Into the Depths: Investigating the Shimmering Shore Tunnels (Group 3)

Fable had almost palpable relief when the large, gruff stranger took point. Stranger... had they met before? It had been so long since she'd been in Boreas, but she did recognize him. That was some small comfort and made it easier for her to immediately fall in line behind him. While she might be experienced barking orders at the head of a kitchen line, she was completely out of her element here. The kid that was stuck with them mouthed off to her, but she couldn't be bothered to respond - there were more important things at hand than keeping a child in line, hopefully she would fall in with the rest of them. Fable wasn't keen on the idea of chasing a kid around in the dark. Strange, how little fear she had, colored by youth and inexperience. Fearlessness made you careless and stupid.

That same fear drove her forward, scrambling over carcasses and bones. The rotting smell was foul, more than enough to turn her stomach. Although it was against instinct, she tried to breathe more through her more than her nose. It helped to avoid the smell of that doe's delicious blood, as much as her hunter's instinct begged her to turn and go for the kill. If they were trapped down here for so long... eventually they'd have to eat. For now, Fable avoided eye contact with the deer - really, she tried to avoid looking at her all together.

She glanced over at the smaller dark wolf who took up their flank, about to speak before the walls around them began to tremble again. "No, no, no, no..." she panted, splaying her legs and ducking down closer to the ground in order to steady herself as the world around them quaked and spun. The walls undulated next to her and Fable bit back a scream as rocks tumbled down around them as a result. She screwed up her eyes against the dust and scree, praying it would settle soon. She heard a few dull thuds that told her rocks had met flesh.

When the tremors subsided, she opened her eyes to see blood trickling from the back of Gilgamesh's head and Levi's ear torn open. The doe, herself, and the child were unscathed. Fable's muscles vibrated with adrenaline and she resisted the urge to just dash forward in the tunnels. "Are you dizzy, nauseous? Is your vision clear?" she asked Gil, her words quick and businesslike, covering the terror that coiled like a snake in her belly. Levi's ear was torn, but the injury seemed less severe. The dust had settled though, and it seemed there was no other choice but to keep moving forward. Fable trudged forward and paused for a moment by Gil. He seemed like a straight shooter, unwilling to accept help. Still, she offered: "I'll watch your back as we keep moving." Fable glanced around at everyone, her heart beating in her throat. Noor. I have to get back to Noor. Were these cave ins happening elsewhere?

"We have to keep going." With Noor in mind, Fable trudged forward, keeping her ears open wide for the sounds of the walls beginning to move again.

"Speech"