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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 4:52:43 GMT -6
The cavernous path took them rounding two sharp corners and down a steady decline deeper into the earth. He wasn't sure how far down they were at this point.. Being in the heart of the mountain was equally unnerving and thrilling! What would be lurking just up ahead? There was still so much more to see down here.. Yet part of him was considering making a return trip to the surface to rid of the current haul and perhaps bring a new companion along. Varus was ideal, he supposed. But wouldn't it be fun to play with the kair here? Or even Astaroth. A hum escaped the leopard's throat as he mused on his collection of creatures. So many bonds to forge, so little time. He'd get to it eventually. Every day was an adventure in this place. He was just thankful he felt that he could truly start calling it his home.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 5:00:53 GMT -6
Xentus shook off the thought of going back to the surface and continued on ahead with the gargoyle at his side. The path soon forked, leaving them with a decision to make. To continue forward on to an eerily long passage, or to turn off to the right and descend deeper through the chambers. The man paused at the conjunction, weighing out his feelings about either. And that was when it could feel it. A thrum. A faint pulse of magic that he could've sworn came from the right. After finding that other crystal previously, he'd definitely felt that he'd become more aware of the presence of these things. A sense for magic that was rubbing off on him from the handful of arcane creatures he worked with, no doubt. He closed his eyes and tried his best to pick up on the arcana trail. It was a shot in the dark whether or not it would help him find the source..
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 5:05:48 GMT -6
But he figured he needed practice with this sort of thing anyway. And for a moment, it was like he could see the color of magic wafting through his blinded vision. The man wasn't certain if he were simply imagining it or not but he gave in and believed anyway. There was nobody to judge him for whatever method he saw fit for divining the location of a crystal. Carefully, Xentus began feeling down the mine tunnel, fingertips trailing across the cold stone to help feel out the space around them. The pulse grew stronger gradually.. The gargoyle silently kept up with the warden, seeming curious about what he was up to now. But it could feel it too. The pulse of magic. Its runes almost ached for it to find this and eat it. To absorb this kind of energy was deeply alluring. The question now was who would get to it first?
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 5:13:23 GMT -6
Varus didn't truly want to compete with the warden. The allure of this pulse was akin to taking in the scent of fresh baked cookies. Something that could take over the senses and make one desire nothing but that sweet taste. The stony being contemplated turning toward greed.. But for the sake of earning approval, it would rather guide the warden and perhaps reap rewards. Earning his affection was oddly valuable to the gargoyle. It sauntered alongside the man, hollow eyes trailing the cavern walls for a pressure point. It could sense a good spot.. Here. Both the mammalian and gargoyle stopped at the same spot. This is where the thrum grew the most intense. Xentus opened his eyes and looked over the roughly carved stone, trying to find an entry or weak spot. He kneeled down next to his companion, glancing at the creature for a moment before deciding to put their training to use.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 5:18:21 GMT -6
"Dig, Varus", he told the stony being, eyeing it curiously. It seemed oddly prepared. Excited, even. It knew the magic was here, didn't it? A smile lifted the corners of his lip as the gargoyle quickly sprang to action, scratching into the hard earth. Clever one it was. And attuned to magic? Being crouched down next to the thing here, he got a good look at the carved runes on its body. He didn't consider them much before, but they did seem suspiciously tied to magics. Though he wouldn't be able to tell which. Knowing the hollows on its forehead and chest, perhaps it one held some kind of rock, gem, or even crystal. The man mused over the idea, actually finding it not too farfetched. Something to experiment on at some point, he figured. He'd look into researching the subject if he could find any books or documents on the matter.
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Post by Jack on Mar 16, 2021 6:52:10 GMT -6
A lone fire crystal thrummed in the distance
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 13:55:54 GMT -6
The gargoyle in and of itself was a bit of an enigma to the leopard still. It was stone-like in nature, but clearly quite intelligent.. Much different from the gem dragon. Reserved, quiet, yet had more insight than just an obsession with rare minerals of the earth. What did it like to do in this kind of environment? It had a sense for magic too. The man sat there and pondered this small creature while it worked at the cavern wall. His thoughts brought him no real conclusion aside from the fact he wanted to work with Varus more, to learn it and train it for.. Something. Gem recon was always a fun idea, given the nature of the gargoyle. It didn't have the most dexterous hands, but it could probably take up some crude form of labs sign language. The leopard had been meaning to pick that up for himself at some point.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 14:04:57 GMT -6
He hardly noticed how many things he learned since coming to this place. But, thinking about it.. It had been some time now, hasn't it? Time was passing all too quickly - it still felt like he'd barely settled in. Still, there was plenty to do and see and learn around here. Xentus made a mental note - to learn more! Hah, it was hardly something he had to remind himself of. To learn more and teach better. That would do well for his long-term goal of the season. Just about when the leopard was done musing, the gargoyle's scratching came to a halt. It backed out of its shallow burrow and allowed the warden to take a look within. The man would surely be pleased! Varus clicked its beak and stared at him expectantly, offering nothing to give first hand. A slight change in their operations, but the suspense would make it all the better!
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 14:10:27 GMT -6
Xentus hummed curiously, then silently crawled forward to take a look - torch at the ready. But what he couldn't see within the dark, he could definitely feel. The pulse of magic. And so much stronger now that it went uninterrupted by rock. The shallow burrow held a pocket with a few different collected gems. And two crystals. One shined with a vibrant red - he knew that to be a fire crystal. And the other.. A deep purple that was almost hard to look at. That one was order. Oh and both were truly a delightful sight! His collection of magic minerals was growing splendidly. And, if he remembered correctly.. Well, he had the right number of fire crystals to create a greater node. He'd done some minimal research on the matter, but attaining the power of fire for himself was literally within his reach. An exciting development.. Yet oddly unnerving at the same time.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 14:17:50 GMT -6
The ritual to turn these crystals into a true magic artifact was.. Not one which he was willing to think on for too long. It required a piece of his very own soul. And such an idea was simply beyond his comprehension. He'd need to think more on the matter before committing to it, but knowing he was so very close made it all the more appealing. Despite the danger. For now, he'd simply relish in the moment of coming across a treasure hoard. The bounty was quickly claimed and stowed away. Except for the order crystal. It was one he needed to marvel at for a moment longer. Xentus sat and twirled it around in his hand, showing it off to the gargoyle. "Such a wonderful find, ne, Varus?", he gently muttered to the stone creature. It too seemed to stare at the pulsing crystal, even if it lacked true eyes.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 14:27:18 GMT -6
Varus wanted it. Not to eat, but to absorb. But it respected the warden too much. For as much as it considered snatching the crystal and making off into the dark, it couldn't bring itself to do that. The warden's company was comfortable. It didn't have anything like him in the realm below the earth. The gargoyle clicked its beak in response to the words it didn't understand, then relished in the gentle head-pat the man gave in return. "Good work, dear Varus", he cooed, "This one does not know how yet to reward such efforts, but he will figure something out." Another part of it relaxed, giving into the praise and gentle words. It couldn't betray this kindness. Once the leopard was done marveling at the finds, he stood up and dusted his pants off before looking down the cavern. Anything they found after this point would hardly come to match this.
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Post by Kadin on Mar 16, 2021 16:07:29 GMT -6
A green gleam out of the corner of your eye. Could that be...? Oh, no. It's only a gemstone.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 22:15:33 GMT -6
All that glimmers and gleams is not gold. The leopard was satisfied just having an underground stroll with Varus. This kind of time held much more value than even the magic crystals. He glanced down at the gargoyle for a moment, flashing it a quick smile before setting down the corridor. The path loomed ahead long and dark. And something was eerily chilling. The leopard's smile faded as the caution set in. Their pace slowed and quieted. Something in the back of his mind reminded him that this mine was abandoned for a reason. Old, defunct, possibly haunted. Or unsafe for other reasons. The gargoyle didn't seem to be bothered though. Not even as the floors grew colder and lightly moistened. Or as a groaning wail echoed down from before them. Xentus was almost startled. The only noises he'd heard for the longest time were his own or the gargoyle's. What was it that lurked beyond the dark?
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 22:42:18 GMT -6
The light from the flashlight started to grow dim as its battery strained itself for the remnants of energy within. The beam barely lit anything past about fifteen feet away. And the corridor seemed to stretch on and on.. He wasn't scared, just cautious. If they came face to face with something dangerous, he already had resolved in his mind that he'd grab Varus and run away as quickly as possible. The encounter with the sleeping sarane he had none too long ago was more than enough excitement for the next year or two. After that, he'd much rather cut his losses and take his leave instead of trying to press onward through danger. There was so much more to do in life, to have it end within the depths of an abandoned cavern was not the way he idealized leaving the mortal plane. With that in mind, he wasn't afraid to press forward until a true danger presented itself.
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Post by Xentus on Mar 16, 2021 22:55:02 GMT -6
The two pressed forward, undeterred by the ghastly wail echoing down the cavern. The longer he heard the faint sound, the less it sounded supernatural and the more it sounded like wind or flowing water. Part of him relaxed, though he was still wary about the changes in the mine. The moisture in the air increased and thickened into a light mist and the ground was coated in a very thin layer of water. It was slick and almost slimy underfoot. Given their earlier sightings of flooded rooms, he was expecting this sooner or later. Varus didn't care for the slick ground much, but didn't voice any opposition or discomfort in continuing onward. It silently stalked beside the warden, trusting his decision to go this way. Certainly the man had a plan, right? Or at least some prior experience with ground water. The gargoyle usually tried to stay dry, but a bit of water wasn't going to harm it.
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