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I’M BACKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m soooo sorry I haven’t been on in an eternity…

 

Niarok

Niarok’s hand immediately went to his sword as a huge bat dragon hybrid thing rose out of the floor.

At least Lorcan had given him warning.

“Finally. Things are becoming interesting again,” the assassin muttered.

Niarok smirked in spite of himself, yanking his longbow off his back. He fitted an arrow to the string as Lorcan drew his twin blades.

“Here’s the plan. I go left. You go right. Sound all right?” Lorcan hissed.

Niarok nodded his affirmation, and the two warriors split. Niarok did his best to ignore the strange events occurring behind the monster.

Although it did appear that Qatar was alright after all…

Niarok found himself face to face with the creature. Lorcan dodged in from behind and slashed the thing’s legs with his swords.

The creature collapsed slightly, roaring and flapping its wings. It decided to take out its anger on Niarok.

But Niarok was too fast for it. He shot an arrow straight into the thing’s eye.

It roared again and clawed at the sharp point in its eye. Niarok examined its chest where he hoped its heart lay. The scales were too thick for an arrow to penetrate, so he hefted his sword and hurled it.

It was, thankfully, one of those one times in ten that he actually hit the target with the make-shift spear.

The creature fell to the ground, writhing in its death throes.

Lorcan appeared from behind the monster, carefully avoiding the tail.

“That was a mighty stupid move, Niarok,” he snapped, although Niarok could tell he was sort of impressed.

“Perhaps. But I’ve practiced with that sword for the occasions that I have to do something like that.”

Lorcan tilted his head in acquiescence.

The two men turned their attention to the strange events occurring in the back of this secondary cave.

Qatar crouched across from a strange glowing man, and Quin lay between them.

As Niarok watched, the glowing man stood and glanced back into the shadows.

Niarok squinted and made out the form of a man, hunched with his hands in his pockets.

He winced. He saw himself in the man.

Afraid, but unwilling to show it. Uncomfortable, and trying to communicate it without being obvious. On guard, and not wanting to be given a chance to feel at ease.

And possibly crippled.

Niarok saw the same, almost feral, look in many of the people he’d had to perform amputations on.

He winced again.

Here was one man he would have to be very careful about.

The glowing man shouted at the other guy, and he replied shortly. Of course, Qatar chose that moment to feel bitter and make the other guy even more uncomfortable.

Niarok sighed inwardly, careful to keep his expression neutral as he retrieved his weapons from the monster’s now still body.

The man broke into a coughing fit, and the glowing man took a step back almost involuntarily.

“Don’t worry, bad decisions aren’t contagious,” the man said, louder than he’d spoken so far.

Niarok’s stomach turned. He had far more in common with this man than the man would ever know…

He took a step forward, sheathing his sword as he did so.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he called into the shadows. “But this man is right. There’s not an exit, as far as we’ve been able to tell. The temperature is dropping, and we’re all getting ready to head back to a much drier part of the cave where we can keep warm. If you want to join us, you may, but I understand if you’d rather not.”

There was a scrabbling of rocks to Niarok’s right, and he glanced up to the ledge on the far side of the cavern. There was a short-ish man up there, glancing around with glassy eyes.

His eyes caught on the glowing man.

“You’re… glowing,” he said incredulously.

Niarok allowed a grin.

My thoughts too.

He quickly sobered. The temperature was continuing to drop, and most of the people in the cavern were now visibly shivering. Niarok was especially concerned for Quin and Qatar, one of whom was weak, and the other of whom was wet.

He looked back up at the guy on the ledge. “We’re going somewhere that’s hopefully warmer,” he called. “You’re welcome to join us if you want.”

Niarok glanced at Qatar and their eyes met. He had never seen such openness in Qatar’s gaze. He was scared for Quin.

Niarok raised an eyebrow. Do you need help? He communicated.

Qatar’s gaze hardened for a second before softening again. No. 

Niarok nodded and glanced around the cavern one more time before turning back down the narrow passageway he and Lorcan had come up. He pulled his cloak around him and stepped down into it, glad when he heard footsteps behind him that at least some of the other had decided to follow him.

 

 

Okayyyy that was longer than it was originally going to be…