They are remarkably strong and vicious kittens.

Then the rats will be swiftly defeated. Those remaining retreat into their holes in the wall. Gren is muttering uncomplimentary things about them.

The twins resume human form and redress. 

Nemo politely investigates the wall during this. Gren is busy cleaning the sword. A couple of those rats had actual blood and guts.

The twins find their sudden distraction odd, but they don't comment.

"Well, let's move on."

The next room contains a seemingly impossible puzzle (pressure switch that unlocks a door only while something's on it, no convenient loose objects) and a lava-centipede-thing that refuses to outright die. It curls up into an indestructible ball for about a minute every time it takes enough punishment.

...Kind of an obvious solution but you have to wonder how they plan that sort of thing.

The twins do enjoy pummeling the thing.

A chance to rest well they have fun with that. All this climbing is exhausting.

But soon, "Hey, put it on the pressure switch and let's go. I think we're almost to the top."

Zeke is getting restless. "What if she fell in the lava?"

"We probably would have noticed something. And she can fly pretty well anyway. And if that is the case then there's nothing we can do about it so we might as well not worry unless we don't find her at the top."

They keep going.

The end of this long outside stairway to the peak contains a big courtyard, two pig monsters... And Medli in a cage!

"Let her out, piggies!"

...Yeah, that's not going to do anything. CHARGE!

The twins can hiss. It is an odd sound coming from a human body.

Neither Gren nor the pig things take particular notice.

The pigs are faster than goblins, and smarter, and that long spear is very dangerous. Gren's shield proves necessary more than once.

(When the fight proves not to be an effortless victory Nemo nails one with a small ball of some kind of powder that seemingly blinds it and makes it choke. Easy pickings after the hit.)

"What's that stuff?" asks Tabby.

(clang thump hiss squeal in the background)

"Ground-up fireweed. Don't get any in your eyes!"

Tabby manages to grab one of the pig things' spears and shoves it through their eyes.

It's an awfully big spear. More like a pike, easily twice as long as she is. But: Poof.

"Oh, you guys came to rescue me!"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"I didn't even know if you could get up here."

"Well, you're being saved now!"

"Yeah, thanks! Oh, I figured out what's making Valoo so angry... But it's not good news."

"What's made him cross?"

"There's some kind of horrible monster in the room just below here, torturing his tail!"