Thread: //.ghost/ECHO::Murphy_Was_Right:// [ClockworkCadence x Ryees]

Sharp focus and a sense of vague remembrance were the tools that carved out a trail through the rocky terrain, the pathway unsteady and ambiguous as the group made their way towards their destination. Once or twice, the cautious leader paused, her bright eyes shining as they roamed the landscape while the cogs of her mind whirred, trying to recall how to reach their endpoint. These breaks only lasted mere seconds, though, as intel about the place began to resurface to the forefront of her busy thoughts, gently encouraging a shift in direction and a renewed vigor of the adventure. Soon enough, the process of adventure and analyze came to a halt with a broad and satisfied smile, light boot-steps clunking dully on a flat rock half-buried in the soil as she approached a bulging mound of dirt and small pebbles, worn down into a finely compacted wall by the chilling and harsh elements of the season. This had been an entrance into a cavern at some point, at least, until the .LOOT appeared somewhere down belowthen all easy access points to the depths of the mountain became choked and brutalized beyond recognition, almost as if the .LOOT had become sentient and was defending itself. It might as well have, considering how dangerous these damn things always were to acquiretreasure hunting definitely wasnt for those without an abundance of skill and luck. A sidelong glance was cast warily at the companions tasked with accompanying themKai and Aric, shed learned on the way over, but their faces were definitely somewhat familiar from at least one of the many rabblerousing mornings Kirin and she had made a habit of sharing. She wasnt worried about Kirins abilities, but she wasnt too sure if the men from the fort had any experience with any real treasure hunting past the paltry, easy to acquire .LOOT Meda always seemed to target. They probably werent here for any other reason than to keep an eye on them to make sure they held up their end of the weeks-long bargain, but the burden of keeping watch over these two would slow things down a bit whether they realized it or not, as they puffed out their chests at the prospect of their glorified yet lethal babysitting. Here. The calm, calculating voice came, eyes surveying the edges of the buried cavern as if trying to see beyond the blockade into the deep depths of the unknown. Hold on. A rough hand settled onto the dirt pile, resolute focus and concentration taking over her mind as her plasm shifted, stretching into the soil and beyond, farther and farther as she felt the light pressure of the compact earth. Eventually, though, the pressure ceased, her plasm finding open air maybe a few dozen feet in, spreading out further to check how much space there was and if the path continued ahead. Things were feeling good. They could definitely enter here and find a pathway to follow. She dusted off her hand on her leggings, a light brown spot of dirt stubbornly settling into the black fabric as she turned back to her companions. Its not too terribly deep. I can take us all through, but keep a hand on me unless youd prefer to end up buried alive. Her hand extended to Kirin, then, inviting him to take it as she motioned for the other two to come closer and grab hold of her other side. Shed been wary to use her abilities during her time at the fort at first, but this excursion was inevitable, and there was no way she was wasting time and energy on digging the pathway clear and leaving herself purposely without her extra line of defense of being able to phase through attacks just because she didnt want them to know the extent of her capabilities. So shed slowly revealed her abilityit wasnt something people were entirely comfortable about still, but at least they wouldnt be entirely shocked by it. She needed their trust. Feeling her companions warmth on either side of her, a deep breath gusted out of her lungs, the faint glow of plasm beginning to envelop her as it slowly began to expand. The two men from the fort tensed, their emotions trying to destabilize their forms, but she held them together as she led the first step into the mountain. They might have influence on how hard this task would be, but she ultimately held the reigns on whether they came out unscathed or were missing a few limbs that were severed and buried somewhere behind them. The plasm of this place was dense and a bit difficult to travel through, especially as she had to worry about more than herself. Their lives depended on her. It was a bit nerve-wracking, even though shed never care to admit itbut this was .DUALITY now. She could handle this. And she dida sigh of relief was the first sound within the cave as they regained their solid forms on the other side of the buried entrance. Her body leaned against the cold walls for a moment to recover a bit, a small globe of her plasm dimly lighting the area in bright green to keep an eye out for any danger. From here on out, there was no further data on this place. Whatever they found within would hopefully be worth the mystery end result that lay in store for them. And so, they set out into the unknown. The structural integrity of this place was sketchy, at best, but considering the fact that the .LOOT was somewhere underground, it was surprising the area wasnt in worse shape. The high concentration of plasm affected many thingsthe .WRAITHS theyd certainly encounter, the odd pathways theyd have to take, but none of that was as outwardly apparent as the destabilized environment. Heck, geographic anomalies were usually what tipped people off to there being .LOOT nearbyit was sort of a trademark sign. The technological distortions in the environment caused by the plasm resulted in all sorts of corruptions to the very fabric of reality in this world. Corruptions such as the chunk of a subway station they stumbled upon a few minutes into their journey, tile walls crumbling as the electronic signs flickered eerily with information about destinations and arrival times and whatnot, the caves high amounts of plasm reacting with the technology and attempting to bring it back to its former glory. The group steered clear of the missing data creating a gaping sinkhole near the far left side of the area, the dusty floor below abruptly giving way to a damp stone as they began a descent down large stairs that looked as if they came from a Roman amphitheater. The atmosphere was tense, eyes darting into the shadows for .WRAITHS as careful footsteps tested the ground before shifting their weight for fear of falling through the ground at any moment. Soon, the path forked, stones ending in an oddly grassy area that must have come from somewhere recently, as there was no way any sort of plant life would survive down here for more than a few days. Both ways forward seemed to stretch on as a normal cave might, though the sounds from each path were a bit concerningsomething windy down the left, with something that sounded like rushing water on the right. Her plasm stretched down both ways for a moment, but she couldn't find anything odd or inherently dangerouswhatever lay ahead of them, it was much deeper within. With a small bit of interest, she noted a small dent in the stone wall to the far right, as if a path had once existed. Her plasm vaguely explored past it, indeed finding a tight open space that might just fit a human. .DUALITY turned back to her companions, shrugging as her eyes searched each face. Alright. None of these pathways seem like a wonderful walk through the park. Thoughts?