Ravine Escapades

Bryson as he was surrounded in darkness and falling down a ravine that he didn’t know the depth of, was wondering if he made the right choice. Jumping down a ravine that appeared out of nowhere after Spencer Khan had mined a small piece of magic rock was a strange choice. But Bryson had a plan, he wasn’t a fool, and he wouldn’t jump down a ravine unprepared.

Though as he continued to fall he began to wonder if he was fully prepared. He still couldn’t see the bottom of this ravine, in fact, he couldn’t see anything around him at all. He had no idea what might be waiting underneath, also if Spencer had landed yet.

I should fix that. Bryson thought as his eyes glowed bright white, and he looked downwards. Ah, that’s better. As if a light was turned on in the ravine, Bryson could suddenly see everything clearly. His sight was different from what one might see with night vision, it was as if everything Bryson was looking at was during daytime on the surface. He noticed the blue veins across the grey stones.

Looking downwards Bryson could now see the top of Spencer’s head. His copper hair disappearing down the ravine. Found you. Bryson thought as he concentrated and channelled magic through himself.

He felt his body become weightless and his fingertips began to disappear into blue particles that spread to the rest of his body. Using the ‘Flash Step’ spell he surged forward and caught up to Spencer.

Reappearing next to an extremely shocked Spencer Khan. Blinking twice, Spencer looked at Bryson. He saw his pure white luminescent eyes and was very confused.

“What are you doing here?” Spencer asked as the wind raced past his face.

“Saving you.” Bryson said, looking down he noticed the ground getting closer and closer. He grabbed onto Spencer, once more, for the second time in Spencer’s life he felt himself dissipate into the air as they ‘Flash Stepped’ towards the ground.

Reforming just before they hit the ground they smacked into the floor and tumbled across the floor. As they rolled to a stop across the ground, Bryson found himself lying atop Spencer.

“You okay?” Spencer asked.

“Fine.” Bryson grunted as he pulled himself up and away from Spencer.

Bryson looked around taking in the surroundings. The bottom of the ravine had opened up a bit and there was a decent amount of open area around them. Looking at the walls of the ravine he saw the blue veins of magic streaked all around it.

Looking upwards, Bryson found himself confused. He couldn’t see the light above. It wasn’t the fact that they were so deep down that no light could shine through, they didn’t fall that far.

Bryson realized that it wasn’t something natural that was stopping them from being able to see the light of the surface, but something magical. Bryson suddenly began to look around suddenly on guard.

“Hey, Bryson? Aside from your eyes, I can’t see anything. So why are they darting around?” Spencer said sitting up and looking at Bryson.

“You can’t see anything?” Bryson asked surprised at the revelation, he had thought his eyes would offer some type of light source.

“No, I can see two really white orbs that I assume are your eyes, but they aren’t producing light. I see literally nothing.”

“Oh, interesting,” Bryson said as he walked over to Spencer. Tapping his shoulder Bryson cast a simple spell that caused Spencer’s chest piece to suddenly emit a bright light.

“Ah!” Spencer said flinching at the bright light. Blinking a few times his eyes adjusted to the light, “Oh that’s better.”

“Good, now you can help.” Bryson said as he studied what was above him. There was something magic based above them that blocked their view of the surface. A miasma of some sort, maybe a spell, maybe some phenomenon caused by the contamination zone. Either way, it was definitely magical.

“Something’s stopping us from seeing the surface.” Bryson said.

“Has it got something to do with that?” Spencer said.

Turning around Bryson saw what Spencer was talking about. It was a massive hole on the wall. Looking through the hole they could see that it was a long cave tunnel that they couldn’t see the end of. Looking around they noticed several of these tunnels spotted all over the bottom of the ravine.

“What made these things?” Spencer wondered aloud. As if to answer his question the ground began to shake.

“What?” Bryson said aloud looking around alarmed. Then he felt something beneath him and looked down. His eyes widened as he realized a large block of mana was rapidly approaching them from underneath.

“Move!” Bryson screamed.

Spencer looked down and saw the earth below them began to crack. The two of them ran out of the way just as a massive furry creature erupted from the ground.

It looked to be a massive star nosed mole. It’s long pink multi-tendrilled nose wiggling in the air trying to sense its surroundings. Its long white nails dug itself from the ground.

As the two looked at the creature in shock, the wall next to them began to rumble. Quickly in a panic, they ran down the tunnel as the wall broke down and out came another giant tunneling star-nosed mole.

“Okay, so what do we do now?” Spencer asked.

“Those two are probably going to try and get us a way to climb back up. So let’s meet in the middle and get up from here.” Bryson advised.

“Alright how?”

“Still figuring that one out.”

***

“Is this enough?” Viola asked as a large pile of bundled-up roots floated next to her towards Florence, who was busy tying several up into a large rope.

Florence looked up and did some visualizing in her head, “I hope so.”

“You think they’re okay down there?” Viola asked nervously looking down the ravine, “It’s awfully deep.”

“Your brother would have a plan, so the fall wouldn’t kill them.” Florence said as she continued to tie roots together in a breakneck pace.

Viola looked over to Florence rather curiously. She didn’t know Florence very well, but whenever she saw her, Florence always had an emotionless look on her face. Her piercing red eyes occasionally showing interest as she studies something new.

As Florence was tying knots however, there was a different look on her face. It was subtle and hard to notice, but it was there, emotion. A negative one at that.

“Florence… are you perhaps pouting.” Viola said slowly in realization.

“No I am not.” Florence said dismissively.

“Are you sure? Because you seem rather upset for what my little brother did.” Viola said as she began to use magic to weave together the roots.

“No Lady Viola, I am not upset that Bryson jumped into a ravine that appeared out of nowhere that we can’t see the bottom of.”

“Wow you are mad. You aren’t even calling him ‘Lord’ for a while now.” Viola said amused.

“I’m a little mad.” Florence admitted.

“Well you can be made once we get those two idiots out.”

“… Acceptable.”

***

“Why are all of these things doing down here?” Spencer asked as they did their best to avoid a third star-nosed mole that had emerged.

“Don’t know but… I think they know we’re here.” Bryson said as he noticed one of the moles tasting the stagnant air and begin to move towards them.

“Is that thing coming closer?” Spencer said eyes wide.

“Move.” Bryson said as the massive lumbering creature picked up speed and lunged at them.

“What? Why?” Nico screamed in confusing as they darted out of the way of its long sharp white claws.

“I think we’re food.” Bryson said as he raised a hand up at the massive rodent ready to set it on fire. Then he remembered he was underground in very close quarters. Clicking his tongue in frustration he ‘Flash Stepped’ out of danger, and right into a wall.

“Glarah!” Bryson grunted as he bounced of the stoney rock wall.

“You’re still not very good at that thing are you?” Spencer said as he pulled out his sword and slashed at the creature's paw as it went to swipe him. As it reared back in pain Spencer used the opportunity to escape and rejoin Bryson.

“Shut up!” Bryson growled as he sat up and sent a concussive wave crashing into the mole sending it toppling backwards.

As it squirmed around the ground in pain, Bryson thought that they had a moment of reprieve. He was quickly proven wrong as another star-nosed mole burst out from a wall.

“Damn it!” Bryson screamed as Spencer yanked him out of the wave.

“Why are there so many of them?” Spencer yelled.

“I think we’re in their feeding grounds!”

“Wait, so what would these giant things normally eat?” Spencer said looking concerned.

“I don’t want to find out.” Bryson said as he looked upwards, “Let’s start climbing.”

“With what? My sword isn’t made for that.”

“Magic.” Bryson said with a shrug, “There’s plenty of mana for me draw from down here.” He said as he drew out a pair of black gloves and put them on.

“Okay so what do we do?”

“Hold on.” Bryson said as he put his hands onto the mana ore rock wall. Manipulating the mana through the gloves he made it into a makeshift adhesive. He placed one boot onto the wall and it stuck then the other. He scampered up enough so that he was at eye level with Spencer.

Spencer quickly caught on and wrapped his arms around Bryson. Holding on to him securely.

“Good to go.” Spencer said.

“This feels weird.” Bryson said as he began to climb up, “Lose some weight.” He grumbled as he climbed.

“Sorry.”

“Shut up.”

Spencer looked back down, using the light emitting from his chest plate to help discern what was below him. He saw the moles gather below them smelling the air with their strange star-tendrilled noses. It seemed that they all titled their heads upwards at them.

“I think they smell us.” Spencer said.

“They probably see us too.” Bryson said as he continued to climb.

“Wait aren’t they blind?”

“No, just terrible eyesight. Or at least that’s what Marsh tells me.”

“Why would she tell you?”

“Mother assigned her to be my biology teacher.”

“Is she good?”

“Annoying.”

“So she’s good?”

Bryson only grunted in reply as he climbed further up. The rock wall he was climbing on began to rumble and he felt something about to break out. With Spencer still clasped around him, he pushed of the wall and latched onto the opposite one. The two slid down a bit as his gloves re-adhere to the mana-filled wall.

Looking back the two of them saw what could only be described as a massive earthworm. Only instead of the usual pink it was a strange violet, with three beady red eyes and an overbite jaw with large round teeth sticking out.

“What is that?” Spencer screamed.

Bryson looked downwards and saw the moles suddenly become far more agitated. Bryson then looked over to the weird worm which had a visible reaction when seeing the moles beneath it.

“It’s their food.” Bryson realized.

“Oh that’s bad.” Spencer said as Bryson redoubled his efforts climbing up the rock wall.

In a heartbeat, the moles began to start climbing up the rock wall. Whether it was for Bryson and Spencer or the worm, Bryson didn’t know. He wasn’t planning on finding out either.

As he climbed further up he and Spencer entered the strange dark zone. Bryson was surprised to find himself still able to see. Albeit harder, it seemed that his glowing white eyes allowed him to see through the magical dark haze, as long as he concentrates.

“I can’t see.” Spencer said.

“I can.” Bryson said.

“We’re doing good?” Spencer asked as the moles got closer and more holes burst from the walls and worms began to crawl around the walls.

“Well nothing’s reached us just yet.” Bryson said looking on the bright side.

Bryson immediately regretted his comment as a worm came within striking distance.

“Khan! Strike at your upper left.” Bryson ordered.

Immediately whipping out his blade, Spencer quickly impaled the massive worm and its strange gray blood spayed out of the wound and onto the two. Thankfully for Bryson, with the much larger Spencer on his back, he was shielded from the creature’s blood.

“What was that?” Spencer asked as he felt the blood on him.

“You’ll find out later.” Bryson said as he continued to climb. Looking upwards he was hit by another surprise. Fortunately for the first time, it was a good one.

Florence Marsh came flying downwards and landed atop one of the worms.

“Marsh?” Bryson said in disbelief.

“There you are.” Florence said calmly looking towards him with a long rope tied to her.

“Wait you can see me?” Bryson asked surprised, they were still in the weird dark cloud. Last time he checked, those red eyes of Florence didn’t allow her any special vision.

“Yes, your eyes are easy to spot. That’s why I landed on something that didn’t sound like you.” Florence said as the creatures moved around them, “What did I land on?”

“Um, a giant worm.”

“Oh cool Florence is here?” Spencer.

“Ah, purpura comedentis vermis.” Florence said with a nod, “Makes sense.”

“I- just get us out of here.” Bryson said, realizing that he did not care what Florence is saying at this moment.

“Alright. Where is Mister Spencer?” Florence said as she swung over to him.

“Right here.”

A noise attracted their attention from below. Bryson saw that a mole began to move a bit to close for comfort.

“Mole right below us!” Bryson shouted.

Immediately Florence whipped out her miniature cannon that she called a handgun. Bryson eyes bulged out of his sockets as he realized what she was about to do.

“Wait don’t-” Bryson began to yell out when Florence fired. Bryson felt as if his ears had exploded. Inside the rather narrow and confined rocky space, the blast of a firearm with the power of an artillery piece caused a deafening loud explosion.

It took all the will in both Bryson and Spencer to not cover their ears and to cling on to stop themselves from falling. Evidently, the much more sensitive ears of the giant moles fared far worse. Several stunned by the noise lose their grip on the walls and fell downwards back to the bottom of the ravine.

“Marsh! My ears!” Bryson complained as they began to ring.

“My mistake.” Florence said as she used her free hand to rub her own ears. It seemed that even she was not safe from her cannon’s loud firing.

Bryson glanced downwards and saw a massive pile of fallen rubble now on the ground. Looking up at Florence he shouted, “What if you collapsed the whole damn ravine!”

“Don’t worry. I upgraded my gun. I made sure that it wasn’t powerful enough to destroy that much.” She assured him as she went to grab Bryson.

“Ow!” Spencer complained.

“What’s going on?” Florence asked confused by the strange protrusion on Bryson’s back and the voice of Spencer.

“I’m hanging onto him.” Spencer said.

“I see.” Florence said as she grabbed the two of them with one hand. Once securing her grip she tugged at the rope which immediately began to pull them up. A bit too fast honestly.

The three were yanked upwards and very quickly left the dark cloud and closer and closer to the crack of the surface. As sunlight touched them it was a feeling of relief. Which quickly turned into worry as soon thereafter they broke out of the underground and back onto the surface.

So quickly that they found themselves in the air high above Viola. Who it seemed was the one using some type of magical telekinesis to pull them out. Bryson annoyingly enough, perhaps being the smallest and lightest of the group was the furthest in the air.

He watched as Spencer landed with a roll and Florence land stock still onto the ground. A moment later Florence gently caught Bryson with one arm supporting his back and the other under his legs.

“I am getting real sick and tired of being in this.” Bryson grumbled as he wiggled out of her grip and onto his feet.

“Well, it seems like the two of you are safe.” Viola said walking over to them looking relieved.

“Yeah I even kept the rock.” Spencer said still rubbing his ringing ears and showing a piece of stone with blue streaks all over it.

“Well, mission accomplished then.” Viola said with a smile.

“Can we go home now?” Bryson asked.