Redhawk Caldera Misty mountain hop

Elwood studied the stalagmites and stalactites as Somnia spoke, sharing what little information she had about the formations. They came in all shapes and sizes, he noted: some were long and thin, while others were much shorter. There were sharp edges as well as rounded edges, although the one thing they did seem to have in common was that it appeared that they had formed slowly over time. The stalactites hanging from the ceiling resembled icicles that had dripped until they froze. All of the crystallized rock glittered in the limited light that came from the entrance, giving everything an ethereal glow.

He turned slowly, taking it all in, then shuffled towards Somnia just as she reached out to lick one of the stalagmites. Elwood watched, then he, too, leaned out and gave it a lick. She was right; it was rough and cold, and though it looked like ice, it tasted like rock. "How did you learn about stalagmites and stalactites?" he asked, careful to pronounce the terms correctly. Though she had simply made some inferences and educated guesses, she seemed to have a least a little bit of background knowledge on the subject. He was beginning to feel braver, so he edged forward a bit, rounding a blind corner that he couldn't see past. On the other side, he was met with a pile of frozen earth and crumbled stone that seemed to have fallen from the ceiling, effectively blocking their path.