Although Raneaux could not pick up even the faintest of
emotions from Lina, she was able to clearly find Xera's. She ran back down
stairs and called for help. Mhaast and Willow followed her out to the domed
building but they were all overtaken by Danton's determination. They abruptly
stopped when they reached the closed brass door. Mhaast boasted to the group
that this was an easy task but his strength failed him. They all then tried to
move it with the door still barely moving. Without warning, a beam of light blasted
from Willow's direction. They jewel she carried around her neck was channelling
light to a focal point, which was now eating away at the metal doors.
Within moments the brass slab was cut from its hinges but as
it hit the ground it fell towards them. Mhaast was taken unaware and was left
shouldering the door, his mechanisms in his joints audibly straining against
the weight. Danton acted before he thought clearly and dove in. He managed to
hook Mhaast around the waist and tackled him clear along with himself. On the other side stood Xera in shock.
Everyone's eyes were centred on Willow, although she denied any involvement.
For a moment or two Xera could only see the doors falling upon himself before
he shook the vision out of his head. He urged them to find a way down the schism
in the ground. They could all now hear the feint murmur of running water.
Raneaux untied the length of rope around her to use as a rappel line. Mhaast
was too involved with repairing himself to notice Danton's scheming eye. He
thought to himself that saving Mhaast might be the first step in eventually
turning him against Silas if things were to come to a head with himself and Lord Lyathra.
That train of thought led him to that of saving Lina and he
beelined for Raneaux who was setting up
the rope. He grabbed it out of her hand and demanded for a set of spikes to jam
into the rock face. He tied off the rope around the handle of the brass door
and lowered himself down. With his
serpentine eyes, the darkness yielded a surprise. The running water was
actually a subterranean river. He dangled over the thirty foot drop into the
water from the tunnel above and dropped a glowglobe into the water. The current
swirled it around for a second below him before it was pushed out along the
river at speed. He knew the current was dangerous but he had to brave the
water. Above him, Raneaux threw down more rope so that Danton could lengthen
the line, allowing him to partially submerge himself while remaining in
relative safety.
Next down the rope was Mhaast. It was obvious to everyone,
including himself that he was far too big for the crevice but he had no choice
in the matter. He forced himself down, scraping his skin and metal on the rocks.
The screech of the latter covered for his low grunting at the pain. He too
eventually emerged and clung to the rope above the water. He had kept away from
any large sources in case he ceased to function. With Danton on the other end
of the rope he managed to swing himself to shore. With relief he looked up
towards the crevice and a brilliant white light pouring out from it. Willow's
glasses were emanating a dazzling light, allowing her to see clearly through
the dark. It was like nothing Danton had ever seen. He had been admittedly
attracted by her demure beauty and apparent raw power but her glasses caught
him off guard. His hand slipped on the rope and the currents took him.
He fought back against the raging waters. His strength only
bolstered by sheer desperation. The rope now started to sway and under Willow's
tentative grasp she cried out for help. Mhaast immediately jumped into the
water. He had little concern for his own safety or the preservation of his
mechanical parts. The water however took hold, his body started to feel
sluggish. Danton was fighting against being swept away from the chamber. His
fangs protracted, his blood started to burn him as he forced himself to the
side of the cavern and to desperately held onto an outcrop. Mhaast had now succumbed
to the currents, falling short of catching the rope. He too suffered like
Danton, although weighed down by his metal. Danton could clearly see Mhaast
coming towards him and he needed to make a split decision. He could either save
him, or let him drown down the river. The latter could have been useful if
Silas was to wage war, he would have one
less asset, however down here, the more people the better. He gritted his teeth
and held out his hand for Mhaast to catch. He felt his strong grip and the
weight of him and the water trying to pull him downstream but held fast. Willow,
seeing both men in danger, took a couple of deep breaths before commanding the
rope to tie to the other side of the bank, to which it obeyed.
As she carefully descended down, her lack of concentration
on her task and the focus on the two in
peril condemned her to the same fate. She too was buffeted by the waters before
she grasped onto the chain, desperately clinging to Mhaast. Raneaux quickly
scrambled down the line to help but in the desperation to survive, Danton had
clawed his way up onto the sandy side of the cavern with Mhaast and Willow. He
had managed in the process to dislocate his shoulder and was now hunched up in
pain. Xera, now hearing all that had
gone down, was now visibly shaken. He was not the adventuring type and with
only Danton's pained words of advice to guide him down he started to descended.
He was slow and methodical, however his carefulness, it lead him to hold onto
the rope for too long. His grasp faltered under his own weight and he plummeted
into the water and straight below the surface. The laughter of hundred voices echoed.
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