She made her way downwards with the rest, navigating the dark tunnel with ease. A few weren't so lucky - she watched the little cat roll down and past her, speeding through the shadows.

Thalassa herself picked up the pace, though not out of concern for Tourmaline. She didn't want to be beaten to wherever this tunnel lead.

Or maybe she did, actually. That is clearly a golem made of lava.

They were expected to fight this thing? She moved to the back of the crowd, squinting at the creature. She needed to know where she was supposed to bite, first. The others would take the first hit as she studied it.

Bauxite was two months old. He did not know how half the world work. He definitely thought he knew. But he hadn't quite figured out most of it yet, aside from where he knew he should be: The TOP, baby.

And this creature couldn't actually be made of magma. That was silly.

He didn't have his mouth (a blessing in disguise) but he had his stingers. The usual strategy would work.

"HELLO FRIEND. NO NEED TO FEAR."

Everything went from zero to one hundred pretty damn fast. He turned quickly to gaze upon the golem, narrowing his eyes slightly. It wasn't milky stone white like he had expected, but no, magma, red and fiery.

One creature decided to try and speak with them, but he didn't bother to wait and instead rushed forward, slamming his body into the side of the creature. He was an up front and personal type of fighter, and regardless of the lava that coursed through the creature's form, he would still attack as he always would.

Heat.

Living heat was what they faced, and Surgis jolted with shock, clenching her jaw around her spoon. Nope. Whatever this thing was, she wasn't even going to try and touch it, because she'd burn alive and be dead like everything else. Not chancing it, no way.

Backpedalling to the crack in the wall, Surgis hid behind the rest of them, fur bristling. She wasn't risking her life over this. The rest could deal with it. Surgis was the first to turn tail and try to charge up the way they came, to worm back out and attempt to hide behind the column they'd passed.

Coward? No. Just staying alive, duh.

For an iguana trying his best to avoid sliding to the passage's end on his belly, seeing those dark walls ease away and begin spilling into a larger, better lit chamber coaxed out a pleased sigh from Fahl. He didn't dare speak until the ground underfoot transitioned to a surface that claws could actually catch upon, but the instant he recognized the change in friction, a rumble built within his throat.

"Finally," he groused. What'd felt like an eternity of exercising caution had been rather effective in eroding his already meager supply of patience. Murky eyes cast about for signs of the next challenge ahead, a good few minutes worth of irritation brewing inside him and dying to be unleashed on whatever next evoked his ire. "I've... just about had enough of that sort of—"

"Sssshit!" Having entered the following room proper, now more than stone awash in firelight could be perceived. An absolute nightmare of a scene lay before him: a behemoth composed of swirling magma and surrounded by charred bones. And that cat he'd taken note of earlier—she'd fallen closest to whatever brutality it planned on unleashing upon the group. No doubt if she didn't protect herself soon, he'd find out what sort of stench flash-fried feline gave off.

Charging into something that completely in tune with its native lava-filled environment was a fool's approach to survival. Even a former self-proclaimed master of fire had to admit that. Staying here, standing dumbstruck and rigid limbs, was also a terrible option however. This did narrow down his plan of attack well enough, though, and he shared these conclusions to Wyrm: "Keep out of reach of that thing. Only attack if you can think of a way to... hurt or distract it."

Immediately afterward, Fahl darted off to the side, scanning for something to target amongst the golem's primarily molten mass. Surely there had to be more to its structure if one squinted past the persistent glow of magma. Huffing as he ran, magic was directed to flow into his jaws, but it refused to follow this direction for long. The current gathered within his throat before sliding back into its well, the retreat searing away at soft tissues.

He knew there’d be a catch.

The glee of finding something feet shaped, and hopefully that fit him, makes his eyes and nose crinkle in contentment as he follows the group….. and regrets not taking the time earlier to put them on.

Or maybe having asked the group to wait. Would they have? Probably not. Her fervently wishes he’d asked anyhow….

Neither will the living magma thing, apparently! He would very much like to avoid joining the crispy skeletons on the floor, thanks. Eugh… too much like Canis. At least he takes some small comfort in the lack of fluffy white wrongness, now it’s just flickering ever-hot and bright BADNESS.

“No, I was thinkin’ of offerin’ to shake hands with the great beastie,” He retorts to Fahl, his natural snark making a very bright appearance as he finds a nearby rock of sizeable heft.

“Tiny and tumblin’, get ye behind me, quick!” He then calls to Tourmaline, before trying a stupid idea- spin and throw his new rock as hard as he possibly can at the big thing.


@Fahl

@Tourmaline

She stumbles, falling down and down and down - Ow that hurts! She's bleeding somewhere, down her leg, but there's no time to check her injuries. The heat in the room intensifies, and so does the red-hot glow of magma. Then she looks up and sees it. The golem towering over her, angry at being disturbed.

Someone else is shouting at her to move, and she does. But it's not to hide behind Tyrin as he'd hoped. She struggles to her feet, and is already preparing her magic. With a fervent prayer to the Spire and what other forces that be, she slams her paws into the group, willing the earth to move to protect her and the others behind her.

"I have you guys!" she shouts as the stone shudders, thrusting up as she wished.

With the wind as you fly away
Give a smile from your lips and say
"I am free! Yes, I'm free!"

September approved of the collar - it was, in fact, quite beautiful, and practical at that! It would diminish some of the beauty of that brilliant mane he had, but it was probably worth it. He quickly got it over his head and in place securely. Yes, it probably looked quite fetching on him!

Advancing into the next tunnel, he found it to be, uh, dark. Many of the others were lighting themselves up so the others could see, which September was grateful for. He hadn't quite figured out how to do that himself. Instead, he followed along, squinting, trying to find his way without the help of magic this time.

september

With the wind as you fly away
Give a smile from your lips and say
"I am free! Yes, I'm free!"

September was one of the ones that went pitching down, stumbling over the obsidian and landing right at the golem's feet. His head instantly snapped up, staring at the massive figure in front of them. Oh shit. But there wasn't any despair or fear in him in that moment, only a burning excitement. Now THIS. Was what he was waiting for!

"Don't be afraid," he called. "We will make it through!" He made to prepare himself, prepare his magic, to throw back whatever ability it was about to spit their way but...something did not go right with his magic in the moment.

september

There before them lie the very reason that Hargrave had been anticipating: A looming mass of molten stone, shackled but unchained— most certainly with its inner fire stoked by the rage of once being chained into place. It is truly no wonder that this place swelters with so much heat. No wonder that there's a skeleton underfoot with each step. How many had fed its flame?

The Gray Hare, not intending to be one of those piles of ash, pulls herself back with anticipation, aiming a lash of magical retaliation to redirect whatever is to come away from herself.