Into the Dark

[AonEne he/him]

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I wondered how she'd react to that  

"Sorry," Myriad said lightly, stopping for a second. "It's Althea? And I'm sorry again for assuming. I'll find my own way of getting out." Probably Bolting into you, if that's possible...I wonder if I'd be able to use your Radiance? "So, catching stuff you find in here? Can I study it with you?" She started walking again, fading into the shadows of the cave. 

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For the record, she's just thinking about it, she won't possess Althea unless we specifically plan it. And she wouldn't be able to Elsecall out anyway, since Myriad has no Connection to Brashen. 

 

[TrailRunnin he/him]

12 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"As for the city," she continued, unsure how quite to describe the twisting, blended snarl of people and cultures and magic, "it's... complex. Dangerous... and glorious." Corette turned, looking up at Rig's eager, slightly-hungry smile; she gave him one of her own. "There's more out there than I could ever see in a lifetime, in ten lifetimes. It's like the crossroads of everything, every universe - there's always a path here. Right here, to this city. It draws people, pulls them like coins to a Lurcher. Anything you could ever want, you can find here - for a price, of course. Things you never dreamed possible. Riches, reputation, power. With the right connections, a man could walk in a misting," she waved one hand, "and walk out a Mistborn. Or more."

Or more...the words echoed in Rig's mind, tantalizingly vague. If that was what this city was, perhaps coming here was no accident. He had spent his life rising high in the Lekal house, manipulating his way through the ranks of nobles to get what he wanted. It was what he lived for; the thrill of beating others, the danger of the games. And it sounded like here, the rewards for winning were impressive indeed. 

The passage twisted and turned as they walked, as though following the path of a man with far too much whiskey in his head. Lights shone behind the pair, coming from the headlamps of the group following them, sending shadows dancing out in front of he and Corette. She moved lithely, navigating the rocky terrain without difficulty. There was a predatory grace to her, a confidence, as though she burned pewter in addition to her bronze. He faced her as they walked, smiling as he saw the lights behind them move across her face like something living. 

"So, a seeker twinborn who stabs giant worms without fear. You must have some story, Corette."

He didn't say more, but left the question hanging in the air. What was her story? Everyone had one, but he knew many didn't like to talk about them. Corette seemed the type to have some good ones.  

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

18 minutes ago, TrailRunnin said:

"So, a seeker twinborn who stabs giant worms without fear. You must have some story, Corette."

Intrigued, but treading carefully. Good, he was clever enough to try for subtlety, though Corette could hear the eagerness in his voice. He hadn't shied away from her hints and mentions on what could be found down the right Alley, to her delight - though she kept a tight reign on her grin. She met his eyes - blue, like her own, and bright with hunger. The ambition in his gaze was a welcome sight. He aimed high, he adapted, and - she suspected - he wasn't afraid to shed a little blood.

"You flatter me," Corette said, slipping around a stalagmite. They were getting more and more numerous, almost like a forest of waist-high melted candles. Rig navigated the tunnel with a surprisingly light step; despite his height, there was no gangly awkwardness to his stride. He moved with purpose, intention, his body like one long blade of a knife.

"But I'm far from fearless," she said, watching the light from her headlamp catch the glittering facet of some hidden crystal. "The trick isn't conquering your fear, so much as embracing it. Reveling in it. Wrapping it around yourself like the finest cloak." Corette stepped up onto a smaller stalagmite, balancing there on one foot for a moment before pirouetting off its tip with an easy laugh. 

"There is so much in this world to fear, Rigex Lekal," she said. "You could spend a lifetime fighting that fear. Or," Corette held up her hands, as though she were weighing two options, "you can learn to love it. Crave it. Drink it in till you're drunk on fear. Till fear is your food, your air; till you lust for it with every piece of your heart. Until you wake each morning and you run towards fear with open arms. If you can do that, then this world will open up for you as easy as that-" 

She snapped her fingers. "And then, you can take your pick of whatever you want."

Corette gave Rig a smile, and it flowed swift and smooth and dark as the swinging curtain of her hair. "As for my story, well," she shrugged. "I'm more than willing to trade. You've surely got a few tall tales of your own, and I'd bet my metal that you don't much mind talking about yourself. We've a long walk ahead - regale me."

[+Sorana she/her]

3 hours ago, AonEne said:

For the record, she's just thinking about it, she won't possess Althea unless we specifically plan it. And she wouldn't be able to Elsecall out anyway, since Myriad has no Connection to Brashen. 

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For the record, I'm still not opposed to her taking Althea over temporarily. No matter how we write it, it hits her trauma 100%.

"Of course." Althea agreed. "I suspect that a part of it will end up with one guild or the other at some point, but as long as we are down here, I see no reason why you shouldn't study with us, or rather why we shouldn't study what we find down here together. Afterwards - I can't speak for all guilds here."

She touched the stone of the walls around them, it was cool to her touch, a little bit moist. They would most likely find some plants or animals loving this kind of place soon. Moss, maybe mushrooms, insects.

"You're assuming again." She stated after a while. "I never said, I won't take you out should the situation call for it. I simply think that betting your life on an assumption is a dangerous bet, when you have a chance to learn about someone else's intention's directly. I could still be lying to you, but then weare at the question what I might gain from that lie."

Falling silent again she followed Myriad deeper into the tunnel. Bending down she picked up a pebble, turned it around in her fingers and pocketed it. It looked like a crocodile.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Sorana

[AonEne he/him]

24 minutes ago, Sorana said:

"I never said, I won't take you out should the situation call for it. I simply think that betting your life on an assumption is a dangerous bet, when you have a chance to learn about someone else's intention's directly. I could still be lying to you, but then weare at the question what I might gain from that lie." 

Myriad raised a brow. “Okay. If we get into danger, will you help me get out?” 

[TrailRunnin he/him]

Corette certainly seemed in control of her fear, if she embraced it as much as she told him. It made sense, in a way; fear had no power over someone who welcomed it. Rig, however, had always preferred to find his fears and beat them senseless, facing them time and time again until they meant nothing to him. Eventually they died, taking another bit of weakness out of Rig and leaving what was left that much stronger. 

Aren't we quite the pair, he thought to himself as he met her eyes. They glinted with adventure and desire, reminding him of the fire he stored in the metal on his arms and neck. 

So it was a trade she wanted? Stories for stories? Well, Rig was wealthy in that regard. He could pay.

"You're right; I don't mind talking about myself. That's only because I'm so much more interesting than everyone else, though," he started, letting his tone drop to a conspiratorial whisper. "I've always had quite the penchant for regaling others, after all."

Rig thought for a moment, looking through his mind at the events of the last few years. Backroom politics, blackmail, covert spying operations, all of it was interesting in it's own right; he had lived quite the life for a noble not quite halfway into his third decade. 

"I spent some time working directly under Lord Lekal himself, as a bodyguard," he began, pulling out a coin and fiddling with it as he spoke. It was an old habit; it let him think more clearly, practically placing him back in the rich rooms of a house Lord instead of the dripping forest of stalactites they wandered in. 

"One night, we had a short crew--me, a thug named Bort, and a couple of regular men disguised as servants--all stationed out front. What I didn't know, of course, was that those Erikeller bastards had bribed the other men on duty..." He went on to describe in great detail his heroics in defeating the other men, saving the lord and lady of his house to be rewarded with an impressive promotion. Rig paid no mind to how many times he said he ran out of coins or how many unrealistic flips he had done during the fight; the story didn't really change, just some of the specifics. Corette had asked for a tall tale, after all.

"It was a little while later I mistook Lord Lekal for a kandra, but before you hear that one, it's your turn," Rig told her, looking her square in the eye. One side of his mouth tilted upwards in time with his eyebrow, and he waited for a reaction from  his scouting partner.

@ZincAboutIt

Edited October 15, 2019 by TrailRunnin

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Corette allowed herself to be drawn in as Rig told his story, careful to gasp and 'oooh' and exclaim at all the right places. She had asked for a tall tale, and that is definitely what Rig provided; Corette lost count of all the minor embellishments and inconsistencies. But, it didn't really matter. She had a feeling that the meat of it was true, and even if he'd taken some liberties, he was clearly very skilled. At the end, Corette laughed in genuine delight and clapped her hands. 

"Well ruin me, but you do have a zinc tongue, don't you?  A few more like that, and I might even start to believe that you're more interesting than everyone else." Corette tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear and met his eyes. She could feel the full weight of his attention on her; even his fingers had stilled their toying with his coin. Corette returned his stare with one of her own. He couldn't know how unusual it was for someone to capture the entirety of her interest, and that alone made him rare as summer snowfall. 

I do believe I'll keep you around, Mister Lekal.

"My turn then? Well, I did propose a trade, didn't I, and we can't go breaking our deals." She dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. "Someone might think I'm dishonorable." Corette winked, then giggled. 

She had plenty of stories, though she wasn't entirely sure that he'd enjoy most of them. Still thinking, Corette swept her hair to one side and rolled her neck. The glow at the end of the tunnel had grown - a softly purple light this time. Every time Corette was sure she'd find out what it was, they'd come to another sharp turn. Maybe this time, they'd finally catch a glimpse of it.

"You wouldn't believe how loud your own breathing really is," Corette began, slipping closer to Rig as she avoided a large stalactite, "until you stop. You don't think you hear it, but a room with one person is so much more silent than a room with two people, breathing together. Learning the art of true silence - moving with the air in the room, placing your feet just so, none of it matters if your mark can still hear you breathe."

"As you might imagine, that kind of silence lends itself to a certain kind of work. I cut purses on the streets as a girl, ran with a few gangs. We had a good thing going - till I tried robbing a Tin Ferring. I was sixteen. He had me up against the wall of an alley before I could blink. Big fellow - about your height, and twice as wide. He could palm my whole neck in one hand; I know, because he started choking me. Well, how was he to know I could store my breath?"

Her voice got softer now, though it still echoed in the cool, damp air around them. "People say some truly nasty things when they think their audience is about to die," she said, tone still light - conversational. "If I recall, he had some rather unorthodox plans for my corpse. He seemed so eager, so who was I to deny him? He wanted me to stop breathing - so I did."

Corette could tell that her smile had gone sharp and cold. "People let their guard down around the dead. It was almost too easy, really. I had his boot knife in my hand before he could undo his belt. I had it in his neck a moment later. So much easier to rob the dead, turns out." She looked up at Rig again, then shrugged once. "I do a... different kind of work these days. As you can see, the company is clearly better."

@TrailRunnin

[TrailRunnin he/him]

1 hour ago, ZincAboutIt said:

So much easier to rob the dead, turns out.

Rusts, Corette. You've seen things, havn't you? Rig himself came from a life of luxury, parties and afternoon teas. He was surprised, then, that despite the differences in their youths he still sensed a kinship with the woman. They had both become hardened, one way or another. And they both wanted-no, craved more. That much he could read in the ice that had crept into her eyes as she spoke, despite the friendly tone she kept up as she spoke. It was an ice that froze the smile halfway up her face, the kind you cultivated and kept handy when you lived  a certain kind of life. He knew his own lie just below the surface, kept at bay with the warmth from his bracers. This woman is dangerous, Rig,  he thought to himself. Ambitious, skilled, practical. Dangerous.

That was what he liked most about her. He squeezed between a pair of stalagmites in his way, rising like twin spikes thrusting out of the earth below them. They were drawing close to the light, now, and the purple glow better illuminated their surroundings. Some of the crystal growths sprouting like seedlings seemed to hide the purple light within them, letting it bounce around for some time before casting it out in odd geometric patterns which sprayed the walls like some alien text.

2 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

As you can see, the company is clearly better

Well, Rig wouldn't argue with that. 

"Infinitely better, I would think. After all, I am rather incredible company," he replied with a grin. Her coldness seemed to slip away after the story was finished, and the same boundless energy as before returned to her. Her step picked up, and as they walked around a large column of stalactites her hair slipped out from behind her hair despite her efforts to keep it there.

They drew closer to the strange glow coming from the cavern entrance and Rig pulled to a stop, drawing himself tall and pulling out his dueling cane. It never hurt to be careful, and the worm had dispelled his thoughts of these caverns being safe. 

"Speaking of company, you sense anything coming from up ahead? I'd rather not get eaten in front of a lady."

@ZincAboutIt

[+ElephantEarwax he/him]

8 hours ago, Sorana said:

"The plan is, to catch whatever we find next." She replied to Adren. "Although it will depend on what it is as well. We'll just take a look and decide if we want to take a closer look, or not.

 

"Perfect, hopefully if we find another creature we can keep it alive" Adren said. "I've always wanted to start a zoo, and this would be a great start"

"A giant murder monster zoo. That is the best idea you ever had" Mercy squeaked excitedly.

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

12 minutes ago, TrailRunnin said:

"Speaking of company, you sense anything coming from up ahead? I'd rather not get eaten in front of a lady."

"Hmm, shame," Corette said, not bothering to hide her smirk, but did as he said. She burned Bronze, sweeping her Seeker's senses out before them, holding an errant hand out to her side to halt Rig's stride. Her palm barely reached just past his navel, and she frowned a little, looking up at him. 

"Void on earth, what do they feed you on Scadrial these days?" She muttered, torn between being impressed and being envious. Corette took some comfort imagining him smacking his head on a stalactite, or perhaps the ceiling of the tunnel. Failing that, well, she could always smack him. If I can reach him.

"Nothing I can sense up ahead," Corette said, feeling excitement prickle along her skin. She grinned up at Rig, then looked backwards at the rest of the scouting party, which was catching up. 

"Cavern up ahead!" She called down the cave tunnel. "We're calling a halt!"

The purple light up ahead beckoned her, and Corette felt her eagerness burn inside her like hunger. She looked back to Rig, then slipped her long, slender blade out of its sheath and into her hand. 

"C'mon, then," she said, eyes glinting in the violet glow. "Let's go put more color on that coat."

She stepped around the corner, trusting everyone to keep up. Or fall behind.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Quote

Who is with Nekorb?

 

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

1 minute ago, xinoehp512 said:

Who is with Nekorb?

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Director Stancel and Malu, I believe. And possible Fasi, who is @Oduim’s Chmapion's character. Or maybe she isn't in the plot? I am unsure. 

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

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What is Nekorb's job, anyways?

 

[TrailRunnin he/him]

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Also bulveye, I think.

Rig grinned, looking down at the top of Corettes head. He couldn't see her face, but if he had to guess she was looking rather jealous right now. She pulled out that wicked looking knife and crept around the corner, cautious despite the lack of investiture around the corner. Rig pulled out his pistol and readied his cane--he would not be getting any more fungus on himself. A man had do defend his appearance, after all; it wouldn't do for a Lekal to parade around glowing brighter than a streetlamp. 

Pausing at the corner for a moment, Rig began storing heat. The cold brought with it clarity, and he felt himself perk up a bit as blue lines started to crisscross his vision, pointing out various sources of metal. The lines pointing into the next cavern were static, save for the moving of Corettes knife and equipment. Rig nodded, satisfied, and strutted around the corner, cane held steady. A slight breath escaped his lips as his eyes raked over the cavern, and he faltered for a brief moment as he took it all in. 

The cavern was smaller than keep Venture had been, but what it lacked in grandeur it made up for in sheer...uniqueness. Hundreds of thin stalactites hung like icicles of stone from the ceiling, sometimes forming columns throughout the room with their brethren reaching up from the ground. Around their bases stood cities of massive mushrooms, many larger even than a man's head and reaching higher than Rig's shins. They gathered together in clusters, the largest at the center, while smaller ones circled the stalactites, reaching higher and higher until only minuscule caps bravely stood alone near the peaks of the stone mountains. Lines of glowing purple fungus radiated outwards from the mushroom cities, connecting them like roadways, with offshoots heading out in all directions like the capillaries of the caves themselves. These were responsible for the soft glow of violet light that permeated the cavern, casting an enticing glow about the room. 

As Rig began walking through the cavern, he noted the patterns these purplish lines created. Strange geometric patterns circled some patches, while others were encircled by twisting indigo lights reminding him of whirling waters. Still others followed no patterns, simply covering a great deal of space, but these pulsed hypnotically, seeming to pull Rig inwards with their light. The air was still in this room, though small particles floated about, catching the light as they drifted around. 

"I rather like this one, Cor," he said as he finally made his way over to her. He was careful not to disturb the mushrooms; it was difficult, as his legs were reacting a bit sluggishly. He stifled a yawn as he finally reached her. She was looking dreamily about the cavern, apparently as caught up in the exotic beauty of it as he had been. "Maybe we should rest here for a bit." 

@ZincAboutIt

[+Invocation]

21 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

 

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Xino, are you looking for something to do? 

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

4 minutes ago, Invocation said:

Xino, are you looking for something to do? 

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Yes.

 

[+Invocation]

21 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

 

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Gotchu. 

Malu walked over to Nekorb, noting that he seemed a little lost. "So do you have any idea why we're actually down here?"

@xinoehp512

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

Corette had walked around the cavern wall, and into a dream.

The violet light cast everything into an evening glow, deep and soft as a summer night. She had wandered, marveling at the sheer number of the mushrooms and their variety, careful to step between the lattice-works of glowing purple fungus connecting each cluster. Rig followed behind her, drawing in a soft breath, then begin moving his way into the cavern. His steps were louder, and she heard the muffled, rubbery sound of the mushroom caps jostling around his legs. Corette looked over to him as he spoke, feeling herself moving perhaps a bit slower than she had before.

"I rather like this one, Cor," he said as he finally made his way over to her. "Maybe we should rest here for a bit."

Corette didn't miss the yawn he tried to hide behind his hand, and she gave him a lazy grin. The air here in the center of the cavern was thick with tiny motes of what looked like glowing dust, and she gave a little laugh when she saw them collecting on Rig's coat-tails. The cloth that had once been a deep navy blue was now speckled with both blue-green and glowing violet. She wondered how long it would be before some found its way into his hair.

"Already getting sleepy, my Lord?" She drawled, though if she were being honest, Corette could use a bit of a rest herself. She set her pack down on a relatively mushroom-free area of the cavern floor. With a start, she patted her coveralls and drew out the tablet, checking on the group of little red dots. Sure enough, they were all clustering close to the cavern now. Lovely, no lost lambs. She swiped upwards, sending a quick text to Stancel. All was clear, and the main expedition could follow along. Maybe Rig was right - who knew what time it was down here, anyway? How long had they been walking? 

Corette reached her arms up in a languid stretch, then bent backwards in a graceful arc. She held the backbend for a moment, feeling the delicious head-rush, before completing the walkover and shaking her hair out over her shoulders. Rig was still looking around, his eyes heavy-lidded, a contented smile playing about his mouth. The violet light reflected off the deep brown of his hair, turning it almost black by contrast.

"I like it here too," she said, still smiling, her mind drifting through the heavy air. "Maybe you're right - but don't let it go to your head. We'll wait till everyone catches up. Then we can decide. Deal?"

@TrailRunnin

[TrailRunnin he/him]

"Mmmm, deal," Rig muttered, contemplating the weights that someone had apparently strapped to his eyelids. He placed a hand against one of the columns and shifted his weight, watching as Corette drew herself backwards like a gymnast. She eased the stress from her posture for a moment before performing a movement that looked hospitalizing to Rig, and finally took a moment to free up her hair. Rig idly brushed some of his own hair back, inadvertently leaving a streak  of glowing purple running along his scalp next to the light blue already taking up residence above him. 

Rig put away his pistol--there was no need for it here, it seemed--and performed a far less impressive stretch himself. The lights in the cavern seemed to be pulsing more slowly, now, sending purple lights flashing across Corette's face. The light washed over them like a comforting wave, stripping away much of the suspicion and wariness both of them carried, leaving languid contented exhaustion in it's wake. It was the tiredness of a good day's work, when you had done everything that needed doing and now it was time to rest. It was a satisfied tiredness, telling Rig it was okay; it was time to rest. 

Rig turned, placing his lower back against the column, all thoughts for his suit's tassels safety gone. He let out a long sigh, and allowed his eyes to shut briefly. The others would be here soon, he thought; in the meantime, he would take a moment to recuperate. 

@ZincAboutIt @Rushu42 @I ♥️ Rashek @Sorana @everyone else in the scouts

[I ♥️ Rashek]

Sometimes, Allri thought, it was good to be wrong.

In the first cave, she hadn't paid much attention to the scenery. She'd been too busy trying to stay alive to really get a good look in, and while a little thing like that should be easy for an experienced Mistborn, Allri couldn't even fly ten feet without falling over. Besides, she figured she'd always be able to come back and fill her sketchbook later. No matter how breathtaking they were, the caves weren't going anywhere-the world wasn't going to end tomorrow, after all. So, after a long walk through a dark tunnel, she'd assumed that the caves would be just that-caves, dark, dull, dead. But when she took her first look at the next cavern, she was shocked into silence. This was amazing.

The cave glowed with a soft purple shine. All around Allri, little pieces of light floated through the air, falling slowly from the spike-studded ceiling. Near her feet, the falling sparks covered the ground, like a blanket of fallen leaves. So close together, the lights became one, a glowing river of purple that wound its way into the distance. Further out, more lines of light stretched across the floor. Some were simple, connecting glowing patches of mushrooms and rocks. Others were more detailed, covering the rock in elaborate patterns that somehow all managed to be in relaxing harmony. Slowly, not wanting to wake from the dream, Allri knelt, running her hands through the river of light.

It was light and airy, the stuff of dreams made real. She cupped her hands, bringing some up to her face, then blew, sending a cloud of light across the cave. It drifted off slowly, spreading all directions and covering her in a thousand points of light. Allri relaxed, feeling the peace of the room. Lying down and closing her eyes seemed like a good idea, and the fungus carpet near her would be perfect bedding. It was so nice to be here, after the chaos of the worm. So dreamy.

[+ElephantEarwax he/him]

Staying in the entrance of the cave, Adren watched as others walked past into the room filled with fungus. Noticing the presumably spores in the air and the people inside growing drowsy. Growing suspicious, he pulls his shirt over his mouth and nose, takes a deep breath and enters the cavern. 

Immediately taking a mid sized sealable bag from his backpack, he collects samples of the mushrooms and spores. 

As quickly as he went into the cavern Adren exited back into the entrance chamber, and took a few breaths. Staring at the mushrooms, sealed in the bag.

[overlord stick]

Kendul  followed the other scouts into the next cavern, wary, while Corrette and that strange Steel pusher talked of resting.

"Are you kidding me? Was your first instinct seriously to take a nap, after walking into a dangerous cave, where in which it's predecessor had an enormous worm hiding inside of it, ready to eat us for dinner? How foolish can you be?!" He asked incredulous, although he couldn't deny he was also feeling strangely drowsy.

@ZincAboutIt@TrailRunnin

Edited October 16, 2019 by Lord Furret

[+ZincAboutIt she/her]

"Oh, sit down," Corette called over, rolling her eyes. The newest arrival into the cavern looked around at the floating, glowing dust, soft mushrooms, and pulsing rivers of light as though they might jump up and bite him. "Does any of this look like it's going to try and eat you?"

She waved her long, thin dagger at the cavern, which, apart from the motes of dust, was perfectly still and quiet. "We called a halt anyway. There's no point wearing ourselves out; after that worm, we could all do with a bit of rest."

And I didn't see you doing much against it, either, Corette thought moodily, before turning back to the stalagmite pillar. Rig leaned against it, eyes closed, a calm, easy smile on his lips. His chest rose and fell with a deep, even rhythm, his coat-tails thoroughly dusted in violet specks now. A new line of glowing purple streaked through his hair where he must have ran a hand; Corette examined her own fingers, which were also stained with glowing violet from where she'd placed her hands on the floor. The ends of her own hair pulsed with a bit of light as well, and she smiled.

She left Rig where he was, feet dragging a bit as she wove her way through clusters of mushrooms and over glowing networks of purple tendrils. Every fiber of her being begged her to sit down, to rest. She had earned this, hadn't she? Corette pulled her tablet out again and squinted at the screen with bleary eyes. She scrubbed at one eye with the heel of her palm, trying to shake the exhaustion from her mind, but she was just so tired. Others were filtering into the cavern now, more and more each minute. Allri, it seemed, had already fallen asleep on a particularly large bed of glowing dust.

Corette sent out another sweep of Bronze, just to set herself at ease, and could detect nothing but the Investiture of the scouting party. That done, she meandered slowly through the cavern, feeling the soft, pulsing light draw her back towards the center of the cavern. It seemed right that she would end up back here; Rig had chosen an excellent spot. She'd never tell him that, of course - he'd be insufferable. But, with him fast asleep, Corette figured she was safe.

Safe. The word thrummed through her, low and sweet. She was safe here, they all were. It wouldn't hurt to settle down for a moment and catch her breath, would it? With a last look at the cavern entrance, Corette leaned up against the pillar next to Rig and listened to his breathing. She let her eyelids droop a bit - not entirely closed, but nearly. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Slowly, slowly, Corette felt her breathing begin to match Rig's, both of them breathing in time to the pulsing indigo glow. Her head fell to the side a bit, coming to rest on something. Rig's shoulder? The stalagmite pillar? It didn't matter - she'd only rest her eyes for a moment. Just a moment. Just...

@Lord Furret @TrailRunnin

[+Sorana she/her]

11 hours ago, AonEne said:

Myriad raised a brow. “Okay. If we get into danger, will you help me get out?” 

"Yes." Althea looked at her calmly, wondered if Myriad was following her words, or if she wasn't motivated to use her brain and think on her own. Althea basically had replied to that question already. "You aren't my priority number one, but as I'm able to take all of our group at once, that shouldn't be a problem for you."

She stopped in front of the next cave, oberserved how Adren got in, covered his nose and mouth and retrieved some of the mushrooms. Allri, Corette and Rig were lying down on the ground, sleeping. Adren seemed fine though, so most likely something with the air. Spores maybe? Plants weren't really something she'd focused on. She inhaled, took a moment to roam her eyes through the cave, noticed the soft glowing light, the mushrooms. Beautiful. But at the same time it was dangerous. She stepped into the cave and stopped breathing, instead she tapped a little bit of stormligh to keep her body running. Standing there for a moment she tried to see if anything changed. Nothing did. She was feeling slightly strange, when her body urged her to breathe, when the oxygen concentration in her blood was lowered while her body used up what he could get. At one point the stormlight took over, repaired whatever damage the missing oxygen did. Uncomfortable, but not life threatening. She wondered wether to get the three out immediatly, but instead returned to her own group. Inhaling again she followed the natural urge of her body, and kept her eyes with the sleeping forms. If something used to prey on those who fell asleep, then there was a chance it would show itself soon. She could get the them out of its way and at the same time they had a lifeform to trap. If nothing showed up, then they were absolutely fine to sleep there for a minute or two. Of course she had no way to judge the longterm consequences of whatever it was, that made them fall asleep, but judging the abscence of bones in the cave she figured they had a minute to check for a predator.

"Good catch Adren. I am pretty sure, that the the spores affect you first through your lungs, any slower secondary effects can't be judged at the moment."

"Wes." She adressed the Underling without looking at him, made sure she kept a part of her attention with the sleeping forms. "Can you build some masks for those of us who need to breathe? We need to get the three, maybe four if Kendul falls asleep as well out of the cave, and we need to cross it later."

"Apart from that, anybody willing to step inside with me and get them out? I can carry one of them, together we should be able to get them back into the tunnel easily." There was no need to use up lots of stormlight to elsecall them over. Not if she was sure that Karin was able to step into the room as well. And with some masks, or at least some cloth in front of their faces, maybe some of the others were as well.

@Rushu42 @I think I am here.

@AonEne @ElephantEarwax @kenod

 

[Rushu42 she/her]

3 hours ago, Sorana said:

Apart from that, anybody willing to step inside with me and get them out? I can carry one of them, together we should be able to get them back into the tunnel easily."

"I'll help," said Sarah. She could see the shimmering mushrooms sprawled out along the ground, slowly releasing spores into the air. The purple light reflected off of the maze of thin stalagmites in such a way that it increased the soporific effects of the fungi. Sarah found herself needing to look away. "I'll need a mask, though. Do you think a piece of cloth would be enough?"