Thomas followed along not giving much in the way of comment. As they approached the mouth of the mine Thomas started to get that feeling of wariness that comes with such things and automatically scanned the dirt in front for fresh tracks. "Are we sure it's abandoned?"
Survival
Perception
"Nope." Jennifer turns on her flashlight and searches around for a way to turn on any lights.
Seeing in the darkness as well as in light, Aurora stands on edge, ready for trouble. "I can leave Reason here. Should something weird be afoot, he can fly to me and warn us. Will you, my friend?"
The raven caws once, halfheartedly agreeing.
The Fey cries out, and even in the chair and being carried Jennifer feels resistance as the creature is pulled inside. But it's certainly not strong enough to stop her.
Inside the mine entrance the rusted remains of the tracks lead down into the darkness. A small side room contains what was once an office, and another door seems to hold a tool storage area. A second, locked door beyond warns of explosive stored in the room beyond, but it's unlikely to hold much anymore.
Still, it is a very big padlock.
Either room will likely work...or you can explore deeper into the mine and see if there's somewhere more out of the way.
"Good idea, some warning is always good." Nurai comments to Aurora as the kayal woman looked over the doors. Glancing back to Jennifer's flashlight, Nurai ponders for a moment, "Any preferences for Carm? Maybe we can move that padlock to another room?...would anyone prefer more light? My phone has a flashlight function if anyone needs it or I could get a zoog for a bit - tiny but quite bright over an area and keeps your hands free." Nurai thought aloud. The light would be useful for the others, a zoog's other abilities like lighting up magic might also be useful...and their reputation of being able to bite anything seemed amusing to Nurai at this point.
Jennifer shines her light on the padlock.
"Doctor, if you can get that open, please. Then we clear out either the tool room or the explosive room; whichever is faster. That's her new home, and then we discourage visitors with the lock."
Addressing Carmilla, "And then if we don't die while cleaning up this dog's breakfast, we'll try to remember to come get you out of here."
Doctor Solomon nods approvingly, then addresses the lock with a stethoscope and a keen hand.
Aurora, ever curious, rustles through the papers in the office, searching for anything unusual.
The locks pops off easily enough. Perhaps not too surprisingly, the room is filled with old crates. Such markings such as 'Dynamite' and 'Warning: High Explosives' give a subtle suggestion of what's inside. Several of the crates seem to weeping a liquid, and one open container has crystals of some kind forming on the side.
The seeping liquid and crystals are both forms of nitroglycerine, which is released from dynamite if it's allowed to stand and not turned regularly. It seems that this last load was starting to do just that, and someone decided to deal with it later by locking the problem away and occasionally thinking 'Oh, I really should get around to that.'
Needless to say, nitroglycerine is extraordinarily unstable and can be triggered by even small movements or shocks. With this much in one place, sneezing could prove terminal.
"Oh hell no." Thomas says taking one glamce into the obvious death trap.
Assuming Solomon explains the situation, Jennifer looks Carmilla in the eye and smiles.
"No more struggling!"
Carmilla stops moving, unless you count trembling as moving.
"Yeah, I'm not going in there." Miyu said with a smile as she slowly backed away. "Let's go ahead and do something else, shall we?"
Solomon fixes his glasses with an alarmed expression lightly altering his generally neutral face. "I think we should put her inside the mine, but... I'm worried something could touch this off and bury the entrance. Someone had better stay nearby and make sure there's not a fey contingency involving this material while the rest of us deliver the package."
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"What if the dynamite was soaked in water? Would it help? Frozen solid, perhaps? I could help with that."
"Does anyone have phone service out here? We could ask the internet.
But, you know, from a safe distance." Solomon adds, taking a step back.
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Nurai, after slowly backing away from the doom room, pushing down a lot of feelings about inconsiderate dangerous people, and disregarding passing thoughts of attempting to mend all that to a safer state - seriously too risky and too much energy and time no time for this nonsense, and it's likely bigger than it looks and possibly unneeded as it had been sitting here not blowing up for who knows how long - the inconsiderate dangerous people who left it here do, but...,pushing all those thoughts aside...
"I'm fine with waiting here while you guys shove her somewhere less explodey, I can send something fast after you if a speedy retreat is required." Nurai said as she moved back, looking around before pulling out her phone to check for any internet service and considered her options just in case. Wolf was a personal favourite, but in this space a small eagle might be better though if there is a cave-in, then a giant ant's skills might fit better...
"Let's just take her further into the mine. If an accident happens, she'll survive if she's far enough away."
From what can be gathered, nitro is water soluble and its reaction is effectively extreme combustion. That requires oxygen. In theory, enough water should drown any potential reaction.
In practice, of course, it's probably wise to leave it alone.
Nurai was happily surprised to get the internet this far out. "Internet says it might be possible drown the water soluble nitro to prevent the oxygen needed for combustion which is the reaction it would likely have with water...but leaving it as is and contacting people who can properly clean it up after this is all done is likely the best..." Nurai said, ensuring she moved out of the way for those moving further into the mine as she started adding more notes in her phone.
"Yes, we're not really here to clean up anyone's mess. Let's not leave overly much evidence of our presence here." Solomon says, wiggling his fingers in his gloves visibly to illustrate the point.
Aurora's hand releases the Valknut pendant she had already grasped. "Fine, but I'm not heading further inside, being caved in because some cat came inside and poked at the crates is pretty low on my priorities list. We leave the girl here?"
"If we leave her here, and the place blows up, that's on us. I thought you people cared about that sort of thing. Even the vampire was worried about a blood price.
"Unless anyone has a better idea where to put her, let's take her deeper into the mine. I know it's risky. If anyone followed us here, we could get trapped until we could dig ourselves out. But I don't see a better option.
"Or I could kill her right now so she won't be so much trouble."
"Steady, ladies and gentlemen. Let's take her into the mine a bit. Jennifer and Thomas can come with me. The rest of you guard this location and handle any unforseen circumstances that may arise. We won't have cell service down there, so if we're not back in a few minutes, try to make contact with whatever strange methods you may possess." Solomon surveys the party, looking for reactions. "Agreed?"
"Aye-aye, Cap'n. We'll just stay here next to the high concentration of unstable explosives, so that we may witness the big badaboom firsthand, should it happen for any reason. I think I'll rather guard the place from the outside, thanks. Miyu, Nurai?"
Aurora moves back towards the entrance.
Jennifer picks up Carmilla, again, and shines her light deeper into the mine.
Deeper into the mines, the air is surprisingly warm compared to the chill December air outside. Soon you reach a large room, the abadoned remains of mining gear piled against one wall. A pair of tunnels head to the west and east, and a elevator sits, open and dark without any power.
There's no sign of anything likely to explode, at least.
Jennifer sees what she can see down the east and west tunnels with her flashlight. She'll also try and listen for any sounds coming from either tunnel.
There's nothing obvious down either tunnel, either in sight or by noise.
There's nothing obvious down either tunnel, either in sight or by noise.
Well, nobody seemed interested in divinations at the moment, and Miyu just sighed slightly. Well, looking into the future too much could be a problem in its own way, so this was probably for the best.
Without a better or more obvious location, Jennifer sets Chairmilla down in the broken elevator, sliding the old door closed as well. The blood-thirsty Fae's eyes dart, seeing no way out that doesn't involve rusted iron and sharp edges, and she shudders.
As you return towards the entrance, however, cold torchlight greets you. The whinny of a horse can be heard beyond the entrance and the stamp of hooves. They probably haven't seen you, yet.
Aurora stopped dead in her tracks, flattening against the wall. She quickly glanced towards the new arrival, trying to make out their shape. Although she had sort of a way with words, she'd rather not have to justify to the authorities (and worst, to her mother) what she was doing an an abandoned mine.
Worst case, I can run out on Caerser. Will likely spook whoever is there. I wish Reason wasn't back there.
"It's not the police, because there's a horse and torchlight out there. That means there's no legal trouble if we have to fight out way out of here, which I'm very good at, by the way.
"That said, I'm going to go see who they are. If that worries anybody, you better come along quick and do the talking for me."
Jennifer walks out the entrance to see who the visitors are.
A trio of riders sit astride massive chargers, the leader of which you recognise as the Fey from Sanctuary. Cold, frost-coated bronze armour covers him now, and he appears more like a tree in the dead of winter, his cloak a fame of where leaves once were and living twigs. The two riders flanking him seemed like lesser variations of himself, smaller, pale imitations.
Four blacks shapes slinked through the shadows, midnight fur making them difficult to see. Only sulphurous yellow eyes glowing in the dark as the flickered towards the entrance.
The lead fey spoke, his voice hollow. "You possess something that belongs to my master. Return what you have taken, and when the hunt ride you and yours shall be spared its attentions."
Stepping out from the mine, Aurora calls her spear to her hand, only to plant it on the ground, and addresses the rider with a calm voice. Her hair is loose, waving in the icy breeze.
"Were this my home, o mighty Lord, I would bid you welcome as a guest under my roof. But it is not, so I only may thrice grant you my name. I am Aurora, named after the Northern Lights. I am Guðrbarn, in this land Goodberry, but child of war in the old tongues. And, most of all, I am Reginleif, Daughter of the Gods, Chooser of the Slain. Thrice I named myself, and so I ask you to name thyself."
"The one we have taken has plotted against a host of ours as she was bound by guesthood. She maligned on mortal soil, and she was taken on mortal soil, far from the courts. I believe that we have the right to keep her until we have proved our host's innocence."
"If you know my kind, o mighty Lord, you know that we stand for the harsh natural law, the one no mortal may escape. We are the dark-winged wardens, we are the relentless oathkeepers. Here I vow that what I said is true, to the best of my knowledge. Will you accept another oath from me, that we will bring her back to you once the incident is resolved, to the best of our abilities?"
Nurai eyes narrowed at the sight of the light. Moving towards the shadows, Nurai carefully followed Jennifer toward the entrance, nodding in agreement that police on horse was unlikely.
Nurai sighed at the sight of the big fey and his minions. She glanced to the shadowy creatures around. Nurai sighed, clearly unimpressed, as she looked down to her phone and started tapping out a message with your phone as she listened to Aurora talk. Strong desire to make snarky remarks about referring to Carm as something but kept quiet as she sent a message to Valda. Considering what was going around and the options at hand...
Miyu kept quiet for the moment, but she loosened a few talismans so they'd be ready to fling at a moment's notice. Fey were pretty tricky creatures, and violence wasn't exactly something they hesitated to use if they thought it could help get their way. After a moment of thought, though, she did slap two talismans onto her legs, calling upon their powers to help shield her from harm.
Solomon rubbed his thumb on the latch on his hardened handcase. He didn't fancy his odds against the leader alone, much less against the entire squad that'd arrived. Yet apparently he was in the company of a number of other unnaturals, capable of god only knows what. He analyzed the situation and considered his best odds of survival, his mind drifting back to the SUV that had carried them here. "I wish I'd brought my BMW..." He found himself thinking somewhat bitterly. "Would have been hell on my suspension though."
The charger snorted, breath condensing in the cold air as it pawed the ground. "Pretty words, Aurora, of the land of Goodberry, daughter Reignleaf of the Gods. Your courtesy demands I reply in kind. I was known as one who entered the woods, and returned changed. I was the one who challenged the court of a king, and had my head struck from my shoulders. I am known by mortals by the name of Bercilak, tester of those who would think themselves blessed by the Gods."
He gestured to the entrance. "Those who know my legend will know why I cannot allow the woman to remain in mortal hands, nor allow her to be handed to others of my kind. Those who do not will not care. Bring her to the entrance, and you and yours shall live."
The four shadows moved closer, allowing Nurai to see the vague outline of four massive black hounds.
He also had a wife, who in some legends, was sent to seduce Gawain.
"Nice dogs, my family has similar..." Nurai comments casually, glancing over to the one who spoke. Nurai certainly did not think she was blessed by any deities but still didn't like the idea of handing Carm over before this business was over.
A small chime and vibration brought Nurai's attention back to the phone in her hand. Cold iron wasn't exactly something the kayal woman kept to hand, she'd ask the others later if it became needed, finding another way out of that cave was fine though quite unappealing with what they've found in there so far. Nurai looked around at those around and before them before trying to explain.
"I only care in that she is a witness used in a plot to threaten a friend and, and once she can bear witness to that to those that can handle these issues, I have no intent to hold her further. If you can help us get this plot to reinvigorate the hunt through bloodshed and frightening mortals excused by a set-up murder dealt with, then we can get this done all the sooner. " she said with a smile. "You of all here know how...those like me act about those we care about...I really can't not care so I'm hoping we can just get this dealt with... " she continued, phone still in hand as she began considering what would be the best to summon. Her shadow would be furious not to be in on the fun but sending a shadow wolf after shadow hounds seemed great as well...hopefully it will come to neither.
"How interesting." Solomon states out loud as he evaluates the situation. He speaks into Nurai's mind as she seems to be texting the situation already.
Nurai tilted her head slightly at the sound of the Doctor's voice. Dude talking in her head was certainly not expected. She thought on it for a moment, glancing down to her phone, placing her free hand into her pocket to point at Doctor Solomon and whispered to herself as if reading. Some didn't like people sending mental messages to each other in front of them and Nurai was trying to be as unantagonistic as possible.
"Thankfully, Valda seems fine right now. Hopefully all of this will be off of her mind soon and her next party will hopefully have more cuddlepiles and less lethal shenanigans..." she says after she finishes casting, looking up while still smiling.