[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gLDZhxR.png?1[/img][/center] [hr] Collaboration of: [@Th3King0fChaos], [@A Lowly Wretch], [@dragonpiece], and [@Force and Fury] [hr] [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/1kOzfHzDkTs[/youtube][/center] [hr] As everyone jumped into the hole, Trypano had created more and more room in the tunnel to accommodate everyone. The water had soaked everyone as they floundered through to get out to the other side to escape the dragons and the sight of the army. Benedetto yelled out when he came through, [color=00a99d]"Fuck!! You could have made the water not cold!!"[/color]. Ismette came through the water with some grace while Penny made it through with less than any. With Penny's missing leg it made it difficult to get out of the water as others began helping her out of the water and retrieved her cane. As once the hole had been established and they felt the Dragons flying off because of projectiles flying by, Penny asked the most obvious question, [color=f7976a]"Ismette, may I ask where we are?"[/color] Ismette answered with a sigh, [color=6ecff6]"We are somewhere called San Agustin, it is in the Torragonese High Desert"[/color] Desmond and Benedetto both looked at Ismette like she was going to say something else as Desmond was the first to speak of the two, [color=gold]"Okay, and?"[/color] Ingrid took a deep breath as she knew she was safe, even if it was just a moment. Ingrid chuckled a little as Benedetto complained about the water. [color=8882be]"Ooh"[/color] Ingrid let out as she then scrambled to help Penny out of the water. Ingrid looked Penny up and down real quick and said, [color=8882be]"You're alright, you're alright"[/color] as she gave Penny a solid pat or 2 on the shoulder. Penny had quickly asked Ismette where exactly were they. Ingrid already could deduce that was somewhere in Torragonese High Desert but to have an actual town is useful. Whatever the case, the more pressing issue for Ingrid was making sure the tunnel was supported. She quickly created solid stone pillars to support the sandstone. Ingrid wanted to wait to see if Ismette had any more to say but she didn't expect much. [color=Crimson]"Don't worry, we won't be lacking in warmth out here in..."[/color] Trypano paused, waiting for Ismette to fill everyone in as their team filed down her tunnel one by one. One of her eyebrows cocked as the destination was revealed unto them: San Agustin, all the way out in the middle of the bloody Torragonese Desert. [color=Crimson]"And [i]why[/i] were our coordinates set for the middle of a desert?"[/color] Trypano made little attempt to disguise her irritation with this seemingly random diversion when all she had been hoping to do was secure this lantern once and for all. The more chances they took with this thing the more opportunities they'd have to lose it somehow and that thought irritated her greatly. The Sirahhi provided some useful knowledge of the world and magic to a degree but that would benefit no one, especially not herself, if they all died shortly thereafter. With so many things to research and so little time this little errand they seemed to have been stuck on was doing nothing save for wasting her precious time. Lighting up the lantern to give them some visibility in the secure basin she wrought for them she waiting with arms crossed, gun hung awkwardly from her back as she waited for anything approaching the semblance of an answer. Ismette saw as everyone looked at her with indignation and a sense of hostility, she put her hands up as she said in a quick response, [color=6ecff6]"H-hey, this was where Hugo was going to send us. He said when we used the key phrase we would be going here next to meet with one of the other groups to assist them"[/color]. Benedetto then snaps out as he says, [color=00a99d]"Okay, so you decided to send us to the middle of a desert, and now we are right next to an army! WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR!!! I am not going to just be cleaning up messes all day!!"[/color] Penny stepped in as she said, [color=f7976a]"Yes, why are we here?"[/color] Penny looked at Ismette worried as they don't even understand why they were here for. Ismette said in a quick exacerbation, [color=6ecff6]"I don't know!"[/color] Ismette held herself slightly as she also seemed unsure and worried why they were even there. Yet she seemed to start feeling unease under the constant stares and slightly angered and frustrated looks. Desmond said in a quick lash to keep people on track before a fight breaks out with Benedetto, [color=gold]"Alright, we get it. We don't know why we are here, so let's ask the next question: What are we going to do?"[/color] Benedetto grumbled as his face contorted as if he was getting antsy and impatient with that actual army nearby. As irritated and exhausted Ingrid was, she couldn't stand watching Ismette get ganged up on. Especially when it had to do with Hugo and his vague instructions. Ingrid was about to interject but Desmond cut in to try and correct the conversation. Ingrid tried to weigh the situation in full but with the limited information it was difficult. [color=8882be][i]We know from Ismette that this was where they were suppose to be sent off to by Hugo to help the situation. It could be that Hugo was going to teleport us into small settlement but as they went through Sirrahi portal. Knowing what I now know about the Sirrahi, it seems pretty likely that Ten would place us just outside San Agustin. Could we be here to fight the Army? No, with an army of that size they wouldn't face them head on from that settlement. They are too outnumbered. I can't think of why the army would be here if it wasn't for battle or just a show of force. If it was for battle their could be a large monster rampaging and it is affecting the lords finances or reputation. Maybe the students were here to assist in the slaying of the monster. Their is probably more going on with how our mission went. Either way, I know where we need to go at least.[/i][/color] Ingrid spoke up, [color=8882be]"I believe Hugo wants us to be in the settlement and we would be a lot less confused. The Sirrahi have a minimal contact policy, if you can remember, so it explains why we are on this small plateau. So getting to the refuge would probably be our quickest way of returning to the academy. That or traversing the desert then the sea to get back. Any suggestions?"[/color] Trypano's cold red eyes flitted from speaker to speaker as their conversation seemed to spiral around the same point fruitlessly like a tethered ant's march. After hearing out Ingrid's words on the matter she stepped back into the topic herself. [color=crimson]"Bold of you to assume what is wanted out of us from Hugo if he couldn't of even be bothered to disclose the purpose of this extraneous mission to us, let alone it's existence in the first place."[/color] Moving her glare which betrayed hints of her exhaustion with this endeavor she looked from Ingrid to the group as a whole. [color=crimson]"Now I'm fairly sure that I speak for the majority of us when I say provoking a conflict with an entire army complete with an unknown quantity of combat mages is the last thing we need right now. That being said since they seem to be probing the area moving openly in the daytime would just be invitation for them to stop and question us which-"[/color] She holds up her strange futuristic gun and artifact [color=crimson]"- Could end very poorly."[/color] She stopped and cradled her chin in thought as she considered their options. [color=crimson]"From the looks of things our present-most ideal options are to either travel underground by magically erecting a tunnel low enough that we lay outside their mage's senses or we wait until nighttime and skulk across the surface to our destination. Neither choice is entirely safe but circumstances appear to be, as usual, less than ideal."[/color] Ismette saw as the upset nature shifted away from herself to the very idea of Hugo and his machinations and she let out a sigh of relief. As Ingrid and Trypano were the ones to come onto the scene with laying out their options with ease, she agreed that the best actions would possibly be towards sneaking into the Refuge. Ismette said in a quick agreeance with Trypano's initiative to go to the Refuge, [color=6ecff6]"I believe the Refuge would be best approached from underground. It would allow us to start sneaking right now while they might be distracted with the Froabases"[/color]. Penny sighed out as she was worried about the plan, it was the best they could do, but they had no clue what they would be doing until they entered the Refuge. Yet they were right, they couldn't make any form of mistake with the army out there, no matter how good they were, an army would easily wipe them out. Penny took a quick swallow of the saliva that was building in her mouth as she says, [color=f7976a]"I believe digging underneath would be the best way to reach the Refuge as well"[/color]. Desmond looked around and saw Benedetto's face seem to tell, [color=00a99d][i]Get me the fuck out of here, or else[/i][/color]. Desmond knew that meant it was a go as he tossed a head nod to Trypano and said, [color=gold]"I think digging is the best idea, they'll probably find us easily otherwise"[/color]. Desmond then tossed her a thumbs up and said with a smile, [color=gold]"We'll be counting on you! You seem to be the best at this"[/color]. Seems like digging a tunnel under the army to stealthily enter the refuge was the plan for the moment. Not missing a beat Ingrid turned back over to Trypano, [color=8882be]"Let me help with the tunneling Trypano. Like what was mentioned before we met the Sirrahi, I have a great deal of experience with mining and by extension, tunneling."[/color] Ingrid started her tunneling with a steep spiral to account for their elevation in reference to the refuge. Ingrid placed metal supports every 8ft or so to add additional structural integrity to their tunnel. Ingrid also created some light from the excess heat in the ground to provide light. She left things like air to the other folk. Ingrid looked towards Trypano for some input on how deep the tunnel should be. Ingrid understood that sensing could be and issue and wanted to here her input before they decided the depth. As Trypano and Ingrid cross referenced their direction and distance, they begin to build the tunnel. Slowly but surely they made their way to their goal and possible reunion with their classmates. As they travelled some wished to talk, while others seemed to have almost felt like they wished to be as silent as possible. Some felt as if they even spoke a word then they could be found by the sound vibration within the stone and sand. Yet as they moved onward, the sense of fear slowly seemed to rise within the people within the tunnel. As time moved, it felt like an inevitability that they would be found. It was almost as if they would never see the sun, yet after some time, Ingrid finally said they should be near their destination. As now was time to begin their ascent, it was originally going to be a staircase, yet the worry of the possible army finding them and them nabbing them before they made their escape from their earthen escape tunnel. So with the work of their combined efforts, the Crew who is right now underneath the Refuge is coming up with a plan. They would make a plate of stone to have everyone stand on, as the people who would not be tunneling would be using their energy to raise the plate and allow those who can tunnel to do their job. As they quickly rose from their depths all the way to the surface, the sun hit their eyes and made it difficult to see what is around them, as the moment their eyes had adjusted they saw a sight that could have been said to be expected. They appeared in this large room that seemed to have been made for announcements as there was a main stage and many stone seats on an incline to better direct sound. At first they thought they were alone until they noticed the group that was formed in the area and realized that their once sneaky entrance was sadly seen by multiple different people. Some whom they knew about as they were the people that they were expecting to see once they entered, and then there was some others they never seen before. Many looked to them with incredulous stares as Desmond just let out a sound that seemed to come from a place of realization that they fucked up, [color=gold]"Ehe~"[/color]. His smiling face looked like he was about to laugh something funny, but in honestly he was nervous.