Sounsyy did not pull her eyes away from the lights as they ascended into the darkness above, even when Ryanti's hand found her shoulder. He had said she was opening her eyes. The words gave her pause, rattling uncomfortably around her ears. She was sure he meant the Allagans and their ship and their magic and their wisps and power, but all Sounsyy could think about was how everything just seemed to be getting darker, the wider her eyes became.
And so it was in reality, Sounsyy realized, as she watched the last red wisps ascend into the blackened shaft. She blinked, and the tiny red orbs reflected in her eyes faded away, leaving nothing but darkness once more. Another shock of electricity crackled behind them and she felt Ryanti's hand leave her shoulder. Sounsyy stood stock still, she imagined she could feel the tingling current running through her fingertips again. Her hair stood on end as the whole elevator began to creak, groan, and rumble - the very air filling with static electricity. This beast was alive.
“We’re still going.â€
Sounsyy finally took her eyes away from the darkness above and turned to find her Sharlayan partner. Where once was a canvas of wonder, excitement, and beauty a look of fear, anxiety, and indecision was painted there now. Sounsyy saw it before his face disappeared from view and was replaced by a blinding torchlight casting its glow towards her. She turned away from it and was met with the sight of the blood trail, staining the cermet corridor. She fell back several steps, her cry stuck within her throat. Her mouth just hung open in horror, silent as the she realized the vessel now seemed.
Ryanti hardly needed to say the words before she was reacting. Her soft footfalls flitted across the elevator to its center, her rifle raised in one hand while her other pulled the goggles from around her neck and clasped them over her eyes. Her left hand fumbled with the settings at first, but soon her vision became washed in green and shapes in the darkness revealed themselves. It was an odd sensation, relying only on artificial vision to navigate the darkness. Her ears swiveled madly about, trying to distinguish any sound above the elevator's drone. Her tail flicked back and forth, ensuring her balance even as she stood unsteadily on the balls of her feet. All of that was lost when the enormous chamber came into view just ahead.
Sounsyy felt light headed, as her vision adjusted to the depth of the room. It was like the ship had exhaled, all of the pressure venting from the shaft. The scale of the room was massive, even larger than that of the hanger bay which no light of their had been able to reach. There was power here, just enough to see what lay beyond, but more than that - there was a certain feeling here that coursed through Sounsyy. Not like that of the electricity's static, but of life. The air was wet here, she noticed as the elevator began to slow. They were nearing the bottom. She moved forwards cautiously towards one wall and reached out with her finger, letting the cermet slowly glide across her fingertip. She withdrew it to find water droplets clinging warmly to her glove. A leak, or-?
"“W-.. what the hell is this?!? Jonathan! Jonathan! What is this?!?"
Sounsyy whipped around at the sudden sound of Ryanti's panic. Her rifle had nearly come up to firing position before she saw they were still alone. She slowly lowered her rifle and approached. She said nothing. There was concern in her eyes, not that Ryanti could see, but it was there. Is meh ignorance the only thing keeping meh sane? Sounsyy let the thought ease across the back of her brain. How sane was she though really? She had been convinced earlier she had seen a ghost. Was Ryanti seeing her now too? Or were they his own?
"H-hey," she called softly out to him when they were no more than a yalm apart.
“I know nothing of this, Sounsyy. Absolutely nothing like the Allag I’ve seen.â€
Sounsyy found that, as usual, she didn't have the words to say. So she said nothing, just lowered her rifle and turned back to the long window as it slid slowly by. She heard Ryanti stand and move behind her, raising his rifle at the glass. He was back. Sounsyy raised her rifle and nodded to him as he began to sound like himself once more. The plans had changed, that much was certain. Truly, everything had changed since they first stepped aboard, as soon as the ship had come alive, this was an entirely different operation. Ryanti laid out their mission and took point once more.
“I need you at a hundred and ten percent, Sounsyy! Be at my shoulder and watch my back!â€
"I'm here," she affirmed his order. Her usual disdain for Ryanti when he gave orders was replaced, if only shortly, by the relief he had recovered his senses. She moved in behind him, her rifle pointed just to the right of his arm. She placed her left palm gently between his shoulder blades to show she had his back, before returning it to support her rifle's aim.
The blue outline of a doorframe came into view and Sounsyy closed her grip on her rifle. The air was uncomfortably moist down here, and warm. Steam erupted from the elevator's sides as they came to a halt. The rumble died, and Sounsyy ears began to ring from the sudden loss of sound. Ryanti moved forwards, with Sounsyy creeping just behind when the door slid open on its own. This caused the Lominsan to jump unexpectedly. A muffled curse followed, but Sounsyy fell back into the ready position without another sound.
They moved slowly into this new corridor, its sides moving up and out in strange angles the likes of which Sounsyy had not seen in any architecture she was familiar with. Ryanti's tall back hid most of what lay ahead from view, but Sounsyy turned as they moved away from the sanctuary of the elevator shaft and laid eyes on her surroundings. Everywhere she turned with the rifle barrel, she found mangled lights and cermet beams that had been ruined and stained. Broken windows to adjacent rooms flitted and flickered past as they moved. What had been living here?!
Behind her, in the direction where they were slowly heading, she could hear the repetitive grind and thumping of an Allagan sliding door malfunctioning open and close. It unnerved her, even more than the blood and the mangled remains of some Allagan horror gone horribly wrong. Her hand began hurting from the strength with which she gripped her rifle. Ryanti's words did little to still her nerves. His voice in the eerie corridor only compounded her anxiety as her ears flicked back.
"Neither were the Allagans," she reminded him bitterly. They had moved to the doorway and Sounsyy swept the area behind them one last time before turning towards Ryanti and looking at the opening and closing door beyond. "Can it be held open? Or... would it crush us?" She asked rather nervously. The doors were heavy, she knew this much from the upper levels, but she was unsure just what their purpose was? Were these some kind of Allagan trapdoors? Or did all of their doors just open and close on a whim? Strange.
And so it was in reality, Sounsyy realized, as she watched the last red wisps ascend into the blackened shaft. She blinked, and the tiny red orbs reflected in her eyes faded away, leaving nothing but darkness once more. Another shock of electricity crackled behind them and she felt Ryanti's hand leave her shoulder. Sounsyy stood stock still, she imagined she could feel the tingling current running through her fingertips again. Her hair stood on end as the whole elevator began to creak, groan, and rumble - the very air filling with static electricity. This beast was alive.
“We’re still going.â€
Sounsyy finally took her eyes away from the darkness above and turned to find her Sharlayan partner. Where once was a canvas of wonder, excitement, and beauty a look of fear, anxiety, and indecision was painted there now. Sounsyy saw it before his face disappeared from view and was replaced by a blinding torchlight casting its glow towards her. She turned away from it and was met with the sight of the blood trail, staining the cermet corridor. She fell back several steps, her cry stuck within her throat. Her mouth just hung open in horror, silent as the she realized the vessel now seemed.
Ryanti hardly needed to say the words before she was reacting. Her soft footfalls flitted across the elevator to its center, her rifle raised in one hand while her other pulled the goggles from around her neck and clasped them over her eyes. Her left hand fumbled with the settings at first, but soon her vision became washed in green and shapes in the darkness revealed themselves. It was an odd sensation, relying only on artificial vision to navigate the darkness. Her ears swiveled madly about, trying to distinguish any sound above the elevator's drone. Her tail flicked back and forth, ensuring her balance even as she stood unsteadily on the balls of her feet. All of that was lost when the enormous chamber came into view just ahead.
Sounsyy felt light headed, as her vision adjusted to the depth of the room. It was like the ship had exhaled, all of the pressure venting from the shaft. The scale of the room was massive, even larger than that of the hanger bay which no light of their had been able to reach. There was power here, just enough to see what lay beyond, but more than that - there was a certain feeling here that coursed through Sounsyy. Not like that of the electricity's static, but of life. The air was wet here, she noticed as the elevator began to slow. They were nearing the bottom. She moved forwards cautiously towards one wall and reached out with her finger, letting the cermet slowly glide across her fingertip. She withdrew it to find water droplets clinging warmly to her glove. A leak, or-?
"“W-.. what the hell is this?!? Jonathan! Jonathan! What is this?!?"
Sounsyy whipped around at the sudden sound of Ryanti's panic. Her rifle had nearly come up to firing position before she saw they were still alone. She slowly lowered her rifle and approached. She said nothing. There was concern in her eyes, not that Ryanti could see, but it was there. Is meh ignorance the only thing keeping meh sane? Sounsyy let the thought ease across the back of her brain. How sane was she though really? She had been convinced earlier she had seen a ghost. Was Ryanti seeing her now too? Or were they his own?
"H-hey," she called softly out to him when they were no more than a yalm apart.
“I know nothing of this, Sounsyy. Absolutely nothing like the Allag I’ve seen.â€
Sounsyy found that, as usual, she didn't have the words to say. So she said nothing, just lowered her rifle and turned back to the long window as it slid slowly by. She heard Ryanti stand and move behind her, raising his rifle at the glass. He was back. Sounsyy raised her rifle and nodded to him as he began to sound like himself once more. The plans had changed, that much was certain. Truly, everything had changed since they first stepped aboard, as soon as the ship had come alive, this was an entirely different operation. Ryanti laid out their mission and took point once more.
“I need you at a hundred and ten percent, Sounsyy! Be at my shoulder and watch my back!â€
"I'm here," she affirmed his order. Her usual disdain for Ryanti when he gave orders was replaced, if only shortly, by the relief he had recovered his senses. She moved in behind him, her rifle pointed just to the right of his arm. She placed her left palm gently between his shoulder blades to show she had his back, before returning it to support her rifle's aim.
The blue outline of a doorframe came into view and Sounsyy closed her grip on her rifle. The air was uncomfortably moist down here, and warm. Steam erupted from the elevator's sides as they came to a halt. The rumble died, and Sounsyy ears began to ring from the sudden loss of sound. Ryanti moved forwards, with Sounsyy creeping just behind when the door slid open on its own. This caused the Lominsan to jump unexpectedly. A muffled curse followed, but Sounsyy fell back into the ready position without another sound.
They moved slowly into this new corridor, its sides moving up and out in strange angles the likes of which Sounsyy had not seen in any architecture she was familiar with. Ryanti's tall back hid most of what lay ahead from view, but Sounsyy turned as they moved away from the sanctuary of the elevator shaft and laid eyes on her surroundings. Everywhere she turned with the rifle barrel, she found mangled lights and cermet beams that had been ruined and stained. Broken windows to adjacent rooms flitted and flickered past as they moved. What had been living here?!
Behind her, in the direction where they were slowly heading, she could hear the repetitive grind and thumping of an Allagan sliding door malfunctioning open and close. It unnerved her, even more than the blood and the mangled remains of some Allagan horror gone horribly wrong. Her hand began hurting from the strength with which she gripped her rifle. Ryanti's words did little to still her nerves. His voice in the eerie corridor only compounded her anxiety as her ears flicked back.
"Neither were the Allagans," she reminded him bitterly. They had moved to the doorway and Sounsyy swept the area behind them one last time before turning towards Ryanti and looking at the opening and closing door beyond. "Can it be held open? Or... would it crush us?" She asked rather nervously. The doors were heavy, she knew this much from the upper levels, but she was unsure just what their purpose was? Were these some kind of Allagan trapdoors? Or did all of their doors just open and close on a whim? Strange.