Had a dream about an inner Earth kind of place, quickly turned into full fantasy.

I was living in Toronto (Canada) for some reason or another, took a trip to Niagara Falls, somehow wound up in a cave system that took me
far below the falls into a large cavern that sunlight was still able to enter somehow, producing a sunset kind of vibe.

Inside the chamber was a mirror lake, the water seemed to be flowing towards the centre instead of away from it, to some kind of
ancient looking stone structure somewhere between a fort and a temple with greenery growing on it.
I remember walking around the outside both thinking and saying aloud how beautiful it was, next thing I knew I was inside of the structure.

I was following this girl that had came out of nowhere while I was looking around, and with no idea where I was let alone how to get home I went with her.
It was a somewhere between her leading me someplace and playful chasing, like it was some kind of game to her or at least amusing.
What started as simple hallways and service tunnels turned into a labyrinthine like system of halls and tunnels, I eventually started seeing creatures
that at first seemed like they could just be animals that had found their way down there, but soon there were clearly unnatural or at least unfamiliar
ones as well until finally I recall full on running to keep up with the girl who I knew was named Liz, while trying to outrun monsters.

She kept getting further and further ahead, when I thought I was going to lose sight of her we entered some kind of chamber that looked a lot like
an old park with a fountain and greenery, there were these things that I wouldn't quite call rivers or streams, but were like small channels carved in the
stonework almost like irrigation. There was an odd sense of peace and beauty to it given what I'd just been through.

I recall seeing what looked like an old spear laying on the floor next to some dried blood, I began thinking aloud "what is this place, what happened here?"
but heard no reply from Liz, when I turned to address her she was gone. I began calling her name, growing more and more worried as the playful feeling
was replaced with concern.

While still calling out her name, a set of large stone doors creaked open to reveal a group of people entering the chamber, they stopped after seeing me.
I was turning to get a better a look at them when they seemed to panic and adopted a "shoot first, ask questions later" approach, with one of them sinking
an arrow in my side. I remember blood and pain, the panic of not knowing where Liz had gone, the surprise of seeing other people, the frantic attempt to speak
to them in hopes of deescalating the situation as two of them approached with weapons.

Once I could see them better, they seemed to be elves rather than humans, dressed in armour and carrying weapons like an adventuring party.
I want to say there were 5 of them? I know one shot me, then two ran up, then a third, and then another who acted at the end.
One of the two who charged had an axe, the other large knives or maybe short swords, the third had a sword and heavier armour, and the two
that hung back seemed to be an archer and someone in robes.

With them not standing down I had little choice in defending myself while frantically trying to tell them to stop, I ended up wounding the two that rushed in
with the spear, the swordsman that seemed to be either calling the shots or at least giving the others instructions then came in and broke the spear.
It was when his sword was partially stabbed in my shoulder that I heard Liz cry out "Stop hurting him, he didn't do anything wrong!", with me desperately
grasping at the guys blade trying to stop it from sinking any further into me.

Much to my own surprise they actually backed off, the one in the robes said some kind of prayer or incantation that enveloped the two I'd wounded
in a light that was somehow both bright yet dim, like sunlight coming in through a window early in the morning, their wounds began to close.
A small creature hopped up onto one of the planters in the garden, it seemed like the source of the voice I'd heard which made no sense at the time.
The swordsman removed their blade and the healer patched me up, the light was warm but not hot, while kneeling on the floor barely conscious I saw
the swordsman pet the head of the creature that seemed very cat like, but with some differences I can't quite describe after waking up.

Once I was able to stand, I hobbled over to where the swordsman and the cat were, I can't recall much of what was said as I was starting to wake up.
But I remember the cat looking at me with a mixture of regret and sadness before I also gave it a tender pat on the head, followed by ear scratches.
I do recall the swordsman having the situation explained to him, and that he called the labyrinth the "Misty Spiral", I felt myself get light headed and faint.

---

After waking up, I could only describe it as a sort of hollow Earth kind of deal, and that Liz was a magical creature that lived in the labyrinth and was known
to the people who explored it, probably in that she would guide lost people to the garden, that honestly seemed like a rest stop in a dungeon in hindsight.
Probably one of the more structured dreams I've had in a while, which is partly why I haven't been writing down dreams, stuff's just been kind of a jumble lately.