• Closed • [Creeksong Cavern] Perfection of the Visage

[Elowen]

Elowen peered into the gloom of the cavern softly illuminated from within. Where the light was coming from, she couldn't tell but it really was a magical place just like in the story. Yet, Elowen did not quite feel comfortable inside it despite freely choosing to enter. It must have been the unknown that spooked her and the strangeness of the boy. She tried to spot Winston in order not to step on him but most of her attention was on the tunnel ahead. It could have been just as she went past the ferret or moments later, that a voice spoke into her mind.

Startling her, Elowen near but stopped, looking around, thinking it must had been someone else talking. Elowen knew of magic and illusions but had never come across them. If this was her first taste of it, she was certainly more than confused. She tasted the first drop of fear. Yet, the voice spoke of Meira. Although dead for 21 trials already, Elowen still missed the old woman too much at times. Meira was the only family Elowen ever knew, aside from the forest and now possibly Pea as well. Could Elowen wish Meira to appear? Her heart ached. She could. She wanted to. Yet, she also knew that Meira would not appreciate the sentiment. Still, the girl walked further into the cavern even if her progress was slowed down by the turmoil unleashed inside.

When the girl arrived at the large cavern opening, she stopped for good, trying to take it all in. She never thought herbs could grow that far in despite the light provided by some unknown source. It shouldn't be possible, unless these were the kinds she had never known before. Before she could consider taking any, she saw the boy further in still. And there was a girl arguing with him. Elowen stayed and listened.

Perfection. Magic. It sounded familiar. She couldn't tell why or whether she was remembering details of the story tied to Creeksong. She also had no time to think on it further for the boy had run off and the girl spotted Elowen. Still as stone, it wasn't until the girl spoke her name that it was like a push against Elowen's shoulders, making her lean away from the scene.

Meira...

She stared at the girl for so long she felt like eternity must have passed. Could this be...? Elowen's brow knotted into a fierce frown. Was this the dream?

"How?" Elowen managed at last. Due to shock, her social awkwardness evaporated and she stared at the Meira-girl. "How can you be real?"

It was then that the true feeling of danger settled in. Elowen missed Meira, yes. She missed the safety of her guidance, their harmony. But especially close to Meira's death the old woman drilled into Elowen that passing was part of life. Inevitable. She had also seen it before in various shapes and forms. So this...

Elowen shook her head vigorously and took a step back. This wasn't right. "I don't know you. You can't be Meira."

The girl was too wrapped up in the outrageousness of the notion that she was looking at Meira's younger form, that she had forgotten for the moment about Winston and Azrael who may have already arrived and understood nothing. Elowen now knew it was perhaps a mistake following so thoughtlessly, but at the same time, she was now upset about something using Meira to lure her in. For Elowen that was akin to sacrilege.

[Winston]

You know them?

Winston watched over his shoulder as the girl at least, followed in. Why the man paused so long didn't really worry him much. He was perhaps just more sensible than the two intrepid adventurers, less put off by the prospct of time traveling voices from below. Whatever the case, the voice continued to taunt them.

The Devil on My Shoulder
Alien Voice: A scar is but a memory, but this one bleeds into the past as well as future.
Curiosity: Why are you? Hello?
Winston: Scares as memories...
Curiosity: Yeah, perhaps that's why some people don't like giving them up when you offer to heal them?
Winston: Yeah... Maybe.
Curiosity: Lets find where this time-voice is coming from!

Deciding that the tracks seemed legit, or as legit as his fury little butt could tell, he moved on, still watchful and still only a short distance ahead of the girl. Waving back to Elowen from time to time to both let her know he was still there and alos encourage her to remain close, they pressed on.

As his companion sped past he was about to share his finding regarding the larger tracks when it was all hecould do to set into a quick and quiet scurry after her to keep her in sight.

Before he caught up, thre was talking and a fair amount of it, but the words were foregn to him. "That's Gernevoir, Winston..."

Observed Felicity

as they moved forward. Without waiting, she started to translate, paraphrasing the important elements without drifting too far from the gist.

The sight they were met with when he eventually caught up was awe inspiring to the tiny, curious Cadouri as they stood in the cave amid that plants and sparkling points of glowing crystal.

Winston and Felicity both watched curiously as it became apparent what they were seeing were not meer memories, but something more. Something 'present'. The power of magic was overpowering here and he let the sense fade from his mind to avoid the discomfort from overwhelming him.

Through his symbiotic possession with Felicity, Winston listened to the conversation, wandering over to stand beside Elowen and casually, but deliberately taking a look at some of the crystals around them... Were they Miragestons? If so, he'd be very eager to harvest a few, into his pack but not so eagar to let his companion get off ahead of him again again.

Elowen seemed shocked... Moreover it seemed to the ferret like she might recognise something about what was going on. Content to remain close for now as they conversed, he watched the figure before them and their surrounding. "Duh yuh know eachodda?" He intersected, using Felicitie's Fluency in the language to form a quite broken representation of the language. "Me name es Winstaaan. Dis seems tuh be a big fractcha." He offered both to inform Elowen and confirm to the woman that, yes, this place probably was not safe.

The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: Maria... Who's that?
Winston: Soh she does know dem?
Curiosity: Yeah. I wonder if this is all be projected through the mirage stones vis this Elowen girl some how?
Winston: Me mean... Et's passible me guess... Bot progectin' thoughts? Dat passible with Mirage stones?
Curiosity: Ha! Are you saying there's anything that is IMpossible using magic?
Winston: Fair point...

"If this 'girl' is generating all of this, you've got to be carful Winston. Anythign could happen." Cautionned the Wisp inside his mind.

"Ef dis es nat real, den we shud be careful." He advised in a friendly fashion to Elowen. "Duh yuh want tuh go out? Et may be dat none af dis es really, real an' dere es some supa strang magic 'ere." The ferret would follow the girls lead to an extent, in so much as she didn't appear to be taking this well so far and he'd be happy to get her out to safety before heading back in to collect some wells. he had never been in a fracture like this before and he was certainly curious, he could probably pick up the tracks of the boy afterwards.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy

[Azrael]

31 Ymiden 724

There was never any doubt that Azrael was going to venture into the cave. He'd made that decision when he chose to answer the call. His hesitation came from a desire not to startle the girl or the talking ferret. That hesitation lead to him lingering too far from the entryway when the other two delved into the dark. He should have gone first. He saw better in the dark than in the light of the suns. He saw much, much better in the dark.

The fledgling parasite on his soul whispered notes in his mind. Azrael attempted to ignore them but his spark nearly overwhelmed his ability to resist it. He heard the whispers. The thousand voices singing similar notes in whatever frequency his spark had reached out to learn. The spark was ill prepared to hear what the whispered words said and so Azrael ventured forth without paying his magic any significant thought. His domains drove him inward, not his spark.

He didn't heed the warning his spark was trying to give him. Whether the cave was house to a dragon or to a mouse, Azrael was going to venture forward. Perfection and desire could not be ignored- no matter the form.

When the others moved in, Azrael quickened his pace to follow them. He didn't want to fall behind and since they were already pushing onward, he didn't think they'd mind his presence now. Besides, given that he seemed to be the only one who was armed, he wanted to make sure he was there to help if anything went sideways. He reached the scene shortly after Elowen and Winston, catching some of but not all of what had transpired.

He set his focus on the right tunnel, after a decent period of looking at the strange crystalline growths. He wanted one for his shelf on the ship. It would certainly make for an entertaining story... if he ever figured out how to tell it without getting off topic. Anywho, the tunnel to the right. It was the least lit and as a result, the easiest for Azrael to see down. He preferred to advance in places he could see. He didn't know about the boy who'd run down there and he hardly noticed the new woman speaking in a language he didn't know. Maybe his abilities could force her to speak more plainly? Maybe they'd even help her figure out what she really wanted.

Before Azrael could act on his whims, Winston and Elowen acted. The girl seemed confused by something but Azrael had no way of knowing about what had transpired trials earlier for her. He didn't know they were addressing a ghost or some cruel visage from Elowen's past. Azrael noticed the way the girl seemed to move and speak though. Tone and body language gave away a lot, even to those who weren't the most perceptive. Something was wrong. He kept his hands away from his weapons still but his eyes scanned their surroundings and his hands were ready.

Winston began speaking in the same language that the newcomer spoke. A language that Azrael did not understand. Unlike Winston, Edasha's son had no means to translate what he was hearing and instead began to become disinterested. It was either rude or unfortunate that they all chose to speak words he did not know because Azrael's curiosity moved him along to the path that Tobias has run down- without even knowing that Tobias was there. Something was happening in this cave and lingering in one chamber wasn't going to tell him anything if everyone there spoke gobbledygook.

Whatever else was happening, Azrael wanted the source of the mysticism to show itself. It must have been some entertaining force. Perhaps worthy of an invitation to The Courteous Slime. Azrael looked backwards, watching Winston, Elowen and the other woman as he moved slowly down Tobias's pathway.

[Pig Boy]

"I can't be Meira." The young lady replied, and then shoo her head. "I don't know who you are, but I can assure you my name is Meira. You look pale, girl. Here..." Meira reached into her satchel, and drew out a pouch of ground up herbs. She handed these to Elowen, "Goat weed flowers and valerian root. All ground up. Try some, it might put whatever is agitating you at ease." Meira tried to press the herbs into Elowen's hands, and would note that Meira's hands were as cold as they'd ever felt to her.

Whether she took the herbs or not was her own to decide. Regardless, Meira turned back toward the two tunnels. "I know this section. He's too fleet of foot to follow in the dark, but we can cut him off at the pass in this direction." She pointed at the tunnel with lights and crystals and herbs. "I could use your help, but it might be dangerous. Best you stay here, girl." She didn't see the ferret Winston as anything other than a creature, but gave him a puzzled look as he appeared to squeak out words that resembled her own language. "Is this your pet?"

Meira shrugged, "No matter, I need to find him before his uncle realizes he's gone again."

So saying, she darted off into the lighted passage.

Azrael went down the dark passage, which by dint of his peculiar sort of dark vision was perfectly easy to see what was all around him. There were cave drawings around. Of a female figure, holding a gem high over her head in a crudely drawn 'diamond shape'. He could hear the pitter patter of feet ahead, and the words spoken by a child, "Go away!" Then, a light appeared, and dimmed his sight slightly. The light came from a crystal the boy was carrying. It obscured some of the cave drawings nearer to where the boy was. "You're not wanted here!"

So saying, the boy, Tobias jogged down further along the tunnel, allowing the crystal to shine his way through.

A voice called to Azrael through the echoes in the shadows, that had been plaguing Rharne of late. Oh but you are wanted, most desperately. Come and meet Perfection, if you dare. The boy will lead the way.

The light at the end of the tunnel appeared to be the boy's crystal that he was holding, but there was enough darkness here for Azrael to find his way.

[Elowen]

The demeanour of the young woman was almost like that of the Meira that Elowen did know. It was so much so that Elowen remained in a half a state of shock whilst her logic tried to deconstruct the reality and reconstruct in a way that her young mind could understand. This must had been an illusion which seemed as the only possibility when she heard Winston saying something about a fracture and magic. Neither of which Elowen knew enough about to make an informed decision right there and then.

So when the woman, for the girl refused to call her Meira in any way, reached to place a pouch of goat weed flowers and valerian root in her hands, Elowen did take a step back, but did not withdraw her hand.

There were a few things she noticed that further pushed the young girl to believing that this place was playing tricks on her mind. First, Meira's skin was unnaturally cold. Colder even than when the old woman was nearing her end. Elowen shivered when the would-be-Meira let go, feeling as though darkness itself had touched her back. Second, the herbs...goat weed and valerian. Goat weed...Something did not sit quite right.

The girl looked at the would-be-Meira with clear doubt in her eyes, but the young woman wasn't looking her way anymore. It was at that point that Elowen noticed the two tunnels. One embellished with all kinds of crystals, herbs and light. The other dark like the feeling she had about this place. It was in the second that she thought she caught a sight of movement. The boy ran that way, she remembered. But their other companion?

Of Azrael, Elowen had lost all track. She looked around for him but without success. She had missed his arrival and then retreat into one of the tunnels. Her eyes then fell to Winston who she believed was her only companion in that space and certainly was not her pet. At that point, she also realized that he did speak Gernevoir somehow but still with that strange accent. No matter, she was glad for it.

"I don't know who this is," she told him and looked at the ground next to the ferret. "It can't be Meira. She...died...many trials ago." Elowen's ability to count extended barely to ten. She never needed more than that to service the village. But with Meira's death, it was still fresh enough to not be a haze but a stark reminder of the girl's newfound solitude and the same kind of pain of loss she struggled to understand. The same sense of loss that made her upset now that there was someone trying to be the old woman.

So Elowen frowned at the lit up tunnel. Whoever this was, they were encroaching on a memory Elowen did not have but felt as though no one should try and abuse. Severely underprepared, unsure of what she was heading into, but driven by the need to set things right for the sake of Meira's remembrance, the girl nodded in resolution. "I need to follow her. This is wrong." There was purpose in her voice. A goal she did not know how to reach but couldn't avoid. So she headed for the tunnel on the left.

[Azrael]

31 Ymiden 724

Not wanted?

NOT WANTED!

Oh they do want me. As expected. Good. Little punk.

Azrael had moved on past the exchange happening behind him and was set on the path that the child walked down when the light struck his eyes and he had to shield them from it. Light was darkness to him these trials. It didn't have the same sting that seeing a bright light used to have but it dulled everything he could perceive. He didn't pay much mind to the cave drawing around him but he did notice them. Some woman with a big diamond over her head. He thought it was a woman at least. It had stick figure hair. Then again, it could have just been a man with long hair.

It was when the boy shouted for him to go away that Azrael became offended and had the prior string of thoughts. He hadn't been abducted by this strange force just so that a child could tell him to leave. No. That wouldn't do at all. First of all, he wasn't in the habit of taking orders from children. Secondly, he wanted to find what he'd heard was here. Perfection. He had to see how it compared to him. He heard the voices in his head again and knew that they were different than those he heard with attunement. He was being called forward and he was going to follow the light.

He kept his guard up incase the boy started throwing things at him to try and stop him from following, but otherwise kept his hands off his weapons.

[Winston]

Not as things seem...

As Elowen looked down at him, he shrugged, as if to suggest the fact she thought he was a pet was something of inconsequence. It was not an uncommon reaction, through simply ignoring him talk was a little rude.

Glad the girl was not heading off to rashly he placed a hand on her gently when she spoke. He smiled empathetically, a paragon of acceptance and reassurance in what clearly appeared to be a very distressing time. Whomever this woman was pretending to be, was someone that the girl cared for. When she admitted that the older woman was dead he squeezed whatever he was able to reach (whether that was a hand or a leg) and replied with a warm and kind tone. "Dat most be very 'ard tuh accept. Et's a very wise ting douh, an' brave tuh stay, but we cun goh ef yuh wish? De voice is jost dat... A voice..."

He looked at Maria as she set off, reminding himself that her behaviour was odd and not what it seemed at all and looking for any other signs akin to that of the boy and his hand. She was confused... Perhaps they were trapped? Perhaps they were a trap. Whatever the case, the girl was not buying it and that was a good first step towards survival.

As Elowen clarified that she had to stay and follow, the ferret nodded. "Oh-kay. Lets be careful den, whomever dis is might need 'elp, bot we should stay close ef tings are nat wat dem seem. Cun I?" He asked, gesturing towards her shoulder, as if to climb and travel with her, so they could not be separated.

Whether she wanted this or not, he reached into his

bag

and produced a small

round ball

and offered it to Elowen with a reassuring smile. "Please, take dis, ef yuh want. Et will 'elp protect yuh. Jost a lital alchemical chew, in case yuh get intuh trouble." He was entirely aware they had only just met and the girl had both already been offered things and had no proof that the talking ferret was not also just part of this illusion, but if she wanted it, it was there for her.

The Iron-skin chews were

largely speaking pointless for the ferret these trials

, but nonetheless, he took

his jacket from his pack

and put it on as they set off.

"Do yuh know 'ho dey boy es? Are dem's Uncle?" The 'uncle' figure was a little omonouse...

As they ventured off into the tunnel, he watched for anything unexpected, urging Elowen to step carefully as they went. "Don't worry, me cun follow 'er tracks ef we need tuh..." He said, gesturing to whatever he could see. "...ef we cannat keep op. Best we don't rush intuh a trap." He advised with a smile. He was all for following his curiosity, but a cautouse adventurer was an alive adventurer.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy

[Pig Boy]

Elowen and Winston:

The first thing Winston would notice as he travelled the crystal tunnel, was that each and every crystal appeared identical in dimensions, cut, and formation to the crystal that had been held in the young Tobias' hands. He alone would notice this, being someone that workeed stone and jewels often, at least in the form of wells. It wasn't clear that these were any well he'd noticed before, although the prismatic light from them did remind of miragestones. In spite of their rainbow glow, they were very unlike the miragestones he'd ever seen. Bigger for one, twice as big as Winston's head, at least. And he felt a slight sensation as he viewed them.

Elowen would also feel this sensation. If either of them had ever longed or wanted something in bitterness, they would notice it now coming back to the front of mind. Otherwise, if one or neither of them had ever wanted something purely for themselves, they would feel a cold, foreboding sensation wash over them, telling them to turn back.

The voice spoke to both of them in unison, this time not in their heads, but vibrating from the crystals all around. The crystals appeared to displace, as if not quite in one spot or another, but all over and at the same time nowhere. They shifted and displaced, shimmering and shivering in place.

"There must be something you've wanted, purely for yourselves? Even now, perhaps, there is something you wish to have." The lady's voice lilted and chuckled. She was both a young voice and an old dessicated dead voice at the same time. As if the syllables she spoke came not from one being's vocal chords, but several. "Do not touch the crystals, that way leads to despair. The utter failure of animating spirit."

Elowen noticed for her part some plants scattered acorss the walls, and they also had a peculiar quality, as if they were the same plant and shivering in place, the same way as the crystals. Although the fact that the crystals were all identical more or less escaped her.

They too beckoned with a feeling, but this was one of cold foreboding and loss.

As they traveled down the tunnel, they saw no sign of the young Meira. Whether it was truly the old woman's younger self or not.



Azrael took the path better seen by his darkened eyes. The boy was always in sight, as Azrael was quite capable of keeping pace, and his animated desire to seek out an answer to this puzzle kept him going.

Although he was guarded, it became apparent that there was no need to be. The boy tossed nothing back at Azrael, and didn't make any more threatening motions toward him.

However, as he caught a glimpse of the gem in the boy's hand, ahead, following the light as he was, he felt an odd sensation welling up in himself. If he'd ever coveted or desired something strongly for himself, just himself, he'd feel it wrapped up in that crystal. If he'd never felt such a purely selfish desire, he would feel nothing but cold ache inside, telling him that this was wrong. That he should turn back.

"But no." Said a voice, travelling over the darkness like it shook the very shadows to produce sounds. "Come down to the end, see this through. And if you want a glimpse of what I can offer, only stare at the boy's crystal a few more moments..."

If Azrael wished to acquiesce with the voice, or not, he had these sensations to grapple with. It was his choice how to react.

[Elowen]

More and more, she had come to appreciate the little ferret. Though still odd to see a talking animal, there were many facets to the comfort he provided her whether he could see it in Elowen or not. But the stiffness that was present in her body the first time they met was gone. She was still tense because of everything that was happening, but at least her movements were a little freer. So when he gestured to her shoulder, it didn't take the girl long to agree. She bundled the scarf closer to her neck so Winston would have more room to hold on to. She lifted him up for the ride.

It was odd to have him there, though. That much was for sure. She never thought that she would have a talking animal on her person, walking through the place of myths, chasing what appeared to be a nightmare. But there she was with Winston's reassuring weight.

Despite it all, Elowen was not oblivious to the darkness that seemed to reside in Creeksong and its possible danger. That much or even more she could agree on with her companion. So when he offered a small round ball, the girl considered for a moment, before taking it and putting it in a pouch on her belt where the sunstone always stayed with her. She didn't know how it could protect her, or even if she wanted to ingest something made with alchemy. But there was comfort in having it, and also no time to discuss otherwise.

Thus they set out down the tunnel. Elowen shook her head when Winston asked about the uncle. And though the way was lit, Elowen couldn't help but feel that every shadow shifted even if it was just a change in perspective. Perhaps it was the crystals that she briefly looked at but she didn't care to find the reason. Her eyes were drawn to the plants instead. Or more precisely, what appeared to be just one herb. It was not uncommon for one herb to grow over a large space like the Breathing Moss for example that she gathered earlier. But this plant...it unsettled her.

She couldn't tell whether that was the origin of the following sensation or whether it was something else entirely, but out of the blue, she was hit with yearning she hadn't acknowledged in a long time, nor ever truly put into words, though it had always been present. The one thing she ever longed for and wanted in pure bitterness was a family. She shook her head, slowed.

No, that was not right. Family was an aspect. The firey fear inside her roared up. No. It wasn't a family. It was more than that. She wanted a reason - why was she without a mother and a father? Why the woman who adopted her never truly seemed to open up? Family was a temporary poultice to a long-term wound. She bitterly wanted to know what was wrong with her.

Elowen was at mercy of these tricks. With no experience or discipline, she was the weak link. In her head, she heard the echo of Winston's earlier words - just a voice.

Just a feeling, she told herself, but couldn't deny it. The desire rushed through her and crystalized into precise words. Caught off guard, struggling to keep her wits about her, Elowen stumbled, having to lean onto the tunnel's wall. On one of those damned crystals, missing the voice's warning.

[Winston]

No, listen to my voice

As he settled onto the girl's shoulder, it would become apparent he'd done this before, as he found his footing. He was no master of riding bipeds, but between Angela and Vega, it was a very common place to find the little chap.

He watched the Wells as they proceeded. It would be spectacular to have the chance to study these new wells, whatever they were... But he resisted the urge for now, for the benefit of the girl he was with and the people they followed. Something was not right and they needed to keep their wits about them. "Deese wells might be key toh wat's going an 'ere. Me don't really recognise dem, bot they are uncommonly uniform."

As the feeling of bitterness rose within him, memories of the pirate hideout emerged into the back of his mind. The injustice, the cruelty, his unrestrained sense of vengeance and need to punish them for what they had done... That was something he wanted for himself. He could claim that it was for others, but it ran deeper then that. He wanted for the world to be just, to dispel the cold sensation that formed within his gut whenever someone let him down with tier cruelty and neglect. The power he had banished from himself that trial left a bad taste in his mouth as it begged to be free again and he pushed it from his mind as best he could.

The voice taunted them, bating them into something undefined and primal... Desire. It also told them not to touch the crystals... Which of course only made the ferret want to touch them even more. It didn't feel like the voice of generosity, not like his patron Saiore asking him what he wanted for Zielmass... No, it felt bitter and unpleasant.

The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: Do it!
Winston: Me don't know...
Curiosity: Sure you do. You wanted to anyway, now some disembodied voice wants you NOT to? They don't sound liek a friend. Touching them is bad for them... Could be good for you.
Winston: Cud also get me killed.
Curiosity: So be careful. When will you get another chance?
Winston: Me don't tink dis Elowen girl will wait around dat long. She seems less than stable.
Curiosity: She'll be fiiiiine. Just take a quick look. Go on, you have the tools.

Then the girl stumbled. She was struggling.

He suddenly thanked their own foresight as he held on to avoid falling. Nearly tumbling from her shoulder, he dropped to his haunches and grabbed at the girl's shoulder firmly to avoid dropping off. It didn't look elegant, but might allow him to try to reassure the girl from his intimate position by her side.

"Wanting an' needin' ar nat de same. Yuh don't NEED dis. Dis feelin' comes fram a bad place." He said, trying to reassure the girl with his words as he continued in a gentle tone. "Et's Oh-key. Wantin' is 'ealthy, as lang as yuh can choose." He focused. If this was an attempt to manipulate them, which it almost certainly was, he was going to need to help the girl resist the urges, to learn to accept the words for what they are and remain focused. This was not a classroom though and conditions were far

from perfect as he attempted to lend her some strength in his advice

. "Just focus an me voice instead, oh-key? 'er dem both, but choose tuh remind yuh self af why yuh 'ere. Take a deep breath. Tell yuhself why yuh 'ere. Was et far bitterness? Tell yuhself why yuh 'ere. What wus et far? Tell yuhself why yuh 'ere. Yuh cun leave any time YOU choose... Tell yuhself why yuh 'ere." He tried to hold her attention above the voice that attempted to bait them both. Each time he repeated the phrase he used to help her meditate, it was seepped in reassurance. The ferret was a very persuasive little chap, but this was the first time he'd tried to compete with a mesmerising cave-voice and his understanding of the girl's psyche was limited at best. He could persuade her to follow her own path, but she'd need to carve it. He just hoped that he was more persuasive than the cave voice.

Whatever the case, though he had not noticed it in his attempt to remain mounted atop the girl, but she had touched a crystal and whatever cats came out of that bag were now something they had to simply deal with.

All template credit, love and admiration goes to Pyrre Ej'qy