Stylianos Crypt -- Navigation -- 12 Days of Christmas Event {Day 7} [Double Points]

It was cold… and the giant welcomed it. Snow fell from the heavens above and freezing temperatures touched the land around them. Melanthios knew well enough that they needed to watch themselves in this type of cold… built powerfully they might have been… but they were not invincible. Like any other wolf they could succumb to the cold, get sick, or even die from it.

Not to mention some of the other predators of the land seemed to be disturbed by the cold as well. A large, dark furred feline had been passed as Melanthios made their way into the crypt, fiery gaze thoughtfully analyzing them. The other seemed to be hunting… though whatever it was wasn’t really their concern.

Melanthios paused inside the crypt, shivering a bit. In here it was even colder than before, even if it was out of the wind. Gods, was there no escape from the cold? Their ears flicked back and the creature looked back out into the night. Did they have time to find another resting place? Perhaps… but maybe they could find something to make the best of this place. Some furs, perhaps…

Melanthios took a couple steps deeper into the unfamiliar territory, the hairs on the back of their neck on end. It smelled of rot and death… not exactly welcoming scents. There was also… blood? The memory of the feline flashed to mind again. Had it’s injured prey slipped in here?

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Having traveled for some time Leonce had reached the area that he thought was the east. It was starting to get dark and he needed to find a place to rest before he got caught out in the cold with no source of warmth. He spotted what he took to be a cave and started towards it. The smells of other wolves and strange animals mingled strongly here. He figured the cave would be a safe spot to stay the night. As he entered the cave it didn't take him long before he spotted a big red wolf that smelled vaguely female. This was the second wolf he had seen that had been this tall, was it possible that this land was made of giant wolves? no it wasn't the time for those thoughts, there were much more important matters at hand. Like why did the floor feel weird, this wasn't like any surface he had felt before. It was smooth instead of rough, It felt like if he started running he might trip. What was this place? "Hey this isn't a cave is it?" he directed his voice towards the red wolf. Maybe they would have the answers he was looking for.

The voice of a stranger broke into Melanthios’ thoughts. They turned their firey gaze to a smaller wolf, though honestly it seemed like just about everyone was much smaller than they were. Selective breeding in their line had produced a number of giants… and then there was their cousin who was smaller than even the wolf before them. Melanthios regarded them quietly for a couple seconds before allowing their voice, still a touch feminine, to rumble from their mouth. “No, definitely not a cave.” They replied. Their gaze swept the room, finding some things made of rotting wood strewn about here and there.

“It reminds me of something my mother once told me. A place made by creatures called Twolegs. They walked upright… and made all sorts of bizarre dens and such that no other beast could hope to make. They were… fascinating. Though from my understanding have been gone from this world for years.” Melanthios walked over to one of the boxes and pushed on it. The wood gave way, splintering with a flurry of dust.

“I think they call a place like this a crypt. A place where they bury their dead in mass.” The beast looked back to the stranger. “Care to explore it with me?” The thought of the feline was still on their mind. No doubt Mela could take it, but having company for a change might be nice. “Unless you’d rather not head deeper into a tomb.”

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The taller wolf confirmed leonce's suspicions, not a cave got it. They went on to talk about stories they had been told about Twolegs. He had never heard of Twolegs before, he wondered what would possess such beings to create places such as this. If he had the ability to make this kind of stuff he would use it to make things that were nice to look at not a place as dark and dingy as this one. As the other wolf walked around Leonce was more concerned about being polite. He stood and listened as the wolf talked. Sneezing as the dust from the wooden object went through the air. A crypt, it was certainly an interesting sounding name. He would have to try it out later to see if it was a word he could add into his mental word bank. It also made sense now that the crypt was so dreary, it was a place for the dead! Maybe he could find other structures made by these Twolegs that suited his taste more. The wolf asked him if he wanted to tag along in exploring the crypt. You bet he did! Leonce was ready to see what this place had in store, maybe he would find an old bone that he could carry around with him as some kind of souvenir. "Leonce's the name exploration's the game. It would be boring to not travel deeper." He assumed a leading position, he was having fun with this. He looked at the other wolf and gestured with his head into the darker parts of the crypt "let's go!" Leonce started to journey deeper into the crypt, not expecting anything surprising he went in head first with no bars held. He started off at what could be seen as a fast walk and saw an entryway into a different room. He turned the corner entering the room to see a bunch of symbols on the wall, what could they possibly mean? speech action

This stranger was different… though not really in a bad way. The scarred beast gave a nod as he introduced himself and committed the name to memory. “Leonce…” They whispered softly. “I am Melanthios Kedieo.” They had no problem letting him lead this exploration either, ears perked forward as they began to trail after him. The crypt was a strange place, sure, but at least it could provide some sort of way to pass the time. Even better if they both found something interesting to bring back out with them. But what they’d encounter next would leave Mela puzzled.

The red beast moved closer to the wall, their fiery eyes glowing somewhat as they observed the symbols on the wall. “Strange… these markings are quite bizarre.” They turned her head to the right and then the left, examining them. “Do you suppose they are trying to say something? A message left from the twolegs, perhaps?” Melanthios looked to Leonce, wondering what he might make of this.

When Leonce heard the other wolf provide a name he started trying to say it himself. "Mela...Melanth...Can  I call you Melan?" he would ask, if he could properly pronounce it he would but his tongue just didn't seem to want to co-operate. At the thoughts of Melan on the markings Leonce began thinking. He didn't know much about this concept of two legs but he seemed intrigued at the idea of them trying to leave a message. "What do you think the message could be? It's definitly a long one by the looks of it." Looking around the room he began to notice that there were some funnily shaped boxes. Each with their own set of markings, the boxes were different sizes and shapes. He grew curious about what was in them. walking up to a box and prodding it with his nose the box tipped over on its' side and sent insects scattering from underneath where the box was. He whispered a small "Sorry." in the direction of the bugs and looked at Melan to see what he had made of the situation. Leonce Ferret action