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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 20:05:59 GMT -6
If the presence of water increased, they would be quick to turn around to ensure that they didn’t face flooding. She didn’t think Harper would fare well in the water. Could a Karzik even be taught to swim? She was inclined to think not. They were bird insect things and birds typically didn’t fly. For bugs, it depended on the species. Additionally, she couldn’t simply fly above water considering her wing was still injured. Fanged was unsure if it would ever truly be healed. She squinted as they turned around a corner and the wild, glowing moss disappeared. Harper had no issue locating the best areas to hop. Fanged tried her best to copy her, but even still it was difficult to manage. She had decent balance, but not even that could save her from a poorly placed rock. She also needed to avoid the mushrooms, just in case they were harmful.
(Harper 17 3/5, 17 3/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 20:10:55 GMT -6
The temperature dropped considerably and the tunnel filled with a stray gust of wind. Perhaps they were closer to outside than she thought they were. It was difficult to keep track of how deep they were when the tunnels were so disorienting. She had fallen quite a distance, but that didn’t mean there weren’t places outside that were close by.
“Well if we see an exit, there’s no reason not to check it out. But that’s only if we find one,” she smiled down at Harper as she spoke.
An extra gust of wind closely followed the last one and Fanged wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. She wasn’t exactly dressed for chilly weather considering that it was still summer. Fall might be close by, but the calendar was firm that it was still summer. She would cling to that notion until the chilly weather truly set in.
(Harper 17 4/5, 17 4/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 20:14:43 GMT -6
She wasn’t sure if Harper could even get cold. Was that something insects concerned themselves with? She knew birds could get cold, but the Karzik didn’t have any feathers for warmth. It seemed more likely that her bodily systems were more aligned with insects than with birds. Fanged noticed that each breath she took fogged up as the temperature continued to drop. She half expected to see ice as she continued onwards. She kept her eyes focused on her breath, frowning as it remained in the air long after she exhaled. It seemed like a strange effect for sure. It definitely appeared unnatural, though Fanged wouldn’t be able to tell the source of that sort of thing.
“It doesn’t feel like magic. I think I have a bit of sense for that by now,” she muttered. “Maybe the tunnel is colder than I can tell?” She looked down at Harper as her question trailed off.
(Harper 18, 18)
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Post by Jack on Aug 31, 2020 20:20:19 GMT -6
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 21:16:33 GMT -6
Was there an ice cavern down here? Was that the sort of thing that could happen around the labs? The prospect didn’t feel compliant with the warm summer months, but the mines might not follow those same rules.
“Oh, did you find something?” Fanged questioned Harper as the Karzik suddenly stopped.
The Karzik had stopped beside a small pile of gems. She waited patiently for the woman to pick them up and place them safely away in her backpack. She felt better once she had found some treasure and tucked it away. It felt like a real accomplishment. At least the strange temperature didn’t have an impact on their ability to find gems. With the treasures away, Harper began to move forward once more. The wind continued to howl, filling the tunnel with the melancholic noise as it traversed through the area. It was haunting, but strangely beautiful in its tone.
(Harper 18 1/5, 18 1/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 21:20:37 GMT -6
Loose rocks fell from the tunnel walls as the wind struck them. Fanged tensed for a moment before understanding came over her. This tunnel was a lot sturdier than the other one and would not fall so easily. She’d need to be on guard, but not excessively so. Harper appeared unconcerned as small stones rained down from above and struck her body like tiny drops of water. The crash of water echoed in the distance, causing the woman to realize that they were indeed close to a source of water.
“Be careful, we don’t know if this is a river or outside to an ocean or what,” she warned Harper.
The Karzik allowed Fanged to step in front of her. If there was water to be found, Fanged would be the one to take that risk. She would then be able to warn Harper to get away if there was too much around.
(Harper 18 2/5, 18 2/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 21:24:22 GMT -6
Her heartbeat pounded in sync with the sound of rushing water. Harper appeared nervous and stuck close to the woman’s feet. The tunnel they were in remained narrow, ensuring that the body of water they were about to come across wouldn’t be present just yet. She touched a finger to her top pair of ears, testing to see if she could hear anything out of them. They remained silent as always and she tested them further by flicking the right one forward. It moved with an immense amount of effort, but she still managed to move them. Her top ears would always feel foreign to her, but if she could control them somewhat they were a better addition than she first thought.
“Okay, this water sounds like it’s really close so you need to be even more careful than I already need you to be,” she murmured to her Karzik companion.
(Harper 18 3/5, 18 3/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 21:29:47 GMT -6
The temperature in the tunnel remained frigid. She rubbed her palms together to create friction and warm up her hands a bit. She turned the corner and could no longer feel the wind pelting against her back. Harper settled down somewhat, now curious as to what the tunnel had in store for them. Fanged observed ice forming on the rocks underfoot. They were certainly getting closer to some sort of terrain change within the underground. The prospect of an ice cavern was one that was excessively exciting. She could only dream of seeing one in person.
“It’s like the fantasy images in a child’s picture book,” she murmured.
She ran her finger across an icy rock, confirming that the substance was cold to the touch. It was indeed real ice and not some mere illusion. Harper watched closely as Fanged conducted her inspection. She clicked happily when Fanged moved forward again.
(Harper 18 4/5, 18 4/5)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 21:35:16 GMT -6
She accidentally kicked a small pile of rocks and immediately felt bad. She knew sometimes wild critters liked to stack rocks and gems and she hoped she hadn’t destroyed the creation of one of the beings that lived down here. After a brief pause, she leaned down and restacked the rock pile that she had accidentally destroyed. Even if it had been a natural formation, she felt less guilty once she had fixed it.
“Okay, now we can continue on again,” she informed Harper.
The Karzik hadn’t questioned what Fanged had been doing. The woman wondered if Harper had ever created any rock piles of her own when she had lived down here. When Fanged had found her, she’d had a few gems to her name but nothing else. Generously, the Karzik had been fine with Fanged taking them with her. Her heart warmed at Harper’s trust in her.
(Harper 19, 19)
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Post by Fanged on Aug 31, 2020 23:24:01 GMT -6
Her thoughts were interrupted by another gust of wind blowing through the tunnel. With this gust of wind, a few more rocks were shaken lose from the walls and were sent crashing to the ground. Fanged ducked beneath the safety of a steady overhang and waited for the rocks to settle back down. Harper seemed less concerned than she was about the ordeal. Harper chased after a chunk of gravel that broke free and skidded across the length of the tunnel. When she realized it wasn’t a secret gem, she left it alone. Fanged decided to keep a close eye out for any gems to reward the Karzik with. She felt like she had been slacking on that front. Harper had been the one to spot all of their recent finds.
“I promise I’ll do better,” she commented.
She felt a bit guilty at her wandering mind. It prevented her from focusing.
(Harper 19 1/5, 19 1/5)
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Post by Fanged on Sept 1, 2020 0:02:03 GMT -6
She found herself relaxing somewhat once the wind had died down. It was amazing how the sounds of nature could be unnerving. Silence could be just as unnerving, but something about the sound of the wind had gotten to her. Just as she was growing used to the solitude of the tunnel, a small critter darted out in front of them. A large, mouse raised its head in greeting. Harper paid it little attention but Fanged found herself intrigued by the creature. It was seldom that one saw animals of the regular variety around. No doubt it would soon end up as prey for a lab created creature.
The entire process was fascinating to her. The local population of natural critters was mostly decimated. They simply couldn’t compete with the bioengineering that the labs was famous for. Most people welcomed the change, but she wondered if there were those that opposed it.
(Harper 19 2/5, 19 2/5)
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Post by Fanged on Sept 1, 2020 17:20:43 GMT -6
They moved forward again, wariness settling into their bodies. As quickly as it appeared, the mouse disappeared into the safety of the shadows. She felt a little sad to see the mouse go, but they were on an expedition. They couldn’t stick to the same place forever.
“I wonder if we’ll see anything else down here. Statistically, it should be likely for us to run into some more of the locals,” she commented.
Harper clicked in response. A Karzik’s way of communicating might appear simple, but Fanged was slowly starting to figure out what Harper meant when she made noise. It wouldn’t be advanced, but hopefully they could achieve some understanding between the two of them. The Karzik began to pick up the pace. Fanged copied her pace, not wanting them to get separated. She didn’t mind much if Harper wanted to move a little quicker. They still had plenty of mines left to explore.
(Harper 19 3/5, 19 3/5)
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Post by Jack on Sept 1, 2020 20:31:12 GMT -6
The dragon was interested in the person and the Karzik, but tried to stay back so it wouldn't interfere. However, as it edged a little closer, a rock skittered across the tunnel, no doubt alerting them to it's presence.
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Post by Fanged on Sept 1, 2020 22:23:33 GMT -6
Fanged was the first to hear the strange noise scuffling about behind them. Her ears pricked at the sound of a rock skipping across the ground. She had to stop herself from startling. If this was an ambush, she needed to act like she hadn’t heard anything. She snuck a glance behind her, prepared to run away if she needed to. Surprisingly, there was a little green dragonoid lurking in the shadows behind them. It appeared more curious than aggressive and Fanged relaxed considerably. She used her foot to usher Harper out of the way while she went to deal with the creature. From experience, mining familiars didn’t typically have much fondness for each other and she didn’t want the encounter to take a bad turn.
“Hello there little fellow,” she cooed. “What brings you over here?”
The gem creature didn’t have any gems along with it. Was it out here looking for some?
(Harper 19 4/5, 19 4/5)
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Post by Jack on Sept 5, 2020 19:21:49 GMT -6
Hmm, they'd seen it and it didn't know what to do now, so it froze in place and lowered it's head a little, wondering what it could do in order to not be injured by the woman and her Karzik. A low rumbling emanated from it's throat, however, warm and inviting.
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