Llamrei wasn't sure about this.

She hadn't really wanted to help the Screamer find the statue piece. But it was loud, and had sharp teeth, and was scary, and there were other Gembounds around her with sharp teeth. So she'd given in, and headed off towards Polaris. Well, where she'd assumed Polaris was. A few less-scary Gembounds had been kind enough to point her in the right direction.

As she entered the large room, she could feel a tingle of Magick. The fear that always knotted in her chest seemed to fade away some, leaving her feeling rejuvinated and full of energy. She could do this. She could do this!

The filly turned her nose to the ground, attempting to seek out the scent of the statue. It had been odd and different, although she hadn't paid much attention. However, she also kept her attention out for a sense of Magick similar to the one from the statue.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Noticing nothing that was of interest, the filly began to wander deeper into Polaris. She kept to the walls, however, not wanting to be caught off guard by a Predator. The filly lifted her head, eyes scanning the area for anything that resembled the statue, or what the statue was made of. Her ears twitched, trying to seek out the sizzling sound of magick, and her nostrils flared, attempting to find the scent of the rock.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

One of the statue's missing pieces appears to be in this room... but where? Perhaps if Llamrei searches hard enough, she may find the scent trail leading her towards the Spire...

Llamrei frowned, ears flicking as she tried to remember what the statue had smelled like. Like stone, of course, but not. Like clay, perhaps? And old, with a slight scent of old magick. Alright then, she nodded, finally focusing on the scent.

The filly lowered her head, sniffing at the ground as she walked. She didn't have the nose of the canine Gembounds, but she could still smell fairly alright.

There!

After some walking, she managed to come across the scent trail. The filly perked up, and began to follow it.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

The scent trail seems to be strongest leading in the direction of the Spire, but the closer the filly gets to the towering collecting of magically charged crystals, the more danger she may sense. But why...? The scent definitely seems to lead to the base of the Spire, however.

The filly frowned, trying to focus on several things at once. She kept her head low to the ground so as to follow the scent trail more easily, her ears going every which way to try and listen for danger. Thankfully, being a horse, her eyes were set on the sides of her head, allowing her to 'keep an eye out' as she moved.

Llamrei had to fight her instincts as she followed the scent, realizing she was near the Spire. Something was clenching in her chest, and she wanted nothing more than to run. But she feared what the sharp-teeth yelling thing would do if she didn't do as he said.

So she followed the scent trail, approaching the base of the Spire.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Though Llamarei kept close senses out for signs of danger there was nothing to be found in the area. At first it seemed there wasn’t anything at all in the area; no danger, no statue, just the soft light given off by the great structure of blue crystal towering over thirty feet into the air. Perhaps that was what had given the sense of danger? This object of such concentrated power that many considered it to be the very heart of the caves. Simply being in its presence, being bathed in its light this close would give a slight disorienting effect all but the most hardened of individuals.

Luckily for the filly the scent trail did not lie. Walking around the spire they would find a long section of cold gravel and sticking out from that line a piece of stone larger than the rest with scaly details carved into it. It might take a bit of shuffling of the gravel to get it out but that was almost certainly what they were looking for.

@Llamrei

The filly approached the Spire, finding herself taking slower and slower steps with each stride. Something was setting off her instincts, telling her to run like a bat out of hell. But she feared the sharp-toothed-screamers reaction if she did so, so she kept going.

As she began to walk around the Spire, her eyes scanned the gravel. At first, she almost walked clear passed the stone, only to notice it sticking out from a long section of gravel. She approached it hesitantly, lowering her head to sniff the rock. It smelled like the statue had, so she reared up, bringing her hoofs down on the gravel a couple of times to free the statue.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

The stone piece loosened from the ground with suspicious ease. It was long and curved—in fact, it had the shape of a serpent and carvings etched into it like scales. The end that was sticking up from the ground was broken and jagged, likely the side that connected to the main statue. This must have been its tail. The rest of the length was still buried beneath earth; the mouth of the serpent hidden yet.

The charged crystal tower that loomed above her crackled erratically. As if responding to the digging of the filly, the ground beneath the Spire shifted and turned, revealing the entrance to a hidden den of something massive.

And from within, a low and echoing rumble rolled out of the den like dense thunder.

Whatever had been sleeping there, her disturbance of the statue piece had woken it...

@Llamrei

Llamrei brought her hooves down on the gravel, grinning as it came loose. The stone piece slipped down, and she pranced back, ears flicking as she tried not to get crushed. Her head twisted from side to side as she thought, trying to figure out how to move this statue piece. It was large, and looked heavy. But maybe if she pushed it?

The Spire suddenly crackled, and Llamrei startled, dancing back a few steps. What was that?! And then the Spire was moving, revealing a hidden den. Her blood chilled at the low rumble, and she twisted, pressing against the statue piece to try and move it before whatever was in the den could come out.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.