It wasn’t unusual for explorers to cross paths within ruins that hadn’t been fully explored. That drive for knowledge, adventure, and the thrill of risking your life to achieve something that someone else may not be able to in their lifetime only fueled that drive all the more. Melodia came to cross people like this time and time again; sometimes she’d spend an extended period with them only to disappear one night when her objective drew near but others—

   This eve, she waded through the knee deep waters of a cave system nestled beside an aquifer. She was not able to speak with spirits, the elements themselves tended to be chaotic and temperamental which made Melodia nervous. Still though, it was here where small crystalline blue motes that faintly illuminated the cave darkness allowed her the faintest bit of light as her nocturnal eyes peered through that heavy veil of umbra.

[b][i]“Smoke?..”[/i][/b] The smell tickled her nose, almost giving a stinging sensation that made the vampire’s eyes water if only a little.

   What was even more curious was the lack of light source that turned the walls that deep umber orange. Maybe it was deeper, or higher, the flow of air when going deeper into earth made detecting where it would be all the more difficult. To make that task a little easier on herself, she gripped the sides of her black cloak and tugged them inwards almost to wrap herself up. Shadows whipped around her, ensorcelling her figure in darkness before she rapidly shrunk down and turned into the small furry form of a bat. 

         That bat took flight, screeching a few times for the vibrations to bounce off the walls and get a good measure of the area— then she took flight, to search for that source.