|
Post by Jack on Apr 13, 2019 20:03:15 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:27:00 GMT -6
Renathan made a move for the wall, stepping up next to Sarabi, and he was quite surprised that she didn't manage to attack him or growl at him or even make any noise at all as he stepped up beside her and began to gently move her body out of the way using his own hands. He stared down a the wall for a minute, feeling around with his hand since he couldn't quite see as well as usual due to the darkish light he was seeing in currently, and he was surprised to see a hole. A hole that wasn't quite big enough to enter as it was; but upon further inspection, Renathan could feel the wall open up to much wider on the inside. Huh, that might be worth a shot, he figured! Renathan grabbed his mining tool and got to his feet. He knew that using his trusty pickaxe; this wall was as good as gone!
[26]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:31:31 GMT -6
Renathan made sure that Sarabi had moved back so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt her when he began swinging, and then he took careful aim. His arms were still a bit shakey but he mostly ignored it. He was sure to make the usual good swings at the wall, using the hole for leverage and chipping around it to widen it out, instead of going for the more thick portions of the wall. Renathan was able to widen the hole out significantly, even as the gargoyle was watching intently, stepping gracefully out of the way of a few flying chips. She may not be used to him, but she was used to the mines. With the human doing most of the work, they were able to amass a hoard decently enough, and she got more stones for food this way than by working only. Making this decision to follow a human around had been a hard one.
[27
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:36:12 GMT -6
Renathan was pretty tired, all things considered when he finally got to a stopping point with the wall. It wasn't quite big enough for him or for the gargoyle to get through, but Renathan definitely need a moment to himself to calm his shaking arms down a bit. Renathan grabbed for his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water, downing most of it quickly. He then offered some to the mining familiar; but she seemed completely uninterested. Say, had he ever even seen her drink water before? Renathan always left some out for her, but she never really seemed to run out, even though he refreshed it all the time. Huh, now that was a new thought. Anyway, Renathan finished the water bottle himself, and placed the empty bottle in his backpack with the other filled ones. He knew that if he littered, he'd never be able to forgive himself. Litter hurt wildlife, after all.
[28]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:40:14 GMT -6
Renathan was very tired, still, but he was going to get through this wall if it killed him. Not that it would kill him... Darn, that sent him down a mental rabbit hole in the stance between two breathes about the recent harm that had come to Jack recently. Every time he thought about it he felt a pang of hurt. He felt like somehow, he could have stopped that from happening, maybe. He wished he could have, anyway. He hated the idea of Jack coming to any harm or having undue stress or pain. Renathan was quiet as he finally raised up his pickaxe again, and started on the wall once more. Sarabi was growing more and more impatient, but the hole in the wall was opening up into what was actually a really big mining shaft; perhaps it had accidentally been closed off at one point, or perhaps it had been closed off on purpose?
[29]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:43:26 GMT -6
Renathan knew that areas that had been closed off on purpose were very dangerous, but he hadn't actually seen one yet, and because he'd never seen one before he actually had no idea whether or not it was going to be one of those or not just by checking the wall he was hacking through himself. Renathan watched as the wall finally opened up to nearly wide enough for him and the creature to be able to move into the next room, with his mining cart to boot! However, Renathan's hands were really shaking now, he just didn't have the strength to finish at the moment. He waited, letting his hands get used to the feeling, and moved out of the way of Sarabi. The gargoyle made her way to the hole and began clawing at it herself, the earth just crumbling beneath her claws now that he had made it very thin there.
[30]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:52:20 GMT -6
Renathan had been doing this for such a long time; and each time he came down he mostly just looked for lose gems and spent time with his critters; enjoying the beauty of some of the smaller of the mining shafts, or the ones closer to the ground. He hardly ever ventured down this far, nor did he usually have a mining familiar with him. It was very novel, to have the familiar with him, because she was just as adept at mining as he was, if not better. There was so many thing for him to look at and for, and he wondered vaguely what was beyond this wall that was so important to her. The gargoyle made even quicker work of the wall than he had, finally ripping through it and it was more than large enough for each of them to walk through with the mining cart. Renathan couldn't be happier.
[31]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 20:54:56 GMT -6
Renathan knew that in either direction from this area; the cave tunnels lead up towards the surface, so this must be a rather deep spot, right? He was trying to map out in his head exactly where he had been and where he was going now. He was beginning to figure it out when Sarabi finally moved into the large hole she had just finished making into the wall. Renathan quickly put his mining tools back into the mining cart, and brought the cart, with the light stick attached, into the hole in the wall and into the mining shaft that had been blocked off previously, either by accident or perhaps on purpose. Renathan knew that whatever they found past here would probably be worth it, or at least should be, since that took so much work! His arms were -still- shaking after all, and he usually didn't exert himself as badly as he had!
[32]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:00:36 GMT -6
Renathan noted that this mining shaft was drastically different than the last, with even completely different types of stone making up the walls. Renathan couldn't help but run his hand across it; the leathery palm touching the soft stone. This would come apart like butter, in order to get the stones that may lay beneath. He trusted that Sarabi would know where to stop to find a stone, and he was sure he was right with that. Soon, the gargoyle did indeed stop, which was unusual. The creature stared down a particular spot in the wall and began digging by herself, giving him a bit of a rest, since even she could see his arms were shaking. She didn't know him well, but she knew he was more useful to her when he could do some of the easier work himself. The wall came apart easily beneath her claws, and finally, a single gem fell onto the ground.
[33]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:03:49 GMT -6
This first gem was an obsidian, black as night and with a gorgeous gleam. Renathan bent down, and Sarabi nosed it into his hand. Renathan placed it into a pouch after cleaning it off some using his smaller mining tool sets. When Renathan looked back up from his quick work that wasn't physically exhausting, the gargoyle was just a few feet away, digging at another spot in the soft rock of the wall. Wow; how did all of these gems get here, anyway? Renathan was glad that they were finally starting to get to the good stuff; he had been worried they wouldn't find anything at all. The desire to find Jack at least a few crystals over the next few months was pretty strong; she typically made very strong nodes, so she needed a lot more crystals than most. He didn't really need crystals, himself, but he would do anything to help Jack.
[34]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:06:58 GMT -6
The next gem to come out of the wall was very obviously a smokey quartz. Just like last time, the familiar had dug into the wall using her claws, and perhaps a little bit of that old familiar razzle-dazzle, and managed to draw forth the tiny piece of smokey quartz. Renathan could not imagine using it for the workshop, but he was sure that he would find some use for it, even if it was only to feed his familiars. Renathan once again put his hand down near it and Sarabi nosed the gem into his leathery palm. Renathan placed this one in the pouch as well, after cleaning it up and doing a quick basic cut on it, so that he could see if there were too many imperfections to be usable or not. So far, it seemed fine, with the field-cut on it. Renathan was happy with these two finds, but there were some things he wanted to find moreso.
[35]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:10:23 GMT -6
Renathan vaguely wondered if there were any more gems nearby; since the rocks had thus far relinquished two of them into their grasp. Renathan felt quite lucky for this, but he hoped he would be even more lucky with finding gems before they went home. Renathan was suddenly vaguely worried that whenever it was time to go home, Sarabi wouldn't want to come home adequately. Renathan really loved gems of bright colors, not really the dark ones, or the brownish ones. He preferred his pets to be brownish and really loved the more semi or quasi-natural coats, but when it came to gems he felt like the brighter they were, the better. Renathan was quiet as he looked up, Sarabi was moving forward again, not bothering with the walls anymore for at least a few steps. Renathan pulled the mining cart to come after her. The spoils today were already quite good!
[36]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:14:16 GMT -6
Two gems, so far, and he hoped to get a lot more. Renathan was usually very lucky on these mining trips, and they really weren't very far into this one, after all! Renathan followed the gargoyle a few more steps until she stopped suddenly; nosing the wall curiously on one side before deciding quite obviously that it was the other side that held the gem she could practically feel there. She had been a gem-finding machine when she lived down here by herself, now she felt like she had the chance to do even better; since she wouldn't have to fight off competitors on her own. Usually, just the presence of a person was enough to deter most creatures. That was why she tended to look for gems near the people, back before she came with Renathan, instead of away from the people. It ran competitors off quite well! The wall was like butter beneath her claws.
[37]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:17:39 GMT -6
Renathan watched as the gargoyle began digging into the wall on one side yet again. He was sure that she was about to find another gem, and he hoped it was something good! He just really felt like it wouldn't be a crystal. He didn't know why or how, but he could feel the magic in most places, for whatever reason. He didn't feel like there was one really close... Was that what he had been feeling earlier, that they had passed? He sure hoped not, that would have sucked... Say, he actually had no idea where they really were right now. He usually had the map fairly memorized, but today... Well, perhaps this little shut off area was never discovered before? That was possible. He sure hoped there wasn't a monster of some kind lurking around here! The gargoyle finally draws out whatever gem it was, and Renathan came close, to see what it was.
[38]
|
|
|
Post by Renathan on Apr 13, 2019 21:20:42 GMT -6
Renathan recognized the soapy purple color of them gem that had been brought out of the wall by the gargoyle this time; it was a type of jade that had a milky, purple hue. Renathan didn't really like jade much, but several different people did, and Renathan was sure that he would be able to use it for something, at least. Gemstone workers tended to make quite a bit of money by making gems for other people, of course. Renathan laid his hand down near the gemstone, and the gargoyle once again nosed it into his palm. Yes, this seemed to work for them. She seemed to be learning to trust him quite a bit more too, and it could only get better from here, Renathan reasoned. Renathan cleaned up the stone to the best of his ability in the field, removing much of the carrier stone, before putting it in his pouch. Well, decent haul already, if he did say so himself.
[39]
|
|