A Wave of Gravebound

[Hilana Chenzira]

Following the first wave, the Vastii were none the worse for wear as Athalia smoothed her dress and Hilana looked on, checking out the Shinaegri… or what was left of them. She wasn’t one to be bothered by gore and viscera, considering what she did, but Athalia did not like it. Still, she was not queasy. She had seen worse. Even if it was something she didn’t want to recall… but both of the dark-haired women stepped lightly around the piles, with Hilana seizing her ground-length skirts to lift them well and above the piles as they stayed close to the white-cloaked mages. Neither of the young women seemed stressed from their efforts so far with the arcane arts, but they had chosen the tactic of strategic precision for a reason; being resourceful rather than wasteful with their aether. They didn’t know what was waiting for them down below; but they would be prepared all the same.

“The pleasure is ours, Lord Rorom,” Hilana inclined her head, a gesture that was repeated by her shorter sister, though both of them were smiling. The foreign sisters weren’t sure of his actual title, but in the off-hand chance he was related to Talon, Lord was a safe bet. Besides that, he was clearly a decidedly capable mage, and probably would have had the title of Magnatus back at home; so it seemed to be a good option. They followed the silver-haired magister, while Hilana fished through her Featherlight satchel for her triangular shawl. With the brightly stitched purple fabric retrieved, she used it to help hike her skirts up, doubling the fabric around her hips so that the bright cotton was no longer sweeping the floor of the mine. Satisfied, though her sandal-clad feet were now on display, the Vastiana tied the shawl to secure it. She hadn't stopped walking, at least; but the girl was solid when it came to multitasking.

"If I may ask," Hilana knew that the man likely had other things on his mind, but she was curious. "How does the Warrens breach the mines? By overwhelming the wards and such that are in place to prevent such events?" She understood from Talon that there were discovered openings, but she also figured that their mines would have been well-protected from such a place. Of course, wards could be damaged and worn down, so perhaps that was what had happened. She wouldn't mind a better idea about such a situation from the professionals. While Hilana asked her questions, Lia turned her hand to making more lodestones to be filled with lava for her pockets to prepare for the next round. Preparation would be key, after all.

[Bazyl]

Bazyl closed his eyes as the shower of viscera and chunks of mangled flesh rained down on him, the stench of blood thick in the air. He felt the warm spatter hit his face, and without thinking, he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Yet, beneath the mess and carnage, a grin spread across his face—something he hadn’t felt in a long time. The raw adrenaline of battle, the thrill of chaos and danger, it pulsed through him, awakening something deep inside that had lain dormant for too long. This was what he had been missing: the battlefield.

The last time he had been in a battle of this scale was during the Graveplague, a nightmarish campaign of unrelenting horror. The endless hordes of undead crashing against their defenses like waves on a shore, the twisted Menders weaving death and chaos into the very air around them. And during the siege of Ailos with the constant thunderous bombardment from the Imperial Navy’s warships, he remembered it all too vividly. There was no space for joy back then, only survival. And yet, here he was, grinning like a madman as history seemed to repeat itself, but with something different this time. Victory no longer felt out of reach; it felt inevitable.

“By Eikaen’s balls indeed,” he muttered under his breath, wiping more of the gore from his face. The sheer raw power that had obliterated the wave of Shinaegri left him in awe. He had heard countless stories of the Hero of Uldori, tales spun by soldiers and storytellers alike. They spoke of impossible feats, of strength beyond mortal limits. But stories could never truly capture the magnitude of such force. Seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. As the Hero of Uldori tore through the battlefield and disappeared into the mines like a tempest, Bazyl’s grin widened. He had to give credit where it was due—the legends didn’t do the Hero justice.

As Bazyl turned his gaze to the massive form of the Shinaegri, or what was left of it, he shook his head in disbelief. The creature had been a towering monster the size of a Moratallen. It had been ripped apart with terrifying ease. The squelching sound of its demise still hung in the air. “Well, just that big lump of flesh standing between us,” he said, his tone half in jest, though the truth of the matter left him shaking his head. He couldn't help but wonder what could’ve been different had the mages of his time wielded this kind of raw power. The wars he had fought in would have taken a very different turn.

He readied his throwing axes, their cold weight familiar and comforting in his hands, but the enemy he had been prepared to face had already been annihilated. His hands loosened, and he let out a sigh just as the roar of the charge began to rise around him.
“Hero of Uldori” Bazyl muttered, catching the figure of Hikami charging forward. His mind sharpened as battle lust once again took hold. The Dawnmartyr knight, standing in front of him, handed him the axe he had thrown earlier, which he snatched with a quick nod. “Thanks,” Bazyl grunted, appreciating the solidarity.

“We sure need to bash in more heads,” Bazyl added with a chuckle, spinning the axe expertly in his hand before gripping it tightly. “Can’t let the Hero of Uldori fought alone, right?” His grin was genuine, but behind it lay a flicker of envy. He was never one to bask in glory, but seeing the sheer difference in power between himself and Hikami left a lingering sting.

As they moved forward in the charge, his eyes flicked toward the entrance of the mines. He knew, deep down, that once they entered those twisting, dark tunnels, the nature of the fight would change. The mines weren’t just a battlefield—they were a trap. But they were also where his own abilities could flourish. In the dark places, Bazyl’s control over darkness would be much more effective. It was what he did best, but he would have to tread carefully.

Bazyl’s heart pounded, not from fear but from the realization that he would need to keep his powers in check. Subtlety was key. He couldn’t afford to draw attention to himself—not now. The memories of the Eclipse still lingered in the minds of many. The others might fight alongside him, but they hadn’t forgotten. He needed to ensure that no one suspected he was tapping into the same powers that had once caused so much destruction.

[Chronicle]

Hikami's application of Dancing and Varnish proved lethal against the Gravebound, their numbers culled down quickly by the whirling slash of ice he unleashed upon them. The group of eight miners that he'd protected weren't threatened any longer now that they weren't surrounding, and one of the larger men of the group quickly turned that to their advantage as the iceborne continued his endeavor.

"Bout bloody time the cavalry arrives!!" The burly ginger bellowed above the sound of Shinaegri, as Hikami closed the gap between the group and the swarm threatening them. Yet the iceborne's instruction weren't so easily followed, particularly once he'd unleashed another wind spell unto the horde that poured from deeper within the mineshaft.

"Piss off, ya wheelin' Baka!!" The burly miner called as he soon rushed past Hikami with both pickaxes raised overhead. As the whirling weapons Hikami sent forward cut down more of the Shinaegri that came through, his weapons tore through almost half of them, before he found his spiritual grasp on them had faltered.

Thankfully with the mining company he'd just saved eager to push against the horde, and the rest of the Sky Guard and College Mages coming in for backup, Hikami finally had this one chance to realize what was actually happening to his body. The solidity he felt loosening before began to drip and drizzle where water might run down off him, his skin tone nearly opaquing with a translucent appearance to that of water itself. He had done well to push himself this far, but now, such exertions were truly taking their toll upon him. Right away he felt his weapons failing to respond to him, as they remained immobile on the stone floor, as the icy draconic features he maintain literally melted away into puddles of water that saturated the bloodied rock beneath his feet.

Overstepping was sinking in now and he could feel it deep inside himself, a jarring spiritual pain that indicated the core he possessed had begun to feel strained. The ward on his anchor became damaged, only just so, to indicate how much he'd pressed himself so in the thick of battle. "Push back the Ki Nock!! Send 'em back to hell!!" The minors assailed the next wave with Sky Guard and Dawnmartyr right behind them, quick to lend both spear and shield to their fellow Kalzasern as everyone worked in unison together.

"With pleasure!!" The Dawnmartyr sticking with Bazyl roared as he charged with the group, shoving his shield arm forward to knock a few Gravebound back as Synnekar Sky Guards hacked and chopped them down. Looking back at his Shinaegri fighting buddy, the soldier's stout determination became saturated with a positive grin of confidence in turn.

At the rear of the group where the mages had remained, aether flowed from several of the white-robed mages to accomplish several different tasks. Firstly, the dying Shinaegri that might've fallen and squirmed on the mineshaft floor were crushed by either wind elementalism or telekinetic force, and secondly, the wards that had been instilled on the response team earlier were being reinforced by the Negators of the group.

"Well, Lady Hilana, as Mistreach Keep is the foothold the Sky Guard and Dead Legion maintain, the mines and Yawning Chasm have a tendency to interconnect with one another. The passages often dug in this age could very well overlap or adjoin to one dug when the first Synnekar arrived in Kalzasi proper..." Ryom responded to Hilana's inquiry as he paused in his stride, his starry eyes locked upon the efforts of the group ahead of him. Yet if Hilana were to notice it, she'd be able to see that he wasn't focused on them to be exact. Rather gazing through them as if he were discerning something immaterial that connected them all, causing the silver plumage on his wings to fidget off and on before he assessed the situation.

"Try as we might, we have to exercise caution when excavating beneath the Keep. A great Calamity once revealed itself beneath Kalzasi, and the Gravebound a byproduct of it I would assume. It's always a principle to seal off such accessible points so that they don't assail the surface, but even with all our protections we lay in place, their voracious hunger for violence wears out such contingencies, and not to mention their tenacity to burrow through the ground from the Warren's below." As much as Ryom would've loved to indulge the Vastiana sisters with a history lesson, now certainly was not the time to get lost in such details. Time was of the essence, and with the main level of the shaft cleared, the Sky Guard and Dead Legion were working quickly to push for the elevator shaft next.

"You there, Hero of Lake Udori," The White-hooded Sage chimed with a narrowed gaze that shifted to the rest, "Koiteki Bazyl, Ladies Hilana and Lia." As the Dawnmartyr soldier that stuck close to Bazyl paused in his advance, he twisted to see what the sudden hold-up with the Sage of Glass was about. "This moment in particular will be the only opportunity we have to remedy the situation overall. Otherwise, a good number of men and women will die today. Such is why I'm going to have to ask to count on you for this next part of this mission."

"Oi!! What's the bloody holdup?! We've got people trapped like sittin' ducks down there!" The lumbering miner beckoned with his entourage behind him, a good number of men from different racial backgrounds, yet all still caked in both dirt and blood from their hair down to their boots. Ryom simply gazed to him in turn before bringing an open palm up to gesture for them to hold.

"Right now the bulk of the horde is scattered from the cave-ins created within the chaos. The towering Shinaegri that burrowed through is already dead, so the ranks of the Sky Guard and Dead Legion will get to those that can be saved." Ryom's assertions on the situation led the ginger-haired miner to clench his jaw almost spitefully. "Your men, along with this group here, will have to play an important role in sealing the breach within the fourth level. Can you commit to this?"

"Fuckin' Void if it saves our men, then fine!" He growled with an angered sneer, his cheeks red as the hairs on his face started to rise and multiply. "Call me Halgrim, if that helps, me and the men will do whatever you need." Ryom knowingly smiled in turn before he looked to the Dawnmatyr that stayed behind, expecting the same courtesy of a name in turn now that everyone had a moment to speak.

"M' mates call me Korgan." He introduced having an expectant look to Bazyl next, after already hearing Ryom address the Siltori earlier.

"Excellent. When our forces divide they will cover the three floors to rescue surviving stragglers, normally, I'd approach the obstacle with my fellow White-robes here to alleviate the crux of our dilemma... but they'll be stretched thin as is. Therefore, it'll fall to us to seal the breach when we arrive at the fourth level." Ryom looked at Athalia next with a knowing thought in mind, after having seen her application of lodestones earlier, and then to Hikami who still needed recuperation from his usage of magic upon getting inside the mine.

"This will be a joint operation that will require everyone to understand the importance of their roles. Halgrim and his men will provide us with the manpower necessary to beat back the Gravebound teeming the fourth level. Bazyl and Kogrim will back them up, with the hero here helping them if he is able?" Given the condition he'd ascertained Hikami to be in, Ryom wasn't sure how well that would go, especially since he'd be much more helpful in sealing the breach itself in the end. "Once there, we'll seal the breach with a combination of Lia's lodestones and water. Ice if we can manage, but something that'll allow the magma to rapidly cool and seal off the horde entirely."

Having surmised enough of a plan of action, Ryom looked toward the lot gathered before him, a near smile hidden beneath his hopeful gaze. "Any questions?"

[Hikami]

龍A Wave of Gravebound龍

龍 With everything going on and his eagerness to fight off the impending monsters, he had forgotten that he couldnt be that symbol of valor he once was so long ago. He was damaged, weakened by his own hubris and he was just now realizing just how useless he had become. Even with the training he had gotten from the monks of the Sky Temple he still was limited in what he could do now. It pained him to be so fragile now, it pained him to feel this helpless. As his appearance liquified he didn't fight it, allowing his visage to become one he had not used since becoming an Iceborne...whatever that meant.

There were still so many unanswered questions, as he hadn't heard from Freya since that time in Lover's Pit. Maintaining his appearance was the only thing that truly kept him from losing himself, and now that the spirit was gone, there was nothing truly holding him together besides the anchor bestowed upon him by Rickter. Those who looked upon him now would find he appeared to be living water and ice, currents of water roiling and swirling about his form as he stood and regained himself. They wouldn't have been able to see it, but he had tears running down his face as the others now joined them.

The core anchor was visible within his watery form as the white robe male explained what would happen next. Hikami nodded, waving off any doubt the man had about his ability to help. They were underground after all, and there were drops of water coming off the stalactites that hung the cave ceiling, which meant there was moisture he could pull from. Not to mention the underground lakes that he knew to be within the warrens. He would have plenty of ammunition to pull from in order to get the job done.

In this form, he was far more agile, and his form was less susceptible to damage. "None here." he replied, stepping away to gather his own thoughts, and coming to reality that he just wasn't the same as he used to be, not yet anyway. He would eventually get back to that place, and strive to garner more control over his abilities, his pride as a warrior demanded it. 龍


"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Even with the bellowing of the burly redheaded man up ahead, Hilana listened to the lesson that Ryom was giving her, and had this been a different time and situation, she might have pulled out her Volumen in order to have another look at this place and really understand it. It was curious, very curious, and she did want to at some point visit the Second Deep of the Warrens... and at some point, she may need to visit the Fourth. But she would see how that all would pan out in time. For now, that wasn't something to explore, discuss, or even consider.

Still, the young woman was curious, and she was interested indeed with what he had told her. "I see, thank you. This is very interesting. Perhaps one day I will have the opportunity to find out more about the Calamity," the Vastiana was thoughtful. She did at least seem to be quite intrigued by what he was telling her. But Hilana found stories of all kinds interesting, especially these ones in the foreign shores. If they led to Gravebound... well, then. She sized up Halgrim, big brown eyes curious as her head tilted, but her attention was drawn back to the silver-haired Synnekar.

When he said that this might be their only shot, Hilana and Athalia nodded solemnly. Sometimes that was all you got. One shot, one chance. Because if you failed... Life wasn't a game. You couldn't do it over and again until you got the outcome you wanted. Unless, of course, you possessed Aeternus, and even then... They had the moment for a quick breather, and that gave her an opportunity to offer some assistance to the party that was around them. As they listened, Hilana opened her rucksack and removed a few vials of different liquids. She offered an orange one to the newly-identified Bazyl and the Dawnmartyr who accompanied him. They smelled vaguely spiced, and if drank, they would find it warming and would deliver a renewed feeling of strength and energy.

Hilana offered a purple one to Lia, who uncapped it and drank without a question, before giving the vial back to her sister. She offered the same to Ryom, and eying the way Hikami was sluicing around, she uncorked one and offered it to pour it for him, or at least into the liquid form that he was now. She wasn't entirely certain if he was able to hold onto it at the moment. In any event, it was one of her restoratives to help with aether replenishment. It wouldn't fill him all the way to normal, but it would definitely give him a little more to work with and aid his recovery. She would drink one of her own, put the vials away in the bag, and start making lodestones for Athalia to fill with her lava. She knew the size that her sister wanted, and this way, they could share the aetheric load.

The two Vastian women didn't interrupt, they just listened to Ryom's plan. Hilana was nodding along, while Lia was a bit slower to do so as she considered. "Just water, please. Ice is not required," Athalia shook her head. "Lava and ice produce steaming vapour when you combine the two, and in close quarters we could end up causing a greater issue... but plain water will harden it much faster, and that should hopefully mean less of an aetheric expenditure on his behalf. Hilana can assist with the water manifestation as well."

"The water will absorb the heat and boil off, producing steam, which of course is condensation and can be reused," Hilana supplied. All things considered, they lived quite close to a volcano. Athalia's training with the elements and her own chosen Arche, not to mention the practicalities of lava and ice had been tested quite thoroughly with Lykos. "Vapour is a gas, so that would require more to work with for the purpose of keeping the application consistent in order to get the best seal possible. Ice and vapour will lead to cracks, but continuously controlled use of water will make the best possible seal. But we are ready to proceed."

[Bazyl]

Bazyl steadied his breath as they crossed into the entrance of the mine, the air growing heavier with each step. Bazyl's mind was not fully in the present; he found his thoughts drifting, focusing on the figure ahead of him—the Hero of Lake Udori, Hikami.

There was something about Hikami’s demeanor that stirred old memories in Bazyl. The quiet fury, he had seen it before, and it felt all too familiar. It took him back to the days when he and his siblings had fought endlessly against the undead, during the darkest days of Ransera. Waves of death crashing upon them, no matter how hard they fought, no matter how many spells and blades were thrown against the tide, it seemed endless. He remembered the exhaustion in his sister’s eyes, the desperation in her voice as she poured everything into one final attack—only for it to be countered by a Vitalis mage as if her efforts were nothing. Anger, frustration, helplessness.

For a brief moment, the raw power of Bazyl’s aura slipped out. His hand tightened around the grip of his axe, knuckles turning white. The moment passed as quickly as it came, and he reeled his emotions back in, suppressing the surge of aura before anyone could notice.

As the group came to a halt, Bazyl listened intently to the White-hooded Sage, Ryom, who was clearly leading the group now. Bazyl had learned long ago that in chaotic situations like this, it was best to have one clear leader. Too many voices only led to confusion, and confusion got people killed. Ryom’s calm and authoritative tone provided some comfort.

Two names stuck in Bazyl's mind: Hilana and Lia. He made a mental note, repeating them over in his head. These were not names he would soon forget. He had learned through experience that having powerful mages on your side could turn the tide of any battle, and these two seemed like valuable allies. Bazyl gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to Korgan, his fellow compatriot.

“I’m Bazyl,” he said in his usual straightforward manner, his voice low and gravelly as he greeted the others. There was no need for formalities in a situation like this, not when they all knew they could be dead by the end of the day.

His gaze lingered on Hikami again, watching as the famed Hero stepped away, clearly struggling with something internal. Bazyl recognized that look. He’d seen it on his sister’s face just before she had almost lost herself to despair. He could only hope that Hikami wouldn’t let whatever was eating at him take control. It was dangerous for a warrior to spiral—especially one as powerful as Hikami. Bazyl had seen it happen before, and the results were never good.

He accepted the orange vial Hilana handed him, taking a moment to examine it before nodding in thanks. “Thanks,” he muttered, drinking the liquid quickly. The concoction felt warm as it went down, he felt his energy and strength returning. The information Hilana shared about the situation and the magic was intriguing, though Bazyl knew this was more in line with what his daughter would obsess over. She had always been fascinated by magic, studying it with a passion that he could only admire from afar. Magic had never been his path, but that was before he became a warlock.

“We’ll give all the support we can,” Bazyl agreed, pausing for a moment as he surveyed the mine’s entrance, his eyes narrowing in thought. There were dangers here, things lurking in the shadows. “So, what’s next? Are we heading down the elevator shaft or going in through where that bulky Shinaegri crawled out from?”

[Chronicle]

There remained a mindful look within Ryom's gaze as each individual within their ragtag group shared names. Not that he hadn't already learned of the Vastiana sisters before entering the caverns, but there was a sense of familiarity with everyone present when it came to him in general. At the relay of instruction with the follow-up of any inquiries, the silver-winged Synnekar faintly smiled when it seemed there remained little to no confusion on the approach to the situation at hand. Well, almost, there came a clarity of science when an explanation had been in order, one that granted rather impeccable insight to those present when Athalia and Hilana proceeded to elaborate on one facet of the plan.

"Astutely pointed out," the pale-skinned Synnekar remarked with a brief curl of his finger over his chin, "Conversion of the vapor would certainly expedite the cooling process. Excellent." He commended the pair before Bazyl's next inquiry followed in line, leaving it up to Ryom to indicate which direction would be their best course of action. "Good question, the passages wrought by the big Shinaegri ought to wind their way down to the fourth level."

"Though the horde damaged several of the dug-out tunnels, the elevator shaft remained intact long enough for the divisions in levels two and three to fight for an escape. They're likely bunkered down at these entry points while the guard and soldiers work their way down." Halgrim elaborated as he recalled the miners he had seen scrambling for escape to the surface, the members of his own division having stuck close to him even now as the chaos of slaughtered Shinaegri could be heard further in the tunnels.

"Guess tat settles it ten," Korgan remarked with his shield arm hoisted toward the nearby tunnel where a small pile of rocks rested at it's mouth, "We go down trew te tunnels and push our way true." By that point he noted the vials of colored liquid being passed around, and provided Hilana an appreciative nod as he contemplated the contents of the concoction in his hand. Those who were provided such tinctures would prompt her with a moment of similar appreciation, and felt the appropriate effects that were tied to the potions they were provided.

While those who could imbibe the tinctures did so with minimal questioning, Hikami on the other hand had to absorb the purple liquid distilled within his aquatic state. This caused a very minor reaction to him physically, where the aether of the tincture glimmered and caused him to glow for a short amount of time. During that period he would feel his reserves no longer depleted as they were before, rather, they were supplemented enough to where he could utilize basic magic in his current condition.

"The problem there is that the tunnels could wind and detour, but, I have faith that you can get us down there quickly and efficiently." Rorom added with a vested interest in Bazyl and Hikami, uncertain how they would fair proceeding through the tunnels as they were. He looked a tad bit more empowered by the tincture he'd imbibed, as the other two warriors present looked to have experienced a sudden second wind from their alchemic concoctions as well.

"Aye, just leave it to me and me men, they'll get us a clear path and we can avoid much of the horde as well." The burly ginger remarked with an expecting gaze spent on the crew mates of his division, with each and every man around him nodding in an understanding of their own personal role.

"You got it, boss!" A very tall and broad ashen-skinned Elf remarked with hazel eyes cast to the other seven miners surrounding the group. "Alright men! Scour the tunnels in this direction, get a clear path in line so our brethren can seal that breach!"

"Guess O'll cover our asses, wouldn't wanna monster gettin' frisky wit tem!" Korgrim weighed in as the miners started down their determined path, leading Ryom to glance at everyone and take into account the situation.

"Then that leaves you four to stick close to me." The white-robed sage concluded with his gaze toward the passageway. "Once we start moving there'll be little time to pause or rest. Try not to let the chaos of the situation below disturb you from the course at hand." Halgrim proceeded to flag for them to follow after with a gesture of his hand, before the bearish miner took into an eager march with his battleaxe held firmly before him. "Now, move!"

The wings of the Synnekar briefly fluttered forward to usher the group onward, before they folded into a rest at his back once the group charged into the makeshift passage ahead. Halgrim having tailed behind his men soon found that one of the seven miners already waited at the first drop point of the tunnel, ushering for them to drop down into the next level below where more Shinaegri roared and tittered about frantically.

The Sky Guard and Slayers guild were both already hard at work culling their numbers, and with Halgrim's men already pressing for another direct route, the sounds of metal and squelching flesh filled the walls of the mineshaft chasm the group had found themselves situated within. "This way, to our left!!" Halgrim called out above the resounding noise of battle with his finger pointed at the next man of his division, as the miner in question flagged them to come toward the next tunnel and quickly. "Move your asses!" He declared as he started toward the next tunnel, determined to trust his men as he led the group past the throngs of chaos threatening to breach their path.

[Hikami]

龍 Invigorated by the contents of the viel Hikami found that he was no longer tired from his earlier strain, and felt freer than before. Focusing on the task at hand he surfed over to the two foreign women. It was hard to make out a friendly face in this form but he did his best, giving them both a wave and slight bow before speaking. "You two let me know where to spray the water, I'll do my best to protect you while you work. The name is Hikami by the way, Hikami Yoko."

Once everyone had the moment to regroup and recover, it was time to move as they pressed their way down the path, and as they did so, Hikami found himself calling out to any of the ambient moisture that could be found within the caves, the more he had the better. He stuck close to Ryom keeping a close eye on Hilana and her sister, focusing on conserving his aether so he could play his part when the time came. From his arms he had whips made of water that he would using strike out at any flesh demons that dared to try and attack them, as he applied enough pressure in the water to pierce and slice through them.

He continued to surf along with the others making sure to gather as much water as possible, finding his form was starting to increase in size. In doing so, he focused on putting the extra water he gathered into lodestones, average in quality but still useful regardless, placing them within his watery form for safekeeping for when they would be needed in helping close the breach. Part of him hated to leave the other to fight the hordes alone, but he knew being reckless even now would not help the situation, plus he was far more afraid of being scolded by Ryom for following instinct over what was important. 龍

"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

"It is a pleasure to meet you," the young woman was still cheerful despite the situation. It was interesting to see how her elixir made the watery Avialae glow, but that was something to explore some other time. If it helped, then that was what she was here for. When he bowed to them, both of them inclined their heads to him. "Of course, thank you." Hilana would collect any and all emptied vials so that others didn't need to carry them, tucking them back into her rucksack. They could be cleansed thoroughly and reused that way, as she was not one to waste supplies, and these people did not need to have to handle or manage the glass tubes lest they crack and shatter in pockets or on the ground. It was surprising how often broken glass could come back and bite someone on the bottom. It would not be helpful to stop and have to dig glass shards out of a wound. Time was of the essence.

And since it was, with the vials tucked away in the case within the sack, she checked for her leather scroll case to make sure that her Volumen was there in case they got lost or the tunnels became problematic. She knew that while the miners who spent their lives in here likely had a second sense about where they were going and what had changed and what hadn't, but just in case... well, they'd have back-up. "If something seems off with the tunnels, please speak up. I've a way to navigate down if we need it." The Vastiana offered. She wouldn't get into it right now, but she did want to make sure that there was a way to figure out the passages if something was wrong. And when something could go wrong, it usually did.

Lia continued to make her lava bombs, filling the lodestones up and putting them in her shopping basket. On the fly, as they went down, they could be used if needed in addition to working at the breach. But once they started moving, the sisters in their colourful outfits were all business and focused. Hilana may have raised an appraising eye at Halgrim. He had some kind of energy, and while she didn't have time to investigate the powerful miner right then, there might be time for it later when all of this was over. She'd find a way to make some time and Semble him properly.

Where she could assist, she did - either with little sparks of Manifested Light to help others see, or piercing Shinaegri with Shadows. But despite the mayhem and chaos around them, both women were calm and focused. They'd seen worse than this in the Void, and they would press on. The only way out was through, and they had people to rescue and a gateway to close. And she had a feeling that the closer they got, the more monsters there would be as they got to the source. They just needed to make their way down.