There wasn't the barest hint of a breeze, and yet Grandfather Tree's leaves were rustling. As if acknowledging Fulsome's approach. The buck bowed politely to the tree. "I'm finally read-"
Before he was done speaking the vision quest was already under way. Fulsome was disoriented for a moment. Where a moment ago he'd been outdoors, suddenly he wasn't any longer. And a smell of smoke assaulted his nose. His ears perked, as he carefully surveyed his surroundings. Was this Erli? Was he in the ruins? He'd never ventured here before himself, sure it wasn't a place for a giftless Noul, but he'd heard tales from others. A huge jumble left behind by the Others, filled with who knew what dangers. And apparently something flammable. While taking a moment to assess his surroundings, suddenly there was a cry.
Well that certainly complicated matters. Fulsome inspected the rusty corridor he was in. The wall was lined with doors. Most seemed quite solid, and metallic, but a few were rusting off the hinges and hung at crazed angles. He carefully walked down the hall, trying to keeps his wits about him, pausing to sniff at the cracks of each closed door. As he approached one near the end smoke billowed from the top, and there was another, more frantic cry. "I'm here to help!" Fulsome shouted as loud as he could. This was clearly and emergency, but rushing head long into anything just lead to more problems.
"Keep low to the ground! The air will be clearer there!" He confronted the door, and touched it lightly with a hoof. It was hot to be even near it. He tried to hook his horn into the door handle, despite the heat. He pulled hard, but the door would not budge. "The door is stuck. I'm working out how to open it." He could hear the trapped creature's cries. He needed to think fast. If this door was stuck perhaps he could kick it in ... "I need you to back away from the door, if you are near. I'm going to try to kick it in!" He could hear scrabbling from the other side. It didn't sound much like hooves ...
Fulsome turned, and carefully aligned himself in a position he hoped would put the most leverage on the hinges. He lashed out with a powerful hind leg, but the door did nothing except produce a loud metallic clang. He frowned. Well this wasn't going to plan. The door was stuck, and far too thick for him to just batter down. He paused to consider a moment. He knew he needed to remain calm and assess all the options available to him. Then the thought hit him. If someone was in there, there had to be a way in. This door seemed like it hadn't opened in ages. He just needed to find the other way. "Don't worry," he called out, "I will find a way to get to you!"
He backed away from the door, considering the door he'd just passed. It also looked sturdy, and well coated in rust. He shook his head, and trotted further down the corridor. Ah-ha! The next door was already off of it's hinges! He spun, kicking the door down and then carefully stepped over the debris to the room. It was warmer and smokier in here than it had been in the hall. His eyes scanned the wall. Yes - there was another door. It didn't seem nearly as thick or heavy as the one in the hall. He approached quickly. "I've found another way in! May sure you're away from the other door!" With that he turned and gave the door a good hard kick. It bent inward. A second kick sent it crashing inward. Smoke and heat billowed out.
Fulsome crouched as low as he could, and entered the blazing room. Quickly he spotted a heap of fur on the ground. A dire rat? But it had sounded so ... normal. He shook his head. It didn't matter - nothing should burn to death. With his teeth he latched on to the fallen animal and dragged it away from the inferno. He'd figure out what to do with it once they had both reached safety. He navigated around the debris as best he could, and made it back into the much safer hall. The creature opened its eyes, and looked at Fulsome very knowingly.
wc: 719
twc: 1006
