Everybodies heart sank, as the sneeze heard around the world rang out, (or at least the entire area of the world localised within this very contained cave system. The rest of the world was kinda irrelevant in this situation, and probably not in a situation where they were being watched by mana based muting monsters.)

The echoes travelled, and travelled, all throughout Ecco cave, as Errol realised just how badly he had mucked up this time. ( You nose I’d make a joke about it but snot the time,) Mibbet reached out quickly and grabbed him by the scruff, dragging him into the wagon along with Sir Leeroy, (who seemed about as unhappy about this as anybody else) The coachman from the security of his little metal box the reins poked out of gave the reins a quick move to suggest to the horses that speeding up may be on the schedule.

The Horses, stoic as they were pricked their ears, and hearing absolutely nothing around them figured that idea probably had merit, on the grounds that horses hear pretty much everything. If they can’t something is making it that way and they don’t want to be there when it arrives. So they calmly decided that now was probably a good time for a run, a very fast run. Preferably away, (being stoic is not a mutually exclusive option to listening to your survival instincts, and these horses had plenty of those.) While the coachman lit the lanterns figuring that hearing sounds is especially welcome if the sound you are hearing is NOT the splat of a pack of Pegasi losing a game of chicken with a cave wall.

************************************************************************

^^^^ **** and ____ meanwhile had heard all that and realised there was absolutely no bloody way they could hush that up. If Eccos were a tad more organised ____ would probably be quickly packing their bags and getting the hell out while the getting was good. (This wasn’t really the kind of situation where one stops to cancel the milk and newspapers as I’m sure you understand.) This much noise? It was definitely going to wake up, and deep inside every Ecco was the knowledge that whatever It was you definitely did not want to be about when It was around.

The trio spotted the wagon trundling past much faster than their little legs could carry them, and decided noisy or not they were getting the hell out of the cave. A decidedly wise move, so they hopped onto, and a few seconds later IN-to the trunk on the back of the wagon, as in the distance a crescendo of noise started to build.

************************************************************************

Every once in a while a collective of mana crystals of a specific type cluster together, and from that there is a spark. Almost a mind really (Humans often get by on much less, even if their only resorts are politics.) It was such a mind, and It absolutely hated when things made a noise. When your body is made of sound resonating crystals the last thing you want is a bloody racket. The Eccos here were great at keeping that in check, (well most of the time) Something It really appreciated given that sound crystals grow with sound, and their growth makes sound. Which makes them grow which......... well you get the idea. It had just gotten off to sleep after the last big growth spurt when ACHOOOOOOOOOOOO. Usually the thing to do for monsters in this situation is roar. For It not so much, as it would kind of defeat the purpose of living all alone in silence. Instead it settled for a very very angry silence, and conspiring to digest said noisemakers forthwith.

Then, to make matters worse they went and ran over all the bloody the bloody coins, the growth hit and they doubled in size. Whether they liked it or not the roar in that situation was not optional, as they hit one hell of a growth spurt, and things snowballed from there.

************************************************************************

Mibbet looked back, and instantly regretted them, as given the light and all they could now see, and what they saw they wished they could unsee. A veritable tidal wave of rather pointy looking rocks was growing along the passage behind them. Mibbet had a feeling they were angry, but couldn’t quite figure out why. (Not that the why’s or wherefores mattered in the grand scheme of things if they were about to get a rather painfully perforating appointment with the worlds worst piercer. In that circumstance why they were planning to shiv you with something that would decidedly not be good for your Charkha regardless of how much moonlight you cleanse it with became somewhat less of a concern than trying to avoid a pointy rock through your guts.)

“Anybody got any ideas?” Mibbet asked. (It clearly being a bit like locking the stable door after the horse had bolted to continue in silence, and figuring this mess out being a more pressing concern.)

“Not really Errol replied, while the others merely shook their heads, except Addy, who was watching it and clutching her head, she could feel its pain, (really it was kind of hard not to, there was a mind in there, and it was screaming through the network.) So much pain, Addy didn’t know how to help. But she really wanted to, being awake was hurting it, and the more it hurt the more noise it made, and the worse things got.

“Make it sleep” Addy said, then shut up again, pondering how the hell one was supposed to make miles and miles of spiky crystals sleep. She had a feeling singing it a lullaby wouldn’t do the trick.

“Why’s it mad?” Mibbet whispered to Addy.

“Sound hurt” Addy replied, keeping her answers short lest she accidentally make things worse. Mibbet looked back as behind her the crystals grew and grew at a phenomenal rate. If noise made this thing mad, and when it was mad it grew she could not let it get outside. If it stayed down here in the dark then she could order this road sealed off. Block off the cave. But how could she do that?