The Black Citadel

The winding corridor opens into a hallway, and after some time you see a tall spiral stone staircase in front of you where the corridor ends. Large engraved columns stand ghost like in the hallway in the shadowy flicker of the torches on the wall. The echo of men shouting and the clang of metal becomes louder. As you approach the staircase, you see a huge black hound sniffing the air and leaping down the stairs three at a time. When the hound reaches the bottom and sees you, it freezes and lets out a loud deep growl. Leaping behind the hound is a lightly armored guard holding a throwing spear, and when he sees you and he shouts in a booming voice,

"Intruder! Stay where you are, my spear never misses and neither do my hound's teeth."

The best course of action is…