Quest [Summer SQ] Captivity

[Inoadar]

Ender's presence suddenly registered to Inoadar. He looked at the silvery orb and listened, considering the possibilities the entity presented. Inoadar himself knew little of magic beyond the bit of Flux he practiced. But being linked with Miro, the familiar brought an arsenal of capability with it. Inoadar was unsure, however, if he had the capacity to access any of the djed crafting skills the floating orb possessed. He knew how it had felt before when the mage's familiar had attached itself to him. It had seemed to act on its own to a large degree. At least he had assumed it had. He and Miro had been in such close quarters at the time it may well have been getting cues from the mage. Inoadar had not had any great cause to consider this detail then. But he did now. And the prospect suddenly loomed as a major advantage. "My friend, I would be grateful to have your company in this endeavor. I can think of no better partner." He had almost said "assistant", but found it to be poorly representative of the cooperation he had in mind. For as he had considered the concept of ENDER being "linked" with Miro, it occurred to him that he then, would ALSO be linked. This would allow telepathic communication between the two groups. They would be able to coordinate their actions with extraordinary precision. At least he hoped this was the case. He had to consider the possibility that this only worked over a very short range. The orb seemed to be swirling in its depths a bit more than he'd seen before. He wondered if that was some sign of pride or gratitude. "Ender, if you are connected to me, as before, and we are on the other side of this facility, will you still be able to communicate with Miro?" Before the familiar could answer, Acolyte Grey announced her disposition regarding the splitting of the party. He could not deny some apprehension with being partnered to the Paladin. Not only was the man rumored to be somewhat of a zealot, and most likely ill-disposed toward the poisoner, but he was equally held to disdain magic as a tool of cowards. Inoadar did not truly know if these claims were true. It appeared he was going to have a chance to find out.

[Daegron]

I guess we'll find out soon enough..." he said and his stern gaze met Evelyn's for a brief moment. His emerald eyes amidst the greatly exaggerated facial features being the only thing on him that reminded of his human form. He wouldn't falter. With the Paladin and one of the soldiers gone with the ingenuous Dr. Parnell, the meat shield role fell on his shoulders. He had to be very careful and focused. They needed him and they would depend on him. At least, that's how things looked from his point of view, where his companion's talents were still to manifest. He egoistically felt that despite Evelyn's de facto leading position, the group would benefit from his guidance.

The doors opened and rows of long corridors opened in front of them. The individual rooms were closed and their purpose only known to the only KRI member who had the nerve to follow the raiding party.

"First door on the right in the second corridor.... let's find it quick !" he thought to himself and walked first into the facility. He kept his eyes peeled for any sign of mischief; for any furry animal that could watch or attack. He motioned the rest of his companions that it was safe to walk in and as soon as they'd entered and the gate sealed shut behind them, he spoke to the wolf:

"Let us know should you catch a scent eh ? At least something that stinks more than I do..." he then turned to the rest of the group and tried to pass his next words as more of a suggestion than an order:
"Let us stick close to each other, shall we ? It would be a folly to divide our numbers..."

The institute's schematics was their first goal, that much he believed to be clear to everyone, so provided they all had the same priorities he would eagerly walk towards the second corridor. This part of the facility seemed unharmed and perhaps even avoided by the wild animals. He constantly looked around, trying to catch any sign of movement. It wasn't lack of trust on the wolf's sense of smell or her loyalty to her young master and the mission. He believed that one could never be too careful. Perhaps if he acted like that he could make his more.... careless and hasty self disappear, at least for a while. As soon as they'd all reach the right corridor he would stand guard, while Amanda retrieved the needed information.

But seeing that everyone was cautious enough , his curiosity bested him and he couldn't help but open the first door to the right, barging into the room directly opposite of Amanda's office. His enthusiasm sank immediately as he came face to face with a series of shelves holding.... papers. He assumed that this was some kind of file kept in there, readily available for the boss. He cursed his luck and himself under his breath and promptly left the room.

"No ! " he mused."Petching paperwork won't do a thing to help us now... " he mocked himself while trying to read everyone's reaction on his rash decision to scrounge around.

"Do you think there might be anything else that could be of use in these rooms ?" he impatiently asked.

It sounded more like he was asking directions as to where the really useful stuff were held...

[Miro]

There was much that was said and a lot to be taken in. Sevris was to go with Nolan, and Ender as well. While this was not ideal, Miro unable to work over the Paladin, he instead had an Acolyte. Rather than impress them both together, he would have to separately, and through Ender no less. It had worked before, so chances were it would again. Though there was a bit of this group that was strange. In the end it all seemed rather inconsequential.

Nolan, Ender and Sevris made an effective flanking team. They would be effective alone, and whatever they set as the their objective would surely be accomplished. On the other end, well, Miro did not have as much faith in his allies. Lady Grey had proven herself capable in the past, at least in terms of killing. But this was administering sedatives. They would only be as effective as their ammunition. Beyond that, it was likely they could offer little.

However Miro had magic, a great arsenal of tricks, not just means of brute force. Leeching would be useful unlike any other instance. With countless targets needing to be neutralized, but not killed, it was the ideal choice. And with each drained, the wizard gained more Djed to cast with. It would fuel his other spells, see that he kept everything under control. Even sedated Kelvics would still yield Djed.

Though one thing could not be denied. There was a Morpher among the ranks of the party. A discipline Miro practiced, but was entirely untrained in. Not fully understanding the magic, he could underestimate a practitioner. Though the discipline did not seem ideal here, his knowledge could be invaluable. There was a simple way of sizing him up as a Djed user.

Miro began to expend his Djed and attune himself to the Morpher's aura. He focused entirely on the man before him in attempts to feel him out. The rough exterior was not an enjoyable sight, though it was worn with pride. His aura shone outward from him with great brilliance. His soul was well trained, proof of his magical talent. Though he was far from seeming intimidating.

A deeper look into the aura revealed a firm sense of confidence however. At least he was not afraid, it was a good sign. Though his body seemed quite weathered, perhaps a consequence of the magic. At any rate, he seemed inspire the most faith, if only a little. Perhaps this effort would not rest entirely on the undead's cold lifeless shoulders.

Meanwhile Ender conversed with Nolan about their end of things. He had floated to his ally and listened carefully to the point expressed. It was a comforting reunion, Nolan being a person Ender admired greatly. Though he seemed to have suffered damage since last they met. The Irylid constructed a response. He could not speak in his sealed form, so he needed to state everything now.

"I am always able to communicate with Miro, so I will bridge communication to the main party. However, in my sealed form, I can not speak. So, as usual, I will shift if necessary. Together we are a highly effective team. With our advantage of your passage, we are made even more effective. I will protect you, but you must lead our effort."

The Irylid moved to his partner and shifted forms to become an icy bracelet upon the man's wrist. It was simple enough to watch from this perch, however certain actions were restricted. A notable perk was gained however, a link to Nolan. To view his aura or perform Hypnotism when in constant contact with him was all too simple. It could provide some use, but this form was highly ineffective without use of Reimancy.

There was an unspoken agreement between the master and Familiar. Both would see that their assets were protected first, that civilians were safe second, and that the Kelvics were safely restrained third. Their priorities were clear, as were the methods. Leeching played a large role, but other magics were necessary to ensure it was viable. This was one such instance that they would be pushed to the limits of their capabilities.

Miro however was ready to follow the lead of his group for now. He was highly cautious however. As they entered the first room, it was a calm atmosphere. But he knew that just beyond it was a great struggle. Reimancy was not ideal, but it was his greatest asset. He focused his Djed to the surface of his skin and began to cast aqua colored Res from his all over his body. It formed a visible aura around him.

As well he began to pull in Djed via environmental Leeching. Djed began to be absorbed back into the skin that had previously released the spell. It was a slow means of gathering for spells, but every bit helped. He followed closely behind Acolyte Grey, but did not speak a word. There was nothing that need be said, they were past words. Now all that remained was action.

[Redd]

Redd’s golden gaze had been caught by the changing of the male that had winked at her earlier and her head lifted as her ears pricked forwards, these signs indicating her interest. She watched as he grew slightly taller and she listened as it sounded like he sang something, something that she wasn’t very familiar with. She angled her head to the right at this, silently questioning this, before she returned her thoughts to the task at hand and the warning that had been given to her should she share sympathy with the other kelvics within the research center. There was something that most people didn’t understand, well, that most humans didn’t understand. That was, in the animal kingdom everyone was fair game when one was a lone wolf, she didn’t hold no loyalties to them and rolled her golden gaze upwards towards her master before they entered into one of the many corridors of the research center.

One thing that the wolf did notice as they entered the building, was the way that her claws ’clicked’ upon the floor, for there was no soil to muffle the vibrations and or sounds that might been made. Second thing she noticed, was just how white these corridors and rooms were and she lowered her nose as she began to sniff along the floor to pick up any scents that could possibly be found. However, as she lifted her nose, it wrinkled almost instantly at the scent of these corridors. It smelled like that stuff that some humans used and they mixed it in with water to bring that foamy white stuff. It disgusted the wolf and she sniffed, an ear flickering back, but one remained forwards just in case. Why an animal would even try to hide in such white corridors amazed the wolf, she felt exposed out among these corridors and she hoped that the others felt the same, as tension rippled through the muscles underneath her skin. If these animals really were planning an attack, it would be better if they knew their surroundings to do such a thing. The pack was so successful in their hunts because they knew their territory, she lifted her gaze to view the lead woman of the group. What exactly did they do to the kelvics here and how well did they know their territory? She silently questioned before her gaze flickered back to the male that had changed his appearance, his words reaching her ears.

Let them know? Of course she would, she had her master to protect and so she found this a little insulting, a ’huff’ arising from the wolf before she lifted her nose once again, drawing in what little scents she could find from around them. It was still that odd human scent and the scents of the people within the group, no other scents could be found just yet, not that she could determine that was of a threatening nature anyway. However, while Redd wasn’t one that was fully trained in the art of tracking, she was at least aware of her senses and she listened for anything that wasn’t her claws clicking upon the floor or the soft footfalls of a boot. Her tongue darted out to lick her maw as she listened intently. She thought that this was supposed to be a breakout of animals having been caged up, why did she not hear anything? If she had been caged, she wouldn’t be sitting back, she would be racing down hallways to try and find some escape, shifting to attack if she found some form of block getting in her way. It was just too quiet and it bothered the wolf, bothered her enough, so that both of her ears flickered back to press against her head, her golden hues paying close attention to any movement that might indicate an attack.

[Nemesis]

The Paladin’s route with “Nolan Parnell”, around the side of the facility, would be unhindered; as of yet none of the animals had escaped into the large expanse of fenced compound. They would pass one door which clear wouldn’t lead them into any corridors to the facility, before arriving at the white, windowed door that would give them access. Upon peeking inside through the barred window, they would find nothing in the corridor to slow them, no life (human or animal) to cause them danger.

Were one of them to test the door, however, they would not be able to open it with a simple twist of the knob. Of course, the door would be locked, as most were in this facility. Inspection of the door would reveal a lock on the outer side of the door, as well as one on the inside, using either would be an effective method of releasing the catch. The window itself was a single pane of glass, crudely finished as the building wasn’t designed for its aesthetic nature. The bars were wrought iron – immovable, and they were spaced approximately five inches apart; they were there to stop larger predators from forcing their way through the door, not to stop smaller animals, who would not have the strength to break the door.

---

The main party – which consisted of the remaining volunteers, the Acolyte, a soldier and two handlers - would also find no sign of animals or humans as they first entered the facility, nor would they spot any form of destruction on the part of the kelvics. The group followed in behind the morpher, and the officials present would find no qualms with disagreeing with his advice that they all stick together.

It was the soldier who spoke out, however, altering Daegron’s plan ever so slightly as he used his military tactics in order to better protect the lives of those who were here. "However I am not wholly convinced that it would be wise for all of us to enter every single room. Barricading ourselves into a room is a last defence, and not something I hope we will need to do. It would be more sensible for a maximum of three people to lead and scout, whilst the rest remain on guard."

The handlers were distracted by the general talk and one of the pair hushed the rest of the group, desperate to silence them. Armed with a few Wildleash darts and an animal control pole each, they were both watching the corridor in front and keeping an eye on the red wolf that padded along beside them. Knowing how sensitive a wolf’s sense of smell and hearing could be, they would not pass up the opportunity to remain on an even footing with the angry kelvics, caged beasts who were probably desperate to be free.

The handler on the right spoke, “Go into the rooms if you want, find what you think you might need, but the room we just passed just holds old files on the kelvics. So if you’re planning on attacking them with paper, by all means, go in. Whatever you decide to do, though, keep it down.” Still, the majority of the group would hear nothing, and the next room they would pass would be on the right.

OOCI’m really sorry, guys. I forgot this thread exists for a little while and then I was hoping people would reply and… nope.

Sev, you still with us? Going with Ino? I’ve written that you are but if not let me know and I’ll add you to the main party.

Okay so no Cal yet. We can… he can exist. As to Miro, to make things easy, I’m going to say that he and Ender chickened out. I know that it’s very unrealistic given their character, but let’s pretend that they turned up to listen to Amanda and then said that they had better ways to occupy their time <.<
*

[Redd]

Redd’s golden hues flickered over to the man known as Daegron and angled her head slightly to the right. She would question the man’s motives if she even knew as to what he was doing, but she alas, she didn’t pretend to know anything human related. Or if he was even human at all, for he has clearly demonstrated his ability to change, but what tripped this wolf up however, was the fact that he didn’t carry an animal scent, nor did he look even remotely like an animal. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the task at hand. So far, there didn’t seem to be any damage, but Redd hardly expected there to be much damage. For if she was an escaping kelvic, she would just be in too much of a hurry to stop and do damage to the place. That was just her however, for she liked to think that she was born wild. The young wolf didn’t know as to whether these kelvics were born wild or born in a cage, she also didn’t know if the behaviours were different. A sudden question popped up into her head then as she lowered her head for a moment to ponder it. If a kelvic had been born in a cage and only knew the world as a cage, then would they have any basic instincts that those that lived in the wild had?

She angled her head at this before she glanced up at the humans being all… Well, humans. Honestly, to her they sounded very much the same after a while, all trying to boss the other around. Although, she didn't know why they were talking when they were trying to surprise the animal kelvics, their talking would just spook them and give them the advantage. Wolves while hunting, would just communicate through low growls and small movements made by their bodies. Then it made Redd realize something, how was she going to warn the humans of possible incoming danger if they were not used to a wolf and their kind of language? She pondered upon this for a moment before a scratching sound of sorts could be heard and she stilled, both of her ears flickered forwards to listen a little more. It had stopped by the time she had done this, but she remained vigilant, waiting to hear the sounds again and hear them she did. Sounds of scurrying, although it was only small sounds and she angled her head as she tried to ponder this for a moment. A large animal might make louder sounds, much like with the clicking of her claws upon the surface of this floor. Unless it was a cat where they could sheath their claws, which would be a problem if there were any cats loose in the facility.

It was then that she remembered that maybe she should warn the humans about the sounds and a low growl rumbled from the wolf as she took a couple of quick paces forwards Her head remained lowered as she tried to work out as to what animal would make that scurrying sound. It was a sound that she knew but it wasn’t something that she was overly familiar with. Her golden hues scanned the corridor ahead and she figured that perhaps it was just up ahead around a corner or something. She wouldn’t be able to fully deduce as to where it was coming from unless she followed it, because hallways tended to echo a little bit, this she had found out. She lifted her front right paw as well as her head, her ears still remaining forwards as she listened. It was most definitely scurrying noises that she could hear, but from what? She lifted her nose to scent the air, but almost instantly she realized that it would be useless because the building didn’t have the wind breezing through it to carry scents. She heard it again and suddenly it clicked. The scurrying sound, sounded like rats. She had been put off because the scurrying sound was against the floor, but it definitely sounded something like rats. She glanced upwards at the humans as she wondered then whether she should go on and investigate or wait for them to give her a command, for she didn’t exactly fancy ending up in a cage herself.

Word Count731

[Inoadar]

Inoadar made his way around the perimeter of the facility. He stopped frequently, checking for movements that might indicate an ambush by lurking Kelvics. He had thought the familiar would be with him to allow quicker communication between the groups. But for whatever reason, he found the little entity absent. He was not sure if the Paladin was even still with him. If he was, he was employing an admirable measure of stealth. Inoadar was impressed. The soldier did not seem like the type to concern himself with gaining the element of surprise. He seemed more the type to step boldly into the open and challenge ten times his number... and defeat them. Nor did he recall hearing any sounds of combat behind him that might suggest a reason for the Paladin to have been held back. They certainly did not want an ambush party coming up from behind them either. Inoadar decided he would not wait. He knew there was a door that needed to have its lock picked. He did not hurry though. Haste was unlikely to serve any benefit. If the main group moved in before he was in position, it would take focus away from his approach and he could inflict heavy casualties with his 'Wildleash' darts. If he moved in first, he would lead any pursing Kelvics into the cages outside. He expected he would know whether the Paladin was still with him before he finished picking the door. One thing he found top be in place long before he would get any locks picked was the lingering smell from the few empty cages where the dumped the droppings. He'd noted the presence of this on his last trip here, when he'd been on the set-up job he'd described to that Nitrozian lady, Amanda, before setting out. There was less excrement now than before, so he assumed there had been composting done. But he didn't really know beyond the indication one could glean from the lesser degree of stench. He sneaked carefully, keeping his head down as he crept up the passage between the rows of empty cages. The pathway rose from below the level of the cages to come up to the same level. At the point where his eyes first crested ground level, he halted and looked all around before going further. Seeing nothing, he slipped past and mounted the steps leading to the landing outside the door. As expected, it was locked. The Paladin may have been guarding the approach that Inoadar just passed. He may have moved past the base of the stairs to look in the area to the side of the wing. All Inoadar knew for sure was that he was alone on the porch. He unrolled his thieves' tools and examined the lock for a moment. He'd hoped that he'd remember which pin and wedge he'd started with the other time he'd come here, but nothing came to mind. It did not look like any terribly new or innovative style of lock though, so he went with the standard gauge pin. he slipped it along the lower trip jaw, testing each pit and rise for a pivoting gradient. He found two, which was a surprise. He replaced the standard pin with two thinner ones and used a slimmer wedge to secure their pressure on the descent points. He slipped a loop lock on the ends of those tools and carefully tried to check the top plate for additional points to slide up into the top of the lock mechanism. He was relieved to find only one such point in the upper plate. Normally it was reversed, with only one sliding pin in the bottom and two in the top. He smirked as he considered the possibility that the locksmith may have put the "drum" in upside down. It was not as easy to adjust his orientation towards the inverted lock as one might have thought. he felt like he needed to stand on his head as he worked the pins and wedge to open the passage enough to slide the internal bar from the slot that held the two jams in place. There was a soft click and Inoadar grabbed hold of the door latch so it would not start opening on its own. He'd had a creak betray his presence before and it had not been pleasant. There was also the oft overlooked aspect of ambient outdoor noise. So many people thought that if they opened a door silently, there could be no betrayal of their presence. They did not consider that the sounds of the outside world became noticeably pronounced with the door open. Fortunately, as he was picking the lock, he'd already heard an abundance of noise inside the building. He doubted that even the typically enhanced hearing of a Kelvic would notice him slip inside with all the ruckus. The didn't know why there was suddenly so much noise. He hoped it heralded the advance of the main party from the other direction.

[Daegron]

oocAmanda Nitrozian is with us, isn't she ? or did she chicken out ? correct me if I am wrong please and I'll edit accordingly

Eagerness.
Keeping it down ? As if the animals penned in this facility lacked the superior senses their free counterparts had. They didn't need to make noise in order to make their presence known. The shuffling of two feet, their breaths, their scent were enough to alert the whole facility of the invasion that was taking place. Daegron hoped and was more or less certain that the kelvics were unable to organize themselves in such a way as to effectively dispose the raiding party, despite the fact that they'd all soon know about the humans who were infiltrating. Nevertheless, there was no time to start arguing about that, so he nodded and decided to focus on the task at hand.

Seeing that no one was eager enough to go grab the facility's schematics, he walked towards Amanda's office. It became evident to him that his eagerness was received with a bit of suspicion by everyone. Did they really think of him as a petty thief ? Barging into random rooms using the necessity for caution as an excuse to grab whatever was worth a few mizas ? He surely didn't like the looks one of the handlers was giving him. It made the Morpher's blood boil and wouldn't tolerate such insolence for long. Perhaps that bastard was hiding something ?

He was blissfully ignorant of the effects of his transformation. As Djed coursed around his form, paranoia had already settled in. Primal instincts would follow, and hopefully his experience at the NMSS would help him deal with such influences. He mustered all the patience he could and spoke as calmly as possible.

"If miss Nitrozian would be so kind as to retrieve those plans ? Or perhaps one of her fellow handlers ?" his eye fell on the taller of them, the insolent one, his green stare piercing him, trying to notice any hint of malicious intent. He'd crack sooner or later, Daegron was certain.

The low growl that came from the she-wolf, thankfully took his attention away, before things turned awry. His eyes darted at her and managed to hold his tongue. She heard something ? Her ears were twitching, as if responding to some sort of noise, inaudible to the humans. He held his breath as she seemed to sniff the air. There definitely was something she'd detected. He raised his arm trying to get everyone's attention. With a series of crude signs, he beckoned them to remain silent, hating the fact that their earlier suggestion to keep it down was proven to be very right.

As she looked up towards them, he walked towards her as silently as he could. Menacing as his altered face was, he knew that she would not be intimidated by his ways. His words were not an order, but a mere whispered question.

"What is it ? Did you notice something ?

[Nemesis]

The handlers did not approve of some of their number. The soldiers they needed, and the poison crafter, who had added substantially to their own reserves of Wildleash, of which they did not have enough. The Kelvic? So far she was proving to be of use, but there were no guarantees that she would remain loyal to the humans when faced with the truth about the fate of many of her own kin. She was not one of them, and the handlers were keenly aware of that and, though they did not overtly point a dart at her, they were both prepared to subdue her too, no matter what the reaction of her Master. The final member of the party, however, was an anomaly. Rough in appearance and personality, the handlers did not understand the reasoning behind his presence.

When said Morpher spoke, one looked around and stared him down for a moment. It was the soldier of the Ebonstryfe who, at the behest of Acolyte Grey, eventually pushed his way through the group to enter the ahead Researcher's office in order to find the schematics. Busy in the room for a substantial period of time, searching, the wolf Kelvic first heard the distinctive sound of scurrying along the floor, and the two handlers who had been careful to watch her every twitch were the first to be alerted to the presence of others just around the corner.

Not long later and they, too, would hear the clack of tiny claws against the concrete floors of the corridors in the facility. However, the handlers did nothing to prepare themselves for an onslaught; around the corner, and through a door, the rodents were housed. “The rodents have managed to pick their way through the door... or eat through it more like. Metal meshing only works in a place like this when it covers the entire door, rather than just the viewing frame. I think all of the Kelvics have the ability to force their way through the doors.”

"That's a detail for when we each fill in our reports, but for now, all that matters is stopping them from escaping." The young woman rummaged inside her side-bag for a number of Wildleash darts, though she paused and looked up when a handler spoke, “Those won't be necessary for the smaller rodents, Madam. The larger Mustelidae, like badgers, perhaps...” he trailed off as the first of the Kelvics rounded the corner and sat, staring at them. It was a blonde ferret, no larger than the handler's forearm. A hush grew over the party, as all watched, until a flash of light signalled the creature's transformation and, when the light receded, all would see the naked form of a female charging at them.

--
The soldier waited quietly behind the poisoner as the latter fiddled with the lock. Wary as ever, the man did not allow himself to think about the poisoner's skills as a larcenist, especially as the chimes ticked past and the door made no sound of budging against Parnell's efforts. Instead, he kept watch on the two corners, both a good distance away from their door. To their knowledge, all of the Kelvics were inside the building, but he would take no chances, lest any had escaped without the knowledge of the KRI staff, most of whom were waiting safely HP behind the metal fencing.

The soldier's head spun as the lock on the door clicked, allowing them access and, reading himself, he nodded for Parnell to open the door slowly. No matter how the pair entered, however, they would meet with no force, no rampaging Kelvics. Along this corridor was housed the female bovines, though all remained in their cages, the noise from beyond the corridor was enough that many on this corridor were agitated, but they were no threat to Parnell or the soldier. “Two ways beyond here: straight on or to the left. We should check the latches on each of these cages before we move on.”
*OOCOfficially three of you, it seems.

Nope, Daegron, Amanda isn't with you, she's keeping herself safe! Right, I'll be trying to post a schematic map of the KRI up in the next few days for you all to use, but I need better technology to do that...

[Inoadar]

Inoadar opened the door very slowly. He knew that there was more than just a creaking hinge that could betray a stealthy entrance. The ambient noise from outside will tip off anyone inside it if flares suddenly in volume from a door being opened quickly, regardless of how well-oiled it is. It needs to be introduced in small increments to go unnoticed. And even then, any sudden noise that is clearly an outdoor sound will give it away. Inoadar only opened it a crack, and then held his ear there, with his finger over his lips for the soldier's benefit. He eased it, bit by bit, until it was open a full foot. At this point, any volume of noise from outside would be fully detectable to anyone inside and nearby. He motioned to the guard to grab a board and hold it to block the light from the doorway. Now he shoved the door open all at once, knowing this was the best way to push past any creaking hinges. The board kept the hallway from lighting up suddenly from the daylight. The only thing that could still betray them was the smell. There was nothing he could really do about that. He could only hope that the long established presence of this area as the waste dump had made everyone inside become inured to giving the notice of it any significance. This appeared to be the case now, as the door opened onto a cage-lined hallway, with a prominent left-hand door that was clearly not just another cage. The soldier recommended checking the cage latches. Inoadar supposed this was not a bad idea, but he decided that it would be best if he checked them alone. If he was seen with the soldier, the inmates would know that he was on the side of the KRI. If they only saw him, and only in plain clothes, they might believe him to be infiltrating on their behalf. This confusion could be useful in the clutch. This strategy had the downside of pretty much assuring that they went left, instead of straight. These bovines would see the soldier if they went straight. Inoadar moved up and down the two sides of the corridor, acting as if he was disappointed to find them locked. He muttered a few comments about needing to find a key somewhere, hoping one of the Kelvics would think him a friend and give him some helpful clue in this regard, but he enjoyed no such luck. This however reduced the potential problem of having to go straight and showing himself to be in league with the institute. If none of the captives could get free of their cages, it didn't matter if they knew. But for now, he and the soldier decided to press on with their choice to go left. They did so without a word to each other, not wanting to tip off the caged bovines about any aspect of their intent. Inoadar made an effort to time his steps with those of his companion, to further add to the impression that there was only a single presence there.