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Timaeus had no idea how much time had actually passed while he had been knocked out cold on the cavern floor. He knew that the morning sun had just past the midday mark when he had descended into the darkness to gather intel for Prince Vangelis, but now that he was too far underground to even hope for a scrap of sunlight… there was no telling what hour it was on the surface far above this ragtag group of soldiers. If the boy had to guess, he wouldn’t have said more than an hour or two and that was him being generous. However, this man’s tone as he questioned Timaeus suggested that he had been down here much longer than that.
“Wha-- How long have we been down here?” Timaeus asked in a significantly quieter tone than before. He was so confused by this turn of events, his mind struggling to connect the dots amid the foggy thoughts that came with his head trying to heal itself from the various blows to the head he had taken in the last few hours. Everything felt like it was taking an extra few moments to process which is the last thing the Valaoritis lord needed when he was in this possibly dangerous situation with people he did not know. His age made him naive and more trusting of these other captors than he should have been -- already jumping to the bold assumption that they were all stuck in the same situation together even though he was tethered alone and unable to see any of them in the darkness. The boy knew that he needed to shut his mouth and figure his own way out of this mess so that he could go find Prince Vangelis and Nike and continue their mission to kill the bear.
That would have been the smart and sensible thing to do. Any man with his wits about him would heed this advice, but Timaeus was a boy. A stupid, sixteen-year-old boy who had yet to figure out how to think with his head and not his heart, and that latter part of him were leading the show right now. That alone kept him talking to whoever it was answering him in the darkness. “It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?” That last bit of his statement was more to himself than anyone else in the room, but it still showed the sheer amount of confusion that was lurking beneath the show of bravado he was trying to put on -- trying to convince the others that he totally knew what was going on here. Timaeus was already beating himself up enough over the comments from Vangelis that had come two days ago, calling the boy a ‘liability’ that needed to be kept close lest he breaks his neck, he did not want to have to deal with that again with these folks.
Not that it really seemed to matter as the male voice didn’t answer him right away, instead whispering something to someone else in the room. Oh gods, how many people were in this room? This one question swirled through his mind for a tense moment, but the boy couldn’t focus on this for long as his train of thought was quickly interrupted by a resounding crack that filled the cavern. The noise itself was not that loud per se, but the silence that had preceded it made it seem to be more impactful than it actually was -- especially in a situation like this where Timaeus didn’t have the faintest clue what was going on in the first place. He would never ever admit afterward, but Timaeus jumped a bit when Valerius broke the wooden stake, freeing both himself and Damocles from their tether. Not that Tim could see that this was what was happening.
The obvious question of what the hell was happening danced on the tip of his tongue once the initial shock of the noise wore off, but it seemed to be that someone beat them all to it. There was a shout from beyond the cave, peppered with an insult that made it clear that whoever it was, they were not on the questors' side. Instinctively, Timaeus drew back slightly as a flicker of light bounced off the walls of the cave, letting the group see the faintest outlines of each other for the first time. There were five of them in total and they were tied to three stakes in total. Timaeus was on his own in the back of the cavern while two women were in the front. Even though the Valaoritis lord could not see anyone else in the space, he could tell that at the very least he did not recognize any of them. For a brief moment, this brought him a small sense of relief as it meant that Nike and Vangelis were not here with them, but that also brought on the new terror of knowing that the only two people he knew he could trust were also not here.
He could only hope that it was a good sign and not one that bad things had happened while Timaeus was unconscious.
Though this was definitely not the time to figure out where his comrades were. Not when that light meant that one of their captors was approaching and there didn’t seem to be any obvious way to hide the fact two of the men were free to stand now. Timaeus didn’t know a whole lot about the miners, but given how they had treated him earlier when Nike escaped… well the kid knew that they were not going to take kindly to any more escape attempts.
“Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!” Timaeus hissed in the direction of the two burly men, hoping that their own body mass will help hide the fact that they were semi-free. He wasn’t sure if the others heard him though as his whisper was deathly quiet, trying to avoid the empty space from picking up the noise and carrying it to the miners. Though the moment he spoke was the same time that one of the women at the front of the cave also raised her voice, trying to pretend to be sick in order to explain away the noise.
Now, these men might not be the smartest bunch with setting up an entire settlement in the middle of the forest for their illegal mining venture, but even they would not be foolish enough to fall for such a farce. Timaeus knew it and likely the group knew it as well. The sound of a woman falling sounded nothing like wood breaking -- not unless she had broken some bone in the process. However, that was clearly not the case so the others had to improvise. Spin some sort of lie in order to push this miner away if they did not want to come out with guns blazing right from the get-go. Needless to say, they were not ready for that option. Not when all of them were still tied to the stakes in one fashion or another, so the others were going to have to think fast as Phaedra broke out her acting chops.
Timaeus might not have been known for having the best plans, but he was fairly decent at thinking fast on his feet so when he recognized the danger that they were in and the need for something to explain the noise, the boy started looking around for anything that could fit the bill. As the flames of the brazier drew closer a stroke of genius hit him as he took note of how much silt seemed to be on the floor -- a byproduct of the miner’s activities. A stupid, foolish plan crossed his mind at that instant -- something that he knew that he shouldn’t do… but what else were they gonna do when they weren’t ready for a fight? After all, a woman falling wouldn’t sound like a wooden stake breaking, but maybe… just maybe... A horrible cough might.
So as the boy sent up a very quick prayer to @athena , thanking her for the wisdom for thinking up something so last moment (even though it was still so inconceivably dumb) and to @apollo for hopefully making sure that he didn’t possibly die from what he was about to do; Timaeus took a deep breath just as the miner turned the corner and stuck his face in the biggest pile of silt within reach.
Before he could chicken out, the boy took an equally deep breath in and started hacking up his lungs immediately. The horrible noise filled the cave as Timaeus pulled away, but the particles stayed in place, encouraging the fit as the miner took note of everything that was happening in the cave. Timaeus had no idea what he could see with just one brazier, but he could only hope that between his coughs and Phaedra’s claim of being faint the miner would think the whole of them were cursed with some sort of plague and leave them be. Though, of course, if the other men didn’t listen earlier or failed to conceal the broken stake… it could have been for nothing. Tim could only pray that this wasn’t the case as he tried to back up Phaedra’s claim of some sort of sickness sweeping through them.
Zeus almighty, don't let this all be for nothing.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Timaeus had no idea how much time had actually passed while he had been knocked out cold on the cavern floor. He knew that the morning sun had just past the midday mark when he had descended into the darkness to gather intel for Prince Vangelis, but now that he was too far underground to even hope for a scrap of sunlight… there was no telling what hour it was on the surface far above this ragtag group of soldiers. If the boy had to guess, he wouldn’t have said more than an hour or two and that was him being generous. However, this man’s tone as he questioned Timaeus suggested that he had been down here much longer than that.
“Wha-- How long have we been down here?” Timaeus asked in a significantly quieter tone than before. He was so confused by this turn of events, his mind struggling to connect the dots amid the foggy thoughts that came with his head trying to heal itself from the various blows to the head he had taken in the last few hours. Everything felt like it was taking an extra few moments to process which is the last thing the Valaoritis lord needed when he was in this possibly dangerous situation with people he did not know. His age made him naive and more trusting of these other captors than he should have been -- already jumping to the bold assumption that they were all stuck in the same situation together even though he was tethered alone and unable to see any of them in the darkness. The boy knew that he needed to shut his mouth and figure his own way out of this mess so that he could go find Prince Vangelis and Nike and continue their mission to kill the bear.
That would have been the smart and sensible thing to do. Any man with his wits about him would heed this advice, but Timaeus was a boy. A stupid, sixteen-year-old boy who had yet to figure out how to think with his head and not his heart, and that latter part of him were leading the show right now. That alone kept him talking to whoever it was answering him in the darkness. “It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?” That last bit of his statement was more to himself than anyone else in the room, but it still showed the sheer amount of confusion that was lurking beneath the show of bravado he was trying to put on -- trying to convince the others that he totally knew what was going on here. Timaeus was already beating himself up enough over the comments from Vangelis that had come two days ago, calling the boy a ‘liability’ that needed to be kept close lest he breaks his neck, he did not want to have to deal with that again with these folks.
Not that it really seemed to matter as the male voice didn’t answer him right away, instead whispering something to someone else in the room. Oh gods, how many people were in this room? This one question swirled through his mind for a tense moment, but the boy couldn’t focus on this for long as his train of thought was quickly interrupted by a resounding crack that filled the cavern. The noise itself was not that loud per se, but the silence that had preceded it made it seem to be more impactful than it actually was -- especially in a situation like this where Timaeus didn’t have the faintest clue what was going on in the first place. He would never ever admit afterward, but Timaeus jumped a bit when Valerius broke the wooden stake, freeing both himself and Damocles from their tether. Not that Tim could see that this was what was happening.
The obvious question of what the hell was happening danced on the tip of his tongue once the initial shock of the noise wore off, but it seemed to be that someone beat them all to it. There was a shout from beyond the cave, peppered with an insult that made it clear that whoever it was, they were not on the questors' side. Instinctively, Timaeus drew back slightly as a flicker of light bounced off the walls of the cave, letting the group see the faintest outlines of each other for the first time. There were five of them in total and they were tied to three stakes in total. Timaeus was on his own in the back of the cavern while two women were in the front. Even though the Valaoritis lord could not see anyone else in the space, he could tell that at the very least he did not recognize any of them. For a brief moment, this brought him a small sense of relief as it meant that Nike and Vangelis were not here with them, but that also brought on the new terror of knowing that the only two people he knew he could trust were also not here.
He could only hope that it was a good sign and not one that bad things had happened while Timaeus was unconscious.
Though this was definitely not the time to figure out where his comrades were. Not when that light meant that one of their captors was approaching and there didn’t seem to be any obvious way to hide the fact two of the men were free to stand now. Timaeus didn’t know a whole lot about the miners, but given how they had treated him earlier when Nike escaped… well the kid knew that they were not going to take kindly to any more escape attempts.
“Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!” Timaeus hissed in the direction of the two burly men, hoping that their own body mass will help hide the fact that they were semi-free. He wasn’t sure if the others heard him though as his whisper was deathly quiet, trying to avoid the empty space from picking up the noise and carrying it to the miners. Though the moment he spoke was the same time that one of the women at the front of the cave also raised her voice, trying to pretend to be sick in order to explain away the noise.
Now, these men might not be the smartest bunch with setting up an entire settlement in the middle of the forest for their illegal mining venture, but even they would not be foolish enough to fall for such a farce. Timaeus knew it and likely the group knew it as well. The sound of a woman falling sounded nothing like wood breaking -- not unless she had broken some bone in the process. However, that was clearly not the case so the others had to improvise. Spin some sort of lie in order to push this miner away if they did not want to come out with guns blazing right from the get-go. Needless to say, they were not ready for that option. Not when all of them were still tied to the stakes in one fashion or another, so the others were going to have to think fast as Phaedra broke out her acting chops.
Timaeus might not have been known for having the best plans, but he was fairly decent at thinking fast on his feet so when he recognized the danger that they were in and the need for something to explain the noise, the boy started looking around for anything that could fit the bill. As the flames of the brazier drew closer a stroke of genius hit him as he took note of how much silt seemed to be on the floor -- a byproduct of the miner’s activities. A stupid, foolish plan crossed his mind at that instant -- something that he knew that he shouldn’t do… but what else were they gonna do when they weren’t ready for a fight? After all, a woman falling wouldn’t sound like a wooden stake breaking, but maybe… just maybe... A horrible cough might.
So as the boy sent up a very quick prayer to @athena , thanking her for the wisdom for thinking up something so last moment (even though it was still so inconceivably dumb) and to @apollo for hopefully making sure that he didn’t possibly die from what he was about to do; Timaeus took a deep breath just as the miner turned the corner and stuck his face in the biggest pile of silt within reach.
Before he could chicken out, the boy took an equally deep breath in and started hacking up his lungs immediately. The horrible noise filled the cave as Timaeus pulled away, but the particles stayed in place, encouraging the fit as the miner took note of everything that was happening in the cave. Timaeus had no idea what he could see with just one brazier, but he could only hope that between his coughs and Phaedra’s claim of being faint the miner would think the whole of them were cursed with some sort of plague and leave them be. Though, of course, if the other men didn’t listen earlier or failed to conceal the broken stake… it could have been for nothing. Tim could only pray that this wasn’t the case as he tried to back up Phaedra’s claim of some sort of sickness sweeping through them.
Zeus almighty, don't let this all be for nothing.
Timaeus had no idea how much time had actually passed while he had been knocked out cold on the cavern floor. He knew that the morning sun had just past the midday mark when he had descended into the darkness to gather intel for Prince Vangelis, but now that he was too far underground to even hope for a scrap of sunlight… there was no telling what hour it was on the surface far above this ragtag group of soldiers. If the boy had to guess, he wouldn’t have said more than an hour or two and that was him being generous. However, this man’s tone as he questioned Timaeus suggested that he had been down here much longer than that.
“Wha-- How long have we been down here?” Timaeus asked in a significantly quieter tone than before. He was so confused by this turn of events, his mind struggling to connect the dots amid the foggy thoughts that came with his head trying to heal itself from the various blows to the head he had taken in the last few hours. Everything felt like it was taking an extra few moments to process which is the last thing the Valaoritis lord needed when he was in this possibly dangerous situation with people he did not know. His age made him naive and more trusting of these other captors than he should have been -- already jumping to the bold assumption that they were all stuck in the same situation together even though he was tethered alone and unable to see any of them in the darkness. The boy knew that he needed to shut his mouth and figure his own way out of this mess so that he could go find Prince Vangelis and Nike and continue their mission to kill the bear.
That would have been the smart and sensible thing to do. Any man with his wits about him would heed this advice, but Timaeus was a boy. A stupid, sixteen-year-old boy who had yet to figure out how to think with his head and not his heart, and that latter part of him were leading the show right now. That alone kept him talking to whoever it was answering him in the darkness. “It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?” That last bit of his statement was more to himself than anyone else in the room, but it still showed the sheer amount of confusion that was lurking beneath the show of bravado he was trying to put on -- trying to convince the others that he totally knew what was going on here. Timaeus was already beating himself up enough over the comments from Vangelis that had come two days ago, calling the boy a ‘liability’ that needed to be kept close lest he breaks his neck, he did not want to have to deal with that again with these folks.
Not that it really seemed to matter as the male voice didn’t answer him right away, instead whispering something to someone else in the room. Oh gods, how many people were in this room? This one question swirled through his mind for a tense moment, but the boy couldn’t focus on this for long as his train of thought was quickly interrupted by a resounding crack that filled the cavern. The noise itself was not that loud per se, but the silence that had preceded it made it seem to be more impactful than it actually was -- especially in a situation like this where Timaeus didn’t have the faintest clue what was going on in the first place. He would never ever admit afterward, but Timaeus jumped a bit when Valerius broke the wooden stake, freeing both himself and Damocles from their tether. Not that Tim could see that this was what was happening.
The obvious question of what the hell was happening danced on the tip of his tongue once the initial shock of the noise wore off, but it seemed to be that someone beat them all to it. There was a shout from beyond the cave, peppered with an insult that made it clear that whoever it was, they were not on the questors' side. Instinctively, Timaeus drew back slightly as a flicker of light bounced off the walls of the cave, letting the group see the faintest outlines of each other for the first time. There were five of them in total and they were tied to three stakes in total. Timaeus was on his own in the back of the cavern while two women were in the front. Even though the Valaoritis lord could not see anyone else in the space, he could tell that at the very least he did not recognize any of them. For a brief moment, this brought him a small sense of relief as it meant that Nike and Vangelis were not here with them, but that also brought on the new terror of knowing that the only two people he knew he could trust were also not here.
He could only hope that it was a good sign and not one that bad things had happened while Timaeus was unconscious.
Though this was definitely not the time to figure out where his comrades were. Not when that light meant that one of their captors was approaching and there didn’t seem to be any obvious way to hide the fact two of the men were free to stand now. Timaeus didn’t know a whole lot about the miners, but given how they had treated him earlier when Nike escaped… well the kid knew that they were not going to take kindly to any more escape attempts.
“Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!” Timaeus hissed in the direction of the two burly men, hoping that their own body mass will help hide the fact that they were semi-free. He wasn’t sure if the others heard him though as his whisper was deathly quiet, trying to avoid the empty space from picking up the noise and carrying it to the miners. Though the moment he spoke was the same time that one of the women at the front of the cave also raised her voice, trying to pretend to be sick in order to explain away the noise.
Now, these men might not be the smartest bunch with setting up an entire settlement in the middle of the forest for their illegal mining venture, but even they would not be foolish enough to fall for such a farce. Timaeus knew it and likely the group knew it as well. The sound of a woman falling sounded nothing like wood breaking -- not unless she had broken some bone in the process. However, that was clearly not the case so the others had to improvise. Spin some sort of lie in order to push this miner away if they did not want to come out with guns blazing right from the get-go. Needless to say, they were not ready for that option. Not when all of them were still tied to the stakes in one fashion or another, so the others were going to have to think fast as Phaedra broke out her acting chops.
Timaeus might not have been known for having the best plans, but he was fairly decent at thinking fast on his feet so when he recognized the danger that they were in and the need for something to explain the noise, the boy started looking around for anything that could fit the bill. As the flames of the brazier drew closer a stroke of genius hit him as he took note of how much silt seemed to be on the floor -- a byproduct of the miner’s activities. A stupid, foolish plan crossed his mind at that instant -- something that he knew that he shouldn’t do… but what else were they gonna do when they weren’t ready for a fight? After all, a woman falling wouldn’t sound like a wooden stake breaking, but maybe… just maybe... A horrible cough might.
So as the boy sent up a very quick prayer to @athena , thanking her for the wisdom for thinking up something so last moment (even though it was still so inconceivably dumb) and to @apollo for hopefully making sure that he didn’t possibly die from what he was about to do; Timaeus took a deep breath just as the miner turned the corner and stuck his face in the biggest pile of silt within reach.
Before he could chicken out, the boy took an equally deep breath in and started hacking up his lungs immediately. The horrible noise filled the cave as Timaeus pulled away, but the particles stayed in place, encouraging the fit as the miner took note of everything that was happening in the cave. Timaeus had no idea what he could see with just one brazier, but he could only hope that between his coughs and Phaedra’s claim of being faint the miner would think the whole of them were cursed with some sort of plague and leave them be. Though, of course, if the other men didn’t listen earlier or failed to conceal the broken stake… it could have been for nothing. Tim could only pray that this wasn’t the case as he tried to back up Phaedra’s claim of some sort of sickness sweeping through them.
Zeus almighty, don't let this all be for nothing.
Wha – How long have we been down here? It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?’
The captain didn’t bother with responding. It wouldn’t do any good to dispel the boy’s notion that it’d been closer to three hours since they had been brought down here. There was no telling how long the boy had been held prisoner. And yes, Val could tell that it was a boy. The voice was too… young… too innocent sounding to be anything but. Instead, he focused on the task of breaking the stake he was tied to.
CRACK!
Yes! The stake was broken, and while he and Damocles were still bound to it, they were essentially free. They could move about. Ropes could be used to choke out their captors. The broken stake, with its jagged and sharp end now, could be used in place of a knife. A good soldier was never helpless. That’s why Val was so angered now, not thinking as tactfully and strategically as he usually did. The miners had completely overwhelmed them. He hadn’t expected it. None of them had. But he wouldn’t be helpless now. They had taken his sword, had taken all of their weapons. But he wasn’t unarmed now.
’Good going. Now we’ve lost the element of surprise.’
Valerius clenched his jaw. They may have lost the surprise, but now he and Damocles were free to move about the room – even if they were still technically tethered together. To the broken stake.
’What are you rats doing in there?’
One of the miners. The dim firelight began to fill the small room more fully. Shit. Val looked sharply towards the door. He’d messed up. He should have just tried to work the knots loose. But he’d been frustrated with how long it had been taking. They’d been down here, tied up in the dark for hours. Meanwhile that damn bear could be killing more people and the Prince was missing, his last whereabouts had led his group to this town –Vangelis could be hurt, or worse. They had to move.
’Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!’ It’s nothing I just…fell and hit my head. I’m feeling very faint now.’
Val looked to the other captain in their midst.”Do it. But be ready,” he hissed at the other man, even as Val dropped to the floor and attempted to position himself between the door and the shattered piece of wood. If guards came in, he and Damocles could work together to take them out. The miners wouldn’t suspect they were freed – such as they were. A rope about the neck to choke off the airway, to cut out the possibility of calling out for help. A broken stake could be used in a number of ways to dispatch the enemy. They were not helpless. Not that Valerius wished to kill anyone this day, but if it came down to them or himself and the group he was trapped here with… there would be no question of who would be eliminated. The light brightened at the miner came in. Phaedra’s claim of being faint was such a flimsy cover. There was no hope the miner coming to inspect was going to buy that line. The sound of a hacking cough filled the room. Val’s head snapped around to see the boy at the far wall, tethered to the same sort of stake he’d just broken out of the ground. The kid’s face was covered in debris. Val saw him cough again. Sickness. He was feigning sickness. It was a good ruse. Make the miners fearful to come too near the prisoners. ”I think…” he began, gasping for breath a bit, to make it seem like he was having trouble breathing. ”I think we are all feeling the effects of some illness.” Val gasped in another breath, which actually did make him cough as it had dried out the back of his throat a bit, and let his head hang down. But he remained fully aware of his surroundings, of the moments of the one that had come to investigate the noise. His body tensed and ready to spring. He could only pray to @athena and @ares that the man next to him was just as ready to move into action.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Wha – How long have we been down here? It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?’
The captain didn’t bother with responding. It wouldn’t do any good to dispel the boy’s notion that it’d been closer to three hours since they had been brought down here. There was no telling how long the boy had been held prisoner. And yes, Val could tell that it was a boy. The voice was too… young… too innocent sounding to be anything but. Instead, he focused on the task of breaking the stake he was tied to.
CRACK!
Yes! The stake was broken, and while he and Damocles were still bound to it, they were essentially free. They could move about. Ropes could be used to choke out their captors. The broken stake, with its jagged and sharp end now, could be used in place of a knife. A good soldier was never helpless. That’s why Val was so angered now, not thinking as tactfully and strategically as he usually did. The miners had completely overwhelmed them. He hadn’t expected it. None of them had. But he wouldn’t be helpless now. They had taken his sword, had taken all of their weapons. But he wasn’t unarmed now.
’Good going. Now we’ve lost the element of surprise.’
Valerius clenched his jaw. They may have lost the surprise, but now he and Damocles were free to move about the room – even if they were still technically tethered together. To the broken stake.
’What are you rats doing in there?’
One of the miners. The dim firelight began to fill the small room more fully. Shit. Val looked sharply towards the door. He’d messed up. He should have just tried to work the knots loose. But he’d been frustrated with how long it had been taking. They’d been down here, tied up in the dark for hours. Meanwhile that damn bear could be killing more people and the Prince was missing, his last whereabouts had led his group to this town –Vangelis could be hurt, or worse. They had to move.
’Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!’ It’s nothing I just…fell and hit my head. I’m feeling very faint now.’
Val looked to the other captain in their midst.”Do it. But be ready,” he hissed at the other man, even as Val dropped to the floor and attempted to position himself between the door and the shattered piece of wood. If guards came in, he and Damocles could work together to take them out. The miners wouldn’t suspect they were freed – such as they were. A rope about the neck to choke off the airway, to cut out the possibility of calling out for help. A broken stake could be used in a number of ways to dispatch the enemy. They were not helpless. Not that Valerius wished to kill anyone this day, but if it came down to them or himself and the group he was trapped here with… there would be no question of who would be eliminated. The light brightened at the miner came in. Phaedra’s claim of being faint was such a flimsy cover. There was no hope the miner coming to inspect was going to buy that line. The sound of a hacking cough filled the room. Val’s head snapped around to see the boy at the far wall, tethered to the same sort of stake he’d just broken out of the ground. The kid’s face was covered in debris. Val saw him cough again. Sickness. He was feigning sickness. It was a good ruse. Make the miners fearful to come too near the prisoners. ”I think…” he began, gasping for breath a bit, to make it seem like he was having trouble breathing. ”I think we are all feeling the effects of some illness.” Val gasped in another breath, which actually did make him cough as it had dried out the back of his throat a bit, and let his head hang down. But he remained fully aware of his surroundings, of the moments of the one that had come to investigate the noise. His body tensed and ready to spring. He could only pray to @athena and @ares that the man next to him was just as ready to move into action.
Wha – How long have we been down here? It couldn’t have been more than an hour or two, could it?’
The captain didn’t bother with responding. It wouldn’t do any good to dispel the boy’s notion that it’d been closer to three hours since they had been brought down here. There was no telling how long the boy had been held prisoner. And yes, Val could tell that it was a boy. The voice was too… young… too innocent sounding to be anything but. Instead, he focused on the task of breaking the stake he was tied to.
CRACK!
Yes! The stake was broken, and while he and Damocles were still bound to it, they were essentially free. They could move about. Ropes could be used to choke out their captors. The broken stake, with its jagged and sharp end now, could be used in place of a knife. A good soldier was never helpless. That’s why Val was so angered now, not thinking as tactfully and strategically as he usually did. The miners had completely overwhelmed them. He hadn’t expected it. None of them had. But he wouldn’t be helpless now. They had taken his sword, had taken all of their weapons. But he wasn’t unarmed now.
’Good going. Now we’ve lost the element of surprise.’
Valerius clenched his jaw. They may have lost the surprise, but now he and Damocles were free to move about the room – even if they were still technically tethered together. To the broken stake.
’What are you rats doing in there?’
One of the miners. The dim firelight began to fill the small room more fully. Shit. Val looked sharply towards the door. He’d messed up. He should have just tried to work the knots loose. But he’d been frustrated with how long it had been taking. They’d been down here, tied up in the dark for hours. Meanwhile that damn bear could be killing more people and the Prince was missing, his last whereabouts had led his group to this town –Vangelis could be hurt, or worse. They had to move.
’Shove it back in the dirt and sit in front of it. Quick!’ It’s nothing I just…fell and hit my head. I’m feeling very faint now.’
Val looked to the other captain in their midst.”Do it. But be ready,” he hissed at the other man, even as Val dropped to the floor and attempted to position himself between the door and the shattered piece of wood. If guards came in, he and Damocles could work together to take them out. The miners wouldn’t suspect they were freed – such as they were. A rope about the neck to choke off the airway, to cut out the possibility of calling out for help. A broken stake could be used in a number of ways to dispatch the enemy. They were not helpless. Not that Valerius wished to kill anyone this day, but if it came down to them or himself and the group he was trapped here with… there would be no question of who would be eliminated. The light brightened at the miner came in. Phaedra’s claim of being faint was such a flimsy cover. There was no hope the miner coming to inspect was going to buy that line. The sound of a hacking cough filled the room. Val’s head snapped around to see the boy at the far wall, tethered to the same sort of stake he’d just broken out of the ground. The kid’s face was covered in debris. Val saw him cough again. Sickness. He was feigning sickness. It was a good ruse. Make the miners fearful to come too near the prisoners. ”I think…” he began, gasping for breath a bit, to make it seem like he was having trouble breathing. ”I think we are all feeling the effects of some illness.” Val gasped in another breath, which actually did make him cough as it had dried out the back of his throat a bit, and let his head hang down. But he remained fully aware of his surroundings, of the moments of the one that had come to investigate the noise. His body tensed and ready to spring. He could only pray to @athena and @ares that the man next to him was just as ready to move into action.
Decisions, Decisions Bring Back Its Head
Even though the group put forth a valiant effort that they have all suddenly taken ill, it seems to be that their acting skills weren’t quite up to par. Within seconds, the miner is soon looking upon the group with an expression of confusion written across his face. Thanks to the torch the man is holding, they can see both their captor and the hall outside of their cavern. The man himself is young but well-built with just as much bulk to him as every other miner in this town. Around his neck is a small Hermes totem, covered in the same black dust that covers the floor of the hallway.
His face twists in disgust, but at what?
As the guard stands in the doorway, unsure what to do about the fact that half of his prisoners have seemingly taken ill out of nowhere; @phaedra has a decision to make.
OPTIONS
1. She could try to convince him that this disease is contagious in the hopes of him leaving them be.
2. Alternatively, Phaedra could signal to the men that are free that they should attack the guard where he stands.
3. Have her and Zosi use the loose stones nearby to knock the torch out of the guard’s hand to plunge the cave into darkness.
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
This post was created by our staff team.
Please contact us with your queries and questions.
Even though the group put forth a valiant effort that they have all suddenly taken ill, it seems to be that their acting skills weren’t quite up to par. Within seconds, the miner is soon looking upon the group with an expression of confusion written across his face. Thanks to the torch the man is holding, they can see both their captor and the hall outside of their cavern. The man himself is young but well-built with just as much bulk to him as every other miner in this town. Around his neck is a small Hermes totem, covered in the same black dust that covers the floor of the hallway.
His face twists in disgust, but at what?
As the guard stands in the doorway, unsure what to do about the fact that half of his prisoners have seemingly taken ill out of nowhere; @phaedra has a decision to make.
OPTIONS
1. She could try to convince him that this disease is contagious in the hopes of him leaving them be.
2. Alternatively, Phaedra could signal to the men that are free that they should attack the guard where he stands.
3. Have her and Zosi use the loose stones nearby to knock the torch out of the guard’s hand to plunge the cave into darkness.
Decisions, Decisions Bring Back Its Head
Even though the group put forth a valiant effort that they have all suddenly taken ill, it seems to be that their acting skills weren’t quite up to par. Within seconds, the miner is soon looking upon the group with an expression of confusion written across his face. Thanks to the torch the man is holding, they can see both their captor and the hall outside of their cavern. The man himself is young but well-built with just as much bulk to him as every other miner in this town. Around his neck is a small Hermes totem, covered in the same black dust that covers the floor of the hallway.
His face twists in disgust, but at what?
As the guard stands in the doorway, unsure what to do about the fact that half of his prisoners have seemingly taken ill out of nowhere; @phaedra has a decision to make.
OPTIONS
1. She could try to convince him that this disease is contagious in the hopes of him leaving them be.
2. Alternatively, Phaedra could signal to the men that are free that they should attack the guard where he stands.
3. Have her and Zosi use the loose stones nearby to knock the torch out of the guard’s hand to plunge the cave into darkness.
It took physical effort for Phaedra not to roll her eyes when first Timaeus attempted to play this off as all of them being sick, and then Valerius attempted to convince the man as well. She had been hoping she might be able to score a moment of sympathy from the guard, not try to scare him away with tales of sickness. Thus she found that the guard reacted not with sympathy but with disgust and confusion. She thought quickly, trying to figure out a way to take advantage of the man’s momentary uncertainty.
For a moment Phaedra considered that they might be able to play off this disease as a pocket of bad air in the mine. That would be something that a miner might fear and would give them the potential for the man to leave them alone. But to make that convincing...the torch would cause a problem. They were known to act weirdly in bad air, and Phaedra knew of no way to simulate such effects with what materials they had at hand. Besides, a miner would surely know of other signs of such stale air pockets better than she would which would quickly give her away.
The torch itself was another intriguing idea. Perhaps they could regain the element of surprise by managing to extinguish the man’s torch somehow. Phaedra quickly dismissed that idea. She was still firmly tied, and besides, these men knew these tunnels much better than her and her companions. With the light extinguished, they’d be at even more of a disadvantage than they were now.
No, there was only one way out of this situation, and that was to fight. There was only one man, and although he was strong, and the only people free to attack him were still bound to each other, Phaedra thought that they still held an advantage. Strength was only and advantage if one knew how to yield it, and she doubted that this miner had much in the way of military training. Both Valerius and Damocles were well-trained soldiers. She had no doubt that they were more than a match for this man, even tied together.
When the man was looking away from her, she caught Valerius’s eye and gave a quick flick of her head towards the guard, indicating that he should attack. Then she started up with a fake coughing fit of her own. Hopefully that’d draw the man’s attention away from Valerius and Damocles and allow them a few more seconds before the miner realized what was happening.
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It took physical effort for Phaedra not to roll her eyes when first Timaeus attempted to play this off as all of them being sick, and then Valerius attempted to convince the man as well. She had been hoping she might be able to score a moment of sympathy from the guard, not try to scare him away with tales of sickness. Thus she found that the guard reacted not with sympathy but with disgust and confusion. She thought quickly, trying to figure out a way to take advantage of the man’s momentary uncertainty.
For a moment Phaedra considered that they might be able to play off this disease as a pocket of bad air in the mine. That would be something that a miner might fear and would give them the potential for the man to leave them alone. But to make that convincing...the torch would cause a problem. They were known to act weirdly in bad air, and Phaedra knew of no way to simulate such effects with what materials they had at hand. Besides, a miner would surely know of other signs of such stale air pockets better than she would which would quickly give her away.
The torch itself was another intriguing idea. Perhaps they could regain the element of surprise by managing to extinguish the man’s torch somehow. Phaedra quickly dismissed that idea. She was still firmly tied, and besides, these men knew these tunnels much better than her and her companions. With the light extinguished, they’d be at even more of a disadvantage than they were now.
No, there was only one way out of this situation, and that was to fight. There was only one man, and although he was strong, and the only people free to attack him were still bound to each other, Phaedra thought that they still held an advantage. Strength was only and advantage if one knew how to yield it, and she doubted that this miner had much in the way of military training. Both Valerius and Damocles were well-trained soldiers. She had no doubt that they were more than a match for this man, even tied together.
When the man was looking away from her, she caught Valerius’s eye and gave a quick flick of her head towards the guard, indicating that he should attack. Then she started up with a fake coughing fit of her own. Hopefully that’d draw the man’s attention away from Valerius and Damocles and allow them a few more seconds before the miner realized what was happening.
It took physical effort for Phaedra not to roll her eyes when first Timaeus attempted to play this off as all of them being sick, and then Valerius attempted to convince the man as well. She had been hoping she might be able to score a moment of sympathy from the guard, not try to scare him away with tales of sickness. Thus she found that the guard reacted not with sympathy but with disgust and confusion. She thought quickly, trying to figure out a way to take advantage of the man’s momentary uncertainty.
For a moment Phaedra considered that they might be able to play off this disease as a pocket of bad air in the mine. That would be something that a miner might fear and would give them the potential for the man to leave them alone. But to make that convincing...the torch would cause a problem. They were known to act weirdly in bad air, and Phaedra knew of no way to simulate such effects with what materials they had at hand. Besides, a miner would surely know of other signs of such stale air pockets better than she would which would quickly give her away.
The torch itself was another intriguing idea. Perhaps they could regain the element of surprise by managing to extinguish the man’s torch somehow. Phaedra quickly dismissed that idea. She was still firmly tied, and besides, these men knew these tunnels much better than her and her companions. With the light extinguished, they’d be at even more of a disadvantage than they were now.
No, there was only one way out of this situation, and that was to fight. There was only one man, and although he was strong, and the only people free to attack him were still bound to each other, Phaedra thought that they still held an advantage. Strength was only and advantage if one knew how to yield it, and she doubted that this miner had much in the way of military training. Both Valerius and Damocles were well-trained soldiers. She had no doubt that they were more than a match for this man, even tied together.
When the man was looking away from her, she caught Valerius’s eye and gave a quick flick of her head towards the guard, indicating that he should attack. Then she started up with a fake coughing fit of her own. Hopefully that’d draw the man’s attention away from Valerius and Damocles and allow them a few more seconds before the miner realized what was happening.
Outcome Bring Back Its Head
With the group slowly coming to the consensus that the only way out of this tricky situation is to fight the miners, @valerius and @damocles understand what Phaedra’s signal means. Even though Valerius is only armed with a splintered stake and Damocles is still restrained, the two men move forward to make good on Phaedra’s directive. However, the two men are not fast enough. A strangled cry of surprise leaves the miner as the soldiers rushed forward -- alerting the other miners nearby that there is trouble afoot in the halls.
The thundering sound of two more sets of heavy footsteps is quickly approaching the group…
JD
Staff Team
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Staff Team
This post was created by our staff team.
Please contact us with your queries and questions.
With the group slowly coming to the consensus that the only way out of this tricky situation is to fight the miners, @valerius and @damocles understand what Phaedra’s signal means. Even though Valerius is only armed with a splintered stake and Damocles is still restrained, the two men move forward to make good on Phaedra’s directive. However, the two men are not fast enough. A strangled cry of surprise leaves the miner as the soldiers rushed forward -- alerting the other miners nearby that there is trouble afoot in the halls.
The thundering sound of two more sets of heavy footsteps is quickly approaching the group…
Outcome Bring Back Its Head
With the group slowly coming to the consensus that the only way out of this tricky situation is to fight the miners, @valerius and @damocles understand what Phaedra’s signal means. Even though Valerius is only armed with a splintered stake and Damocles is still restrained, the two men move forward to make good on Phaedra’s directive. However, the two men are not fast enough. A strangled cry of surprise leaves the miner as the soldiers rushed forward -- alerting the other miners nearby that there is trouble afoot in the halls.
The thundering sound of two more sets of heavy footsteps is quickly approaching the group…
Valerius had known it was a long shot that the mining guardsman would believe that they had all suddenly fallen on ill health. He would have opted to ignore the boy’s quick witted but desperate attempt at faking sick and called for help for Phaedra’s attempt at being injured, except for the fact that the captain had not caught sight of a single woman or child in what little the prisoners had seen of the little town. The compound appeared to be entirely men. A town without women and children… was likely to be a village without much sympathy. But fear of an unknown condition… that just may buy them the time they needed to form a plan of escape.
Val’s brown eyes never left the guard, sizing up both his physique and his reaction to the prisoners’ ruses. The man was obviously hesitating. Val started mentally doing calculations, trying to find a way to use this, to gain an upper hand. But how, with everyone’s hands still bound and more than half of them still tethered to the ground? The torch. They should extinguish it, keep the element of surprise. Again, how? Not to mention they didn’t know these tunnels like the miners no doubt did. The hunters would be lost very quickly if they were left to wander in the dark. But the fire could burn the ropes…
The guard looked back over his shoulder, probably wondering if he should just back out of the makeshift prison cell. Phaedra turned, ever so subtly, to look Val’s way – but being on alert as he was, Valerius caught the moment as well as the flick of her head towards their guard. He gave a very slight and quick nod, understanding what the female soldier was indicating. Valerius flashed a meaningful look at the fellow soldier he was still tethered to. Then the woman began ‘coughing’ uncontrollably. Valerius shifted his feet underneath him, his legs tensing… and he waited. The guard looked at her, so intent on the spectacle that he even took a step towards Phaedra. Val grabbed the broken stake in his bound hands and lunged. His companion did the same with the length of rope between them.
Then the rope was around the guard’s throat, chocking off his airway – but not before he managed to cry out. As his fellow captain choked the man out, Val jabbed the jagged end of the stake into the hollow of the man’s throat. Together they eased the body to the floor just as the sounds of two more miners running their way echoed through the tunnels. Cursing under his breath for not being faster with the kill, Val searched around for the torch. In the process of the short-lived struggle, it had been dropped and rolled a few feet away. Val scrambled for it now. The flame was dying but it was still burning enough to sever their ropes. He used it to burn though the ropes tying himself to the other male soldier. Freeing their hands. Then he moved to do the same for the women. ”Search him for weapons. Search the room for anything that may aid us. Quickly.” He didn’t speak to any one in particular, but they were all soldiers here, they all knew they were in for a fight to make it out of here.
Except… Val spun around and laid eyes on the dirt covered boy. The sounds of men were growing closer by the second. Val didn’t know this kid, he should leave him here and get his party out. But an image of his son flashed in his mind’s eye. If this was Decimus, Val would want someone to help him. ”Would you happen to know the way out of the mines?” he asked, as he rushed forward and burned away the ropes binding the boy.
Then the guards were on them, shouts and curses, calls of alarm. The fight was on and every moment must be made to count.
Val spun away from the boy and waded into the fray, using the nearly extinguished torch like a club. Where, in Hades, was his sword?!
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Check out their information page here.
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Valerius had known it was a long shot that the mining guardsman would believe that they had all suddenly fallen on ill health. He would have opted to ignore the boy’s quick witted but desperate attempt at faking sick and called for help for Phaedra’s attempt at being injured, except for the fact that the captain had not caught sight of a single woman or child in what little the prisoners had seen of the little town. The compound appeared to be entirely men. A town without women and children… was likely to be a village without much sympathy. But fear of an unknown condition… that just may buy them the time they needed to form a plan of escape.
Val’s brown eyes never left the guard, sizing up both his physique and his reaction to the prisoners’ ruses. The man was obviously hesitating. Val started mentally doing calculations, trying to find a way to use this, to gain an upper hand. But how, with everyone’s hands still bound and more than half of them still tethered to the ground? The torch. They should extinguish it, keep the element of surprise. Again, how? Not to mention they didn’t know these tunnels like the miners no doubt did. The hunters would be lost very quickly if they were left to wander in the dark. But the fire could burn the ropes…
The guard looked back over his shoulder, probably wondering if he should just back out of the makeshift prison cell. Phaedra turned, ever so subtly, to look Val’s way – but being on alert as he was, Valerius caught the moment as well as the flick of her head towards their guard. He gave a very slight and quick nod, understanding what the female soldier was indicating. Valerius flashed a meaningful look at the fellow soldier he was still tethered to. Then the woman began ‘coughing’ uncontrollably. Valerius shifted his feet underneath him, his legs tensing… and he waited. The guard looked at her, so intent on the spectacle that he even took a step towards Phaedra. Val grabbed the broken stake in his bound hands and lunged. His companion did the same with the length of rope between them.
Then the rope was around the guard’s throat, chocking off his airway – but not before he managed to cry out. As his fellow captain choked the man out, Val jabbed the jagged end of the stake into the hollow of the man’s throat. Together they eased the body to the floor just as the sounds of two more miners running their way echoed through the tunnels. Cursing under his breath for not being faster with the kill, Val searched around for the torch. In the process of the short-lived struggle, it had been dropped and rolled a few feet away. Val scrambled for it now. The flame was dying but it was still burning enough to sever their ropes. He used it to burn though the ropes tying himself to the other male soldier. Freeing their hands. Then he moved to do the same for the women. ”Search him for weapons. Search the room for anything that may aid us. Quickly.” He didn’t speak to any one in particular, but they were all soldiers here, they all knew they were in for a fight to make it out of here.
Except… Val spun around and laid eyes on the dirt covered boy. The sounds of men were growing closer by the second. Val didn’t know this kid, he should leave him here and get his party out. But an image of his son flashed in his mind’s eye. If this was Decimus, Val would want someone to help him. ”Would you happen to know the way out of the mines?” he asked, as he rushed forward and burned away the ropes binding the boy.
Then the guards were on them, shouts and curses, calls of alarm. The fight was on and every moment must be made to count.
Val spun away from the boy and waded into the fray, using the nearly extinguished torch like a club. Where, in Hades, was his sword?!
Valerius had known it was a long shot that the mining guardsman would believe that they had all suddenly fallen on ill health. He would have opted to ignore the boy’s quick witted but desperate attempt at faking sick and called for help for Phaedra’s attempt at being injured, except for the fact that the captain had not caught sight of a single woman or child in what little the prisoners had seen of the little town. The compound appeared to be entirely men. A town without women and children… was likely to be a village without much sympathy. But fear of an unknown condition… that just may buy them the time they needed to form a plan of escape.
Val’s brown eyes never left the guard, sizing up both his physique and his reaction to the prisoners’ ruses. The man was obviously hesitating. Val started mentally doing calculations, trying to find a way to use this, to gain an upper hand. But how, with everyone’s hands still bound and more than half of them still tethered to the ground? The torch. They should extinguish it, keep the element of surprise. Again, how? Not to mention they didn’t know these tunnels like the miners no doubt did. The hunters would be lost very quickly if they were left to wander in the dark. But the fire could burn the ropes…
The guard looked back over his shoulder, probably wondering if he should just back out of the makeshift prison cell. Phaedra turned, ever so subtly, to look Val’s way – but being on alert as he was, Valerius caught the moment as well as the flick of her head towards their guard. He gave a very slight and quick nod, understanding what the female soldier was indicating. Valerius flashed a meaningful look at the fellow soldier he was still tethered to. Then the woman began ‘coughing’ uncontrollably. Valerius shifted his feet underneath him, his legs tensing… and he waited. The guard looked at her, so intent on the spectacle that he even took a step towards Phaedra. Val grabbed the broken stake in his bound hands and lunged. His companion did the same with the length of rope between them.
Then the rope was around the guard’s throat, chocking off his airway – but not before he managed to cry out. As his fellow captain choked the man out, Val jabbed the jagged end of the stake into the hollow of the man’s throat. Together they eased the body to the floor just as the sounds of two more miners running their way echoed through the tunnels. Cursing under his breath for not being faster with the kill, Val searched around for the torch. In the process of the short-lived struggle, it had been dropped and rolled a few feet away. Val scrambled for it now. The flame was dying but it was still burning enough to sever their ropes. He used it to burn though the ropes tying himself to the other male soldier. Freeing their hands. Then he moved to do the same for the women. ”Search him for weapons. Search the room for anything that may aid us. Quickly.” He didn’t speak to any one in particular, but they were all soldiers here, they all knew they were in for a fight to make it out of here.
Except… Val spun around and laid eyes on the dirt covered boy. The sounds of men were growing closer by the second. Val didn’t know this kid, he should leave him here and get his party out. But an image of his son flashed in his mind’s eye. If this was Decimus, Val would want someone to help him. ”Would you happen to know the way out of the mines?” he asked, as he rushed forward and burned away the ropes binding the boy.
Then the guards were on them, shouts and curses, calls of alarm. The fight was on and every moment must be made to count.
Val spun away from the boy and waded into the fray, using the nearly extinguished torch like a club. Where, in Hades, was his sword?!
It had been meant to be a relatively simple mission, one that had started as a request of sorts that only promised to rise to the level of a third-tier military operation. The simplicity of it all was why he had answered the call to duty and opted out to help in whichever way he could, well that and the promise of gaining just a bit more standing with the rest of the militants of Colchis. Yet, what had once been a simple and clean mission had devolved and turned into the worst outcome possible. Phaedra's gender had made things complicated. Timaeus's presence, if only for that alone, made the task unpleasant, and Valerius, well, the Magnemean still reserved too harsh of a judgement for the man, other than being unimpressed with him for now. Yet, if things could not be made worst, their little party had been dragged down to the mines of Lyncae. Fuck! Could things get worst!
Actually, they very much could, and being surrounded by the empty precipices of stone and ore that had once been worked and excavated only reminded that to the Magnemean, who subconsciously led out an unassuming jerk of his shoulder as he was escorted down the tunnels. Memories of his past down in the iron pits of the North began to flood his thoughts, causing some old scars that lain on his back to suddenly feel fresh again, as if the sting of the whip once again bared down on his flesh. His features barely kept their stoicism, for his face was marked by a deep grimace that spoke volumes of his disappointment. And yet, as he walked deeper and deeper, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, a coldness that he thought long past him that began to sting once more.
Fuck...he hated the mines...
And yet, if he had hated the mines by the secret circumstances of his past, the fact that he was bound and tied by Valerius was but an unwelcomed circumstance that only justified his sour expression further. It wasn't so much that his simmering anger was born out of being forced next to the Arcanean, rather, it was that he was bound around someone down in the bloody mines of Colchis! @hades almighty how he wished to be anywhere BUT in the mines!
Still, there was little use in complaining. Though the place was dark and cold, he could make out the faint voice that had rung before. Perhaps, given his present state, he was not quick in offering a reply to it, chosing instead to stay quiet as he pondered how exactly he could proceed and right the myriad wrongs that had occurred before. Yet, as he just began to collect his thoughts, and more importantly himself, a loud CRACK echoed about, causing the Magnemean to jerk his head with his silver eyes held in wide, damning glares as he witness how Valerius had broken off the stake that had once been one of the instrument of their bondage. True, something had to be done in order to regain mobility, but surely there had to be far more subtle and quiet ways to move about!
For a moment he thought about sarcastically snarling at the other man, but, given how they've now lost the element of surprise, he thought such a course of action worthless and futile. He would have all the time in the world to bellow at the other militant later. For now, even if he disproved of the other's actions, he could at least move around, even if he was still bound by his hands. Suddenly, a miner came through, and he saw how those about him tried in their efforts to make best of the situation. Falling on his instincts, Damocles realized that, even if his hand were bound, he could still follow along the others' instigations.
Despite the sorry state of the performance he had witnessed concerning feigned illness and coughting, Damocles had worked in nearly perfect unison with Valerius and Phaedra as they eliminated the first guard of the day. Perhaps, of the four militants in the room, Damocles was the most ruthless of them all, and so he neither winced nor cared for the bloody scene that unfolded. Nevertheless, the sound of familiar boots rushing down echoed across the tunnels, and so the Magnemean knew that he had to act fast enough. Noticing the fire that still burned in the torch that Valerius held, Damocles raised his ropes and gestured for him to burn them off, freeing his hands as he headed the other man's words and searched the room.
Perhaps Phaedra and Valerius may not have been as exposed to the mines as Damocles had been, but if his years as a miner had taught him anything it was that there were always hammers and objects of similar make lying around the colder, more frigid areas of a mine, usually found in the edges and rocky outcroppings of tunnels not too dissimilar to where they were. "Touch around the rocks! There probably are hammers and chisels lying about!" He suggested, motioning to one of the sides of the place as his memory served him right and his fingers grabbed a heavy, almost unwieldy hammer that was not too dissimilar to the one he had used in the past.
In that instant, the guards rushed in, filling the air with their hazy eagerness, but not before the Magnemean channeled his rage and anger over being down in the mines and swung his newly christened weapon of choice with enough might so as to snuff the life off three of those disgusting would-be enemies. Afterwards, he gripped the item again and smashed it against another's chest, crushing every single bone in his body before Hades embraced the poor lad's soul into his domain. True, this was not his preferred means to fight, but, frankly, it felt good to let out some of his pent-up rage.
Just as he staved off a number of those miners, Damocles noticed how Valerius left his side in favor of talking to a boy. At first, he thought about snarling at the other captain for his actions, but, he suddenly noticed how the small youth seemed to have negotiated some sort of arrangement with the man. "I'll cover for you. Meanwhile, clear a path for us to escape!" He said, his voice rough and course as he deflected an attack from another man before his hand free from the grip of his hammer and slammed with deadly force unto the other man's face, instantly killing him.
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Check out their information page here.
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It had been meant to be a relatively simple mission, one that had started as a request of sorts that only promised to rise to the level of a third-tier military operation. The simplicity of it all was why he had answered the call to duty and opted out to help in whichever way he could, well that and the promise of gaining just a bit more standing with the rest of the militants of Colchis. Yet, what had once been a simple and clean mission had devolved and turned into the worst outcome possible. Phaedra's gender had made things complicated. Timaeus's presence, if only for that alone, made the task unpleasant, and Valerius, well, the Magnemean still reserved too harsh of a judgement for the man, other than being unimpressed with him for now. Yet, if things could not be made worst, their little party had been dragged down to the mines of Lyncae. Fuck! Could things get worst!
Actually, they very much could, and being surrounded by the empty precipices of stone and ore that had once been worked and excavated only reminded that to the Magnemean, who subconsciously led out an unassuming jerk of his shoulder as he was escorted down the tunnels. Memories of his past down in the iron pits of the North began to flood his thoughts, causing some old scars that lain on his back to suddenly feel fresh again, as if the sting of the whip once again bared down on his flesh. His features barely kept their stoicism, for his face was marked by a deep grimace that spoke volumes of his disappointment. And yet, as he walked deeper and deeper, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, a coldness that he thought long past him that began to sting once more.
Fuck...he hated the mines...
And yet, if he had hated the mines by the secret circumstances of his past, the fact that he was bound and tied by Valerius was but an unwelcomed circumstance that only justified his sour expression further. It wasn't so much that his simmering anger was born out of being forced next to the Arcanean, rather, it was that he was bound around someone down in the bloody mines of Colchis! @hades almighty how he wished to be anywhere BUT in the mines!
Still, there was little use in complaining. Though the place was dark and cold, he could make out the faint voice that had rung before. Perhaps, given his present state, he was not quick in offering a reply to it, chosing instead to stay quiet as he pondered how exactly he could proceed and right the myriad wrongs that had occurred before. Yet, as he just began to collect his thoughts, and more importantly himself, a loud CRACK echoed about, causing the Magnemean to jerk his head with his silver eyes held in wide, damning glares as he witness how Valerius had broken off the stake that had once been one of the instrument of their bondage. True, something had to be done in order to regain mobility, but surely there had to be far more subtle and quiet ways to move about!
For a moment he thought about sarcastically snarling at the other man, but, given how they've now lost the element of surprise, he thought such a course of action worthless and futile. He would have all the time in the world to bellow at the other militant later. For now, even if he disproved of the other's actions, he could at least move around, even if he was still bound by his hands. Suddenly, a miner came through, and he saw how those about him tried in their efforts to make best of the situation. Falling on his instincts, Damocles realized that, even if his hand were bound, he could still follow along the others' instigations.
Despite the sorry state of the performance he had witnessed concerning feigned illness and coughting, Damocles had worked in nearly perfect unison with Valerius and Phaedra as they eliminated the first guard of the day. Perhaps, of the four militants in the room, Damocles was the most ruthless of them all, and so he neither winced nor cared for the bloody scene that unfolded. Nevertheless, the sound of familiar boots rushing down echoed across the tunnels, and so the Magnemean knew that he had to act fast enough. Noticing the fire that still burned in the torch that Valerius held, Damocles raised his ropes and gestured for him to burn them off, freeing his hands as he headed the other man's words and searched the room.
Perhaps Phaedra and Valerius may not have been as exposed to the mines as Damocles had been, but if his years as a miner had taught him anything it was that there were always hammers and objects of similar make lying around the colder, more frigid areas of a mine, usually found in the edges and rocky outcroppings of tunnels not too dissimilar to where they were. "Touch around the rocks! There probably are hammers and chisels lying about!" He suggested, motioning to one of the sides of the place as his memory served him right and his fingers grabbed a heavy, almost unwieldy hammer that was not too dissimilar to the one he had used in the past.
In that instant, the guards rushed in, filling the air with their hazy eagerness, but not before the Magnemean channeled his rage and anger over being down in the mines and swung his newly christened weapon of choice with enough might so as to snuff the life off three of those disgusting would-be enemies. Afterwards, he gripped the item again and smashed it against another's chest, crushing every single bone in his body before Hades embraced the poor lad's soul into his domain. True, this was not his preferred means to fight, but, frankly, it felt good to let out some of his pent-up rage.
Just as he staved off a number of those miners, Damocles noticed how Valerius left his side in favor of talking to a boy. At first, he thought about snarling at the other captain for his actions, but, he suddenly noticed how the small youth seemed to have negotiated some sort of arrangement with the man. "I'll cover for you. Meanwhile, clear a path for us to escape!" He said, his voice rough and course as he deflected an attack from another man before his hand free from the grip of his hammer and slammed with deadly force unto the other man's face, instantly killing him.
It had been meant to be a relatively simple mission, one that had started as a request of sorts that only promised to rise to the level of a third-tier military operation. The simplicity of it all was why he had answered the call to duty and opted out to help in whichever way he could, well that and the promise of gaining just a bit more standing with the rest of the militants of Colchis. Yet, what had once been a simple and clean mission had devolved and turned into the worst outcome possible. Phaedra's gender had made things complicated. Timaeus's presence, if only for that alone, made the task unpleasant, and Valerius, well, the Magnemean still reserved too harsh of a judgement for the man, other than being unimpressed with him for now. Yet, if things could not be made worst, their little party had been dragged down to the mines of Lyncae. Fuck! Could things get worst!
Actually, they very much could, and being surrounded by the empty precipices of stone and ore that had once been worked and excavated only reminded that to the Magnemean, who subconsciously led out an unassuming jerk of his shoulder as he was escorted down the tunnels. Memories of his past down in the iron pits of the North began to flood his thoughts, causing some old scars that lain on his back to suddenly feel fresh again, as if the sting of the whip once again bared down on his flesh. His features barely kept their stoicism, for his face was marked by a deep grimace that spoke volumes of his disappointment. And yet, as he walked deeper and deeper, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, a coldness that he thought long past him that began to sting once more.
Fuck...he hated the mines...
And yet, if he had hated the mines by the secret circumstances of his past, the fact that he was bound and tied by Valerius was but an unwelcomed circumstance that only justified his sour expression further. It wasn't so much that his simmering anger was born out of being forced next to the Arcanean, rather, it was that he was bound around someone down in the bloody mines of Colchis! @hades almighty how he wished to be anywhere BUT in the mines!
Still, there was little use in complaining. Though the place was dark and cold, he could make out the faint voice that had rung before. Perhaps, given his present state, he was not quick in offering a reply to it, chosing instead to stay quiet as he pondered how exactly he could proceed and right the myriad wrongs that had occurred before. Yet, as he just began to collect his thoughts, and more importantly himself, a loud CRACK echoed about, causing the Magnemean to jerk his head with his silver eyes held in wide, damning glares as he witness how Valerius had broken off the stake that had once been one of the instrument of their bondage. True, something had to be done in order to regain mobility, but surely there had to be far more subtle and quiet ways to move about!
For a moment he thought about sarcastically snarling at the other man, but, given how they've now lost the element of surprise, he thought such a course of action worthless and futile. He would have all the time in the world to bellow at the other militant later. For now, even if he disproved of the other's actions, he could at least move around, even if he was still bound by his hands. Suddenly, a miner came through, and he saw how those about him tried in their efforts to make best of the situation. Falling on his instincts, Damocles realized that, even if his hand were bound, he could still follow along the others' instigations.
Despite the sorry state of the performance he had witnessed concerning feigned illness and coughting, Damocles had worked in nearly perfect unison with Valerius and Phaedra as they eliminated the first guard of the day. Perhaps, of the four militants in the room, Damocles was the most ruthless of them all, and so he neither winced nor cared for the bloody scene that unfolded. Nevertheless, the sound of familiar boots rushing down echoed across the tunnels, and so the Magnemean knew that he had to act fast enough. Noticing the fire that still burned in the torch that Valerius held, Damocles raised his ropes and gestured for him to burn them off, freeing his hands as he headed the other man's words and searched the room.
Perhaps Phaedra and Valerius may not have been as exposed to the mines as Damocles had been, but if his years as a miner had taught him anything it was that there were always hammers and objects of similar make lying around the colder, more frigid areas of a mine, usually found in the edges and rocky outcroppings of tunnels not too dissimilar to where they were. "Touch around the rocks! There probably are hammers and chisels lying about!" He suggested, motioning to one of the sides of the place as his memory served him right and his fingers grabbed a heavy, almost unwieldy hammer that was not too dissimilar to the one he had used in the past.
In that instant, the guards rushed in, filling the air with their hazy eagerness, but not before the Magnemean channeled his rage and anger over being down in the mines and swung his newly christened weapon of choice with enough might so as to snuff the life off three of those disgusting would-be enemies. Afterwards, he gripped the item again and smashed it against another's chest, crushing every single bone in his body before Hades embraced the poor lad's soul into his domain. True, this was not his preferred means to fight, but, frankly, it felt good to let out some of his pent-up rage.
Just as he staved off a number of those miners, Damocles noticed how Valerius left his side in favor of talking to a boy. At first, he thought about snarling at the other captain for his actions, but, he suddenly noticed how the small youth seemed to have negotiated some sort of arrangement with the man. "I'll cover for you. Meanwhile, clear a path for us to escape!" He said, his voice rough and course as he deflected an attack from another man before his hand free from the grip of his hammer and slammed with deadly force unto the other man's face, instantly killing him.
The boy was practically frozen as he hacked his lungs out, his main concern being fooling the miner into leaving. However, that quickly changed as things began to change rapidly around him. Watching the action unfold spurred something in Timaeus, reminding him that this was not the place that he wished to die. It didn’t matter how much his head hurt or his lungs burned, he was going to have to fight his way out of here just like the others who had been tied to stakes around him. Seven Hades, he would have to fight through the four stronger soldiers around him if need be. He could not die down here in the darkness. Not while he had so much life left to live. He was a young kid with a bright future ahead of him, it couldn’t just be snuffed out here. Timaeus could not let that happen.
His mind was still foggy, almost as if everything had an almost strange film over it as time slowed around him. However, he was able to push through it enough to crawl as close to the wall as possible. His bound hands ensured that this wasn’t very far as the boy was still not able to touch the nearby rockface when he pointed his toes (which was saying something as he was a lanky kid at sixteen) but that did not truly matter. What Tim wanted was to pull that rope taut. Raising his hands above his head as the other men rushed forward to jump the miner in the doorway, Timaeus made sure that there was not a millimeter of slack in that rope as he drew his foot back and tried to kick at the stake as Valerius had done earlier. That was the fastest way the boy was going to be released from his bindings as far as he was concerned and if one man had already done it, why couldn’t he?
However, that would be easier said than done.
His first attempt missed the stake, practically flinging the boy down into the dirt by the sheer force of missing the small wooden pole. Timaeus winced as he felt the loose stone scrape at his already battered body, but that didn’t deter him from trying again and again. He wasn’t very successful though as most of his attempts were misses and he wasn’t nearly strong enough to provide enough tension to the steak to force it to break as Valerius had done earlier. That was why Timaeus was still bound and tethered to the ground when the first miner fell to the other Colchians. His attempts to kick the stake down grew more frantic as he saw them move out towards the hallway, leaving the boy behind to what would be almost certain death in the mines if the previous injuries he faced were anything to go by.
“Wait! Don’t leave me here!” He pleaded, tears practically brimming in the corner of his eyes as his chest grew tight amidst the panic that came with being left to fend for himself in the darkness. They couldn’t just abandon him here, right? He knew that he was not exactly the most advantageous party member as Vangelis had so bluntly pointed out the previous evening around the campfire -- but did his inability to lift the heavy tools of the miners mean that he should be left for certain death? Surely, the others couldn’t be so cruel to him? However, the boy wasn’t sure as he watched them free the other two women before him. Three members of the party rushed forward into the hall, ready to face the rapidly-closing threat of the stomping boots, seemingly not giving a single thought to Timaeus trapped in the back of the cave.
The tears threatened to bubble over into a quiet sob of terror when the fourth stranger -- the one who had freed himself first and still held the torch from the fallen miner moved to Timaeus’s side, motioning for the boy to hold his hands forward to burn the ropes away. “Thank you, oh gods, thank you!” He sputtered out, his tongue barely being able to keep up with the immense relief and gratitude that had bubbled up within him. The heat of the fire stung just as badly as the debris from earlier, but Timaeus didn’t even flinch as his bonds grew black, allowing the boy to merely twist his wrists to have the rope fall away.
Finally being free, Timaeus shakily rose to his feet, testing his own stance to make sure that there had been no injuries to his legs in the hours he had been unconscious, but he seemed to be fine. He was a bit unsteady, but that was to be expected as the blood raced back to his toes. His delight at having at least a chance of getting out of here almost overshadowed Valerius’s words -- making them almost an afterthought until he registered what the Captain had said to the boy who was a stranger to him. Timaeus had not been freed out of the goodness of Val’s heart. This man held the expectation that Timaeus would know how to get everyone out of this dreadful situation.
In truth, Timaeus had no idea how to navigate the mines. He had been unconscious when he was brought down here and he had no idea how far away they were from the one entrance that he had found. Even if they could find that storage tunnel again, Timaeus already knew that not everyone in this group would be able to shimmy their way out of the chasm. The two men for example were too brawny to wriggle through the opening that had only been an inch larger than the barrel of Tim’s chest -- and he was a fraction of the size of the others. However, he couldn’t just say that to Valerius. No matter how badly Tim just wanted to admit the truth and say that he was clueless, this man had saved him with the expectation that he would be useful, how could he admit that the Thanasi captain had been wrong.
“I know a way out.” He finally said, lying through his teeth, knowing full well his exit from this nightmare would be useless for the group. “I don’t know how to get there, but there was a big supply tunnel. If we can find that…” Timaeus was careful in what he supplied as he knew that this information that he held, the promise that he knew where there was a way out might be the only thing that kept him around with this new group of questers. He needed to keep his lie close to his chest, pray that he wouldn’t slip up before they got there and Timaeus got the chance to hopefully slip away from them before he was killed.
Hopefully.
With this information passed on, a loud boom came from the hallway where the others were. Timaeus’s eyes flashed to the entrance, wide with fear as another came shortly after it. He had no idea what the noise could be as the torch had now burnt out and there was no way to witness the man in the hall cutting down the two men who had come to rescue their confused comrade who was now dead on the floor. However, both Timaeus and Valerius would be able to recognize the new sound of metal on rock… and the thunderous sound of the walls of the mining tunnel shaking around them.
“Move!” Timaeus screamed as he shoved Valerius forward, pushing the man forward to force them up through the tunnel to the others before this whole cavern came crashing down upon this group of bear hunters.
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The boy was practically frozen as he hacked his lungs out, his main concern being fooling the miner into leaving. However, that quickly changed as things began to change rapidly around him. Watching the action unfold spurred something in Timaeus, reminding him that this was not the place that he wished to die. It didn’t matter how much his head hurt or his lungs burned, he was going to have to fight his way out of here just like the others who had been tied to stakes around him. Seven Hades, he would have to fight through the four stronger soldiers around him if need be. He could not die down here in the darkness. Not while he had so much life left to live. He was a young kid with a bright future ahead of him, it couldn’t just be snuffed out here. Timaeus could not let that happen.
His mind was still foggy, almost as if everything had an almost strange film over it as time slowed around him. However, he was able to push through it enough to crawl as close to the wall as possible. His bound hands ensured that this wasn’t very far as the boy was still not able to touch the nearby rockface when he pointed his toes (which was saying something as he was a lanky kid at sixteen) but that did not truly matter. What Tim wanted was to pull that rope taut. Raising his hands above his head as the other men rushed forward to jump the miner in the doorway, Timaeus made sure that there was not a millimeter of slack in that rope as he drew his foot back and tried to kick at the stake as Valerius had done earlier. That was the fastest way the boy was going to be released from his bindings as far as he was concerned and if one man had already done it, why couldn’t he?
However, that would be easier said than done.
His first attempt missed the stake, practically flinging the boy down into the dirt by the sheer force of missing the small wooden pole. Timaeus winced as he felt the loose stone scrape at his already battered body, but that didn’t deter him from trying again and again. He wasn’t very successful though as most of his attempts were misses and he wasn’t nearly strong enough to provide enough tension to the steak to force it to break as Valerius had done earlier. That was why Timaeus was still bound and tethered to the ground when the first miner fell to the other Colchians. His attempts to kick the stake down grew more frantic as he saw them move out towards the hallway, leaving the boy behind to what would be almost certain death in the mines if the previous injuries he faced were anything to go by.
“Wait! Don’t leave me here!” He pleaded, tears practically brimming in the corner of his eyes as his chest grew tight amidst the panic that came with being left to fend for himself in the darkness. They couldn’t just abandon him here, right? He knew that he was not exactly the most advantageous party member as Vangelis had so bluntly pointed out the previous evening around the campfire -- but did his inability to lift the heavy tools of the miners mean that he should be left for certain death? Surely, the others couldn’t be so cruel to him? However, the boy wasn’t sure as he watched them free the other two women before him. Three members of the party rushed forward into the hall, ready to face the rapidly-closing threat of the stomping boots, seemingly not giving a single thought to Timaeus trapped in the back of the cave.
The tears threatened to bubble over into a quiet sob of terror when the fourth stranger -- the one who had freed himself first and still held the torch from the fallen miner moved to Timaeus’s side, motioning for the boy to hold his hands forward to burn the ropes away. “Thank you, oh gods, thank you!” He sputtered out, his tongue barely being able to keep up with the immense relief and gratitude that had bubbled up within him. The heat of the fire stung just as badly as the debris from earlier, but Timaeus didn’t even flinch as his bonds grew black, allowing the boy to merely twist his wrists to have the rope fall away.
Finally being free, Timaeus shakily rose to his feet, testing his own stance to make sure that there had been no injuries to his legs in the hours he had been unconscious, but he seemed to be fine. He was a bit unsteady, but that was to be expected as the blood raced back to his toes. His delight at having at least a chance of getting out of here almost overshadowed Valerius’s words -- making them almost an afterthought until he registered what the Captain had said to the boy who was a stranger to him. Timaeus had not been freed out of the goodness of Val’s heart. This man held the expectation that Timaeus would know how to get everyone out of this dreadful situation.
In truth, Timaeus had no idea how to navigate the mines. He had been unconscious when he was brought down here and he had no idea how far away they were from the one entrance that he had found. Even if they could find that storage tunnel again, Timaeus already knew that not everyone in this group would be able to shimmy their way out of the chasm. The two men for example were too brawny to wriggle through the opening that had only been an inch larger than the barrel of Tim’s chest -- and he was a fraction of the size of the others. However, he couldn’t just say that to Valerius. No matter how badly Tim just wanted to admit the truth and say that he was clueless, this man had saved him with the expectation that he would be useful, how could he admit that the Thanasi captain had been wrong.
“I know a way out.” He finally said, lying through his teeth, knowing full well his exit from this nightmare would be useless for the group. “I don’t know how to get there, but there was a big supply tunnel. If we can find that…” Timaeus was careful in what he supplied as he knew that this information that he held, the promise that he knew where there was a way out might be the only thing that kept him around with this new group of questers. He needed to keep his lie close to his chest, pray that he wouldn’t slip up before they got there and Timaeus got the chance to hopefully slip away from them before he was killed.
Hopefully.
With this information passed on, a loud boom came from the hallway where the others were. Timaeus’s eyes flashed to the entrance, wide with fear as another came shortly after it. He had no idea what the noise could be as the torch had now burnt out and there was no way to witness the man in the hall cutting down the two men who had come to rescue their confused comrade who was now dead on the floor. However, both Timaeus and Valerius would be able to recognize the new sound of metal on rock… and the thunderous sound of the walls of the mining tunnel shaking around them.
“Move!” Timaeus screamed as he shoved Valerius forward, pushing the man forward to force them up through the tunnel to the others before this whole cavern came crashing down upon this group of bear hunters.
The boy was practically frozen as he hacked his lungs out, his main concern being fooling the miner into leaving. However, that quickly changed as things began to change rapidly around him. Watching the action unfold spurred something in Timaeus, reminding him that this was not the place that he wished to die. It didn’t matter how much his head hurt or his lungs burned, he was going to have to fight his way out of here just like the others who had been tied to stakes around him. Seven Hades, he would have to fight through the four stronger soldiers around him if need be. He could not die down here in the darkness. Not while he had so much life left to live. He was a young kid with a bright future ahead of him, it couldn’t just be snuffed out here. Timaeus could not let that happen.
His mind was still foggy, almost as if everything had an almost strange film over it as time slowed around him. However, he was able to push through it enough to crawl as close to the wall as possible. His bound hands ensured that this wasn’t very far as the boy was still not able to touch the nearby rockface when he pointed his toes (which was saying something as he was a lanky kid at sixteen) but that did not truly matter. What Tim wanted was to pull that rope taut. Raising his hands above his head as the other men rushed forward to jump the miner in the doorway, Timaeus made sure that there was not a millimeter of slack in that rope as he drew his foot back and tried to kick at the stake as Valerius had done earlier. That was the fastest way the boy was going to be released from his bindings as far as he was concerned and if one man had already done it, why couldn’t he?
However, that would be easier said than done.
His first attempt missed the stake, practically flinging the boy down into the dirt by the sheer force of missing the small wooden pole. Timaeus winced as he felt the loose stone scrape at his already battered body, but that didn’t deter him from trying again and again. He wasn’t very successful though as most of his attempts were misses and he wasn’t nearly strong enough to provide enough tension to the steak to force it to break as Valerius had done earlier. That was why Timaeus was still bound and tethered to the ground when the first miner fell to the other Colchians. His attempts to kick the stake down grew more frantic as he saw them move out towards the hallway, leaving the boy behind to what would be almost certain death in the mines if the previous injuries he faced were anything to go by.
“Wait! Don’t leave me here!” He pleaded, tears practically brimming in the corner of his eyes as his chest grew tight amidst the panic that came with being left to fend for himself in the darkness. They couldn’t just abandon him here, right? He knew that he was not exactly the most advantageous party member as Vangelis had so bluntly pointed out the previous evening around the campfire -- but did his inability to lift the heavy tools of the miners mean that he should be left for certain death? Surely, the others couldn’t be so cruel to him? However, the boy wasn’t sure as he watched them free the other two women before him. Three members of the party rushed forward into the hall, ready to face the rapidly-closing threat of the stomping boots, seemingly not giving a single thought to Timaeus trapped in the back of the cave.
The tears threatened to bubble over into a quiet sob of terror when the fourth stranger -- the one who had freed himself first and still held the torch from the fallen miner moved to Timaeus’s side, motioning for the boy to hold his hands forward to burn the ropes away. “Thank you, oh gods, thank you!” He sputtered out, his tongue barely being able to keep up with the immense relief and gratitude that had bubbled up within him. The heat of the fire stung just as badly as the debris from earlier, but Timaeus didn’t even flinch as his bonds grew black, allowing the boy to merely twist his wrists to have the rope fall away.
Finally being free, Timaeus shakily rose to his feet, testing his own stance to make sure that there had been no injuries to his legs in the hours he had been unconscious, but he seemed to be fine. He was a bit unsteady, but that was to be expected as the blood raced back to his toes. His delight at having at least a chance of getting out of here almost overshadowed Valerius’s words -- making them almost an afterthought until he registered what the Captain had said to the boy who was a stranger to him. Timaeus had not been freed out of the goodness of Val’s heart. This man held the expectation that Timaeus would know how to get everyone out of this dreadful situation.
In truth, Timaeus had no idea how to navigate the mines. He had been unconscious when he was brought down here and he had no idea how far away they were from the one entrance that he had found. Even if they could find that storage tunnel again, Timaeus already knew that not everyone in this group would be able to shimmy their way out of the chasm. The two men for example were too brawny to wriggle through the opening that had only been an inch larger than the barrel of Tim’s chest -- and he was a fraction of the size of the others. However, he couldn’t just say that to Valerius. No matter how badly Tim just wanted to admit the truth and say that he was clueless, this man had saved him with the expectation that he would be useful, how could he admit that the Thanasi captain had been wrong.
“I know a way out.” He finally said, lying through his teeth, knowing full well his exit from this nightmare would be useless for the group. “I don’t know how to get there, but there was a big supply tunnel. If we can find that…” Timaeus was careful in what he supplied as he knew that this information that he held, the promise that he knew where there was a way out might be the only thing that kept him around with this new group of questers. He needed to keep his lie close to his chest, pray that he wouldn’t slip up before they got there and Timaeus got the chance to hopefully slip away from them before he was killed.
Hopefully.
With this information passed on, a loud boom came from the hallway where the others were. Timaeus’s eyes flashed to the entrance, wide with fear as another came shortly after it. He had no idea what the noise could be as the torch had now burnt out and there was no way to witness the man in the hall cutting down the two men who had come to rescue their confused comrade who was now dead on the floor. However, both Timaeus and Valerius would be able to recognize the new sound of metal on rock… and the thunderous sound of the walls of the mining tunnel shaking around them.
“Move!” Timaeus screamed as he shoved Valerius forward, pushing the man forward to force them up through the tunnel to the others before this whole cavern came crashing down upon this group of bear hunters.
Decisions, Decisions Bring Back Its Head
Half of the group consisting of @damocles, @phaedra, and Zosi spill into the passageway where they come face to face with the pair of miners that have come to the aid of their friend. Although such details should be forgotten in the face of such a threat, it should be noted that the passage itself is completely flat, offering no insight to which way is up towards the surface. To the left is a shorter path with a nearby hammer that was designed for a monster among men, A cyclops in the living flesh who towers above all the men of this hunting party. No matter how familiar is with the tools of the trade for miners, this weapon is too heavy for anyone to lift for more than a few short minutes. Forgoing the risks that come with wielding such a powerful weapon, Damocles indeed kills the two miners that were coming to aid their friend. All it takes is one mighty swing and one lighter pummel to the head to send these men to meet Hades.
However, this temporary victory is short-lived.
Although Damocles is strong, he cannot hold on to the weapon as the tool comes out of its arc. It flies out of the captain;s hands and hits the wall behind the now fallen miners, skittering away into the darkness with a loud crash that reverberates throughout the cavern. However, even as the hammer comes to a shuddering halt on the other side of the miners, the noise goes on. Louder and louder above the questor’s heads as the roof of the mineshaft begins to shake violently, sending cascades of dust down upon them as Hades brings down his wrath upon everyone present. This tunnel is going to collapse. Perhaps even @phaedra can notice the crack forming in the wall where the hammer struck, growing larger with every passing second as @timaeus and @valerius rush out of the room where they were held.
Having only seconds to make a decision, @damocles must choose which path the group must take: something he must do amid the shuddering breaths of exhausting -- the price that he paid for wielding the hammer and killing two of the miners.
OPTIONS
1. Go left. Take the riskier, yet shorter path in moving past the crack in the cavern and hope that the eerie silence beyond will eventually lead to a way out.
2. Go right. Outrun the shaking roof and find shelter in the long passage with the faint echoes calling back to them from wherever this path may go.
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
This post was created by our staff team.
Please contact us with your queries and questions.
Half of the group consisting of @damocles, @phaedra, and Zosi spill into the passageway where they come face to face with the pair of miners that have come to the aid of their friend. Although such details should be forgotten in the face of such a threat, it should be noted that the passage itself is completely flat, offering no insight to which way is up towards the surface. To the left is a shorter path with a nearby hammer that was designed for a monster among men, A cyclops in the living flesh who towers above all the men of this hunting party. No matter how familiar is with the tools of the trade for miners, this weapon is too heavy for anyone to lift for more than a few short minutes. Forgoing the risks that come with wielding such a powerful weapon, Damocles indeed kills the two miners that were coming to aid their friend. All it takes is one mighty swing and one lighter pummel to the head to send these men to meet Hades.
However, this temporary victory is short-lived.
Although Damocles is strong, he cannot hold on to the weapon as the tool comes out of its arc. It flies out of the captain;s hands and hits the wall behind the now fallen miners, skittering away into the darkness with a loud crash that reverberates throughout the cavern. However, even as the hammer comes to a shuddering halt on the other side of the miners, the noise goes on. Louder and louder above the questor’s heads as the roof of the mineshaft begins to shake violently, sending cascades of dust down upon them as Hades brings down his wrath upon everyone present. This tunnel is going to collapse. Perhaps even @phaedra can notice the crack forming in the wall where the hammer struck, growing larger with every passing second as @timaeus and @valerius rush out of the room where they were held.
Having only seconds to make a decision, @damocles must choose which path the group must take: something he must do amid the shuddering breaths of exhausting -- the price that he paid for wielding the hammer and killing two of the miners.
OPTIONS
1. Go left. Take the riskier, yet shorter path in moving past the crack in the cavern and hope that the eerie silence beyond will eventually lead to a way out.
2. Go right. Outrun the shaking roof and find shelter in the long passage with the faint echoes calling back to them from wherever this path may go.
Decisions, Decisions Bring Back Its Head
Half of the group consisting of @damocles, @phaedra, and Zosi spill into the passageway where they come face to face with the pair of miners that have come to the aid of their friend. Although such details should be forgotten in the face of such a threat, it should be noted that the passage itself is completely flat, offering no insight to which way is up towards the surface. To the left is a shorter path with a nearby hammer that was designed for a monster among men, A cyclops in the living flesh who towers above all the men of this hunting party. No matter how familiar is with the tools of the trade for miners, this weapon is too heavy for anyone to lift for more than a few short minutes. Forgoing the risks that come with wielding such a powerful weapon, Damocles indeed kills the two miners that were coming to aid their friend. All it takes is one mighty swing and one lighter pummel to the head to send these men to meet Hades.
However, this temporary victory is short-lived.
Although Damocles is strong, he cannot hold on to the weapon as the tool comes out of its arc. It flies out of the captain;s hands and hits the wall behind the now fallen miners, skittering away into the darkness with a loud crash that reverberates throughout the cavern. However, even as the hammer comes to a shuddering halt on the other side of the miners, the noise goes on. Louder and louder above the questor’s heads as the roof of the mineshaft begins to shake violently, sending cascades of dust down upon them as Hades brings down his wrath upon everyone present. This tunnel is going to collapse. Perhaps even @phaedra can notice the crack forming in the wall where the hammer struck, growing larger with every passing second as @timaeus and @valerius rush out of the room where they were held.
Having only seconds to make a decision, @damocles must choose which path the group must take: something he must do amid the shuddering breaths of exhausting -- the price that he paid for wielding the hammer and killing two of the miners.
OPTIONS
1. Go left. Take the riskier, yet shorter path in moving past the crack in the cavern and hope that the eerie silence beyond will eventually lead to a way out.
2. Go right. Outrun the shaking roof and find shelter in the long passage with the faint echoes calling back to them from wherever this path may go.
With a single swing of his mighty, almost impossible-to-yield hammer, Damocles fended off the miners, showing the legendary strength that had been one of the most famous hallmarks of the Captain of the Damned. It was almost as if Hephaestus himself had compelled the Magnemean to fight, leaving behind a tremendous testament to his own raw might, one that very few men could ever come to hope to rival, let alone best. And, thought he was not a particularly bloodthirsty man, Damocles could not help grinning as he sent his enemies straight towards the domain of the Lord of the Underworld, satisfied that he had done a great deal of help in that moment.
Alas, his victory was not one to last. Even if he was a monstrously strong man, not even Damocles could hold on to that giant hammer for far too long. Once the adrenaline had died out, the bright-eyed man came to realize just how unwieldy the bloody thing truly was, causing him to loosen his grip as the enormous weapon flew off his hands, crashing unto the darkness of the cave with results that he had not fully intended for. Upon landing, it seemed as though the weight of the almost unmanageable hammer was enough to break through rock and stone, causing the weakened tunnel to rumble and quake in a matter that the Magnemean was all too familiar with. Fully aware of what was about to happen as the shoddy structural integrity of the mine began to give-in, Damocles was fast on his feet as he exited through the room with the group following suit.
In that moment however, be came upon a crossroads, one that split the path between left and right. Gods, what a time to make a decision like this! Regardless of the awkwardness of the whole thing, Damocles’s intuition told him that the best course of action was to head straight towards the right path. He could feel it in his bones that this was the proper direction for the group and himself, faintly recalling how they had gone down a similar turn once they were dragged down the mines. “Right!” He shouted, knowing that the militants could find shelter in the studier, but longer passage. With his decision made, he ran towards the connecting tunnel, faintly hearing the almost phantom-like echoes of voices that called him forth in a mysterious, but, probably safer way.
Regardless of the decision he took, Damocles knew that the rest of the men who had forced them down the mines would be too occupied with the incoming cave-in, handling that situation before once more focusing on the escaping soldiers that had somehow managed to evade the thralls of almost certain danger. “Move! Move! Move! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” He snarled at the group, momentarily taking the reins of leadership as he tried to make sure that everyone that mattered was around him as he pressed forward in the hopes that those feint voices he heard were not of foes, but of friends.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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With a single swing of his mighty, almost impossible-to-yield hammer, Damocles fended off the miners, showing the legendary strength that had been one of the most famous hallmarks of the Captain of the Damned. It was almost as if Hephaestus himself had compelled the Magnemean to fight, leaving behind a tremendous testament to his own raw might, one that very few men could ever come to hope to rival, let alone best. And, thought he was not a particularly bloodthirsty man, Damocles could not help grinning as he sent his enemies straight towards the domain of the Lord of the Underworld, satisfied that he had done a great deal of help in that moment.
Alas, his victory was not one to last. Even if he was a monstrously strong man, not even Damocles could hold on to that giant hammer for far too long. Once the adrenaline had died out, the bright-eyed man came to realize just how unwieldy the bloody thing truly was, causing him to loosen his grip as the enormous weapon flew off his hands, crashing unto the darkness of the cave with results that he had not fully intended for. Upon landing, it seemed as though the weight of the almost unmanageable hammer was enough to break through rock and stone, causing the weakened tunnel to rumble and quake in a matter that the Magnemean was all too familiar with. Fully aware of what was about to happen as the shoddy structural integrity of the mine began to give-in, Damocles was fast on his feet as he exited through the room with the group following suit.
In that moment however, be came upon a crossroads, one that split the path between left and right. Gods, what a time to make a decision like this! Regardless of the awkwardness of the whole thing, Damocles’s intuition told him that the best course of action was to head straight towards the right path. He could feel it in his bones that this was the proper direction for the group and himself, faintly recalling how they had gone down a similar turn once they were dragged down the mines. “Right!” He shouted, knowing that the militants could find shelter in the studier, but longer passage. With his decision made, he ran towards the connecting tunnel, faintly hearing the almost phantom-like echoes of voices that called him forth in a mysterious, but, probably safer way.
Regardless of the decision he took, Damocles knew that the rest of the men who had forced them down the mines would be too occupied with the incoming cave-in, handling that situation before once more focusing on the escaping soldiers that had somehow managed to evade the thralls of almost certain danger. “Move! Move! Move! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” He snarled at the group, momentarily taking the reins of leadership as he tried to make sure that everyone that mattered was around him as he pressed forward in the hopes that those feint voices he heard were not of foes, but of friends.
With a single swing of his mighty, almost impossible-to-yield hammer, Damocles fended off the miners, showing the legendary strength that had been one of the most famous hallmarks of the Captain of the Damned. It was almost as if Hephaestus himself had compelled the Magnemean to fight, leaving behind a tremendous testament to his own raw might, one that very few men could ever come to hope to rival, let alone best. And, thought he was not a particularly bloodthirsty man, Damocles could not help grinning as he sent his enemies straight towards the domain of the Lord of the Underworld, satisfied that he had done a great deal of help in that moment.
Alas, his victory was not one to last. Even if he was a monstrously strong man, not even Damocles could hold on to that giant hammer for far too long. Once the adrenaline had died out, the bright-eyed man came to realize just how unwieldy the bloody thing truly was, causing him to loosen his grip as the enormous weapon flew off his hands, crashing unto the darkness of the cave with results that he had not fully intended for. Upon landing, it seemed as though the weight of the almost unmanageable hammer was enough to break through rock and stone, causing the weakened tunnel to rumble and quake in a matter that the Magnemean was all too familiar with. Fully aware of what was about to happen as the shoddy structural integrity of the mine began to give-in, Damocles was fast on his feet as he exited through the room with the group following suit.
In that moment however, be came upon a crossroads, one that split the path between left and right. Gods, what a time to make a decision like this! Regardless of the awkwardness of the whole thing, Damocles’s intuition told him that the best course of action was to head straight towards the right path. He could feel it in his bones that this was the proper direction for the group and himself, faintly recalling how they had gone down a similar turn once they were dragged down the mines. “Right!” He shouted, knowing that the militants could find shelter in the studier, but longer passage. With his decision made, he ran towards the connecting tunnel, faintly hearing the almost phantom-like echoes of voices that called him forth in a mysterious, but, probably safer way.
Regardless of the decision he took, Damocles knew that the rest of the men who had forced them down the mines would be too occupied with the incoming cave-in, handling that situation before once more focusing on the escaping soldiers that had somehow managed to evade the thralls of almost certain danger. “Move! Move! Move! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” He snarled at the group, momentarily taking the reins of leadership as he tried to make sure that everyone that mattered was around him as he pressed forward in the hopes that those feint voices he heard were not of foes, but of friends.
Outcome Bring Back Its Head
As @damocles chooses the right pathway, the roof of the left tunnel begins to collapse, forcing the group to follow the Drakos captain. Bits of debris come crashing down around them, scraping any unexposed skin before the group barrels forward into a new room, larger than both the tunnel and their previous prison. Noticing a small alcove, the group ducks into this small place to decide what to do next without being noticed by the source of the noise they had heard earlier. There are three miners hard at work, scraping at the rockface with their pickaxes, who have not noticed the escaped prisoners. Even though the group only got a brief glimpse of their new obstacle, it is painfully obvious that they are younger than the other miners that they have crossed paths with previously. It seems to be that the tunnel system continues past these miners...
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
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As @damocles chooses the right pathway, the roof of the left tunnel begins to collapse, forcing the group to follow the Drakos captain. Bits of debris come crashing down around them, scraping any unexposed skin before the group barrels forward into a new room, larger than both the tunnel and their previous prison. Noticing a small alcove, the group ducks into this small place to decide what to do next without being noticed by the source of the noise they had heard earlier. There are three miners hard at work, scraping at the rockface with their pickaxes, who have not noticed the escaped prisoners. Even though the group only got a brief glimpse of their new obstacle, it is painfully obvious that they are younger than the other miners that they have crossed paths with previously. It seems to be that the tunnel system continues past these miners...
Outcome Bring Back Its Head
As @damocles chooses the right pathway, the roof of the left tunnel begins to collapse, forcing the group to follow the Drakos captain. Bits of debris come crashing down around them, scraping any unexposed skin before the group barrels forward into a new room, larger than both the tunnel and their previous prison. Noticing a small alcove, the group ducks into this small place to decide what to do next without being noticed by the source of the noise they had heard earlier. There are three miners hard at work, scraping at the rockface with their pickaxes, who have not noticed the escaped prisoners. Even though the group only got a brief glimpse of their new obstacle, it is painfully obvious that they are younger than the other miners that they have crossed paths with previously. It seems to be that the tunnel system continues past these miners...
As the group ran for their lives, Timaeus’s head was pounding. It was utterly impossible to ignore the steady thrum of his own heartbeat as it echoed loudly against his skull, right where he had been struck earlier by the miner who had caught him. Even though he was getting used to the pain, making it an almost steady buzz in the wake of this short-lived burst of adrenaline, Timaeus couldn’t do anything about nausea that was creeping up within him. The boy might not have been physically able to feel the pain as his feet beat against the ground, pummeling him forward to outrun the rocks crashing down behind him, but his head certainly still could. Through the faint glimmers of light elsewhere, the sixteen-year-old could see that there were spots in his vision as the group moved forward -- probably brought on by the struggle of his sore brain needing to keep up with all his senses were experiencing amid the sheer terror that gripped Timaeus’s chest. The baron’s boy could almost feel the bile rising up in his throat, but he forced himself to push past it. There was no time for him to vomit. If he stopped to upchuck, he would most certainly be killed.
It also helped that Timaeus had managed to worm his way into the middle of the pack as they raced down the right hallways. He didn’t know how he managed it, but the two other men had taken the lead as they barrelled along. He wasn’t sure which man was where, but the bulky outlines in front of him made it clear that Damo and Valerius were ahead of him at least. From somewhere behind him, Timaeus could hear the two women in their party. He didn’t dare try to look back and make sure that they were alright, but if the steady thrum of boots on dirt was anything to go by, he could tell that they were right on his heels. That was the only thing pushing him forward as the world came crumbling down around them. After all, if he stopped or faltered for even a moment, all three of them taking up the rear would be crushed to death. He might not have known any of them within this party, but he could at least tell that he would have no rest in the afterlife if that were to happen.
So, no matter how much it hurt, Timaeus kept running. He needed to keep one foot moving in front of the other until finally, the crashing noise behind them came to an earth-shattering halt. Timaeus didn’t even realize that this had happened at first, the ringing in his ears from it all had been so deafening that if the group hadn’t stepped into an entirely different room he might have kept running. Luckily that wasn’t a detail that even he could overlook as suddenly the cramped tunnel gave way to a larger cavern, echoing back at them the noises they had heard earlier. Even though his vision was swimming to the point where Tim temporarily had to fall to his knees to keep himself from vomiting once the group had hidden in a darker corner; the boy could clearly see that those distorted echoes had been the sound of pickaxes on the rock face, further down within the cave. He thought he saw three men wielding what could easily be makeshift weapons. The other members of the group would have a better view than he did, but he could see enough to get the rusty gears in his brain turning enough to realize that if the group wanted to stand a chance of getting out of here, but also not committing the same mistake as earlier because these miner’s tools looked far easier for the group to carry. Timaeus figured that if they were going to stand a chance they would probably need to get their hands on these weapons. Glancing around at the others, he motioned to the new set of enemies, trying to get the attention of his party without alerting the miners up ahead.
However, as his vision cleared up a bit with the steady surroundings, Timaeus noticed something that made all the color drain from his face. These miners were nothing like the men that had taken him hostage in that first cave nor were they like the ones that had been killed just a few moments ago…. these miners were boys. He couldn’t make out specific details in the murky darkness, but Timaeus could recognize the detail of lanky frames and loose-fitting clothes that mothers hoped they would grow into soon enough. The people up ahead weren’t just miners, they were boys. Even from this distance, Timaeus could see the familiar features that marked this awkward period of life, some of which could have been reflected within his own reflection. They couldn’t have been much older than himself.
A sudden look of horror crossed his face as this little tidbit sunk in and he glanced back over at the others. He knew what sort of plan was formulating in their minds as Timaeus had just been considering it a moment ago too, but the mere fact that the boys were his age changed everything. If this group was not above killing boys, what did that mean for Timaeus, an injured outsider who would most likely slow everyone else down?
Would they kill him too?
“We can’t kill them.” He hastily said, not daring to bring his voice above a whisper as he frantically shifted his gaze between the other members of the party, silently pleading for them to show mercy. They needed the weapons, but this was not the method that they needed to partake in to get them. His gaze specifically lingered on Valerius, the man who had taken the time to free Timaeus from the previous cave, practically begging him to spare these boys just as he had done for this little lord who was desperately trying to hold back a horrible cough that could alert the teens that they were not alone in the cave. “There has to be another way.”
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Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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As the group ran for their lives, Timaeus’s head was pounding. It was utterly impossible to ignore the steady thrum of his own heartbeat as it echoed loudly against his skull, right where he had been struck earlier by the miner who had caught him. Even though he was getting used to the pain, making it an almost steady buzz in the wake of this short-lived burst of adrenaline, Timaeus couldn’t do anything about nausea that was creeping up within him. The boy might not have been physically able to feel the pain as his feet beat against the ground, pummeling him forward to outrun the rocks crashing down behind him, but his head certainly still could. Through the faint glimmers of light elsewhere, the sixteen-year-old could see that there were spots in his vision as the group moved forward -- probably brought on by the struggle of his sore brain needing to keep up with all his senses were experiencing amid the sheer terror that gripped Timaeus’s chest. The baron’s boy could almost feel the bile rising up in his throat, but he forced himself to push past it. There was no time for him to vomit. If he stopped to upchuck, he would most certainly be killed.
It also helped that Timaeus had managed to worm his way into the middle of the pack as they raced down the right hallways. He didn’t know how he managed it, but the two other men had taken the lead as they barrelled along. He wasn’t sure which man was where, but the bulky outlines in front of him made it clear that Damo and Valerius were ahead of him at least. From somewhere behind him, Timaeus could hear the two women in their party. He didn’t dare try to look back and make sure that they were alright, but if the steady thrum of boots on dirt was anything to go by, he could tell that they were right on his heels. That was the only thing pushing him forward as the world came crumbling down around them. After all, if he stopped or faltered for even a moment, all three of them taking up the rear would be crushed to death. He might not have known any of them within this party, but he could at least tell that he would have no rest in the afterlife if that were to happen.
So, no matter how much it hurt, Timaeus kept running. He needed to keep one foot moving in front of the other until finally, the crashing noise behind them came to an earth-shattering halt. Timaeus didn’t even realize that this had happened at first, the ringing in his ears from it all had been so deafening that if the group hadn’t stepped into an entirely different room he might have kept running. Luckily that wasn’t a detail that even he could overlook as suddenly the cramped tunnel gave way to a larger cavern, echoing back at them the noises they had heard earlier. Even though his vision was swimming to the point where Tim temporarily had to fall to his knees to keep himself from vomiting once the group had hidden in a darker corner; the boy could clearly see that those distorted echoes had been the sound of pickaxes on the rock face, further down within the cave. He thought he saw three men wielding what could easily be makeshift weapons. The other members of the group would have a better view than he did, but he could see enough to get the rusty gears in his brain turning enough to realize that if the group wanted to stand a chance of getting out of here, but also not committing the same mistake as earlier because these miner’s tools looked far easier for the group to carry. Timaeus figured that if they were going to stand a chance they would probably need to get their hands on these weapons. Glancing around at the others, he motioned to the new set of enemies, trying to get the attention of his party without alerting the miners up ahead.
However, as his vision cleared up a bit with the steady surroundings, Timaeus noticed something that made all the color drain from his face. These miners were nothing like the men that had taken him hostage in that first cave nor were they like the ones that had been killed just a few moments ago…. these miners were boys. He couldn’t make out specific details in the murky darkness, but Timaeus could recognize the detail of lanky frames and loose-fitting clothes that mothers hoped they would grow into soon enough. The people up ahead weren’t just miners, they were boys. Even from this distance, Timaeus could see the familiar features that marked this awkward period of life, some of which could have been reflected within his own reflection. They couldn’t have been much older than himself.
A sudden look of horror crossed his face as this little tidbit sunk in and he glanced back over at the others. He knew what sort of plan was formulating in their minds as Timaeus had just been considering it a moment ago too, but the mere fact that the boys were his age changed everything. If this group was not above killing boys, what did that mean for Timaeus, an injured outsider who would most likely slow everyone else down?
Would they kill him too?
“We can’t kill them.” He hastily said, not daring to bring his voice above a whisper as he frantically shifted his gaze between the other members of the party, silently pleading for them to show mercy. They needed the weapons, but this was not the method that they needed to partake in to get them. His gaze specifically lingered on Valerius, the man who had taken the time to free Timaeus from the previous cave, practically begging him to spare these boys just as he had done for this little lord who was desperately trying to hold back a horrible cough that could alert the teens that they were not alone in the cave. “There has to be another way.”
As the group ran for their lives, Timaeus’s head was pounding. It was utterly impossible to ignore the steady thrum of his own heartbeat as it echoed loudly against his skull, right where he had been struck earlier by the miner who had caught him. Even though he was getting used to the pain, making it an almost steady buzz in the wake of this short-lived burst of adrenaline, Timaeus couldn’t do anything about nausea that was creeping up within him. The boy might not have been physically able to feel the pain as his feet beat against the ground, pummeling him forward to outrun the rocks crashing down behind him, but his head certainly still could. Through the faint glimmers of light elsewhere, the sixteen-year-old could see that there were spots in his vision as the group moved forward -- probably brought on by the struggle of his sore brain needing to keep up with all his senses were experiencing amid the sheer terror that gripped Timaeus’s chest. The baron’s boy could almost feel the bile rising up in his throat, but he forced himself to push past it. There was no time for him to vomit. If he stopped to upchuck, he would most certainly be killed.
It also helped that Timaeus had managed to worm his way into the middle of the pack as they raced down the right hallways. He didn’t know how he managed it, but the two other men had taken the lead as they barrelled along. He wasn’t sure which man was where, but the bulky outlines in front of him made it clear that Damo and Valerius were ahead of him at least. From somewhere behind him, Timaeus could hear the two women in their party. He didn’t dare try to look back and make sure that they were alright, but if the steady thrum of boots on dirt was anything to go by, he could tell that they were right on his heels. That was the only thing pushing him forward as the world came crumbling down around them. After all, if he stopped or faltered for even a moment, all three of them taking up the rear would be crushed to death. He might not have known any of them within this party, but he could at least tell that he would have no rest in the afterlife if that were to happen.
So, no matter how much it hurt, Timaeus kept running. He needed to keep one foot moving in front of the other until finally, the crashing noise behind them came to an earth-shattering halt. Timaeus didn’t even realize that this had happened at first, the ringing in his ears from it all had been so deafening that if the group hadn’t stepped into an entirely different room he might have kept running. Luckily that wasn’t a detail that even he could overlook as suddenly the cramped tunnel gave way to a larger cavern, echoing back at them the noises they had heard earlier. Even though his vision was swimming to the point where Tim temporarily had to fall to his knees to keep himself from vomiting once the group had hidden in a darker corner; the boy could clearly see that those distorted echoes had been the sound of pickaxes on the rock face, further down within the cave. He thought he saw three men wielding what could easily be makeshift weapons. The other members of the group would have a better view than he did, but he could see enough to get the rusty gears in his brain turning enough to realize that if the group wanted to stand a chance of getting out of here, but also not committing the same mistake as earlier because these miner’s tools looked far easier for the group to carry. Timaeus figured that if they were going to stand a chance they would probably need to get their hands on these weapons. Glancing around at the others, he motioned to the new set of enemies, trying to get the attention of his party without alerting the miners up ahead.
However, as his vision cleared up a bit with the steady surroundings, Timaeus noticed something that made all the color drain from his face. These miners were nothing like the men that had taken him hostage in that first cave nor were they like the ones that had been killed just a few moments ago…. these miners were boys. He couldn’t make out specific details in the murky darkness, but Timaeus could recognize the detail of lanky frames and loose-fitting clothes that mothers hoped they would grow into soon enough. The people up ahead weren’t just miners, they were boys. Even from this distance, Timaeus could see the familiar features that marked this awkward period of life, some of which could have been reflected within his own reflection. They couldn’t have been much older than himself.
A sudden look of horror crossed his face as this little tidbit sunk in and he glanced back over at the others. He knew what sort of plan was formulating in their minds as Timaeus had just been considering it a moment ago too, but the mere fact that the boys were his age changed everything. If this group was not above killing boys, what did that mean for Timaeus, an injured outsider who would most likely slow everyone else down?
Would they kill him too?
“We can’t kill them.” He hastily said, not daring to bring his voice above a whisper as he frantically shifted his gaze between the other members of the party, silently pleading for them to show mercy. They needed the weapons, but this was not the method that they needed to partake in to get them. His gaze specifically lingered on Valerius, the man who had taken the time to free Timaeus from the previous cave, practically begging him to spare these boys just as he had done for this little lord who was desperately trying to hold back a horrible cough that could alert the teens that they were not alone in the cave. “There has to be another way.”
Everything that happened after burning everyone’s ropes away, had happened in a blur for the twenty-four-year-old Thanasi Captain. Val was splattered with the blood of the miner he’d stabbed in the neck. Damocles had wielded a massive hammer to devastating effect on two more men – now the captain from Magnemea was out of breath and weakened from the effort. That same hammer had flown from Damocles’ grasp and slammed into the wall of the tunnel outside their makeshift prison cell, resulting in a fracture of the wall that sent reverberations traveling through the ground. Then everything was rushed, and panicked, and desperate as everyone rushed from the room and into the tunnel. Damocles had made a hurried decision to run to the right. The debris increased from the left-side ceilings, forcing everyone else to trail after the man even as he called for them to hurry. Val’s long running strides quickly brought him into the lead with the winded Damocles, despite the other captain’s head start. He could hear the pounding of feet from the women and the boy behind them, but Val didn’t dare risk looking back. One misstep, one hesitation, and more than just his life would be at stake. The echoing crash of dirt and stone resounded behind them, shaking the ground. Valerius ran on, praying that everyone was still behind him, for he’d overtaken even Damocles by now.
Moments later, the group exited the narrower tunnel and came into a wider more expansive cavern. The sounds they’d heard earlier could not be seen to be the strike of pickaxe against stone, and the voices of three teenage boys. The questers hunkered down in a darker alcove of the room to catch their breath and regroup. Val, heart thumping and adrenaline filling his veins, now took stock of those with him. Everyone seemed to have made it out of the collapse safely, though the boy was now on his knees and looking quite green. He followed Timaeus’ gaze to the miners across the cavern though; they needed those pickaxes. At least until they recovered their proper weapons that had been taken from them. The three miners were young, could be easily overpowered by the four experienced fighters.
’We can’t kill them. There has to be another way.’
Valerius’ gaze was drawn back to the boy he’d pulled along with him from the room in which they’d held prisoner. Val could have left him there, could have only worried for those he’d gotten into this mess with. But Val had gone back for the young lord out of a fatherly compassion brought on by a though of his own little boy. Val saw the uncertainty, the hit of fear in Tim’s eyes as he looked up at Valerius, willing the captain that had saved him to find another way to dispatch the young miners. Val looked again to the enemies in the room and felt himself nodding, agreeing. ”No one else need die today, not unless it is entirely unavoidable,” he whispered back. Val looked around at his other three comrades, giving them pointed looks that silently asked them to follow his lead. They could subdue these foes without much if any bloodshed. He was sure of it. But Val had an idea that may well get these boys running out of the mine altogether, showing them a path to the surface. He motioned for his comrades to stay hidden but to be ready to spring to his aid if his plan was not successful. Valerius patted Timaeus on the shoulder, a gesture that said ”Stay here.” Then Val stepped forward, doing the best imitation of a shaken and worried miner as he could – it helped that his heart was racing and he was actually a bit shaken with how close they had come to being crushed under a ton of rock. He played into that, allowing a bit of the weakness of fear to creep into his voice and to cloud his features. ”The tunnel…” he panted, ”The tunnel collapsed behind me! You need to get out of here. Drop your tools. Go!” He hoped that the fear of exposure to possible bad air exposed from the cave-in would send these young miners running for the exit. Then Val and the rest of his group could scoop up their discarded tools as weapons, and then follow the sounds of their boys' running feet at a distance and find their way out of this damnable mine!
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Everything that happened after burning everyone’s ropes away, had happened in a blur for the twenty-four-year-old Thanasi Captain. Val was splattered with the blood of the miner he’d stabbed in the neck. Damocles had wielded a massive hammer to devastating effect on two more men – now the captain from Magnemea was out of breath and weakened from the effort. That same hammer had flown from Damocles’ grasp and slammed into the wall of the tunnel outside their makeshift prison cell, resulting in a fracture of the wall that sent reverberations traveling through the ground. Then everything was rushed, and panicked, and desperate as everyone rushed from the room and into the tunnel. Damocles had made a hurried decision to run to the right. The debris increased from the left-side ceilings, forcing everyone else to trail after the man even as he called for them to hurry. Val’s long running strides quickly brought him into the lead with the winded Damocles, despite the other captain’s head start. He could hear the pounding of feet from the women and the boy behind them, but Val didn’t dare risk looking back. One misstep, one hesitation, and more than just his life would be at stake. The echoing crash of dirt and stone resounded behind them, shaking the ground. Valerius ran on, praying that everyone was still behind him, for he’d overtaken even Damocles by now.
Moments later, the group exited the narrower tunnel and came into a wider more expansive cavern. The sounds they’d heard earlier could not be seen to be the strike of pickaxe against stone, and the voices of three teenage boys. The questers hunkered down in a darker alcove of the room to catch their breath and regroup. Val, heart thumping and adrenaline filling his veins, now took stock of those with him. Everyone seemed to have made it out of the collapse safely, though the boy was now on his knees and looking quite green. He followed Timaeus’ gaze to the miners across the cavern though; they needed those pickaxes. At least until they recovered their proper weapons that had been taken from them. The three miners were young, could be easily overpowered by the four experienced fighters.
’We can’t kill them. There has to be another way.’
Valerius’ gaze was drawn back to the boy he’d pulled along with him from the room in which they’d held prisoner. Val could have left him there, could have only worried for those he’d gotten into this mess with. But Val had gone back for the young lord out of a fatherly compassion brought on by a though of his own little boy. Val saw the uncertainty, the hit of fear in Tim’s eyes as he looked up at Valerius, willing the captain that had saved him to find another way to dispatch the young miners. Val looked again to the enemies in the room and felt himself nodding, agreeing. ”No one else need die today, not unless it is entirely unavoidable,” he whispered back. Val looked around at his other three comrades, giving them pointed looks that silently asked them to follow his lead. They could subdue these foes without much if any bloodshed. He was sure of it. But Val had an idea that may well get these boys running out of the mine altogether, showing them a path to the surface. He motioned for his comrades to stay hidden but to be ready to spring to his aid if his plan was not successful. Valerius patted Timaeus on the shoulder, a gesture that said ”Stay here.” Then Val stepped forward, doing the best imitation of a shaken and worried miner as he could – it helped that his heart was racing and he was actually a bit shaken with how close they had come to being crushed under a ton of rock. He played into that, allowing a bit of the weakness of fear to creep into his voice and to cloud his features. ”The tunnel…” he panted, ”The tunnel collapsed behind me! You need to get out of here. Drop your tools. Go!” He hoped that the fear of exposure to possible bad air exposed from the cave-in would send these young miners running for the exit. Then Val and the rest of his group could scoop up their discarded tools as weapons, and then follow the sounds of their boys' running feet at a distance and find their way out of this damnable mine!
Everything that happened after burning everyone’s ropes away, had happened in a blur for the twenty-four-year-old Thanasi Captain. Val was splattered with the blood of the miner he’d stabbed in the neck. Damocles had wielded a massive hammer to devastating effect on two more men – now the captain from Magnemea was out of breath and weakened from the effort. That same hammer had flown from Damocles’ grasp and slammed into the wall of the tunnel outside their makeshift prison cell, resulting in a fracture of the wall that sent reverberations traveling through the ground. Then everything was rushed, and panicked, and desperate as everyone rushed from the room and into the tunnel. Damocles had made a hurried decision to run to the right. The debris increased from the left-side ceilings, forcing everyone else to trail after the man even as he called for them to hurry. Val’s long running strides quickly brought him into the lead with the winded Damocles, despite the other captain’s head start. He could hear the pounding of feet from the women and the boy behind them, but Val didn’t dare risk looking back. One misstep, one hesitation, and more than just his life would be at stake. The echoing crash of dirt and stone resounded behind them, shaking the ground. Valerius ran on, praying that everyone was still behind him, for he’d overtaken even Damocles by now.
Moments later, the group exited the narrower tunnel and came into a wider more expansive cavern. The sounds they’d heard earlier could not be seen to be the strike of pickaxe against stone, and the voices of three teenage boys. The questers hunkered down in a darker alcove of the room to catch their breath and regroup. Val, heart thumping and adrenaline filling his veins, now took stock of those with him. Everyone seemed to have made it out of the collapse safely, though the boy was now on his knees and looking quite green. He followed Timaeus’ gaze to the miners across the cavern though; they needed those pickaxes. At least until they recovered their proper weapons that had been taken from them. The three miners were young, could be easily overpowered by the four experienced fighters.
’We can’t kill them. There has to be another way.’
Valerius’ gaze was drawn back to the boy he’d pulled along with him from the room in which they’d held prisoner. Val could have left him there, could have only worried for those he’d gotten into this mess with. But Val had gone back for the young lord out of a fatherly compassion brought on by a though of his own little boy. Val saw the uncertainty, the hit of fear in Tim’s eyes as he looked up at Valerius, willing the captain that had saved him to find another way to dispatch the young miners. Val looked again to the enemies in the room and felt himself nodding, agreeing. ”No one else need die today, not unless it is entirely unavoidable,” he whispered back. Val looked around at his other three comrades, giving them pointed looks that silently asked them to follow his lead. They could subdue these foes without much if any bloodshed. He was sure of it. But Val had an idea that may well get these boys running out of the mine altogether, showing them a path to the surface. He motioned for his comrades to stay hidden but to be ready to spring to his aid if his plan was not successful. Valerius patted Timaeus on the shoulder, a gesture that said ”Stay here.” Then Val stepped forward, doing the best imitation of a shaken and worried miner as he could – it helped that his heart was racing and he was actually a bit shaken with how close they had come to being crushed under a ton of rock. He played into that, allowing a bit of the weakness of fear to creep into his voice and to cloud his features. ”The tunnel…” he panted, ”The tunnel collapsed behind me! You need to get out of here. Drop your tools. Go!” He hoped that the fear of exposure to possible bad air exposed from the cave-in would send these young miners running for the exit. Then Val and the rest of his group could scoop up their discarded tools as weapons, and then follow the sounds of their boys' running feet at a distance and find their way out of this damnable mine!
Phaedra was glad that Valerius had understood her orders. She had managed to buy them a bit of time with their coughing fit, but it hadn’t been enough. At least, it hadn’t been enough to allow them to escape unnoticed. The attack, however, had at least given her enough time to finally work out the knots holding her and Zosime’s hands to the post in front of her. She wasn’t about to waste her advantage to spring into action, but Zosi wasn’t so inclined. She jumped immediately into action. She had somehow managed to find a spare chisel on the floor as Damocles had suggested they might, she launched herself towards the miners who were coming to investigate their strangled friend.
Zosime was too late, however, Damocles had managed to find a heavy hammer and made short work of those first two guards. Now they only had to find their way out of here. The other man who was not in their party, he had to have been in the mines longer than them and he claimed to know the way out. They had nothing to do but follow his suggestion to get out of their current location and keep moving.
If that weren’t enough, the tunnels began to crumble around them. Damocles, who had fought past the earlier guards with the hammer found himself in the lead of the party, and directed them down a path to the right. In the heat of the moment, there was nothing to do but follow his instructions. All Phaedra could do is act on instinct, and that instinct said that she would be damned if she was going to die in such a pathetic way. No way was she going to go out being crushed to death by a mountain of all things.
Phaedra could almost feel Zosime’s rage simmering as they attempted to negotiate with the miners so that they didn’t have to fight them, but this wasn’t a war, they weren’t all enemies. They were on the same side, at least in theory. “We try this way first,” Phaedra said quietly to her friend. “If they’re uncooperative, then we give them hell,” Phaedra added with a grin. These people got one chance as far as she was concerned. If they weren’t going to get out of the way, then she was going to make them get out of the way.
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Phaedra was glad that Valerius had understood her orders. She had managed to buy them a bit of time with their coughing fit, but it hadn’t been enough. At least, it hadn’t been enough to allow them to escape unnoticed. The attack, however, had at least given her enough time to finally work out the knots holding her and Zosime’s hands to the post in front of her. She wasn’t about to waste her advantage to spring into action, but Zosi wasn’t so inclined. She jumped immediately into action. She had somehow managed to find a spare chisel on the floor as Damocles had suggested they might, she launched herself towards the miners who were coming to investigate their strangled friend.
Zosime was too late, however, Damocles had managed to find a heavy hammer and made short work of those first two guards. Now they only had to find their way out of here. The other man who was not in their party, he had to have been in the mines longer than them and he claimed to know the way out. They had nothing to do but follow his suggestion to get out of their current location and keep moving.
If that weren’t enough, the tunnels began to crumble around them. Damocles, who had fought past the earlier guards with the hammer found himself in the lead of the party, and directed them down a path to the right. In the heat of the moment, there was nothing to do but follow his instructions. All Phaedra could do is act on instinct, and that instinct said that she would be damned if she was going to die in such a pathetic way. No way was she going to go out being crushed to death by a mountain of all things.
Phaedra could almost feel Zosime’s rage simmering as they attempted to negotiate with the miners so that they didn’t have to fight them, but this wasn’t a war, they weren’t all enemies. They were on the same side, at least in theory. “We try this way first,” Phaedra said quietly to her friend. “If they’re uncooperative, then we give them hell,” Phaedra added with a grin. These people got one chance as far as she was concerned. If they weren’t going to get out of the way, then she was going to make them get out of the way.
Phaedra was glad that Valerius had understood her orders. She had managed to buy them a bit of time with their coughing fit, but it hadn’t been enough. At least, it hadn’t been enough to allow them to escape unnoticed. The attack, however, had at least given her enough time to finally work out the knots holding her and Zosime’s hands to the post in front of her. She wasn’t about to waste her advantage to spring into action, but Zosi wasn’t so inclined. She jumped immediately into action. She had somehow managed to find a spare chisel on the floor as Damocles had suggested they might, she launched herself towards the miners who were coming to investigate their strangled friend.
Zosime was too late, however, Damocles had managed to find a heavy hammer and made short work of those first two guards. Now they only had to find their way out of here. The other man who was not in their party, he had to have been in the mines longer than them and he claimed to know the way out. They had nothing to do but follow his suggestion to get out of their current location and keep moving.
If that weren’t enough, the tunnels began to crumble around them. Damocles, who had fought past the earlier guards with the hammer found himself in the lead of the party, and directed them down a path to the right. In the heat of the moment, there was nothing to do but follow his instructions. All Phaedra could do is act on instinct, and that instinct said that she would be damned if she was going to die in such a pathetic way. No way was she going to go out being crushed to death by a mountain of all things.
Phaedra could almost feel Zosime’s rage simmering as they attempted to negotiate with the miners so that they didn’t have to fight them, but this wasn’t a war, they weren’t all enemies. They were on the same side, at least in theory. “We try this way first,” Phaedra said quietly to her friend. “If they’re uncooperative, then we give them hell,” Phaedra added with a grin. These people got one chance as far as she was concerned. If they weren’t going to get out of the way, then she was going to make them get out of the way.
Finale Bring Back Its Head
When @valerius approaches the boys, there is a tense moment of the two parties just staring at each other as the miners are unsure what to think of this strange man coming up to tell them that there had been a cave-in. However, one glance at the blocked-up passageway convinces them to not question why they’ve never seen Valerius before as they all suddenly drop their tools and run towards what they think is the nearest exit with Valerius hot on their heels.
The rest of the party follows them, only pausing to pick up the pickaxes that the teenage boys left behind as some sort of weapon in case if they run into any more trouble. However, the path remains clear as the miners weave through the tangled web of mining shafts trying to find a way out. Being closer to the chatter than the others, Valerius would overhear the boys arguing about which paths to take as one by one they find their main exit routes being blocked by large piles of stone. It may not have seemed this way at first, but now it is more than apparent that the cave-in triggered by Damocles had blocked off the main route of escape. Tensions among both the miners and the questers begin to rise as the groups try to find their way out.
With the minutes quickly ticking by, Valerius slowly rejoins the other group as it will now be impossible for him to pass himself off as a miner without arousing suspicion. Now with the others, the group carefully follows the teens as they make their way through the maze of halls before finally, the sound of other voices comes into earshot.
It is more miners, greeting the teens up ahead. Both groups pause, the questors shrouded in darkness as a spare pickaxe is shoved into Valerius’s hands. Although the group cannot hear everything that is being said, they can understand the main point of discussion that is occurring just up ahead. The one collapsed tunnel triggered a massive cave-in throughout the whole mining shaft. A lone spare tunnel up ahead seems to be the only exit and the older miners are the only ones coming down into the mines to look for survivors. Everyone else in the town has either been trapped down in the mines, died in the collapse, or have fled in fear that this might somehow be connected to the rumors that Prince Vangelis has been seen in the woods.
Being towards the front of the group, @phaedra can see the older men urge the boys to return to the surface before they continue their journey into the mines to look for survivors. The tunnel is narrow and there is no place to hide five well-built Colchians. @damocles counts three surviving miners. @valerius takes note of how these miners carry no tools -- unlike the rest of them who each have a pickaxe and nothing more. It will be an easy fight for the group to win and they will have to fight. There is no other way out.
Now it’s just a matter of who will take the first swing.
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
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When @valerius approaches the boys, there is a tense moment of the two parties just staring at each other as the miners are unsure what to think of this strange man coming up to tell them that there had been a cave-in. However, one glance at the blocked-up passageway convinces them to not question why they’ve never seen Valerius before as they all suddenly drop their tools and run towards what they think is the nearest exit with Valerius hot on their heels.
The rest of the party follows them, only pausing to pick up the pickaxes that the teenage boys left behind as some sort of weapon in case if they run into any more trouble. However, the path remains clear as the miners weave through the tangled web of mining shafts trying to find a way out. Being closer to the chatter than the others, Valerius would overhear the boys arguing about which paths to take as one by one they find their main exit routes being blocked by large piles of stone. It may not have seemed this way at first, but now it is more than apparent that the cave-in triggered by Damocles had blocked off the main route of escape. Tensions among both the miners and the questers begin to rise as the groups try to find their way out.
With the minutes quickly ticking by, Valerius slowly rejoins the other group as it will now be impossible for him to pass himself off as a miner without arousing suspicion. Now with the others, the group carefully follows the teens as they make their way through the maze of halls before finally, the sound of other voices comes into earshot.
It is more miners, greeting the teens up ahead. Both groups pause, the questors shrouded in darkness as a spare pickaxe is shoved into Valerius’s hands. Although the group cannot hear everything that is being said, they can understand the main point of discussion that is occurring just up ahead. The one collapsed tunnel triggered a massive cave-in throughout the whole mining shaft. A lone spare tunnel up ahead seems to be the only exit and the older miners are the only ones coming down into the mines to look for survivors. Everyone else in the town has either been trapped down in the mines, died in the collapse, or have fled in fear that this might somehow be connected to the rumors that Prince Vangelis has been seen in the woods.
Being towards the front of the group, @phaedra can see the older men urge the boys to return to the surface before they continue their journey into the mines to look for survivors. The tunnel is narrow and there is no place to hide five well-built Colchians. @damocles counts three surviving miners. @valerius takes note of how these miners carry no tools -- unlike the rest of them who each have a pickaxe and nothing more. It will be an easy fight for the group to win and they will have to fight. There is no other way out.
Now it’s just a matter of who will take the first swing.
Finale Bring Back Its Head
When @valerius approaches the boys, there is a tense moment of the two parties just staring at each other as the miners are unsure what to think of this strange man coming up to tell them that there had been a cave-in. However, one glance at the blocked-up passageway convinces them to not question why they’ve never seen Valerius before as they all suddenly drop their tools and run towards what they think is the nearest exit with Valerius hot on their heels.
The rest of the party follows them, only pausing to pick up the pickaxes that the teenage boys left behind as some sort of weapon in case if they run into any more trouble. However, the path remains clear as the miners weave through the tangled web of mining shafts trying to find a way out. Being closer to the chatter than the others, Valerius would overhear the boys arguing about which paths to take as one by one they find their main exit routes being blocked by large piles of stone. It may not have seemed this way at first, but now it is more than apparent that the cave-in triggered by Damocles had blocked off the main route of escape. Tensions among both the miners and the questers begin to rise as the groups try to find their way out.
With the minutes quickly ticking by, Valerius slowly rejoins the other group as it will now be impossible for him to pass himself off as a miner without arousing suspicion. Now with the others, the group carefully follows the teens as they make their way through the maze of halls before finally, the sound of other voices comes into earshot.
It is more miners, greeting the teens up ahead. Both groups pause, the questors shrouded in darkness as a spare pickaxe is shoved into Valerius’s hands. Although the group cannot hear everything that is being said, they can understand the main point of discussion that is occurring just up ahead. The one collapsed tunnel triggered a massive cave-in throughout the whole mining shaft. A lone spare tunnel up ahead seems to be the only exit and the older miners are the only ones coming down into the mines to look for survivors. Everyone else in the town has either been trapped down in the mines, died in the collapse, or have fled in fear that this might somehow be connected to the rumors that Prince Vangelis has been seen in the woods.
Being towards the front of the group, @phaedra can see the older men urge the boys to return to the surface before they continue their journey into the mines to look for survivors. The tunnel is narrow and there is no place to hide five well-built Colchians. @damocles counts three surviving miners. @valerius takes note of how these miners carry no tools -- unlike the rest of them who each have a pickaxe and nothing more. It will be an easy fight for the group to win and they will have to fight. There is no other way out.
Now it’s just a matter of who will take the first swing.
