[@LeoricAquila] [centre][img]http://orig14.deviantart.net/deb9/f/2016/050/c/3/he_so_pretty_by_fenixking13-d9se5ig.png[/img][/centre] [centre][color=82ca9d]Theodore Doubleblade[/color][/centre] [@groompy] "Aye, heard it already. Couple years back the mines were abandoned and sealed off. Nothing that goes in has come out. Chances are the undead have wandered down there and met the same fate. We're gonna clear it out on our way through." The ride was pleasant enough, the city receeding far into the distance as the group moved steadily onward. The going was easy enough on the first leg of the journey but the silence was taking a toll. Nobody knew what to expect or if they would come back. Others had begun to talk amongst themselves or simply take up a light read as they traversed the land on a direct course to their mission. Already they saw the telltale signs of survivors who had fled long before the undead had come to their villages were everywhere, some still camped outside the city. Theodore silently promised to rid their homes of the risen when the time came. His silent promises were interrupted as Draxis rode ahead to Theodore and voiced his concerns. Boy's right for the most part. Damien is untested and does have a resentment for authority, but that's not something we can do anything about. "Did I stutter in my commands, Draxis? You and Damien are of equal rank until this mission is finished. You need not bother with any other details but what concerns yourselves. Find peace in my decision or you will return to the city in disgrace." Theodore left unsaid that he had no real authority over any of these Templars as he was not officially part of the Dawn covenant. Most of them thought Theo was a hired mercenary paid handsomely to go tackle the impossible or die trying. Not only did the black clad dwarf intend to finish the mission, but he intended to finish it alone if necessary. Gavlan may yet have the stomach for what was to come the others would be tested by the journey. "When the fighting comes I hope you and him have a plan." Theo craned his neck back to look at Draxis. "If he doesn't return to the city, neither will you. Have I made my intentions abundantly clear, Templar? Good. Back in line with ye'." The grey skinned one rarely gave a warning to a watcher who second guessed his commands so early into a mission, all were taught on the first leg of their training that if the dwarf told you to climb into a giants mouth you had best be prepared to do it and find a way out later. His orders were not entirely unflexible though as Draxis would later come to discover. The two would discuss their leadership and find common ground to work with, they would alter their roles to fit accordingly, and find balance that worked for them. "Gonna be a long ride." Theo mumbled ----------------------------------------- TYRANTS HOLE - Abandoned former mine Theodore unpacked the last of his equipment from his pony after nearly two days in the saddle. The ride had taken them through a large forest and into a rocky hillside dotted with many such entrances to the dark and uninviting passages leading down into the earths not so gentle embrace. Theo gave the pony a whack on the rump with the flat of Ender to set it off, others followed suit. As a group the horses had come and as a group the horses would likely return. The details were not important to the here and now. Gear hoisted on his back and axe at the ready, Theodore Doubleblade grunted and strode in without any light into the tunnels. The isles were a dark place, his homeland however was darker still. Compared to that lightless hell the mines may as well be lit by the sun still. The mine tracks were still functional it seemed, though they had suffered damage from neglect over the years. Tipped over minecarts littered the entrance, but one such mangled heap caught his eye. The other two routes ended in drop points for the ore brought up from somewhere he could not see. The third path was sealed off behind the pile of stacked iron carts that had at one point been doused in oil and ignited. What could call for such an enormous amount of light with such a ragtag form of barricade? Where were the ones that had erected this monument? A glance to the side revealed his answer in the form of a dozen dwarf sized piles of bones discarded below an inch of dust. From the state of them, these fellows hadn't bothered to leave this place. To a man they had waited for their missing kin to escape the tunnels and starved to death in the process. Theo hummed a tune for the dead souls and wished them peace. "If I find your missing kin I will send them to you in the afterlife." Ender came down atop the lead minecart with a groan of twisted metal, slamming into the rusted metal of the carts and lodging firmly. A quick tag and the whole barricade came down with a deafening clamor and a spray of dust that scattered the dwarven remains. Beyond the barricade was a grim sight. Once polished stone and careful framework had suffered through flame and claw to become a mosaic of torture. Crushed bones and rotting clothing lay scattered a short way from the barricade, and in the middle of the dwarven throng of skeletons was a their killers corpse. Demons rarely decayed, the unholy magic binded them to life for eternity. Amidst the carnage lay a creature that would have stood up to 8 feet tall with corded muscles and powerful physique, it's head the shape of a ram sporting equally imposing horns. A Tyrant demon in a dwarven tunnel? Theodore walked up to the corpse and smashed ender into the dry skull, turning the once imposing features into powder. Pickaxes and even sharpened stones were lodged in its back like markers for the brave and hardy folk. Beyond the corpse and the skeletal remains was the tunnel system. Despite his low-light vision the walls were completely black. Even touching them felt unnatural. Theo called back to the group making their way in as a warning. [color=00a651]"Be wary. Light is not our friend down here.."