Post by Shoki on Oct 31, 2014 7:19:41 GMT -8
Night, 16.11.15
Wher handlers did not get unnerved by darkness. The fact that it was dark in the lower caverns was a fact, just a universal constant. Things could hide in the dark though, and whispers in the halls could become ominous if they hit the wall just right. Or, more practically, they could case one to get a bit jumpy if the whispers were that there had been mysterious shadows in the lower caverns. Lan did not believe mysterious shadows for one bit. He kept up his guard as he walked though, since shadows, generally, needed something to cast themselves off of.
He had just finished lending a hand to a kitchen worker who needed an extra pair of hand (and a body around to scare off the spooks it seemed) and was heading back. He was keenly aware of being alone. Syne was in his pen, Arc was sleeping and Ethilask was in her den. He would go back to see them shortly. But, he was alone.
It wasn’t common to see people walking alone. Not at night. So he didn’t come across anyone on his way back. He merely presumed that the few wherhandlers he would have seen would be guarding elsewhere. Surely there was nothing out of the ordinary in his solitude.
‘tap’
Lan stopped, and looked up and around. A sudden sound echoed again the smooth walls around him. What was that? He strained his ears, trying to find a location, but coming up empty. No movement of shadows around him. It wasn’t his imagination, though quiet, the sound had been there. He frowned and proceeded to walk. If he couldn’t place it, it was too small to raise an alarm for him while he didn’t have Ethilask. He walked a bit slower though.
‘ting’
He stopped again. That was not the same noise. But louder, metallic, to be sure. Once again, the hallways spread around him and he could not point to a location. It was somewhere close. Too close. He didn’t like this. He decided, suddenly, he should check the halls around him quickly. So he spun, and dashed the way he came-
Only to crash into someone holding a bucket full of slurry and get them both drenched in meat. Perhaps a terrifying thing for normal folk, but not for Lan, and not for his tiny little victim.
“Shards, sorry about that B’ow.” He looked down at the serious looking boy, who was now sporting meat on his head and shoulders. He offered a hand, which the weyrling accepted and stood with. “You are way too quiet, you know that?”
“It is how I am.” B’ow grabbed the bucket, looking at it for a moment with a slight frown.
“I’d rather put some bells on you, then I could be less surprised when I get a seaweed bombardment.” The other boy would hang out with K’tar. Some things were inevitable. But the other boy merely shrugged. Lan had a hard time reading B’ow. Even though he saw him with some frequency, B’ow seemed to be the kind of person that was impenetrable for him. Oh well.
“I would prefer you did not. Do you need a hand in cleaning up?”
“Huh? No, I thought I would just grab Ethilask and she could help. I’m used to cleaning this stuff off my clothes.”
B’ow nodded. “Very well. I shall see you later.” B’ow started to walk off the way he game, hardly making a noise. Maybe the purple rider had tripped before, making the small tap sound. Lan smiled. So his trip sounded softer than most people footsteps. Weird.
He turned back around, about to move when he got a feeling. A feeling like he was being stalked. Like something was lurking just beyond his sight. He shook it off. No way. Just the darkness getting to him or B’ow sneaking back. Nothing to worry about.
“AAAH!” A sudden shout, and Lan dashed away, back toward B’ow. What he found was a truly horrifying sight.
Mostly because of how embarrassing it was for him.
“ETHILASK! OFF.” The Black-Gray Wher looked up from licking down the Weyrling, who had quietly blanched. The shout of surprise had been rather involuntary. However, Ethilask got off, and started licking off the meat slurry from Lan’s pant legs while he helped B’ow up again. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” He looked back at Ethilask, calmed back into seriousness, then back at Lan. “She is good at cleaning though.” A fair bit of the meat slurry had been removed from his shoulders. B’ow then trotted back toward his destination, looking late.
“Ethilask…” He looked down at his partner, who looked back with a deep rumbling purr. She was a proper lady, helping him get cleaned up. Wasn’t that true? Lan couldn’t help but smile and give Ethilask a pat on the head.
The Lower Caverns might be haunted, but not with evil specters. They were happily, and weirdly, haunted.
Wher handlers did not get unnerved by darkness. The fact that it was dark in the lower caverns was a fact, just a universal constant. Things could hide in the dark though, and whispers in the halls could become ominous if they hit the wall just right. Or, more practically, they could case one to get a bit jumpy if the whispers were that there had been mysterious shadows in the lower caverns. Lan did not believe mysterious shadows for one bit. He kept up his guard as he walked though, since shadows, generally, needed something to cast themselves off of.
He had just finished lending a hand to a kitchen worker who needed an extra pair of hand (and a body around to scare off the spooks it seemed) and was heading back. He was keenly aware of being alone. Syne was in his pen, Arc was sleeping and Ethilask was in her den. He would go back to see them shortly. But, he was alone.
It wasn’t common to see people walking alone. Not at night. So he didn’t come across anyone on his way back. He merely presumed that the few wherhandlers he would have seen would be guarding elsewhere. Surely there was nothing out of the ordinary in his solitude.
‘tap’
Lan stopped, and looked up and around. A sudden sound echoed again the smooth walls around him. What was that? He strained his ears, trying to find a location, but coming up empty. No movement of shadows around him. It wasn’t his imagination, though quiet, the sound had been there. He frowned and proceeded to walk. If he couldn’t place it, it was too small to raise an alarm for him while he didn’t have Ethilask. He walked a bit slower though.
‘ting’
He stopped again. That was not the same noise. But louder, metallic, to be sure. Once again, the hallways spread around him and he could not point to a location. It was somewhere close. Too close. He didn’t like this. He decided, suddenly, he should check the halls around him quickly. So he spun, and dashed the way he came-
Only to crash into someone holding a bucket full of slurry and get them both drenched in meat. Perhaps a terrifying thing for normal folk, but not for Lan, and not for his tiny little victim.
“Shards, sorry about that B’ow.” He looked down at the serious looking boy, who was now sporting meat on his head and shoulders. He offered a hand, which the weyrling accepted and stood with. “You are way too quiet, you know that?”
“It is how I am.” B’ow grabbed the bucket, looking at it for a moment with a slight frown.
“I’d rather put some bells on you, then I could be less surprised when I get a seaweed bombardment.” The other boy would hang out with K’tar. Some things were inevitable. But the other boy merely shrugged. Lan had a hard time reading B’ow. Even though he saw him with some frequency, B’ow seemed to be the kind of person that was impenetrable for him. Oh well.
“I would prefer you did not. Do you need a hand in cleaning up?”
“Huh? No, I thought I would just grab Ethilask and she could help. I’m used to cleaning this stuff off my clothes.”
B’ow nodded. “Very well. I shall see you later.” B’ow started to walk off the way he game, hardly making a noise. Maybe the purple rider had tripped before, making the small tap sound. Lan smiled. So his trip sounded softer than most people footsteps. Weird.
He turned back around, about to move when he got a feeling. A feeling like he was being stalked. Like something was lurking just beyond his sight. He shook it off. No way. Just the darkness getting to him or B’ow sneaking back. Nothing to worry about.
“AAAH!” A sudden shout, and Lan dashed away, back toward B’ow. What he found was a truly horrifying sight.
Mostly because of how embarrassing it was for him.
“ETHILASK! OFF.” The Black-Gray Wher looked up from licking down the Weyrling, who had quietly blanched. The shout of surprise had been rather involuntary. However, Ethilask got off, and started licking off the meat slurry from Lan’s pant legs while he helped B’ow up again. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” He looked back at Ethilask, calmed back into seriousness, then back at Lan. “She is good at cleaning though.” A fair bit of the meat slurry had been removed from his shoulders. B’ow then trotted back toward his destination, looking late.
“Ethilask…” He looked down at his partner, who looked back with a deep rumbling purr. She was a proper lady, helping him get cleaned up. Wasn’t that true? Lan couldn’t help but smile and give Ethilask a pat on the head.
The Lower Caverns might be haunted, but not with evil specters. They were happily, and weirdly, haunted.
