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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 20:17:44 GMT -6
 Eilonwi Level: 1 Loyalty: 9 Stamina: 3 Strength: 2 Resistance: 1 Dexterity: 4 Mentality: 5 Special Abilities: Empathetic Link, Complex Thought, Opposable Thumbs, Magical Touch, Fly Moves: Bite, Magic Shield, Bathe in Light Jewel - Rabbit's Luck, Feel the Node, Mason (1), Inner Compass         If Jewel had ever had a truly stupid idea, this was it.
Staring at the yawning mouth of the mines, he was reminded of all the reasons why setting foot inside was terribly foolish. Hadn't being trapped in cramped quarters always terrified him to the point of paralysis and hysteria? Wasn't it incredibly likely that he would get lost and end up in that situation in a network of tunnels that he had no previous experience of visiting? Yes, to both of the above. Nonetheless, here he was, with Eilonwi staring at him in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
He expected her to go in there? With him?
"Please, Eilonwi," He'd begged the Felusine to follow him when he'd left the kennel. The tone of his voice was something she'd never heard before, and she didn't like it. "Please just come with me. I won't let anything happen to you."
The unpleasant sound of his words was enough to convince her that she would be better off sticking with him, but faced with the magnitude of the expedition, she wasn't sure she'd made the right choice.
A Sarane nest. Jewel barely understood what a Sarane was; he'd never seen one in person, and had only heard a few tales of their savage natures. Maybe that was a good thing. If he didn't have the knowledge, he didn't have much to feel afraid of, and extra fear was the last thing he needed. The only thing encouraging him to take that first faltering step into the darkness was the thought of a reward, and a shiny one, at that.
(1) |
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 20:29:22 GMT -6
It was a blessing, to have a torch. Jewel kept his satchel of tools slung over his shoulder and held his guiding light out in front of him, as if it might protect him from anything. The tunnel leading down into the belly of the earth was dim, but not overly narrow, yet - his frantic heartbeat slowed with that vague relief. He could manage. The second it became too much, he would turn and head to the surface, and wouldn't worry about the job, no sir--
But he wanted that reward. After his success with the caterpillars, he had taken a liking to getting paid in goods for his time, and with any luck this expedition would be more valuable than the last.
Eilonwi stuck at his heels, taking tentative steps along the rough stone floor. She wasn't accustomed to such conditions either. No creature would enjoy heading into a mine unless they had lived there previously, Jewel was sure; the sky and the grass were too important. He was lucky that she had softened in the face of his distress and left the safety of the kennel at all.
Down, down they went, until the path began to split, and the ceiling became lower.
(2)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 20:34:01 GMT -6
Jewel didn't like it. The light from his torch only reached so far, and made him feel even more isolated - he and Eilonwi were two lonely souls in the dark, picking their way to goodness knows where. They hadn't come too far. If he wanted to, he could back out straight away and not even feel frustration at the wasted time and effort.
He wouldn't. He couldn't. No one was forcing him, here. No one could take him anywhere he didn't want to go.
Loose stones skittered at his feet as he walked. Eilonwi paused to examine a trickle of water flowing from one of the walls; she stuck out a tentative tongue to lap at it. It didn't taste funny. It was the same as any water she had tried when she was outside in the sunlight, and that was a minor reassurance.
"I think the nests are meant to be deep inside," Jewel murmured. For some reason, he felt the need to keep his voice down. "They wouldn't stay close to the surface, right? Seems pretty stupid."
(3)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 20:45:48 GMT -6
Even though Eilonwi had little concept of what he was talking about, and couldn't answer him, it made Jewel feel better to speak out loud. The heavy quiet of the mines could be lightened somewhat by hearing his own voice.
The silence was soon alleviated, however. A rippling sound from deep within, like a shower of rock loosening and tumbling free from the walls, startled Jewel into snatching his pickaxe from his satchel and wielding it in his free hand like a weapon. Eilonwi stood at alert, staring ahead - she was prepared to run away if need be. After a minute, the sound faded, and the hush settled over them again.
"I don't like that," He said. The Felusine looked like she agreed with him.
The winding pathways downwards grew steeper and steeper. Jewel found himself having to step over larger protrusions, and shimmy through narrower gaps; the thrum of his heartbeat hastened again, in fear of what might be to come.
(4)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:00:30 GMT -6
Breathe. Just breathe - that was all Jewel had to do, and it would all be fine in the end. The tunnel still stretched behind him with no traps or dangers, it hadn’t changed in the brief time he’d spent travelling downwards. It was okay. He was okay. He was—
Walking into a blockage, apparently. In his reverie, he had failed to notice the pileup of stone in front of him, closing up the way to him. Eilonwi padded forwards to poke at it, then looked at him blankly when it remained unmoved.
There was nothing else for it. He’d have to dig it out.
He wasn’t well versed in using a pick, so did the first thing he could think of; hook the point into a gap in the piled up rocks, and try to dislodge them. At first, there was little success, but then there was too much, as a heavy pile came crashing to the ground inches from their feet.
(5)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:09:58 GMT -6
The sound of the crash was colossal, bouncing off of the tunnel walls and ringing in Jewel’s ears. He cringed - Eilonwi whimpered, cowering away from the rocks and tucking her tail beneath herself. Maybe a gentler tactic would be more suitable.
The upside was that the falling debris had left a decent hole that he could continue digging from. Cautious not to bite off more than he could chew, he began to chip away at the stone again, pulling smaller chunks down bit by bit to avoid a repeat of the first time.
It was satisfying. Watching himself clear a path through the rubble gave him a sense of pride; the fact that he had made it down that far was a miracle in itself, so managing to cope with the unfamiliar circumstances was even better. Soon enough, the way was passable once more, but it begged the question. Was there a rockslide, or had that blockade been created purposefully?
(6)
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Post by Renathan on May 31, 2019 21:11:25 GMT -6
The mineshaft howls down it; as if there is something... Coming this way! Or was it? Echoes were funny things, and sometimes sounded closer or further than they really were.
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:15:00 GMT -6
The thought that someone might have built that wall to keep something in smacked Jewel full in the face. Only the gods knew what was lurking beneath the surface here; he thought it was naive to assume that all the potential dangers had already been discovered and documented. If it wasn’t the result of nature, whoever had constructed it had not wanted anyone to get back through.
Sadly for them, Jewel was armed with foolish bravery and a pickaxe, so their theoretical attempts to save his skin were wasted.
Eilonwi was increasingly reluctant to continue. When Jewel headed through the opening he’d made, she hesitated - her noise of uncertainty made him turn around to face her.
“It’s alright. I’ve got your back,” He said, with what was meant to be a reassuring smile. “Nothing will happen. I promise it’ll be okay. Come on, Eilonwi, it can’t be far from here.”
(7)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:19:23 GMT -6
Perhaps he was right about the monsters. The ghastly sound of howling made both of them flinch in fright - it sounded too alive to be the wind, and it chilled Jewel to the core.
They should have left. They should have turned and made a run for it while they still could. But he wouldn’t; he wouldn’t give up, not when he was so certain that the end was near.
“Come on,” He encouraged Eilonwi, albeit quieter. Still, she would not move. With a sigh, he set his pick down to scoop her up, and despite her protests, managed to nestle her atop the rest of the kit in his satchel. “Here. Now you can see, and anything that comes will get me first.”
With the pick in hand again, he continued on. The echoes of noise seemed to grow louder the further he travelled. Was he about to run straight into the heart of a Sarane nest?
(8)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:27:16 GMT -6
Jewel wouldn’t have known what a Sarane nest looked like if one hit him in the face. Whenever he heard the word, he thought of avian species, building their homes with twigs. That was hardly going to be the case that far underground, and with an aggressive species. Maybe they made their beds from the bones of the dumb miners who came trapsing into their territory.
At least he would be a fine decoration. At that point, that would be the most he could wish for.
Eilonwi nestled her head atop his helmet, her hand-paws clutching onto his shoulders. It was a precarious balance, with her butt plopped into the satchel, but it worked well enough. She benefited from the comfort of his close contact, and he didn’t have to worry about looking back for her constantly. All he had to think about was the concern that a crazy beast would spring and devour them both at any moment.
How cheery.
(9)
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Post by Jewel on May 31, 2019 21:35:18 GMT -6
The tunnel was opening out. Jewel found it to be a relief, at first - his fear of being trapped overrun his sensibility, and he couldn’t help feeling more comfortable in a bigger space. After that moment of happiness, though, he had to consider what he was witnessing.
The cavern was large. Large enough to accommodate something, or multiple somethings, with room to spare. He could hear the sound of running water nearby, and prayed that could be attributed to an underground stream rather than the room about to flood. There were a few things strewn about on the ground; odds and ends of rope, shredded fabric, and.. what looked like shell.
Seaside shells, certainly not. More like the fragments of shell left over when an egg is cracked, still decorated with tiny hairline fractures. Jewel’s breath caught in his throat. This must be it. He must’ve been standing in the heart of the nest, and by some divine luck, found it empty.
(10)
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Post by Renathan on Jun 1, 2019 0:27:02 GMT -6
  You also found these on your trip! |
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