[Kitsumi]

When the strange crystal being asked a question, Leopold shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me," he said. "I'm just the translator here." But then the being seemed to figure it out, as he suddenly interrupted the archaeologist and began moving swiftly away.

"Wait!" Leopold tried calling after him. "I don't think... I mean, I need to leave... I don't know if I can help... oh, forget it." He finally gave in. He knew that the longer he stayed down here, the lower his chances of survival were. But honestly, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. At least if he died by being buried down here with some sort of demon, the spirit inside of him would be trapped down here as well. Maybe that was his penance for having accidentally awoken the thing.

Damn, his knack for awakening or unleashing evil entities was getting to be a little scary.

Hurrying after the crystal creature, he said, "If I'm about to die down here, I might as well at least introduce myself first. I'm Leopold."

[Jedi]

The Hunter didn't turn to acknowledge his worries. He barely stopped for introduction. "My name is Guuntis." He stood for a few seconds, hesitant to say anything he'd regret but also not wanting to endanger him unnecessarily. He weighed the pros and cons of letting him go, but ultimately knew that he couldn't make him do anything. He felt as if should he force Leopold to help, he would be no better than the demon he'd trapped.

When he finally turned to face the man, he spoke up. "If you can't handle this, feel free to leave. But I must do this. I understand if you're scared, but I could use all the help I can get. Unfortunately, I can't spare any time. So if you're going to help, I'll need you to decide now."

The rumbling grew worse for a second, as if the demon was shaking the world with its thrashing. He began walking once more, not waiting for a response.

[Kitsumi]

It was no surprise that the Hunter - Leopold remembered having read the term in the glyphs on the wall, and assumed that it was the name of the species - didn't slow while giving his name. He was obviously in a rush, and the man could understand why. Whatever was down here in the caverns was big.

Just as Guuntis turned to face him, Leopold felt a tug at his waist. It was then that he remembered the rope that he had tied to himself, his one lifeline that would lead him towards the outside. To his own surprise, he found his fingers fumbling with the rope, untying the knot without hesitation. It seemed that he had made up his mind... even if somewhat unintentionally.

"I'm coming with you," he said simply, following close behind. "Just tell me what to do."

[Jedi]

He was surprised by the courage and quickness he'd decided. A slight flicker of hope lit in his heart, along with a lingering regret of endangering his life should they fail. "We're headed to the great halls. They are the only path from the lower sections of the caves to the upper world. If they are still intact, the demon can escape. All we need to do is cave in the room. If we have enough time, we should be able to escape before destroying the pillars suspending the roof." He kept a brisk pace, nearly a run in fact, as anxiety built up in his chest. He had grown up in these caves thousands of years ago, during it's golden years, and now he would be demolishing it.

[Kitsumi]

"Okay," Leopold found himself gasping in response as he tried to speak and run at the same time. He wasn't necessarily out of shape, but he also wasn't used to pushing himself so vigorously. "I understand that the plan is to destroy the pillars, causing a cave-in. But how exactly do we intend to do that? Do you have any tools or explosives?"

Suddenly, he remembered. "Oh, I have explosives!" he exclaimed. Reaching into his pack while continuing to move forward was difficult, but he managed it. "All we have to do is attach one of these to each pillar, light them, and run. The fuse is measured to last for about ten seconds. Will that be enough time for us to get out?"

[Jedi]

The Hunter came to a halt, wanting to see what they were equipped with. He tried to examine the explosives, but was dumfounded when he saw them. They were obviously more advanced than the ancient explosive powders and fuels they used back in the day. "They should work," he said, though he was unsure enough to count as dishonest. "If we can take out at least one pillar, that might start a chain reaction... I think." He started running again, and slowed after turning a corner. "There it is." Off in the distance, he could barely make out the great arch opening up into the halls. And he swore he saw a flicker of light for a brief second coming from them.

[Kitsumi]

Leopold watched as the Hunter's eyes widened at the sight of dynamite. Exactly how long had he been trapped down here, frozen in time? He was staring at the explosive as if he had never seen anything like it.

"Hmm," the man studied the pillars quickly, trying to judge their structural integrity. "This place is expertly crafted. Actually, it almost feels wrong to destroy it like this..." He paused, shaking his head. Now was not the time to give in to his archaeologist ways. "But I doubt a single pillar going down would cause the whole place to collapse. We're going to want to break down as many of them as possible."

[Jedi]

Guuntis watched Leopold closely, as he hesitated in the plan. He couldn't afford to spare his home. Not with this demon threatening the world above. But as Leopold retracted his concern, Guuntis breathed a sigh of relief. "This is a sacrifice which I am not able grant, but it must be done. If not, the world will suffer for it. I only pray I find favor in whatever Leader is in command."

He grabbed half of the explosives, surprisingly dexterous for a quadrupedal lifeform. He'd managed to get about a half dozen pillar bases when he saw something in the distance. At one of the grand entrances of the Hunter Hall, flames lit up the walls. The demon was here.

[Kitsumi]

Offering explosives to someone who had no clue how to really use them was a terrifying concept. But even more terrifying was the fact that the stone around them was quaking, indicating that the demon was near. So Leopold handed half of the dynamite to Guuntis, giving a brief explanation of how to use it. While the Hunter took one side of the hall, the archaeologist took the other. Together, the began attaching dynamite to each of the large pillars.

But then, Leopold saw something that caused his body to freeze in fear. He had no doubt that the creature that had appeared was the demon. "Start lighting the dynamite!" he screamed. "And sprint for the exit!" They had to do this now, and hope that it would work.

[Jedi]

Just as he had recognized the flames which indicated the demon's arrival, he heard his new ally calling out to him. He had to act fast. Guuntis went to work trying to light the fuse of the current dynamite he'd, though it took several seconds before he realized the demon was getting too close. He unsheathed his crystal claws and slashed at the stone floor, sending sparks onto the fuse. To his relief, it worked, lighting the fuse. He then took off toward the exit.

The demon recognized him immediately, and began barreling toward him. Fortunately for the two mortals, the blast was timed enough that it went off just as the demon ran past. It lit up under the fiend's ribcage. The fiend was immune to fire damage, so it didn't harm it, but it did take him by surprise.

The cavern lit up in a cacophony of explosions and crumbling pillars as the blast went off. The ceiling began to collapse as Leopold and Guuntis raced for the archway, barely making it out before the room had completely filled up with stone and rubble.

A few minutes passed as Guuntis caught his breath and the dust settled. He looked back at what they had done. His expression was a mixture of horror at the destruction of his home, and of relief that the demon had been dealt with, buried in a tomb of rock and debris. "The beast is sealed. Whether you realize it or not, we had spared the world a form of catastrophe."

[Wild Pet Found]