She was talking to herself in Vani. It was the only way she could think of to keep herself sane and keep the others unaware of her vulnerability.
"You can do it. You're stronger, smarter, more experienced than anyone here. You're up to the challenge. You will survive."
The internal pep talk faded, however, when Joe forced the group to a stop. She looked around mindlessly, waiting as he leaned against a wall, holding on to a protruding root. She watched the flame light up the rocks and dirt around them. The red rocks glowed intriguingly, and called to her to come touch them.
Aladari crept forward, reaching out to touch the rock. She tugged at a loose piece, hoping that she could store some in her bag to take with her. A chunk gave way in her hand, which she examined for a tick. It was smooth in some places, rough in others, and all-around enchanting. Her admiration was swiftly interrupted, however, by the flash of movement in the corner of her vision.
The woman moved forward quickly, a babe crying in her arms. She didn't seem to notice the child's wails. Instead, she focused on arguing with a man (the father?) unhappily. She visibly whined. Though Aladari could not hear them, she could see the desperation on the woman's face. The man urged her on, and she stomped her foot, but continued regardless. She glanced behind her one last time, fear all over her face.
Instinctively, Aladari looked back too. but all she could see was Joe, messing with a wad of fabric and some matches. She shook her head at him. Petching idiot. He's gone insane. She didn't realize how ironic the thought was.
By the time he had thrown the flaming ball behind them, though, she had forgiven Joe's insanity. The tunnel lit up in a huge flash of light, the creatures behind them bursting into flame. Aladari screamed, but was cut off by Akhen's hands firmly pushing her out of the way.
"Run!"
The command was hardly necessary. Aladari felt her feet itching with the urge, and so she stumbled away as quickly as possible. She may not have been fast, but she had a chance if she got a head start. "Get moving old man, you're not dying today!" She laughed at the statement in an increasingly delirious manner. Her laughter bounced off of the walls, and persisted through the splatters of venom bursting from the walls.
Undead monsters. Poisonous alien cells. With the way the adventure was going, she wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this.
Aladari stumbled over a root, slipping forward and plunging a hand into one of the cells on the walls. It popped and hissed, eating away at the skin on her hand. She hissed in pain, but the sharp burning gave her an idea. She stopped abruptly, turning to face the creatures. Ignoring any noise that might be made by the others, she waited. She waited until the monster was close enough that she could see the veins under his skin, and smell the burning, rotten flesh. Once it was close enough, she bent down and tugged hard at a slimy root, pulling it taut. It tripped almost comically, flailing its hands as it fell. Its stray hands reached out and pierced a cell, causing a spray of acid to rain down.
Aladari was not in its direct line of fire this time, but the undead was not so lucky. It shrieked as the acid bit into his already thin skin, burning through his flesh. Aladari grinned and laughed triumphantly. She looked around to see if anyone had spotted her ingenious idea, and to ensure it, she shouted, "Aye! Don'tcha worry! They's easy!"
"You can do it. You're stronger, smarter, more experienced than anyone here. You're up to the challenge. You will survive."
The internal pep talk faded, however, when Joe forced the group to a stop. She looked around mindlessly, waiting as he leaned against a wall, holding on to a protruding root. She watched the flame light up the rocks and dirt around them. The red rocks glowed intriguingly, and called to her to come touch them.
Aladari crept forward, reaching out to touch the rock. She tugged at a loose piece, hoping that she could store some in her bag to take with her. A chunk gave way in her hand, which she examined for a tick. It was smooth in some places, rough in others, and all-around enchanting. Her admiration was swiftly interrupted, however, by the flash of movement in the corner of her vision.
The woman moved forward quickly, a babe crying in her arms. She didn't seem to notice the child's wails. Instead, she focused on arguing with a man (the father?) unhappily. She visibly whined. Though Aladari could not hear them, she could see the desperation on the woman's face. The man urged her on, and she stomped her foot, but continued regardless. She glanced behind her one last time, fear all over her face.
Instinctively, Aladari looked back too. but all she could see was Joe, messing with a wad of fabric and some matches. She shook her head at him. Petching idiot. He's gone insane. She didn't realize how ironic the thought was.
By the time he had thrown the flaming ball behind them, though, she had forgiven Joe's insanity. The tunnel lit up in a huge flash of light, the creatures behind them bursting into flame. Aladari screamed, but was cut off by Akhen's hands firmly pushing her out of the way.
"Run!"
The command was hardly necessary. Aladari felt her feet itching with the urge, and so she stumbled away as quickly as possible. She may not have been fast, but she had a chance if she got a head start. "Get moving old man, you're not dying today!" She laughed at the statement in an increasingly delirious manner. Her laughter bounced off of the walls, and persisted through the splatters of venom bursting from the walls.
Undead monsters. Poisonous alien cells. With the way the adventure was going, she wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this.
Aladari stumbled over a root, slipping forward and plunging a hand into one of the cells on the walls. It popped and hissed, eating away at the skin on her hand. She hissed in pain, but the sharp burning gave her an idea. She stopped abruptly, turning to face the creatures. Ignoring any noise that might be made by the others, she waited. She waited until the monster was close enough that she could see the veins under his skin, and smell the burning, rotten flesh. Once it was close enough, she bent down and tugged hard at a slimy root, pulling it taut. It tripped almost comically, flailing its hands as it fell. Its stray hands reached out and pierced a cell, causing a spray of acid to rain down.
Aladari was not in its direct line of fire this time, but the undead was not so lucky. It shrieked as the acid bit into his already thin skin, burning through his flesh. Aladari grinned and laughed triumphantly. She looked around to see if anyone had spotted her ingenious idea, and to ensure it, she shouted, "Aye! Don'tcha worry! They's easy!"
