"All things are born from the dark."

-Nightcaller Grfedsta

"If you spurn the dark so much, then how can you worship its child light?"

- Count Croxdt to an unknown Vampire Hunter

"Death is just one aspect of something far larger than us boy."

- Unknown

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It is on this second day of the Mitocrasis's studying new prey that the next 'event' would occur. It was barely the afternoon when the Mitocrasis noted how close they were to its lair. It had let these 'prey' get so close to its home, its child, without it being aware.

By their pace, though the Mitocrasis lacked any sense of time to this degree, it would be a mere three minutes before they were at the mouth. The Mitocrasis did know that they would go inside, as they had every single one they had passed without fail.

It no longer considered them mere prey, but invaders of its territory. If this was before becoming connected to the skeleton, it wouldn't care as it considered the entire mountain its lair, but now 'home is where the child is' or so they say, was the new case for the monster mother.

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"There's another cave up ahead, who wants to go into this one?" Fores looked back for any volunteers, while most everyone here was all for exploring. Exploring caves, not so much.

Several moments and a few awkward coughs later, two members were 'asked' though if one asked any given member, they'd say more along the lines of 'told to', entered the rock gap, air gently billowing from within as if the realm of a great beast already slumbering within winters ever nearing call.

Joqh swallowed hesitantly, though he had a true adventurer's heart, alas he has claustrophobia thus leaving not a warrior, but a tiny and rather squeamish girl in his boots, in a metaphorical sense of course.

Servnisa wasn't faring much better, but that was more due to a lack of willingness to go, not a fear of doing so. She grumbled inwardly as she stared in the dark tunnel, her vision unable to penetrate its entirety.

With a prod forward by Fores, the two entered the dark abyss that was this looming cave.

Breathing and steady drip were the accompaniment to the steady rhythm of footsteps. Their eyes searched the dark beyond the flame of torchlight, tensions were high for both due to their own reasons. Their hands firmly gripping their own weapons while trying not to fall onto the unsteady rocks that were their footholds.

Servnisa suddenly tumbled forward, knocking both her and Joqh's torches out of their hands disrupting the flame and rendering them unto the mercy of the sole absolute of the cave and the world, darkness.

Their voices caught as both tried to scream or speak or possibly both though neither could find the ability within themselves to.

Joqh fell to his knees, panicked hugging his knees. Images of his father and his 'bad boy' chest rushed through his mind, pummeling his sense of self, will, and his strength to go back, let alone making the motion forwards.

Servnisa groped at the rock and slab like a street urchin to tossed coins or moldy bread, with desperate fanaticism. Her breath quickened as she heard, though didn't realize the source, of Joqh's moaning and howling, like a beast returning home from the hunt.

Her fear finally sent her will to survive into a state of terrified overdrive. She thrust her hand towards what she hoped was her sole companion in the dark out of desperation for the confirmation it would be alright and this was just a temporary moment.

However, when Joqh felt her touch he reacted rather poorly. He leaped up in full fantasy, his father before him as a mirage unbreakable to him. He ripped his sword from his sheath and slashed downwards, a strangled banshee-like cry assaulted his ears rendering him dazed momentarily before his mind managed to reconnect the pieces unto itself. As he was able, he gurgled out a choked incantation for the sole pyromancy spell he knew "Ildrais Velfume!" A light flickered faintly in the cave as three small orbs danced around him. While no good for combat the spell was a replacement torch, thus a staple requirement for any adventurer with an ounce of magical talent or ability.

The sight before the fall Servnisa took was of an oddly pure white stone, dull in color overall, however. Now the white was drenched in crimson blackness as light faded from the soon departed companion. Shaky breaths were impossible to catch with a human's ear, and otherwise one would assume without checking her pulse her death confirmed were it not for her body jerking slightly as the back of her throat was cut open, enabling this lake to pool out in contrast to the bone colored cave.

Panic consumed him once more, however, his grief was stronger. Though in the end he was too consumed with his own inadequacy to notice the clacking of rock against rock, coming closer and closer like a plague