Tabula Rasa: Adventures In A New World Ch164: Finding Loot & Finally Leaving the Ruins

Countless glittering crystals cover the walls, ceiling, and floor. So are significantly smaller, like those of the crunchy carpet, while others are a fair bit bigger. But they are all beautiful and brilliant.

Beryl slowly shakes her head. “Ah take it tha’ ya’d like ta collect so o’ this stuff?” She doesn’t give her Draconic lover the chance to answer that, already knowing full well what Krvavy will say. “Then ya’d better do it now before the slis co back. It’d be a pain ta try breakin’ off pieces wit’ those blobs pesterin’ us.”

“Right...” Krvavy idly nods. “Can you hand the backpack?”

“No.” The Wood Elf denies the Drakling’s request, her voice firm and stern. “Ya can put wha’ever ya want inta it, but Ah’m not takin’ it off. Ah can ‘andle the extra weight. And, before ya try ta argue, just imagine ‘ow it’d feel ta ‘ave it pressin’ inta yer bruised back.”

As if to prove her sweet berry’s point, an aching pain pulses through the barbarian’s body from the simple act of taking a breath that is just a bit too deep.

“Fine...” Krvavy reluctantly sighs, already sweeping her gaze across the many crystals that they could take. Which all seem to be the sa as those clusters that they had passed on the floors above, according to Inspect. Slightly disappointing, but not unexpected. It would have been nice to find so fancier stuff down here...

Tiny little crystals are crushed underfoot as both of these adventurers advance towards the very center of this tower. Just a little further ahead, past a few shimring stalagmites, stands an incredibly thick pillar coated in layers of remarkably clear and transparent quartz. Like a moth to a fla, this greedy Dragon is drawn in by those perfect gems.

The tanned tomboy cautiously scans for even the slightest hint of danger that may lurk in this donut-shaped geode of a room. There are no threats to be found. The golem that they fought appears to have been one of a kind. “These crystals all look pretty nice.” She idly states, arms loosely crossed beneath her bark breastplate. “Probably because they don’t seem ta ‘ave used corpses as fertilizer.”

“Which is a little weird, to be honest...” Krvavy tenderly taps the edge of her oversized axe into the base of a large and particularly smooth chunk of quartz, carefully breaking it off.

“Ach, ‘avin’ crystals growin’ out o’ dead people is weird.” The tomboyish Elf clicks her tongue and shakes her head. “But Ah know wha’ ya an. All the others tha’ we’ve seen ‘ave been in clusters, except fer in ‘ere where they’re a bit more... evenly spread out. Suppose the thing tha’ nearly killed ya must’a been the source o’ all this...”

“Guess that makes sense.” Krvavy weakly shrugs her shoulders, placing the crystal she harvested into the backpack burdening her Beryl, before going back for more. “Still... What was this tower even used for? It’s pretty much empty, if you ignore all of this quartz...”

“Tha’ more or less describes this entire ruin.” Beryl plainly states, pulling a clump of freshly grown moss free from her armour and then passing it over to Krvavy. “Anythin’ o’ value would’a either been removed when this place was initially abandoned, or ‘as been looted in the countless years since tha’ ‘appened.”

The Drakling delicately places that natural padding between the first chunk she harvested and this second one, making sure that they won’t clink into each other and break or crack on the journey back. “What about the golem? That thing was almost certainly very valuable, and it was left behind as well.”

“My dearest love, ya’re asking a question whose answer ‘as been lost fer... a few thousand o’ years at least. We don’t know wha’ this place was. We don’t know wha’ ‘appened ‘ere. We’ll never know. All we can do is guess.”

“It’s just...”

“Disappointin’? Unsatisfyin’?” The Wood Elf glances back over her shoulder as another chunk of quartz is stored away in her bag. “Not all mysteries can be solved, my dearest love.”

A long and weary sigh passes through Krvavy parted lips. “Yeah, I know...”

Relative silence hangs in the stagnant air, interrupted only by the quiet tnk tnk of rough crystal chunks being chiselled free from where they have rested for who knows how many centuries.

“Now,” Beryl suddenly claps her hands together, the bag on her back heavy but far from being fully filled. “Would ya like ta ‘ave a slightly more thorough look around this room before we try ta uncover the stairs?” She asks, nodding her head towards the thick pillar that they are standing beside, which is presumably a stairwell. It is the only thing around here that could be hiding a way up to the next floor.

Krvavy can’t help but perk up a little. A part of her really does want to find so nice loot, even if the chances of that are pretty low. It would be nice to co back from this place with more than just so quartz. Especially after all of the boredom and pain she has endured on the way down here. “Sure.”

A part of her really does want to find so nice loot, even if the chances of that are pretty low. It would be nice to co back from this place with more than just so quartz for once. Especially after all of the boredom and pain she has endured on the way down here.

The carpet of little crystals crackle and crunch as Drakling and Wood Elf walk across it... which really isn’t the most comfortable thing to do. Not for Krvavy, at least.

On the opposite side of this tower, beyond that presud stairwell, stands a large tal door. One which has been functionally welded shut by rust and crystalline growths. How fortunate they are that the golem made its own doorway for them to use instead of leaving them to struggle with that one...

Sothing off to the side suddenly catches Krvavy’s eye.

Resting atop what looks like a crystal covered counter is... another crystal. But sothing about it draws the Drakling in. That crystal doesn’t look like the rest of the quartz in this room. And not just because it is a foggy white colour, looking more like frosted glass than all the other clearer ones in here. No, it looks different because it isn’t it isn’t attached to the rest of the quartz.

It is being held up by a few thin and heavily tarnished sticks of tal. A couple more of those no doubt once articulating little arms, each ‘holding’ onto round lenses cracked and worn by ti, are standing in front of that frosted gem.

It looks... maybe not important, but it is still all but begging for her to Inspect it.

“Hnn!” The Drakling winces as a sharp jolt of pain is sent through her brain, that discomfort accompanied by a brief flash of light. “Did you see that?!” Her head snaps back towards her Elf, causing her stiff neck to ache even more.

Beryl squints into the dimd light of Krvavy’s headlamp. “No...? Did ya step on sothin’ sharp?” The Wood Elf worriedly asks, glancing down to the uneven ground.

The barbarian’s brow furrows as she glares back towards the counter. Krvavy is pretty sure that crystal glowed when she used Inspect on it. But if Beryl didn’t see that, then...? “Ow!” Another spike of pain shoots through her head and, once again, a very brief light flashes from that curious crystal.

“Wha’ are ya doin’?!” Beryl incredulously shouts, her voice filled with concern as she quite clearly sees that Krvavy didn’t step on anything sharp that ti.

“Trying to Inspect that crystal!” The Drakling defensively replies, pressing a hand against her temple while pointing her Soulbound weapon across the room.

“If it didn’t work the first ti, then don’t try it again!” The tomboyish Elf exasperatedly scolds her Draconic lover, looking more than a little annoyed at the fact that she even needs to say sothing as basic as that.

“It flashed when I did it, and I was just making sure that I wasn’t seeing things!”

“Ah didn’t see a fla–Ach!” Beryl sharply inhales, clearly having just used Inspect herself. “Okay, Ah saw it tha’ ti. Did ya...?” Her lips twist into a frown as Krvavy shakes her head. “It... It is clearly interfering wit’ our attempts at scrying.” She points out the obvious.

“Yeah, like the golem was... Which ans that it isn’t just so boring old quartz...!”

“Wait!” Beryl desperately whacks Krvavy over the head with her bow, though she is too slow to stop that greedy Drakling. “Ach, ya reckless idiot!”

“What?!” Krvavy glares at her sweet berry, fingers tightening quite possessively around the frosted crystal that now rests quite firmly in her hand. The little, brittle tal limbs that were holding onto it re monts ago slowly droop down, cracking and falling to the uneven countertop below.

“Ya shouldn’t’ve just grabbed it! Wha’ if it was a trap?! Or if it ‘ad so dangerous energies burnin’ inside it tha’ were ready ta burst out?!”

The barbarian’s cheeks burn a bit at that scolding. To be honest, she didn’t really think at all just then. She just grabbed the shiny treasure. Not that this crystal is even all that shiny...

“My dearest love...” Beryl pinches the bridge of her nose as she sighs rather deeply. “Ya ‘ad better ‘ave an ‘ead injury. Otherwise Ah might give ya one myself...”

“Look, it was fine...!” Krvavy’s weak smile and even weaker words fails to reassure the exasperated Elf. “We’re in an ancient ruin that is partially collapsed. It isn’t going to have sothing that dangerous just lying around.”

Beryl’s eye twitches at the absurdity of that statent. “Are ya even ‘earin’ wha’ ya’re sayin’?!” She angrily hisses out. “This is exactly the type o’ place ta ‘ave so unstable magical artifact lyin’ around! Or ‘ave ya already forgotten the golem tha’ we just fought?! The one tha’ exploded and caused so many o’ the other crystals lyin’ about ta do the sa!?”

“Alright, alright...!” Krvavy grimaces and unconsciously takes a step back from that understandably upset tomboy. “I’m sorry, I... I just got excited and didn’t really think. At all.”

The Wood Elf quietly grumbles to herself, her mumbled words completely inaudible to Krvavy despite how close the two are standing. Judging by the expression on her face, it is probably for the best that what she is saying isn’t audible.

The barbarian gently bites her bottom lip and gives her Elf so ti to calm down. Her eyes glance across the room, and then down at the crystal in her hand. It is a fairly regular hexagonal prism, albeit one with each end tapering into a stubby point rather than being completely flat. Just by looking at it, Krvavy wouldn’t think that it was anything special.

But normal quartz doesn’t prevent scrying.

Krvavy’s dimd headlamp shines on that curious crystal as she raises it up, holding it close to her eyes. Her thumb gently slides across one of six rectangular faces, feeling its smooth and pleasantly polished exterior. The frosted interior of this wonderful treasure warps the dim light shining down on it, creating captivating rivers that swirl around and flow along its length. The beauty of the night sky is fully on display within this odd gem as, one by one, twinkling specks of light join the dance. This is... it is just so –

“Ah don’t think tha’ there is anythin’ else interestin’ on this floor.”

Krvavy quickly turns to look at that Elf, inadvertently bumping her lower horn against the prism and pushing its stubby point away from her collarbone.

Beryl quirks her brow as she stares back at the slightly startled barbarian. After a few seconds, she gently shakes her head. “The stairs are right there, across from tha’ tal door. It doesn’t look like they’re blocked too badly, but it’ll still take a couple o’ minutes ta clear it enough ta use. So, ready ta get movin’?”

“Uhh... sure.” The Drakling glances at the prism from the corners of her eyes. It is completely dull and unassuming without her light shining onto it. “Can I have so moss? Don’t want to risk damaging this on the way back.”

“Ya’re not goin’ ta put it wit’ the other crystals, are ya?” The Wood Elf asks with a slightly skeptical tone, holding out so freshly grown moss for Krvavy to take.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’ll fit in one of the other pouches. But I still don’t want it to break if you fall backwards and land on it, or... sothing.”

“Aye, wouldn’t want it ta explode like the golem did.” Beryl sarcastically sighs, turning around to let that odd prism get safely stored away.

“I’m sure that it won’t. Probably.” Krvavy leans forwards and lets a slightly playful smile fill her face. “But if you’re worried, then I could carry that bag for you.”

“Ach, not ‘appenin’. Ya’re in no state ta do so.” Beryl raises a hand and simply presses a finger into Krvavy’s ribs to prove her point.

“Ow,” the Drakling winces and takes a step back, not even bothering to play up her pain.

“Now co on, my dearest love, let’s get movin’ already.”

Krvavy follows her Elf over to the partially blocked stairwell, doing her best to step exactly where Beryl had. Stepping on slightly sharp sand is a lot nicer than stepping on small shards of what is effectively glass. Her inhuman feet may be quite tough but, again, this isn’t the nicest floor to walk across.

One by one the amazingly clear crystals blocking off their path are carefully broken free and collected, a soft layer of moss padding between them and the others. “I wonder what sort of treasures we’ll find on the other floors?” The Drakling idly asks, letting a little bit of excitent enter her voice as she securely shuts that backpack, closing it up tight. “More mysterious gems? Or sothing else entirely?”

Beryl slowly shakes her head, choosing to not respond.

“I jinxed it, didn’t I?” Krvavy grumbles as she ducks back into the stairwell. That was yet another empty floor. There weren’t any treasures or anything interesting at all. Just the usual stone counter hugging the outer wall. The balcony looked completely bare as well through those empty windows...

Her Draconic feet land heavily on each worn step, the exhaustion and pain having long since worn her down. At least they’ve climbed high enough that the Mana Saturation isn’t screwing their stamina over anymore... Not that that has really changed all that much for her... Taking deep breaths is still not sothing Krvavy really wants to do.

“Already gettin’ bored, my dearest love~?” The tanned Elf smugly wonders, a less than innocent smile gracing her lips. “We’ve only been climbin’ fer a few minutes~.”

Krvavy’s free hand idly trails along the bare stone wall beside her as she ascends up the spiralling stairs. The crystal growths didn’t extend very far above that bottom floor, which is kind of a sha really. Sure, it is a lot easier to just climb the stairs without having to keep breaking off chunks of quartz, but this place looked a lot nicer with those sparkling crystals covering everything...

“I got bored of this place ages ago...”

“And yet ya wanted ta keep goin’ further rather than ‘ead ‘o. Curious~.”

“I’d rather be bored than incredibly annoyed with myself for giving up before finding sothing interesting...” The Drakling replies between slightly strained breaths, already climbing the stairs again. “And it did pay off earlier, kind of. Fighting that golem was at least a nice change of pace...”

“Aye, tha’ is... one way ta describe it.” Beryl’s smugness fades away with a sigh. “And speakin’ o’ tha’ fight... Did ya get any experience when it blew up? Would’a asked earlier, but Ah was a bit preoccupied makin’ sure tha’ ya weren’t dead. And then scoldin’ ya fer bein’ so unrepentantly stubborn...”

“Oh, yeah. Quite a bit, actually. I even levelled from it.” Krvavy casually replies. “What about you?”

“Ah ‘ardly even got a single point. But tha’ doesn’t matter.” The Wood Elf woman waves that question off as excited joy enters her voice. “So ya’ve levelled up twice today, aye? Tha’ is wonderful! Did ya allocate yer points yet?”

The barbarian sighs slightly before she answers. “Yup. I put all five into Allure, so you don’t need to nag about that... Still not sure if that was the smartest decision though. My health only increased by around one-hundred points from what it was this morning, and I’d bet that most of that ca from Might and Toughness...”

“Just wait until ya get a trait fer it. Tha’ is when yer ‘ealth will jump up.” The tanned Elf calmly states, before audibly exhaling and continuing in a darker tone. “Which is clearly sothin’ ya desperately need...”

Krvavy chooses to ignore that little comnt at the end, and just glances back over her shoulder. “Can... Can you even tell if increasing my Allure has done anything yet? You know, in making more attractive and sexy, or whatever...”

“My dearest love, Ah’m really not the one ta ask tha’~.” Beryl’s dark thoughts evaporate the instant that she gives her answer, those blue-green eyes of hers twinkling playfully as she tries holding back a laugh. “Ah am, after all, ‘opelessly in love wit’ ya~.”

“So that’s a no...” Krvavy gently bites the inside of her cheek as she tries to not look too happy about her Elf’s light teasing. She’d much rather get teased than scolded. “Guess eight points just isn’t enough to see results...”

“It is ant ta be subtle, my dearest love. A slight clearin’ o’ yer complexion, a faint improvent ta ‘ow ya ‘old yerself, tha’ sort o’ thing.” Beryl’s bow bonks against the barbarian’s back gently enough that it only slightly stings that big bruise. “Ya likely wouldn’t notice the changes unless ya looked back ta wha’ ya were like months prior. Though, if ya’re lucky, it might ‘elp wit’ those scars o’ yers...”

“Mmm.” Krvavy idly hums, not really having anything to say to that. To be honest, she doesn’t really need Allure to make her more attractive. And that isn’t even her arrogance talking. This body of hers isn’t sothing that occurred naturally. She personally designed it an entire lifeti ago, back when she thought that this was all just a ga...

The ground beneath Krvavy’s foot squishes slightly, forcibly drawing her from those thoughts.

“Really...?” The barbarian sighs in slightly disgusted disappointnt as she cos to a sudden stop. There is more of that gooey resin all the up here. She had hoped that it would only be at the bottom of this ruin...

“Oh? Is there a nest all the way up ‘ere as well?” Beryl quietly wonders, leaning forwards to poke the resin with a crude arrow. “It seems... a bit stiff. Not quite as moist as the stuff down in tha’ fog.”

“Yeah, which is worse.” Krvavy grimaces as the partially dried sludge sticks to her feet while she slowly resus climbing the steps. “So sticky...”

“Ach, ya’ve got a point about tha’.” That tanned tomboy clicks her tongue as the gluey goo clings to her wooden boots. “At least we’re nearly at the top.”

“Huh?” Krvavy perks up as she lifts her gaze from the slightly gross steps, looking at the ceiling above. Or at least looking at where the ceiling should be. This spiralling staircase ends just around the corner, opening up into a fairly large round room. The pillar that the stairs have been hugging, and the bigger one that they’ve been inside this whole ti, also seem to co to an end, neither reaching all the way up like Krvavy had expected them to. “Huh...”

So of the Drakling’s enthusiasm dies and turns to caution as she sees sothing hanging from the ceiling above, not quite in the center. It isn’t moving at all, nor is it particularly large. Maybe just a bit bigger than her own head, horns included... It kind of looks like a teardrop. Or a... uvula...?

“Tha’ looks a bit gross.” The Wood Elf plainly states, the dried resin squishing slightly beneath her boots as she steps out onto the floor.

“Yeah... Should I cut it down?”

Beryl’s blue-green gaze turns towards her Draconic lover. “Why is tha’ yer first thought...?”

Krvavy simply shrugs in response. She isn’t quite sure why she suggested that either. Maybe it’s because that dangling thing kind of feels like a punching bag or a pinata? Not that she has ever even seen a pinata in person, but still...

The tanned Elf gently kicks at the sticky ground as she scrutinizes their surroundings. “Not quite sure wha’ sort o’ secretion this stuff is supposed ta be, but it seems ta be a bit... abandoned, ta be honest. Ah doubt any slis ‘ave been up ‘ere in a while. And it doesn’t look like it is connected ta all tha’ stuff down at the bottom either, so... Go ahead, my dearest love. Chop away.”

The Drakling scowls slightly as her Elf gives the go ahead. She had kind of hoped that Beryl would say no, as she very much doubts that there will be anything good inside that gross blob. But, still, there is no real harm in cutting that thing down. Probably.

Krvavy moves her hands down the length of her Soulbound Weapon’s shaft, gripping it near the bottom. The sheer weight of this weapon of hers becos rather apparent as she holds it like this, the thick tal of its three heads weighing it down. But it isn’t too heavy for her. Not even as exhausted as she is now.

Just one slightly clumsy swing is all it takes to cut that gooey uvula down. It quite unpleasantly splats into the ground.

“Not wha’ Ah expected...” Beryl idly comnts, her brunette brow knitting together as she steps right next to that thing, pulling a crude arrow from her quiver before dropping into a squat. The tip of that simple stick sharpens itself, turning into a claw-like thorn. She pokes the still rather round lump of sli. “There is actually sothin’ inside o’ this thing.”

“Really?” Krvavy’s curiosity is piqued. Careful to not anger any of her bruises, she lowers herself down beside her sweet berry.

Wet goo oozes out from the hole that Beryl’s crude twig of an arrow made, becoming more watery with every second that passes. Slowly, that sack of sli deflates to the point where it would be completely flat, if not for the solid mass sitting snug within its embrace.

As carefully as she can, Krvavy brings her weapon’s spearhead down towards that gooey thing, cutting away at its tougher outsides. More slimy water leaks free as she reveals the hidden treasure within.

And it is actually a treasure too.

Sitting atop so soaked resin is a large pearl, roughly the size of Krvavy’s fist. It isn’t a perfect sphere, but it is still round and smooth and incredibly beautiful. Light dances across its gleaming white-blue surface, reflecting back as an iridescent shimr.

“Can’t say Ah ‘ave ever ‘eard o’ a pearl made by slis, but tha’ really is sothin’ ta behold.” Beryl breathes out in an almost reverent manner, already growing so soft moss from her armour to polish its glistening surface.

A quick Inspect reveals that this is indeed a sli pearl, which does just seem to be a pearl that was made by a sli, as the na suggests.

“My dearest love, ya’ve got two new and amazin’ treasures fer yer hoard~.” The tanned tomboy of an Elf playfully nudges her Draconic lover in the side as she coats that large pearl in a thick layer of protective moss. “More than makes up fer the boredom and frustration, aye~?”

“And the fact that I nearly died?” Krvavy innocently asks, her voice tinged with hope.

“Ah wouldn’t go tha’ far.” Beryl calmly replies, carefully handing over the now moss-covered pearl.

“Guess I’ll take what I can get.” Krvavy idly shakes her head, safely stashing that treasure inside one of the backpack’s more secure pouches. She jumps slightly as a notification suddenly pops into her awareness.

5 Divine Favour, for reaching the bottom and the top of this ancient ruin.

“Everythin’ alright?”

“Yeah, just got so divine favour.” The barbarian blankly blinks. “Wasn’t really expecting that...”

The tomboy tilts her head to the side, a single eyebrow raised in a rather questioning way. “Fer gettin’ tha’ pearl, or...?”

“For making it all the way to the bottom and then the top of these ruins.” Krvavy answers her Elf with a shrug, before letting a slightly smug smile play at her lips. “Guess it wasn’t a compete waste to keep pushing ahead, now was it?”

“Ah never said it was a complete waste.” Beryl ets the Drakling’s gaze with an incredibly innocent expression. “Ah kept such thoughts ta myself.”

“Oh, but you made it pretty clear what you thought.”

“If ya say so.” Beryl shrugs her shoulders and rises back to her feet. “Now, ya ready ta begin the very long journey back ‘o~? We’ve got a lot o’ stairs ta climb~!”

Krvavy can’t help but grimace unhappily as Beryl helps her back up. She wants to protest and complain, but she can’t. Climbing all the way up the tower was her idea, so she can’t sound like she regrets it. This smug Elf of hers would never let her live that down...

“Aww, is my dearest love more worn down than she’d like ta admit~?” The tomboyish Elf mockingly coos, reaching up and gently patting the Drakling’s cheek. “Well... Maybe Ah should take pity on ya~? Would ya like tha’~? Should Ah ‘elp ya out~?”

The barbarian narrows her eyes suspiciously, not entirely certain if Beryl is just ssing with her or not.

“Too proud and stubborn ta say ‘yes’~?” The Wood Elf woman stands on the tips of her toes as she leans in closer, nearly letting their noses touch. “Don’t ya worry, Krvavy~.” Her cooing voice quiets down to a husky whisper. “Ah’ll ‘elp ya even without ya needin’ ta ask~. Ah do love ya, after all.”

Just as it seems like Beryl is about to give Krvavy a kiss... she abruptly pulls herself back. “Ah’ll be takin’ this.” She snatches the quartz crystal out of her lover’s crude headlamp. “It is damaged anyway. Keeps flickering. Don’t know ‘ow tha’ ‘asn’t been buggin’ ya...”

“What are you doing?” The Drakling quickly follows after her Elf, crossing the unpleasantly sticky floor.

“Aren’t ya listenin’? Ah’m goin’ ta ‘elp ya~!” Beryl playfully responds, failing to hold back a laugh as she steps out onto the balcony. The cracked crystal that she just stole loses the last of its light as she absorbs what little mana it had left. “Now... which direction is it...? This way?”

Krvavy is left thoroughly confused as the tanned Elf walks to the side, circling around the tower.

“This spot’ll do.” Beryl calmly raises her bow, nocks a twiggy arrow, aims into the darkness, draws back the string, and lets loose the arrow. A thin vine marks the twiggy projectiles arc, sagging slightly before the Elf kneels down and quickly pulls it taut.

The vine rapidly grows thicker as its fresh green colour darkens into gnarled wood, before bending upwards into a gentle arc. Roots extend from the edge of the stone balcony, grabbing at cracks and spreading across the floor. Branches reach out from the sides of the hardened vine, weaving and knitting together into one solid mass as more extend upwards at the edges.

“Tada~!” Beryl dramatically gestures towards her horizontal tree-like creation. “Ah made ya a bridge!”

Krvavy slowly turns her head towards that tanned tomboy, staring quite intensely into those bright blue-green eyes. “Could... could you have done that this entire ti?!” She incredulously breathes out, the corner of her own eye twitching just a bit.

“Yes...?” The slightly teasing tone that was previously in Beryl’s voice is now gone, replaced with the faintest hint of confusion.

“Then wh–?!”

“Why didn’t Ah waste nearly all o’ my mana at the beginnin’ o’ this expedition o’ ours?” Beryl cocks her head to the side as she stands back up. “My dearest love, this place is infested wit’ slis tha’ eat just about anythin’ natural. It’d be foolish ta ‘ave our way out rely on sothin’ tha’ could be destroyed so easily.”

“Yeah, but why did you keep saying that we’d have to cross through the bottom again if you knew we could climb up here and be done with it?!”

“Because, as Ah just said, makin’ this bridge cost a lot o’ mana. Wouldn’t want it ta collapse under ya midway through crossin’ it, now would ya?” Beryl blankly responds, tapping her foot onto the thick wood of this freshly grown bridge. “So if this ‘tower’ wasn’t as empty as it was, Ah may not ‘ave ‘ad the mana ta make it. No point in givin’ ya false ‘ope. Plus, ya can see this as punishnt fer the scare ya gave earlier, if tha’ makes ya feel better.”

Krvavy shakes her head and very slowly sighs. Her Elf may have a point, but she is still a little annoyed that Beryl didn’t even ntion that this was an option. Granted, Krvavy should have thought of sothing like this herself, but still...

“Now co on, stop sulkin’ and get a move on~.” A warm smile swiftly fills that mischievous and rcurial Wood Elf’s face, growing more smug with each second that passes. “Ah’d like ta make it back ‘o today~.”