Thread: Awakening  (Steel Quill and TennTenshie)

The first thing Bander did from his new location on the stone floor was realize how much pain he was in. Sure, the fall was mostly a slide, but the distance was still pretty noticeable. Ironically, the shooting pain in his leg and back served as a temporary shield from the shock that hit him as soon as he was able to appraise his surroundings. His eyes took a second to adjust to the dim light, at which point they were able to roam about the sanctuary he'd fallen into. Said eyes were immediately forced shut. After a quick breath, he risked opening them again... nope, there was no mistake. This place was far from natural. He didn't move from the place he had stumbled to, for he immediately realized he was not the only person to have set foot here. Shadows flowed eerily all about the room, illuminating a number of what must have been sculptures along the edge. The room felt very... sacred. Ritualistic. Bander started to become dizzy, something that made him realize he was holding his breath. He let it out in a slow, ragged panting, and, with some effort, drew it in again. Breathless was an understatement, he was completely paralyzed with shock and confusion and... awe. He sat, paralyzed for what felt like several eternities, but what could only have been a few moments. Gathering his breath, senses, and courage, he stood up to further examine the chamber. The more he looked the more amazed he was. The basin of water in the middle seemed almost decorative, and yet, was not the focus. The focus of the room was, by and large, the ten statue-like figures which formed a strange perimeter around him. With tentative steps, he approached one, to examine it closer. It seemed to be... covered. Restrained. Straps and harnesses held it to the wall, and it didn't seem to be in any sort of natural position. It was very realistic, but awkward. He stepped in once more and suddenly stopped. It wasn't a statue. It was very, very real. He stumbled backwards, tripping over his heel, confusion and panic and fear rising up in him, preventing him from noticing the further details, though perhaps it was for the better. Phantom stars hovering in the reflected water and dynamic wings would surely have only magnified the panic and confusion. His breath had started to become ragged again, and he struggled to his feet again. These... things surrounding him, they had once been living, breathing beings. He was in a mausoleum. Human. The voice called out from behind him, freezing his heart in his chest. He turned slowly, carefully, to face a powerful figure, a winged woman who stood with a brutal weapon and an equally brutal gaze. The best rationalization his mind could put together was that it was some sort of an angel, or some similar product of his shock-stirred brain, his knees hit the ground with a slight thud before he realized she had posed him a question. How did... I... His lips moved without voice, and it took him a moment to remember how to speak. I... um, fell. Climbing, and... there was a cave, and... I, He struggled with each word and thought, his tongue just one of many muscles still suffering from shock, Fell down a hole. He finally managed. His breaths came in short bursts, and his eyes didn't move from the figure before him. Already on his knees, he collapsed further, to his hands, and managed to spit out Please don't... kill me. I'm... sorry. Tears, a rare addition to his face, began to form, and he waited, tensed, for the deity before him to pass judgment.