The underdark

[Faustus]

[circa.cipher]

"Hey, I figured I couldn't just abandon the adventure I came all the way up here for... heh."

Shay's words echoed up ahead of her toward Donovan who the pair quickly caught up with. The cave was lit by the dull glow of lanterns up ahead in a larger, more cavernous area. The butterflies that had been following Shay had quickly thinned to the bravest butterfly of the bunch. It seemed butterflies didn't like caves as much as they didn't like populated areas. Graves approached slowly behind their small group, causing Shay to whip her head around in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone else to come with them.

"Oh, hi. I didn't get to introduce myself outside. I'm Shay."

She offered him a brief wave before turning back around to continue walking forward with Donovan and Chloe, the glow of the lanterns brightening considerably the closer they got to it. The group's footsteps were all different sounding, hitting different materials with each step they took forward. There were even some crystals that drew Shay's eyes and the butterfly's attention. It would flock to their sparkling and fly around them for a moment before moving back to rest on Shay's shoulder or in her hair or on her fingers.

"Do you guys suppose anything lives down here?"

[paradigm]

Oh yes, Graves followed the group...or did he stalk them? Did it really matter? So long as he looked good doing it there could be no complaints...and Graves was looking gooooood! Not that his physical appearance really meant anything to him. In truth any outward grooming he did was the equivalent to the petals of a man eating plant. Draw someone in, eat them alive, just another day for Alexander Graves.

Donovan had requested a light and Graves, being the stand up pal that he was, rummaged in his pockets before producing a small cylinder. Tapping pressing his thumb against a small piece of a crystal protruding out of the top, Graves called out to Donovan before tossing him the light. Wasn't that the Terrenian Military motto 'always be prepared?' or maybe that was something else...either way the small light stick was a must for any cave diver on the go who wanted to look stylish and kill people but still be able to see in the dark.


"A delight to meet you Shay, I must say it is very nice to be adventuring alongside my old comrades as well as a new friend, hm" Somehow his pale yellow eyes managed to remain visible as his form slowly lost shape in the shadows. "If there's one thing I love more than adventuring, it's..." Say killing people, say killing people...they'll laugh...you know they will do it! Do it! DOOOO EEEEET! "...adventuring with friends."

It seemed his time in Weland City had spoiled him. Being able to follow one's impulses was liberating but made things difficult when returning to polite society.

Though he remained mostly hidden in the shadows there should never have been a doubt in his comrades' minds that Graves' smile never faltered. "So, Donovan and Chloe...Chloe and Donovan...back in Rosinder I had not pegged you two as a couple. To be honest, I had felt certain Chloe's lady heart was a-tingling with befuddlement for our dear friend Ethan. I'm glad to see you two have grown close in the time that's passed." The genuflect of his voice made it difficult to discern if he was being sincere or making a joke. Graves was a funny fuck, like that. It didn't matter, they loved him either way. Their response would dictate what the statement's ultimate goal would be.

[vasanti]

She wasn't very pleased- or all that surprised- to realize that Alexander Graves was following behind them. She voiced her distaste with a grumble and rolled her eyes ahead of her, sure of which Alexander Graves would not have seen. She sighed and looked over to Shay, who was introducing herself to Graves and she arched a brow. Shay would learn quickly that Alexander Graves was not someone to trust or be in cohorts with. She learned from their last adventure that he was the type of kid that looked out for himself and himself only, and he would throw anyone to the wolves- literally- if it meant saving his own skin.

She kept her eyes ahead, following after Donovan and keeping track of Shay, forever aware that Alexander Graves marched behind them with his creepy smile.

"Don't forget another of your favorite pastimes, other than rescuing girls from chests of course, is putting the people you're around in danger on purpose." Chloe was recalling the dog incident, and numerous other incidents, they faced last time.

But Chloe blushed a furious red when Alexander then turned around and made his comment about she and Donovan. She fumed quietly and shot a dirty look over her shoulder at the boy.

"Why was it that you came along again?"

[Faustus]

"I know for a fact that something lives down here."

Donovan addressed Shay's question, addressed to her contemporaries as a whole. There wasn't much to look at in the part of the cave they traversed. It was, for the most part, simply a tunnel. A hollow hallway that led from the outside world to the inside of the unfathomably deep cave, but soon the hallway widened and before long its mouth would open to reveal the marvelous skeleton of an abandoned Drow city.

But not yet.

"Oozes, at the very least. So if you see a patch of ground that's colored odd or moves around like jelly, don't step in it. Those suckers will melt the flesh off a cow in less than three minutes. A few seconds in there will sober anyone up."

A light approached from behind and Donovan turned calmly around to regard its source. He saw that it was heading towards him, reacted accordingly, and caught the light-stick in an outstretched hand. He held it up like one does a torch, and the way before and behind him was illuminated by a gentle, green light.

"Pretty nifty Graves. Reusable? Where'd you get it? I could use one or two of these myself."

Graves' seemingly genuine thirst for adventure put him and Donovan on par. Whatever brooding suspicions and doubts had been gnawing and growing inside of his gentle heart in regards to the yellow-eyed student were pushed further down in favor of enthusiasm for the adventure ahead. Graves went from disconcerting shadow to a kid that Donovan could relate to.

Donovan himself was about to respond to Graves' allegation, that Chloe and he were in any type of relationship transcending the strictly platonic, but Chloe beat him to the punch. Donovan was not sure how to take Chloe's non-committal response, seeing as he led the way and was not looking at her when she shot said dirty look at Graves. After a pause, he responded.

"I can see what you're getting at but you're way off base pal. That's kind of like me thinking that you and 37 whisper sweet-nothings to each other just because we came across you in round-about the same place at the same time."

Donovan looked back to Graves with a smile.

"Well? Any truth to the rumors?"

Okay, now they entered the city (01). It opened up into a majestic city touched of ivory, obsidian, and forged of the natural stone from the cave. It was not without its touch of ruin, however, and in the deathly silence interrupted only by the dripping of water from the cave's well, not a single one of the students could ignore the fact that they were irrevocably alone.

[circa.cipher]

"Oh! Well, to be honest I've not been much of an adventurer before this. I suppose I went on a few adventures with my brother, but nothing like this. I'll be spoiled to be adventuring with friends already, then!"

Shay blushed to Graves' claims of romance between Chloe and Donovan as well. Were they really a couple? They just seemed so comfortable together as friends, but that didn't mean they weren't in a relationship. Shay looked questioningly between them, but Chloe gave no answer but to further Shay's doubt into the two's friendship with a blush. She hoped it was a blush of anger. Letting out a hopefully not-too-noticeable exhale as Donovan quashed all thought of a relationship between the lovely blond girl walking next to Shay and himself, Shay immediately paled as Donovan spoke of the possible creatures living in the darkness around them.

"What!? There are things down here that could... melt my flesh off!?"

Swallowing heavily, her brow furrowed in worry as she immediately checked all around her feet for said oozes. They sounded quite terrible. Her mahogany eyes remained focused on the path in front of her, all thoughts of adventuring and relationships pushed from her mind as she scanned the unfolding earth which each step she took. Her eyes were drawn up, however, as they entered the city. Shay's eyes widened and her cheeks puffed out slightly as she exhaled quickly in surprise.

"Woah. This place is huge."

[paradigm]

It took Graves a moment to recollect what Chloe was speaking about. To her it might have been a defining moment in her life, but for Graves it had been a Tuesday, or had it been a Wednesday? When it finally dawned upon him the specific incident she spoke of, a slim brow arched above a yellow eye.

"I don't know what you mean. My only goal was to show some suffering souls Gaia's mercy. Just because you refuse to show some form of humanity doesn't mean I should be forced to watch innocent animals suffer. Hm, and if I recollect our entire class was scored rather poorly for that performance. Perhaps if we had released the dogs sooner we would have escaped sooner and some of us could walk around the academy without the ignorance of others flawing our otherwise perfect records."

Despite the fact that his face was hidden from view, the smile could be heard in his voice. "Got it from a Gaian priest during one of my trips away from the academy. Just a basic light spell cast upon a crystal, only trick is it activates upon touch and deactivates when there's no contact. I believe it's good for a few hours worth of light before another spell need be cast."

At Donovan's accusation, Graves couldn't help but chuckle. "You never know Donnie, looks can be very deceiving. Although I doubt 37 would appreciate my company in any way, shape, or form." His voice altered for a moment to a slightly mocking tone "Chloe on the other hand...when she first saw me she threw her arms around me...I'm sure she'd appreciate most anyone's company."

His form, and thus his actions, still hidden in shadows, Graves' decided to speak his reason for being here. "I came across some interesting information earlier this week. Apparently there are some very nifty artifacts hidden in this city. Although I'm only interested in one, I'm sure you all will be able to find something nice as well."

If Graves doesn't kill everyone first, that is.

[Faustus]

"Yeah but don't worry about it. Oozes and stuff like that, they're real slow-like. You'll see them or feel them creeping on you before they even get a chance to engulf you or anything as long as you keep your wits about you. And I brought my sword along just in case, although I doubt we'll need it. This place has been kinda . . . eh for a bit, so I heard."

Donovan continued leading the way forward on the bridge. It'd support three of them shoulder to shoulder comfortably, so at a staggered pace the lot of them could move forward as a cohesive unit without bumping into one another all too often.

The child cast his gaze all about, prying into the shadows for what secrets they may be coveting. He turned around with a devilish smile and his eyes wide-open in shock, alternating between staring at Graves and staring at Chloe.

"Oh, he got you good with that one didn't he Chloe? You'll have to keep your eye on that little bugger there, didn't know Graves could crack jokes. Not jokes like that anyway."

Soon enough, with the help of the burning torches and further aid by the light of Graves' curious little light-stick, the darkness melted away and their eyes grew more and more adjusted to the dark. A short distance away, Donovan could make out the large, imposing, immobile silhouettes of very large statues. He marched towards them without hesitation, all the while calling back to the group. To Graves in particular.

"You know I heard something similar. Nothing about loot, but a secret entrance in some part of this skeleton city that leads to the real Underdark, with all the Drow running around like nobody's business."

Donovan found himself at the base of one of the statues and, ever a child driven by his curiosity, began to scale the stone-cast figure. He hand-holds where none seemed to exist, and his feet needed no ledge or depression to find purchase on the stone exterior.

[circa.cipher]

Shay hardly felt better about the oozes after Donovan tried to comfort her, although she allowed her eyes to stray from the path in front of her. She looked at the light that Graves threw to Donovan with interest, listening to how it worked. It sounded interesting, but she figured she could ask Graves about it later or read a book about the type of spells he was talking about.

She still walked next to Chloe as they continued, shifting uncomfortably as Graves and Donovan teased her. However, she said nothing to help, comfort, or defend Chloe, afraid Graves would turn his words on her. She also felt left out as they talked about a field trip all of them had been on, although by the sounds of it it was better that she hadn't been there.

Listening once again to Graves as he spoke of an artifact he was looking for, she smiled and turned to look at him for a moment.

"That sounds like fun. Maybe we could help you look for it."

Watching as Donovan ran ahead, she walked up to the statue he was climbing. He climbed quickly like he was a spider or a monkey, and Shay stared up at him in bewilderment. His previous words about the real Underdark below her feet caused her to cast her eyes downward warily before looking back up at Chloe and Graves.

[Faustus]

Donovan reached the shoulder of the statue and raised himself up to his full height while teetering on the unstable, angular foundation. He seemed a bit wobbly at first, but found his footing quickly enough and now stood firm. He brought his hands out like a tight-string walker, lowering his center of gravity and only when he felt sturdy enough to do so safely did he turned his head to address his classmates.

"You guys should really come up here. This view is A-MA-ZING!"

To punctuate his sentence, Donovan coiled up and sprang into the air, launching himself at the head of the massive statue and clinging to its many indents and groves for dear life. He scrambled his way to the top of the statue and there found his balance again, standing erect.

"You guys should really come up here!" Donovan called out, eyes straining through the dimly light darkness and finding sparkling obsidian nearly everywhere he looked at this height. "It's really breath-taking!"

His voice echoed and bounced off of itself a dozen or so times, ricocheting off of stalactites. Donovan flexed his legs, launched himself into the air, and tumbled and tossed around like an Olympic diver. He bulleted for the ground. Well before the last possible second, because there was honestly no reason to cut it that close (break my neck for flair? Fuck that), a bubble of air sprang up between Donovan and the ground and brought him from break-neck speed to feather-fall.

He touched ground softly.

"So what do you think, should we go exploring to where the secret entrance is right now? Or do you want to look around more?"

Although he addressed the group as a whole, Donovan kept his eyes on Shay.

[circa.cipher]

Shay watched Donovan precariously as he climbed higher and higher, her head falling back as she looked up at him in astonishment. She got kind of dizzy just looking up at him and stumbled back as he climbed even higher.

"Donny, that doesn't look safe!"

Yelping as he jumped off the statue, she ran forward as if she could somehow catch him, stopping a good ten feet from where he landed. Good job, rescue squad! Blushing and looking down, she glanced back up at Donovan as he addressed the group.

"Secret entrance? But doesn't that require, like, meeting Drows?"

Looking behind her uncertainly at the other two members of the group, she walked toward Donovan as Chloe glared at Graves and Graves smiled creepily.

"Can we just look around some more? Please?"

Her eyes met Donovan's briefly and she smiled halfheartedly, kind of wishing she hadn't come. They had barely been down here ten minutes and Donovan and Graves were already trying to get them killed. One on accident and one on purpose. It was hard to tell which one was more dangerous.

[vasanti]

A simple fuck you would have worked just nicely for Alexander Graves, really. But Chloe wisely chose to hold her tongue for the time being, anyway. She allowed for Donovan to smooth things over as it seemed he was good at. Truth be told, she wasn’t any kind of interested in Donovan, at least not in any of the sense that Alexander Graves was trying to hint at. But she would never deny that she had a certain respect for Donovan, and a particular kind of liking as far as, well . . . friends, I guess. Crazy, huh?

But Donovan was right, Alexander Graves got her good there, he really did. It was true that when he first found her, Chloe has thrown her arms around Alexander Graves and clung for her life. Because, well, it was for her life!

Before she knew it, Chloe had caught fully up with Donovan and Shay and was overlooking the entire area with the others. It looked amazing, it looked dangerous, it looked high up. But if anyone were right for the job of investigating the place, it was them, sure sure. She could be ready now, and no more snide remarks to Alexander Graves. For now.

Let the games begin.

[Faustus]

"Secret entrance? But doesn't that require, like, meeting Drows?"

"Well, it might. I won't pretend that I know for sure cause I don't. But I bet it won't be all that bad. I've personally never met a Drow. I bet it'd be pretty swell."

Donovan smiled gently at Shay's interminable and awkward shyness. The boy was then suddenly reminded of a time, not too long ago, when he had been much the same way. A lot had changed, Donovan realized. He'd changed along with it. He wondered if Shay would ever change like that too, or if she'd stay shy all her life? Goodness knows enough grown men and women were ultra-shy to think that Shay might shy away.

"Sure." He gave her a half-smile, but whole heartedly. "Plenty to see just where we are. But you have to do me a favor. You have to stop tripping out. It's been like ten minutes, and all I've done is say the word 'ooze' and you're shaking in your boots."

He led the way back to the starting opening (02).

"Relaaax."

Chloe caught up to them and everyone was together again. Donovan led the way because it seemed that no one else wanted to. Some might trick themselves into thinking that Donovan fancied himself a leader type. The truth was he didn't; he just didn't fancy himself the standing around and doing nothing type either. No one else every advanced, and if he didn't take the steps that led the group, they might have stayed at the cave entrance forever.

Soon a large, dragon-esque statue glared at them from the shadows. The inattentive eye may have been fooled, at first, into thinking a monster lurked in waiting for them but when Donovan got close enough, and Alexander's light-stick did its job, the illusions dissipated.

[paradigm]

As the group reached what appeared to be an opening of some sort Graves stepped out of the shadows, pale yellow eyes sparkling from the glow of the light stick. Graves was not ignorant of the newly formed bond with Achos, but he had no intention of making known his new comrade until it was most beneficial to him.

Graves left all questions unanswered, as though they had never spoke to him, he peered past Donovan and the others into the darkness. It was hard not to recall his tortuous life amidst the Desecrators and Graves was unsure if he truly wished to be rid of the recollections. It was a widely known fact that men could learn a great deal about themselves beneath the knife, given this it was only natural that Graves understood every aspect of himself as acutely as possible.

But these idiots...none of them understood him, but they would when he had finished carving his name into their spines. They would never feel the knife. Donovan was the real threat, neutralize him and the others would fall. Lithe digits came to rest upon the hilt of his weapon. This was the price stupid, dumb, unlucky fucks paid for walking in front of the true Messiah.

His grin as broad as ever, Graves chuckled. "How exciting, hm" he saidasked in his odd way. "to be venturing into the unknown with true blue companions. Nothing better than this."

Except your half charred skulls upon the armrest of my throne

"Nosiree, nothing better."

Oh Graves you clever, clever boy.

[vasanti]

Chloe could have just totally vomited when Alexander Graves referred to her as a true blue companion, along with grouping her with the others. In fact, she could have sworn that she felt the acidic bile of her stomach contents rising in the back of her throat and she made it a point to swallow it back down. No need to puke right here in front of Alexander Graves, he might eat it if he thought it would gain him any kind of further access to knowledge of the person he was studying. Weirdo.

It took everything in her power not to roll her eyes at him, too. Like, really. Everything in her power. Have you ever just had all the fibers of your being that made you up; made you who you are, all at once just want to exasperatedly sigh at someone loudly and roll your eyes?! This was Chloe.

Shay was someone who could take her mind off of Alexander Graves. Chloe nudged Shay in the side lightly and smiled easily at her after having caught Donovan telling her to relax.

“It’s no worries, Shay- really. You’ve got all of us around, so we’ll make sure nothing bad happens. Right, Donny?” Chloe glanced at Donovan and then a half glance back to Alexander Graves, but said nothing. She then followed Donovan’s eyes to the beast-of-a-statue that sorta looked like a dragon and she tilted her head to the side to get a better look. After their last trip, she didn’t know if anything could startle her anymore, but she hadn’t been frightened by this monster because it hadn’t been real, and because no one else had immediately freaked out from it.

But then again Shay hadn’t seen it yet, so . . .