|
Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 22:39:37 GMT -6
Leafy spotted the crystal, lying almost like a prized treasure on top of a strange, wooden structure. She grabbed it quickly, feeling like a hole within her heart had been filled the moment her skin connected with the smooth surface of the crystal. Faye regarded the object with a sense of wonder. From what she knew, Maluzik had the potential to be magically inclined as well. Creatures couldn't tap into nodes like people could, but Leafy was certain the Maluzik could feel its power all the same. Once Leafy had snapped out of her trance, she put the crystal safely in her backpack. This would be one treasure that wouldn't be leaving her backpack at all. She didn't dare risk anything happening to it. It had both monetary value and emotional significance.
"I promise, I'm doing a lot better now," she told Faye.
The creature seemed unconvinced and she turned to lead Leafy away from here.
(Faye 15 2/5, 20 2/5)
182
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 22:55:03 GMT -6
She inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down. The magical energy was still thrumming in the air, but it seemed duller now. It wasn't calling to her so harshly. Perhaps the fabric of her backpack helped to dull things as well. Faye appeared calmer too now that the crystal was hidden away in her backpack. The Maluzik glanced back, making sure that Leafy was following her as the walked back up the incline. There was nothing left in that area where the gem had been. It was a complete dead end and it would be pointless to continue searching through it. It was clear that the crystal had been the treasure hidden there.
"We'll drop some things off at the buggy and then we'll head to the next area," she told Faye.
The halfbreed blinked in acknowledgement of Leafy's words. It was unlikely that she understood, but she might be able to pick up the odd word or two.
(Faye 15 3/5, 20 3/5)
183
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 23:01:23 GMT -6
They headed back up the incline in silence. There wasn't anymore treasure here, they had already cleared it out. It took them a while, but Leafy knew the path back to the buggy like the back of her hand. She didn't mind having a bit of a rest. It was tiring having to keep her eyes peeled for any signs of treasure. There was also still the danger of bumping into something unsavory. Some wild creatures could be temperamental and difficult to deal with.
"We're almost there. The buggy should be just around the corner," she told Faye.
The Maluzik was busy testing out her echolocation. Even with the light of the flashlight, the creature still seemed to rely on the technique to navigate. It seemed a bit odd to Leafy, but she supposed she would also use echolocation if it came naturally to her. It seemed to be effective for Faye.
(Faye 15 4/5, 20 4/5)
184
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Oct 29, 2019 23:05:37 GMT -6
Leafy could see the buggy just up ahead. Faye followed her swiftly as the two made their way over towards it. The girl felt safer once she was back with her belongings. She didn't have to worry about something horrible happening to her treasures. She removed her backpack, transferring the various gems inside the buggy. She left the crystal in her backpack, not wanting it to leave her sight. When she was done, she picked up the buggy and began to backtrack further. Faye seemed a bit apprehensive at first, but when it became evident that they weren't leaving the mines, she relaxed.
"We'll be traveling for quite a while longer. We still have tons of treasure to find!" Leafy declared.
The Maluzik perked up at the girl's excited tone. The mines were biologically her home and she thrived within them. With a bit more time, she would be a master at finding gems.
(Faye 16, 21)
185
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Oct 30, 2019 6:25:38 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 2, 2020 11:11:15 GMT -6
Sigma was a new acquisition in Leafy’s kennel. He had been a project of sorts, one that was meant to create a versatile mining companion. The end results were beyond anything she could have imagined. Now, she aimed to spend some time with the creature that she had called Sigma. “You should fit right in with the mines. You’ve been engineered for it after all.” One might consider designing a creature to be a mess of ethical issues, but Leafy never dwelled on things like that. The labs had that way of normalizing experiments and dangerous creatures. She wasn’t one to question that. “I hope you’re prepared for the dark and spooky mines,” she joked. “If we’re lucky, maybe there will be some interesting creatures hiding deep within. It’s been a while since I’ve found anything like that.” Sigma was weary of her, but he seemed keen enough to start exploring the mines. (Sigma 0 1/5, 5 1/5) 186
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 2, 2020 15:09:07 GMT -6
Leafy felt at home in the mines. She had spent so much time down here that it was almost as though it had become her habitat. The coolness of the earth, the stillness of the air, everything here felt natural to her. Sigma seemed more relaxed once they were within the first tunnel. They moved slowly, allowing Sigma time to get acclimated to the new environment.
“You’re doing well, but it’ll only get more difficult from here on out,” she remarked.
She had a variety of tools with her as well as the mining buggy. She relied on her tools to carry her treasure for her and the buggy certainly helped a great deal with that. Sigma appeared a bit wary of the buggy. He seemed to be wary of everything to do with her and she hoped that would change as they spent more time together. There was already some loyalty between them, but clearly not enough.
(Sigma 0 2/5, 5 2/5)
187
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 2, 2020 16:51:32 GMT -6
“We’ll be heading in as far as we can go, collecting as much treasure as we can find, and then finding ourselves an exit.”
If things went as she planned, this should be a short trip. She felt confident as she led the buggy through the tunnel. Sigma followed tentatively. He didn’t seem to be skittish, simply wary. If there was something to be concerned about, Leafy felt that he wouldn’t run away. From the little time she’d spent with him, he seemed brave and ready to tackle new challenges.
“Are you comfortable to keep going?” she questioned.
Sigma ignored her, but continued walking forward. Leafy hoped that meant that he was okay with accompanying her. They moved in silence. Leafy felt slightly uncomfortable, but she hoped that as Sigma grew more used to her their relationship would grow.
“You can pick the next tunnel we go down when the path splits,” she told him.
(Sigma 0 3/5, 5 3/5)
188
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 2, 2020 17:50:50 GMT -6
Sigma paid attention to her words but remained mute. Not every pet was capable of speech, so that fact didn’t bother her. It didn’t take long for the path to branch and allow Sigma the opportunity to choose where they went. He contemplated his two options, not rushing to make a decision. It was sort of opposite to how Leafy normally did things, but she didn’t mind.
“Left it is,” she commented when Sigma turned down the left path.
She dragged the buggy along, glad that it was still able to fit through the tunnel. The tunnels themselves were rather sizable. Usually Leafy found herself dealing with smaller spaces, so this was a welcome change of pace. Sigma waited for her, a fact that she was grateful for. It turned out he didn’t completely despise her after all. The two were starting to develop a rhythm of working with one another.
(Sigma 0 4/5, 5 4/5)
189
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 2, 2020 19:36:31 GMT -6
The tunnel extended on for as far as Leafy could see without bending. Usually tunnels twisted, so this was a bit strange. Perhaps it wasn’t a natural tunnel. If they followed it, they might find what its purpose was.
“Good choice, Sigma. I approve.”
The straight stretch of tunnel wasn’t particularly exciting, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She kept her eyes open for any strange indentations in the wall that would indicate the hidden presence of gems. Her flashlight was her trusted tool to guide her through the darkness. However, Sigma’s bioluminescence could lead the way as well. It would be more reliable than a flashlight considering it didn’t run on batteries. And hopefully, it wasn’t possible to break it. The further they walked the more comfortable Sigma grew with being underground. It was interesting to her that a creature could be designed as a mining familiar without having been born underground.
(Sigma 1, 6)
190
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Feb 2, 2020 22:54:11 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 17, 2020 19:53:39 GMT -6
Sigma and her both reacted to the powerful presence of magic. Leafy wasn’t sure if Sigma had the same inate knowledge of magic crystals that she did, or if he was simply attuned to the presence of gems. The tunnel that Sigma had chosen turned out to be full of treasure and they had only just entered it. It didn’t take her long to follow the pull of magic until she came across the crystal that was emitting the thrum.
“Looks like there’s a nice cache of gems here!” she exclaimed.
The cluster of gems was easy to pick up and put away. Finding treasure always made her feel confident and it ensured that their journey was filled with good luck.
“Something felt a little strange about that crystal. I know magic has some weird properties, but that one felt even stranger than normal,” she muttered.
Perhaps she had eaten something weird and that was where the feeling was coming from.
(Sigma 1 1/5, 6 1/5)
191
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 17, 2020 20:05:18 GMT -6
She shook her head, trying to clear the fogginess from the magic. She and Sigma moved forward through the tunnel. Leafy hoped that getting further away from where she found the crystal would help steady her head. She tucked the crystal away in the buggy, not wanting to keep it on her person.
“Well that was a good find. Let’s try and find some more gems!” she exclaimed.
She had recently sold off a large portion of her gem collection and she was looking to replenish it. Of course with gem workshop closed, she would likely continue to sell the treasure that she found. There wasn’t much issue in that though. If she ended up selling something she needed later, then she could take another journey into the mines and find more. Sigma moved in front of her, his head held high as he led her forward. Leafy admired that confidence.
(Sigma 1 2/5, 6 2/5)
192
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 17, 2020 20:19:23 GMT -6
Sigma and her fell into a steady rhythm of walking. The trick was to choose a pace that wasn’t too quick that they would tire out, but quick enough to make decent progress. Sigma seemed to naturally pick up on this and Leafy felt that he was the first of her familiars to accomplish this.
“This bodes well for our future journey,” she told him.
The terrain underneath slowly began to grow structured in such a way that it appeared to be manmade. If Leafy had to guess, she would assume they were entering one of the man-made mineshafts. There wasn’t much worry that an old mineshaft wouldn’t yield gems. In the mines, mining familiars ran rampant and they were both good at finding gems and quick to hoard them. That ensured that the treasures within were constantly circulating around the entirety of the underground areas. Gems didn’t remain static for long.
(Sigma 1 3/5, 6 3/5)
193
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Feb 17, 2020 20:43:46 GMT -6
“At least the buggy should be able to fit down here.”
That was the good thing about following a built structure. The more built area of the mineshaft might be long picked over, but it would allow them to traverse to more secluded areas with ease. And if they were lucky, a wayward creature might have left some treasure stashed along the way. Sigma walked with purpose. He was acclimating well to the mines, having no issue traversing across the difficult terrain. Rakai were said to be similar and Leafy assumed he inherited that from Kieran. It was interesting to see which traits were acquired from which DNA parent. She was fond of halfbreed and crossing with mining familiars was a particular favourite.
“If we head further in, we should come across some good things. Keep an eye out for shiny objects or signs of other creatures.” Her speech was mostly to assure herself.
(Sigma 1 4/5, 6 4/5)
194
|
|