[color=ed1c24]"I can understand that,"[/color] the dragonkin nodded her horns, [color=ed1c24]"Never underestimate the power of being owed favours."[/color] She said it with a fervor that suggested it was a sort of some life philosophy of hers. She winked at Raffey and licked her lips a little bit, though for some reason she thought briefly of a big white dragon named Genrit. [color=ed1c24]"I'm lucky I didn't end up in Kvaren chains too. It would have seriously cramped my style."[/color]

They walked along and Drache mostly stayed behind Raffey, though she tended to bound from one spot to another, crouching and skulking along, pausing to let Raffey catch up. It was how she traveled when she was alone, and she hadn't yet settled into a normal method of...simply walking along. In the rare times that she actually joined Raffey side-by-side, she let her tail slide flirtatiously up and down the outside of his leg.

[color=ed1c24]"Old Vircastoria? Excellent,"[/color] she hissed sybillantly. [color=ed1c24]"That's what I was looking for when I stumbled across Laurel and the others and got a tiny bit side-tracked. I lost some time getting to these ruins but I suppose it was all for the best. Else I wouldn't have made so many new friends."[/color]

She winked salaciously at him, tucking her arm around his waist in a sort of one-armed hug before darting ahead and examining the stones. It was clear that it would take ages to explore everything, so the dragoness forced herself, somewhat grumpily to prioritize. 

Keeping a single logbook tucked somewhat boob-smushingly down the front of her armoured vest, she pulled it out frequently to sketch some of the more significant symbols and markings on the wall, not recognizing most of them, much to her chagrin.

Looking down into the black pit, Drache instinctively lifting her wings from her back on the off chance she might suddenly be flung down into that abyss. For some reason she almost felt an urge to make the leap into the unknown, and though she didn't mention it to Raffey, she did scowl into the blackness and gave a suspicious snort and shake of her snout.

Every now and then, as they made their way down, Drache lifted her scaled hands and let them slide over the engravings on the walls, trying to puzzle out their mystery. The occasional sniff blew dust from the cracks, and every dozen steps or so she made a low gutteral chirp that seemed to convey thoughtfulness.

The half-Ixen spotted the rough map about the same time the warm, putrid stink hit her like a slap in the face. Backing up a few steps, her expression wrinkled as she clamped her nostrils shit, she let out an exclamation. [color=ed1c24]"Oh...oh no. That is [i][color=ed1c24]awful[/color][/i]! Raffey, you've got to warn me before you let loose like that!"[/color]

She shook her head a couple of times, covering her snout with her clawed hands as if it could help. Chuckling only seemed to make it worse, but teasing Raffey made her feel better. [color=ed1c24]"Woah...what did you [i]eat?![/i] Haha!"[/color]

[color=ed1c24]"It does smell bad. What [i]is[/i] it? Even a mountain of drake shit wouldn't stink this much. Maybe those fanatical Justicars dump all the dead bodies of the impure down here, hm?"[/color]

She was joking, and hoped she was wrong.

[color=ed1c24]"Wait a minute Raffey,"[/color] the hybrid beckoned, pausing in front of the map, her slit pupils narrowing as she looked it over. [color=ed1c24]"I wonder...I think this circle is the pit we just came down,"[/color] she reasoned, following the line with her fingertip, [color=ed1c24]"and maybe this is another one. This path with the line seems to be like a main thoroughfaire of some kind. And this side chamber...fancy scouting it out before heading deeper in?"[/color]