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Post by Renathan on Mar 25, 2019 18:33:30 GMT -6
Hidden among the dirt and rocks of this tunnel was a gleaming green metal, easily detectable among the more boring rocks. [81-85]
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Post by Leafy on Mar 25, 2019 19:18:39 GMT -6
Snap stopped suddenly. His ears flicked wildly as he tilted his head, searching for something. Leafy paused to wait for him. He scuffled around the ground, using his front feet to dig a shallow hole in the dirt. It took a few moments before Leafy realized what Snap had spotted. Hidden within the dirt was an ore with a brilliant green hue. She couldn’t identify it precisely, but Leafy knew it was fairly valuable. She waited for Snap to uncover the entirety of the ore before she stepped in to take it from him. The halfbreed’s eyes were gleaming with something that wasn’t quite an emotion.
Koyuki pressed her head close to observe the girl as she placed the ore in her backpack. She tilted her head to get a better look at the interior of the backpack, but the ore was the only thing that was currently inside. She lost interest rather quickly, instead opting to urge the girl to hurry up by stealing the lead from her and pressing onward. Leafy felt uneasy for a second before she accepted the change in dynamic. Koyuki needed experience in the mines, so it made sense to allow her to figure some things out for herself.
(Snap 15 1/5, 20 1/5 | Koyuki 1 4/5, 4 4/5)
86
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Post by Leafy on Mar 25, 2019 20:17:32 GMT -6
Koyuki decided to take a fairly quick pace as she led them through the tunnel. The halfbreed appeared at ease in the darkness despite the fact that she was not a mining familiar. It made sense why Snap liked it down here. His heritage had familiar blood in the line. Snap appeared content to stay close to Leafy while Koyuki went further ahead. Leafy made sure not to let her wander too far, but she knew the halfbreed appreciated independence. It would be a while before she was comfortable working in a team.
“Don’t wander too far now,” Leafy warned.
Koyuki flicked her ear, a signal that Leafy had come to recognize as her acknowledging that the girl had spoken. She wondered if the halfbreed did it on purpose or if it was a subconscious action. Koyuki seemed to be more intelligent than most of her other pets. Leafy thought if she could speak than she would be able to hold a proper conversation. That was mostly speculation though since the girl couldn’t actually hold a conversation with her pet. Snap was also intelligent, but Leafy still felt she was smarter than him. With Koyuki it was more like she was with an equal.
(Snap 15 2/5, 20 2/5 | Koyuki 2, 5)
87
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Post by Leafy on Mar 25, 2019 20:28:26 GMT -6
The tunnel gradually began to narrow the further they descended. It was almost to be expected with the way tunnels worked within the mines. Most of the wider tunnels were well known and well explored. Koyuki was undeterred by the diminishing space. The creature was more on the petite side, so she wouldn’t have to worry as much as Leafy did about fitting in the tunnel. Snap was smaller than both of them so he had even less to worry about. Snap trotted along casually, feeling at home in the tunnel. He appeared to know where he wanted to go. Leafy trusted his judgement.
Koyuki was slightly more hesitant about things, though she was quick to hide her uneasiness. Leafy decided she would help the halfbreed by casually slipping past her to steal the lead once again. Koyuki fell back a bit as the girl passed her, but she seemed more at ease once Leafy was in front of her. Snap stuck close to the side of the tunnel walls, swiping his tail against the dirt as he scanned for signs of gems. Leafy didn’t think there was anything valuable nearby, but it didn’t hurt for the little halfbreed to check.
(Snap 15 3/5, 20 3/5 | Koyuki 2 1/5, 5 1/5)
88
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Post by Leafy on Mar 25, 2019 20:39:20 GMT -6
Leafy was glad she was bundled up in her hoodie as the temperature around them dropped even further. If she could see clearly in the dim light, she was certain her breath would show up as fog. Snap scanned the ceiling for gems, keeping his eyes fixed everywhere but on his feet. Leafy wished she had that much confidence in her ability to navigate uneven terrain. She wouldn’t consider herself particularly clumsy, but she had taken some nasty falls before. She also needed to stay alert in case there was anything weird afoot. It wouldn’t be unusual to come across a haunted mineshaft. There were so many that at least a few of them were bound to be haunted.
Her companions moved a lot like ghosts now that she thought about it. Koyuki never made a sound. Not a single growl or bark. If she could speak, she would choose not to say a word. It was fully possible that she was capable of speech and the girl would never know. The halfbreed was a calming presence. She was attentive when Leafy wasn’t and she could move without alerting an opponent. Snap made noise, but he didn’t speak or anything like that.
(Snap 15 4/5, 20 4/5 | Koyuki 2 2/5, 5 2/5)
89
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Post by Leafy on Mar 25, 2019 20:55:29 GMT -6
Was it possible for it to snow underground? Leafy had heard of ice caves in her storybooks, but she had never seen one in person. She felt that Snap would fair okay in snow and Koyuki was stubborn enough to not let the cold bother her. Leafy was the weak link here. The girl could easily freeze to death if she wasn’t careful.
“If it gets too cold, I might need to turn back and get warmer clothes, but I should be fine for now.”
Snap paid little attention to her. His gaze was fixed firmly on a pile of rocks that lay a few feet in front of them. He moved swiftly across the ground, his small feet kicking up tiny pebbles as he moved. Koyuki hesitated for a moment. She twisted her head around to check to see if the sudden noise had attracted any unwanted attention. Leafy felt confident that she wouldn’t find anything just yet. If something had heard, it would still be far enough away that they could prepare for an attack. Snap began to search through the pile, using his front feet to push aside the dull grey rocks that were commonplace in the tunnel.
(Snap 16, 21 | Koyuki 2 3/5, 5 3/5)
90
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Post by Renathan on Mar 25, 2019 23:09:16 GMT -6
Two minerals of note could be found within that pile; one glinting a deep golden, and the other with a pale pink shimmering dance of color. [86-90]
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Post by Leafy on Mar 26, 2019 17:23:14 GMT -6
It didn’t take Snap long to find some interesting goodies in the rock pile. There were two gems that he easily found and dragged free from the pile. It took Leafy a moment to identify the gems as amber and crabfire. It was a nice find for sure. She placed both gems carefully in her backpack before slinging it carefully back over her shoulders. Koyuki waited patiently while the two of them sorted out gems. She watched casually, trying to make it appear that she was not particularly interested, but she seemed rather interested in the gems. Leafy decided she would let Koyuki have a closer look at the next gem they found.
Snap abandoned the rock pile, deciding that there was nothing more in it. The three of them began to walk along the path once more. The slope began to increase, angling itself to be more like a hill than a standard path. Leafy had to be careful to prevent herself from tripping. Both of her companions were less careful. Being closer to the ground meant they had less of a chance of falling over. The girl was pretty envious of that, but being taller than them offered her advantages as well.
(Snap 16 1/5, 21 1/5 | Koyuki 2 4/5, 5 4/5)
91
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Post by Leafy on Mar 26, 2019 21:37:00 GMT -6
It was difficult to traverse down the slope, but Leafy felt that she was managing okay. Koyuki hung back a bit to ensure that there were no sneak attacks on them. Snap was less cautious, instead wanting to be efficient in finding gems. He needed to find them as fast as possible to ensure that they had a hefty treasure haul at the end. The girl was eager to reach a more stable path, so she was not upset with her pets wanting to move quickly. The tunnel had enough light in it so that they could see a fair distance in front of them.
Leafy allowed herself to relax in the soft glow of light. It made her feel a lot better when she could actually see her hand in front of her face. Koyuki flicked her ears as she listened. Leafy noticed that the halfbreed was always alert, even when there were no signs of danger. Snap trotted along eagerly, his nose resting close to the ground as he searched for gems. Leafy stretched her arms out, trying to ease the stiffness from her muscles. The tunnel itself was serene now that the wind had died down. It would make it easier to hear danger.
(Snap 16 2/5, 21 2/5 | Koyuki 3, 6)
92
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Post by Leafy on Mar 27, 2019 11:24:16 GMT -6
Koyuki leaped over a rock, landing silently over it. Leafy envied the halfbreed’s ability to move so quietly. It would certainly make sneaking around a lot easier. Snap moved just as quick, though he was a little less stealthy. Leafy felt slightly unnerved by her both of their aversion to companionship. She couldn’t even tell if her pets really liked her. She paused for a moment, reaching a hand out close to Koyuki. The halfbreed instinctively shied away. Leafy drew her hand back. She felt slightly discouraged, but she knew that it would take a while before Koyuki actually trusted her.
Snap was more trusting of her, even if he wasn’t very loving. That would be enough for Leafy. The tunnel continued sloping, luckily not steepening further. It just remained one giant, endless hill. Her boots slid over the dirt, sending pebbles skittering to the ground as she moved. The ground was uneven, but Leafy managed to remain upright by balancing herself against the wall. She recognized that there were more rocks mixed in with the dirt now. She needed to step carefully over them. Snap appeared to have a bit of difficulty navigating around them as well. Koyuki appeared comfortable with them.
(Snap 16 3/5, 21 3/5 | Koyuki 3 1/5, 6 1/5)
93
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Post by Leafy on Mar 27, 2019 15:06:26 GMT -6
Leafy glanced up, trying to find anything out of place in the tunnel. The ceiling was sloped and comprised mostly of dirt. It seemed to mimic the path they were walking down. Koyuki flicked her tail, as though trying to indicate something. Leafy couldn’t understand what she was trying to say, or if she was even trying to communicate. She glanced around for a moment, but there was nothing notable nearby. Koyuki turned away from her, giving up on whatever she had been trying to accomplish. Leafy tried to ignore the disappointment in her chest.
“You’ll have to be patient with me here. We haven’t spent enough time together to understand each other,” Leafy murmured.
The trio continued onwards in silence for almost half an hour. Leafy figured they must have been pretty far underground at this point. The tunnel composition changed the further they went. Instead of rocks and dirt, there was more gravel and smooth stone lining the walls. It was almost as if everything had been shaped over the years. It made the tunnel appear like it had been purposely constructed, but Leafy knew that being so far deep meant that they were in untouched territory. It was merely an illusion of human interference.
(Snap 16 4/5, 21 4/5 | Koyuki 3 2/5, 6 2/5)
94
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Post by Leafy on Mar 27, 2019 17:19:56 GMT -6
“There must be lots of monsters down here. They like to sneak up when you’re distracted so everyone needs to keep an eye out,” she commented.
The thought sent a shiver down Leafy’s spine. She took a cautious glance behind her before turning to examine the walls around her. They appeared sturdy, like she could kick the stones and they wouldn’t even budge. She nearly tested that theory, but she figured that if she was wrong, the outcome would be disastrous.
Snap slowed his pace considerably before coming to a complete stop. Leafy and Koyuki followed his lead, both stopping as well. Koyuki flicked her tail back and forth in agitation. She was not one to do things without purpose and she had yet to figure out why they had stopped. Snap lowered his tail as he tried to angle his glowing tail closer to the ground. Had he spotted something of importance in the dirt? Or was it simply a rock that he found interesting? Leafy decided that she would help Snap search for gems. She leaned in close, trying to see if there was anything obvious nearby, but she could only see regular stones. Now she definitely thought Snap was getting distracted by regular rocks.
(Snap 17, 22 | Koyuki 3 3/5, 6 3/5)
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Post by Leafy on Mar 27, 2019 23:09:15 GMT -6
Snap searched the ground for a while, not caring all that much that his search was taking up precious adventuring time. Leafy contemplated whether searching through dull rocks could be considered an adventure in itself. Koyuki seemed to have settled down a bit. She decided that she would use the interruption to rest. Leafy decided she would as well. The ground was uneven so it felt a bit silly to rest on an incline, but it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. She sighed and settled down on the ground, trying her best not to let her pants get too dirty as she sat.
Koyuki settled down close to the girl. Both of them watched as Snap worked to methodically sort the rocks. He lined them up in separate piles. It took Leafy a few minutes to grasp that he was sorting them by colour. Was there a purpose in doing that? The rocks looked like various shades of grey, black and brown to her. Was there any important difference with the rocks? The colours didn’t mean anything to Leafy when they weren’t obvious gemstone colours. Snap seemed determined to sort the rocks in this strange organizational system.
(Snap 17 1/5, 22 1/5 | Koyuki 3 4/5, 6 4/5)
96
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Post by Renathan on Mar 27, 2019 23:43:51 GMT -6
These rocks were hidden among some stones not far away from the party; it would not take too long for a dedicated searched to locate them. [91-95]
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Post by Leafy on Mar 28, 2019 20:42:35 GMT -6
Leafy and Koyuki were forced to wait while Snap continued sorting his pile of rocks. Leafy felt herself growing tired as she watched. A combination of exhaustion and boredom overtook her. She wanted to close her eyes for just a moment while he worked. She had to stop herself from nodding off. Koyuki appeared to be in a meditative like trance as well. It felt like hours had gone by before Snap approached the girl and looked up at her expectantly. Leafy stood up, trying to fully wake herself up. Once the girl was fully awake, Snap lead her back over to his pile of uninteresting rocks.
Leafy rubbed her eyes to clear the sleep that had gathered in them. Koyuki was also paying attention to Snap now. The piles of rocks that Snap had sorted through had grown larger. Leafy scanned over the rock piles, but she couldn’t identify anything as out of place. Snap watched her for a moment before deciding that the girl would never find what he needed her to. It took Leafy a second before she realized that there was a stone pile different from the others. In this pile there were two natural coloured gems.
(Snap 17 2/5, 22 2/5 | Koyuki 4, 7)
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