Dug Too Deep to the Right

"Dug Too Deep to the Right" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Kendra strengthened her light to shine as far down as it would comfortably go, and as the larger group began trudging through the mud, keeping an eye out for anything of note. The Whispering Death watched them move for a moment, and then folded in her wings and began snaking after them on her belly to stay by their side, and her hatchlings came with, zooming overhead in loop-de-loops and zig-zags, squealing to each other the whole time. But they had barely walked what felt like a minute before Kendra’s light began refracting off something in their line of sight, and as they drew closer, they saw that it was the foot of what seemed to be a massive mound of earth, sloping up from the wet ground to fill the entire width of the tunnel. Most of the mass seemed to be boulders, and they were too regularly sized to be something coincidental. The tracks led straight under the enormous pile and disappeared; they had been regularly used before any kind of blockage existed.
Liam stopped short when he saw the cave-in. “Oh shit. Now what?”
Kendra moved further and walked a few paces up the slope, facing her palms this way and that over the crumbled dirt and tiny cascades of water dripping over the stone faces. She pressed the side of her face and her ear to one of the boulders, frowning in concentration as her hand drifted across it, feeling. The baby Whispering Deaths were gleeful at the sight of so much loose debris; they took turns swooping down and scooping up fist-sized rocks and playing tug-of-war with them off to the side of the tunnel. 
Vox stood next to Kendra, also taking in the state of the tunnel. The initial view felt ominous, but there had to be more than just accepting that this was the end of the line.
“Do we… try to get through it?” He tapped on some stone that was more firmly rooted in the debris, hoping to have some sort of indication of the amount they would need to shift in order to progress. He had no luck in doing so. “I don’t imagine that we want to waste our time, but we got here quick. Who’s up for digging? I’ll be sure to…”
He directed his eye contact straight to Liam, adorned with a menacing grin.
“…lend a hand.”
Jari turned to the Whispering death and asks if she could please help them tunnel through the blockage.
The dragon, curled back up in a thorny coil to watch her children, rattled her spines as she considered the cave-in. “Not safe…for passing through. Earth…will move. May go…around. May go…up high.”
Around? She looked over it again and saw that the dirt filled the tunnel width wise. Then it clicked. She asked if she could help them dig around the pile.
Her head swung over them as she inspected the wall she meant to dig through, and then she bent over Jari, tilting her head, her teeth rotating slowly once and then stopping. Her breath was hot and smelled of scorched earth. “Humans must…watch brood,” she rumbled decisively.
Technically she was a Half-Breed but she wasn’t about to waste time explaining that. She thanked the mother before vowing to protect her children with her life before calling them over to her.
She turned to the rest of the group as she reached into her bag and pulled out her brush for Rock Crusher. “So, here’s the deal guys. The mother is going to dig around for us, and we are going to look after her little ones until she is done.”
The scout’s face went pale, swinging his head towards Jari. There had to be something lost in translation.
“Absolutely not. No. Not happening.” He crept away from the group, distancing himself as much as he could from the Hel spawn. “Good luck to you all. I’ll be over here.” He mumbled angrily to himself as he found himself as far away from the dragons as he could be without losing light.
Liam groaned in tandem with Vox’s leave. “Are you kidding m–”
Kendra put her hands to the wall, making one of the nodes glow bright to keep them all in the light, and then happily skipped past Liam to sit right down in the thick mud and cozy up to the baby with the darkest scales, scratching under its very round chin and cooing at it. It guzzled up the attention like a puppy. Liam rolled his eyes and went to nudge back at one of the hatchlings that tried to escape, but he was too slow, and it excitedly chased one of Vox’s boots as it swung with his quick paces, managing to get its baby mouth around his ankle with a shrill scream.
Vox hadn’t had enough time to move away from the dragon before it clamped itself around his ankle; one protruding tooth slicing through his pants with an audible rip. The scout fell onto his side, afraid to move his leg and possibly lose another appendage.
“Gods, Liam, get it off! Get it off!” His voice did not carry far, as his “yells” were more of a pathetic whine. “It’s going to kill me!”
He began to shake his leg, watching as the dragon kept it’s grip and flung around in the same motions that he did.
Jari and Lila both looked at the scout with a deadpan expression. “What a fucking pansy.” Jari said as the last one settled down in her hand, wrapping its tail around her arm. “I honestly don’t know how we won the last war.” She said as she began to brush the hatchling.
The mother dragon paused in her excavation and growled in warning, and Liam rushed to aid Vox, trying to find a good place to grab the squirming dragon without pricking himself. He wasn’t very successful, and he grit his teeth as he felt several small stabs in the pads of his paws, fitting a finger between the Death’s gums to try and pry it off. “Come on, come on, come on, let go…” Kendra spread her arms out to keep the rest of the babies from investigating the commotion. 
He watched in horror as the vile offspring refused to release itself. He leaned to assist Liam, pulling at the dragon’s mouth just enough for him to free his leg.
“Gods… no, never again. I’m done.” Vox stood, wiping off his pants. He was visibly panting from the panic and struggle. “I’m too old to go on adventures anymore. Your mother is a smart woman.”
He walked back over to where Kendra remained with the rest of the horrid beasts and sat behind her, hoping she would distract them enough to leave him alone.
Kendra was amused, but sympathetically put her head on his shoulder as the hatchling in her lap curled up, making a rather horrifying gurgling noise that could be vaguely equated to purring.
Meanwhile, the mother dragon continued her thunderous tunneling, her body spiraling quickly back into the ground in a hooked shape around the loose earth of the cave-in. Clouds of drier dust billowed out of the large hole she left in her wake. The noises paused, echoing for a moment, and then a hiss crawled out of the dark, damp hole, indicating that she was finished. 
The Arnasons got to their feet, and Liam leaned over and tapped Virion on the head, who had been twittering excitedly the whole time at the excitement surrounding it. “Everything good over there?”
Jan 25, 2021
Virion ruffled its tiny feathers, before flapping its way to settle on Liam’s nest of hair. It opened its beak in response and announced in a loud, clear voice, “Ah. Mm. Define… good?”
Juro leaned an elbow on a hand, twirling pen in fingers as he watched Kettil fuss over his aunt, taking his time to relay the message, “We found a door and it’s sealed shut, so the Chief is trying to melt it open, after some… complications. She should be alright, though. There’s a bunch of mechanical sounds and a really strong smell coming from the other side.
Jan 25, 2021
“A fucking door…?”
Liam and Kendra looked at each other, him having translated for her. There was clearly more to this tunnel than initially met the eye. “How much further are we going, Cap?” he called out to Lila, as the babies flooded towards the new tunnel and zoomed inside. “Sounds like Grey got kinda roughed up.”
Jan 25, 2021
“We’re going to the time limit.” She said firmly. It sucked that Grey got hurt but Kettil was with them and it seemed like it wasn’t too bad. “Or until something worse happens.”
Jan 25, 2021
Another glance. Kendra seemed unhappy, but she pressed forward, letting the light on the wall dim while she took a brighter beam around the curve of the tunnel. They emerged into something that looked almost identical to the stretch of cave from before, with the tracks resuming and running off into the darkness. But here, this side of the cave-in looked different. There was some kind of scaffolding around the entire circumference of the tunnel, thought it was half-covered in the same earth that had blocked their way, and Jari managed to catch an old whiff of a very familiar smell. Black powder. There were metal and glass fragments shattered across the ground, smeared in mud and sealing wax. Kendra’s light revealed several methodical craters blasted into the earth in a circle that went over their heads, with several embedded chains hanging from each one. They had all been shattered and blasted as heavily as the debris at their feet.
Jan 25, 2021
Jari’s nose twitched as the smell hits it. “This is black powder.” She murmured. “How the Hel did they get their hands on black powder?! It took me months to perfect it and even then I discovered it by accident!”
“I’m more concerned with what they were doing here.” She lit a blue ball of fire in her hand before sending it around the tunnel examining it. “It looks like it was a mining operation. But what were they ming?” She asks.
Jari walks over to the wall and runs her hand over the wall and taking a closer look, looking for a vein they hadn’t completely tapped.
Jan 25, 2021
There didn’t seem to be any evidence of excavation or mineral extraction. The smell of powder was strongest in these areas, and the chains hanging from each crater were deeply anchored in the center, very intentionally placed before the earth had fallen away from them, as though something had been embedded in the walls of the tunnel before the cave-in.
Something rattled against Vox’s foot as he stepped forward. It was covered in mud, but it was a mostly-intact canister, with an anchor for a chain similar to the ones in the wall. It called back to a faint memory from his childhood–an authoritative shout before hearing a nearly-earsplitting blast even through his father’s calloused hands protecting his hearing, the smell of dust as it billowed out from new cracks caused by these very same canisters hammered into certain points of a massive cliff face. An explosive charge. The one at his feet had already been blown.
Jan 25, 2021
The scout kneeled to inspect the canister that brought back a flood of childhood memories; they were few and far between, as much of his life prior to leaving High Central was a blur after the events of the Rebellion. He ran his fingers along it’s shape, gently removing some of the mud to get a better look. Vox motioned to Liam and Kendra to join him.
“Your grandfather knew about these sorts of things far better than I ever could, but I can remember being so terrified of these blasts going off when he would take me to a work site.” He laughed at how frail and frightened he was as a child compared to his own son. “I definitely feel a lot of nostalgia here, and that probably isn’t a good thing. High Central already had these mechanics worked out over forty years ago – who knows how advanced they are now when it comes to masonry and construction.”
Jan 26, 2021
“Fourty years?” Jari murmured. It was disheartening. They had this technology long before she was even born. It would take a long time for her to catch up, let alone take them down. But it was also an exciting prospect. If they did manage to take them down, all of that technology an research would be hers. It was rather bitter sweet.
“Lets not waste any more time here.” The Commander said as she continued down the tunnel.
Jan 26, 2021
Liam caught Kendra up with the conversations, and the half-breed peered up and across at the ring of detonation craters that were left behind, her ears flicking a bit as she thought. They did this on purpose, she said, and Liam nodded.
“Yeah, whatever passage this is isn’t weak.” A bit of dirt fell on their heads as the hatchlings tugged at something in the ceiling, excitedly screaming. “Someone didn’t want something to be f–”
Something clanked above them and began hissing in a different dissonance than the Whispering Deaths. Liam’s ears pricked up and he yanked his gaze upward, where something flashed in Kendra’s light as it turned end over end, falling towards the ground. He didn’t have time to get her attention. He pushed off into a powerful sprint and threw himself into her middle, wrapping his arms around her and sending them both skidding forward in the mud as one last untriggered canister fell from the mouth of one of the baby dragons and cracked on a large stone, and the cavern was briefly filled with a huge flash and a deafening bang. A broken chain snapped across the ground as a few shards of shrapnel skidded through the water. Liam felt a few hot lines of pain across his back; Kendra was unscathed.
Jan 26, 2021
His son was a blur in his vision, and before Vox could turn and see what Liam was so desperately running from, the blast caught the scout from behind in a terrifying assault on every sense. His body was launched forward, and with a stroke of luck, he managed to angle his body to impact evenly against a ragged wall of the cavern. He crumpled to the floor; the idea of moving and harming himself further was out of the question. Though stiff, he managed to pull his hand up to his head, feeling dampness on the back of his scalp. His perception to pain was dulled heavily by the fact that his ears were ringing wildly, along with the probable shock.
“L-Liam!” Vox coughed heavily, fighting his lungs to function adequately enough to communicate. “Are you two alright? Jari? Lila?”
Jan 26, 2021
The two sisters were up further than any of the group, near the mother. One to lead and one to translate. They quickly retreat back to check on the three. "Are you guys all right?" Lila asks as they both look over the two men.
Kendra yanked her face up out of the ground and spouted mud, sticking out her tongue in disgust, while Liam carefully felt across his back, gritting his teeth as his claws snagged against a sliver of glass, and pulling it out with a grunt. Before he could remark on the possibly life-threatening experience, the sound of earth moving and stones grating drew their attention to the rest of the tunnel ahead, which, upon Kendra highlighting the way once more, led to another cave-in. The Whispering Death mother had zoomed forward, her babies gathered around her, and had begun to flee through the side of the tunnel even faster than before, sending chunks of damp soil scattering through the air. Her thorny tail lashed quickly back and forth before disappearing, and the sound of her teeth shredding through earth quickly grew quiet. She had fled.
“Great,” Liam complained. “Now what?”
Jan 27, 2021
Vox groaned as he turned over to prop himself up on his arms, feeling every strain and pain in his back. Between the force of his impact and his age, it was impossible to ignore. The bleeding from his head had slowed substantially, but it was still enough to leave him slightly lightheaded. He wouldn’t be getting to his feet on his own anytime soon. His spine had taken too much damage for him to be able to continue for the long haul without Kettil’s intervention.
“We put our hands together and thank the Gods that we didn’t die, Liam.” The scout looked over to his children, who looked well beyond superficial wounds. “Then we ask our daring leaders to get us out of this mess.” He glanced up at Jari and Lila, anticipating any sort of plan they could muster.
Jan 27, 2021
Lila looked over everyone. “Juro.” She called to the bird. “Can you send Kettil our way?” She asks.
Jan 27, 2021
Juro exhaled a little thinly through his nose at the extra strain on his golem, but complied, still with a grin. The connection was cut, and Virion tittered as it folded into itself, then opened into a portal. It was big enough for only one human to pass through.
“You’ve been summoned,” the Bookkeeper called towards Kettil, before leaning his head back to appear at the other end very briefly, “Limit our back and forths, Commander. This isn’t an easy form for Vir to switch to often. Also, update. We opened our door, and we’re checking it out soon.”
Jan 27, 2021
“Stay out of trouble and he won’t need to.” Lila replied.
Kettil quickly made his way through the portal and began tending to both Arnasons. “I can’t leave you guys a lone for a second can I? First the Chief now you two.” He says with smile as he finishes up with both of them.
“Are you guys good enough to keep going? I can send you back if you need to.” Lila says as she crosses her arms.
Jan 27, 2021
It wasn’t a perfect fix, but Kettil’s aid placed Vox in a far better position to proceed than before. He managed to get himself to his feet with the young man’s assistance.
“That’s won’t be necessary.” Vox jokingly hobbled forward with his hand on his lower back. “The next hit will kill me for sure, so we don’t need to worry about me getting hurt again. Just leave my body to the dragons.”
Jan 27, 2021
“Holy shit, Dad, shut the fuck up.”
The light bobbed and moved suddenly, leaving the group in the dark. Kendra was pacing towards the cave-in very intently, focused on something nobody else could see. “Kendra!” Liam called, trying to use the vibrations from his voice bouncing down the tunnel to get her attention. She didn’t turn. 
Jan 27, 2021
Lightning began to crawl up and down Jari’s arms, providing some light for the group. “Well let’s hope you can keep up then.” Lila said as she rushed after the Half-Breed
Jan 27, 2021
Kendra bounded to the next mound of earth, which was steeper than the last, almost forming a kind of clay wall with how many streams of water ran over it. She regarded it for a moment, head tilted, then looked over at the new hole that the mother dragon had left behind, feeling her way into it, and then poking her head back out. Let’s keep going!
You got a feeling again? Liam signed from all the way back at the last obstacle.
My feelings are always right, and you know it. She insistently gestured with a glowing hand. I think we can push back into the main tunnel if we go far enough down this one.
Jan 27, 2021
“Does anyone want to interpret?” Lila asks.
“She says we should keep going and that she has… A feeling? I’m not sure what she means by that.” Jari translates. “She thinks we can get back to the main tunnel if we keep heading down this one.”
Lila hums. “I wanted to keep going anyways. Let’s press on then.”
Jan 27, 2021
This new tunnel was haphazard, but the dragon knew what she was doing by avoiding the loose falling dirt that would have caved in on her children had she intersected through it. So the group came close to approaching the main tunnel wall again, but there was a substantial layer of earth between their current space and the cavern they were investigating. Already being covered from head to toe in muck, Kendra pushed right into digging away at the dripping earth, and after a second of hesitation, Liam joined her, his leaner muscles doing more to make headway through their current obstacle than her lighter build. At this point, he was expecting to find literally nothing but more mud. 
Jan 28, 2021
The pile began to clear out with the remnants of this collapsed tunnel being moved behind the group. The pile was reaching a manageable level and they were almost able to proceed further into the tunnel when Liam’s hand met something solid in the dirt. “What the…?” he muttered under his breath as the mound began to shift as though it was a creature of earth taking a deep breath. Dirt, mud and stone shifted around as a metal and ceramic hand flailed out from beneath the pile, followed by a flicker of lights and an upper torso. Buuugh! The strange suit of armor cried out in surprise. Finally someone found me.
Jan 28, 2021
There was no hesitation in Lila's movements. She grabbed Liam and Kendra by their collars and pulled them back before drawing her sword. "I'm only going to ask this once and if I don't like the answer I gut you. Now who, or what the fuck are you?" She demanded.
Her sister was right behind her, her eyes scanning over the armor, trying to determine if it held someone within, or if it itself was animate.
Woah, hey there little human, no need for swords. You might hurt Alesha! Zsilelac chuckled as he attempted to pull more of his body out of the pile of dirt. I’m Zsil, though most people call me Guardian. He grunted as one of his legs dislodged from the rubble. Even without a head, the suit moved as though it was looking through the occupants of the tunnel. I’m afraid I don’t recognize any of you, you aren’t with Alrund’s forces, are you?
Jan 28, 2021
A barrage of memories flooded into Kendra’s mind’s eye, and she gasped so suddenly, those around her thought she had gotten hurt. Her hands shook aimlessly in excitement, and then she dashed forward and threw her arms as far as they would go around the suit’s waist, tossing her consciousness against his at the same time in joyful greeting. Liam stood like someone had whacked him over the head with a rolling pin, too stunned to stop her.
“Zsil, what…what the fuck!?” he sputtered. 
Jan 28, 2021
Wait… those ears… Liam! Kendra! The Guardian bellowed in laughter. Oh it’s so great to see you two! He pulled his other leg from the mound of dirt and scooped up Kendra before rushing to Liam and pulling him into the bear hug. Oh I never thought I would see you kids this close to Central, let alone in one of their tunnels! and you’ve gotten so big Kendra! And my sister, she must be with you, right?! And who are your friends?! Oh this is just so much! He released the two from his hug back onto the ground and took a step back before doing a little dance of joy.
Jan 28, 2021
Normally Lila would have stabbed this thing where it stood, but Kendra had moved first, it threw her off. “Does someone want to explain what’s going on?” She asked as she sheathed her sword.
“I’m as lost as you are sis.” Kettil replied quietly.
“Best I can figure, either this is a suit of enchanted and/or cursed armor, or a demon body, possessed by said demon.” Jari assessed.
The commander hummed as she crossed her arms. “I take it you’ve been down here a long time. Central as it was is a thing of the past, fractured into factions. And even now this faction, the Conclave, has been destroyed, their leader scheduled for execution tomorrow.”
Jan 28, 2021
“It can’t have been that long,” Liam wheezed, catching his breath from the Guardian’s bear hug. “We saw him, like…”
Kendra had been counting. I was twelve, she said.
“Okay, then yeah, I was like sixteen or seventeen. Where the Hel have you been?” he demanded. While he talked, Kendra rapidly caught Jari up on their relationship to Nala’s older brother. “What do you mean, one of Central’s tunnels?” 
Jan 28, 2021
A barrage of questions for me, your favorite demon! The Guardian let out a hearty laugh. And you, you’re correct on two accounts. He moved to look at Jari as he spoke.
I’ve been quite busy these past few years, chasing ghosts, mostly. Ghosts that  always lead me to Central. Now, keep in mind, almost everything I know about Central is a theory, Whoever is in charge of Central is so far ahead of me, almost everyone thinks I’m crazy. Guardian shifted again to look at Lila. 
I’ve been trapped down here since you took the Jaw, six days ago, right? I had to put Alesha, Guardian tapped his chest, into a deep sleep just in case we weren’t found for some time. I don’t know how long a human can survive without food or water, I’m working on waking her up now, but that’s besides the point. 
Your rebellion took the jaw from the Conclave, which means… He trails off and counts on his fingers. If you haven’t killed their leader yet, Central will be by shortly to finish him off. They can’t have any loose ends, not with their plan, not with how much this system runs like a clock.
Jan 28, 2021
Lila paled as she heard this. High Central, come here? They weren’t ready for that, they’d be slaughtered. She shakes her head as she tries to calm herself. “No, that’s not possible.” She says. “Our Intel said they were under siege. They don’t have the capability to come for us. And besides we killed most of the leadership in the battle and Vidar will be put to death by tomorrow.”
Jan 28, 2021
“Hold up, stop.” Liam took an aggressive step forward. He’d been around the block with Zsil before. “You can’t be taking this seriously. A plan? A system?”
Kendra, in the meantime, was tapping curiously on Zsil’s chest and putting an ear to it, feeling for the human he was referring to.
Jan 28, 2021
Zsil patted Kendra on the head, Not yet, she’s not ready to wake up. I might have to take her to an infirmary, if you have one. 
Like I said, everything I have is theories and guesses. But I would expect an assassin coming for Vidar soon. That much I know for sure. Everything else I have on Central is a very educated guess. I’ve been on their trail for years now. This isn’t the first time we’ve taken out one of the “splinter factions.” The guardian puts visible air quotes up when he says those last words. 
Jan 28, 2021
Vox had been watching from a distance, careful not to impose on his children and their reunion. He couldn’t help but crack a smile at Kendra’s excitement.
“We have an infirmary, sure.” He spoke calmly, hoping to counter the Commander’s tone. “I am sure the group wouldn’t mind showing you to it once we accomplish… whatever it is we came here for.”
His mind strayed, remembering that Dario would not be there. Though there was still remnants of guilt, he felt some of it alleviated in the presence of someone quite revered by his own.
“I won’t speak on the happenings with Vidar or Central; the former will get his regardless, and the latter is best left to Lila… but it seems like you’ve got some history with these two.” He looked again to the two young adults, feeling remorse that he couldn’t understand the connection due to his absence. “I would be happy to assist with whatever you might need.”
Jan 28, 2021
Lila visibly relaxed as the Guardian mentioned an assassin. That was far more manageable than an army. She made a mental note to leak this to her soldiers and to also double the guard.
"Tell me Guardian, do you know if there's anything else in these tunnels besides you? We were told there was something but not what or where."