Aillun's ears twitched as they strained to hear any tiny sounds that might help indicate where the next danger would fall from. They had enough instincts to dodge anything thrown at them but their confidence in their skills didn't extend to others. Even with all those experiences, from that useless life they'd discarded when being summoned, they'd never had the need to protect others. As such they never learned anything that could help in doing so.

“Watch out!” Aillun managed to push Mish out of the path of another falling mass.

Mel looked around, even more on high alert, obviously also trying to find hints of where the next one would come. “Anyone else feel like we were lulled into a trap? There were no problems entering, but now the whole place is falling apart now that we've started to leave…?”

“That rock just moved!” Riv exclaimed before anyone could respond to Mel.

“Don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of rocks are falling from above. One stone rolling in all this chaos isn't that surprising.”

“But… it wasn't like it was hit by something or anything like that. It rolled towards the wall and then when I next glanced in that direction, it looked like it was part of said wall at waist level.”

“There's a lot going on.” Mel just barely avoided being hit by another stalactite. “How are you so sure it's the same one?”

“Because… I've been paying attention. There's less rocks on the ground around us than how many we've been dodging.” To everyone's surprise, he emphasized his statement by using the staff, which Mel had suggested he bring, to swing at another stalactite that was about to hit Mishal. Even more unexpectedly, the force did redirect it into a wall. “...Maybe we can argue about this once we get out?”

Mel pulled out a sword and held it two handed in a defensive stance. Aillun could tell just by looking, it was incorrect. “I think that's gonna be harder than it appears…” 

Was Aillun the only one with any sort of real fighting experience at all? They just wanted to live this life combat and responsibility free, but that resolve was already being confronted. They actually cared about these other people, despite the flimsy ties, and realized they would be upset if the three got hurt or worse. 

They had turned their back on being a deadly weapon! Aillun punched a falling rock in frustration and it became like a shimmering oobleck, thudding against a wall before sliding to the ground. Their mouth filled with a fresh yet earthy flavor, as if having just eaten something almost minty mixed with a piece of not quite chocolate.

Great. They couldn't even control the abilities they'd gained from being summoned yet. It just did as it pleased… Which Aillun couldn't exactly fault it for, considering how controlled their life before had been. They figured the abilities everyone had gained from being summoned reflected the person's true self and, well… They themself weren't really big on the whole logic and order thing after finally becoming untethered.

The problem was, a bunch of nonsense could potentially be really helpful in their current unusual situation. If they could actually make the chaos bend to their will, it would be a breeze to just make all the falling earth turn to pretty bubbles or something. Instead they got a single liquid rock and a fake flavor.

Maybe they could at the very least use their instincts to guide the group out to safety. As they looked around, trying to keep track of where everyone was, they noticed Aariv's aura seemed to be fluttering around his head as he got a thoughtful expression. 

“Two jumps back for every one step forward…” He dodge another clump falling. “Hey! Can one of you protect me while I examine one of these? I want to see if I can make the same thing happen as with the plants earlier. It might give us a clue of how to get out of here.” In the first act of actual coordinating since they arrived, all three surrounded Riv while he stared intently at the rock that almost hit him. “... Fascinating.”

“Does that mean you got whatever it was to work on the rock?”

“They're not rocks… exactly. They're alive. A whole colony of actual living metal. I don't know why they are suddenly trying to kill us for leaving, but if we can knock some out and collect them, they can be used to make very valuable items.” He looked to Aillun who punched another of the falling metal chunks. “Maybe these were the metals you were trying to find for next time. They can blend in perfectly which is why you didn't notice them. It even explains the cryptic advice about not expecting it to stay in one place. It can literally move around on its own.”

“Perfect. Let's just grab some while fighting our way out so we don't have to come back later. This trip was already more dangerous than we were led to believe.”

“In that case,” Mel took charge, “Riv and Mish can do the collecting while the two of us forge a path since they've got the extra sack.”

“I hate to contradict, Mel,” Aillun interrupted, “but I think you should switch with Riv. He has already shown he has the strength to do some damage with that staff of his and… the way you hold that sword indicates you don't actually know how to wield one. Or at least not properly.” Mel didn't look happy but she agreed.

Thus, the twins found themselves putting dented ‘rocks’ in a sack while closely following the other two. It was still slow going, but bit-by-bit it started to feel like the group was making progress. In the grand scheme of things, the amount might have been insignificant, but every living metal that went into the bag was one less that could attack the group again. Eventually, light from the entrance could be seen.

Aillun had never found themself to be claustrophobic but they imagined the relief they felt was similar to someone who was leaving any tiny space. The breath of fresh air caused an airy giggle to emerge from their mouth. They might have not been in any danger but everyone else has also gotten out okay. And the world looked brighter for it.

***

Pheonyx looked at what items he still needed to get. He had made up his mind and now all that was left was to gather supplies. He didn't want to go into his first job unprepared.

Armor that covered his face? Check. A reliable but cost effective sword? Commissioned. Rations that could be stored for a long time in case he got stuck somewhere? Over a week's worth if he was smart about them. A pack to carry various other supplies? Already half filled back at his inn room.

Currently he was debating what amount of rope was enough without the weight and space it took up outweighing the value. What if he found himself in a situation where that extra little bit meant the difference between safety and danger? For himself or his future teammates. Finally, he just picked one out and hoped it would be enough.

Next was a firestarter kit. He would have easily just been able to breathe a spark of fire to start one before but now there was no guarantee that his species would be dragonic when he needed it. So he supposed he'd need to learn how to make a fire like other species did now. At least there would be only one type of kit to choose, right?

The ancestors must be laughing at him…. The shop seemed to have five very different things being sold as a firestarter kit. And one looked like just a block of wood scraps pressed into a dense brick. The others appeared to all come with different items so he couldn't figure out which were essential for a first time kit. Maybe he could ask for help? But what if that makes him seem stupid for not knowing already?

Whatever. He would waste too much time if he tried to figure it out on his own. “Excuse me. Which of these do you recommend for someone's very first kit?”

The shop assistant turned to him. “I suppose that depends slightly on your budget. The higher prices are going to have better quality tools that are geared more towards convenience.”

“Not much, I'm afraid… I have a bit of coinage but still have a bunch of supplies I want to get.”

“In that case, I suggest this one.” She pointed to a very plain looking box. “It comes with most basics, and replacements for items that one is likely to go through quicker. But it cuts some of the cost by not including a few items that can easily be found with a little work. Many more expensive sets come with a bundle of dry kindling so you don't need to search for some or risk only finding it wet.”

“Then I'll get that one.”