion the initial blow, but would do nothing to stop the runner being slammed into the side of the tunnel and crushed between the shield and the wall if the runner didn't move fast enough.

As he turned, Balon caught a fleeting glance of what appeared as a woman, suspended in the inky waters. That brief look would be enough to cause searing pain to course through the veins of any normal human, and perhaps even tighten the muscles or cause paralysis. Regardless, Balon thrust the spear he held in his other hand straight towards the abdomen of Enly'air. She too would have to move quickly or face certain death, and the gargantuan spear had a tip large enough to bisect a man, rather than impale him.