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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 4, 2023 16:58:56 GMT -5
"Wait!" She tries to protest, but Leandros is already forging ahead, braving the intense heat wafting from this statue in waves, lashing back with stern, forceful words against the insidious voice of the spirit of the altar. It was an absolute rebuke, both in his physicality and his response, and even she had to remind herself not to stare, even if it was out of some shocked awe.
As he hauled the scholar back towards Del, Del reached out to catch him, gently lowering him to the stone so she could get a look. He was badly burned and barely conscious, muttering to himself in some sort of delirium, shaking violently now that he was out of the thrall of the altar. "The-- the seams seem, seams seem, seem seem seem seem seams seem seeing sees the seams they seem seamed, the seams, oh, goDS," He convulsed, wracked with agony as reality started to wash over him once again.
She looks up at Leandros, clearly placing her concern between him and the scholar. "He's bad off, but if we get him to town quickly, I think he's not beyond saving. Come on, then I'm sorry in advance," Del takes the man's arm gently to pull him up and over her shoulders, in a fireman carry. He screams again, but it's reduced back to the panicked chattering again. She levels a look at Leandros, clearly worried. "That. Was incredibly risky. And very brave. We'll get you looked at too once we're back, are you badly hurt?"
The ground under their feet rumbles, the spirit clearly incensed at their removal of its sacrifice. "You anger goddess!!" The imp squeaks, starting a panicky flutter away from the pair of rescuers.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Feb 4, 2023 20:24:46 GMT -5
"I am fine, we should worry about his condition first." Leandros offers over what's left in his waterskin. It likely isn't that cold given the situation, but it would be something. It could be a cold enough shock to wake him up.
"We should leave here as soon as possible, it seems like it's influence is contained to that room...for now." His attention snaps towards the imp, but it's already fleeing. No point in chasing it. The thought of it escaping didn't quite sit well with the knight, but they had more pressing matters and could warn the others. The scholar was the focus right now.
Leandros would move aside for Del to go ahead of him. Even with a person in tow, she was going to be much, much faster than him. He would keep the rear watching behind them at a slow jog just to pace himself and not also become a burden. The heat and rumbling of the chambers shook the entire cave they were in. Cracks and magma began to show as they hastened to make their way out. Leandros was happy to see they hadn't summoned some sort of demons or elementals....at least for the time.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 7, 2023 16:05:55 GMT -5
A piece of stalactite in the ceiling above them gives way, crashing the ground just behind them. Del grimaces, "Agreed," and takes off. She moves fast, not having any issue with shifting over the broken ground and new obstacles that start to litter their path, leaping over new rivers of magma with ease, kicking off of walls to make their way out. She waits near corners for Leandros to catch up, so he never loses sight of her, but Del makes sure to keep moving. They needed to get out of there.
"Watch your left!" Del calls out, pivoting right as a section of wall starts to give way. Still moving, she shows Leandros the way around and over the new pile of rubble by lightly placing her feet where it would be safe for him to bear down on his weight.
Before long, she sees the little black ichor marks that she noticed near the entrance to the cave. The ground heaves under her feet, but she maintains her balance, and more importantly, doesn't allow her precious cargo to drop. Del skids to a halt as she clears the cave from her dead run, heaving slightly as she waits for Leandros to emerge. He hadn't been that far behind her, but she waits with bated breath nontheless.
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Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Feb 7, 2023 17:31:44 GMT -5
It is a concerning amount of time before Leandros appears. Normally a few seconds pass like nothing, but when a cave is collapsing in on itself they seem to stretch out a bit. He finally comes out and comes to a slow stop, chest heaving. All the training in the world doesn't prepare you for that kind of running. It didn't help that his lungs were already a little burnt from recovering the scholar.
"I don't think....I'll be vacationing out here soon." He gives a winded smile as he straightens back up and takes in a slow breath, exhaling even slower to help slow everything down.
Leandros took a handkerchief from his pack, pawing at the sweat forming on his forehead, "How is he? Think he can make it back down to base camp? I am positive his friends will be excited to see him....and terrified to hear about what is taking place here."
Once Del is ready, Leandros is fine to lead the way again, or at the very least keep pace with Del. The descent was always much easier than climbing which was good, he was tired. Not a feeling he often contended with.
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Post by Delaela Fenastra-Asiliari on Feb 8, 2023 3:29:40 GMT -5
Del waits, tense and poised, for Leandros to come out. "Come on, come on..." Each second that drags by clenches her jaw a little tighter. There's a few seconds where she debates depositing the researcher to the side for a moment so she can go and look for Leandros, but knew that doing so would mean that the chance of all of them, the researcher, Leandros and Del dying or becoming too injured to move would be that much more likely.
When he eventually emerges, Del relaxes, relieved. She gives Leandros a look as he immediately starts to ask about their charge, still across Del's shoulders. It was admirable. She could see Leandros had a sense of duty a mile wide, and he was dedicated to the task. But Del could still feel the heat radiating off his armor, and knew that he must be deeply uncomfortable, if not painful. "He's alright. Not in good shape, but he can make it down, if he's carried. You, on the other hand, look like you were rotisseried." She adjusts the scholar on her shoulders, where he whimpers quietly as he stirs. He lifts his head, able to prop himself up a bit better now that he has come round to consciousness and is out of the heat.
He looks up at Leandros and Del through bleary, glassy eyes. "Th-thank you."
"We got you. You're gonna be okay." Del assures him, "Rest now." She turns her gaze back to Leandros, taking her waterskin off her hip, handing it to him. "We'll be checking in with the medics when we get back to base camp for the both of you. Then we can tell command about what we found." She sighs, looking back at the cave near those ruins. "Yes. I imagine they'll be pretty horrified." Del knew she was.
Walking with Leandros on the way down, Del thinks about what she saw, what she heard. The language the imp spoke being familiar... and the overbearing heat that she had watched Leandros walk through. She eyes the back of his head, wondering where a young man like that had come from in silence. Once they get back to camp, she ensures he gets seen, alongside their rescued scholar.
In the meantime... that ominous sensation was stifled. For now.
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