Once more unto the Deeps

[Celephai]

Cel was not happy. She'd agreed to have Chaz tag along as she searched for lost dwarven knowledge, but she did not enjoy the idea of putting her only means of forging the great chains at risk.

She arrived at a massive wall of hieroglyphs and strange, ancient writing set into the side of a cliff. This was a viable entrance, but the problem was, as it usually is with old, oversized doors, opening them. Chaz would likely have a solution... speaking of, where was he? He was right behind her when they left the trail.

"Cat! Where are you?! Do not tell me I have lost you, yet..."

It never occurred to her that he might be unsuited to rough terrain and difficult climbs.

[Chaz]

Chaz scrambled over a rock, trying to keep up with the more fit and agile elder thing. He puffed, his tiny frame working its hardest.

Here! Here...ma'am.

He stopped behind her, smiling widely.

I'm pretty persistent. You won't lose me easily.

[Celephai]

She chuckled a little. At least he was entertaining in the field.

"Do you think you can open a path through this obstruction in front of us?"

She gestured to the intricate carvings set into the cliff. Cel didn't much care how he did it, as she held no reverence for these particular artifacts.

"Behind this is a... likely safer passage into the dark beneath the earth, wherein the realm of dwarves will be most suitable for travel... hopefully."

[Chaz]

He rubbed the back of his head.

Maybe if I had some....explosives or something. Which I don't.

He stared at it a moment, blankly. Maybe there was a kind of crack he could exploit, but other than that....

Sorry.

[Celephai]

Cel sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. Right, the genius whom would forge the titanic chains didn't bring explosives. She should have known to account for that. Nonetheless, she starting knocking around on the wall in various places, trying to find a weak spot.

"Well, let's see, maybe it isn't solid all the way-"

She was promptly interrupted by the entire wall caving inward in a quite abnormal fashion, as if the entire thing folded inward, showing a large tunnel leading downward. The path was rough, and quite dark not far from the entrance.

"...I don't suppose you have a torch, do you?"

Her voice faded slightly. Walls did not generally... do that.

[Chaz]

Chaz looked around, thinking. Then he went to one of the nearby trees, old and nearly dead things, breaking off a few branches.

I can use these. Little fabric, oil from my flamer...hold on...

After a moment he was able to fashion a few crude torches, handing one to Celephai and trying to ignite the other with the kickstart on his flamethrower.

[Celephai]

After successfully igniting a torch for each of them (and not igniting themselves), the two headed off into the cave. The cavern wound around, but altogether began a slow descent into the earth. As time passed, the cavern seemed to slowly widen, and before too long, the entire right side of the passage gave way to vast, infinite blackness. The path was, however, wide enough for the two of them to travel side-by-side.

"...So tell me, cat, have you ever been to a dwarven city? Have you ever explored the vast, subterranean cavern layers that are strewn about the world you inhabit?"

The path ahead seemed to continue for a long while, with no end in their albeit limited sight by torchlight.

[Chaz]

Chaz avoided the edge, walking along the wall to the left, looking down nervously.

No...can't say I have. What's so special about dwarf ruins?

[Celephai]

Celephai chuckled.

"Dwarves are masters of subterra, digging, exploring, knowing what lies in the depths of the earth. Much like the aquians of the sea, they guard themselves against the terrifying, nameless horrors that lay sealed underneath the earth."

The path began to curve left, the void at their right still seeming to claw away at their tiny walkway.

"...I used to have a few relatives down here, but I'm not sure if they've stuck around. Odds are they've moved on if dwarves are invol-"



Just then, a massive, beetle-like monster burst forth from the cavern wall to their left, sending Chaz and Celephai flying out over the gaping abyss. It's six legs seemed to crack and shatter the earth beneath it's feet, and two massive, serrated, scything talons threatened to cleave the two adventurers in twain.

But just as they began to plummet into the abyss, the massive insectoid grabbed both of them with his great talons, and held them up to it's many eyes, turning them slowly, deftly, examining them curiously, all the while clicking furiously in it's native language. An array of beetles and centipedes swarmed around and over it, as if it was the harbinger of all six-legged life. Finally, it spoke a common tongue, harshly, as if it were making due with a modus of speaking not meant for human language.

"S-s-s-s-h-a-a-a... What brings this unusual pair down into my kingdom? Do they seek their own deaths? Do they wish to plunder our many riches?"

[Margrett]

(God damn I hated fighting this guy. Either time, he was annoying. Carry on.)

[Chaz]

Chaz's heart leapt into his throat as the thing jumped out, then into his stomach when he was flung over the abyss, then back into his throat again when he faced the thing. He stammered and wiggled, eyes wide.

M-m-me? N...no! I don't need r-riches, do you need riches, Cel?

He threw Cel a look and tried to smile nonchalantly, but it turned out as a wide, nervous grin. He wiggled a little more, despite himself.

I'm...we're just here for knowledge. I'm a m-man of science, sir. Your highness. T-that's all we....want. Knowledge.

[Celephai]

Celephai seemed nonplussed after the initial shock of getting nearly tossed into an unending pit, but merely remained relaxed as the massive bug continued to examine them both.

"H-a-a-s-s-s-h-h-h-h... little furred one can speak, and goodness how his heart beats with fear... perhaps it speaks the truth, but what good can come from knowing the secrets of the depths of the earth, or invading the kingdoms of those to whom it truly belongs-s-s-s-s-s...?"

Cel wriggled a bit, uncertain exactly what to say in such a situation.

"The world under the surface does not belong to only you. We merely seek passage to find a dwarven text that will give us the secrets of forging slade into forms other than it's natural state."

The massive beetle seemed to still itself as the elder thing spoke in an almost chastising tone, before slowly pulling them into the tunnel it burst from, setting the two of them on the backs of two large, cockroach-esque bugs, both large as surfboards.

"A-h-h-h-h... a bound one. A bound one with no small inherited debts either. You will at least be useful, along with the surface-dweller. Perhaps we can come to an agreement. There was a settlement of the Stone's Sons not far from my kingdom, but it has recently been inhabited by the Shadowmen's creations-s-s-s-s-s... If you wish to have your freedom, and perhaps to find what you are looking for, I would advise you to destroy as many of the shadows in that dead city as you can..."

He then held up Chaz close to his face, which portrayed no human emotion.


"...or you could always become our captive slaves."

Cel whispered to Chaz as quietly as she could.

"Take the suicide mission, these oversized bugs eat their captives more often than not."

[Chaz]

His whole frame seemed to shrink and go limp, and he stared at the bug thing, barely moving.

Alright, s-sure, shadowmen. That sounds....good. Sounds good. I c-can do that.

[Celephai]

The massive insect released Chaz, slowly turning in the tunnel and making his way back through it.

"Exc-c-c-c-elent... We come to terms. I shall take you to the Stone Sons' city, and leave you to dispatch the dead ones..."

The large roaches the two adventurers sat on followed the great beetle, as if following some tacit orders from a master. They skittered along smoothly, followed by hundreds of their many-legged brethren. Cel seemed uncharacteristically nervous, and gave off a knowing, uncomfortable silence.

"Many centuries since one of your kind have come down here. We had even thought peace between us had been maintained through the lightless ages. We had figured the younger races had learned their place, but perhaps your kin had simply vanished... but it seems your debt has not, and now you are slave to this surface-dweller?"

Celephai merely remained silent, her face slowly twisting into anger. She didn't look up or around to Chaz, but focused as hard as she could on the carapace of her roach.

"S-s-s-silence, then? I see..."

The overlarge bug then remained silent as he guided the swarm of insects throughout the myriad tunnels, some of which were much larger, others quite small, but all seemed to network throughout the earth in all directions.

[Chaz]

Chaz started to calm down, still a little unnerved by the large...insect he was riding on. He looked from Cel to the giant thing then back again, and whispered as well as he could over the constant chittering of insectoid legs.

Cel...what's....what's he mean by that? Debt?