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EDGE OF YZZAYT'S TRANSGRESSION - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Bracvar huffs as he scuttles around an outcrop, somewhat burnt out by trekking so many softly soiled hills the past few hours. Sandy beaches are one thing, but the constant changes in slope of the mountains were not designed with crustaceans in mind. Still, he looks focused and confident, having not faltered once in leading the pair up towards where the Prominence once was, only a short distance off now. "Keepin' up, aye? O'er there, somewhere, yeh'd hear the kids playin' a coupl'a years ago. Yeah, tha' clearin' there." He points off toward a wide meadow, old trails still stamped into the dirt cutting through the overgrown grasses.
Ninell strides along without difficulty in his gear, his halberd slung over his back. Despite the trek on foot being quite a long one, he looks only a little travelworn in that his clothes are dusty. "I am keeping up just fine, Bracvar, thank you. So, this is where the dragon originated, hm?" He shifts his gaze, tracing the closest trail for a few moments, "Or at least, this is near the town, I imagine?"
Bracvar nods, gesturing vaguely West of the meadow. "Aye, if'n there were. Prominence lays that way." He scuttles for the trails, the widest one providing much appreciated support for his legs. "Still find it hard teh believe, myself. If'n the saurs had a bleedin' dragon, why waste folks on attackin' caravans? Jus' send the big bastard down to level half o' Respite an' be done with it."
Ninell shrugs. "I wish I could answer that, but I suppose that's why I am here in a way, hm? From what I heard from the guards, it sounded as though the dragon only just woke up."
Bracvar hums, nodding. "Suppose so. If ah... That. Hm." He slows in his scuttling, peering ahead of them at the horizon, though from his angle nothing seems to be extraordinary... Except "Well fer certain, there seems to be a little less mountain tha'way."
Ninell hums as he follows Bracvar along. "Mmh, I would imagine a lack of a mountain would be a good indication of something having happened."
Bracvar grunts, seeming to forget his soreness as he pick up a renewed pace. "Aye. Fer some reason, 'the mountain fallin'' brought teh mind a landslide or a cave-in. Or both." He glances at Ninell, grinning a bit. "Yeh know how tall tales can get." The meadow fades away into more and more tamped earth from traffic as they pass the last bit of obstructing terrain, revealed to the breadth of destruction that had certainly earned it's name. Outskirt huts destroyed by rocky debris, and anything carved into the mountain face lost into an unrecognizable slope of loosened boulders. Brac hesitates as he lays eye on the wreckage, unable to quip on it for the memory of the place being overlaid with this new image.
Ninell chuckles a little at the quip, nodding along. "Yes, tales can get quite tall indeed on subsequent retellings." He curiously looks towards a shrine of some sort, but doesn't comment on it as Bracvar simply walks by. Momentarily distracted as he is, he almost walks into Bracvar once the crab stops, but he's able to avoid doing so as he draws up alongside him. His eyes widen as he gets his first view of the crater of rubble that stretches out in all directions before them. "...But this does not seem to be a tall tale..."
Bracvar grunts quietly, tapping his finger on a leg as he looks toward Ninell after a moment. He shakes his head slightly, peering past the Sergal at the construct. "Not at all. And looks like we're not the first teh come see that fer ourselves." He looks to Ninell, then back toward the crater. "Well. Think I c'n find our way to where there was a throne."
Ninell hums quietly as he follows Bracvar's look back towards the construction behind him. "So I assume that was not there before? We should be careful, then, just to be sure." He looks over at Bracvar again and nods, "If you know the direction, by all means, please lead on. Though... the stones look loose, so we might want to exercise care."
Bracvar hums, nodding along. "Yer right. An itch in my shell says anyone ou' here ain't as friendly as Usid." He continues along a recognizable road strewn with rubble that grows in scale until the path becomes a slight valley among ruined stone. He picks his way carefully, strong in balance but lacking in grip as he is. "Wouldn' wan' teh be doin' this after a long night at the Minnow."
Ninell laughs a bit as he follows Bracvar with a fair bit of ease, though the heat of the rocks does cause some discomfort. "I doubt anyone that wished to pay respects here would appreciate anyone walking through the rubble. Unfortunately, I have a duty that needs attending, and I will do that duty no matter what."
Bracvar chuckles, nodding along. "Aye, a bit o' what I was hopin' fer when yeh agreed to this trip. Not much fer fightin', myself. C'n do it, course. Just- YEK!" His shout echoes back to them a second after his leg slips, lodging in the gap between three stones for a few moments while he keeps his balance, before he pulls free. Brac glances around them after settling, continuing to pick his way a little more carefully. "Er... Yeh, not lookin' fer a fight, especially on current terrain."
Ninell moves up and does his best to help Bracvar regain his footing, such as it is. He scans around warily as he does so, since he's pretty sure that shout just alerted anyone within several dozen meters of them, if not further, if anyone is indeed around. "I doubt anyone would want to fight on this terrain, unless they were archers of some sort. It'd be a fool indeed that would try and charge at us now."
Bracvar gives Ninell a look, shaking his head. "Oh, hm. Aye, probably should've said somethin' earlier, though what I heard is the warriors're mostly dead. The saurs've got archers, aye, and they've got the advantage ah flight to boot. If'n we're lucky, the stories've their ritual suicide during tha' ambush are true." He glances around them as well, though he can't help but stare more at the rocks where his legs need to land.
Ninell furrows his brow a bit as he learns more about the Saurs. He does his best to keep watch on his own footing as he continues to follow Bracvar over the stones. "Ritual suicide...? They were really that zealous in battle?"
Bracvar shrugs, sparing a glance toward Ninell. "Far as I know, aye. No shame t'be had if yeh don't fall teh the blade of a foe, I s'pose. My eyes, no shame t'be had if yeh fight fer a just reason." He pauses while navigating a tricky slope, "Or if yeh never fall at all."
Ninell hums in discontent, but shrugs after a moment. "I suppose they have their reasons for such a stance, even if I cannot understand it."
Bracvar laughs quietly, shrugging. "Aye, must have." He gestures toward the core of the crater, where the rock pile seems to dip down further than the surrounding area. A few dozen meters of treacherous slide ground between them and it. "Tha's rough-abouts where the amphitheater was. C'n see where the mountain used teh grow from and... All that lower area must've been a bigger cave 'fore it fell in."
Ninell follows Bracvar's gesture and nods at the crab's assessment. "Looks to be the case, yes. I take it that would be where our search will be focused, if the dragon was occupying a cavern deep below the mountain." He pauses, then sighs quietly, "I cannot imagine how much rubble must be between us and the actual cavern, though."
Bracvar laughs with a dry bite under it, sighing. "Aye well... Dreading the trek is a little behind us now, I think." He grins at Ninell, a spark in his good eye despite the situation. "Jus' don't get too far ahead of me, lad. Yer much younger and springier than this old crab."
Ninell smiles and shakes his head at Bracvar's comment. "I will stay at whatever pace you wish to set, Bracvar. I am here, and will not be going anywhere in particular any time soon, so I am in no rush."
Bracvar 'leads' the way across the breadth of the crater, though really the two simply make their way toward what would seem to be the vague outline of a collapsed tunnel. The mountain face that the amphitheater was cut into, though sheared here through a dragon-encouraged landslide, is barely notable behind the slope. It takes just over an hour of careful movement and slight slips to make their way there. A trip that, pre-Yzzayt, should've only taken ten minutes.
Ninell is perhaps a bit winded by the trek over broken terrain, but he's holding up decently well. Since the two aren't in any particular rush, he's been able to conserve his energy following Bracvar at whatever pace the crab is setting for them, which has been far less tiring than actively scrambling for cover amidst arrow barrages or anything similarly hostile.
Bracvar pauses on reaching what used to be the center of the amphitheater, a spooked buzz running down his back. "Mh. Aye, looks a bit different, but this is the place. Now if Nesseth's memory is good... Aye, that's going teh take some digging." He's looking to where the throne was, not notable to new eyes as it looks just like any other bit of landslide around them. "Well... Maybe yeh c'n find a few scales up here?"
Ninell nods at Bracvar as he looks around a bit from his current position, though he knows he's probably going to have to start digging a bit if he really wants to find anything. "Mmh... anything would help, really. Samples of the dragon to send back would be ideal."
Bracvar grins, laughing as he looks about them. His eye catches briefly on a spot before he turns and points toward the left side of the nonexistant throne. "As yeh wish, I'll start excavatin' here, yeh start there. Just both of us keep in eyeline in case of visitors." He carefully scuttles near the glint from before, lowering himself to start moving stones.
Ninell nods as he makes his way over to the spot indicated. "Right. If you find anything of note, please let me know. The more I can collect to send back home, the better, I think."
Bracvar hums, nodding to himself as he shifts a flat stone aside with a crunch. "Aye. What do yeh need? Actual scales, or somethin' more specific?" He grunts on lifting a larger flat stone out of the way with another crunch, bending to examine something under the rubble.
Ninell starts to shift stones about in an admittedly somewhat aimless search, since there could be just about anything under any stone. He calls back over his shoulder as he goes about his business. "Anything and everything that might be related to learning about that dragon and its form. Scales, bits of wing membrane, anything of the sort we could learn from."
Bracvar nods, reaching down and pulling a large piece of shattered pottery out from the rubble, glancing over the painted surface. "Right, any discarded parts ah dragon." He sets the clay aside, moving a bit forward and hauling another small boulder from its resting spot.
Ninell nods as he heaves a slab of stone upright to look beneath, only to slowly set it back down in place. "Exactly so, Bracvar. If the dragon broke free from under a mountain's worth of stone, then it surely lost at least some scales..."
Bracvar rolls the debris aside with a deep thud before continuing to dig through smaller crushed stones. "An' what? D'yeh got some magic folk back home c'n figure somethin' out about Yzzayt by his sheddin's?"
Ninell shrugs. "That would be the hope, that some folks can divine a method to eliminate or drive away the dragon before its presence becomes more than a slight problem. If all else fails, though, then we may have to attempt a more... old-fashioned method."
Bracvar laughs, pulling the glinting object from the rubble. He finds himself holding a heavily damaged Respite sword, grunting in mild annoyance. He heaves the huge near-empty pack from the back of his shell, wrapping the blade in a cloth to prevent his pack from getting torn before setting it into the bag. "A quest teh slay a dragon? True knight of legend yeh'd be then."
Ninell scoffs quietly at that as he continues his search. "And a dead one, as well. We do not want to have to throw more warriors at something such as a dragon when we've so soon come out of a war to unify the country. If we can avoid a loss of life to the dragon, that is much preferred."
Bracvar sets the bag next to him after moving spots again. His size and leverage certainly help the crab make relatively quick work of peeling back the layers of rocks. "Aye, tis a shame the dragon found his way t'yer lands shortly after findin' peace."
Ninell rolls his shoulders a bit as he continues to move slabs of rock around in his search for samples, slowly working a zig-zag path from where he originally started. "It is what it is, and we can only attempt to deal with what fickle fate has put in our path in this regard." He grunts as he shifts another slab of rock aside, "Mgh... and I wish to at least find something of worth out here."
Bracvar rests a stone with rusty red spattered across it's underside to the side, pausing to tap his forehead twice in respect to the remains that were beneath it. He mutters, "Sure whoever's been plottin' out here would like teh find yeh." before moving on from the spot. "That makes two of us. Sure there mus' be somethin' teh salvage out this way."
Ninell moves another stone aside, only to blink when he sees something covered in dirt underneath. He stoops down and dusts it, only to sigh and shake his head when it turns out to be a tattered cloth of some sort. "Damn... Nothing yet over here." He looks over at Bracvar, "How about you? Anything of note so far?"
Bracvar shrugs, shaking his head. "Broken sword, broken soldier, broken plate. Nothin' broken off a dragon though." He moves to there the throne once stood, a boulder neither nor both of them were going to move resting on the spot. "Wonderin' if Yzzayt even flew over this spot, or if this all caved in his aftershock."
Ninell shakes his head as he takes a moment to stretch his back out a bit. "I wish I knew the answer to that, since it would make our search much easier."
Bracvar peers around the huge boulder, moving to the far side of it with care. "Well, our best bet'd be the nest. Which likely caved in. unless we're ridiculously fortunate." He moves toward the landslide slope where the back wall used to be, starting to pull stones aside there. "Likely not, but if the Whisperer's passage survived..."
Ninell tilts his head as he watches Bracvar examining around one of the larger stones. "A passage? Here... let me help clear the area." He makes his way around the boulder occupying the spot where the throne used to be and starts helping clear some of the heavier debris.
Bracvar works with Ninell to try and reveal solid stone under the pile, the pair making relatively quick work of the task as broken, but solid rock appears. "Well, I think we've found the mountain fer the rocks. Dyeh see a secret tunnel, though?"
Ninell shakes his head a bit as he takes a moment to wipe his brow with a cloth. "Can't say that I do, no. Are you certain this is the spot that this... passage was supposed to be at?"
Bracvar straightens up, relaxing a bit as he turns to Ninell. "Aye, a good friend was here, says 'e followed the saur leader down a tunnel b'hind the throne, led to where the dragon slept after a jog." He glances at the huge stone. "Throne was there, pretty certain. Course it could be collapsed."
Ninell hums quietly, thinking for a second. "Well... if the dragon was hidden down this path, then the passage may have simply collapsed during the dragon's awakening. Though whether it was from the structure itself being broken apart or the mountain dumping stones and dirt over it... I have no answer for that."
Bracvar sighs, looking back into the crater. "Well... Sorry lad, I'm out of ideas if'n there ain't a tunnel." He looks to where they'd been digging, jabbing a leg at the rubble. A few meters away, under the lower section of the slide, a face of loosely piled stone shifts underground. The crab hears naught.
Ninell 's ears, honed by his background and general build, flick beneath his helmet as he hears a subtle grinding of stone against stone for the shortest of moments. He grabs hold of his halberd, then swings it around into a ready position as he turns to look where the sound came from. He blinks, not seeing anything of immediate danger.
Bracvar perks up on Ninell's reaction, turning the opposite way with a hand tucked into the gap between his shell and torso. "Who's there?" He remains otherwise silent with the sergal for a minute before chancing a glance toward his companion. "...What're we lookin out fer?"
Ninell shakes his head as he relaxes his stance and rests the butt of his halberd on the stone ground. "Heard some stone shifting right nearby. Thought it might have been someone trying to sneak up on us." He points at the spot he heard the sound come from, then slips his halberd onto his back again, "Right over here..."
Bracvar hums, shaking his head a bit as he relaxes, looking to where Ninell is pointing. "Di'nt see anythin' move o'er there." He scuttles by Ninell, picking up a larger rock and tossing it near the source of the noise. More rocks slide from both their side, and another...
Ninell moves forward, his curiosity now overriding caution now that there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger. He draws his halberd again, then carefully jabs the butt of it against the stones that seem to be falling into the ground. "We may have something of interest here."
Bracvar laughs, nodding as he watches the rubble falling inward. He crouches down, starting to push loose debris toward the crater rather than into whatever maw exists below them. "Aye, excellent ears yeh got there lad!"
Ninell smiles and slides the halberd back onto his back as he helps to start clearing the rocks and dirt away from this hole in the slope. "They have saved me more than once, I will admit." He pauses as he takes a second to move a particularly heavy piece of stone aside, "So... does this look like the passage?"
Bracvar chuckles, helping with the larger stone. Though it'd lost much of it's entrance to the slide, the tunnel's smoother, if dusty stone seems relatively intact. "Aye, a passage it may be." He crouches down in front of the path, examining the ceiling for obvious fissures, and it's clear that the crab will have a tight time of navigating the passage.
Ninell seems to notice this as he glances between Bracvar's shell and the sides of the sloping passage. He pauses, then tilts his head. "Are you... certain you'll fit? I will almost certainly have to crouch a bit to get in, but..."
Bracvar grunts, the fact clear to him as well. "Perhaps not as well as I'd like, aye." He glares down the dark passage, turning back to the crater and pulling his pack up. "Well... I'd hate teh miss whatever we've found, lad. And leavin yeh to wander inteh there alone is risky fer yer health." He pulls a coil of rope and a pair of magitech lamps from the pack, handing the end of the rope and one lamp to Ninell. "You lead the way, I'll follow. If'n we reach a spot I can't pass, yeh head on. If'n yeh get in trouble, yeh tug the rope and I c'n try to pull yeh out."
Ninell accepts the lamp and the rope, and smartly hooks the lamp onto a spot of his armor's straps. "Thank you, Bracvar. Hopefully this passage is not too blocked up, at least, but I will return if there is any trouble on either side." He gives the crab a bit of a look, "Should anything happen on this side, give the rope a couple of tugs and I will come back."
Bracvar nods, wrapping the end of the rope around his wrist, but keeping the coil held to let off slowly. "Aye. If the tunnel widens a bit more rather than shrinkin', try ta shout up. I c'n squeeze through this bit, but likely nothin' tighter." He pats Ninell on the shoulder. "Take 'er slow, either way."
Ninell hums and nods. "Mmh, I will have to go slow regardless." He coils the end of the rope around his gauntlet, then reaches back to take hold of his halberd and sets it on a rock next to Bracvar, "My halberd will only get in the way in the hall, but my armor will at least protect me from anything small. Is there anything you need me to watch for while I am down there?"
Bracvar chuckles, glancing at the halberd. "I'll keep'er safe fer ya. Look out fer? Oh I don't know... Trinkets. Anythin' I c'n bring back to the saurs. I'd know better what ta bring back if'n I can lay my own eye on it, first."
Ninell nods as he looks into the sloping passage, then starts to carefully make his way down into the earth. "I will see what I can find, then."
Bracvar nods, relaxing with his shell against one side of the narrow entrance, carefully spooling off rope for Ninell. He turns on his own lamp, lighting the passage from behind Ninell as he watches him descending. "Yeh have just over an hour on that there lantern, by the by. Old, inefficient. Sorry."
Ninell shrugs a bit as he continues to slowly work his way into the passage, indeed having to crouch a little just to fit comfortably. "No matter. I have spare fuel in my own lantern if need be. Though... the only way this will take a while is if there are more than one path to inspect."
Bracvar hums, shrugging even though Ninell can't see him. "Wouldn't know, Nesseth was a little hurried when he came down this way." His voice is already starting to become hard to catch for the echoes, and ninell has become little more than a silhouette cast by his own light. Brac turns off his lantern to preserve the power, but can be clearly seen against the tunnel entrance.
Ninell hums and nods as he continues to make his way deeper into the tunnel at a careful pace. "See you in a little while, then, Bracvar."
Bracvar laughs, nodding. "Aye, in a while." He looks toward the crater again, still letting the rope off as it's drawn. "Take yer time, lad."
Ninell makes his way deeper into the passage, no longer talking and instead just concentrating on keeping his balance as he follows the path. A short bit of time passes, and the passage seems to widen a little, allowing him enough space to stand a bit more properly, though his helmet scrapes slightly against the ceiling. Raising the lantern, he sees what looks like a larger chamber further ahead. He pauses, considering his options, since he knows Bracvar wants to inspect the place himself, as well. After a moment of consideration, he shrugs and turns around to make his way back up the path.
Bracvar has settled his hips onto a rock, leaning against the wall a couple steps outside of the tunnel entrance. He's been watching a handful of birds flocking about, knowing which spot they've probably got interest in. His attention drops from them, though, when the rope stops moving in his hand, the crustacean turning to gaze down the maw. "Ninell? Yeh still upright down there?"
Ninell calls back once he hears Bracvar. "Yes, I'm fine. The cavern opens up a bit some way down in here if you wish to join me. It also looks as though there is a bigger chamber a little further in."
Bracvar pushes up off the wall, laughing. "Right as I was gunnin fer a nap, too. Right, give me a moment to er..." He grunts, his silhouette a jumble of shifting limbs and torso until he crouches down, facing the tunnel wall and carefully scuttling along sideways, lantern in one hand, rope and his pack in the other. "This is horribly undignified."
Ninell laughs a little as he coils the rope as Bracvar works his way down, just to keep the material wrapped up nicely and so the crab doesn't trip over it. "We are playing the archaeologists right now. I really did not expect this to be at all dignified. At least there are none here other than us to laugh at each other, hm?"
Bracvar grunts as his shell scrapes against the wall and ceiling in unison, his face inches from the other wall in a narrow spot. "Oh aye, just us. yeh weren't in danger of gettin' wedged, but that's my own fault." He manages to get down the tunnel, catching up to Ninell after a short while of effort. "Well, safe ta say the Whisperer wasn't ever a big saur."
Ninell nods at that and hands Bracvar back his half of the coiled rope once the crab has the space to maneuver properly. "It really feels as though these Whisperers were of the smaller sort, yes." He sighs a bit and turns to point deeper into the passage, "Regardless, the chamber is a little ways further in. It seems to be open, still."
Bracvar nods, taking the rope and tusking it away into his pack. "Well, yer the leader now, Sir Ninell. Not much choice in that matter." He grins before chuckling, ready to follow after the other adventurer.
Ninell hums and nods as he turns to lead the way down the path towards the chamber ahead. "I doubt we could squeeze past one another if we wanted to, yes. The path seems stable, as best as I can tell."
Bracvar follows along in his sideways scuttle, hips occasionally nudging a bit of rubble aside and shell occasionally scraping against the wall, but otherwise moving at an easy pace. "Well I c'n tell ya fer sure none of my folk built this head bumpin' hazard."
Ninell chuckles as he makes his way along at a decent pace, the cavern trail slowly opening up bit by bit as they get closer to the chamber. "I would imagine it was built by the Saurs, since so many of them are shorter than the two of us. I wonder what they would have done if their leader was one of the bigger Saurs, though?"
Bracvar shakes his head a bit, keeping his eye on Ninell's back and an ear on the path behind them. "Can't imagine it was never thought of... Perhaps it's not as ancient as the tribe? Or they ain't never had a big saur in the lead fer long? Never knew one myself, but I ain't that ancient." He breathes a strained sigh of relief as the ceiling and floor part a little more, his hips creaking in appreciation.
Ninell hums as he likewise takes a moment to stretch his legs a bit once the path begins to open, and eventually drops them into what looks like a rather lavish (if now ill-maintained) bedchamber of some manner. "Cultural differences... always interesting to see how others anticipate or expect things."
Bracvar hums, his expression lighting up a bit as the chamber is brought to life with their lanterns. "Aye, it's all quite interestin'. Wonder if'n the Whisperer kept any fallin's from Yzzayt in'ere?" He seems to be a bit distracted from the discussion at hand by the prospect of the living chamber, though he can't, and doesn't try to, edge past Ninell to get a better look.
Ninell doesn't stay in the threshold for long as he looks around with his lantern. A few moments after looking around, he steps in and gives Bracvar space to enter as well. "That is possible... Though after the mountain came down, I hope their containers are at least relatively undamaged, if there are any." He hums after a moment, getting a look at the decor, "Mmh... this Whisperer lived well, it seems."
Bracvar carefully manages to turn himself in the narrow T, looming behind Ninell for a moment before scuttling aside. Adding his light to Ninell's, the decor comes into full life and the crab lets out a hum of appreciation. "Aye, fair bit of offerings to 'im fer Yzzayt's favor, though not as much as one would think, I s'pose." He rummages a leg through the crushed remains of a clay pot by the wall, a bit of salt-preserved meat tumbling out of the debris. "Well. Don' think that'll have any ah... Sentimental significance to Usid."
Ninell looks over at the debris and chuckles once he sees what it is. "Mmh, I doubt Usid would care for a bit of salted meat." He goes back to looking around again, noting one of the tapestries is ragged and hanging limply, partially torn from its spot on the wall to reveal an opening leading deeper still. "Think that might be the path to the dragon's sleeping chamber?"
Bracvar perks up, turning his light toward the tapestry in question. "That or some kind of love dungeon. Worth checkin' either way, aye?" He gives Ninell's shoulder a playful nudge as he scuttles by, pulling the tapestry down and tossing it onto the dusty remnants of the bed. He peers down the passage, noting the heavier dust on every surface, as well as in the air. "Hm. Air's not still down 'ere, but it was definitely hit hard with the mountain collapsin'. From the other end though, from the looks've it."
Ninell laughs at the nudge. "I suppose the Whisperer might have had a concubine or two, hm? Strange place for such a thing, though, if so." He joins Bracvar near the opening and helps shine his lantern light down the path as far as it can illuminate. "Then, if it looks like that, I would imagine the far end of the tunnel may be collapsed, if that is indeed where the dragon emerged..."
Bracvar nods, looking down the way. "Aye, probably right. Air's still movin' through, or else wouldn' be nothin' floatin' around, but that doesn't mean there's anythin' left open. Still, assumin' doesn't land yeh any dragon bits, does it?" He laughs heartily, ducking into the tunnel that is roughly the same size as the first, if a bit tighter horizontally. The crab basically fills the space, dragging his hips on the floor between steps. Awfully determined to fit in the space, it seems.
Ninell nods at that, though he gives Bracvar a strange look as the crab tries his damnedest to fit into the passage. "Of course, but, uh... I would rather we come back alive and empty-handed than you dying because you got wedged in place..."
Bracvar chuckles over his grunting effort, about five meters into the tunnel and already touching the ceiling every time he scooches forward. He pauses, sitting on his hips and looking back to Ninell before turning his light down the tunnel again. "Aye but I think I'm already almost there lad... Can't be more'n a hundred more meters t'go..." He huffs after a few moments, starting to push is way back to the bedchamber.
Ninell steps back to give Bracvar space as the crab makes his way back out into the chamber. "Do you think I should give it a look, then? Or is it all collapsed?"
Bracvar stands off the ground with a grunt, his limbs certainly not appreciating that bit of abuse. He fetches the rope from his pack, doing as they had at the beginning. "Well, if there's air movin', there might be a gap. And even if not, maybe some o' the dragon's tat got blown into the passage ahead of the rocks." He tilts his head a bit, his expression flat. "Let's not've come all this way to quit before the end, aye?"
Ninell shrugs as he takes hold of the end of the rope again, knowing the plan without it being explained this time around. "Who said anything about quitting? I asked if the path was blocked visibly to potentially save some effort, but if it is out of sight, then we forge onward."
Bracvar nods, grinning. "Aye, forward. Can't see the end through the shadows, but can see plenty of dust. Might want ta cover yer snout with a bit o cloth in there. I'll keep peekin around in here fer anythin' the saurs might want."
Ninell nods as he takes a moment to rummage through his gear to extract an interesting mask-like attachment that he clips onto his helmet. "I will delve as far as I can, and if the path is blocked, I will see if I can move enough stone to gain entry to... whatever is further in."
Bracvar blinks at the attachment, laughing quietly. "Oh aye, yer more prepared than I thought, sir knight. Take care down there. Much as I want our journey t'be a success, that tunnel might get awfully close t'where the beast caused the most damage. No shoutin' up, just tug the rope a few times."
Ninell hums as he enters the tunnel and starts to make his way carefully deeper into the path, noting that the dust thickens the further he goes, and the stone appears to start cracking very slightly. He exercises due care, the rope slowly trailing with him into the path as he does his best to try and get a view of what lies ahead.
Bracvar hums to himself, allowing the rope to uncoil off his left hand at Ninell's pace as he watches the sergal's back disappear into the dark. He soon turns to the chamber, rummaging through some of the dusty, damaged remains. He finds a number of trinkets, packing anything small enough away into is pack. This includes some clothing which is less outstanding than the more ceremonial garb that Xeilrus was wearing the day he died, these garments used to gently pack away anything that might be easily broken.
Ninell makes his way deeper still, mentally counting the distance as the light emanating from Bracvar's lantern shrinks to a pinpoint behind him. The cracks in the stone, thankfully, don't appear to be growing in size, though the closer he gets to Yzzayt's former bedroom, the more pebbles and other natural debris clutter the floor. It's not long before his lantern falls upon a jumble of large stones blocking the path, though the gaps are at least significant enough to provide some breeze.
Bracvar shifts over to a small altar, brushing the dust from it and tilting his head. He gets a gleam in his eye when he shifts the top, lifting three of Yzzayts treasures to examine the gems in his lantern light. "Aye, what else would yeh need a deep mine fer?" He tucks them away into the pack, scuffing about to search for anything else, a bit annoyed that the holder for Xeilrus' fancy staff is empty.
Ninell draws a little extra rope into the tunnel as he sets his lantern down to examine the rubble. He takes a moment to rest a hand on one of the higher boulders and gives an experimental nudge, though he's not surprised when it doesn't move from such a light push. He sets his shoulder against the stone a few moments later, then gives a much stronger shove.
Bracvar pushes the altar a bit to the side with some effort, looking behind it and finding... Nothing. He's not sure what he expected, leaving it where it now lies. With a short sigh he turns to the bed, scuttling over to it and examining the damaged tapestry, his eye moving from it to the others hung around the chamber. "A bit heavy, but probably worth somethin'... Hm."
Ninell manages to shove the stone aside, but an ominous crumbling sound makes him bound back even as the stone shifts off of its neighbors. However, the sound was mostly just some loose fist-sized rocks tumbling down onto the floor. He sighs and steps forward again, picking up the lantern to hopefully get a view of what's beyond.
Bracvar catches the faint echoes of the rumbling, turning his light toward the tunnel and holding his breath for a few moments. When it seems to pass, without the rope tugging at all, he lets out a slow breath and returns to the tapestries. With more care than before, he hauls the dusty but undamaged works from the walls and carefully rolls them up. His eye is repeatedly drawn to the tunnel as his curiosity on Ninell's progress grows.
Ninell clambers over the lower, larger stones and into an immensely large chamber beyond, most of it well beyond the reach of the lantern's light. However, much to his own surprise and joy, he quickly spots a large, flat area bearing the unmistakeable scratches of the claws of a gargantuan creature. He barely pays any attention to the surroundings as he starts to eagerly make his way towards what he's assuming is where the dragon slept, silently praying for sheddings of any manner having been left behind.
Bracvar finishes raiding the small room for anything salable... Er salvagable rather, leaving the tapestries out of the pack and unsure if he'll be able to convince Ninell to carry any of them. He settles on his hips, sitting in front of the chamber tunnel as he somewhat impatiently waits on Ninell, noticing that his rope is nearing its end.
Ninell searches around, no longer drawing in any rope as he examines the spot Yzzayt was sleeping on, or at least the spots untouched by the falling debris of its departure. Looking more like an archaeologist than a knight, he begins to scrape up anything and everything he can for samples to stow in various vials and small bottles to send back home for examination. He likewise collects numerous old scale sheddings, and what seems to be a tooth of some manner, or at least part of one, and packs that away as well. It takes him the better part of ten minutes or so, but once he's done, he gives the rope a couple of tugs to signal that he's coming back out.
Bracvar has entered the tunnel again, his arm outstretched and holding on to the last foot or so of rope as Ninell had continued on. He's only in by a couple meters, but he tugs a couple times on the rope in response, slowly beginning to wiggle his way back out of the tunnel before winding the rope with Ninell's progress back.
Ninell makes his way back to the bedchambers a bit more quickly than he departed, his pack now a little heavier with samples that he's hoping will be enough to guide the folks researching Yzzayt around his homeland to finding a way to drive it off, or else vanquish it. He smiles at Bracvar as he emerges into view again. "There was a small blockage, but I found the dragon's chamber."
Bracvar grins brightly as Ninell reappears, turning his light on the ground so as to not blind the sergal. "Ho there, lad. Y'went far, almost pulled the line right out'a my hand! Any luck?"
Ninell nods, now grinning as he removes his mask. "Yes! The dragon must have been sleeping for a very long time. the area around where it slept was full of sheddings and the like, perfect samples to send back to Eukune for examination."
Bracvar nods happily. "Glad fer yeh, lad! What else yeh find down there?"
Ninell shakes his head as his grin fades back to a satisfied smile. "Nothing but more dust and rubble, far as I could see. The chamber is rather large, however, but most of it is under boulders, now."
Bracvar lets his grin slip, tilting his head slightly. "So nothin' else of interest? No say... Gemstones? No treasure? Y'sure?"
Ninell shakes his head at the question. "No, nothing of the manner as far as my lantern would illuminate. Either the dragon never kept treasure, which I doubt, or it was all destroyed when it took flight."
Bracvar crosses his arms, his expression darkening as it becomes a little more obvious that the crab is almost entirely blocking the exit to the small room. "The entire horde crushed? But yeh found plenty ah scales 'n whatnot. Mm. S'pose the mountain fallin' 'round 'im scraped plenty offa the beast?"
Ninell nods as he pats at his satchel, no doubt weighted down by the various samples and scrapings he'd found. "That would seem to be the result, yes. Though, I suppose there might be some remnants, still? The dust and dirt did seem to sparkle at least a little in the lamplight. But, again, there was nothing of particularly noticeable size remaining."
Bracvar clacks his mandibles under his tendril beard, letting a low grunt escape as he glances at what he's packed up from the Whisperer's room. After a long moment he sighs, shaking his head. "Right. Grab those rolls then, aye? Might as well make the best of the journey." He leans to the side, picking up the pack full of smaller goods and taking one tapestry under his other arm. He starts angling to scuttle from the room, stewing a bit in disappointment, but ready to accept Ninell's explanation since he knows he'll never make it through that passage for himself.
Ninell looks over at the rolled up tapestries, then nods and easily hoists them onto his shoulder. "Once we are back out of this passage, I think I will need to tie them to my pack for the trip back." He follows after Bracvar on the passage back to the surface.
Bracvar steps into the light after some slightly more difficult scuttling, both uphill and considerably more weighed down than before. He breathes in the fresh air, feeling as if a weight is lifted in the open air. "I can take the tapestries from here, Ninell. Jus' couldn' manage 'em in that narrow space." He takes the one he'd brought up, settling it into the gap between his shoulders and shell. "Natural shelf."
Ninell takes a few seconds to shield his eyes from the sun as he steps out, the bright light certainly both a welcome relief from the cavern's darkness as well as a bit of a literal pain as the brightness stings his eyes for a moment. Once his eyes readjust to the light, though, he moves towards Bracvar and does his best to balance the tapestries as indicated. "If you're certain, Bracvar. There we are."
Bracvar turns to Ninell, showing that he's squinting through a barely open eyelid. He sighs, nodding as he takes the tapestries and sets them on top of the other. "Sorry fer gettin' short on yeh in there, lad. Was just expectin' uh... A little somethin' fer myself rather'n things teh return to the saurs. Ah well, merchantry's jus' a form of gamblin' sometimes."
Ninell smiles a bit and waves a hand. "I suppose you win some and lose others, hm? Still, with the tapestries, you are at least not coming back completely empty-handed."
Bracvar chuckles quietly, picking up the pack and turning roughly Eastward. "Aye, nobody's gonna buy them, though. Well, perhaps someone in Sarn would as curiosities, but think Usid may be more interested fer better reasons."
Ninell chuckles in turn as he gets his own kit back in order. "Maybe he would, at that. Then at the very least, I hope your next sales are especially profitable for being so charitable."
Bracvar laughs, shrugging. "Aye, would hope karma catches up with my kind heart. Perhaps it has, depending on how long it keeps records." He gives Ninell a grin, nodding toward the edge of the crater. "Let's get back up tis mess'n have a bit to eat. Plenty of day left teh make strides homeward."
Ninell grins in turn and nods. "A meal does sound nice after spending earlier crawling around that cave." He takes a moment to glance up towards the sky, a slight look of discontent on his face for that moment, "Hopefully somewhere nearby has a little shade, though. I can't say the sun and I agree on much, heat like this..."
Bracvar laughs again, nodding though he doesn't dare turn his face toward the sun. "Aye, with yeh there. Can't wait ta get back and sink inteh the waterfall pools. We'll find some shade, no problem."
Ninell nods as he looks back at Bracvar and makes to follow him out of the crater. "Good. I wish I could say hot weather was nice, but..." He chuckles again as he reaches back and ruffles a bit of fur that sticks out from under his gear, "I am... not really built for the heat."
Bracvar leads the way from the crater, the trek out taking considerably less time than the slow exploration downward, even as they move carefully. "Aye. Heat or cold don' bother me much, but the dry. Don' know how ya land dwellers suffer it as yer main state." Aerdrid's cairn comes into view off to Brac's right, the crab turning to walk toward it as a landmark to continue from. His eye is slowly adjusting, opening a little more with every few steps.
Ninell shrugs a bit as he follows along. "I suppose the same could be said for you and the rest of the waterfolk. Water is nice, but I have no idea how you all can handle it all the time, especially when you all live so far beneath the surface."
Bracvar chuckles, glancing toward Ninell. "Aye, s'pose yeh have ta be born under the waves teh appreciate it." He stops near the monument, turning to look around. "Little grover o'er that way, probably good fer a bite teh eat. Doesn't look like much more'n the ground ta sit on."
Ninell smiles a bit. "That should be no problem at all. Shade is all I ask for, when the ground anywhere makes for a fine seat for weary feet." He pauses, looking at Bracvar's legs for a moment, "Er... do... you call your claws feet, too?"
Bracvar looks down at the ends of his legs, tilting his head a bit. "Er... S'pose one could? No real point where leg becomes foot, unless yeh count the thicker chitin." He lifts a leg, tapping the hard material against the monument. He pauses, noticing something flappy stuck there. "Eh? Was that there before, or did we miss a visitor?"
Ninell chuckles and shakes his head a bit as Bracvar taps a leg against the stone, though he tilts his head curiously as Bracvar directs his attention to the arrow and coin. "Hm? I do not recall seeing that on the monument when we first passed by..."
Bracvar hrms, eye opening properly to take a good look at the items. He doesn't touch them, recognizing the coin after a few moments, though he does straighten up and take a careful look around. "Aye. Perhaps our journey wasn' a two-man after all. Either way, let's get some food and head back, 'fore we find out fer sure."
Ninell 's eyes narrow a little as he likewise looks around, now feeling quite alert. "A warning, then? A threat? What are we dealing with?"
Bracvar hums, gesturing for them to move along to the shade. "Aye, or jus' a message. Don't think Usid would be rash enough fer a threat so soon after all that mess, but maybe wants me teh know he's got an eye on us. Suspicious o' my little donation, perhaps."
Ninell hums as he follows Bracvar towards the welcome embrace of the shade nearby. "Hrm... well, if he has his eyes on us, then maybe I should make it quite clear what he is contending with while we rest before we start our trek back to Respite. A little polish and maintenance, if you will."
Bracvar settles in the shade, setting his pack down and rummaging in one pouch for some of the remaining rations. "Do as yeh will, Ninell. Just don't invite nothin' I can't help yeh with. Which is most of anythin', honestly." He chuckles before starting in on some bread, scanning the area around them as he eats.
Ninell laughs a bit as he likewise takes a seat and pulls out some food of his own, which he starts to set up into a nice, if expectedly mundane meal for the road. "If anyone decides to cause us trouble while I am polishing my halberd in plain view, they are braver than most. Or foolhardy."
Bracvar chuckles, looking toward Ninell. "Aye, suppose yeh haven't heard much about the conflicts then. Word is he favored a bow. But not just that, the trickster liked arrows tipped with explosive powder. I can handle arrows at most angles, but wouldn' wanna test my 'armor' against doses of that."
Ninell tilts his head, the information certainly giving him pause as he comes up short on a bite of food to look at Bracvar. "Explosive arrows? Hm... that may pose a problem, but we shall see..." He glances around and sighs, "Let us just hope that was a warning, at most."
Bracvar laughs, nodding as he notes Ninell's reaction. "Aye. We'll keep our eyes peeled and jus' move on homeward without much fuss. If'n he or whoever is still trailin' us just fer tabs, well then so be it. If it comes ta more'n that, we'll have teh rely on our fortune fer starters." He continues with his meal, remaining quiet until they're both prepared to start heading out again, with his head on a swivel.
Ninell finishes his meal quickly enough, and it's not long before he gets ready to set out back to Respite with Bracvar. "We will see soon enough, I suppose. Not the most fruitful of trips, but we did at least get some things out of it. In my case, I hope it will be enough."
Bracvar nods, standing and stretching a little before heaving his pack back up. "Got yer dragon bits, that was the point fer yeh. Well, let's get on with it, hm? Plenty of daylight left." He starts leading the way back, taking the 'back route' that cuts down the mountain side, a bit trickier on the way down with their additional load, but still plenty manageable. Other than pausing their progress to sleep or snack, the pair make it back to Respite without much trouble within a week of leaving the crater. Tired, hot, and dry, but no worse for wear.