Out of the Depths

The dragon roared, its snout slicked in the darkness with a black ichor, gleaming in the pitch black of the cave. The very walls shuddered with its bellow, Ceelia and Allmia looking ecstatic that they were able to cause such a beast to wail so painfully. The dragon took a glare down at the meal before him and swung a mighty limb across the ground, sweeping in an attempt to snatch up the mithra.

Ceelia took hold of her dear sister's waist and the two gracefully maneuvered out of the path, whirling with one another in a display of childish dance and mithran agility. Ceelia giggled playfully but the noise was lost amidst the dragon's frustrated cries.

"Hold this," Faebhar spoke to Lyall in a tone not asking. He thrust the lantern into the Bastokan's with one hand, the other already drawing the battleaxe he wore on his back. The light shone forward to illuminate the scene more clearly.

"Altana you guys run fa HOLY MOLA MOLA THERE'S A DRAGON IN HERE!" came the startled feminine voice from behind. Lyall shot a look over his shoulder and there was the new girl, the child, Umise, he thought her name was. She was hunched over, one hand on the wall and one on her knee, gasping.

The mithra were continuing their attacks, landing glancing blows against the thick hide of the beast. The wounds they inflicted were shallow, superficial but still drew blood. They may have only made the creature more agitated. Agitation gave way to pain, however, when the Aht Urghanian's weapon landed true against the beast's unoccupied leg, cleanly severing a toe.

The dragon thrashed wildly, less about combat and more in incredulous pain. The Palborough Mines were abandoned; It was possible this beast thrived on the fauna that lived inside and had never seen a person before, let alone be harmed. In its own way it was much a child, innocent, just a predator being confronted with a new creature.

The monster thrashed about and sent Faebhar retreating tactically, the mithra twins also backing away towards the entrance of the cave where Lyall stood with the new girl a few feet behind. The rotting supports that held the mine intact were battered, leaned into. The creature broke clean a few of them and the ceiling lurched precariously.

"We need to go," Faebhar said in that solider-tone, the sort of thing that caused trained military and militia to simply follow orders. Lyall met his gaaze evenly and nodded, taking his daughters by the hands.

"Girls, we're leaving." Both he and Faebhar's tones were calm, considering rocks were beginning to fall.

"Now we have to run BACK?!" The hume girl protested. Faebhar strode forward confidently, lifting the girl like a bride and beginning his charge back through the cave.

The mine was unstable, lurching and collapsing at an alarming rate. The monstrous roar of the dragon was still audible behind them, cursing them in beastial tongue and seemingly unbothered by the collapse of its lair. Daylight flooded from the path before them, the world falling down behind them, and with the ceiling sealing the way behind them they clamored out of the blackened hell and into the dusty world of Gustaberg.

There were many answers to be had, many things to be discussed. But that would have to wait for another time.