[center][h3]The Chalk Prince, the Prisoner, and Frisk[/h3]
[@Majoras End] [@XoXKieroBombXoX][/center]

[center][hider=For Frisk]You have acquired:
[url=https://i.imgur.com/CXq9RSf.png][b]Bone Arrows[/b][/url] x7
[i]Are these really from animal bones...? When they deal 40% more damage than a wooden arrow, maybe it's worth the indiscretion[/i]

and
[url=https://i.imgur.com/3CTkwqu.png][b]Stone of Yesteryear[/b][/url]
[i]A strange gem recovered from Dragonspine. When you touch its vibrant surface, you're overcome with nostalgia, without really understanding why. They say diamonds and regrets are forever, so maybe you'd better stop stroking this pebble if you don't want to sink into depression[/i][/hider][/center]

Albedo met Frisk’s decision with an approving nod. “Very well, inside it is.” Accordingly the three moved into the mouth of the cave, with all the urgency and awareness that the situation demanded. They did not plan to make any sort of stand in that tunnel, since its narrow confines limited their ability to maneuver and swing weapons, but the Prisoner did think of something he could so to further discourage the team’s pursuers.

He laid a trap for the demon wolves, so perfect for the situation that it might as well have been tailor-made for the purpose. It was a smart move, the alchemist conceded, but he could not condone the overconfidence that it seemed to impart in his undead ally.

“Our goal is not to exterminate every last creature on the mountain,” he reminded the Prisoner drily, his face partly veiled by the darkness. “Wearing ourselves thin as we fight unnecessary battles will only sabotage the real task at hand. Instead, let us concern ourselves with it no longer.”

As Albedo raised his hand, a bright blue light glowed, taking on the form of a snowflake. With his other hand he beckoned for the Prisoner to come away from the entrance and get behind him, and after he did, the alchemist tossed it forward. It burst like one of the ice grenades that could be found on the diseased island that the Prisoner knew too well, but rather than just freeze enemies in the vicinity, it created a boulder of ice that physically blocked the tunnel. With that entrance sealed, the wind blew no longer, and its whisper in the pines could not be heard.

Yet the three were not engulfed in the darkness, since aside from the light given off by the Prisoner’s head, a soft, cold blue glow shone from deeper within the tunnel. “This is only one entrance,” Albedo reassured the others. “And if we must use this again, I can remove the blockage later on. Let us proceed with as much peace of mind as we can muster…given the circumstances.” So saying, he led the way downward, into the core of Dragonspine Mountain.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vpBoiWs.png[/img][/center]

Within they discovered a terrific cavern, awash in the luster of the blue flowers that bloomed among the same grasses as up on the surface, from drifts of snow that seemed to exist despite the lack of sky. Not all the flora was familiar, however, such as the [url=https://i.imgur.com/k2bnz6x.png]greenish growths[/url] perched up on the walls. The light reflected off the crystalline surface of huge icicles, rising from the ground in clusters like hurled javelins. Where the rocky walls gave way to [url=https://i.imgur.com/KJ2ZPKP.png]crags of ice[/url], the effect was even more pronounced. How high the ceiling went none of the explorers could rightfully say, since the darkness held domain up there, but they could see the rocky natural archways that spanned the open space. Ancient ruins dotted the ledges and walls, illuminated by glowing crystals set inside the eroded structures, while here and there cobbled-together wooden structures like rope bridges could be glimpsed, all patrolled by handfuls of goblins, both [url=https://i.imgur.com/um0xBAB.png]short[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/FDGro9y.png]tall[/url]. Albedo even saw the [url=https://i.imgur.com/hRExe1m.png]skeleton[/url] of some great beast, which sparked an idea. “I’ve never seen the like,” he murmured, squinting at the bones from afar. “Should I get the chance, I’d like to sketch it in my book.”

The more the three looked, the more it became clear of some recent seismic activity. Sections of ground, as well as the frozen lake at very bottom of the cavern, sported both winding fissures and debris fallen from the ceiling. Albedo’s eyes traced a path up the stone bridges. “There should be another exit up there,” he whispered. “Let’s move quietly, and not disturb those automatons.”

If Frisk’s eyes happened to wander on the way over, however, she might notice something the others did not. A faint echo reached up to her from the depths of the cavern, but unlike the other ambient noises of the cave’s monstrous inhabitants, this one inexplicably tugged at her heartstrings. While the others either didn’t notice or didn’t care to pay it any mind, that strange cry drew her to the edge of the precipice to look over. If she stared down at the frozen lake long enough, a flicker of movement would catch her eye. From a previously-unseen hole in the ice, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/aye3oYV.png]friend-shaped creature[/url] bobbed up, a fish in its mouth. With a great effort it dragged itself out of the hole, revealing a large, untreated cut wound in its side, and in a woeful degree of both misery and pain it forced itself to eat its catch. Swallowed before it could dissolve, the morsel served its purpose, but the Spheal felt no better. It just turned back to stare at its hole, hurting for more food, but afraid that another dive would be its last.