Into the Dark [Ankou]

[Cantrell]

It was getting dark out. A small campfire roared with life as fuel was added to it. The fire was the only way of keeping warm at the moment. "Tonight seems a lot colder than usual" the human commented to himself. Cantrell could have probably stayed at the library while waiting for the other to arrive, but that Librarian bugged him out. Something just didn't seem right about that Ciodar.

Rubbing his hands together over the fire, he started thinking about what could be done this time around. He was planning to go deeper into the mists at night simply for the excitement. There just wasn't much out there that was a thrilling as pushing deeper into a forest of the unknown during the night.

[Ankou]

[Cantrell]

Cantrell thought for a moment. Pretty soon it would be dark, and the trees would make it difficult to see much although there was a gap every now and then which allowed moonlight to illuminate the area. "Let's start moving while there's some light left." He replied. First, he'd have to put out the fire so nothing unwanted would happen. Dirt was kicked onto the small fire putting it out, and the Human stomped the life out of any embers that could possibly start a new one.

Stretching for a moment, Cantrell loosened himself up before starting the journey ahead. Perhaps he would be lucky and find something of interest. If he was unlucky, he would run into some sort of soul devouring beast that would cause the end of him. If there was no luck, he wouldn't find anything. "Alright, let's go. Just watch where you swing that thing. I don't want to end up without a head." He drew his gurkha from its sheath and started moving north east from the library.

[Ankou]

[Skylla]

The cold night that plagued them at dusk was nothing in comparison to the cold that would set in once nightfall came. Yet freezing wasn’t their greatest threat. The untamed forests of the Mists were dangerous to traverse at any time, but in the night the mystery the forest held could sneak up on you quicker than you could ever hope. The Mists at night were particularly frightening.

The two walked the sound of animals in the brush the only thing that they encountered. The forest was quiet.

OOC: Could you guys give me a general direction or specific location you’re near? Are you in the mountains, near the Seelie/Unseelie, or near the Mounds?

[Cantrell]

OOC: Let's say we're gonna be in the mountains.

The human paused for a moment as he looked up at the stony mountain before him. Some parts were covered with trees and shrubs, while others were bare. It would be dangerous climbing at night, but the moonlit areas would provide just enough light to make the attempt not seem like suicide. It wasn't the path before him that he was concerned about. It was the person behind him. The one who was wielding a scythe and talking in shrill voices to a puppet on his hand. It was unnerving for the human. Either signs of mental instability, or extreme boredom. Possible a bit of both.

"Well, Ankou. Do you think you're up for a little mountain climbing? We only need to go up a couple hundred meters before we can start moving around. Moving around from the bottom might take a long time. Days, possibly."

Without waiting for a reply, Cantrell continued to walk on to gain some height on the mountain. This wasn't very difficult. Mud caused some areas to be slippery. Other areas were similar to badly formed stairs. Nothing a little bit of leg strength wouldn't be able to get over. All was well so far, except for that puppet master not too far behind.

[Ankou]

[Skylla]

Moving up the mountain was not a difficult task, for the path they had been walking would not face them with any entirely vertical peaks. However, the incline of the hills they faced would be steep and with Cantrell’s mortal blood flowing through his veins, he might find it tough to catch his breath once in the higher altitudes. Ankou, however, would have no problem.

As night fell it was becoming noticeably colder. Yet the light of dusk that currently remained and the clarity of the sky, devoid of clouds, meant that regardless of the time, the duo would have enough light to see by.

[Cantrell]

Cantrell could sense his breath getting shorter as he continued his climb. The thinness of the air was a strain to his lungs, and he found it only possible to take shallow breaths. He wasn't tired, just simple short of air. It seemed that barely enough oxygen was in the air, and the rest was simply empty space. The chillness that condensed what little air there was left to breath didn't help his condition either. He continued his journey along the mountain and used Ankou's scythe as a walking stick.

After arriving at a spot where almost no trees grew and where small boulders covered the ground, the human took the opportunity to rest. "Let's stop here for a moment shall we?" Cantrell suggested with a forced and out of breath voice to his traveling companion. Turning his attention to the water canteen at his side, he uncapped it and took several short sips from it. The icy cold liquid was very refreshing and brought moisture back into his mouth, which had been dried out from the lack of atmosphere.

At last, he had adapted to the change of height and his breathing was partially normal again. Stretching for a moment, he looked over towards the horizon and observed the multitude of colors. It was always fascinating, how dark and light could co-exist with each other. The sun had almost completely sunken into the underworld, yet part of the sky remained lit with brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple. Violent softly faded into black as Cantrell's sight looked further up, and starts lit up the night.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked no one in particular. After taking a few more sips, he put away the canteen and relaxed himself. At last, he looked over at Ankou and tried to start up a conversation. "So, what are your reasons for coming here with me?"

[Skylla]

Cantrell’s hiked path and Ankou’s flight have taken them in different directions. As he spoke to his companion he noticed he was no longer with him, the sidhe nowhere in sight. Any attempt to find his lost companion would fail, but Marcus’s eyes would settle upon what looked like a crevice in the side of the mountain. The dark hole-- just barely visible in the waning daylight-- looked to be a cave of some type.

[Cantrell]

Cantrell looked around him to look for his fellow traveler, but Ankou was nowhere to be found. "I wonder where he'd gone off to. Slick bastard." While looking around, he noticed that a part of the mountain's wall was much darker than the rest. It looked like a dark void, wanting to suck in anything that came nearby into the nothingness beyond. The human moved closer to the entrance of the cave and peered in. Absolutely nothing could be seen in the darkness, so he would make a light.

He broke down the scythe that he had and wrapped a cloth around the splintered ends. Using the tinderbox he carried around most of the time, he struck several sparks onto the cloth and splinters. The fabric started to burn dully, and after a few careful blows, started to grow a flame that burned brightly enough to provide light in the dark cave. "Well, if I die here, then I guess no one would ever know."

Drawing his blade in one hand, and holding the torch in the other, he walked into the cave.

[Ankou]

((See, THIS is what happens when I replenish my muse.))

[Cantrell]

(You mean write a good post with the wrong character? Fair enough )

Cantrell was startled when an anguished roar followed by rushing footsteps followed behind him. By accident, he dropped the torch as he spun around to face his attacker. First thing he had to identify was the attacker. The faint light revealed Ankou's face so Cantrell reserved himself. Obviously, the fellow was upset over his scythe. Why else would he attack the human?

He gently stepped aside and slapped the hand away with the flat of his blade. Just a light tap to move the fist out of it's trajectory. Suddenly, darkness enveloped the area as the torch went out as it hit the ground. "Dammit, now look what you've done." Cantrell said with frustration leaking into his voice. That light was very comforting in the dark, and now it was gone. He looked down and could see a faint glow still emitting from the fabric as a few strands burned. Perhaps there would be a chance of relighting the flame if he acted quickly enough.

(I still like to keep my posts short.)

[Skylla]

Marcus’s hope to recover the flame was quickly snuffed out by the damp floor of the cavern. An unsettling darkness enveloped the tunnel entrance, though the entrance of the cavern was not far away the night offered them no illumination. The two stood in almost complete darkness.

The sound of geese echoed from deep within the tunnel’s bowels but it there was no telling how far away the animals were, the tunnel carried even the slightest noise the greatest distance. They were faced with two choices: retreat or press on into the unknown in the name of exploration.

[Cantrell]

A wave of disappointment swept over him since the torch would not be of any further use. Traveling around in the dark was not the best idea, but he had done similar things several times before. As long as his blade stayed in his hand, there wouldn't be much to worry about. He looked behind him towards the entrance of the cave and considered going back. But after coming all this way only to be disheartened by the lack of something like a little light? Such a waste.

Fluttering of wings and the honks of geese could be heard from deep within the cave. Cantrell heard a few rumors about the geese and how their presence did not make much sense. As far as he knew, not a soul was known to have the goose as their mantel. Soft words were spoken as the Garlanger beckoned his friend to follow. With his curiosity renewed, Cantrell walked onward towards the distant sounds and took great care placing his steps.