Blood and ashes

A quest for Frey was usually pretty interesting, and not nearly as painful as one for Ludo, but Tal wasn't taking any chances. He had a couple of tasks to complete while he was here, and if anything went wrong, well...

Having Sah's fire manipulation on his side wasn't the worst idea he'd ever had.

He'd been intending to go to the Obsidian Cathedral first and leave his offering for Tanau on the strange altar there, but his usual route through the burrows had been blocked by a fresh magma flow that had plugged the tunnel since the last time he'd been that way. So he'd led the little group around on a detour that should have shunted them out near to the weird black cavern.

Except it hadn't. Maybe they'd missed a turn or maybe the tunnels had shifted, but either way they'd been walking for awhile in the close, dark heat of the place and Tal's skin was crawling with claustrophobia. The tunnel finally started to widen out, but the walls had taken on a strangely shiny appearance and the smell of blood was a noticeable copper tang even to the courier's merely human senses.

"...D'you smell that?" he asked Sah uneasily as Boreal prowled ahead, her blunt muzzle stretched forward as she took silent, stalking steps across the jewel-studded ground, nostrils flaring widely as she cast about for the source of the scent.

I have never feared the storm

Sah felt far more confident entering the Climb now that he'd mastered fire. The magma and oppressive heat were less of a daunting presence and more of a familiar marvel. Even so, the Abandoned held caution entering the region that was now the home of the Ancients.

Traveling via tunnel was less than ideal but sharing the vision of two wolves helped him navigate without hurting himself. Lilly let out a quiet whine as Pad snarled suddenly. The smell hit Sah soon after through the bond before firsthand. Glancing at Tal with a grim expression, he nodded, "I do."

Walking forward, Sah lit a fire in his palm, bringing light to the cavern. He almost regretted it.

Blood, jewels, and the oppressive feel of hidden eyes. This place was powerful. And not meant for them. "Fuck." Scanning the area with a grim expression he practically ordered Tal, "Get what you need quickly. We shouldn't be here."

As the courier hopefully did just that, Sah focused on the cavern, continuing to scan with his eyes as he tried to speak to the sentience that he sensed, "We apologize for this trespass. We were unaware of your sanctuary, and we will leave as soon as our business is finished. I hope that our presence has not disturbed you." Lilly and Pad fanned out and kept watch over the group as their bonded spoke.

Sah

Fire blossomed and Tal whistled low as the light reflected back at them from a hundred unblinking scarlet eyes. Rubies predominated, ranging from the size of the head of a pin to the size of his fist, glittering in uncut glory from the walls, ceiling, and floor of the place.

Tal hated it.

He nodded grim agreement to the startled 'fuck' that sullied Sah's mouth, but the next words that emerged from the hunter helped ground the courier and shake some of the awe from his eyes. "Stop actin' like you're still Warden, Jester," Tal grumbled back, his own anxiety at the strange cavern putting him on edge but no longer as cowed as he had been at first. "I know my business."

And he did. While Sah chatted with thin air, Tal tiptoed around the cavern until Boreal suddenly snorted and drew his attention to an area near the center. Fires had been set here in a hearth made of garnet. Many fires, if the sooty residue and ashes were any indication, and the courier quickly knelt and scooped a handful of them into a metal box he'd brought for the purpose, before tucking it back into his Bag.

"Don't be callin' down attention we can't deal with," he scowled, looking around again as he straightened and eased back across the cavern to put his back to Sah's so they could each watch the other's six as they sidled towards the exit again. "Are you thinkin' this is a shrine to that new old goddess?" Just to be on the safe side, he didn't name any names.

I have never feared the storm

Sah shot a narrowed glance at Talyson but didn't respond to the Warden comment. As the courier gathered what he needed, the Wild Thunder kept a cautious eye on their surroundings. He should have relaxed slightly when the courier joined the Abandoned in a defensive position. But Sah was too preoccupied with the taste of ash and fire on his tongue.

"I'm not sure if this is a shrine per say...but it's something. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a shrine close by." The fire magic beneath his skin was nearly a roar in Sah's ears, a primal call, or perhaps a resonation with the crystals around them. He wouldn't be surprised is his skin was unnaturally warm at the moment.

The second that the group had passed through the exit and into open air, the Abandoned took a deep breath. Shaking his head to clear it, the tension bled out of him as his magic settled. Pad kept glancing at the cavern's entrance with clear distrust as Lilly nosed their bonded's hand soothingly.

Sah

"I mean, there's Tanau's shrine, in th'Cathedral..." Tal trailed off a little dubiously, now wondering if it was still Tanau's shrine. Or, well, a general purpose shrine, really, but since this was Tanau's region... yeah. It'd made sense, and it was their next stop on their tour.

Or was there a new shrine to the new-old goddess hidden among the gleaming jewels that were totally not watching them? Remembering his brief experience with Danta and Edmund in the Grounds, Tal shivered in spite of the heat, quietly glad that he had Sah at his back even if he'd never admit it. The Ancients had never done anything, and Fox was pretty nice, but the casual way some of them discussed killing and bleeding and sacrificing things wasn't particularly comforting to the courier.

It sounded way too much like the cultists that had used to plague Halo.

Boreal led the way out to the tunnel beyond and put her blunt muzzle to the ground, casting about for a scent to get them moving again. She caught Pad's distrust of the cavern and rumbled soothingly to the young wolf before she started pacing down the main tunnel before taking a sharp right into a little side passage that had been mostly hidden by how the rocks jutted out. Tal followed, casting a glance back to make sure Sah was still okay. "How're their paws holdin' up?" he asked, a little worried about the wolves' feet on the Climb's volcanic geology.

I have never feared the storm

Sah shook his head again, "No..I..." Letting out a low growl, he ran a hand through his hair. "I sincerely doubt being near Tanau's shrine would make my fire magic feel like it's got a mind of its own and desperate to be near those fucking crystals." Still a bit shaken, the Abandoned followed Boreal's lead, running a hand over Pad's back to coax the wolf to follow.

Lilly ran a quick perimeter around the group before joining Boreal in front, ears swiveling nonstop. Feeling through the bond, Sah checked on his companions before glancing over at Tal to answer, "They're ok. They're used to tundra rocks, but I did put a protective wax on their paws before we left just in case." A thin layer kept their paws protected from sharp rocks and also provided a barrier between their paw pads and any excess heat. It wasn't perfect and he'd brought more to reapply before they headed home. But it was certainly better than nothing.

Sah

Sah's fire magic was feeling like it was going to go out of control? Tal didn't like the sound of that one little bit, and he spared a glance back at his adventuring buddy, wondering just how worried he should be for the Wild Thunder. "Yeah, well, just keep watchin' my back an' let me deal with any more crystals if we run into 'em," he reassured him with a gruff confidence that was only partially true. At least he'd only found the red gems creepy; they hadn't exerted any weird influence over him that he could tell, though Boreal was a firebreather...

He sent a questioning thought her way, but the dragon just paused and looked back at him with her head cocked to the side. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and managed a faint grin. "Whatever it is, it's not gettin' t'Boreal."

The wolves had other concerns in the Climb, but Tal was relieved to hear that they were holding up and that Sah had come prepared. "Good t'hear. Say, once I get my prayin' done to Tanau, want to stop by Frey's Breath on th'way out? Least that way we'll be near water if we need t'douse your fire magic!" And the companions could soak any paw-scrapes in the healing waters before they made their escape from the region.

I have never feared the storm

Sah let out a snort, "Sure." He had no idea what Tal could possibly do about crystals, but the sentiment was nice. Hearing that Boreal was unaffected was a relief but it did make sense in a way. "Dragons are linked to Caido so maybe they're immune to their opposite in a way?" Hopefully it was true. The last thing anyone needed was a dragon having extra bloodlust. Especially the white ones.

The idea of relaxing in the springs sounded perfect. Lilly and Pad both perked up at the idea as well. "Absoloutley." Making a shooing gesture at Tal, the Wild Thunder smirked. "So, keep it moving and get to it." Sah didn't think he was going to burst into flames or anything that violent but being near the water was all he wanted at the moment.

Sah

Tal wasn't sure what he could do against crystals either, but he'd read about rock golems in the Monster  Hunter Guild's records back when he'd still had access to them, and it wasn't a huge leap to imagine a crystal golem cousin of theirs someplace like this. At least he could hit something like that, if it came down to it.

Sah's hypothesis caused the courier's nose to wrinkle in deep thought before he gave a shrug. It was mostly beyond his paygrade, but there was one thing he was sure about: "Mebbe, but that wouldn't be what's goin' on with Boreal. She's not a white dragon. She'd be an ice breather if she was." Though with her pale coloration it was a common mistake. Her scale hide held other colors besides white, even if they were lightened and washed out so as to be nearly pastel reflections.

The shooing motion was met with a huff and a scowl - probably exactly what Sah had intended, Tal realized too late - and a roll of pale eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we're gettin' there! Prayin' first, though. I think th'Cathedral's up ahead--"

And so it was, but that was a story for another thread.

~Fin~