Jump to content

The Sound of Silence (CLOSED: E.P.I.C.)


SteelEagle

Recommended Posts

The rain came down in fierce and unrelenting torrents. This area had been chosen to receive a storm by the Pegasi of the Neighpon Weather Authority as only a few ponies lived in Mt. Sarabachi's shadow. It was a region left untamed and dangerous to average folk with a whole slew of at times violent wildlife and poisonous plants. It was technically a reserve of some kind, though the government didn't call it a wildlife reserve and nopony was willing to really dig into it all that much. The answers could rarely be good. The terrain wasn't even good for farming- why bother with this region at all?

That made it the perfect location for the Door to be hidden, or so Agent Pathfinder had believed. She'd checked other areas first and despite poison defenses, arrows,magic traps, and undead samurai spirits, she was pretty darn sure that the real location would have much more intense protective qualities. EPIC leadership- in this case, Luna- was hesitant to okay her proposal for a solo mission to the area. They were a team and what was the cause for any alarm? EPIC wasn't a treasure hunting group. They were there to protect Equestria.

But when intelligence collected from allies in Neighpon hinted that WRAITH was actively looking for the door- and a conversation overheard pointed to Pathfinder's location- Luna consented to it. Not that Pathfinder had really cared because she was already on her way. A few days later she spoke to EPIC allies and promised to report back in two days. Those days passed. Then another. Then another. Then two. WRAITH also seemed to vanish from public sight, though a single sneaky recon flight revealed more than a few creatures present in Pathfinder's area of operations. They stayed far enough away to not be discovered and did so quickly, because Neighpon had not been informed of the operation.

It was decided that Pathfinder had likely been captured and that WRAITH was indeed interested in the area. A rescue team from EPIC was assembled as Luna discussed what to do with the other Princesses. A team was assembled and an additional expert attached. The reason Twilight suggested him was for his expertise in handling and identifying dark magic. The rest of the team was selected for their skills, traits, and reliability. They were booked travel and given cover and sent to Neighpon to rescue Pathfinder and find out what was going on.

That led them to the shadow of Mount Sarabachi on the island of Dosanko with a driving rain hammering their every step while also giving them some audible cover- it would be hard to hear them walking in such a downpour. A small clearing next to the mountain only half covered by some large trees, the signs of a base camp molded into the foilage and rock for camouflage evident this close up. The only thing that was especially notable was the lack of anyone there, as well as a cave nearby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sml_gallery_1647_223_213216.png

 

Night Watcher stood at the camp near MT. Sarabachi, her body pelted by the rain. She had never been to Neighpon before despite her time as a Lunar Guard taking her to many lands and cities. From what she learned, Neighpon was not a hostile area but quite friendly towards Equestria. This made the mission even worse. One false move and there could be an kingdom wide incident. Even more so was that this mission was to be covert meaning that no authority from Neighpon or neighboring areas of Long Guo could help them. They were alone. 

 

As she returned to the makeshift briefing room, which was little more than a large tent, Night wondered how she became the leader of this crew. She led missions before as a Lunar Guard, but never as part of E.P.I.C. Well, she hoped she could complete the mission and make sure everypony came back home safely. 

 

"Troops Attention!" she said in her authoritative speech, "I'm sure you all have studied the mission, but I will go over it one more time. There is an ancient area known as the Door to the Abyss where it is believed powerful creatures known as Oni have been banished to for centuries. Agent Pathfinder received knowledge of where this Door was near Mt. Sarabachi and went to ensure it remains closed and no members of W.R.A.I.T.H. will try and open it lest they free the demons. Agent Pathfinder has recently vanished, although it is believed that she has found where the Door is. Our mission is as follows: Find the Door, find Agent Pathfinder, and make sure the door remains closed and protected from W.R.A.I.T.H. Any Questions?" 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Night we been over this." Squall murmured from the tent's corner at which he was sitting. This mission was a rather awkward reunion with his friends for a unicorn. After officially putting himself out of his 'deceased' status he had plans to invite both present pegasi for a meeting to both catch up and explain everything. But then the current issue popped up and the rest was history.

"We all got the briefing....all twenty pages of it and....Look, I know what you thinking but this isn't military, aside me and you, no one here has any experience with it. Not that it is needed. E.P.I.C. gathered only the best and as such there are no...incompetents here." Swift said before shooting Daedalus meaningful look. While Count had no qualms about his abilities - after all in the Arena Swift was played like a fiddle by him. What noblepony found troubling was his motives, or rather lack of information about them. Daedalus dabbled in some hazy magic, came from the world's capital of backstabbing - Kastrot - and on top of that outright admitted to the Swift's face that he was self-centered. As such Squall didn't trusted him at all, and Twilight Sparkle apparent faith in him made swordpony put a huge doubt into Equestria newest Princess judgment.

"Err what I meant to say is - no reason to be all disciplinary Night. No one here is going to screw up." Squall added while standing up, displaying a surprising amount of faith in his teammates competence.

"But that said, there indeed some questions. The first being why headquarters assume Pathfinder is still alive? Me and Ice were both in Crystal Empire and Whitescar and could account about the atrocities they are capable off. W.R.A.I.T.H. displayed zero interest in keeping civilians safe, much less enemy agents. I mean, I don't want to sound morbid, but by now they could've killed her already. If it is the case, does that mean we are expected to retrieve her remains?" noblepony asked.

"Second is, seeing the situation we are at, how much force we should use? We certainly aren't in position to take prisoners, and it's doubtful that our foe will do the same or hold back. Neither we can allow them to get away - if we do so, it's certain we face them again in the future, now wiser about our capabilities. There is also the issue of Neightpon, there is no guarantee that they will keep them behind the bars if we somehow happen to neutralize them." Squall pointed out.

"And third, if the Doors are so dangerous, wouldn't it better if we destroy them to prevent further attempts in the future?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xiêyè was in his own corner of the tent, sharpening his blades as he listened to the others speak. He only really knew Swift, and that was only from the time he stayed in the unicorn's house for a day or so. 

 

"[Why must they repeat themselves so much? We go in, we rescue the pegasus, we keep the door closed. It is simple.]" He was mumbling to himself in his native tongue, which he figured not many here would understand even if they could hear him. The only one he knew could understand is Swift, but he was busy. 

 

Finishing up with his sharpening, the longma sheathed the blades and stood, turning to look at the two ponies that had spoken.

 

"They could use her as escape plan, or try to use her skills." He said, offering an answer to Swift's first question. "If Pathfinder is dead, vengeance will come." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Icy%20Banner_zpshzvgdywg.png

 

The sail from Seaddle was long, and worrisome. The weather that they had to sail through to get to Neightpon was quite rough, especially the closer that the got to the island. The first couple days were pretty smooth and much to her pleasent surprise, they hadn't come across any WRAITH warships or Caribou Pirates within the waters that they were sailing through. The had enough firepower on board the vessel of course to easily deal with one ship, but anything outside of that well would have spelled trouble for them. She wasn't complaining about the mostly peaceful journey, but considering what she had heard from her sources and in the documents leading up to this event. From what she had read, Agent Pathfinder had gone missing. She believed to be onto something very, very, important and very dangerous if it fell into the wrong hooves. The problem was, Pathfinder was one of the more notable Agents they had, which meant a few things. She was easy to spot, easy to identify, and easy to follow.

 

That of course was the reason why they were now on the ship. With pathfinder failing to return to the mainland four days after she was supposed to, they were called upon to find her. As long as Pathfinder was still on this island that was a possibility. Ice Storm thought back to the four days of water that they had just crossed and the weather that they had encountered just off the coast from here. It took them four days to get here, which mean in all reality, they had an entire ocean that they had to search as well if she wasn't on the island at all. If Pathfinder had been taken out at sea, it would be impossible for them to find her. Ice Storm steeled herself. They couldn't come in here and presume the worst.

 

Of course, their small vessel had managed to make it through the rough waters of the coastline and they were now on the island of where they needed to be. Although something immediately puzzled Ice Storm. They found what was supposed to be a base camp that had been set up. It was right outside the cave, and the downpour outside did wonders for masking their arrival. The sound of the water falling around them made it to where they wouldn't be heard as easily, but yet.... the camp was completely empty. There wasn't a single pony one, and the cave next to camp was wide open. If this was the door that they were supposed to keep shut, then they were already doomed from the start.

 

When she heard Night Watcher start speaking in a very loud authoritative tone, she glared. For somepony who was picked to lead the mission she sure was unperceptive, and very loud. She started pouring over the mission again, once again very loudly and authoritative. "I mean no offense when I say this commander, but quiet down. The more ponies that know we're here, the harder our jobs are. We aren't soldiers, we're elites, and we all know what we're here to do," she said under her breath in an agitated whisper to the mare before listening to Swift Squall speak. "Actually, I'm also a part of the REN, but that's beside the point. This is supposed to be a stealth mission to get in. Neighpon doesn't know we're here according to the notes, so being loud is the last thing we need to be... if we get caught... that opens a slue of diplomacy issues that the princesses have to deal with, and I for one don't want my name attached to that, and I don't think anypony else does either." she replied in the same hushed tone as she heard Swift start asking questions.

 

"I thought about that to... There are a few things that don't make any sense... We just crossed four days worth of ocean... You've seen the weather we sailed through. Not every ship makes it through that. It's possible Pathfinder never made it here to begin with. If she did though, and wraith has her, then it would be in their best interests not to kill her. Everypony knows that Pathfinder is one of our elites. If we know that, then they know that. That means they also know that we would send the rest of our elites after her..." she said looking around staying within the treeline looking out into the basecamp.

 

"For all we know, we're walking straight into an ambush, and if my suspicions are correct... that's exactly what we're about to do... A rumor of a door to the demon world... Pathfinder missing, and look around, do you notice anything odd? This is a camouflaged base camp, and it's not one of ours. On top of that, it's completely empty. No EPIC, No WRAITH, no Pathfinder, nopony at all. Something isn't right... I don't think we'll have an issue with prisoners... If anything we need to be on the alert so that we don't become prisoners," she replied hearing the longma speak up about WRIATH using her abilities.

 

"No, WRAITH would kill her, Pathfinder would die before she'd help them at all, and it's WRAITH, for all we know they would have had dragons or griffons in their ranks, if they killed her, there probably won't be any remains to get. If anything though, something that is not beneath them is to leave her alive to use as bait for us. That said, I don't think destroying the door will solve any problems, but in fact makes things worse, I don't know about you, but the last time I saw a door get destroyed, it left an open doorway. Destroying them would be just as bad as opening them. collapsing the cave in front of them though... no... to loud, we'd have Neighponese on us almost instantly if this is a protected area as our reports stated. We should try to get to the cave unseen. This door might be inside of it, and pathfinder would be as well in that case... We should stay alert though... with this camp not being ours, whomever was in it is probably in the cave now as well," she finished still hushed down, keeping an eye out on her surroundings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daedalus was no stranger to rain.  But where the rain in Maretonia was usually a warm drizzle rolling in off the sea, this Neighponese monsoon was a cold blight upon the alpine jungle that served to conceal them for the moment.  Still, Daedalus knew better than complain.  He’d been on the road for years and though he still enjoyed the luxuries that high paying clients could give him, he kept his survival skills sharp for times just like these.

 

Despite his extensive travels, Daedalus had never before set hoof in the far east.  Over and over he reviewed his flash cards, even going so far as to craft minor cantrips that would display key phrases in the form of runes projected in his vision as he did other tasks.  Neighponese was not an easy tongue to master.  In the past few weeks he had picked up enough to understand passing conversation, but not nearly enough to be fully conversational himself.  Still, with a bit more work, he could probably just manage to be fluent; fluent as a foreigner with short study time could be, anyway.

 

Daedalus pulled the collar of his poncho closer.  The wet seeped into everything; his mane, his coat, his fetlocks, and more than likely his saddlebags at this point.  Thankfully, he had retained sufficient foresight even after the multiple broken bones and concussion from his last bout in Saarvegerg to remember waterproof notebooks and pens.

 

There was, however, no proofing against the rest of the team.  Daedalus was used to operating solo, but for this particular assignment, Twilight insisted on attaching him to an EPIC team.  Considering his previous stint investigating WRAITH, it was interesting to be on the opposite side of the coin, however governmental and bureaucratic that was.

 

Quote

"Night we been over this.  We all got the briefing....all twenty pages of it and....Look, I know what you thinking but this isn't military, aside me and you, no one here has any experience with it. Not that it is needed. E.P.I.C. gathered only the best and as such there are no...incompetents here."

 

Bureaucratic as Swift Squall could be, anyway.  Despite not looking up from his notes, Daedalus felt eyes suddenly fall upon him in sync with the stallion’s words.  Despite Squall being the sole cause for his prior injuries, Daedalus held no hard feelings; for the injuries at least.  The arena was the arena after all.  Squall was still a pompous, self-righteous noble to him and it would take a lot to change that opinion.  Still, if Twilight said to do it, Daedalus was not about to spurn the Princess of Friendship.

 

Quote

 

"But that said, there indeed some questions. The first being why headquarters assume Pathfinder is still alive? Me and Ice were both in Crystal Empire and Whitescar and could account about the atrocities they are capable off. W.R.A.I.T.H. displayed zero interest in keeping civilians safe, much less enemy agents. I mean, I don't want to sound morbid, but by now they could've killed her already. If it is the case, does that mean we are expected to retrieve her remains?"

 

"Second is, seeing the situation we are at, how much force we should use? We certainly aren't in position to take prisoners, and it's doubtful that our foe will do the same or hold back. Neither we can allow them to get away - if we do so, it's certain we face them again in the future, now wiser about our capabilities. There is also the issue of Neightpon, there is no guarantee that they will keep them behind the bars if we somehow happen to neutralize them."

 

"And third, if the Doors are so dangerous, wouldn't it better if we destroy them to prevent further attempts in the future?"

 

 

“Not to butt in,” Daedalus said, still not looking up from his notes.  “But I read through Pathfinder’s dossier on the boat in and it seems she has a peculiar knack for cheating death.  It might even be her cutie mark!”

 

He paused to chuckle at his own joke, but quickly cleared his throat and continued.  “Regardless, even if she is deceased, her next of kin will want her remains returned for interment.  But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

 

“Now I’m no military stallion, but I’d prefer to be in and out without WRAITH ever knowing we were there.  Though the tactics to accomplish that goal I will leave to Miss Night Watcher.”


Daedalus finally looked up from his notebook, capping his pen and stowing both in his saddlebag.  “As for the doors, have you ever thought of destroying the Gates of Tartarus?  How about Discord?  Or Nightmare?  Or Celestia herself?  Ancient magicks have thus far proved remarkably resilient.  Even if destroying the door were the best course of action I doubt we would have the firepower to do so, let alone the ability to terminate an artifact of such scale quietly.  As Miss Ice Storm said, it is in our best interest not to alert the locals.  I’m sure the Shogun would be less than enthused about the presence of foreign nationals on Neighponese soil without his express permission.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

c7lWU1zl.jpg

Pack mare was this unicorn's job. At least for now it was. Rubble had been brought along to serve as both the group's magical and physical 'muscle' as it were. Her current state was a good demonstration of the latter though since she had decided to carry the majority of the force's things while they made their way to the mountain and eventually to this very abandoned campsite. 

 

A spot by the corner of the tent served a good place to set most of the team's things down and so she did, save for her own with she kept at her side. She hadn't really been paying much attention to all the chatter going on about the plan as her teammate's seemed mostly to be debating on the 'what ifs' of the situation at hoof. Given the nature of her role, The mare just stood at the corner watching the group talk as she removed her coat and cap and began to magically wring them out. There was one question that she heard from squall that sounded like something she could possibly try to give an opinion on but that was quickly answered by the resident magic expert Daedalus. 

 

With little to say or do for now she looked for a place she could let her clothes dry out, only to pause as she realized that in a naturally (or at least assumedly naturally) formed cave the likelihood of a coat rack was... unlikely. Thankfully there was one very large boulder in the tent that could be useful. 

 

Her hoof met the boulder and soon a bright flash of magic  swiftly scanned over it. There was a faint hum and the great boulder dissipated into a sizeable pile of weighty, dust and pebbles beneath what now looked to be a coat rack made of stone. The mare Hung her things up on the newly made furniture and sat down beside it, listening to the group debate.

 

"If we need to break the gates I could try... but I doubt I could. Magical protection would be too dense for even me to break."

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ugh! This cold! Isn't Neighpon supposed to be Tropical? The stallion thought, still shaking under layers of protection against the miserable weather. Even after the group marched into the heart of the island, the weather still refused to let up, giving ample time for water to find its way into every patch of coat. All that was left dry was his face, under his mask, protected by his hat. Maybe he could ask Icy if she happened to learn any pyromancies lately.

 

He could ask Squall, but Dunder didn't want anything to do with the stallion.

 

But as one of the group's combat specialists he did not want to show any weakness or worry, even though he was not sure how his enchantments would hold up while this weather denied his buckler access to sunlight. Along the line of not showing any weakness, the arena reminded the stallion that there was no place for mercy in a fight. Be it WRAITH or Neighponese soldier.

 

The stallion huffed hot breath as the group stopped to observe the base of mount Sarabchi. This was where the agent Pathfinder was supposed to be for her mission, and it appeared there was some sort of base camp. If she had set it up, however was another matter. As the others were quick to notice. Even if it was an ambush, there was no time to waste. "When I fought WRAITH they had a bunch of cannon fodder backed up by one or two dangerous pieces. I doubt this case would be any different. Especially since they'd have to sneak past the Neighponese as well." Dunder thought aloud. He kept his voice low, however, unlike the group leader who was seemingly more adept at leading patrols and fighting off monsters rather than sneaking into hostile lands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that went... not as well as she planned. Perhaps it had been a while since she had an actual moment to lead a group. Ever since leaving the Lunar Guard, Night Watcher was more of a follower with the others than the actual leader. Also, she had to realize that not everypony was in the REA. There were some in this group who were not soldiers, and it was clear that few didn't take kindly to her type of speech. 

 

"We all got the briefing....all twenty pages of it and....Look, I know what you thinking but this isn't military, aside me and you, no one here has any experience with it. Not that it is needed. E.P.I.C. gathered only the best and as such there are no...incompetents here." 

 

It was a surprise seeing Swift Squall after her first encounter with him that day. There were still questions as to where he was the whole time, but she had to remind herself what he did and who he was, the mystery included. 

 

 "I mean no offense when I say this commander, but quiet down. The more ponies that know we're here, the harder our jobs are. We aren't soldiers, we're elites, and we all know what we're here to do. Actually, I'm also a part of the REN, but that's beside the point. This is supposed to be a stealth mission to get in. Neighpon doesn't know we're here according to the notes, so being loud is the last thing we need to be... if we get caught... that opens a slue of diplomacy issues that the princesses have to deal with, and I for one don't want my name attached to that, and I don't think anypony else does either." 

 

The blue unicorn took a more subtle approach to speaking with her, something that was a relief to the battle hardened mare. Finally the black Pegasus decided to say something. 

 

"Ponies, I understand that many of you are or were not in the military," she said softer, "and I apologize if my speech was intimidating and unnecessary. I guess I'm still holding onto my past life of being a Sergeant of the Lunar Guard. But since we know the stakes and the overall mission, I agree with Daedelus that we need to consider the tactics to protecting this Door and to saving Pathfinder. Firstly, this is a stealth mission, and I agree that we can't let WRAITH know of our presence or for that matter members of Neighpon. Luckily, we have the element of surprise and the cover of darkness. We also are away from a city or town, so our presence is limited. With Pathfinder, while I do not know her personally I know that she is still alive at this moment, but she could be either trapped or captured by WRAITH. Swift Squall is correct, we are in no shape to take prisoners as our numbers are limited and we have no means to hold them like a cell. Our only option is to utilize quick silent take downs then moving the bodies to leave no trace. As for collapsing the cave, that is a last resort to protect the Door as doing so might destroy the Door and release the Oni." 

 

"Now, are there any other suggestions or concerns before we enter the cave?" 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It appeared that everyone had anything to said something in regards of the challenge that was before them...amount of their words notwithstanding.In attempt to better shield himself from elements, unicorn wrapped himself tighter in the black cloak he was wearing - somehow he looked more bulky then usual in it.

 

"Because if we screw this up Xiêyè, then two whole regions will get hit by such political %$#@storm that we will not be able to have anything done on this side of the ocean in foreseeable future, essentially giving W.R.A.I.T.H. a free reign to do as they please." Squall said to clearly irritated longma. True, he himself would prefer for the circumstances to be simpler, but this was nothing that could be done about it.

 

"That said, of all our concerns right now, Shogunate is the smallest. See, back when I was a sellsword I happened to visit this Dosanko. I was chasing a bounty, all the way from the Equestria, and I eventually pinned him down here. And while I didn't distracted myself with much sightseeing back then, I can be sure of one thing - this place is deserted. Unhealthy climate, few sources of nourishment and no natural resources are likely a reason for that. The chances that Neighponese navy or air-force will show up without reason are as slim as snowstorm in Saddle Arabia. As long as we don't do something obviously stupid that would alert stray patrol - like setting whole forest on fire - we can be relatively safe from their interference. Emphasis on 'relatively'. " nobelpony shared his past experiences and observations.

"The bed news is, W.R.A.I.T.H. goons are likely to know this as well. Who knows how long there are here? Weeks? Months? They could easily smuggle small groups, or independent agents with fake documents one at the time. We can very well expect whole established underground hideout. If they really so dead-on opening that Door I doubt that they would did things halfway." sword-stallion had to point out and warn how ill-informed they were in regards of the foe's abilities and resources.

 

Ice displayed concern that that Pathfinder may very well never reach Dosako to begin with. However Daedalus quickly shot down that notion, and begrudgingly Squall had to accede with his opinion.

"For once I agree. While I never met the mare, apparently she has quite a...errr.....reputation. Bad weather isn't stopping her. If she would encounter it that is - because she didn't. See while our trip here was unpleasant Ice, Pathfinder's wasn't. Her last report came from eastern Polyneighsia. If we collate this with the weather reports from the day that the report was sent, as well as the days following it, we can conclude that elements couldn't be a factor in her disappearance. Pathfinder was captured by the enemy. End of the story." Squall stated, before crossing his forelegs on his chest.

 

This confident attitude and posture were both shaken up by Dunder's statement. Squall was surprised how...cold, the pegasus was. This was something that he would expect from himself...but not him.

"Dunder......" Swift whispered at edge of his breath.

Then again he was one to talk. Making everyone but few believe that he was dead. Starting a relationship with a mare that pegasus most certainly still had feelings for. Not helping with Dunder's long streaks of unemployment....

Dunder Blust was Squall's first true friend....but in the end he himself was a very poor friend for him. Seeing that from the moment that they boarded the ship they didn't spoke once, Blusty probably hated him guts now....and justly so. Another addition to Swift' growing list of failures.

 

"We...." unicorn attempted to speak again, but he was still shaken up by his realization. Swift took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tried again, pushing the thought about self-loathing for later. They had job to do, one that will cost many lives if they fail. When it's done he will be free to mop all he want's.

"We indeed should seek to move undetected, but it will not last. Confrontation is unavoidable, but we don't know what resources they have, and they very well may already expect us so any efforts in sneakiness could be for nought. But I believe at least the 'stealth' part could be remedied....even if only partially." noblepony said, before pulling the suitcase he was carrying under his cloak into the focus. Squall was hauling this all the way to this campsite, and it was finally time to make it useful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xiêyè sighed at the response he got from Swift, listening to the other voices that spoke up. No prisoners? That worked just fine for him, though destroying the door seemed like a bad plan. 

 

"Destroying a door only leaves empty doorway." He said, agreeing with the other dissent to that plan. The longma watched the others for a moment, looking down at his armor. It was not exactly designed with stealth in mind, but he supposed it would have to do. It was made so he could still move easily, seeing as his style didn't involve much standing around. 

 

"No prisoners, keep door closed, stay hidden, save mare." Xiêyè said, nodding to the leader of the mission. "Ready to go."

 

At least he had been, but now he was curious as to what Swift had brought in his suitcase that was supposed to help with stealth. He walked over to the unicorn, watching the bag be opened to see what it contained. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

n9vnu5Gm.jpg

 

 

Soon after the question for further questions and suggestions was asked, a hoof rose up. The red maned pony cleared her throat, "I can make moving through the cave a bit easier... I can create some new passages in the cave with my magic." She said, her voice exactly as enthusiastic sounding as ever. That is to say: Not at all. Despite her monotone, Rose was actually very eager to volunteer her services. Celestia knows she wasn't the most stealthy of ponies. The many complaints of broken walls were proof enough of that. 

 

Rose's history with squall could adequately be encapsulated on a post it note. As far as she remembered she'd been on one mission with him, but he seemed to be the type of stallion who liked to take charge. One thing she would not put with was that mouth. 

 

"Language." She said in a rather plain tone but with narrowed eyes, "Besides... is this really the time to talk about how things will be if we fail when we haven't even started?" The Mare looked to the cave beyond, "If we fail, we probably won't come back. Let's focus on going ahead and dealing with what comes." 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Icy%20Banner_zpshzvgdywg.png

 

The blue unicorn kept her ears poise as she listened to everypony speak around her. She took in the words from Daedalus as he spoke of Pathfinder having a knack for cheating death, and while she had to agree with him. It was still something to consider. When she listened to Swift speak, she got somewhat of a sour taste in her mouth. Perhaps the weather and the intel had lined up so that Pathfinder would have made it here without a problem, but to say so matter of fact that she was captured but an enemy force was... a very rash point to take. Granted, there were many factors that could point to that, but those factors could point to any number of things. If they got too caught up on looking for a who captured her rather than looking for anything that Pathfinder might have left behind for a clue, be it intentionally or unintentionally.

 

She then listened to the mare that had been put on point for the mission begin speaking again, this time in a much softer tone more appropriate for a stealth mission. Although like Swift said, there was no telling for how long this was going to remain a stealth mission before they had to go loud. The though always remained in the back of her mind. She had no qualms about getting a bit, messy. Still though, she would like to avoid bloodshed if at all possible, but even she knew that was not going to be an outcome of this mission. they might be able to get in unheard, but out was going to be another thing entirely. Especially with a group moving this size. They had almost an entire squadron of their elites on this mission. It showed how important Pathfinder was to EPIC that they were all called upon to go find her. That said, if they are here, they should expect their elites to be too.

 

However, something did catch her attention though when Swift began to pull out a briefcase from under his cloak saying that the this woudl at least help with some of the stealthiness. "If Pathfinder is alive, and she has been captured, then there's no if. They're expecting us. In turn, we should be expecting their number ones. With that being said, we've probably already been seen. I don't know what kind of trackers that they have, but within that thick forest it would be easy for something to be moving above us in the canopies and us not even know it was there, especially with this storm. The biggest thing that we'll have to watch for ourselves is actually Pathfinder. IF we find her, especially in an open area, we cannot, immediately rush to her. That's exactly what wraith would want us to do, and then bring the cave down on top of us. With all of us out of the way, they'd have no issues ransacking the rest of EPIC in Equestria..." She spoke as Rose spoke up

 

Rose added that she doubted that even could break the door that held the demons at bay and that was saying something. Rose could destroy even some of her densest ice particles. In Truth it had been Rose that had helped her refine her ice to where, with the exception of Rose, most couldn't get out of it without teleporting. So Rose saying that she couldn't destroy something was big. The latter part she couldn't agree more on. "I agree with Rose, whatever we're going to do, we should get a move on with doing it. What's in the briefcase Swift, and what will it help with as far as stealth?" she asked.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

Her hoof met the boulder and soon a bright flash of magic  swiftly scanned over it. There was a faint hum and the great boulder dissipated into a sizeable pile of weighty, dust and pebbles beneath what now looked to be a coat rack made of stone. The mare Hung her things up on the newly made furniture and sat down beside it, listening to the group debate.

 

"If we need to break the gates I could try... but I doubt I could. Magical protection would be too dense for even me to break."

 

 

“Precisely,” Daedalus nodded.  He raised an eyebrow at the sudden flash of magic and the efforts of Rubble Rose to make herself at home as it were.  He made a mental note to give it more thorough analysis later.  For now, his senses would have to be on point as they were deep in hostile territory.

 

Daedalus rolled his eyes as Night Watcher continued.  Military types.  Always running by the manual.  “Ironically, collapsing the cave might be our best option.  It wouldn’t be enough to damage the gate, but it would certainly be enough to prevent future access.  Of course, that is contingent on rooting WRAITH out first.  If we do not neutralize them before we bury this thing, they could very well escape through the gate or gain control of what lies beyond it.”

 

“And as inevitable as confrontation is, I’d prefer not to have to fight fair.”  Daedalus tapped a hoof one of the rocks in the tent, leaving a faintly growing rune there that quickly vanished with a dim pulse of light.  The astute and aware would recognize the rune as the same symbology found on a fire escape.  “And to always have an escape plan.”

 

A recall rune was the easy way out.  So long as they weren’t shifted to some other plane of existence, Daedalus would be able to mass recall them back to the camp.  Of course escape was secondary to shutting down the gate, however that would be done.


“I see everypony is eager to get into it,” he quipped in response to the team’s enthusiasm.  “So we need two things: marching orders from the Sergeant and whatever the heck is in that box…”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

He didn't like it, but Dunder's mind was too occupied with the safety of himself and everypony. His relationship with Swift was fixed, for the time being.

 

The stallion shuddered in his armor as the sergeant mentioned an Oni. Just the mention of such a terrible creature reminded Dunder why this door needed to be purged of WRAITH. While everypony was talking, the large unicorn mare brought a boulder to crumbles with a single flash of magic. He trotted over to the mare and put his foreleg on her shoulder, "Excellent work, Rose." He said and trotted into the mouth of the cave. Once out of the rain, he looked back to the group, who seemed to be congregating towards the cave.

"Preferably, we won't use any light. Even if they are expecting us, we shouldn't make it too easy for them. Maybe a unicorn knows some sort of night vision or echo location spell?" He suggested to no pony in particular. Though he anticipated Icy, a mare who he knew admired the princess of the night, to know a spell to help with nocturnal navigation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Night Watcher listened silently to the ponies as they offered their suggestions. Despite few of them being from a military stock, they all have their options and skills to the table. 

 

"Then it is settled, we know they are expecting us and that if Pathfinder is alive will be held prisoner. Whether she is near the Door or not remains to be seen. I agree we should choose the stealth approach first, but be prepared for a fight as there will be WRAITH operatives there. No light unless we need to and no splitting up, especially in the cave system where it is easy to get lost. Once we reach the Door and secure it, we can have a team hive off and find Pathfinder, if we don't find her before. If we are overwhelmed, then our mission will shift to saving Pathfinder and collapsing all routes to the Door followed by a quick escape. Daedelus and Rubble, I see you have ways to achieve the escape plan if necessary. The rest of you take no prisoners and let none get away to alert the others. Beware also of any traps, magical or mundane." 

 

She noticed that Swift brought out the box he was toting along, no doubt containing items from one of his bases of operation. She had seen the inventions within and knew that likely the box contained something for stealth like smoke pellets or something to render them invisible. 

 

"Swift, can you fill us in on your stealth entrance plan?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"It's not guaranteed that we come back if we succeed either." he reminded the group after "Preventing the Door from opening takes priority, everything else is secondary. If Doors do open, then those fiends imprisoned behind it will come out and kill everyone in Neighpon. If what's written about them is correct that is, and I rather not fact-check. I am sure you can imagine what happens after that." Swift added morosely.

 

With everyone else now focused now on the large suitcase and it's contents, the time to present them was about right. Harmony knows that they didn't had a lot of it as it is.

Without further ado, Squall opened his luggage to show....quite....odd collection of items. Twenty small ornamented cubes, seven gemmed bracelets and small black pouch. Squall started by picking up one of the cubes.

"When I heard that this was a stealth mission, my greats concern was how our foes could reveal us using magic. So I contacted....associate of mine, and she was helpful enough to provide us with these." he explained, and for a moment his thoughts drifted toward googles and bandana sporting mare.

"In any case, those doesn't necessary make us straightly invisible. Instead it kind of...creates a jammed patch over an area in case that somepony would like to scout it using something like crystal ball. Simply put it makes them guess 'Who?' and 'How many?'. Of course interrupting a scrying this way is like screaming 'Somepony suspicious here!'. Which is why we have twenty."

With those words Squall poured some of his magic inside the tiny device. The ornaments on the cube flashed with color of his magic indicating that it became active.

"That said, even in numbers those wouldn't do us any good if only one of those 'blind spots' would be moving." swordpony added before putting the cube on the ground. A few seconds later a six spider-like limbs sprouted from it's underside, and cube scurried in random direction. Before it could go too far noblepony telekinesis picked it up again, causing the legs to recede inside.

"Making those work shouldn't be an issue, and any of us between me, Daedalus, Rose or Ice can do it. Just pour your magic in - as in pure aether, not any actual spell - and that's it." he instructed other unicorns.

"Those on the other hoof are much more simple in use. " Squall waved hoof towards the bracelets. "It silences the hoovesteps and helps see in the dark better, and just wearing it would do the job. It's enough of them for all six of you and Pathfinder. And this..." noblepony now gaze at the pouch resting in the suitcase. "...this....well let's hope that we better not have to use it, since it's all-or-nothing kind of thing." he said before hiding small sack behind his cloak. He followed with unpacking other suitcase contents and splitting them between the party before hoofing now empty valise to Rose. "This will only slow us down, and leaving it here could help W.R.A.I.T.H. track us down. Rose, can you make it not-issue?" noblepony asked the stoic mare to do what she did best.

"Well, all of that said, should we?" Swift asked, gazing at Night expectantly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Xiêyè really had nothing else to say, and the conversation seemed to be looping a bit anyways. He already knew the goals, and as much as he would prefer to not anger the Neighponese by collapsing the cave tunnels, he could see that it was a good option in keeping WRAITH off of it. 

 

The longma watched as the case was opened revealing a myriad of objects. Where had he obtained so many artifacts? He knew the unicorn was rich or something, but that seemed a bit much. 

 

"Yes... Let us go." He said, putting the case out of his mind as he refocused on the mission ahead of them. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

n9vnu5Gm.jpg

 

"I can easily bring the cave down. I might have an idea that could deal with with a bulk of the W.R.A.I.T.H. forces depending if we can find their armory or any locker room type of rooms set up in their encampment." She looked to Daedalus as he left that rune on the wall. Escape magic would be a very useful towards the end of the journey so long as the opposing forces did not have any mages or magical devices who could interfere with that sort of magic. "I agree with Daedalus. I developed several spells in the arena based around not fighting fair. Not using them now would be foolish."

 

The stocky looking unicorn slowly looked to Daedalus, moving closer to the rune on the wall. "Hm." She leaned in and narrowed her gaze at the spell, "How resistant is this rune to ethereal disruption spells?"

 

... A lot of the explanation of the first device went over her head. The most she got out of the stallion's words were that... she'd have to charge it with aether, "How much magic does it need? I would rather save any energy for any fights we have. " The bracelets seems promising enough, once she reached in to take one she noticed a piece of paper on the side of the box: it had writing on it. Rubble's orange eyes stared at the paper before reading it aloud, "The jamming drone is still in it's experimental stages. Until the final spellbinds are finished I would advise you to use these sparingly less you risk detection... I doubt you'll listen though, so please remember that the GriffinGear workshop and by extension the Silverbeaks will not be held legally responsible for loss of life, limb, or general stupidity done while the user is in possession. P.S. Your last payment has not arrived yet. From the Desk of B.R.G." 

 

Once the case itself was presented, the paper in hoof began to glow and dissapeared in a tiny puff of smoke. She took ahold of the case and thought a moment, "No traces right?" The mare's horn began to glow a vibrant orange, an aura that engulfed the briefcase. There was a deep, thumping sound that came next: almost how one would imagine the footsteps of elephant to be like. Just like that the case was gone.


"No fuss, no muss, no bother."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Icy%20Banner_zpshzvgdywg.png

 

Swift Squall had Ice Storm's full attention when he started talking about the devices that he had. She wasn't really sure what to make of everything herself. The more she listened to him talk about them, the more she wasn't really sure if they were ultimately safe to use. If the only thing that they really did was create an area that jammed detection magic or things of the similar nature. The problem with it was though, that it was basically a beacon for anything magical that showed that there was something there. Although she no sooner thought that as he mentioned that very same issue and that's why they had twenty of them. He also had some sore of apparatus to make sure that none of them were standing still, which was a smart idea. Perhaps those things wouldn't be too bad after all. Although in all reality, unless they found a fork in the cave, it wouldn't really do much other than making them a blip on a radar so to say. IF there were multiple paths though, that could prove to be beneficial, and considering a cave's natural structure, the likely hood of there only being one path in the cave is unlikely. He explained how to use them and Icy gave him a bit of a look. "I might be able to power a couple of them, but when things hit the fan, you're going to want my magic to ensure that we get out alive once we've sealed the door, and secured Pathfinder," she told them bluntly as he started presenting the bracelets.

 

The way he described these were simple enough, and would prove to be quite useful. They silenced their hoofsteps, and gave them better vision in dark areas. That would be essential as if they didn't need any light, that would prevent drawing unnecessary attention. That said, if anypony here was good at creating light, and the cave was overly dark, that gave her a few ideas as well. She knew how her ice could interact with light, and if needed that could easily give them the upper hoof in a combat situation. She slipped one of the bracelets on and then listened as he talked about what she shall now call the doomsday pouch. the pouch that if they had to use, that no pony would get out alive from. Well, at least that's what he said anyway. She was certain that she could make a force of ice that could withstand whatever that thing put out. She might need to be carried out of the cave, and back home, and she might be without her magic for a month, but if needed, she could at the very least make sure everypony else got out even if she ultimately couldn't.

 

"If that ends up being something that we have to use, leave it with me. I can create a wall of ice that will give you and the others enough time to get out. in a push situation, there's no reason for all of us to be lost on one mission. The only thing that would accomplish is giving WRAITH free reign in Equestria with nopony to resist it. Alas though, as you said. Let us hope that something like that isn't needed," she commented making it perfectly clear she had no problems paying the ultimate sacrifice if it came to it. She then watched as he handed the briefcase to Rose and she quickly disposed of it. Without a word, Ice Storm began to move forward, her aura activating long enough to create her armored shell of ice around her just as the Longma expressed his desire to move on. "Yes, let's go. We've lost enough time as it is"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

“That was… not what I was expecting.”

 

Daedalus’ horn glowed faintly as he picked up the drone.  He turned it this way and that, studying its strange surface etchings and recreating Squall’s process at activating its mobility features.  He raised a single eyebrow.  Gadgetry wasn’t his strong suit, but Daedalus knew better than to turn down help.  He only hoped that it would work as advertised.

 

The bracelets were more of the same.  Twilight’s gear already afforded him the same benefits, but technically, none of that was supposed to even exist.  He donned the additional bracers for show, if nothing else.

 

Most concerning, however was the small pouch.  Without the time to look over it, Daedalus was loathe to put his trust in it, not to mention the fact that it was in Squall’s possession rather than his own.  However, time was not on their side and Squall didn’t seem the type to divulge secrets easily, even to team members.

 

The stocky looking unicorn slowly looked to Daedalus, moving closer to the rune on the wall. "Hm." She leaned in and narrowed her gaze at the spell, "How resistant is this rune to ethereal disruption spells?"

 

“It’s an encapsulated rune array.”  Were Daedalus in possession of glasses, it would have been appropriate for him to put them on at this time.  “It will function on its own until it is intentionally dispelled or if its targets, namely us, are translocated to a different plane.  A mage would have to be in direct physical contact with it to dispel it, so as long as we don’t attract attention to it, our backdoor escape should remain open.”

 

"If that ends up being something that we have to use, leave it with me. I can create a wall of ice that will give you and the others enough time to get out. in a push situation, there's no reason for all of us to be lost on one mission. The only thing that would accomplish is giving WRAITH free reign in Equestria with nopony to resist it. Alas though, as you said. Let us hope that something like that isn't needed."

 

So eager for self-sacrificial heroics, Daedalus muttered to himself, rolling his eyes beneath the cowl.  And show-offy, too.

 

Preparation was still a good idea, however.  Daedalus’ horn flared.  The hexagons on his tattoo on his front left leg lit in sequence as prepackaged spells were stored in each one before fading back into his coat.  The hardlight panels in his jacket lit briefly then dimmed to quiescence as the crystallized moonlight in them thrummed to life, ready to deflect a potentially fatal blow.

 

“With haste, then.” he said as he followed Ice Storm into the dark.

The cave continued for several hundred meters, surprisingly lacking the expected claustrophobia.  Halfway through the passage, in fact, it opened up, allowing ponies to continue up to eight abreast until it terminated in a globular cavern bristling with stalactites and crystallized minerals.

 

Daedalus pondered the next step, both proverbial and physical.  Something this big, with this much intel supporting it would surely attract someone high level at WRAITH.  Daedalus was ready, but were the rest of them?  Pausing in the middle of the cavern, Daedalus glanced at the rest of the EPIC team.


“Looks like we might not need magic for this,” he said, motioning toward one of the galleries with his muzzle.  “I recall the dossier saying our target had a view of the sea.  If there’s an opening overlooking the ocean following this air movement should take us right to the gate.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Dunder only watched as everypony of the group ignored him, and instead went to Swift's gadgets. "Hey! Now's not the time for show and tell! We have time working against us!"

 

To Dunder's surprise, Ice Storm seemed so ready to sacrifice herself. Because he had never seen her in a situation like this, he still did not know her completely. "No pony is going to die. At least, no E.P.I.C. pony."

 

When they reached the cavern, the display of crystals and minerals captivated the stallion. "You have to wonder how somepony else didn't find this gate quicker with sights like this around." At the mention of airflow, Dunder took off into the air impulsively. He followed the air current, his pegasus senses making it easy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Night Watcher could see that each pony had something to contribute, be it magic to fend off WRAITH or artifacts to get the party to their goal safely and undetected and making a quick exit. Of course the group also had tactical knowledge and skills in their own field. 

 

"Alright, so we have a way in thanks to Swift. We have ways to face WRAITH operatives, and we have options in making our exit. Now, let's not waste anymore time and get going." 

 

Night Watcher led the party into the mouth of the cave, taking care in case there were any WRAITH members guarding. Surprisingly, not a single pony was present. 

 

“Looks like we might not need magic for this,” he said, motioning toward one of the galleries with his muzzle.  “I recall the dossier saying our target had a view of the sea.  If there’s an opening overlooking the ocean following this air movement should take us right to the gate.”

 

"You have to wonder how somepony else didn't find this gate quicker with sights like this around." 

 

"Well, this is a remote place to visit, even for thrill seekers and explorers. Perhaps this Door has been lost to history and therefore not investigated by many. I'd wager that the Door in in a cave opening located higher up on the mountain, away from most ponies to have access to."

 

Taking Dunder's cue, she sniffed the otherwise stale cavern area, checking out the air currents that flowed through each tunnel. 

 

"The air coming from that tunnel has a faint saline smell, although I'm not sure if that is from the sea or a salt deposit in the cave." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"'Fight' implies giving them chance to retaliate. We don't want any of that, do we?" Squall asked in regards of Daedalus and Rose little exchange about spells. That hidden blade that pop out of his sleeve only served to clarify his own view on how they should proceed. Knowing Swift, that black cloak he was wearing was hiding way more weaponry then necessary.

 

When Maretonian expressed his astonishment upon seeing the devices noblepony said "Good. That's very reassuring" he started "That means that there is no possible way our foes could foresee this either."

Was that....compliment? A very indirect and roundabout one...but still one, propably?

When Rubble read the letter, swordstalllion snorted in response. "That so much like her. Couldn't resist putting a little bit of snark inside." he muttered, although Swift also made a mental note to berate the bank for screwing up with giving the B. her just payment.

 

"Their requirements are minimal. I pre-charged them in advance, a small jolt is all that's needed to jump start them. And I will take care of most of them, worry not, Ice. I was told that, I have more....abundant reserves then most." Squall explained.

When the blue mare expressed her readiness to do what necessary noblepony corrected her before he could stop himself.

"This doesn't work like that. This is not a bomb, it doesn't kill the user." he said. Upon feeling the eyes of others Swift sighed and proceed to answer the unspoken questions.

"When I say all-or-nothing I meant that we can either win using this, or it will leave us in losing position period. First of all, it requires two just to use, and it's duration is on the clock. After the effect expires, the users will be so drained that with our numbers diminished we could be considered the corpses. Now, ask me no more of this, I will explain further when needed. This is still a last resort thing, and in lace like this, even walls can have ears."

 

After that Squall went silent as they traversed the caves, at least until Dunder expressed his wonderment at the sight before their eyes.

"Indeed. Very puzzling." unicorn muttered as he placed his hoof on one of the crystals. "Rutile?" he said, clearly surprised as he recognized the mineral. "And here... citrine, silver. Why would....?"

 

And then Night said something that made Squall realize.

"No...they remember. They know what's here....at least Shogunate does." he said, before continuing, his words faster and faster.

"When I visited Dosanko before I was' surprised it was abandoned, it looked unwelcoming enough. But this? This changes everything. It's no way that...THOSE..." he waved his hoof around. "...Would be left alone. Think about it, Neighpon is growing country. Very quickly growing. And as all things that grow, it has needs to support that growth. However the islands have very few resources. To maintain it's rapid development, Neighpon had to choose very...expansionist political course. One that unfortunately leads to many dissensions with the other nations. As such any resources found in the homeland - regardless of their quality - are treated as the blessing, and immediately put to good use. Even un-hospitable places like Dosanko aren't exceptions from this. And yet all that you see - silver, titanium - was was left alone. Why? Because Shogunate knows what's here that's why. And it doesn't want the word to spread out. So the keep lid on it, treating Dosanko exactly as it seems on the surface - useless." Squall said. A second later he gasped, as another much more disturbing thought passed through his mind.

"They have a mole." he growled "WRAITH has a mole in Neighpon government."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Icy%20Banner_zpshzvgdywg.png

 

So far so good. For the moment anyway everything seemed to be going steady, which for right now was the only thing that they could hope for. Ice Storm never expected something like this to be easy, and it surely wasn't going to be a cakewalk. She looked around to everypony else as she followed in as well as her surroundings. Inside a cave system like this, no pony could be too sure of anything that might be lurking around a corner of any sorts. She paused. As they progressed deeper into the caves, these caves were lined with very valuable crystals, as Swift Squall pointed out.

 

The Gems, the metals, none of it made sense to be left behind, unless something was here protecting them. She remembered back to the fact that this cave was supposed to be inhabited by something called an Uni, and that they were supposed to be dangerous. Perhaps those creatures were in place to protect the valuables of the cave and that's why everything is still here. That being said, if this cave was being defended by a creature of sorts, or multiple of them, there would be remains of other ponies or creatures that had tried to claim items from this cave as their own. So that at least help calm some of those thoughts and she passed those off as, at the moment, rumors.

 

When they came to an intersection of sort within the caves, she felt the breeze and smelled the salty mixture in the air as well. She heard Daedalus mention that the dossier made mention that what they were looking for overlooked the ocean and that fighting may not be needed at all. Then hearing night mention that it could just be a salt deposite, and the cave they need to be in could be even higher up in the mountain than most have access to made her ponder something. There are so many caves down here, and so many twists and turns, that it would be all too easy for them to get permanently lost in. She looked back at the entrance that they just came from and used her magic to engrave an arrow in the wall pointing back the direction from which they came with the message, "out" under it. At the very least, if things with south, they needed to know where to run to.

 

Afterwards she moved back up with the group just as Swift said something about WRAITH having a mole in the government. Once again, the speculation by this pony was going to jeopardize the mission, and the last thing they needed was him pursing some false avenue and leading the group in the complete opposite direction that they should be going in. "While I wouldn't doubt WRAITH doesn't have moles in the government, that's not our priority right now. Our priority is the door, and pathfinder. We can deal with the moles another time. There's probably insurgents infiltrating our own government while we're away. That's just what they do, and while yes, it's normally our job to find them, that's not our mission right now," she told him moving to Daedalus and Night.

 

"So, do we follow the salt draft? or do we take the other path? At the very least we know this path will lead.... Wait a second," Ice Storm said pausing for a moment sensing where the winds were coming from in correlation to the weather outside. "Actually, you're partially right. Night, your deduction that this would be coming from a salt deposit from inside the cave would be true," she pointed back to the exit of the cave. "With the fact that it's raining outside means that we're currently under a low pressure center. That means any draft that we feel come from the caves is coming from deeper within the cave. So the that would in fact be a salt deposit. However, the fact that it's going out that passage over there," she said pointing in the direction of the flow, "means that the exit that it leads to is much higher up than where we are now. That's the direction that I would go if we wanna find at least a spot to get to where we can see the sea," she finished. "Oh, and I marked the passage that we came from, that way we can find our way back out later as well."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...