Closed The World That You Know...

[Jasmine Stormblood]

“Thank you, Amunet. I feel much better now,” Jasmine said looking at the young red head with a smile.

After some time Jasmine finally excused herself for the night. Walking over to her orb the woman sat down and laid on her back. Wincing she shifted and laid on her side with her back to the heat. Jasmine slowly opened her eyes when a hand was felt on her arm. Slowly the woman managed to sit up and rubbed her eyes while looking at everyone. After staying up much later than she should have to speak with Zoot, the woman found herself wanting to curl up once more. Looking over at the watch member Jasmine growled and moved away from him not wanting to be near someone so creepy.

“I am fine. Now leave so that I can get packed up and ready,” Jasmine said with a small growl and moved away from the man more.

He was a creeper who needed to back way way away from her. Once the man moved away Jasmine grabbed her packs and put her now dry clothes in first before rolling up her bedroll and placing it in more. Taking her daggers Jasmine checked to make sure they were still plenty sharp before storing them in her second pack. Tilting her head to the left and right Jasmine popped her neck several times helping to wake her up. Stretching out more the woman managed to get up to her feet. She quickly brushed out her hair and put it up in a ponytail once more. As soon as everything had been packed up Jasmine began to follow the group once more. Jasmine looked over when she heard a shrill voice; quickly she covered her mouth to keep from laughing hysterically. Knowing Zoot was on their side when it came to Taggert helped her to relax.

Putting everything on Jasmine walked behind everyone in line ready to keep moving. Jasmine walked right past Taggert and stuck her tongue out at him while throwing her foot out to the side quickly to kick him in the gut as revenge. Walking Jasmine crawled through the tunnels and winced every time her back slammed into the ceiling of the tunnel. It wasn't that Amunet had not healed her, but that slamming a fresh wound into rocks is always painful. After some time they managed to get out of the tunnels. Happily Jasmine plopped down panting gently as her lungs burned. Looking around she wondered if anyone would abandon the journey or if they would continue and see it to the end. After ten chimes Aris told them to stand up and stretch to prepare for the next part of the journey. Sighing Jasmine forced her legs to work and stood up bending forward trying to stretch out her legs as much as she could.

Looking up she spotted Taggert as the group started to move once more. He appeared very pale compared to what he had appeared when he tried to look down her shirt. Jasmine saw Aris put Zoot back on the chute back down to where they had come from. She would miss the little guy when they were away from him. Smiling gently she waved with several other members sad but very happy to know he would come visit one day. Turning Jasmine continued on with the rest of the group happy that maybe this tunnel would lead them back into Syna's light instead of staying below Semele's skin. She loved Semele, but Syna was comfort for Jasmine after everything that had happened to her. Looking Jasmine saw something appear before them that appeared very strange and foreign. It was not the same color as the walls. Watching the girl become super nervous when it began to open after the young woman had messed with the door. The woman slowly moved closer to Amunet scared of what was about to happen to them. Suddenly the other Watchman that Aris had introduced as Sparrow went through the opening.

Jasmine watched the opening closely unsure of what would happen. The anticipation was beginning to freak the woman out. More time elapsed till finally he popped back through and motioned for them to follow him quickly. Gulping Jasmine went through the door in turn and looked around. Suddenly the man literally set the wall on fire when everyone had stepped through the opening. Gasping Jasmine looked at the walls around them. Amazed Jasmine slowly walked forward wanting to touch the wall and see what it felt like. Once everything was lit up Evain shot down the corridor, Jasmine's head instantly snapped to Aris unsure of what he wanted them to do.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Merevaika]

A firm grasp on her shoulder awoke her, Merevaika sweeping out wildly. There was a moment of awake and asleep, when her body reacted, but her mind reminded calm, unknowing. Someone caught her arm and, Merevaika realising she had done something, and the Drykas opened her eyes quickly, turning to face whatever it was. Aris. Snatching her arm back, she half-growled, more from not wanting to wake than anything else. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she rose, shaking herself from the soreness from sleeping cold and wet. She gathered her possessions, this time happy to have her arrows back, and pulled on her boots, leaving the knife at her belt.

She was almost ready by the time one of the watch came over to her, after helping the rest. She didn't have as much as them, and hadn't unpacked much either. She hadn't trusted them, in some strange twist. She was the thief, the one who would take their things while they slept. Yet she was the one who had stayed close to her possessions, taking her bedroll out and little else. Rolling it up tightly, like she always did, she stuffed it in the bag, careful not to cover any other important things.

He didn't move to help her, though, not like the others, simply asking for no trouble. Like she was a child. She would have said something, some snide comment about how he was the child, if he hadn't called her a partner. Partners sounded good though, and she nodded, making a sign of agreement. Partners suggested that she was equal. Yet she had to make this clear, anyway. Speaking in hushed tones only he could hear, dipped nearer, almost at his cheek. "There'll be no trouble if you don't make any."

Looking up, she saw the other man move to the black eyed girl, then fall to the ground. She let out a small snort of amusement, the large man squeaking with pain. The events were unclear, at first, the exact reason for his collapse uncertain, but it soon revealed itself. It appeared that the tiny pycon had done this. It seemed it amused the man who had come to her too, who stifled a grin and smacked him on the way past. Merevaika could only stare down at him, glad he got what he deserved. Nasty Watchman. She smirked at him, mocking him, before hurrying on her way, striding forward past the rocks and dirt that lined the caves.

They entered a narrow tunnel, Merevaika trying to stop pulling a face of disgust at the rotten smell. It rose in her nose, old fish and grass. But Merevaika had already moved on from the thought of disgust. If she could smell fish, however old and rotten, it meant there could be live fish around, somewhere. If it was Merevaika, alone or in charge, the first thing she would have done was hunt down these fish, wherever they were. The Watch, however, thought differently. They had a purpose in these caves, one she didn't understand. And to them, the purpose was a lot more important than the hunger of a thief.

Her hands slipped on the ground often, red from where she had placed it against particularly sharp stones. The stops were frequent and many, and she could tell the path became narrower, the people in front sinking lower to the floor. Merevaika slung her pack half off, extending the quiver and bow in front to squeeze through. At times something would catch and for a second her heart would jump, thinking she was stuck, but then she would find grip with her hands and prise herself free. The movement was hard and tiring, water clinging to the air and making it much harder. Merevaika was thin, but not that thin, her back scraping along the roof of the tunnel. Her lungs burned, until they stopped, taking a break. Merevaika would catch her breath quickly, desperate not to appear weak. She wasn't weak, but she needed to prove it.

The large tunnel was a welcome sight, Merevaika slumping to the side in the space. She gave up. There was no point hiding her exhaustion - it was in her eyes, in everyone's eyes. There was a blister where her boots rubbed against her feet, dried blood peeling from her hand and a sharp ache in her back. The few chimes rest did nothing, but were pleasant all the same. She stretched herself a little, feeling the pull of her muscles. It wasn't a nice feeling, but she had to continue. At one point, Zoot left the group. She had barely noticed it, her head faint with the heavy walking. They took another break, Merevaika draining her waterskin, then they set off again, simply heading deeper and deeper.

The air got thinner as they walked and Merevaika had to make do with the food she could get from the others. Her eyes looked pleadingly at first the women, each one in turn, then the Watch if no one had any to spare. Some food in her could do wonders, and if she was given some, she would devour it quickly.

Merevaika could hear noises, small scratching sounds, but see nothing in the dim light. Yet she still tried, staining her eyes to see in the darkness. At once, they stopped, her eyes moving in front. A strange door appeared before them, deep blue with rusted iron. Nothing natural - in fact, it was anything but. The door seemed to stick out as a mark of man so much, it made her wonder what was behind it. It wasn't long until it was opened, but even when it was, it was too dim to see clearly. Time passed, Merevaika waiting with anticipation for the Watchmen to return. Her grip around her bow got firmer, sensing the tension as they waited. Her breath was heavy, too loud, too much. Standing made her legs hurt, even more than before. There was no energy left in her. If something happened, if it came down to a fight or fleeing, she wasn't certain she could do it. Adrenaline would be the only thing that would let her. Thankfully, it never came down to that.

Sparrow returned and eventually, the group was let in, Merevaika pushing past, eager to see something before the light of the torches died down. She moved through the women, stepping towards the side as she tried to figure out where she was. A slam of the door made her spin, fumbling with an arrow to aim it at whoever who had done it. The other watchman called out also shocked by this, but his comrade's calm reply made her lower her bow. She kept the arrow on hand, fingers wrapping tight around it, however, a little confused.

Light burst from the walls, a strange liquid burning. The light spread further, then came round the other side. What strange thing was this? She moved to it, treading lightly as she peered closer, examining the bricks as much as the light. This was man made, but why? Why build walls other than the rock ones? Why this elaborate thing to light it all up, instead of simple torches? What was this hallway hiding?

The group began to collect again, the black eyed girl leading the way through the corridor. Merevaika moved forward firmly, following the tiny footprints. So small, so fragile. A small part of Merevaika felt sorry for the girl too. Yet at the same time, she didn't. It wasn't like Merevaika hadn't been her age. It wasn't like Merevaika hadn't been through worse. She was about to look up, look further, when she saw something she hadn't noticed before. A tiny footprint, the same size as the girl's. Heading the other direction; heading back. It seemed they were only getting closer. She didn't know if this was good thing. Her muscles stiffened, pushing past the fatigue that had overcome. It seemed like they would soon find out.

[Waisana]

The doctor had not been asleep for long enough when she felt the firm touch on her arm. She groaned, trying to move away from the touch but it followed her. She opened her eyes with difficulty, the lids gummed together. She squinted against the dim light--too bright for her--and swiveled her burning eyes to the face peering down at her. Waisana listened to the man's words, groaning once more but nodding all the same. She struggled up on to an elbow, rubbing at her eyes as the group leader moved off. The teen was feeling the effects of the long night, or rather the time she ought to have been asleep but hadn't been. She'd still been damp and cold and curiosity had gotten the better of her. If she hadn't spent time talking with Zoot along with others of the group then she would have had a chance to recover from the hardship of the previous day. It had seemed like a good idea last night but now she was regretting it.

She risked the use of some of the underground water to splash on her face and quenched her thirst with the water from her skin. Despite her attempt at awakening herself, she was still walking around as if in a dream. She had to gather her herbs from where she'd left them to dry, roll up her bedroll and stick back in the other items that had been taken out to be put by the fire. She was moving far too sluggishly and so when one of the watchmen approached her, she accepted his help gratefully. She felt herself blushing as he helped her, surprised by his shyness and responding self-consciously in kind. She peered at him from beneath her lashes as he helped gather and tidy items which he handed to her to pack. When everything was put away, she signed her thanks and averted her gaze quickly as he moved on from her. Her averted eyes met Ixzo's and the woman's expression and words had her blushing more fiercely.

Morning, she signed back before ducking her head to avoid the other's watchful eyes. She shouldered her pack and moved away to hover near one of the still lit orbs for the heat as she waited for the rest of the group to organise itself. She couldn't look at the foreigner and see the knowing look in her eyes. It really wasn't like that, at least, it wasn't for her. She chewed at her lip and turned her attention to what was going on around her.

Her helper had moved on to the slave girl or whoever she was while the other had approached the black eyed woman, Evain. There was something about the situation between Taggert and Evain that had her looking back, seeing what appeared to be fear on the woman's face and not understanding what it meant. Abruptly the man dropped in pain and the woman ran away from him to take shelter with the women of the group. Waisana made to move forward to offer aid to the watchmen but hung back as Aris approached. She decided to let him assess the situation and move forward if she was asked. She looked towards Evain, gaze flickering over her as she searched for signs of injury but the main thing she saw was fear. She was cowering among them, that's what she was doing and the doctor was confused. What on earth had just happened?

The shrill voice of Zoot carried and the girl felt growing horror as the implications of the Pycon's words sunk in. The man had collapsed after being hit in the groin and he'd been with Evain at the time, a woman who seemed scared out of her wits. She shuddered a little as she was forced to pass the man, giving him as wide a berth as possible. Ixzo appeared at her side, looping her arm through her own in a gesture of familiarity. The gesture made her feel safer as if the woman would keep her from harm's way. Perhaps it was simply the feeling that she wasn't alone and that there was safety in numbers. Waisana tried to convey her thanks in a smile, her gaze appearing warm if nothing else to her companion.

-----------

It quickly became apparent that they were going to have a difficult journey out of the cavern in to which they'd fallen. As soon as Waisana realised that they would have to be crawling on damp and rocky ground, she fished some of the bandages out of her pack and wound them around her hands. She knotted it in place across each palm before moving it up to envelop each finger before she continued by wrapping it downwards to better cover her hands. She tied them tightly at her wrists with the aid of her teeth and when her turn came around, she went on hands and knees just like everyone else. She had no idea how far they'd have to crawl but the doctor surmised that she'd end up cutting her hands. She was no stranger to hard work but her hands weren't calloused enough to put up with these sorts of conditions. She could live with cut knees, although hopefully her pants would offer some protection from any sharp rocks, but she needed her hands to do her job. If someone needed her help in the future then she wouldn't be much use with her hands in shreds. It was worth the sacrifice of a few bandages to ensure she was of some use. They didn't offer a huge amount of protection and they quickly grew wet and slimy with mud as she clambered along the uneven tunnel.

Their trip was slow going as each of them struggled along in their own private hell. New muscles began to ache as she shuffled along, those that hadn't fully recovered from the previous day's journey joining in so that each movement was painful as well as being exhaustingly difficult. They took frequent breaks but it only made things harder. Every time her body had a chance to rest, she found that she had a harder time getting herself moving again. She had no idea how long they travelled but it seemed like a lifetime and when they reached a point where the tunnel narrowed further in to what could only be called a chute, the doctor wanted to flop in to the mud and cry. She didn't think that she could do this but there was no way out as she was boxed in with people ahead and people behind her. The idea that she had no easy escape began to panic her and her breathing quickened as she was forced to remove her pack in order to fit in the space ahead. If she'd been aware of what claustrophobia was then she'd have realised that she was suffering it now, but she was so used to open skies and wide open spaces that she had never had to experience this sort of terror before, let alone name it.

She slid forward on her belly, closing her eyes so that she couldn't see just how close everything was. She focused on sliding forward and upwards a little bit at a time, concentrating on taking slow, deep breaths rather than the quick, ragged ones that her body felt inclined towards right now. Waisana promised herself wide open plains and blue skies and convinced herself that her journey upwards was leading to just such freedom. It was the only thing that motivated her to keep moving rather than allowing herself to fall under the spell of nauseous and dizzying anxiety that the confined space created within her.

When the space suddenly widened, her eyes shot open and she actually began to cry quietly in relief at being back in one of the tunnels that only yesterday had filled her with dread. Aris helped her out of the tight space and she smiled tearfully at him, hoping that he wouldn't judge her for her emotional state. She hardly registered Taggert's presence and she didn't even have the energy to feel uneasy about him as she staggered forward on stiff and aching legs and collapsed against the nearest wall. The next thing she knew a hand was on her and she jerked back in to awareness, realising with embarrassment and some bewilderment that she had fallen asleep during their short respite. She didn't know who had woken her as they'd obviously moved on about their own business but she was grateful to them as she took the opportunity to stretch out her aching body. The teen was prepared to fall in to a deep sleep rather than continuing this journey but she followed reluctantly when it came time to leave, only mustering the energy for a lazy wave to the departing Pycon.

They set off along the tunnels, what energy she had recovered quickly being sapped away as she trudged along the monotonous path. Waisana had to focus most of her attention on putting one foot in front of another, only a small amount of her awareness expended in watching the periphery so that she didn't bash sideways in to the walls. Ixzo's occasional presence barely registered as she kept walking onward in her fuzzy, dream-like state. There was no time for her as she lost the concept of bells and chimes as everything was replaced by exhaustion and agony and deepening darkness. When the breaks came, the blonde had to snap herself out of her daze and simply lean against the wall for fear that if she sat or lay down that she wouldn't be able to get up again. Small amounts of food were forced down, the doctor merely nibbling at her rations until it was time to move again.

When they came to the door, Waisana almost slammed in to the person in front of her as she was so slow in perceiving what was going on. She peered at the shape with dull curiosity and came alive more as the door swinging open set the air vibrating. She was suddenly on full alert, slipping in to a state of terror as she expected the tunnel floor to give way, except this wasn't the same sort of tremor or even as strong. She calmed herself, rubbing at her face and slapping her cheeks to bring some life back in to her features as their leader and their guide entered the new space. There was no telling how long they were gone with time moving in odd spurts for her now as if she kept drifting to sleep where she stood and had ticks slip by more rapidly. Aris and Deathspark returned, a cryptic remark passing from the watchman to his subordinate before Sparrow went to explore the space in their stead. Again the time slipped by strangely although she gathered that some chimes had passed by the demeanour of the others in the group. The whooping sound had startled her fully awake and she followed the others although she couldn't muster the anticipation to match the growing atmosphere. She really needed to rest. She had a desperate need for rest. Half a bell would be excellent right now.

Waisana responded to the order to move away from the wall and found herself gasping and shielding her eyes as bright light blazed along the walls to illuminate everything to a magnitude which she hadn't seen since they'd entered the tunnels the previous day. The difference it made was startling after the gloom they'd travelled in thus far and although her eyes stung with it, the light helped her feel a bit more alert. Ixzo moved past her to consult Aris but Waisana felt that she didn't need guidance. There was something about this new tunnel that made her think they were nearing their journey's end. Surely this change meant that they were no longer in the tunnels of the Underwatch for this one had been constructed entirely by human hands rather than simply shaped to their purpose. She felt that this wasn't the work of the Drykas, it couldn't be, so that must mean that it was made by others, perhaps those who had held Evain.

The doctor allowed herself to drift closer to Sparrow, not trusting his compatriot and not wanting to risk Aris's ire. She waved a low hand to show that she wanted his attention, trying to be subtle so that Aris wouldn't notice. Hopefully Ixzo would distract him enough that he wouldn't see the blonde breaking the rules about talking. He hadn't renewed the rule today so perhaps it no longer applied or he was beyond caring.

When she thought she had the young Watchman's attention, she signed to him rapidly in small gestures and whispered as softly as she could to communicate without attracting too much attention.

Near. Question. Destination. Question. "Were you told anything?" she asked. Her gaze flickered towards Aris to check that she was safe before she did something that she'd never done. She regarded the man with her head tilted slightly towards him as she looked up at him hopefully from beneath her lashes, her hand reaching out to brush against his briefly. Scared. Please, she signed. The teen had no idea if she was doing this right but it was worth a shot, unless she'd read him wrong earlier.

[Amunet]

Amunet had slept soundly. After having an invigorating conversation with Zoot and checking on her things that had set out to dry, the red head had rolled up into her wool blanket and bedroll and was asleep before she had settled. She usually rises with the sun, but there was no sun down in the depths of Semele. The squeeze of the arm did startle her as she jerked and looked up. Aris gave sign that it was time to get up. She breathed a sigh of relief. Certain recent experiences had made her just a bit jumpy. Taking a chime or so to gather her nerves, she moved to start repacking what she had set out to dry. The Healer had the most supplies and gear.

She hadn’t quite put on her shirt and cloak back onto her body as Taggert came up behind her in a most uncomfortable way. Before she could say No as she was well used to packing on her own not to mention he didn’t know how to pack medical supplies he was messing with items and jerking at stuff he knew nothing about. She was about to back hand him one for jutting his hips against her behind but he was gone as her swing missed. Her sky blue eyes were blue fire at that point. She turned away to keep packing as it was likely she would be the last to be finished. Like items were wrapped and bundled together in kits. These all fit in her pack and yvas bag she had brought.

The girl dressed in her shirt and cloak as she felt the fabrics quickly gain warmth from her skin. The girl shouldered the pack and the yvas bag was on the other shoulder as she moved towards the other women. Before she knew it there was a grunt and Taggert grabbing his genitals and Evain running towards them. Her eyes furrowed in concern as her hand and arm reached out to Evain to comfort. In moments she was looking towards the commotion as Zoot more or less had been Evain’s savior. Amunet softly giggled a moment. There was part of her that had her hand go out towards Taggert, but Aris had pushed him towards point. She would have to inquire later to see to his aches and bruises. It was her nature even if it wasn’t the urge to do so.

The Healer had done nothing to the man as she walked passed him. He was bruised up as the compulsion wasn’t too strong. The girl would need to tend to him later. The tunnels had gotten smaller and smaller. Her being short the passages even on hands and knees was not too much of a problem. Her packs were. She pushed her pack up and dragged her pack with and kept this rhythm up. It was kind of like scrubbing, sort of. Sparrow was stalled by her several times as she had to stop to breath. What she breathed was not healthy. She didn’t have time to look for the mint salve to put on her nose to mitigate that smell. Again there was push, scoot, then pull continuously. Push, scoot and pull. It became even more narrow as she was on her belly but still kind of the same. Push the pack ahead, scoot on her elbows, pull the yvas bag with. Sparrow would push his pack forward which helped her with the yvas bag.

They came finally out of the small tunnel and into a dry cavern with Aris helping her through as well as her pack and yvas bag. Everything felt like lead weights as she plopped over against a wall and on the ground breathing heavily and breathing in the relatively better air. She looked up in time to see Zoot leaving? She was going to miss the little guy. “I look forward to it Zoot.” She said at the clay man in sincerity. There was a little chuckle at the ‘weeee’ she heard as he went down the shut they had shimmied up to get here.

They marched on. It was getting rougher as Aris pushed them. She didn’t complain but it was a hard push on the lot of them. Everytime they stopped to eat and get a short rest she would check on everyone to see to their health, even Taggert. Taggert seemed to have a change of heart as he seemed afraid to even touch her. Be that as it may, she still offered the healing. It wasn’t that she couldn’t provide medicine, conditions and time didn’t allow it. Her argument was that they needed him as healthy as possible. He declined though. Other than general soreness they were fatigued and wore out. Still they kept moving. To where, she had no idea as she was turned around. She followed the person in front of her. How the underwatch navigated these halls she didn’t know. She was also tired and you miss details when you were this tired.

Amunet almost missed the change in rock, but the dampness that crept back hit her as she looked around. The blue door startled her though as they came on it. The girl watched silently as Evain went to the door, followed the line and opened it. This was not a common door. As they went through the door she was looking at the stone of it as it was a different color. She had no knowledge of the door mechanism and could only imagine in wild speculations. Sparrow had the lot of them worried till they heard him exclaim his victory over something. Once they had entered the strange constructed room, Sparrow warned not to touch the wall in the blackness he had plunged them in. ‘oh no, no more surprises. ‘ She hung her tired head as suddenly there was flames and fire. She didn’t speak still as she wondered how this was constructed and the tired chagrin at surprises was replaced with amazement. It was also greeted by warmth. The warmth of the fire bit back the cold and damp in moments. She looked to Aris and the others see where they would go. Evain started down the corridor as she gasped. ‘no, Evain. ‘ she thought as she moved ahead to try and get Evain’s attention to stay with the group instead of go down the corridor. “Evain, back here. Stay close.” She would say to the black eyed woman. “Safe with numbers.” She moved as far down the corridor as she dared to get her attention.

[Prophet]

The tunnel they found themselves in was strangely comfortable now that the flames had illuminated the stones. There wasn’t much to do once Evain took off. The small girl with black eyes was fleet of foot and disappeared down the corridor with the little redhead darting off after. Aris rolled his eyes and gave the sign for moving. He was about to dash off to catch and slow the strays when Sparrow beat him to the punch. The big man gracefully slipped between the remaining party members and made long, silent strides until he was also out of sight.

Aris had no intention of running or pushing his troop to do that. In fact, he led onward paying no mind to Merevaika. At this point in the journey, he was not concerned with her running off. There were simply too many unknowns for even a wildcard like her to chance wandering off. He signed some things with Deathspark and the mute signed some things back but neither could be seen very well aside from the occasional fragment. Taggert walked trail making sure to allow several yards between his form and the last woman in line. He did not want to venture the wrath of Aris nor anyone else for that matter. The slight limp in his walk revealed that he hadn’t quite overcome the blow distributed by the Pycon.

Sparrow caught up to Amunet who had easily caught up to the poorly-shoed Evain. He put himself in front of both of them. Evain was rather shy around the big man and buried herself against the healer. The watchman knew enough about body language to take a few steps back. He held his hands out in front of him. “Hold up, girls. We have to wait for everyone else.” He took a deep breath and looked about the corridor. Up ahead was a right turn and what sounded like running water. The bald-headed, bright-eyed man with the mocha skin craned his neck to listen. He noticed Evain doing the same thing. A grin slid over his face. “Wait here…”

He jogged up to the bend, pivoted right and after a few ticks of silence there was a loud echoing whistle of appreciation. Shortly after, Sparrow poked his head around the corner with a very enthusiastic expression on his face. In truth, he looked like a kid with fresh candy. “You guys gotta come see this!” He signed hurry and disappeared again.

Whether Amunet and Evain elected to be brave or wait for the rest of the group, the approach to the source of Sparrow’s excitement was same old, same old. The corridor was plain block with the lit fire groove. Rounding the corner revealed the exact same construction but it came to a landing where the ceiling dipped down several feet that would cause even short people to duck and to further raise the strange, the walls closed in to half the width of the normal hallway. This was simply to help pre-empt the culture shock that would take place once one stepped through the tiny entryway.

The room on the other side was something of a marvel. It was the same block with the same sequence of lighting but so much more. The room was over forty feet wide and twice as deep but the vaulted ceiling went on forever. The walls ran up high enough so that the inlay of flame that illuminated the place ran around four times before the panels of engraved copper began to pitch up towards one another. In the middle was a large circular water fountain made of some kind of crystalline rock that shimmered and sent dancing reflections of color all over the room as the fire and water manipulated the light through the structures. There were several small pools tossed against the corners in the shape of triangles and diamonds. There were steps leading down into each pool and flowers grew along the crevice where water and stone met. The dainty little blooms ranged in a variety of colors, shapes and species. The viney intertwines were luscious with soft, velvety petals and everything seemed as if it was in perfect homeostasis. Sparrow was kneeling over one and waving his hand through the water. He was giggling each time he did it. “The water’s warm!” He ran his fingers over the clear pool once more and giggled again.

Evain looked confused. This was not the way she had come before and it was written on her face but the soft air and warm vibes had her sitting near the fountain and watching the colors move about on her skin. The sound of the flowing water was therapeutic on its own but Evain began to hum softly and it was such a sweet tune that Sparrow ceased his giggling and simply stared at her with wonder and admiration in his eyes. The girl shut those black eyes and after several rounds of humming, she began to sing in tones of la-di-da but the added projection of her voice seemed to awaken the walls and the fire and the water within the room. Everything seemed to be alive.

It wasn’t long after that when the rest of the group arrived. Not only were they greeted with the magnificent sight of the bath house but also the echoing chorus of Evain’s voice stirring heart and imagination to beautiful dreams. The scene was so perfect, so wondrous that it would be a long time before anyone even noticed the presence dancing along the ceiling. It was so high up and there was so much to see that the blooming cloud of color simply seemed to belong. It was impossible to tell the size since every note of the abused woman’s song caused the shape and shade to shift into something else. Regardless, it was just lingering upon the ceiling having a good time and enjoying the song. Aris passed through and signed that everyone should be alert but even the stubborn old watchman found the tune mesmerizing and ended up relaxing against the fountain with his pack on the floor and his eyes closed.

[Ixzo]

Once again Aris ignored her. Without thinking about it, the lioness' jaw snapped shut, grinding her omnivorous teeth together almost painfully. When she was younger she would immediately snap at him, yowling and demanding he give her an answer if at least not pay attention to her. Yet she had spent seasons with the Drykas and had already gotten a few sound lessons on why she should keep her mouth shut around them. When the small black-eyed Chaktawe took off, he took the chance to ignore everyone as well.

Doing her best to separate the painful grind of her teeth, Ixzo pushed herself after him. They had been travelling for what felt like days. She hadn't seen the sun or anything she recognized, and while she didn't mind the subterranean trek, she was getting grumpy and irritated.

“You guys gotta come see this!” Her thoughts were interrupted by the fluid Pavi that echoed down the corridor. Automatically, Ixzo turned to look for the speaker, following the tunnel until she saw Sparrow's back. Curiously, the Kelvic padded forward, wanting to see what had caused the excitement, her earlier irritation diminishing.

Only her view was obscured by the tunnel. A sigh of defeat crept out between her lips as she realized she would be crawling again. She wouldn't have minded if she wasn't lugging around all her weapons. The journey that was supposed to be so dangerous was starting to be a nuisance by how calm it turned out to be. How far had Evain travelled on her own? Were they so much slower because there were many of them? Was the Chaktawe even scared of anything? Or perhaps she had a sickness of the mind. Illness caused by loneliness, and she had lead all of these people, including herself, into deluded danger just to justify her weak mind?

Still, Ixzo ducked out of her bow, and stretched it out before her, letting the long weapon guide her through the tunnel. Once she had gotten through, Ixzo immediately turned around, intent on offering her hand to the next one to come through. Once Jasmine's golden blonde locks were upright again, Ixzo turned around to look at their new cave once more. A low whistle of pleasure sunk into the big room, bouncing off the walls with much more vigor than her previous tight surroundings. The flame still lit the walls, which still unnerved her, but there was so much more for the lioness to look at. Jasmine was quickly forgotten as Ixzo ducked back into her bow. With her actions muted by curiosity she worked on pulling her braided dreads through the string before stepping forward.

Sparrow did not spare time before he melted into a child himself. The fire, the pools, the flowers. It was all enchanting. She didn’t know much about plants, but a small thought reminded her that flowers do not grow without sunlight… should not. Still, the Kelvic kneeled beside Sparrow, dipping her fingers in the water as well. A grin split across her face, even if it was dampened by confusion. Why was the water warm? Must there be a spring underneath? Then how would each little pool be heated? Questioned buzzed in her mind as she wiped her hands on her pants to dry her finger tips.

Like the others, Ixzo was quickly enchanted, but for a different reason. Lining the pools were flowers, and within those flowers, one in particular caught her eye. With a quick dart of her hands, she had caressed the orchid, plucking the thick petal flower from its stiff stem and holding it to her nose. Of all her jungle flowers, this was not so scented, and yet the soft aroma reminded her of the thick rainforests. Blocking out the world around her, Ixzo let her eyes close as she imagined being back home. Climbing across a mossy branch, she could smell the flower more clearly in her feline form, and yet the memory only helped with the current scent. She loved to find the flowers hanging from the trees. Her aunt told her that they only bloomed once a year if they were lucky and to find a plant in full bloom was good luck for that day's hunt. She remembered the first time, not far from the clan, she had wandered across a small bundle of the things with one of her cousins. OF course her immediate reaction was the bat the thing down, but her cousin held her back, telling her to just admire the flower, there was no need to take it.

A pain, deep in her chest, dragged her back to reality. Nostalgia. Her thoughts provided the word to describe the sudden ache in her heart. All her cousins, her mother, her father, popped into her head when she opened her eyes, looking back at the purple dotted flower. The soft purr that had started up upon sight of the flower vanished, and she frowned. She could miss her family all she wanted, but she would never leave them. The shimmering connection to Rufio that she felt would tie her down here forever, and she was happy about that. There was no need to remind herself of it. And with that thought, just as quickly as it had come, the Nostalgia was gone, replaced with the joy and thoughts of her bondmate. Suddenly, Ixzo was antsy. The sleepy goodbye she had given the Drykas didn't seem enough. They never had issues being apart, since she knew they would always be together again, but now worry seeped into her mind.

Standing up, she tucked the flower into the hilt of her belt, secured between the knife and the axe. A hint of beauty between her deadly weapons. Now the Kelvic looked at the subterranean sanctuary with the feeling of wanting to go home rather than stay there.

Although Evain seemed utterly at peace, her hackles rose at the sight of the Chaktawe closing her eyes. Still, she didn't feel alarm when Aris told them to be. She recognized the quick flash of sign but did not immediately pay attention to it. What did they have to fear? Still, the gooseskin on the back of her neck struggled to warn her of something, and the lioness knew better than to ignore it, still the thought to look up did not occur to her. With lazy movements, one hand crawled up to her shoulder. The quiver with her arrows greeted her, and the lioness leisurely pulled four out. She liked to have some in her ready hand, just in case. Most of the time when she hunted she only had one or two ready, only shooting if she knew she could hit her prey, but the aura of unknown the shrouded this strange tranquility demanded she prepare more. She wouldn't have time to reach back for more if danger arose.

Still, Ixzo crouched back to the ground, clutching her bow and arrows in one hand ready, and caressing the soft flowers with the others. She didn’t recognize most of them, but hope followed her reflective gaze as she looked to find another familiar bloom, one to remind her of home as well.

Myrian | Pavi "Speech" Sign | Common | PC/NPC "Speech" Sign

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine followed behind Ixzo and Aris quickly. No matter how bright the light around the group was the blond did not want to be left behind. Everything so far was making Jasmine more and more nervous. The woman was normally very calm and collected, but being under ground so long away from Syna and Leth's lights was making her nervous. Shaking her head the blond stayed close to Ixzo and Aris as she tried to pull answers from him again. She gently put her hand on Ixzo's shoulder to try and help calm her down when suddenly the young man who had raced off after the girls called back to them.

“You guys gotta come see this!” Jasmine heard the young Watch member call back to the group.

Jasmine followed after Ixzo when she took off with the rest of the group. Slowing down some the blonde attempted to see before her. The low growl from Ixzo meant that there was something not pleasant up ahead. Soon Jasmine pouted as well seeing the woman before her crawling through another tunnel. With a soft groan she took the bow off her back and began to crawl in after her. Thankfully when she reached the other side Ixzo was there with a hand held out. Jasmine got most of her body out before taking the outstretched hand standing up with a grunt. She gasped at the sight and sounds before her.

Jasmine looked around at the beautiful sights before her. A huge fountain, small pools, and amazing flowers littered the room she had emerged in. Slowly walking forward the blond looked around in amazement. She had never seen anything as beautiful as the flowers above Semele's skin. Kneeling down she gently touched one of the amazing plants, the light from the fountain danced across the woman's skin. Looking at the water she knelled down and gently put her hand in the water amazed once more at the warmth. Even under syna's light the rivers and streams above ground would never get this warm. Looking over Jasmine heard the small woman begin to sing. Amazed could not describe what the woman felt when she heard evain's song. Relaxing on the ground beside the pool she continued to listen ignoring Aris as he said something about staying alert. The blond allowed her hand to just sit in the water as she enjoyed the singing. Yawning she had began to tire while listening to the soothing sounds not noticing the shifting shadows above them.

The Clan is Strength.
The Clan is Life.

[Merevaika]

As they moved along the corridor, Merevaika became more of a member of the group rather than a prisoner. She loved the freedom - there were no eyes watching her, just in case she decided to pull something. They had more important things to take care of. Either that, or they knew she wouldn't leave, or cause trouble. Her sense of freedom seemed to shrink away as quickly as it had come. She wasn't free - none of them were. None knew the way out - not properly, at least, however carefully they had been following these caves. Even those who could see paths, like herself, wouldn't be able to follow it back, not with the drops they had been through. Besides, it would have long worn off. She couldn't tell. Time in these tunnels passed differently. A sudden feeling of claustrophobia came over her. Around them, both above and below, lay layers and layers of dirt and rock, separating them from all they knew. The sky, the grass, their Striders. Her mind went straight to her mighty stallion, who should have been with her. When they separated, trouble happened. It always did, or so she believed. Twitching uncomfortable, she tried to settle herself, not let it show.

She knew that all the others - the other Drykas, anyway - had Striders too, yet they seemed fine. Of course, they weren’t like Merevaika and Eryunt, as far as she knew, but they were still bonded, still Drykas. The unfamiliarity of it all was terrifying, but at the same time, she hadn’t noticed it before. It was these tunnels, she decided. They were especially haunting, the way they weren’t just tunnels. They were constructions, deliberate, designed. It seemed like something was in the atmosphere that made Merevaika, at least, unstable.

Then someone called out, something to be seen. Jasmine and the dark skinned woman moved forward, faster, Merevaika slowly padding behind all those that ran. Her mind wasn’t interested. Instead, she clung to her bow and quiver, wishing and hoping for a familiar shape to appear from the darkness, despite knowing it was impossible. All she cared about was Eryunt. This journey in the tunnels had lost any meaning. It was long, tiring and they had, so far, discovered very little, with no reason why Merevaika had to be there. Why she had been spared, she didn’t know, but she did know that this was a fate worse than death. She might never see Eryunt again, from the way things were going.

Her mood fell even further at the sight of the tunnel. Almost groaning out loud, she followed those before her, kneeling to pull through the small space. This was sickening. Where were the large open areas, the sky? Even her tent, however small that was, seemed like a king’s palace compared to these tunnels. There was light there, and the feeling of home. More than she could ever ask for.

The room they entered was breathtaking and suddenly, alll feelings vanished, her eyes moving to the large ceiling. She was almost hoping for Syna’s light, searching where the sky should have been. Something darted before her eyes, but then the colour came, making her overlook it as a trick of the light. The colours danced around the room, catching her gaze, and she felt herself be led through the pools of water and fountains. Plants grew from the edges, all colours and shapes, flowers blooming. If Eryunt was here, he would have tried to eat the flowers. It was something he always seemed to do, biting out at the coloured petals before spitting them straight back out, if he didn’t like the taste of the violet or sungold. The mask of wonder fell, Merevaika overcome again with the feeling of needing him. The beauty of the place shifted to even more home-sickness, the flowers and light so much like home.

She moved around the others, some of which moved to the pools and the fountain, other which listened to the black-eyes girls humming. Her limbs were heavy and she sunk to a corner, separated from the rest, trying to loosen her heavy muscles. She reached out towards the pool, warm water slipping over her fingers. She spooned it up and poured it across her face, licking the water off her lips. Taking another scoop of water, she pressed it against her lips, soaking it up. She was thirsty and tired. While warm, this water tasted fine. It soaked her dried throat and gave her energy. Energy to look up, bow across her body and eyes scanning the surrounding scene. They focused in on something that wasn’t there, not initially. All her focus was on that. The magic swirling in her body; she could feel it channelling up her arms and into her eyes. Then the world started to fade and shift before her, everything lighting up with its own energy, its own magic. Paths traced across the scene, some burning brighter than others. Her eyes darted from the familiar paths of some to the stranger paths of others, feeling unsettled, all at once. Was this paradise under the ground truly abandoned? If there was something there - something that had passed by, she would know.

Eryunt’s path almost came into sight, the swirling mix of green and black that almost blended but instead sat in its speckled form, rising and falling with the motion of the horse. She blinked it all away, pulling out an arrow, or two, or however many came out with the handful. Lining up a shot, Merevaika placed the arrow against the wood, drawing back before letting it thud in the ground, a few paces away. The noise almost brought her back to life. Around her, everyone was relaxing to the soft tune of the black-eyed girl. Someone had to keep guard. Merevaika strained to keep up, keep focused, mind drifting to peace and then to Eryunt. Her grip on the bow only tightened as her grip on focus vanished, mind tired with emotions. Perhaps she could take this moment to rest...

[Waisana]

The girl had tried to use womanly wiles or something like them. When it came to men, she was accustomed to colleagues and family members, or those she had to work with in other capacities. She had had some men show interest in her before but she had never reciprocated their feelings. Waisana had never tried to flirt with or manipulate a man. Therefore, it was unsurprising that Sparrow hadn't responded to her sorry attempt to play on his feelings. She'd thought there was an attraction--his demeanour earlier had suggested as much--but perhaps she'd been wrong or she was just very bad at this sort of thing because he moved on ahead without so much as a backwards glance. The teen didn't have any interest in him, but yet the failure of it stung and she drifted back in to the main group, cheeks beginning to burn as he set off after Evain and Amunet. He couldn't have gotten away fast enough if his quickly retreating back was anything to go by. She hoped that her poor seduction--could she even call it that?--hadn't been witnessed by anyone else because the situation was already humiliating enough.

The doctor made no attempt to speed up, something that probably wouldn't go down well with Aris anyway. In fact, she dragged her feet, falling back further in the group. When she realised that she was behind all of the other women, she recalled Taggert with horror and darting a glance behind her found him there. He was keeping a reasonably distance but all the same, she picked up the pace a little, not wanting to be too close to that man. The shout up ahead gave her more reason to move faster as if out of curiosity, but she had to resist the urge to break in to a jog to put a greater gap between herself and that pervert. When Waisana became closer to the rest of the group, she relaxed a little and was finally able to feel some curiosity about what had gotten the other young watchman so excited that he had yelled back at them.

The narrowing of the passage ahead earned some moans and groans from those ahead of her, but the girl was willing to bear it despite the ache and weariness of her body. She would have to bend and shuffle forward through a narrow space but at least it was better than crawling. There could never be anything as bad as moving on hands and knees on slimy stone, while the walls seemed to close in around her. The claustrophobia began to work at her again in this space too as she shuffled along with her pack dangling from her hands in front of her. Waisana focused on her breathing, trying to keep it slow and calm while she sought to forget her location. Instead, she watched the woman in front of her and tried to imagine that it was merely darkness on all sides of them rather than all encompassing stone. When she reached the end and emerged in to the space beyond, she found herself gasping in relief and wonder as the ceiling soared high above her at last. After spending so long forced in to small spaces, the area she now found herself in was welcome and awe inspiring.

This space was a place of light and glittering shapes, sparkling water and beautiful flowers. It seemed to cast a spell over her, this chance for peace and respite. By some unspoken agreement, the group began to settle themselves. Waisana moved forward in a trance as Evain's voice wove beautiful melodies with her sweet tones. With amazement, she discovered the heat rising from the pools and found herself dipping her hand in to it and exclaiming in delight when she realised that it was in fact heated and not her imagination. Her pack was deposited beside it and the teen sat to remove her shoes and dip her aching feet into the glorious warmth. More of her legs were exposed, submerging the limbs so that water lapped at the underside of her knees as she sat at the pool side. She lay back, her lower legs dangling in the water as she gazed dreamily at the ceiling. The water was wonderfully restorative, strange though it was, she was convinced it was a godsend. It was just what she had needed and as she lay in perfect contentment, the exhaustion of her body edged her towards sleep. Aris had made no move to stop her as yet and so she was happy to remain as long as she could, just watching the shapes on the ceiling as Evain sang.

She watched the cloud of colour moving around up there and noticed in a distant way that it almost looked like it shifted and changed in response to the Chaktawe's voice. The blonde extended an arm out above her, pointing lazily at the moving thing. "Look at it move. It is as beautiful as Syna's setting," she commented softly, her voice echoing a little although it might well have been lost under Evain's louder tones. "Such pretty colours."

[Amunet]

Her hand reached out to the black eyed woman as she reached her just as a dark tall object fled aside the red head and the former slave. Amunet’s demeanor was briefly protective as her breath in took in the ticks it took to recognize Sparrow. Evain huddled against her in fear as the Healer’s arms wrapped around her subconsciously in that way nurturers are accustomed to consoling. Evain would find her warm and the medicine woman’s touch kind and compassionate. Those light sky blue eyes with the gold star pattern met Sparrows straight on as she tilted her head up.

There was a thankful smile from The Healer as he backed up seeing the distress Evain was portraying. The little Drykas rubbed her hand up and down on the back of the slight formed woman who Amunet thought could use an extra meal or two. In hindsight, that could be said of herself. The girl took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as those black eyes came out of hiding to look forward as the gentle seeming curious Watch became excited about the passage way, noting something that Amunet couldn’t discern. There were a lot of details but she had nothing to relate it to as she looked around while Sparrow went forward. The little lady motioned to the former slave to move forward but added caution to it. “We stay together. We protect each other.” The young woman said in a quiet tone. It was something the Drykas held dear that they as a community take care of their own.

They were almost to the entrance of the low pathway She went first and beckoned the slave to follow. Even at her height, she had to crouch down some. Once in the room, she gasped at what she saw. Her form moved forward, shouldering her pack and yvas bag of supplies till she was away from the entrance and off to one of the side baths. She put her bags neatly down as she moved to the etched copper. “I wonder if this could be glyph patterns? “ The girl mused. Her walk took her around to see the patterns of the sides before turning her attention to the central fountain as she examined what seemed to be crystalline structure. The others had filed into the room as Evain started singing during her examination. While the others were getting the shock moment processed, Amunet moved to where the flowers were.

Her face went as close as possible to the blooms as those little fingers gently touched one. Her curiosity was in full throttle. They were thicker than what one would encounter and she had never seen it’s like before. The girl doubted she would have time to pull out one of her books she notes things in or attempt to draw these flowers or the designs on the copper or any of the other designs on the stone. It was timeless here. Like everything stopped. She giggled as her face turned to Evain and she moved to sit near her. “This a Drykas lullaby” The Healer said in common. “The words not hard.” In Pavi her soft melodious silken voice would range out fearlessly. The voice was not bad if untrained.

Children of the wind
Lay down your sweet head
Don’t worry dear children
The winds are well met

Children of the wind
Zulrav lead the way
Don’t worry dear children
Zulrav come what may

Merevaika may remember this song. Pavilions have one tradition or the other, so she was uncertain if they know this lullaby or not. “My mother sang this when little.” The little healer patted Evain’s hand before moving to examin the flowers next to Jasmine. “I wish I had a chance to draw these. I would take samples but would it anger Semele if I did this? “ The girl mused. One part of her said to leave it as is, one part of her yearned to take a sample to take back up to the surface though she knew not a thing about it. That in itself spurred her even more to find out what it is. The root structure went in between the rocks, partly in the water and partly in the air as if it was drinking both air and water. How it got its nutrients she wondered also. How did it stay in this state? Amunet looked for glyphs or something indicating some assistance to this phenomenon. Her father once said to her that magic could be where you don’t expect it.

Amunt was completely unaware of what was in the shadows till Ixzo growled kind of as she looked over to her and then up. Those sharp sky blue eyes furrowed. She couldn’t see a defined shape. The curious girl looked at Evain. Those eyes went back to the shadows. All they did was enter in and look around. Evain had sang. There were stranger things as she went to the crystal and then asked Evain to sing a little more. It was a restful song. Amunet then watched the area up towards the ceiling. She took a deep breath or two before those eyes narrowed and the gold in her eyes shimmered more brilliantly as the broken ribbon and strands appeared. The girl focused on the shape as she pressed the focus forward for the bands to show up and represent a color if the shadows would throw one. If not then it was just the dancing lights or some phenomenon of this room. If it is something, hopefully garnish a placement. Her hand rested on the fountain structure for support as she did this.