When the ghost stopped for the night he essentially collapsed out of fatigue, sleeping until the humid middle hours of the next day, and when he was concious enough to continue his journey he did not know where to go. The horizon was blotted with dark marks that were far-off mountains, and in the other direction the earth was jagged an imposing. Mou was naturally inclined not to venture too close to the cliffs.
The sea still called to him. Maybe it was the memory of all the people he had met on the island, more specifically. It had only been a month but they had reformed him from the pieces they had found; he loved them, and would miss them. But this was better — the boy would no longer be a drain on resources, and he would be able to find his footing in the big wide world. Perhaps even wherever it was he came from.
Inevitably he trailed along the beach again, and his path led him to a gaping cave that loomed ominously among a stand of twisting trees. They were thoroughly weathered by the salted wind, but reaching and vibrant nonetheless. The arbutus trees shuddered as he crept beneath it, and with a startling groan a piece of branch came peeling away. To avoid it the boy skittered hastily in to the dark of the cave, and was left there breathing heavily from the exertion.
The segment of wood hit the sand and splintered, scattering debris across the ratty, dry grass.
The sea still called to him. Maybe it was the memory of all the people he had met on the island, more specifically. It had only been a month but they had reformed him from the pieces they had found; he loved them, and would miss them. But this was better — the boy would no longer be a drain on resources, and he would be able to find his footing in the big wide world. Perhaps even wherever it was he came from.
Inevitably he trailed along the beach again, and his path led him to a gaping cave that loomed ominously among a stand of twisting trees. They were thoroughly weathered by the salted wind, but reaching and vibrant nonetheless. The arbutus trees shuddered as he crept beneath it, and with a startling groan a piece of branch came peeling away. To avoid it the boy skittered hastily in to the dark of the cave, and was left there breathing heavily from the exertion.
The segment of wood hit the sand and splintered, scattering debris across the ratty, dry grass.
August 12, 2018, 04:07 PM
on two trunks for legs the bear rested, his forelimbs pressed against a rust-flecked stalagmite. at the top of its summit sat a wearied and harried bird, who regarded him with a fretful shuffle of her feathers. the thick bole of stone could not be splintered - not even by his terrific hands, and the bird was safe - for now.
yet it was ever a war of attrition; shardik would earn his meal soon enough. the bird had little time left in this world, and the taste of abysmal dark swarmed ever round it.
a clatter from some southern reach echoed down the hardened corridors and the great beasts' round ear flickered. pulling himself to the ground with a thunderous shuffle he padded into the dark, a low growl hung from his lips.
August 12, 2018, 04:23 PM
(This post was last modified: August 12, 2018, 04:28 PM by Titmouse (Ghost).)
The clattering, splintering branch left an orange glow to the air for a split second, but Mou had ducked away and did not see it. He was faced with the sweeping vantablack shadows of the cave, and as his good eye adjusted there was little he could differentiate. The ground felt as if it were twisting and inclining and as he had been racing to clear the falling branch, he wasn't prepared.
The boy stumbled almost instantly and crashed against a pitted wall. He side-stepped and tried to compensate for his blundering in the dark, and found himself skidding, tripping, and creating quite a commotion as his frail body found its way deeper along the corridor. When he finally found even ground it was quite a ways from the entrypoint — but the extra room was welcome, and he sank to the desiccated floor with a gasp.
Mou felt the familiar twisting pains in his hips; there was a weakness to his limbs too, and he was swiftly met by the unhindered horror that perhaps he had broken himself again. Once his racing heart had soothed itself a bit he tried to stand, and found that he might've been bruised and sore, but unbroken.
A small blessing.
The boy stumbled almost instantly and crashed against a pitted wall. He side-stepped and tried to compensate for his blundering in the dark, and found himself skidding, tripping, and creating quite a commotion as his frail body found its way deeper along the corridor. When he finally found even ground it was quite a ways from the entrypoint — but the extra room was welcome, and he sank to the desiccated floor with a gasp.
Mou felt the familiar twisting pains in his hips; there was a weakness to his limbs too, and he was swiftly met by the unhindered horror that perhaps he had broken himself again. Once his racing heart had soothed itself a bit he tried to stand, and found that he might've been bruised and sore, but unbroken.
A small blessing.
August 12, 2018, 07:20 PM
the dark behemoth dragged himself slowly across the polished stone floor, keen ears cupped ahead. cacophony. disruption. he swept his black gaze along the walls and a silent exhale flared his loose lips in a quiet splutter. around him a draft of hot air carried tidings; a wolf visitor, lest his nose betrayed him.
thus he sunk back into the shadows, grim beast awaiting its quarry. let the dog come to his doom, for shardik the monster waited beneath the balcony of gneiss and andesite, ready to smote ruin to any that dared trespass his terrible halls.
August 12, 2018, 07:33 PM
Mou crept along at a sluggish pace on a good day, and today was not one of those. His progress was so infrequent that the cave itself did not seem to give away any clues that he was present; the dust was hardly bothered, and not a single rock was kicked out of place. If anyone from the outside world were to delve in to this stygian nightmare they would have followed easily after a while—Mou was creeping, mostly dragging himself across the metamorphic platform and leaving a narrow trail of disturbance behind himself.
He was ignorant of the threat that loomed in the atrium of the cave; but he managed to slip down from the narrow ledge and in to the more spacious room without making too much of a fuss. Had he managed a good look at himself, he'd have seen the white of his bleached pelt was sullied by dim rust-like tones. What he did take notice of was the scent of dried blood mixed with the dust scent of the cave, and remembered the creature he'd found stranded on the land bridge.
There was no reason for him to think of the dying thing. The cave was host to other scents, other clues, and he should have noticed the overwhelming scent of the waiting behemoth as soon as he'd entered—but Mou had no memory of such creatures as bears, and certainly did not find anything amiss as he drifted like a lonely cloud in the dark.
He was ignorant of the threat that loomed in the atrium of the cave; but he managed to slip down from the narrow ledge and in to the more spacious room without making too much of a fuss. Had he managed a good look at himself, he'd have seen the white of his bleached pelt was sullied by dim rust-like tones. What he did take notice of was the scent of dried blood mixed with the dust scent of the cave, and remembered the creature he'd found stranded on the land bridge.
There was no reason for him to think of the dying thing. The cave was host to other scents, other clues, and he should have noticed the overwhelming scent of the waiting behemoth as soon as he'd entered—but Mou had no memory of such creatures as bears, and certainly did not find anything amiss as he drifted like a lonely cloud in the dark.
August 12, 2018, 07:57 PM
as shardik for whatever wretch to emerge from the mouth of the tunnel he could neither reach nor fit in, he listened. around him the cave murmured. the trickle of some undisturbed and distant stream, the groan of the earth and the ever-slow crumbling of stone -- he drank of this environment in silence, blackened eyes trained on the promontory that hung like a stubborn lip against the wall. from this egress, he had seen many things evade him - and from the consistent yet slow pad of feet, he expected his visitor would come upon him any moment now.
yet it was not his time to strike. he would wait, until the pale wretch had descended into the massive chamber. there was no use in spooking his quarry before he could reach him.
August 12, 2018, 10:34 PM
He slunk through the dark with his head low, not that it made any difference. The earth smelled the same everywhere. It was musty and filled with a minerality which was almost like blood, but different. Maybe there was blood in the cave too — but he dared not think about that.
He felt the edge of the natural shelf with his toes. By shuffling carefully he could map the edge of his path, and Mou couldn't help but think that maybe this was it. That the darkness was one great black pit before him, and he could go no further. The air was stale here. If he stood and listened he thought he could hear the breathing of the stone around him.
As he side-stepped he felt his shoulder brush the wall, and his claws caught on stone underfoot. Tentitavely the boy reached and stepped with one paw and could feel the rock descending. Without thinking he moved forward and used the wall as a guide, unkowingly getting closer to the beast that lurked in wait.
He felt the edge of the natural shelf with his toes. By shuffling carefully he could map the edge of his path, and Mou couldn't help but think that maybe this was it. That the darkness was one great black pit before him, and he could go no further. The air was stale here. If he stood and listened he thought he could hear the breathing of the stone around him.
As he side-stepped he felt his shoulder brush the wall, and his claws caught on stone underfoot. Tentitavely the boy reached and stepped with one paw and could feel the rock descending. Without thinking he moved forward and used the wall as a guide, unkowingly getting closer to the beast that lurked in wait.
what little light shardik's grim realm afforded seemed to go out abruptly as a thin shadow flittered past, pulling with its the reclamation of tiny sunbeam pylons on the hollowed cave floor. shardik's brutish muzzle was tilted upwards, watching as the waif of a creature thumbed his way down a thin promontory.
with a shift the great beast was up upon the ledge, blocking the tunnel in which mou had appeared from. his massive form eclipsed all light, and his black shape seemed monstrous as it lumbered down the shelf, hungry eyes on the jutting hipbones of his soon-to-be prey.
with a shift the great beast was up upon the ledge, blocking the tunnel in which mou had appeared from. his massive form eclipsed all light, and his black shape seemed monstrous as it lumbered down the shelf, hungry eyes on the jutting hipbones of his soon-to-be prey.
August 13, 2018, 06:59 PM
The air felt heavy. It was only for a moment but he noticed as he shuffled along. There was a sound - a gust of ominous breath - and then the limited light was snuffed out completely. There was no time for him to react as the eclipse began; yet as the darkness came for him, the boy knew that something was very wrong and his natural reaction was to bolt. The only issue with that, of course, was where to run to.
There was only the darkness.
The pit —
— he had to move —
The boy lunged from the sliver of stone and careened across the cave floor, plunging through the void before his fragile body. He expected to fall. Maybe feel his body collide with stone and scatter to pieces like foam across the jutting rocks of the Isle.
Instead he was only free for a moment before crashing to the open expanse beneath, his paws catching against hard stone and then his chest too, but he was scrambling as quickly as those tired limbs could manage.
The ghost didn't know what had trapped him but he knew he had to get away from it, and fast.
There was only the darkness.
The pit —
— he had to move —
The boy lunged from the sliver of stone and careened across the cave floor, plunging through the void before his fragile body. He expected to fall. Maybe feel his body collide with stone and scatter to pieces like foam across the jutting rocks of the Isle.
Instead he was only free for a moment before crashing to the open expanse beneath, his paws catching against hard stone and then his chest too, but he was scrambling as quickly as those tired limbs could manage.
The ghost didn't know what had trapped him but he knew he had to get away from it, and fast.
August 14, 2018, 05:37 PM
the beast's deft movement stirred dust in the den and alarm in his quarry's heart; with a sickening smile he watched his harried prey bolt forward, stumbling, hard muscle against stone. echoes scattering as little feet rapidly pattered, and large feet slowly thundered after.
he prowled like a lion caged along the promontory; here was mou's only egress, lest he dive deeper into the cave. shardik weighed his options, and then silent as a phantom jumped down from the rise and gave horrific chase.
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