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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 9:25:23 GMT -6
Well, there was no quiet way to go about this. With a sigh, he gave up on this whole caution and steal thing. If something was nearby, it would likely already know of their presence. Tunneling creatures of all sorts had a feel for the earth and its vibrations. The entirety of his party passing through was a disturbance that would've been sensed long ago. Convincing himself that it was a meaningless effort was a little difficult, but he had to give in if he wanted to dig out this gleaming stone from the wall. A few taps with the metal-headed tool pinged through the air as he tested the hardness of the cave walls. The grey-brown mineral was fairly soft, chipping easily under the test taps. Limestone. Admittedly, he was a little surprised at the discovery, considering he hadn't given much thought to what kind of cave he'd even fallen into. But this was valuable information. It explained the water flowing through and the lumpy surface. He opted to switch to a mallet and chisel combination for this task, as the pick would be too harsh. He didn't want to damage the stone embedded there. Meanwhile, the golems were completely silent, looking out into the murk with no real clue what was out there..
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 9:32:04 GMT -6
The leopard continued his excavation operation, gently tapping the swapped instruments against the wall. Each click chipped away little bits of the surrounding rock and exposed more of the shiny gem.. Which was a nice soft green in color. He wasn't much a fan of green, but that would make it easier to give up the gem if it was found to be valuable. Despite loving nature and all she had to offer, green simply didn't suit him on a superficial level. By the looks of it, this uncovered gem was probably something like jade or jasper. Identifying the different kinds of minerals that lurked in the earth was still an ability that he didn't have mastered yet, but he was getting better at it with all the research into the stones he'd uncovered from his previous few trips. He actually already had found jasper before, of the yellow variety. But that stone was quite versatile in its colors, ranging from red, to yellow, and green. Red jasper was the most common as far as he knew. And jasper in general was pretty mundane. Someone would want it, he was sure. There was always a market for pretty rocks. A careful glance over to the golems revealed.. That they were still simply standing there, watching his back.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 11:07:21 GMT -6
As long as they didn't manage to fall asleep, he was fine about them being a pair of stalagmite among the others. The fact that they hadn't found something new to click at was almost concerning. But then again, they weren't on the move either. Nothing new to see, nothing new to report. Xentus turned his focus back to the trapped gem, carefully chipping the surrounding stone away until it was free. His work was delicate, so to not damage the stone in the process. The already somewhat worthless gem wouldn't be any good if he cracked it. A sentiment that went the same for any precious mineral, really. Everyone knew that the most prized stones were the ones that were without any imperfection. To preserve whatever value the jasper had, he'd need to extract it with a careful touch. With every tap of the mallet and chisel, bits of limestone flaked off the wall and onto the wet ground. The gemmorn seemed more interested in the fallen bits of limestone more than anything else at the moment, nipping them like a fish would to fish flakes. The leopard was amused by this little creature. Perhaps it wasn't as much of a nuisance as he thought it would be.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 11:15:24 GMT -6
A few more taps and finally, the jasper was mostly exposed to the open air. The green glimmer was rather nice. It still wasn't completely freed, but a few more well-placed taps would fix that. He wasn't sure how long he took to reach this point, but given that he had little practice with this, he accepted slow progress as progress. Only time and experience would help him excavate any faster. Without having Gid here to do this for him, he'd need to learn how to be self-reliant whether he liked it or not. And he rather didn't like it. The gem dragon was quick in things like this, it only needed him to be quicker so that it didn't eat whatever it happened to find. On the bright side, without it here, he didn't need to worry about something snacking on anything precious. The golems were less than interested in such a thing; they were more like filter feeders, passively taking in their element. Maybe this new little gemmorn friend would give it a try. It didn't look like he would end up being a problem, but the leopard made note to keep an eye on it just in case..
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 11:32:16 GMT -6
With a few more well-placed taps, the jasper stone was free. The leopard examined it more closely under the light, gazing into mottled surface to assess its quality. It looked nice enough. Still not something he would keep for himself, but it would sell for a few credits with hope. The stone and his tools were stashed away into his pack, mission now accomplished. The leopard straightened himself and stretched. The rest of the caverns awaited. The golems seemed to notice his increased activity and turned their attention back to him, having performed their job with vigor. A smile was their praise, fulfilling them with a sense of purpose.
"This one thanks the both of you", he quietly muttered to them, "Let us be going then." And with that, it was time to set off yet again. Xentus shined the flashlight beam further down into the cavern once more, assessing the travel plan. The floor seemed to gradually slope downward, it seemed.. He couldn't really tell. There was a bend in the tunnel that kept him from peering down all too far, but he had a strange feeling about whatever might be lurking beyond that bend. Maybe it simply was his unending suspicion of something lurking down there, waiting..
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 11:48:23 GMT -6
The trio and tiny beast set off. The leopard did his best to lead them along the most shallow end of the cavern river, but it was beginning to swell - reaching up to his ankles at minimum. Still not a problem for Xentus. He wouldn't even mind too much if he had to swim or dive normally. But given that he had two (technically three?) creatures in his midst, he was hesitant about such an idea. The golems definitely couldn't swim as they were now, and they certainly would attempt to follow him through the water if he went in deeper. He wasn't even sure if they could hold their breath. Or.. Did they even breathe? The man shot the waddling creatures a quick glance in an attempt to assess this. And he honestly couldn't tell. But he did have the feeling that they could possibly suffocate, especially considering the need for their specific element. Fire might not be extinguished from water, but it didn't enjoy getting splashed either. Even the water elemental wasn't exactly designed to be completely drowned in water. His seemed to enjoy a drizzle or half soak over total coverage. Sure, they would survive being completely immersed, but there was a sweet spot of the amount of liquid that they preferred.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 11:55:03 GMT -6
The leopard was snapped out of his mulling from a deep rumbling noise coming from further within the cavern. The noise rumbled and echoed, bouncing along the walls and seeming like it came from all directions. The ground gently shook, particles of rock and dust falling from the craggy ceiling. The intensity was mild, feeling more like someone blasting bass than an actual earth tremor, but the event was alarming all the same. There was no place to take cover or hide. He didn't even know what this was! The beam of light shining from his torch waved frantically trying to find some answer or clue from the environment. The golems began clicking their heads, alarmed by the deep rumble. It was like the cave was grumbling. Or something in the cave was grumbling? Oh, he really hoped it wan't the latter.
And after a few long seconds of this deep rumble, it quieted.. Xentus carefully continued looking around for some kind of change, but there wasn't anything different that he could spot along these grey-brown walls. He gave it a few more moments of silence and stillness, just to be sure there wasn't anything that was going to change its mind about suddenly showing up..
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:13:30 GMT -6
As far as he could tell, the sudden deep rumble wasn't anything to be concerned of.. Just movement of the earth, he assured himself. The ground that they walked upon was alive, in its own way. It might not be a biologically living being, but it still breathed, moved, and swelled. That was enough for him to call the earth alive. Kind of like the golems with him. Ah, they needed to get going before his mind started to get thinking on whether or not the planet was just a really, really big elemental golem.
The leopard steeled himself and beckoned for his golems to follow as he decided to continue down into the wet, winding caverns. There wasn't much that changed in as far as of scenery went. The limestone was bumpy yet smoothed, with plenty of protruding stalactites poking down from the ceiling. He did notice that as they ventured deeper, the ceiling seemed to close down on them. The tunnel itself stayed about the same width, thankfully. He wasn't claustrophobic, but he wasn't a fan of squeezing through tight spaces. Soon, the tunnel came to a crossroad of sorts. A side passage opened up, revealing more tunneling earth.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:21:21 GMT -6
Which path to take.. A beam of light flashed down either path. The one straight ahead seemed like it started to dry out, the ground elevating above the waterline. And to the right, more water. As much as he did want to check out the glimmering waters and where they might lead, his sensitive nose began to pick up on something.. Rotten. A couple of alerted, tentative sniffs of the air pointed him to this path.. The longer he stayed standing, the stronger the smell became. It took a moment before it clicked. Gas. This was natural gas! The rumble must've been some kind of earthly burp; an escaped pocket of methane bubbling up to the surface and slowly flooding the chamber they were in. This wasn't good - they had to get to higher ground and fast. Methane was denser than air, and would naturally pool in an area deeper in the earth. They'd been traveling down a steady decline up until this point, making their current position all the more dire. "Quickly, we need to move", he warned the golems, glancing over at them. He wasn't sure how they'd be affected by the gas, but he didn't want to stay here and find out.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:27:08 GMT -6
And above all else, he thanked the stars that he hadn't brought a fire golem with him. That would've been potential disaster. Sure, the things didn't emit their element unless they had to, like out of defense or by command, but even the off chance of a fire golem becoming upset was enough to pose a threat. Imagine if it had gotten upset by the rumbling or a random little creature - then letting off an ember. That would certainly be enough to set off a major explosion in these current conditions. The earth golems was an appropriate and much safer choice. He urged them to scamper after him as he began rushing off into the straight path. His footfalls at first kicked up a good deal of water, but as the land began to rise, the water level fell. The two golems trailing after him had a difficult time with the water, which covered up their little legs entirely. But seeing their master in a frantic state set them to reflect that, clattering their head-shells in alarm. Whatever was going on, it bad. That was the extent of their knowledge, more or less oblivious to the danger which this gas posed.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:33:29 GMT -6
The incline of the ground turned into uneven natural stone steps at the leopard rounded the turn carved into the earth. The scent of the gas was still there, stalking after him. They needed to climb, which was going to be a bit difficult with the waddling golems. Looking up the rocky set of stairs, there was level ground about fifteen feet up. The steps were as little as an inch high to a couple of feet high, layered like natural bricks. The formation wasn't going to be easy for the golems. One of them he could carry.. The other would need to wait to be ferried up, there were some parts that it really wouldn't be able to get up on its own. Xentus grit his teeth and grabbed one of the knee-high creatures, his hands almost slipping inside its odd flesh. It wasn't exactly heavy, but getting a good grip on the walker was a somewhat difficult task. It squirmed in his arms, seeming uncertain of what was going on.
"Stay still, now if not the time for play", he warned the thing, hugging it tight. The serious tone seemed to carry his message to it quickly, the gentle flailing ceasing as it became limp in his arms.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:39:47 GMT -6
The other golem seemed to be uncertain of what was going on, but it followed after its master to the best of its abilities, clambering over the uneven rock slabs the best it could. It struggled, finding the height of some of the stairs to be a little more than it could muster. Its inner seed could only watch as the light its master carried began to escape further away, climbing up the steps it couldn't with ease. Still, it tried. It pressed itself against the slabs, all three of its limbs desperately trying to find purchase on the surface.. Getting left behind wasn't the issue here. Guarding its master was the thing that drove its very sense of self. And it very well couldn't guard if it wasn't able to find a way up..
At the top of the rocky face, Xentus found breathing a lot easier. No rotten smell. Safety.. He took in a big breath and exhaled hard, placing down the limp golem in his arms as he did so. The rushing climb winded him a little.. But there was the other golem to get. "Stay here", he looked down at the walker up on the cliff with him, sternly directing it not move.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 14:58:18 GMT -6
The last thing he would want is for this walker to try to follow him back down, take a tumble, then need to get carried back up again. Knowing these beings, that was most certainly going to happen if he didn't voice his need for it to stay put. Their drive to be near him was a little cumbersome at times. This was one of such times. The earth golem did a single clap with its segmented head parts, seeming to indicate an affirmative for it to stay there. Maybe. Oh again, it was hard to tell what any form of communication these creatures had meant. But he took it as an 'okay'. It had to be an okay. Otherwise he was going to have a headache, and not from methane inhalation.
Tentatively, the leopard crept back to the edge of the rocky stairs, keeping his light on the golem to make sure that it wasn't going to move. And it seemed to stay.. An ear flicked to the sound of stone on stone clanking down steps, adding urgency for him to retrieve his other walker. It must've taken a fall trying to reach him. He could feel his heart twist for the poor little thing.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 15:10:35 GMT -6
Carefully, the mammalian made his way back down the stones, using his long tail to keep himself balanced on the uneven surface. A beam of light pointed to the walker who was scrambling to right itself down at the bottom. "Xentus comes, just wait little one", he called to it, a calm yet urgent tone in his voice. It still tried to reach him, but even clambering up the first few natural stones was a great task for it. The mammalian could only admire its vigilance. Soon, he was by its side, and it rushed to meet his touch. This would be very endearing if not for the pressing danger of methane. The scent was even stronger than before, being down here was suffocating.. He grabbed the walker tight and scrambled back up the steps. The creature seemed a bit faint, limp without him needing to ask it to stay still. He took this as a bad sign of its extended exposure to the gas. Once back in some fresh air, it should be fine.. It had to be fine. Even if he couldn't truly lose these creatures as a result of death, even the thought of having one suffer such a traumatic event that it reverted back to a seed was heart wrenching.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 1, 2020 18:52:03 GMT -6
As far as he knew, they didn't retain anything of themselves if they reverted, much in the same fashion when they fused to make a new egg. This was such a bitter sweet concept to him. To raise something, only to have it restart back to its earliest stage of life and regrow, relearn who you are. Like knowing someone with amnesia. Sweet in knowing that they're still there. Bitter in knowing its a different form of what they once were. He wasn't ready to let that happen to this golem, not at this stage. To grow it into something new - it had to fulfill that purpose.
The leopard was a little unsteady on his feet this time going up the series of stone slabs, but he managed to make it up with golem in arms. It was gently placed on the ground next to the other, where it wobbled to stand properly on its feet. With both of them accounted for, he could rest easy. A few deep breaths in, and out. "Feeling well, little ones?", he asked the creatures after calming his quickly beating heart. The golems both looked alright on visual inspection, but then again, he wouldn't really know what to look for if they happened to be ill.
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