Tomb of the Elementalist

G'reth obliged by dropping slightly in altitude. The race was over and the real business set in. He diligently pumped his wings through the rain and the wind, heading towards the Spine. The elf on his back sat quietly, going over spells in her head. She muttered one to part the wind around her body. Combined with the rainproof ward, Sam quickly warmed up and had a chance to think about what they were doing. After ten minutes of flying, she paused and glanced behind her.

It was too quiet. Flights like this, to adventure and all that jazz, were normally a pretty exciting event, especially when they did not know what was at the end of the road. Sam pursed her lips. Normally they would be planning out outrageous battle tactics, making up creatures or playing who could be the most pessimistic...

'This business, it's too quiet for my tastes. When it's over, we'll have to go back to Newhaven and see Father for a while.' Darkest sent over to Sam and G'reth. Darkest could almost feel the chill of the mountain wind through the leathers he wore...it actually reminded him of a flight taken to defeat a certain sorceress secluded up in these mountains. He smiled at the memory. Devious dervishes, devilishly debonair, what he wouldn't give for the time he had thought himself invincible with the power of the Ancient language behind him.

Sam laughed. Rogues, ruffians, thugs. Where else could possibly be better to visit. The elf looked at the mountains ahead of her and remembered the days hiding from the Empire amongst the peaks and caves, cradling a small, red dragon. Her dragon chuckled. Try picking me up now...

I could with my knowledge of the ancient language she swiftly retorted. The dragon pumped his wings and Sam felt the bone chilling wind through her wards. She leaned down closer to G'reth's neck and enjoyed the warmth of his scales.

A tavern in Newhaven sounds like heaven right now Sam said to Darkest, her teeth chattering slightly.

'Agreed' Darkest replied, eyes straining through the wind. "There!" He shouted, showing graendl where to land. They began a soft glide down, and darkest shivered. how long had they been flying? Eh, who could tell. He dismissed the thought and stretched his chilled limbs, preparing for departure.

Sam laughed and G'reth trimmed his wings, turning a neat circle in the sky to follow Graendl's descent. The elf double checked her wards and scratched the hollow behind her dragon's neck anxiously. It'll be fine. What could possibly be there that could take two council members and two dragons down.

Newhaven sounds like heaven right now... Sam repeated as she shivered with cold and anticipation. The peaks of the mountains became clear as they neared the ground and the dragon carefully followed Graendl.

You definitely are buying the first round of drinks when we get back, Sam said to Darkest. Maybe even the first three for making me come out in this, ... Her eyes scanned the ground but it was nearly impossible to make any details out from the torrential rain.

'Buy?' Darkest sounded offended. 'I'm a much better thief than THAT. Though I do agree with the three or more.' So lost in his thoughts of a nice cup of ale was Darkest that the landing jarred him and nearly threw him off. There was a loud squelching noise as Graendl extracted herself from the muddy ground. She gave him a look that promised vengeance, and he smiled at her.

"Love ya too girl..." He said absently as he looked towards an ominously dark hole in front of him. The dragons would fit, for a ways... he turned to look for Sam.

G'reth landed right beside Graendl, the force from the landing sent his hindlegs deep into the mud. He growled with distaste and pulled them out of the muddy earth. I wanted to move to the Hardarac desert. Hell, even Surda but you insist on being near the mountains....

Sam sat on his back, not wanting to chance her luck in the mud. "Definitely more..." she said out loud now that they were on the ground. She glanced towards where Darkest had been looking and her heart sank a little. Torrential rains or a spooky tunnel and unknown dangers. Great choices.

Darkest sighed. "Deep, dark tunnel or Pouring rain?" He shouted over to Sam. It didn't matter to him much. Either they went home, and never spoke of this again, or they went in, found out he was wrong, and tried to chop his limbs off. Worse case scenario, he was right, and there'd be some titanic battle to save the universe. Again.

"Why is it that the world never seems to be able to solve it's own issues..." He muttered to himself.

Sam pursed her lips as always when she was making a decision. She leapt down from G'reth's back and landed neatly on a rock, avoiding the mud slicked ground. She pulled her scimitars from her belt and walked into the mouth of the tunnel. The air felt oddly warm. Oddly, due to the fact she was barely five feet away from the rain. G'reth snaked his neck forward and sniffed the air. He hissed in distaste.

What is it? The dragon shifted his weight to his hind legs and said nothing in return but the elf felt his anxiety about entering the tunnel. She stretched out a hand to rub his snout but stopped mid reach. The red dragon's amber eyes bore into hers. It was easy to see his worry.

"Garjzla" Sam whispered under her breathe. Light... Her scimitars glowed with an eerie orange tinge. She heard what Darkest had said with her keen hearing. "Perhaps the earth will just fire up a quake and bury whatever is in here..." Her voice echoed down the tunnel and she shivered, not from the cold...

"Yeah. And maybe if I sit here long enough a mountain of gold will pop up right under me." Darkest fumbled around in his leathers and pulled out a jar topped with animal hide. It took a bit of searching, but he eventually found a stick dry enough to light. He removed the animal hide and dipped the stick into the jar very slowly, then removed the stick and tossed the jar a little ways into the cave. The pot shattered, and a small flame sprung to life. Darkest dipped the end of his new torch into the flame and lit it.

"Smokeless signal fire." He said with a smile. "They don't get too big or hot, but when you're working at night, you don't exactly want a large fire around to spook the people you're robbing. Burns forever when you add fuel to it, or about five minutes without."

'And the point of telling us this was?'

'Oh hush. I just didn't want that in my pockets if we do have to fight.

Graendl laughed. 'Afraid of Fire, beloved?'

'Try this is my only set of clothes, you great scaly lump. Can we move out now?'

He looked over to Sam and G'reth.

"Ready?"

Sam looked at the fire with curiosity. Smokeless. Maybe she would have to find some of that. G'reth nudged her with his snout and brought her out of her thoughts.

The elf looked at Darkest and shrugged her shoulders. "Now or never," she joked. "You can lead,"

Darkest started forward, graendl not far behind. Inky blackness swam before his vision, and pillars dominated the landscape after about five minutes of walking. It became wide enough for the group to walk next to each other, no problem at all, despite the large, crystalline pillars that dotted the 'cave'.

"My god, is this a cave or a goddamn fissure?" Darkest mumbled after they had been walking for almost an hour, no end in sight. Graendl laughed a bit. "Maybe i was wrong..." he said louder.

G'reth tried to step softly but in the quiet cave, the sound echoed all around them. He stretched his neck up tentatively and was amazed that he did not hit the roof of the cave. G'reth let out a low growl and his rider put her hand on his side.
How big is this place? the red dragon wondered out loud to all. Is this natural or man made?


"Define maybe I was wrong..." Sam said quickly trying to look ahead with her keen vision. There was nothing unusual. The pillars, the cave, the darkness. Her hand slid down to the hilt of her scimitar once more, as it had been every five minutes since the group had entered the mysterious place.

"As in I could actually be insane, or..." He trailed off, staring ahead at the spot where the cave just ended, descending into blackness.

"Or i could be an idiot." He muttered under his breath, kneeling at the edge of the dropoff and staring down into the darkness below..

'Darkest, look.' Graendl craned her neck out, the glittering ruby scales glowing in the torchlight. Her head stopped above a pillar, three feet out, flat topped, and smooth, the surface had to have been polished, the way it glittered in the torchlight.

'They go on in regular intervals, every three feet...' She sounded anxious, maybe nervous.

"Sam?" Darkest said in a questioning tone.

Sam stepped forward and looked down towards the pillar. She clapped her hands together three times, leaving a five second gap in between the sound. Then, she listened. No echo came back to greet her ears.

How far does it go? she asked herself.

I don't know... G'reth said hesitantly. Sam felt unsure about continuing, especially if G'reth was nervous to proceed. The dragon snaked his neck out and sniffed the pillar. He hissed lightly and stepped back.

If it was magical, it is old magic. The aura is very faint... the dragon said to everyone. I don't know if it could hold Graendl or myself...

Sam stepped back several meters from the drop-off. She sighed, her mind whirling with ideas. "Now or never..." She broke into a run and jumped nimbly into the air landing on the pillar. She stopped quickly, words on her tongue just in case anything happened.


Nothing did. ... at least nothing tangible.

Sam looked back towards G'reth, Darkest and Graendl. They were softly illuminated by the smokeless torch. The elf turned around. She could see the next three pillars, faintly. Even with her keen vision, the darkness made the smooth tops of the pillars barely visible.

"I don't think the pillars are big enough to hold the dragons... Not unless they are magically reinforced,"

"i think you're right...Should we continue on?" The doubt in his voice was almost palpable. He should have brought more help, should have prepared better...

'You think?'

'If I did I wouldn't be IN this mess, would I?'

'Actually, I think that might be what got you here in the first place. '

Darkest grumbled something that sounded like smartass and waved over at Sam.

"Well, are we going to sit here all day or get going?"

I don't think you should continue on.... G'reth rumbled. He hissed in distaste at the notion.

Nothing has happened thus far G'reth. We'll be fine. The dragon settled down comfortably on the ground and stared at his rider.

If you get any bad feelings, or anything tries to attack you whether it is man or beast, magical or elemental, you come back.

We'll see. The large red glared at his rider. It's Darkest and I together. We'll be okay, if things get too rough we will come back okay? The dragon snarled softly but gave his rider a small nod.

You are too protective of me. Making me all soft. Sam joked and she caught the hint of a small smile creeping onto the dragon's otherwise rigid face.

The elf looked at Darkest and then over her shoulder at the other pillars. "Umm... from where I see it, I'm waiting for you. Why are you just standing there looking pretty? Come on!" Sam laughed and jumped to the next pillar, muttering some additional wards under her breath as she went.

Darkest grinned.

"Hear that Graendl? he thinks I'm pretty. Maybe I should ask her to the ball." He jumped and almost missed the first platform, Graendl just catching him as his feet slipped on the odd stone.

"Thanks girl."

'We need to get you wings. You humans would find it so much easier with them...I'm afraid you';; fall to your death one of these days child.'

Darkest laughed, as he leaped to try and catch up to sam.

"Me? But I have the fastest reflexes here! Agile as a cat and twice and nimble." He turned and winked at the dragon, who gave a derisive snort.

'Be glad G'reth. I'll bet your ward at least listens to you.'

Sam laughed. "You might be pretty Darkest but with moves like that I would if you can dance," The elf nimbly jumped onto the next pillar. The dragons were barely visible in the darkness and she felt slightly anxious. G'reth cocked his head to the side, still able to see his rider.

Sometimes she listens to me. Now whether she takes my advice or not... that's another matter entirely.

Maybe if you gave good advice I'd follow it. his rider quickly retorted for all to hear. She winked at her dragon who growled in false exasperation. Sam smiled at her dragon. I'll be fine, she said to only her dragon. I'll be back by your side in no time.

The red dragon stretched out his neck and blew two smoke rings which slowly made their way over to his rider. Be back soon... I won't be able to relax till you are back.

The elf smiled and grinned at Darkest. "Hope you are ready for this," she said as she jumped to the next pillar. The unnatural darkness made her lose sight of her dragon.

He could barely make out Sam leaping ahead of him. The darkness closed in, enveloping him. for an odd moment, he felt claustrophobic, as if the darkness were trying to crush him. He shivered, but concentrated on the next pillar, and the next...gods, were these endless?!

'It's alright, little one. What would the other riders say if they knew Darkest was afraid of the dark?'

Darkest nearly missed the next pillar, broken out of his focus by the messsage.
Graendl's alarm flooded into him, making his heart race faster.

'They probably wouldn't try and kill me. Darkest shot back along with a feeling of wry amusement.

Maybe that's what the guild needed. A ball or two, to calm things down a bit. With the townsfolk living near the Spine aiding them, they were well hidden, surely the students deserved a break...He stopped on the latest pillar to nearly kill him.

"See anything ahead? A ledge or something?" He called into the void ahead.

Sam had jumped ahead ten pillars, wards and spells on her tongue in case anything went awry. Searching ahead with her mind, she could just feel some of the pillars ahead. I should be able to feel more... I can cast my mind further than this. G'reth growled softly and his rider heard the sound in her mind. She was already too far away to hear it even with her keen senses. The pillars ahead of her continued to descend, but they were slowly curving right, almost as if they were going underneath the ledge where the dragons sat.

Perhaps that is a good thing. G'reth said. He sent his rider an image of him tearing apart the stone floor to reach her. The elf smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

Sam was worried. Considering that she had not gone that far into the darkness, the connection between her and her dragon seemed like it was already stretched over a distance and weaker as a result. Could there be some sort of magic preventing her from casting her mind around her? She felt her breathe catch in her throat, feeling like the walls were pushing in. Stop being weak... She scolded herself. Being able to cast her mind out to detect danger had made her dependent on the skill. She tried to slow her racing heart, but a bit of fear remained.

What would happen if she continued on and they could not reach G'reth or Graendl? The elf paused. "The pillars are curving underneath the entrance. I can't feel anything more than pillars ahead still." Sam took a deep breathe and jumped on ahead, hopping nimbly from pillar to pillar. She noted how if she was a human, there was no way she would attempt this without equipment. Even if the jump was only three feet across, it would be almost impossible to gain the height to jump back up to the top. She touched down on the top of five more pillars, counting as she went. Twenty, twenty-on, twenty-two... Sam paused. There is a ledge. Twenty-five pillars from the entrance. She felt her muscles tense to jump to the ledge, but stopped. The unnatural darkness made her wary and she decided to wait for Darkest.

I'm waiting for you slow-poke, she said to him trying to joke, but the laughter wouldn't come...

Sam called out, confirming the end was near. At the same time, he was both elated and deeply perturbed. While the dark was deep, the distance shouldn't have been, yet, when he tried to reach out and feel Graendl, it was as if something immense was slowly pushing them apart. He shivered involuntarily. Old magic. Something he did NOT want to try and contend with.

"Great. Maybe we'll find a pot of gold at the end of this, or a servant or two to take back with us. I know I'll need a damn good massage if we have to come out this way."

If I can make it out.. Reflexively, one hand went to the row of throwing knives glinting dully on his belt, half hidden under pouches and folds. Something about this place just wasn't right. Every instinct told him that he shouldn't be doing this, to turn back and just walk away. But another feeling, stronger, demanded that he remained. The pillars he traversed had all been smooth, and evenly cut, all the same size and width. Unnatural. Whatever awaited them through this gloom, he had a duty to see it, and if it were indeed a threat, destroy it.

He growled slightly, the noise reverberating through the darkness, soon followed by the rustle he made as he leaped after Sam.

"Could you remind me just why the hell we wanted to be the good guys?"He called ahead to his companion, ignoring the heat building in his muscles as he carried on.

Sam snickered. A massage? "Being guild leaders, you think we would already have servants for that. As for being the good guys, I think I'd like to try the other side for once. Might be a bit easier. You're the one that wanted to come out here so bad!" She felt G'reth's growl in her mind. The dragon was impatient and frustrated. I don't like this... he said, smoke blowing from his nostrils.

Sam glanced back over her shoulder, waiting for Darkest to join her. She glanced up at the stone roof, wishing she could see G'reth. Stalactites hung down from the ridge where G'reth and Graendl stood. Don't step too heavy. Or you may crush me. The rider didn't want to imagine what might happen if one of the stalactites destroyed the pillars. ... If that was even possible. They were obviously magical in nature.

Sam reached down to her waist, feeling the collected energy in the pommels of her scimitars. Hopefully there was enough there. She bit her lip with worry. Something still didn't feel right.

"Your visions didn't give you any other information that might help us?"

G'reth let out a low rumble that echoed through the cave. He wanted to be down there with his rider. Or even scope out the mountain, but in the torrential rain, even he would have trouble picking anything out.

Sam took a deep breathe and decided to jump onto the ledge. She didn't wait for Darkest. She landed neatly, but slipped on some water on the smooth ... marble surface? Her muscles tensed and a spell was on her lips in case she needed to jump back to the next ledge.