Asimona stepped back and waited for a moment when the bright light completely blinded her. She turned her head away, snapping her eyes closed until the light behind her lids had died away. She carefully glanced towards the statue, just in time to watch it move. And not just that...it looked different. Angry. Scary.

The laughter coming from the tunnel put her on edge but she steeled herself. She had come all this way, worked hard to get those pieces back. She couldn't turn back now. With a snort, she stepped forward. The sound of someone speaking made her pause and she turned back. A small cat was hanging her her feet and she turned, snaking her long neck to look down at her. "Felina. I'm Asimona. Of course you may come, although I cannot account for your safety. We do not know what's in there."

She turned back to the tunnel and stepped forward, right into the darkness, allowing it to envelop her completely.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags:
notes:

Llamrei
I fear, I run, I fight

"Same to you," the mare said, shifting her weight on her hooves as she focused. To be honest, she didn't recall the Dragon's name either - wasn't sure she had caught it when they first met, seeing as she had been in such a panic.

There was a blast of cold air, and she couldn't help but to shiver, stamping a hoof and tossing her mane at the sudden change of temperature. Oh, that was cold!

And then the final piece was in place, and the mare backed up to take it in. But before she could, things began to happen, the statue flashing and glowing, and she screamed, wheeling about and racing away from the statue, skidding to a stop and blowing her, eyes wild as she fought to force herself to turn around. And finally she did, ears flat, breath hard, stamping her hooves as she watched it slide. She shied, side-stepping, as something laughed.

And then something small and predator approached, and the horse reared, coming down hard and scraping her forehooves, throwing her head with a whuff. She watched as the Dragon entered the darkness, and followed slowly, coming to a stop before the darkness. Looking around, stamping a hind-leg, she arched her head foward, pressing a velvet-y nose to the statue, summoning her magic.

A grin split his face, manic and glinting in the light. He was a little P.O.'d that the ice dragon had gotten the glory of miraculously putting the statue back together, but hey... least he didn't have to do all of the hard work! Howl arrived just as the ancient carving shook and moved, revealing a road untraveled. Bicolored eyes glinted from behind a peculiar face in the rocks, eager. In a fluid motion, he drew himself up onto the stone and hooted at Asimona, "oi, Ah've see ya 'round here 'aven't Ah!" All of these folks were those he'd rallied to get these rocks in the first place! "Good ta see you've ahl done ya jobs! Maybe Ah'll letcha get ah dib!"

Like a true leader, the sneak thief bounded from the rock and just behind the vanishing dragon.

"Youse can come butcha betta not get in me way, y'ear!?" He cackled, a howling sound echoing off of the walls of the passageway --- it was uncertain if he was mocking the existing laughter or if he was simply being cheerfully manic. Howl scampered after the big ice dragon, breaking into a near-gallop in order to get in front of those long legs of hers. In a harsh whisper, he offered, "now, w' don't we cut ah deal, yeah? Ya do ahl da fightin' and Ah'll keep an eye on the prizes, aye? Ah've got sticky fingers, Missus Draggin."

Llamrei hears the snickering of a hitch-pitched laugh and the sound of grating stone; a brief and muddled image of the statue pieces breaking is seen, appearing to fly away as if on their own.

The tunnel felt longer than it should be, cold air whipping through from some unknown place and out toward the exit. It began to feel more spacious, as if there might be a choice in direction... or perhaps just dangerous areas to walk.

Your characters must Roll Other: Don't Fall

@Llamrei @Asimona @Felina @Howl

As Asimona stepped into the cave, she felt the tunnel around her begin to expand and the fact that she couldn't see anything, really, made her a little nervous. She spread her wings a bit, in case there were things to run into or holes to fall don into and it seemed she was right. She wobbled as her foot his an edge and her wings began gently flapping to hold her in balance. She did this for much of the cave, stepping carefully and using her wings to re-balance whenever she felt like she would fall.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags:
notes:

No response. Howl pouted, face squishing into his signature scowl. "Gwyne ignore me, eh?" He began down the dark passageway, lowering his head to push against the cold wind. If it wasn't moving, that meant there was nothing ahead, right? "Ah'll taek ya silence as a yes, a'ight Missus Draggin?" The sound of wingbeats echoed from where the hybrid presumed Asimona to be, and shifted to the left slightly as to not injure himself. Each step was careful and measured, making sure all five fingers were solidly placed before continuing on down the long, dark passageway.

@Llamrei

Felina didn't understand why one of the Gembounds (Llamrei) seemed so...agitated when she joined the group in their endeavor. She decided to not make a big deal about it. She felt bad about it, though, just the same.

She did, however, notice the lion (Howl) heading toward the group. It seemed to Felina that he was coming along, too. No one objected to him accompanying her fellow Gembounds to wherever they were going. So, onward the female bobcat went with a mind full of questions.

@Howl

Llamrei
I fear, I run, I fight

The mare flattened her ears back, throwing her head and stamping her hoof, hearing a grating sound, a too high laugh, and seeing statue pieces flying away. None of it made any sense, and she had to fight the urge to flee.

But she forced herself to go in, ears flat against her skull, hoofs clopping far too loud. Her mane and tail were whipped around by cold air, and she found herself struggling to keep her balance--

and then she was falling.

Asimona, Felina, and Howl successfully navigate a narrow bridge in the total darkness, feeling their feet find good purchase on the floor beyond The path they traverse is decently sized, but feels cramped for the dragon.

Llamrei slips off of the edge of the bridge and into a slim ravine with blunt spikes poking out of the ground. Miraculously, she is spared being imapled but is now trapped in the ravine.

A skittering buzz and laughter bubbles up through the darkness, followed by a distant scraping sound. What other hidden dangers await the Gembounds, and dare they press forward?

@Asimona @Felina @Howl @Llamrei

Asimona whipped around when she heard the clattering sound of Llamrei losing her footing. She gasped and made to go back to get her, edging carefully around Howl and Felina ("excuse me, sorry!") until she was back at the ravine.

She wanted very much to fly down and get Llamrei but just barely opening her wings and she could feel the sides of the walls touch them. If she went down there, there was no coming back up. So, instead, she merely called down "Are you alright down there? Can you get up?"

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags: @Llamrei
notes: