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A chill runs down his back as he has to nearly wade through the darkness, his own acclimation to the dark useless to the overpowering dark that filled… well, wherever he was. The stone beneath his paws was cold, sending shivers down his spine despite how long he had walked. He was unsure how long it had been since he had first entered, without the sun rising and falling to guide him. There were no stars here, no wind, just emptiness. It was overwhelming how alone he felt. He could not see, only hear, smell, and touch. Every sound, every faint smell made him jump; though each time he turned to it, his item of interest always faded away.
He turns to yet another sound he hears next to him, and suddenly a pain slams against his snout. He bites down on his tongue as he falls back onto his rump, holding a paw to his mouth. The coppery taste of red, crimson blood fills his mouth, and he wills himself not grumble in pain. Instead, he stands up, feeling along the wall with a paw to feel for an entrance. It’s at this moment that he wishes that there was a bug around, some sort of insect that could give off light; just like that strange blue firefly he had seen at the beginning of his venture. He sighed silently, turning once he felt a dip in the wall; a new turn, another path.
This time, every step or so his paws fall onto something different, fuzzy. It didn’t take a genius to know what it was by the feeling, some sort of green moss. Would it be green, actually? He wouldn’t be surprised if it were purple. He huffs gently at his internal joke, before moving along, still feeling the pain in his tongue from his previous stumble.
His eyes squint against something suddenly, body jolting back at the… light. It was light!
The new room was filled with an orange glow, though it never reached the path he was on. The room looked similar to a small cave, stalactites hanging from the ceiling refracting the light with the pieces of gems that stuck out from them. The moss that leeched onto the walls and floor looked tempered with, some areas torn up, some spots having feathers and such things formed into nest-like circles. There’s scents here, but they’re too muddled and mixed up for him to really set them apart.
The most curious thing about it was the platform in the center. Circular and about two fox-lengths big, on each side were totems. Carved stone of rabbits with their paws to the air, holding up blazing yellow flames like torches. Carved into the circular platform were words, symbols, that he couldn’t read, and within it was a circular indent filled with water. Some sort of… altar.
Inch had heard of the Gods, the Old Gods specifically. The ones that made the Labyrinth to trap monsters down here. They had long since passed, but still it stands, with rumors that there were new Gods caring for it. And even if he knew very little about Gods, he knew that if you gave an offering, they would grant you…. Something. Protection, victory, it always was different with different Gods. at least, the ones he knew outside of the Labyrinth.
Here, he wasn’t sure exactly what would happen… but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try and attempt to ask for protection while he rested.. The room was particularly toasty and his paws were tired…
From his chest, he pulled a rough shard of something from his chest, gently tugging the ridges from his fur. Exploring a place you didn’t know was dangerous. He was smart enough to bring along herbs while he traveled through here.
“Uh…” He began, stepping up onto the platform, alder bark between his jaws. “M’ not sure if ye’ can hear me…” His voice slurs with the plant obstructing it, inhaling a steady breath and inhaling the strong smell of the herb along with it. “..but, um… please, uh…” Hell, what was it that the elders called them? Gods of the Dark? No, of the… Deep? Depths? Depths sounded right.
“Please, God of the Depths. Grant me protection while I rest here.” He asks, dropping the herb into the crystal-clear water.
…strange, he didn’t feel thirsty, actually.
How long had he been walking? He should be dying of thirst right now—
Before he could ponder further, the pool of water began to glow, the surface opaquing and turning a bright cyan. Inch backed away speedily, eyes wide as the blue glow overtook the orange, though the flames of the statuettes still burned bright.
He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, bracing himself for whatever would attack him; or, well, he thought this was something before an attack. Between Fight or Flight, he chose Freeze.
He turns to yet another sound he hears next to him, and suddenly a pain slams against his snout. He bites down on his tongue as he falls back onto his rump, holding a paw to his mouth. The coppery taste of red, crimson blood fills his mouth, and he wills himself not grumble in pain. Instead, he stands up, feeling along the wall with a paw to feel for an entrance. It’s at this moment that he wishes that there was a bug around, some sort of insect that could give off light; just like that strange blue firefly he had seen at the beginning of his venture. He sighed silently, turning once he felt a dip in the wall; a new turn, another path.
This time, every step or so his paws fall onto something different, fuzzy. It didn’t take a genius to know what it was by the feeling, some sort of green moss. Would it be green, actually? He wouldn’t be surprised if it were purple. He huffs gently at his internal joke, before moving along, still feeling the pain in his tongue from his previous stumble.
His eyes squint against something suddenly, body jolting back at the… light. It was light!
The new room was filled with an orange glow, though it never reached the path he was on. The room looked similar to a small cave, stalactites hanging from the ceiling refracting the light with the pieces of gems that stuck out from them. The moss that leeched onto the walls and floor looked tempered with, some areas torn up, some spots having feathers and such things formed into nest-like circles. There’s scents here, but they’re too muddled and mixed up for him to really set them apart.
The most curious thing about it was the platform in the center. Circular and about two fox-lengths big, on each side were totems. Carved stone of rabbits with their paws to the air, holding up blazing yellow flames like torches. Carved into the circular platform were words, symbols, that he couldn’t read, and within it was a circular indent filled with water. Some sort of… altar.
Inch had heard of the Gods, the Old Gods specifically. The ones that made the Labyrinth to trap monsters down here. They had long since passed, but still it stands, with rumors that there were new Gods caring for it. And even if he knew very little about Gods, he knew that if you gave an offering, they would grant you…. Something. Protection, victory, it always was different with different Gods. at least, the ones he knew outside of the Labyrinth.
Here, he wasn’t sure exactly what would happen… but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to try and attempt to ask for protection while he rested.. The room was particularly toasty and his paws were tired…
From his chest, he pulled a rough shard of something from his chest, gently tugging the ridges from his fur. Exploring a place you didn’t know was dangerous. He was smart enough to bring along herbs while he traveled through here.
“Uh…” He began, stepping up onto the platform, alder bark between his jaws. “M’ not sure if ye’ can hear me…” His voice slurs with the plant obstructing it, inhaling a steady breath and inhaling the strong smell of the herb along with it. “..but, um… please, uh…” Hell, what was it that the elders called them? Gods of the Dark? No, of the… Deep? Depths? Depths sounded right.
“Please, God of the Depths. Grant me protection while I rest here.” He asks, dropping the herb into the crystal-clear water.
…strange, he didn’t feel thirsty, actually.
How long had he been walking? He should be dying of thirst right now—
Before he could ponder further, the pool of water began to glow, the surface opaquing and turning a bright cyan. Inch backed away speedily, eyes wide as the blue glow overtook the orange, though the flames of the statuettes still burned bright.
He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, bracing himself for whatever would attack him; or, well, he thought this was something before an attack. Between Fight or Flight, he chose Freeze.
[812 Words]
Opted into Death?: N
notes; Huh, weird, it seems that Inch has been walking for months! ;u;
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Cat 1: Inch [The Main Character | black based agouti amber spotted tabby with high white and blue eyes.]
pronouns | hunger: 10% | health: 100% ♡ | illness: N
Inventory: common myo x1, common edit x1
Stardust [SD]: 50
Status: Scared, Braced
pronouns | hunger: 10% | health: 100% ♡ | illness: N
Inventory: common myo x1, common edit x1
Stardust [SD]: 50
Status: Scared, Braced
custom predators / prey wrote:
🐾🐾🐾
-- level 2
experience: 105/300
-- active / monthly quests:
1: Inch encountered the Rainbow!
2: Inch's tongue is out...!
3: Inch sacrificed an herb to a God Wahoo!
items in inventory used wrote:
x1 alder bark used (sacrificed!)
inventory wrote:
scraps, bugs | 1 FP | x1, x4 [4fp]
bat, mole, glowing mushroom mouse, lizard | 2 FP | x4, x0, x0, x0 [8fp]
snake, cave fish, luminescent stoat, starry nightingale | 3 FP | x0, x0, x1, x0 [3fp]
catfish, tapeti, glimmering sable | 4 FP | x1, x0, x0 [4fp]
blind cave eel, possum, radiant otter | 5 FP | x0, x0, x0 [0fp]
hawkweed, goldenrod, lungwort, alderbark, willowbark | x1, x2, x1, x1, x2
coltsfoot, dock, chamomile, stinging nettle, bright-eye, mallow leaves | x0, x1, x1, x1, x1, x1
deathberry, water hemlock, holly berries | x1, x1, x1
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