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Post by Xentus on Aug 27, 2023 13:53:50 GMT -6
Ultimately, Xentus deemed there might be some kind of unknown trauma between Varus and a gem dragon. The two earth familiars did seem to have a similar niche, being creatures that fed on rocks and gems. With no way for the gargoyle to answer, Xentus pressed no question. "It's alright, Varus. Let's try something different, yes?" The gargoyle seemed to relax slightly, curiosity being stronger than the crisis that gripped its mind. The leopard put away the gem book and pulled some stones from his pack. While they hadn't reviewed all the different kinds that he owned, he could test to see if the gargoyle understood his words at all after this cram session. "Take blue" Varus took a look at the collection of stones, then considered for a moment. It reached for a blue topaz. "That's right! Very good", the man cheered gently, giving the creature another pet on the head. It seemed to chipper up quickly after realizing this seemed to be some kind of test or puzzle.
201 Varus: Foreign Language 2; Common - 9
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Post by Xentus on Aug 27, 2023 14:29:11 GMT -6
"Now, take two yellow"
The difficulty was slightly increased. But the gargoyle had already picked up on this game, and spent only a second before plucking gold and amber from the man's hand. Xentus smiled widely, pleased with what he saw. Perhaps he could challenge the familiar further. "Take hammer" The tool was in the man's pack. Varus hardly needed to review the options that were held out - there clearly was no hammer here. It felt nearly betrayed, clicking its beak its warden. There was an expectant look on his face, though. And then it made sense. The creature sauntered to the backpack and rifled through it. Xentus watched on, amused and proud. And soon, there was a hammer in the creature's hand.
"Excellent, Varus!", the man chimed, "Now then, give Xentus stones and put hammer over there" He pointed to a nook in the rock wall nearby. The complexity of his request increased yet again. But it seemed to pose no trouble for the gargoyle as it returned the gems to its warden and pushed the tool into the nook.
202 Varus: Foreign Language 2; Common - 10 (Done)
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2023 22:00:29 GMT -6
The exercise was somewhat on the elementary side, but it did prove well enough to the leopard that the gargoyle understood what he asked. It was all he could think of to do while crammed in the dark earth, anyway. Varus couldn't talk to him, but it could listen and act accordingly with his words - much more than simply following commands. It was shaping up to be a great partner.
"Varus is well learned, not a challenge at all hm?", Xentus chimed with a pleased grin. The gargoyle seemed to swell pridefully at hearing this praise. It wanted to do more, show more, prove more. Its wings rustled with anticipation and it looked around the tunnels for something to do. Explore once again and find the beauty of the earth? Now that knew it could learn so much more about stones and gems, it wanted to know it all. Xentus was surprised at the sudden energy the familiar had, though he welcomed it.
"Let us venture on!"
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2023 22:10:24 GMT -6
The duo decided to press forward and onward after collecting their things from the small rest site. The forked tunnels before them offered a choice of three paths. The dim lighting of the crystal lantern couldn't illuminate them to their ends - whatever choice was made would be nearly on a whim. Even Varus seemed uncertain of what road might lead to the riches they sought. Xentus took a moment to mull it over, letting the quiet dark speak for itself. Yet, despite what he thought might be silence, he heard sound. Soft quiet wind flowing. The drips of water splashing on the stone floor. The skittering of creatures born from earth.
The choice was hard to make, but ultimately the man began to lead the way down the tunnel with the sound of dripping water. Eroded caverns were the best to explore in his opinion. The tunnels were smoothed, the air was wet, and the gleam of crystals within a pool was beautiful.
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Post by Xentus on Aug 28, 2023 22:16:56 GMT -6
Whether or not the simple sound of water meant they'd encounter any of that was yet to be seen. It was a good indicator if anything, but nothing was guaranteed. The chance itself was all the leopard needed. "This way, Varus" The words were passed along as the warden began to explore the winding tunnel, beckoning the gargoyle to follow along. The familiar clicked its beak and sauntered after the man, seeming to agree with his choice of path. The floor grew colder and wetter with every passing footstep, until soon there was a thin layer of liquid on the surface. It was slick and threatened to throw the man off balance if he misplaced a single step. Varus decided it would be a good time to take to the air to avoid the wet ground altogether. Its wings rustled with the grating sound of rock with every flap. How it could actually get airborne was a mystery the man didn't want to get a headache over.
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 29, 2023 14:43:28 GMT -6
That amber might not be full, but it sure is pretty!
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Post by Xentus on Sept 6, 2023 22:45:49 GMT -6
Xentus didn't mind neither the cold nor the wet of the tunnel. What he did mind was the slimy coating that began to coat every surface. It was slick yet quite adhesive. He could feel it seeping between his toes and lodging between the fine fur above his padding. A shiver snaked down his spine despite his best attempts to ignore the sensation. "Flight is a wise choice...", the man muttered, taking a second to glance at the gargoyle soaring in the air. Another click of the beak - a rather pleased sounding one at that - was the stone familiar's reply. If only he brought his own pair of wings along.. But no, he surely wouldn't need it in a place that doesn't meet the sky. That would be a ridiculous idea. Wings wouldn't save him from a cave-in, he told himself, they would stir up too much dirt and dust.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 6, 2023 22:49:50 GMT -6
Those were thoughts he now regretted ever having. A pair of wings truly would be of use down here, should he find himself faced with an underground cliff or trapped in a hole. But Xentus told himself he'd climb the cliff and dig himself out of the hole. A sigh escaped the leopards lips as he accepted his slimy fate. As long as he treaded carefully and didn't slip, all was well. Getting that stuff on anything more than his fingers and toes would be the worst! He did have to wonder though, what was making it feel so slimy in here? Algae wouldn't survive without sunlight, and mold needed to get nutrients from more than just rock. The water might be nutrient rich enough to support the mold theory, he figured. As much as he wanted to give the liquid a taste, he didn't feel ready to subject himself to whatever might be lurking in said waters, mold or otherwise.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 6, 2023 22:55:41 GMT -6
As the two continued along, the water grew deeper, and deeper still. The ceiling did heighten so that it wasn't too claustrophobic, but the walls did not relent from their tunneled form just yet. The sound of flowing water did become apparent, having grown from the monotonous drips. They were getting somewhere. Where exactly was yet to be revealed. Varus grew nervous about all this water. It flew steadily higher so to maintain a good distance from the liquid, though it did try its best to not stray away from the warden. In a place like this, the man might find himself in trouble, and who else would be there to save him if not itself? Then, its debt would be repaid. Then... It would be free? The gargoyle contemplated the possibility. It was freed from its jail thanks to the leopard. It owed something to him. Servitude? Loyalty? Life? It wasn't sure.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 6, 2023 23:03:28 GMT -6
At the moment, it was plenty satisfied with their current arrangement. The man saved it, cared for it and provided knowledge. In return, it offered gifts of beautiful stones that the man seemed to like. It grew uneasy as it explored what it thought of the relationship it had with the warden. That he was a 'warden'. That it, a 'ward'. Perhaps another form of thinking their relationship was due, given this time they'd spent together. The gargoyle hardly felt bound to the man by any contract. Its primary binding was a sense of debt. A tilted head thoughtfully gazed at Xentus' backside. He was a teacher, a guardian, a warden. All fine words, truly. It wondered, what was it to him? A companion, friend, ward, student..? Child, even, with how he treated it. All fine words as well. Varus settled on the same relationship it had assigned from the beginning. Ward and warden.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 6, 2023 23:12:05 GMT -6
Such a descriptor didn't negate all others. And at this point, it had grown far too accustomed to the idea. Wit that mental quandary settled, the gargoyle flew with a bit more confidence. The water seemed to stop growing once it reached half way up the leopard's shin. He waded through the liquid slowly and cautiously, still fearing the potential of falling in. Drowning wasn't an issue, he had his protective amulet, though he wasn't sure if it also protected against slime inhalation. The normally iron-stomached man was actually repulsed by the idea of getting any of it into his mouth, nose, or, god forbid, lungs. As much as he wanted to hurry and head to higher ground or faster flow, he knew he couldn't. A groan escaped the leopard upon realizing this. Surely he'd reach that faint sound of flowing water soon, right?
"Perhaps Varus could look ahead? Xentus begins to grow weary of this tunnel..."
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Post by Nadia on Sept 7, 2023 6:20:42 GMT -6
Wait! This tunnel has something for you, still.
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Post by Xentus on Dec 6, 2023 23:31:30 GMT -6
The gargoyle clicked its beak and began flying off, taking heed of the warden's request. What it would do once it reached the end of the tunnel was left undecided. Await the man? Turn back and either warn him or accompany him? Run off into the depths, never to be seen again? There were many a decision to be had. The walls of the tunnels gradually tightened, but left enough room for a man to comfortably continue forward. Then some distance after the squeeze, it opened into a small cavern. At its center was a strange large rock, lightly glowing and definitely oozing. Some kind of fungus, though not a mushroom. Water from what seemed to be an underground stream flowed around the base of the gelatinous blob and headed straight down the tunnel Xentus was shuffling through. Varus found itself slightly appalled by the sight. Glowing mushrooms were a fairly common sight down here, but whatever this was made it uneasy.
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Post by Xentus on Dec 6, 2023 23:43:56 GMT -6
A rocky outcropping made for a decent perch for the familiar to land on, high and somewhat dry. Its hollow eyes inspected the orange glob from afar, now able to better see the copious ridges upon its surface. It looked almost like brain coral. And it seemed to gently ungulate. Absolutely appalling, this was the worst choice of tunnel to traverse! The gargoyle clicked to itself and wished for the arrival of its keeper soon. There was a path carved from water they could continue down and get far away from this strange slimy structure. It just needed to wait.
The sound of water sluggishly flowing past filled Varus' mind. The natural white noise seemed to stagnate the passage of time. The minutes stretched on for longer than they should. It felt strange, dizzying. The walls were melting and melding and creeping in place.
The wait felt like it would take forever.
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Post by Xentus on Dec 7, 2023 0:03:26 GMT -6
Varus grew nervous. Anxious. The gentle glow of the brain-shaped fungus felt as if it grew brighter and brighter, until the small room it resided in was well lit as if by a torch. The clattering of a beak now accompanied the sound of slow moving water. The gargoyle weighed two options on its mind. To wait here or to go back and find the warden. Hardly two minutes had passed but they felt like half an hour. This strange fungus was to blame, certainly. Varus shuffled its wings and took flight once again, aiming itself back to the narrow tunnel. But something was wrong. The very air seemed to warp around its wings. It felt no lift. There was only the pull of gravity roping it down toward the watery floor.
Crash.
Xentus perked up, ears panned forward at hearing the distant sound of a large splash into the water.
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