Adventure On!

[voidtreckermods]

"Good Morning passengers. Today is day six of the month of Horseshoe." The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preparation

The dressing room is indeed open as promised. The dressers and wardrobes are full of many different clothes. Shirts, tunics, skirts, dresses, robes, cloaks, leggings and even an array of fancy hats.

The cloaks are notable in that they look like standard fantasy cloaks but are completely waterproof, much like a modern jacket and they will keep them warm and dry. There are also a good selection of furs for those travelling into the tundra as well as some leather armour, both for protection against monsters and fire.

There are an array of tents- in more neutral colours, a lot simpler than the tents they have used before as well as some basic pots and pans for cooking. There are a range of bags and pouches for carrying any essentials!
They are a few hours before arrival and so there is plenty of time to prepare before the announcement. "Shortly arriving on world 5382110341. All passengers get ready to disembark. Next stop world 5382110341. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

Arrival: Royal Lake Hill

The train jolts and shudders as it leaves the void. It descends quickly and lands with a small bump. The doors open, it is a bit of a jump from the train to the ground but they land on soft grass. Anyone looking back at the train will find it almost not there… Unless they focus very hard it will seem just like a shimmer in the air, passengers jumping from nowhere.

They are a short walk from what seems like a small town, surrounded by walls. The gates are manned but the large group of people only get a quick glance before they are nodded in.

They get a few curious glances as they enter the town proper. It is not exceptionally busy, indeed everyone out and about are older or small children, who dart around unafraid of the strangers, staring openly at times.

A market place spans the square, predominately selling food, stalls are actually small huts, the front part open to the street for custom and a back room that is presumably used for sleeping. Some, like the blacksmiths are more solid with multiple rooms.

Each voidtrecker will have a dot on the map on their SCA showing them to the inn that their team should head towards. If they ask around they will learn that there is indeed a call to for adventurers at three of the town’s inns and they are to report there in early evening. As it is still early morning they have almost the whole day to explore, enjoy being in a town full of people and, for those who are keen, earn some spending money.

Whatever they end up doing with their day it is obvious when evening is approaching by the stalls beginning to be packed up, the streets quieting as people went home for their dinners. The inns are easy enough to find, even for those that didn’t find them earlier in the day.

Orange

Recruitment

Ducks in a Bucket is at the western gate. It is quiet, usually a tavern used by adventurers, the custom has dried up with all the adventurers protecting the kingdom. It is filled with large wooden tables and sturdy stools, not a fine dining establishment in any way but it has a friendly air to it.

Not long after they arrive a woman in a long cloak arrives. "I am here to hire adventurers. You will be aware, I am sure, of the blight storm that hit the kingdom. Many people across the land have been effected. Many areas are out of the crystals needed to restore those who have been blighted and there are rumours the army is in short supply as well. We require you to travel to the Singing Woodlands to harvest the crystals from the calla lilies that grow there. I have an image if it is needed."

Here she takes out a small scroll and passes it around, it is a painting of a simple, dark purple calla lilie.

"The huma have agreed to transport the collected crystals to the areas that need it. Unfortunately the land itself has been blighted and has become unstable, floating into the air. We can provide you each with two flight potions to help you travel up into the woodlands."

She holds out a bag to pass around, there are exactly enough potions for each person to take two despite the face she couldn’t possibly have known who was going to turn up to head the call.

"Please be warned that transportation magics have not been working in blighted areas and so you will be taken to the ground below. If you accept this quest please get ready to gate."

A moment later there is a flash of light and any who want to will vanish from the tavern.

Arrival

They will arrive on a grassy verge, in front of them is a canyon of dirt. If they look up they will see the land that should be filling it. In chunks the forest is floating on a series of islands stretching high up into the clouds.

Many of the islands feel too high to reach in ten minutes but there are a couple of lower ones that might be good places to aim for.

The potion works swiftly, making those who drink it feel lighter, all they need to do is jump and they are floating, moving in the air is easy, they can walk up as if on a ramp or swim through the air currents if they are feeling a bit more adventurous.

The islands themselves are teeming with life, plants of all kinds grow there and as they reach the lower islands they will see the huma birds and hopefully spot some of those calla lilies.

Purple

Recruitment

The Lion's Mane is the largest tavern in town. It has some customers, sitting in groups and drinking. There is a musician in the corner playing a lively tune and sat on a central table is an official looking man with a scroll case and a worried expression.

"Anyone." He cleared his throat, "Anyone who has come to be hired… As an adventurer please gather around. Now. Now. Can everybody hear me? Yes? Right. Well I am sure as you know the blight… Yes? Yes! Well there are some clusters of villages up near the dusty rivers, I can show you on this map..."

He unfurls a scroll, which shows a large expansive land mass. He points to an area in the far west. "They have a golem problem, their own golems that is. Turned on them." He shook his head, "Crystal magic, very susceptible to blight. They need some help, clear the area, purify the crystals. That sort of thing. You’ll probably be there a few days."

He rolled up the scroll. "I can’t gate you into the villages, earths all blighted. But I can get you close."

He did a quick head count. "If you don’t accept the mission please step back. Ready?"

He opens a gate, a few gates, and everyone who accepts vanishes from the tavern.

Arrival

They arrive in a small clearing in a wood. It is quiet, with not even the sound of birdsong. Trees are all around them though anyone checking their SCA will see that the village is indeed close.

A moment later there are footsteps, a young boy, no older than ten bursts into the clearing. He reels backwards at the figures, surprised to see them but then seems to realise that they are, for the most part, human.

"Quick! Come quick! The village!"

He turned on his heal and heading no call ran back the way he came. For those that follow the route leads them through thick overgrowth, there is clearly an easier way, to a small village.

A small village with a large golem and a large troll stomping through it. People are cowering in houses or behind walls as the troll swings its club back and forth, smashing things in its wake.

Red and Blue

Recruitment

The final tavern is The Thrice Struck Tree. It is small, dark and has a heavy air to it. There are a couple of customers, sat silently with mugs of ale in front of them. They give the voidtreckers suspicious glances.

They may wonder if they are in the wrong place but after a few moments a young woman in a smart looking uniform, dark blue tunic, shiny boots, enters. "Adventurers? I am captain Sienna of Irivar’s third guard. We have reports coming from the southern lands. The blight has depowered the crystals separating the frozen tundra from the fire lands. A disaster could occur if the are not recharged. They must be taken into the central fire mountains heart. It is a fair journey and the crystals must be carried. Please, for those that known the secrets of it do not attempt to place the crystals into the spaces between for easier transportation, it would be disastrous." She gave them a serious look before continuing.

"Furthermore the creatures of the area are reporting that the Glacial Sovereign has not been seen since the blight hit." She shook her head, looking worried. "You must find their guardians, the crystal wolves and attempt to regain contact with the sovereign." She paused again.

"Both the sprites of ice and fire have been corrupted by the blight and the area is very dangerous. I can gate you to the border and from there you must split, please decide amongst yourselves who is best to journey into fire and who is suited to the cold. I will give you a moment to be ready."

It is indeed only a moment before she opens the gate. Any who choose to travel will vanish from the tavern.

Arrival

They arrive in a strange place indeed. To the east there is black rock, lava streams and mountains billowing with smoke. To the west is white, icy bridges connecting land and glaciers. Far in the distance there is what seems to be a swirling mass of snow.

And right where they are is… a mess. Melted ice and frozen ash mixed together into a slippery sludge that sticks to their shoes and makes movement interesting.

But movement may be necessary as it seems their gate has taken them to a place surrounded by two packs of fire dogs and a few regular wolves. All look surprised at the sudden influx of people but it doesn’t take them long before the blighted creatures move in to attack.

Splitting

Once they are safe from wolves and dogs the teams can split. The crystals red need to collect are obvious, set out at even distances from each other. Red team are to head east, into the volcano range, Blue are to head west into the tundra.

Good luck void warriors!

Comments

[flatteries]

"'mfine.." He's quick to mumble. Like despite hitting his head just now, at least that instinct works just perfectly. His default response to the question of whether he's okay or not comes out without hesitation, even as his eyes open and close a few times, vision trying to adjust again now the world is slowly stopping with spinning so much.

Waiting for said spinning to stop does mean he needs another moment for his sight to fully return back to normal enough to see the fingers. It's only then that Inigo realises just how close Roland is too - only then that he realises Roland's arms are around him too, that it feels rather comfortable to be cradled and helped for once after falling like that. He's so used to picking himself up that it feels foreign. But in a good way.

The good way doesn't last long though. At first Inigo keeps on mumbling--

"Uh, three fingers, right? I'm fine, you don't have to worry about.."

But then his voice trails off mid-sentence. Because he sees that fiend. He sees that cockroach right on top of Roland's head. Inigo can perfectly see it from his current location.

"R-- Roland! Roland, by Naga, it's on you!" The level of panic in Inigo's voice as he says it is definitely more suited for some poisonous snake rather than one simple cockroach.

[adregem]

"What?" He blinks, eyebrow quirked up in confusion. "What's on me, Inigo?" Roland is convinced he's seeing things. He may have passed the how-many-numbers-am-I-holding-up test, but what if he was suffering a deeper concussion?

Roland shakes his head. The cockroach flies in a circle, one full rotation, before it perches itself on top of his head again as if nothing happened; its host still clueless. In fact, it makes things worse by crawling downwards, it's antennae almost touching the tops of Roland's ear.

[flatteries]

This is awful. Terrible. It's so gross!

And it's even worse that Roland doesn't seem to notice. Inigo is starting to very quickly realise over here that there is absolutely no way he is going to convince the other of the very real threat on the side of his head before said threat manages to crawl to a much, much grosser place.

Which can only mean one thing: Inigo has to be Brave right now. He has to be Strong. Despite his fears, he has to be the hero here and solve this problem himself. Like hell he's going to let Roland get crawled all over by this cockroach, just because he didn't manage to notice the insect in time! No, Inigo is going to become the mighty hero, the son who saved his noble father from the mightiest foe of all!

Inigo swallows down his instinctive urge to get away from the thing as quickly as possible, and then swallows the fear of having to touch it even more.

And then he suddenly moves his hand up, whacking with his flat palm right against the side of Roland's head. Hard.

... of course the cockroach flies away a second before impact, leaving Inigo to literally whack Roland straight against the head for nothing, since it's too late to stop the motion at that point.

1/???

[adregem]

There's a delay that Roland catches, like Inigo is staring at him with a strange, growing determination that causes him to wonder what's running through his young mind. Why are his eyes getting wider, why does he look like he's about to make a huge, life-changing decision?

He tilts his head somewhat, watching him look deliberate, and worried?

Roland reaches to scratch his ear too, a weird tickling sensation coming through that wasn't there seconds ago. What -

2/???

[adregem]

- he doesn't get to scratch his ear, though. By the time his hand is halfway up, with his other hand still cradling Inigo on the dirty sewer floor, there's a sharp WHACK!!! that beats him to it.

And by a sharp whack, he means a really. Sharp. WHACK.

3/???

[adregem]

The cockroach that flies away before Inigo's well-timed hit is forgotten for a but moment when Roland reacts thusly, exclaiming a rather authentic "G-GAH!" before he reels back to the opposite direction, catching his fall with his elbow.

Inigo, planted on his lap, may find that he's forced up from Roland thanks to the momentum.

4/5

[adregem]

He shakes his head, trying to understand exactly what happened. There's a ringing in his ears, not really a pounding, wasn't too painful, but goodness was that disorienting!

Roland groans and pushes himself up, looking up at Inigo in confusion, wondering out loud, "Pup, why did you - ?"

And then from behind Inigo, he finally sees it, eyes wide, just as wide as Inigo's.

5/5

[adregem]

Not only does Roland see the flying cockroach fly in another two circles...he finds that it lands on the nearest wall adjacent to the both of them.

And on that same wall, the cockroach joins about a dozen more of its friends, of varying sizes, watching. Unmoving. Waiting.

Roland gulps and immediately ignores the white noise, a weird beep in the back of his head. His arm extends to try and shield Inigo, slow as a sloth, his eyes not at all leaving the wall.

"Inigo. Stay calm. Move behind me. Carefully. Don't. Scream." He whispers. He needs to get his gun out again!

[flatteries]

Inigo, having his back turned towards it all, is the one who's completely oblivious this time. Before Roland speaks up with those final words, he's already hurriedly speaking up, looking absolutely panicked - though not because of the cockroaches.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't--" 'mean to do that', he wants to say, because even though it was an accident he instantly and genuinely feels guilty for hitting Roland. But before Inigo can fully descend into that panic, Roland speaks again.

And it makes Inigo freeze. It has to be something serious if Roland is acting this way, right? Sure, the other is protective of him, Inigo has figured out as much, but it's not like he's overprotective. Roland let him fight the blighted rats just fine a few moments ago, and he's aware Inigo can fight for himself.

So for Roland to tell him to get behind him.. it must be worse than the rats, whatever he's seeing behind Inigo.

So Inigo doesn't bother to put up a protest. He just moves - quickly, but as carefully as possible - until he's behind Roland's back. Roland may even feel Inigo's hands clinging to the back of Roland's coat.

"Fa.. Father.." The fact he's slipping back to that instead of 'Roland' betrays his nerves. "W-What's going on?"

1/2

[adregem]

He waits until Inigo is behind him, before drawing out the pistol and aiming it slowly, ever so slowly at the wall in front of him. He begins to charge up his gun, trying to get a laser beam ready to blast them all to smithereens. Roland isn't too frightened of them...but seeing so many, antennae's moving like they're looking at him...It's enough to make anyone's skin crawl, regardless of how tough their constitution is.

When his gun is ready to fire, and it doesn't take too long for that to light up against the barrel of the pistol, he cranes his neck so he can talk low while Inigo hides. "You can look forward, but you can't scream, okay? Just. Take it slow, calm down. We've got it under control."

Inigo may or may not take that offer, but regardless of his reaction, Roland will look the part and might even say a cool, "Say your prayers!" before he pulls the trigger and lights up the wall with a wave of blinding magical energy, wide and encompassing majority of the cockroach nest's façade.

[adregem]

As with all plans that were only thought through halfway, it doesn't all go according to expectations. Although the laser does indeed hit its mark, it fails to the task of actually killing the mark. When the light settles and the smoke from his gun wisps into the air, Roland is for a moment, convinced that the threat to their adventure to destroy blighted rats is now well and truly gone. Though it may not be the last time they encounter cockroaches down in a sewer, the worst of it, he believes, might have been their congregation right in front of them.

This false sense of security is his first and final mistake. The dust clears to a nightmare as every one of the dozen cockroaches have dispersed, some flying in the air, the others just about to take flight themselves as they flutter to adjacent walls for safety. Roland's time slows for him, and he is left with no choice but to -

"Run, run now!"

His gun disappears into his Arms Band in a split second and he immediately jerks Inigo's closest hand to follow him as fast as possible, out of that section of the sewer, and into the opposite direction.

[flatteries]

Inigo's timing to try and look over Roland's shoulder is just the tiniest bit off. Because he hesitates on actually looking, too worried about what he might find - something worse than that cockroach from just now? - and the moment he does try to look, Roland is already firing. Which means he can't see a thing, because everyhing is instead covered by smoke. And while Inigo has seen much battle, guns - or any other weapon that would actually create smoke after being fired - are new enough to him that it leaves him pretty disoriented.

Disoriented enough to be completely pulled along like a rag doll the moment Roland tugs on his hand and starts running. Sure, Inigo's feet immediately fall into the steady rhythm of the run, as if by instinct, but his mind isn't quite there yet. What's happening. Where is he. Who is he. What year is it.

But even in the middle of that confusion, there's only one thing Inigo can think of. One thing that always comes to the forefront of his mind, no matter how much of a mumbled up mess his other thoughts are.

"Roland, are.. are you okay?"

It's just-- the other seems so startled! Even though he's brave, and a competent warrior! Inigo can't even imagine what must have caused a guy like him to actually consider running away.

[adregem]

As soon as there's enough distance and brick wall between them, Roland stops and leans his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. That was a sprint if he ever saw one. He merely has to point behind them for Inigo to see, brave as he is!!, a maelstorm of about a dozen cockroaches still dispersed in the air. A few seconds later, the insects grow motionless, finally finding reprieve from the dark-haired intruders by crawling up walls and on floors once more.

It's definitely something Roland won't wish for, even on his worst enemy.

"Hah...Hah...Inigo...!" Roland exhales. He can last as long as he has to in a sword fight, but sprinting away from insects is a whole different beast! "Are you...okay? Did any of them get on you?" He stands up straightens his back. "I shouldn't have done that. My mistake."

I can't believe I got bested by cockroaches of all things!

[flatteries]

Now Roland is pointing, Inigo is at the very least brave enough to take a look behind him.

And he immediately kind of wishes he didn't. Despite the fact that they're away from it now, just the sight of all those things flying and crawling around is just too much. He can feel a chill running down his spine at it. Ugh. Why couldn't it just be rats, huh? Or if people knew those cockroaches were down here as well, they should have told them! This whole job was full of false advertising!

But when Roland speaks up, Inigo's attention turns away from the bugs and instead fully towards the other guy. Especially when he hears what Roland says. It makes Inigo frown slightly, putting a hand up on Roland's shoulder. (Inigo seems much less out of breath himself - you don't survive an apocalypse for years without great stamina.)

"Hey, why are you saying it's your mistake? You didn't do anything wrong!"

Silly dad, blaming himself unjustly for things is Inigo's thing already! He won't allow anyone else to do it!

"You protected me back there! If anything, I should have been thanking you. I would have been toast if you weren't there with me."

[adregem]

"No way. You're not turning this around on me, heh." He stands to his full height and shook his head as if trying to clear it of invisible cobwebs. "You hit me because there was a cockroach on my head, didn't you?"

And if this mission doesn't permanently damage Roland's perception of those crawlies, he hopes nothing worse will come to him now or in the near future. That was wholly unpleasant. Plus -

- he looks only slightly panicked, but it's still a strange look for him. Wide eyes, expression like he forgot something integral. With a strange sense of haste about him, Roland takes both his hands and sets them on top of Inigo's shoulders, peering in close to his face. Never mind. Roland looks a little more than just slightly panicked.

"Did...Did it go on my hair? Can you see if it -" He doesn't even finish the sentence, offering the crown of his dark hair to Inigo's vigilant gaze. Don't let him down, son! This is a matter of crucial importance! So crucial in fact, that Roland takes the tie off of his usually immaculate ponytail so Inigo has more to comb through. Pun intended.

[flatteries]

At first Inigo is worried that there's something seriously wrong. No one would look this panicked over something that's not important, after all, and fear seizes hold of Inigo's heart, along with a fierce protectiveness, ready to swing his sword at anything that has gotten Roland that scared--

Until he realises what the other is really panicked about. Something most people wouldn't even worry about, but this is Roland. It's more than clear to Inigo at this point that the other's hair is very important to him, so of course he would freak out over something like this.

And really.. Usually Inigo is the one worried about dumb things, so can't he cut his father some slack at least once?

The worry on his face changes into a small, hopefully reassuring smile. He glances around, as if looking for something, and then gently takes Roland's hands to drag him over to a nearby relatively clean-looking stone sticking out from the ground to sit on. Judging by the lack of sound, there shouldn't be any of those blighted rats nearby either, so they'll have a moment.

"Here, just sit and calm down for a moment, alright? I'll take care of the rest." After giving Roland another smile, Inigo moves behind him to look through the other's hair - a lot easier now the other is sitting and Inigo can just look down at it. He starts looking through the hair, gently parting it with his hands and running his fingers through it to make sure there's nothing left behind in there, cockroach or otherwise.

Although he may be running his fingers through it a bit more than absolutely necessary, pressing gentle fingers against his scalp. Because Inigo sure is hoping that playing with his hair a bit will have a calming effect on Roland after that scare. It's the least he can do in return for the older guy having dragged him out of that cockroach death pit.

[adregem]

Roland takes the instruction well and does what's asked of him, crouching down and allowing Inigo to take a look. The trust is inherent for the mere fact that he asks this of him, that he doesn't fuss and allows Inigo's hands to go through the strands of his thick locks even in a place as unsavory as Irivar's sewers.

It's not that he thinks so highly of his hair that he has to derail a quick little mission like this, but he can't exactly explain why he's compulsively trying to check for anything...gross in his scalp. Perhaps another sign of how comfortable he is with Inigo, how much he's willing to let him see sides of him that usually doesn't allow others to witness. Then again, Roland is aware of his penchant for keeping impressions. Regardless of where, even if it's not in front of a camera. Maybe it's both.

He's definitely more relaxed now, aware that Inigo's putting more gentle pressure on his scalp than what's necessary. Roland just stifles a chuckle, finally understanding how this situation has played out for the both of them. "Heh. I can't believe we got bested by creepy crawlies." He glances up at Inigo, a glint of playfulness behind dark brown eyes. "I'll keep quiet about this if you will? Heh."

[flatteries]

He playfully groans, even as his hands are still carefully moving through Roland's hair.

"Please don't tell Ti--" His voice suddenly stops before he can finish that sentence. It feels so natural to say that, especially to Roland of all people, when the three of them are - although not always voluntarily - messing around together so often.

But it suddenly hits him like lightning. Right. He and Tidus aren't talking anymore. Maybe aren't talking ever again. Suddenly he feels a bit nauseous.

Determined to not let Roland catch onto the fact that there's anything at all going on between him and Tidus, he quickly continues. "--Tidus. Or anyone else." Let's quiiickly steer the topic away from a certain blonde, before things get really painful. "I'm really scared of bugs."

Somehow it feels easier to admit that to Roland. Maybe it's one of those small dad perks, getting to know these kinds of details about Inigo so easily, without him bothering to hide them.

"But that's kind of dumb, right? I mean.. they're just bugs. So you have to help me keep it a secret. Don't let anyone think I'm a coward."

[adregem]

Thankfully, Roland doesn't hear that drop; that hesitation. Had he known Tidus and Inigo were going through something similar, a rough patch brought about by an unexpected event in Tidus's life...Well, perhaps it's best that he'll never know at all. Some things can only be resolved between each other.

He lets out an almost incredulous chuckle under his breath, , messing up his bangs as he does so. "Don't worry. I'm not going to be broadcasting this little episode to Tidus anytime soon." Roland makes a dry expression, eyes dropped slightly low as if imagining a scenario in his mind's eye. A grumble that may be inaudible. "I probably wouldn't hear the end of it, most of all..."

When he's sure that his heartbeat has settled, and Inigo's ministrations grow too relaxing for where they are, Roland makes a motion that he's alright. Stands up, dusts himself off, and begins to tie his hair in his signature low ponytail expertly. He definitely looks glad, from the way his eyes shine bright. "Thank you. And hey, everyone's got something they're afraid of, right? Could be the dark. Could be insects. Not dumb at all. Especially when they're that...unsavory. Who wouldn't be scared?"

So much for blighted rat hunting. They found a nest of cockroaches under the sewers - is that worth reporting to the folks up top?

"Guess you win this favor, pup. You saved my life - and my hair."

[flatteries]

More than glad that he managed to shove that little awkward moment right there under the carpet, Inigo first smiles, and then laughs.

"Hey, you know me! I'm not scared of anything!" At least that isn't too much of an exaggeration. Despite Inigo being a giant baby in many ways, there aren't many things that actually scare him, as evidenced by the fact that he throws him into any battle with very little hesitation. "This is just-- just an exception, you know?"

So don't think less of him, dad! He's still Invincible Inigo, okay. Until he gets his ass kicked by Reno later.

"Besides, when it's for your sake, I would gladly fight even those gross things ten times over. .. even when it's just for your hair, I guess." But please don't make that the thing he has to risk his life for, okay.

[adregem]

JUST his hair?!

"Thank you, Inigo. I'll incinerate those creepy crawlies for you right now, if you want." He clenches his fist, and exudes determination even if he's mostly kidding. Though if Inigo should ask it of him, there's little doubt he wouldn't actually fulfill that promise.

He'll have sheathed all his weapons back, or returned them to the sphere of his Arms Band now that the threat of the insect invaders has passed. Ponytail back in place, smooth as usual. "But I think it might be better to earn our coin for what we actually came here for. If the rats are getting more aggressive the deeper we go, that means we're probably reaching the nest. Still up to exterminate?"

[flatteries]

"I mean, as long as we don't run into more of those things.."

He will gladly fight all the rats! He'll rid this entire sewer system of them if he has to, but please, don't make him face even a single cockroach ever again. He's not sure if Roland burning down these very tunnels would even be enough to ever make him able to have some restful sleep without worries about potential roaches ever again.

Inigo releases a breath though, smiling. Clearly he's just joking too - mostly, because he is definitely going to scream if he sees another one of those things.

"Let's go and quickly get this job done! Before people start worrying where we've run off to for so long."

[adregem]

"Right. We won't burn daylight. Come on."

He takes Inigo by the hand and sprints deeper into the sewer, materializing his sword now that he's given the boy the win of the day. The squeaking grows more and more violent, and while they encounter smaller clusters of blighted rats, it's quite clear when they reach the next level down that the biggest one of them all is closer than expected. The darkness here is more suffocating, lanterns against the wall flickering as if threatening to extinguish in a breath. It's enough to make Roland keep to Inigo's close left, covering him where he's most open from this side. He will admit to fighting an instinct to keep him behind, but Inigo is a warrior like the rest of them. He won't patronize him.

"Stay alert. It knows what we came here to do."

[flatteries]

Maybe the darkness - and the idea that they will have to fight in it - should be daunting, but it's actually getting easier for Inigo this way. At least if there are any other creepy crawlies around, he won't be able to see them, so then they might as well not be there. And the rats, in comparison, make enough sound for him to be able to tell where they are, even in the dimmer areas.

So Inigo doesn't seem worried at all as they move along. He's fought under worse circumstances, really. And at least right now he's not alone, which makes anything feel more mangeable. He doesn't even notice that Roland is trying to cover him protectively - all Inigo needs to feel more reassured is the other's sheer presence, really, regardless of any actions.

"It's alright. Let it be aware. It won't change its fate." Inigo has fought things way worse than big rats. There's no way this is going to intimidate him.

Although they do encounter one problem. They're so far into the sewers that the "road" ahead is starting to get harder and harder to travel. Even in the slight light of the torches on the walls, it's very obvious that they won't be able to move side by side in the tunnel ahead of them. It's just too narrow for it.

He glances at Roland after taking a look at it. "I'll go ahead."

[adregem]

He hesitates for only a brief second before Roland relents. Nods at Inigo with a serious expression, and readies himself to follow behind him a few steps behind. It was a smart assessment. Such a narrow, dark space could only spell trouble for the both of them if they were caught in a surprise attack. Roland will walk backwards when there's allowed room to move about, his eyes adjusting to the dark and his sword ready in response to anything remotely a threat.

It was too quiet. Absolutely too quiet. It made no sense from the lead up, where he was certain there was a trap waiting for them. Not that blighted rats were capable of it, but who knew at this point what that kind of magic could do?

Then, it comes. The ground begins to tremble. He feels tremors run up his legs, his knees. Roland looks to the front, watching Inigo's back in worry. "Hey. Do you feel that?"