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[shipmaster]

Threads, continuations and TDM INSIDE

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[dendarii]

[ Huh. Flourish also squints at the ... disappointing landscape. And then up at the throne. ]

Well, the throne itself is large enough. The rest ... not so much.

[shipmaster]

Well... Let's have a look around, just in case.

[And there is the last warning flicker.]

[dendarii]

Right. Let's see here ...

[ He hardly gets to the base of the throne before the torches go out, plunging them into darkness. ]

[shipmaster]

[ In that total absence of all light, Flourish can hear Curious stumble and give a line of profanity whose breadth and creativity was impressive for the utter lack of memories behind it. ]

[dendarii]

[ Flourish mutters something too before reaching back for their hand. Grabbing it firmly in the pitch blackness. ]

Did you drop the torch?

[shipmaster]

No! [ They let go of Flourish's hand and check the end... not only was there no afterglow of the fire extinguished, but it was cold, as if never lit at all.

After a moment, and a few wild swings in the dark, their hand brushes Miles' shoulder and quickly works back down to grasp his' again. ]

It just... stopped when all the rest did. It's cold.

[dendarii]

That's impossible. It should - it should at least still be warm.

[ He grips Curious' hand tightly once it returns. Like a drowning man clinging to a raft. Hell, he wasn't expecting it to be so dark. ]

[shipmaster]

[ Even with their eyes adjusted there was nothing. No shadow, no movement, not even their own nose... they'd doubt even Flourish if they couldn't feel his hand, warm, in theirs. They hold on just as tightly. ]

It should... but it... None of that makes sense!

[ Somewhere, far off, is the deep, rumbling sound of something grinding. ]

[dendarii]

[ Oh hell. Flourish goes absolutely still, every part of his body tuned towards that noise. ]

Did you hear that?

[shipmaster]

[ Curious' voice is low, nearly a whisper. It echoes, even so, in the large cavern of the Arena. ]

I did.

[ Silence follows, so deep the ears ring in their strain. ]

[dendarii]

[ He's suddenly not liking his earlier bravery that much. Much scarier when you can't even see what you're dealing with. And yet ... ]

We should get closer.

[shipmaster]

To what? Surely you're not...

[dendarii]

We're already here, right? May as well see it through.

[shipmaster]

You crazy bastard! There's nothing that could- [ The sound of rocks grinding against each other rumbles through the ground at their feet. ]

[dendarii]

[ Shit. Flourish cries out as he stumbles, going to one knee as he clings to Curious for dear life. ]

What the hell is that--?

1/2

[shipmaster]

I don't know... [ Fear made their voice a whisper. The incredulous anger had no more hold.

They follow Flourish to the ground, blind eyes casting about the nothing for some sense of what was going on around them and their fingers twisted in the fabric of their teammate's tunic. ]

[over_the_fop]

[ In fact, the absolute depth of sightlessness could easily give way to the paranoid thought that the soft blue glow that began to pulse from something very small beside them was just a visual hallucination by a brain straining too hard for stimulus.

The thing seems to wave. ]

Oh! Me! Pick me, I know.

[dendarii]

[ Flourish really isn't sure what he's looking at. But - anything is a relief after absolute darkness, and any voice a balm compared to that noise. ]

What - who are you?

[over_the_fop]

Two interrogative words in one question? Simply not proper, my lovely little leprechaun. I'll wait while you sort that out for a retry.

[shipmaster]

Oh good, you're seeing this too..

[dendarii]

[ He screws up his face a bit at that. ]

Who are you then?

[over_the_fop]

I am Messenger.-See, that was so much easier.

[shipmaster]

[ Beside him, Flourish can feel Curious tense at the Judge's name. ]

[dendarii]

[ That actually sparks some recognition. He carefully grips Curious a little more tightly. ]

One of the Judges.

[shipmaster]

[ Could they run? The light the odd.... tentacled thing was giving off wasn't exactly enough to give a route back. Even so, Curious gets ready to pick Flourish up and bolt if they have to. ]