Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 13, 2021 13:02:03 GMT -6
The sphinx watched the dragon observed them.. only to casually stretch, yawn, and curl back into the pile, content as ever to remain there. Well, on the list of new experiences, this was certainly a fresh entry. Which wasn't a complaint, far from it - Any time conflict could be avoided was a good time, and even Ras seemed surprised by the relatively easy turn of events.
"See?" Darky eventually looked to him, "Friends."
The gargoyle looked back, his stony face having a singular chiselled expression that seemed to suggest he was didn't exactly take that at face value, regardless of her confidence in the matter.
However, as things settled, a new kind of thought occurred to her - That pile of stones was far from small. The crystal walls were quite something to dig through, so perhaps the dragon had not simply pushed up from below to form it. And it was unlikely it had spent all too long of a trek up or down the tunnels to bring it all together.
(164) Darky: 164 Ras Dashen: 109 (4/5) / 109 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 13, 2021 13:07:33 GMT -6
So, somewhere along a (probably) close line could be another cave, entrance, tunnel, hole, or anything else that might have allowed it to move in and out of these crystal-lined tunnels. And if that's the case, perhaps there were loose piece of the wall there, since natural patterns underground tended to rely on a bit more directly destructive force to shape new formations than the relatively more gentle weather-affected terraforming the above ground endured.
"Ras, I'll need you to go scout out the tunnel ahead," the suddenly turned, unclipping him from the harness of the cart, "Search the walls and the floor, see if there's any entry or exit." As she explained, images of holes and cavern entrances were flashed along the ribbon line as well. While Ras might have understood the general meaning of the words, he didn't necessarily always comprehend the context, so visual cues helped.
The gargoyle looked to her, clacked his beak once, and began moving forward, zig-zagging along the tunnel floor as his head swivelled back and forth like a scanner. Meanwhile, the sphinx would search the more immediate area.
(165) Darky: 165 Ras Dashen: 110 (0/5) / 110 (0/5)
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Post by Nadia on Oct 15, 2021 3:38:24 GMT -6
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 20, 2021 4:45:40 GMT -6
Whether the clatter disturbed the dragon was anyone's guess, as the emerald familiar didn't seem to pay no mind to them scuttling about. Perhaps later the sphinx could persuade it to move into the mining cart, for it was more sheltered and safe, but until then the space around them became the new scavenging ground. Wisps of mist continued to drift close to the floor and the edges of the tunnel, for even the strong wind couldn't dissipate it from all spaces.
In an odd sort of sense, it almost made her eyeline draw more directly towards said spaces, for if the mist had been dispersed forcefully, then it would have pooled and gather to whatever open space it could. Which.. could have included cracks, holes, fissures, even smaller tunnels.
The flashlight moved alone the wall and ground, trying to spot any distinctive features, while the mammalian called to the gargoyle, "Anything, Ras?"
(166) Darky: 166 Ras Dashen: 110 (1/5) / 110 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 20, 2021 5:31:07 GMT -6
The gargoyle continued to nose around the floor of the cavern, zig-zagging around not dissimilar to a blood hound, if such things existed for gems. There was a lot of things affecting his senses here, no least of which the fact that they were actually walking through a whole tunnel made of crystal. It would have kind of been like walking a bloodhound through the inside of a whale, though perhaps not quite as intense.
Still, his senses picked up something, it just frustrated him that he couldn't pinpoint it. Sense, he replied, head still turning around like a radar, trying to scan as much as he could. Somewhere.. Hidden.. and then a gnash of the beak, as the emotional line flared some as well, Annoying.
"It's alright, keep looking," she assured him, trying to soothe out that spike of irritation, "We're not in a rush and it's probably closer than you think."
(167) Darky: 167 Ras Dashen: 110 (2/5) / 110 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 20, 2021 6:58:45 GMT -6
Or rather, that was the hope. Out of the two of them, the mammalian was certainly the more disadvantaged at seeing things in the dark, and although the refractive nature of the crystal walls made the ambient lighting more enhanced than usual rock walls, it only helped so much. Some might have considered it off, for a feline bloodline to come out of the genetic genepool lacking some ability to see in the dim hours, but given where her people lived it wasn't that big of a stretch. When your world is made up of blinding light in the day and soft haze of darkness under clear moonlit skies in the night, you didn't really need to see through darkness.
Technically, neither did the gargoyle. He could perceive his way through it, but it didn't mean he could see through it. And at that moment, the gargoyle was desperately trying to perceive his way towards where he felt that sensation coming from.
(168) Darky: 168 Ras Dashen: 110 (3/5) / 110 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 20, 2021 7:03:56 GMT -6
While Ras was handling that, the mammalian had a bit more luck on her end. Along the floor, just barely covered in the faint wisps of the fog was a sudden glint of amber. It wasn't too far from the dragon's nest, and given the floor had some scratches and scuffs along it, she figured it might be one of the routes it used to bring everything together into its hoard. So, she picked up the stone and pocketed it for now, following along the marks in the floor to see where they led.
Not surprisingly, it was only a few steps after that another amber came into view from beneath the veil of the fog. Almost like a breadcrumb trail, except the other way around. Rather than leading to a discovery, it's leading away from it.
The sphinx pocketed that as well, when a sudden altered ping sounded at the back of her mind - Ras has found something after all.
(169) Darky: 169 Ras Dashen: 110 (4/5) / 110 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Oct 20, 2021 7:08:48 GMT -6
Somewhere behind her a ruckus of claws against stone and crystal was slowly filling the tunnel. When she turned to look, the gargoyle seems to almost be trying to tear through the floor of the cavern near the opposite wall. Chunks of something, stone or crystal she couldn't tell, were already to either side of him, but Ras kept digging deeper with a single-minded intent.
When she approach, the scene became more evident - The hole wasn't one he had made as such, but looked to be a crack through the crystal surface all the way through to the rock below. The gargoyle had mostly made it wider, though still too small for a humanoid to fit through. Not that they needed to, as he suddenly stopped, and began to shuffle his way back out dragging something softly humming along with it between his beak.
Darky raised the flashlight to him, and in the gargoyle's beak was an iridescent crystal, softly shimmering and humming with power. Oh.. well then!
(170) - (added) Darky: 170 Ras Dashen: 111 (0/5) / 111 (0/5)
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Post by Nadia on Oct 21, 2021 6:07:31 GMT -6
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Nov 2, 2021 7:01:12 GMT -6
With most stones, there wasn't an overt requirement of caution. It helped, certainly, but rocks were still very much just that - minerals with a hardy structure. However when the gargoyle pulled out the iridescent shard, the sphinx had a spike of amazement mixed with cautionary panic. Ras was careful, sometimes. Other times he could be a little reckless or a little too quick to take action, in whatever form that took. So with him having the shard between the beak was rather similar to a nervous vulticus biting down on a crossbow trigger - Too much pressure and a lot of bad things can happen.
So, with slow motions, the sphinx carefully pulled the shard out from between the beak, "Easy does it.. Good job, Ras." Only once it was out did she let out a sigh of relief.
Not done, the gargoyle interjected.
"What?" she blinked at him.
Not done, he repeated again and looked into the dug hole, towards another distant glow..
(171) Darky: 171 Ras Dashen: 111 (1/5) / 111 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Nov 2, 2021 7:05:45 GMT -6
The sphinx leaned in, squinting against the darkness, and especially against the flashlight being refracted back from the multitudes of crystal facets lining the hole walls. Finally, she just flipped it off, and although it bathed their little area in relative darkness, the light from within was much more noticeable - A reddish hue, with hints of orange.
"Another crystal?" Darky quickly looked to the gargoyle. Ras nodded, standing back and sitting down with a degree of pride, like a bloodhound over a job well done. Red, red, his head bobbed in a nod, emotional lines beaming. Probably fire, the sphinx assume, as that was the type she had seen the most down here in the Mines so far. It was also a pertinent clarification, because there were a lot of other things that might glow red and orange down here, most of them actually hot enough to hurt, if touched.
As it was, the crystal might've been fire-aligned, but it wasn't fire-bathed, and so the sphinx leaned her arm and shoulder into the hole to try and reach for it.
(172) Darky: 172 Ras Dashen: 111 (2/5) / 111 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Nov 2, 2021 7:41:22 GMT -6
While the crack was just big enough for her to reach in, it wasn't the most comfortable angle to try and grab it. Her fingers could feel the smooth surface of the shard, but it was lodged tight enough that she needed to find some edge or corner to latch her claws behind and loosen it. A satisfied soft 'crack' sounded from the crevice eventually and she smirked, pulling herself up and her hand out. The smile was quick to turn to some confusion as the mineral in her hand was actually a lot paler than the fire crystal.. and a different colour.
Huh, a crabfire piece. Well, fire enough in style to keep the crystal company, she supposed, even if that's where the similarities ended. Setting it aside, she reached down again, angling to try and get what was (hopefully) the shard itself. Ras was patient enough to watch on the sideline, even if his occasional fidgeting signaled that instinctual need to jump in and help.
(173) Darky: 173 Ras Dashen: 111 (3/5) / 111 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Nov 2, 2021 7:44:51 GMT -6
Sure, the hole was much too narrow for even him to reach where the shard was, but that wouldn't have stopped him from digging it wider. Instead, he would wait.. because there had not been a command, and somewhere at the back of his mind he understood that the organic (for all her squishy nature) was able to handle this. Not well, mind you, but still.
The sphinx struggled for some minutes, until there's a blink and a smiling "Aha!" as she finally pulled herself up, trailing a glowing piece of crystal. Between the prismatic and the fire, their little side of the cavern didn't need all too much more lighting, especially considering the torch wasn't that far away. And, more importantly, the shard seemed unmarred.. When it came to things packed tight with magical energies, it really paid to be careful, lest a scratch or a crack end up causing a magical expulsion of said energy - Usually in the form of an explosion.
(174) Darky: 174 Ras Dashen: 111 (4/5) / 111 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Nov 2, 2021 7:48:55 GMT -6
Breathing our in relief, she looked to Ras with a smile, "Not a bad find at all. I'll take these to the cart, see if you can find anything else lodged here." The gargoyle wasn't waiting for a second invitation, having already suffered through the suppression of backseat mining impulse, and he went to dig at the crack to made it even wider.
Meanwhile, the sphinx got to her feet, carefully balancing the two shards and crabfire on her palm. As far as fortunes went, they had done rather well - The mining cart would be full soon enough, so they can pack their things and go home for the day. Reaching said cart, she took a piece of cloth from it and wrapped each shard into a separate bundle, before depositing it into the cart. A precaution, in case they end up clattering against the other stones. The crabfire fortunately didn't need such severe protection, being a rather hard stone, so it wasn't likely to sport any scratches or marks anytime soon.
(175) Darky: 175 Ras Dashen: 112 (0/5) / 112 (0/5)
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Post by Nadia on Nov 2, 2021 12:54:01 GMT -6
The cavern rumbles and shakes, throwing dirt and small rocks upon you and your pet. The rumbling becomes louder, and the shaking more intense. Bigger rocks start to fall, tumbling down and surrounding you with debris! Before you know it, you’re completely trapped in. Looks like you’re going to have to dig your way out.
[The next 5 posts yield no results.]
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