Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:18:00 GMT -6
The reward worth her effort was just a yellowish stone that smelled of what she could best describe 'wood'. And even then only because she had been topside, in the 'human' lands where that was abundant. Down here, in the mountains, it was a rarity, a commodity. And yet its sap was everywhere, washed down from the top of the mountain where an ancient forest once stretched, down to the depths of it.
Garnea regarded it, then just as quickly disregarded it. It wasn't quite what she was looking for. Needed to be more shiny.
The wyrm kept slithering down the narrow, but smooth tunnel, the echoes of pickaxe chewing through stone her background soundtrack. She didn't really have the sense of mind to realize that at some point said soundtrack rather abruptly ended, nor even less sense to hear it be replaced by something else, a scraping and a small clattering.
Her only sense in that moment was when the ground beneath her body shook lightly as something thudded into the stony floor behind her.
(48) Darky: 48 Garnea: 12 (4/5) / 12 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:22:56 GMT -6
The wyrm whisked her head around and hissed on instinct, but quickly ceased when the familiar form of the mammalian was seen slowly picking herself up from the floor, a small groan escaping. The sphinx stood up with a sigh, hit her head in the low ceiling, swore under her breath and proceeded to hunch from thereon, as the crystal torch was tapped into life again. Light filled the smooth tunnel and drew out the very red-bright outline of Garnea only mere feet away.
"There you are.." Darky sighed, inching forwards, "You know, you can't just run off like that. I know this was your home, but there's still going to be dangers lurking here." The light also drew out a bit of yellow on the ground, the amber from before, that the sphinx absently picked up and pocketed into the shoulderbag. The wyrm seemed to give no defense to her actions, simply sitting there and staring back as if none the wiser to what she meant.
"..Nevermind," Darky shook her head with a smirk, "Just as long as you're fine."
(49) Darky: 49 Garnea: 13 (0/5) / 13 (0/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:26:55 GMT -6
With the immediate concern of the wyrm's safety now assured, the sphinx crouched and shone the light around them, taking stock in what actually surrounded them. It was a simple enough tunnel, running from one end to the other. To one side, and a little up, were the small run-off tunnel gaps that she'd seen in the other tunnel, except now they were at the bottom of them, rather than above. The stone was smooth, well-worn by water, but every now and again some piles of rocks were still littering the sides, debris from whatever else had come by here or adjacent tunnels in the past.
And it was cool, sweet spirits on high, the air had a crispness the mammalian had missed. Being of the desert, heat wasn't that big of a deal, but the dampness and moisture intermingled in said heat from the other tunnel was down-right suffocating towards the end. Here, in the run-off, she felt as if she were standing outside in comparison.
After a moment spent soaking it in, her focus returned to the task at hand - to find a way forward (or back).
(50) Darky: 50 Garnea: 13 (1/5) / 13 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:42:18 GMT -6
Now, conundrum was should they keep heading down the tunnel one way or another. The run-offs were all too small to provide any sort of option, except perhaps for Garnea (and the sphinx was seriously considering a leash for her to stop a repeated run-off down one of those that would too small for her to even hammer through). One tunnel end would lead them to double back in the general direction they had been coming from. The other would lead them further in. On the one hand, she knew more or less what was behind them and it hadn't been impressive. Then again, this was a different tunnel and could lead to a different place.
They could also go further, explore the unknown, with a plethora of options and possibilities waiting for them around the corner. But likewise, the deeper they had gone, the warmer it got. While this tunnel remained cool for the most part, there was no telling whether it ended up in or letting out into whatever it was that caused the heat.
After some deliberation, the mammalian finally decided: back it was. They had been down here a while already.
(51) Darky: 51 Garnea: 13 (2/5) / 13 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:46:49 GMT -6
If they were to find anything, it might as well be on their way home. Spirits knew that could take an equal amount of forever anyway, especially if this path were to come to a dead end (tho she sorely hoped not. A trip back through the balmy cavern would have been excruciating). "What do you think, Garnea?" she looked to the wyrm, carefully standing as to not hit the ceiling again, "Up for a stroll home?"
The wyrm didn't asnwer. The wyrm didn't even have the physiological decency to just blink at her like most other creatures did. It was just a hollow stare followed by the smallest of headcocks to the side.
"Close enough," Darky sighed, reaching out and letting the wyrm wrap around her arm. If anything, her tantrums aside, the trip had served to bring them a little closer. She understood the wyrm a little more and tho the wyrm wasn't exactly great at the whole 'learning' and 'information retention', she did seem less enthusiastic about snapping at her. For a creature made of the warrior's stone, that was a blessing in the sphinx's mind.
(52) Darky: 52 Garnea: 13 (3/5) / 13 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:51:02 GMT -6
Wyrm in hand, torch in the other, the duo began to shuffle their way forward.. by starting to go backwards. As low as the ceiling was, the tunnel itself was otherwise fairly wide, cutting through the mountain the same path as its ancient river ancestor had. Because of this, the two quickly discovered that it had a tendency to snake and swerve, gradually ascending in bumps and jumps. This lead the sphinx to assume they were heading to what once had been 'up' river.
Along the way there were more piles and more rubble to be found, though thankfully none seemed to come from the tunnel itself. The width of it made her feel a little more comfortable, but the height was what concerned her for it felt like walking between a very flat vice. Were the cavern to crumble they would have very little time to move and get to safe distance. Indeed, the ceiling might clamp down over her very head without warning.
But for the most part the stone seemed solid and strong, worn smooth rather than cracked or fissured in other ways.
(53) Darky: 53 Garnea: 13 (4/5) / 13 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:54:49 GMT -6
Every now and again the sphinx stopped to kneel down and dig through some of the larger piles of rubble. At least, ones that hadn't been fused together by ancient silt and sediment stone. For the most part it was more rocks and more rubble, nothing worth their fancy or attention. A few more curious colours of stone did catch her eye, but they were more regular rock as opposed to gemstones. So, they kept pushing ahead, carefully scooching their way forward.
Though her cartographical senses were a little disjointed from the tight space, it felt vaguely like the tunnel was veering off to the side from their original pathway down. This at least gave comfort in knowing regardless of where it ended up, it wasn't likely to be that sauna of a cave from earlier.
Then again, it also meant they were going to end up somewhere completely different. The sphinx was trying to keep track of the path as best she could on her map, but as it stood it seemed to kinda just end in nothing discernible on her map.
(54) Darky: 54 Garnea: 14 (0/5) / 14 (0/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 7:58:52 GMT -6
Admittedly they had been pretty far out from the 'known' area on her map to begin with. Now, doubling back, it seemed to head off in even more of that. If she got lucky perhaps it was just her senses being wrong and they would end up in a previously known tunnel. If not, perhaps they would find a completely new entrance into the mountain. And if not even that, well.. At least they knew the path back?
A chunk of time later, the mammalian paused in a piece of the tunnel that was a little wider and a little taller than the rest. Were she to stand, she could almost be upright, with only her head bent forward. Sitting down, she placed Garnea on the ground (confident she wasn't going to cause trouble considering the run-off tunnels had ended a while back) and rubbed her legs. For a mining trip, this was truly turning out to be quite the gymnastics exercise what with the crouching and hunched walking. Feeling something on her hand, her ears perked and she raised it to the center of the tunnel.
The fur on the back of her hand tingled - there was a breeze.
(55) Darky: 55 Garnea: 14 (1/5) / 14 (1/5)
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Post by Jack on Jun 12, 2019 8:52:43 GMT -6
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 10:54:56 GMT -6
A breeze meant wind and wind (usually) meant an exit. Given how sharply the tunnel seemed to climb the last half hour, they may well have been ground level by now, if not beyond it. Thank the spirits.. As eventful as the trip had been so far, the sphinx was ready for a bit of a break, recollect her plans, do some actual work out in town, even though the 'lung may end up protesting, insist she rest. Of course, she could do both - take a stroll around the outskirts while going over future endeavours.
Lowering the hand, the sphinx parked the crystal torch into a firmer pile of rubble and glanced about. This was likely their last shot at scrounging up anything before taking their leave, and the area was filled with a lot of different rubble deposits. Certainly not the biggest cave they had been in, but considering the cramped spaces they spent the last hour crawling through just to get here, it might as well been a luxurious hotel room.
Standing, the sphinx immediately crouched again and gently picked up the wyrm, "Come on, one last bit of work to do." before lowering her onto one of the rubble piles.
(56) Darky: 56 Garnea: 14 (2/5) / 14 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 10:59:24 GMT -6
Garnea's expression, such as it was, seemed impassive at the pile. So, the sphinx shifted her weight and held out her wyrm-coiled hand towards another pile next to it. Much like the first one, it seemed to impress the familiar none, leading the sphinx to wonder if there truly wasn't anything there or if the wyrm was simply just picky. The latter wasn't entirely out of the question, previous escapades considered.
Deciding to try at least a little longer, the mammalian moved around the wider berth of the old river tunnel and gradually held the wyrm out to each of the larger piles, seeking a reaction from her. By and large there was none, though admittedly this was an activity Garnea was a little lost on. It didn't quite occur to her that she was supposed to behave a certain way when detecting certain energies. If they even were energies (the whole 'stone sense' the familiars seemed to share was still a bit of a weird concept for the sphinx to understand).
Finally, in passing her over one of the piles, the familiar's head finally turned and locked onto something there, pulled aside as the hand passed over.
(57) Darky: 57 Garnea: 14 (3/5) / 14 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 11:04:32 GMT -6
"Found something?" the sphinx's ears perked and she carefully set the familiar down. No sooner had she done that when the wyrm sidled her way towards the pile anyway, diving into the rubble and digging around inside. Darky considered helping, digging away some of the loose stone, but thought the risk of an accidental beak snap to be a little too great. Instead, she crouched, waited and watched as the rubble pile roiled this way and that as the wyrm dug her way around inside, seeking something.
It was about a minute later when her head emerged, deep red in the torch's light, but with a chunk of something strangely purple between her beak. The sphinx reached for it, but was immediately forced to withdraw her hand after Garnea gave a very decisive hiss, making it clear this was hers and hers alone. So, left with only to observe from afar, the sphinx tilted herself a little to catch a better view and squinted. It wasn't.. a stone. The sheen was off and the structure was much more robust. Metal, then? Ore?
With a blink, old recollections snatched a thought from forever ago and she realized - aubergine ore.
(58) Darky: 58 Garnea: 14 (4/5) / 14 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 11:09:14 GMT -6
"Good fine, Garnea," Darky smiled, knowing the praise went a little over the wyrm's head, but kept a polite distance with any sort of physical affectionate gesture. The wyrm ended up usually depositing her 'finds' near their things anyway, a pile of her own. If not, having the wyrm remain placated on their way home from the mountain with a piece of ore in her beak was equally a good result. Sooner or later after, she would lose interest and then the ore could be safely recovered.
With that thought seemingly in mind the wyrm slithered out of the rubble and began to drag the metal lump back towards the torch and shoulder bag, as it scraped along the rocks. She was not quite that small but the lump was nearly as big as her head and twice the weight.
Leaving her to it, there was now no method that would get the familiar to search through the other rubble piles, leaving the sphinx to do it on her own. So, with brush and pickaxe she went to sort through the piles Garnea had dismissed or just completely missed, by hand.
(59) Darky: 59 Garnea: 15 (0/5) / 15 (0/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jun 12, 2019 11:14:48 GMT -6
And a good thing too, for it seemed the familiar did in fact have a bit of a picky trait to her - within the very precious pile the wyrm had been passed over, the sphinx uncovered another lump of metal, though this time around it was a much more traditional piece of iron ore. A good solid lump of ore was always good for the craftsmen, even if its purple kin was considered more 'expensive' yet not quite as aesthetically pleasing by some.
Storing that one away, the mammalian proceeded to go through the rest of the piles. To the familiar's credit, the other ones she'd been passed over were indeed empty of anything particularly valuable (though some geologists would certainly have loved to find their way down here), and it was only the rubble piles after, those untouched, that yielded two more stones - a charolite and a moonstone. The latter might be something to trade in favours for with Thal, at some point, but until then, she stored them all and began to pack up. The room had been gone over and been sorted, so with the gear on her back again and Garnea safely in the bag, coiled around her purple ore, the sphinx resumed her ascent.
After a while, the breeze became a sparse gust and gust became rays of light poking through a large crevasse in the mountain side. Beyond lay the sight of the forest around and not far from that, their home.
( Exit Darky and Garnea )
(60) Darky: 60 - (added) Garnea: 15 (1/5) / 15 (1/5)
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Post by Jack on Jun 12, 2019 11:24:55 GMT -6
What a pretty crystal and lapis you've found!
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