The Broken Prophecy (Walls O' Text)

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"We'll head to the tavern," Mira said.
"A fine idea," Blackbird said. "I could use a good drink, if your bartender won't begrudge me one."

A few minutes later, the three sat down at a table, and the bartender handed Blackbird a mug of ale.
"You've done a good job tonight, Mr. Blackbird," he said. "We all owe you. No offense to you, Miss Mira, or to our good knight either, but I'd say this stranger gave that demon a harder pounding than either of you could have."
"I've got more experience, that's all," Blackbird replied. "But thank you for the drink all the same."
The bartender left, and Blackbird grinned at his two dining companions.
"Now that we've got the table to ourselves, what did you want to ask me?"
"By Lecroa, there are so many things, I'm not sure where to start," Edwin said.
"Then let's begin with a simple question," Mira interrupted. "Why the name Blackbird?"
"Ah, that's a good place to start," the mercenary replied. "Although it's not as exciting as you might think."

"I've been a traveler for quite a while now. Lost track of just how many years. But I remember when it all started... when I realized my home wasn't safe any more. I left quietly, in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, and made my way to the road.
And then... then I realized I had no idea where to go. I found a sign, but it was badly worn, and even if I could read, it wasn't as if I'd know one town from the other. I stood there for a few moments, wondering what to do.
And then I saw a small crow perched on the sign. It squawked at me, then flew off. I decided at that moment that I'd follow the bird and see where it led me.
In the end, I lost track of it, but I was just outside the gates of a city. So I made my way in, and that's where my career as a merc began.
In short, I call myself Blackbird in honor of the guide who set me on this path."
The mercenary took a sip of his ale and put the mug down with a smile.
"So, what else would you like to ask?"

Edwin finally settled on his first question.
"Those strange weapons. That book. Where did you get them?"
"The weapons are simple enough... I know a good smith. With some interesting ideas. You could call him my supplier, I suppose. Honestly, I've seen him make far stranger weapons than that gauntlet and flail. As for the book... well, that one's a trade secret." He grinned. "You might pry it out of me one day, but don't expect it to happen tonight."

Mira asked the next question.
"Are there... Are there other humans out there?"
Blackbird sighed.
"Not many. A few isolated survivors, they mostly avoid the demons by hiding. I provide them with food, messages from other survivors, and every once in a while, defense. Sadly, all too often, when I return somewhere, I find they've fallen to either the demons or to starvation. There may not even be any left outside of this town now."

The trio bowed their heads sadly for a few minutes. Finally, Edwin gathered the strength to ask another question.
"How do you know so much? About me, about the crystals, about the demons..."
"As I said, I've been traveling for some time now. I pick up a lot of information. I also have a few... unconventional sources. I might tell you about them later, but for now we'll leave it at that."

They sat there for a few moments as Blackbird took another sip of ale. Finally, Mira broke the silence.
"Edwin and I saw a vision in the fountain's crystal earlier today. There was a boy being chased by demons, but his face... He looked like a demon himself! Do you know anything of this boy?"
Blackbird frowned.
"You won't find him. Not now. It's already too late for that."

Finally, Edwin spoke.
"Really, this is the question that's been bothering me for a while. You've traveled through time somehow, haven't you?"
Blackbird nodded.
"This is a ridiculous notion, I know, but... are you me? In ten years' time or so?"
The mercenary laughed.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you in that regard," he said. "If I were, it would be very dangerous to talk to you. Interacting with your past self can lead to all kinds of problems. It's not impossible to do safely, but in general it's something to avoid. In fact, we should have a talk about that before I help you get back home."
"You... You can do that?"
"Naturally. But there are some matters I'll have to attend to before we can do that. I'll have to explain a few things about how you got here, and what you'll have to do when you return... but there's no great hurry. If you have any more questions, you can feel free to ask them before I get to that."

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SpoilerAsk more questions? Do something? Or you can just say something along the lines of "Next" if you prefer.

Mira spoke up.
"If what you say is true - if you and Edwin truly have traveled through time - then what of us? Is the world fated to be like this if you go back? A final desperate, perhaps futile, struggle by the last remnants of humanity?"
Blackbird sighed.
"I wish I could tell you otherwise, young lady. The truth is, I don't entirely know myself. I've been able to make small changes to the timeline here and there. But a big event like this... There are so many causes, stopping one problem might not have much impact."
"What of the boy?" Edwin asked. "You said we cannot find him now. But what if I go back in time? Would I be able to find him then?"
"Perhaps. All I can tell you for now is that the demons have found him in this time, but once you return, you may have an opportunity. But there are some things I need to tell you first."
"I'm listening," Edwin said.
"First of all, anything you found here? It won't come back with you. That includes any food or water, so you might be hungry on the way back. That's why I asked for this pouch of shards; they're from this time, and they won't do you any good. But I still have some business to take care of before leaving here."
Blackbird turned to Mira.
"Likewise, that means she won't be able to come with you. Which means she doesn't have to worry about leaving the village undefended, at least once we get you back. If she wants to accompany us to the gate, that's her choice; I can get her back within the month."
"I'll go," she said. "I want to do whatever I can to help."
"I thought you might say that," Blackbird said. "And there is one thing you can do. You can't visit his time, not with the gate I know of... but you can come with him in spirit."
He pointed to Edwin's pouch.
"Give her one of your shards."
Edwin obeyed.
"Now, young lady. Repeat after me."

"To fight for my Truth, I pledge my spirit
Shard of crystal, carry my memories."

The shard glowed for a moment, and then an image of Mira appeared in it.
"Hold on to that," Blackbird told Edwin. "If you give it to her younger self in your time, she'll remember the skills she learned in this time, and a little about you. You'll likely need her help."
"But... That was ten years ago! She'll be awfully young!"
"Fifteen," Mira said. "But rather strong-willed."
"I don't much like the thought of sending a girl that young into battle either," Blackbird sighed. "But I fear it may be necessary."
"I have no objections. I was already learning to use a sword then; my father did not want to take any chances if the demons attacked us."
"Is that all we need before I go?" Edwin asked.
"Not quite. There's still one matter I want to have cleared up. Mira, has the crystal in the fountain always been in your village?"
"No. A priest of Lecroa left it here before dying from his wounds."
Blackbird held a hand to his chin thoughtfully.
"In that case, we have to take a look at it before we leave. I think Edwin will want to know where it came from."

Blackbird snickered at the sight of Edwin in shorts.
"You should try to get some more muscle, boy. You'll look better at times like these."
"I don't intend to be dressed like this for long," Edwin grumbled. "Especially since it's a rather chilly night."
He waded into the fountain and picked up the crystal, then carried it over to Blackbird and Mira.
"So what do we need it for?" he asked.
"Well, it's a funny thing about the crystals. They show the future from the perspective of whoever activates them. In other words, you might see visions of things that have already happened in this time, but haven't happened yet in your time."
Edwin gave the mercenary a blank look.
"I guess that's a bit confusing. Well, don't worry too much about the details of it; what's important is, you can get this crystal to show you where it was held before the priest brought it here."
"But if he's going to bring it here, do I really need to worry about it? I can't just smash it, that would doom this village."
"I think it's important that you go there yourself. Call it a hunch. Now, ask the crystal to show you its resting place."
Edwin shrugged.
"Oh Crystal of Truth!" he said. "Show me your resting place!"

The Crystal of Truth lay on an altar in a small, otherwise empty room. Two demons stood guard near it, scowling.
Suddenly, a wall opened, and a shadow appeared from it.
"We've lost a crystal," a harsh voice said. "We need to protect this one better. I'll be sending in more guards to join you soon."
The demons saluted. The shadow drew nearer.
"Protect this crystal with your lives. Is that clear?" it asked.
"Yes, my Lord!" the demons said in unison.
The shadow walked closer, and the light of the crystal soon revealed the figure.
It was the King.

Blackbird scowled.
"I had a hunch," he said. "You should definitely investigate that when you get back. You can bring the crystal here if you want, you've got to make a trip to meet young Mira anyway."
"Wonderful," Edwin sighed. He put the crystal back. "Well, it's late, so I may as well dry off and get to sleep."
"Good idea," Blackbird said. "We leave tomorrow for the Gate."

They arose early the next day, before the crack of dawn. Blackbird guided them to a horse and cart on the outskirts of town.
"It's a bit crowded in the cart," he said apologetically. "I wish I could offer you a more comfortable ride."
"It's all right," Edwin said. "I've dealt with worse. So where, exactly, are we going?"

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SpoilerLesson of this update: Just because I didn't use a suggestion right away doesn't mean I won't sneak it in later.

So! What's the group's next destination?

"We're heading for Sunshine Fields," Blackbird said. "Hardly an appropriate name now, though. Thanks to the demons, it's decayed into a swamp, and the mountain nearby, which used to be lush and forested, is now a deadly volcano. There's a network of caves in there, haunted by restless spirits. The gate is deep inside."
Edwin and Mira looked at each other.
"Ah... That actually sounds rather familiar," Edwin said. "We saw it in the vision with the boy. He was riding through there on my horse while the demons chased him."
Blackbird pulled the reins of his horse suddenly. The cart came to a quick stop, surprising Edwin and Mira.
"Dammit!" he said. "I should have checked earlier. I'm going to have to ask the young lady to stay behind, in that case."
"What? Why?" Mira demanded.
"I thought we wouldn't run into a lot of demons on the way there," Blackbird explained. "But if you saw this place in a vision, then they'll be expecting you to investigate. Remember, they can see the same visions we do. That means we're likely walking right into an ambush."
"So what? I'm a perfectly capable fighter. If you're facing that many demons, you could use my help," Mira countered.
"Because if something goes wrong, I'd rather have you back here to figure out another plan." Blackbird dismounted, and pulled out a crystal shard. He whispered something into it, then handed it to Mira.
"Here. Hold on to this. If something happens to us, this will let you know."
Mira sighed.
"All right, fine. I understand. But you two had better not mess this up, you hear me?"
Blackbird tipped his hat and smiled.
"I'll do my best, young lady."
"And... I will as well," Edwin said, sounding somewhat less confident.
"You'd better, you idiot," Mira said, suddenly embracing him. "I'd hate to think you died because I wasn't around to watch your back."
She walked away, and waved as Blackbird's horse started walking again.

Several hours later, as evening fell, Blackbird stopped his horse again, this time less suddenly.
"We'll go the rest of the way on foot," he said. He reached into a sack in the cart, and pulled out what looked like a strange tube with glass coverings on both ends.
"What's that?" Edwin asked.
"A telescope," Blackbird replied. "It'll let me scout ahead." He held it up to his eye, and glanced forward.
"It's worse than I thought," the mercenary said. "See for yourself."
Edwin took the telescope and gazed through it himself. He saw a series of tents, with demons walking around between them. Large fires lit the night sky.
"They've got an entire camp set up there!" Edwin exclaimed. "How are we going to even make it to the caves?"
"I've got a few things that could come in handy here," Blackbird said, heading back to the cart. "But I won't lie; this isn't going to be easy. There's no way we can reach the caves without passing through there, and my bargain won't protect us when we do."
"All right, what's the plan?"
"Hold on. Let me get my supplies together first."

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SpoilerWhat supplies is Blackbird bringing? And what's the plan for sneaking through the demon camp?

Blackbird pulled out a large crossbow, a rope, a net, a bucket, some flint, a strange vial, and three small balls. He then gathered a few small bags.

"This should do it," he said, handing Edwin the bucket, the rope, and the telescope. "Hold on to those. I can keep most of this in my coat until we need it." He strapped the crossbow to his back and started walking. "And try to keep up with me. It's going to get a lot tougher if we get separated."
Edwin followed the mercenary for some time, until Blackbird suddenly stopped.
"Telescope," he said. Edwin handed it to him, and Blackbird looked around.
"This should be close enough. Put the bucket down here and we'll get started."
Edwin did so.
"What do you need it for?"
"Well, it's a lot more convenient than a bubbling cauldron," Blackbird said with a chuckle. "I've got some mixing to do."
The mercenary took several bags out of his coat and opened them up; most held strange powders that looked identical to Edwin. One contained unusual looking leaves. Blackbird poured several of the powders into the bucket, and then added a few leaves. He put the bags away and stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon, then started a small fire with the flint and a few stray sticks.
"Hold that over the flame," he told Edwin. "We'll need to wait about a minute before it's ready to use; it should be ready by the time I set up the distraction."
Blackbird took the crossbow from his back, and pulled out the strange vial. It contained an unusual black liquid. He dipped a crossbow bolt into it, and then loaded it in. He held the telescope to his eye, looked for a bit, and then fired the crossbow in that direction.
The bolt streaked through the horizon, bursting into flame as it did. Blackbird smirked.
"That should hit just at the west side of the camp," he said. "And now for the east side."
Blackbird dipped another bolt into the vial, loaded it, checked with the telescope, and fired again.
He glanced through the telescope.
"Yep, that's done it. They're checking out both fires, and they're preparing two attack forces. That means fewer demons for us to sneak by in the middle."
He put the crossbow on his back again, and looked at the bucket.
"It's ready," he said, mixing the contents with the wooden spoon. "Put that flame out before they notice it."
Edwin kicked some dirt over the fire, and handed the bucket to Blackbird.
"What exactly is this?" he asked.
"The alchemists call it invisibility powder," he said. "Although it doesn't work as well as the name suggests. It really only works at a distance and in low lighting. Luckily for us, it's nightfall."
"So we try to keep our distance from the demons?"
"And their fires, yes. We'll try to get through without drawing their attention, but I can't make any promises. And keep up with me! We don't want to lose sight of each other while this stuff's on."
Blackbird lifted the bucket.
"One last thing. This stuff doesn't last forever. We've got about an hour to get through the camp before they see us again. So don't dawdle!"
"I understand."
"Good. Close your eyes; it gets hard to see if you get this stuff in there."
Blackbird reached a hand into the bucket, and flung the powder over Edwin, then over himself.
"Open your eyes," he said. "We're moving now."

They ran across the open plains towards the camp. Fifteen minutes later, they reached the outer edges, and carefully made their way past a sentry as his back was turned.
They slipped through the camp, avoiding fires and guards, hiding behind tents when needed. A half hour later, they could see the other side.
"Good, we've got plenty of time," Blackbird whispered. "We just need to get through this part, and..."
"And then you're out of our territory, and so attacking you would violate the terms of our agreement," a voice hissed from behind them. "I do wonder what you're so eager to find here, though."
Edwin and Blackbird turned around to face the demon. He was about the size of a young boy, had short and messy black hair, and red eyes. He wore a familiar set of clothes, and was mounted on a demonic horse.
"He... He's the boy I saw in the vision!" Edwin exclaimed. "But he's become a demon?"
Blackbird nodded sadly.
"I was afraid it might come to this," he sighed. "I suppose you're going to alert the others now, Damien?"
"Well, I could," the demonic boy said with a smirk, dismounting his steed. "On the other hand, I've been bored to death sitting in this camp all day waiting for something to happen. If I just sound the alarm, then where's the excitement? We'll just guard all the exits, call the scouts back, then find you and tear you apart limb from limb before you can make it out of the camp. That's so boring."
Damien folded his arms and grinned at the pair.
"So entertain me. Show me something more amusing than watching your gruesome demise, and I'll forget I ever saw you two here."

"Give us a moment to discuss this," Edwin said. Damien nodded, and Edwin and Blackbird whispered something to each other. Then Edwin smiled and turned back to Damien.
"All right, Damien. First, just to make sure there are no tricks, let's bind this agreement with a crystal shard," Edwin said, pulling one out. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
"Not at all," Damien smirked, grabbing the shard. "What are your terms?"
"Blackbird here is going to write down a little poem," Edwin said. Blackbird nodded, and pulled out a quill pen, inkwell, and scrap of parchment. "You'll turn your back and read it out loud, then turn around again while I prepare myself. If I make you laugh in the next minute after that, I win and you let us go. Otherwise, you're free to do what you will with me."
"Agreed."
"Oh, wait! One last little bit, just a matter of convenience. I won't have time to put the shard away. So could you hold on to it and give it back to me once the contest is settled?"
"Fine, fine. I accept those terms as well. Now give me the poem."
Blackbird handed it over, and Damien turned around.
"You can start reading any time," Edwin said.
"Yes, yes, hang on. All right..." Damien squinted at the parchment.

"To fight for my Truth, I pledge my spirit
Shard of crystal, carry my memories."

"Not much of a poem," the demon-boy said, turning around. "All right, let's see what you've got... Hahahahaha!"
Damien found himself cackling as Edwin, having stripped down to his shorts, began dancing. Or more accurately, flailing about foolishly.
"Victory is yours," Damien chuckled, handing the shard back to Edwin. "And all it cost you was your dignity. Enjoy your freedom, mortal."
"Thank goodness," Edwin muttered as he started putting his armor back on. "Oh, and thank you for the crystal shard, I'm sure you'll appreciate it the next time I see you."
"I've got no idea what you're on about, but I'd move quickly if I were you. After all, your agreement only applied to me. But there are others in this camp."
"I'm aware," Edwin said, as he slipped back into his breastplate. He and Blackbird quickly ran the rest of the way out of the camp.
"I'm surprised you could slip in and out of that getup so quickly," Blackbird said with a smirk.
"Oh, be quiet," Edwin muttered. "Let's get to these caves."

The pair walked through the swamp, rather uneventfully, until they arrived at the mountain. Blackbird pointed to a cavern.
"The gate is through here," he said. "But I should warn you about what we'll be facing. I already mentioned the restless spirits, but they're the least of our concerns. They'll mostly try to distract you and trick you into meeting your doom elsewhere."
"By luring me into a pit of lava?" Edwin asked.
"That's one possibility. But there are other dangers in these caverns as well."

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SpoilerThis is going to be my last update for a while, as this is the last day of the U4G contest. However, I intend to keep going with this once the judging period is over.

In the meantime, feel free to suggest what other dangers lurk in the caverns!

Total wordcount so far: 18151 words. Thanks to everyone who read through all of them!

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SpoilerWell, the U4G contest concluded, and I ended up tying with "And Then There Was A Sailing Boat" for third place. Thanks to all of my suggesters - this adventure has been built on your ideas as much as mine, and trying to fit some of them in has been a delight.

Now let's get this going again, shall we? From here on out, I might not update quite as often as I did during the contest, but I'll still probably update at least once every two or three days. We'll see how it turns out.

"For one thing, the floor isn't stable in some parts of the cave," Blackbird explained. "You need to be very careful where you step."
"Oh, well, that doesn't sound so bad..."
"It wouldn't be, if this cave wasn't warped by demonic influence. The place is alive, and it doesn't like mortals poking around inside. It'll move the floors around, drop stalactites on you, sometimes even the walls will try to crush you. And if you do fall in a hole, it can make you fall forever, never hitting the bottom."
"What? Then it could simply trap us in there until we run out of air!"
"It could, but it won't. It always gives you a fair chance to escape its traps; as best I can tell, it's looking for entertainment more than it's actually trying to kill anyone. But that doesn't mean it's not deadly."
Edwin stared at the mouth of the cavern. It seemed to be shifting a bit. Almost as if it were laughing.
But he was resolute. If this was his only way back, then he'd take it.
"I'll be careful, then."
"Good," Blackbird replied. "You'll need your wits about you. The cave likes to throw surprises at you, so I've got no idea what exactly we might run into. Just be on your guard, and stick close to me. There's nothing in there I can't handle, but I can't watch out for you the whole time too."
"Understood. I'm ready."
"Good. We're going in."

They entered the cavern, and with a loud rumbling, a wall of stone covered the entrance behind them.
"The cave likes to do that," Blackbird said, rushing forward and jumping over sections of the floor. Edwin ran after him and followed as best as he could.
"So how do we get out?"
"You're using the gateway. If you have to come here in your time for some reason, well, the cave lets you out when it's through having its fun with you. Which could be a while."
"Sounds delightful."
"Duck," Blackbird said, crouching down and sprinting across the floor.
"What? Oh." Edwin once again followed the mercenary's lead. A fist of stone burst out of the wall where he had been standing just a moment ago.
"That was uncomfortably close," Edwin commented.
"Get used to the close calls," Blackbird replied, suddenly leaping for the wall and clinging to loose stones. "If you let them get to you, you won't be able to concentrate enough to notice the next one."
Edwin leapt onto the wall after Blackbird, and climbed across himself. He gasped a bit as sharp stone spikes popped out of the floor below him.
"You seem to know this place rather well," he commented.
"I've had practice," Blackbird replied. "It's never the same twice, but I can spot some of the cave's tricks. Now come on; we're almost out of the first passageway." Blackbird pointed to a gap in the cavern walls up ahead. "But don't dawdle."
"I didn't plan on it," Edwin said, running after the mercenary through the passage. He was rather unsurprised when another rock wall emerged behind him, though the sheer speed of it was discomforting.

"So the cave doesn't like us turning back, I take it," Edwin said.
"Shh!" Blackbird said. "Keep your voice down and listen closely."
Edwin cupped a hand to his ear. He heard a strange gurgling sound.
"What was that?" he whispered.
"Just giant slugs. But it's better not to get their attention." Blackbird replied.
"Giant slugs?"
"They aren't actively aggressive, but the slime trail they leave behind has severe hallucinatory effects. It only lasts a minute or two, but between the cave's traps and the spirits, that can be long enough to mean the end for you."
Edwin ran up ahead to a bend in the tunnel. Sure enough, there were two enormous slugs oozing through the tunnel. One was moving away from them along the floor, the other towards them along the ceiling. He turned back to Blackbird.
"Well, you're the expert," he said. "How exactly should we handle this?"

"There's three things you need to know about dealing with these slugs," Blackbird replied. "First, like I said, they're not actually aggressive. Second, they're easily distracted."
Blackbird picked up a rock and hurled it down the corridor, striking the far wall. The slug headed their way suddenly turned towards the wall and began climbing down it, staring at the rock.
"Now we run," Blackbird said, dashing down the corridor.
"Wait, what was the third thing?" Edwin gasped.
"I'll tell you when we hit the other side! Just keep running!"
They dashed through the tunnel. As they did, Edwin felt the ground begin to shake.
"That'll be the cave," Blackbird said. "It's trying to spread the slime around! Just keep running!"
Edwin was easy enough to persuade on that matter. After a few minutes, he saw they were nearing the slug, and it let out an odd howl.
"Ignore it. It's just confused," Blackbird said, hurling a second rock to the end of the tunnel. The other slug turned towards the rock as it struck the wall, and like its partner, simply stared.
Edwin continued to run. He soon heard the slug's roar again, this time much louder.
"Are they normally that loud?"
"Question time can wait for the other side of the tunnel. Keep moving! And follow my lead!"
They were nearing the slime on the floor. Blackbird leapt for the wall, and crawled across it as fast as he could. Edwin duly followed, though his armor made him move much slower.
He noticed that below them, the floor had disappeared, save for the section that had slime on it.
"Move faster!" Blackbird said, leaping to the opposite wall. "That wall's not going to be safe forever."
"I'm moving as fast as I can!" Edwin shouted back.
"Trust me, you're not. You'll learn that by the time we get through this cavern."
As if to emphasize the point, Edwin felt a spike beginning to form under his hand. He panicked, and rushed forward.
"That's more like it!" Blackbird said, leaping to the floor. "Now hurry! I know how this cave works, and there's not much time before the door closes on us!"
Edwin rushed forward, leaping off the wall towards the floor. He gasped for breath.
"No time to relax!" Blackbird shouted, running towards the second slug, which was now howling like the first. "Keep moving! Don't stop!"
Edwin obediently rushed after the mercenary, trying as hard as he could to ignore the slug's howls.

The next few moments went by in a blur, perhaps due to Edwin's exhaustion. Everything happened in quick succession.
First, Blackbird rushed through the hole at the end of the tunnel.
Second, the cavern closed.
Third, Edwin reached the wall.
Fourth, Edwin watched as the slug turned a bright red and sprouted wings. The second slug flew down the tunnel, similarly-covered.
And also breathing fire.
"Was this the third thing?" he shouted at the wall.
"Dammit!" Blackbird's voice yelled back. "The slugs changed, huh? Hang on, I'll get you out of there. But you'll need to hold the things off."
Edwin pulled out his sword and stabbed the nearby slug before it lifted off. It collapsed, but a hideous vapor soon emerged from the hole in its corpse.
"Oh, and the third thing was, whatever you do, don't pierce their outsides!" Blackbird's voice shouted. "They're filled with a hallucinogenic gas that comes out in the slime."
"You should have told me that sooner!" Edwin shouted, as the world around him began to blur.
"You should have moved faster," Blackbird snapped back.
Edwin was about to respond, but then he found himself no longer in the cavern...

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SpoilerEdwin's hallucinating! What does he see?

The seas were rough.

Captain Edwin The Beardless and his crew had been caught in the storm for three days now, and it showed no sign of relenting. First Mate Blackbird had climbed to the crow's nest in hope of finding safe harbor nearby with the help of his spyglass, but he hadn't said a word since then.

And then, suddenly, he spoke up.

"Cap'n!" he shouted. "I see a shadow in the fog! It's another ship headed our way! They'll crash into us!"

"Man the lifeboats!" Edwin shouted. There was a mad scramble as the men rushed around the deck to escape.

"Captain! She's getting closer!"

There was a loud thud. And then, suddenly, the ship stopped moving.

"Mister Blackbird," Edwin said, looking over the edge of the bow, "I don't believe that was a ship."

An enormous orange kraken had grabbed the ship and was holding it over the water. Strangely enough, the beast had a feminine face and long black hair. Even more strangely, it had the ears of a rabbit sticking out of its hair.

"Alicia," Captain Edwin said weakly.

"You're useless, Edwin!" the kraken screamed, shaking the ship. "You've always been useless! These silly crystals and gateways haven't changed a thing! What could you even have done if your first mate hadn't challenged that demon for you?"

"I... I..." he gasped.

"You couldn't even protect me! One woman! How do you think someone like you can even hope to protect the world?"

Edwin found himself unable to speak as the pudding in the air filled his lungs. He began to sink in the large pile of worms that had suddenly popped into existence on the deck, and found himself back in the cavern, with legs dangling from the ceiling and kicking at him.

And then he awoke.

"Ow!" he said, as a large bat kicked him in the shins.

"Good. The remedy must be taking effect," Blackbird said. "I don't think I could carry you much further before the crystal gives out."

Edwin looked down, and saw that he was being held by a large crystal arm. Blackbird's body was covered in a large mass of crystalline armor, and his other arm was a massive drill.

"I figured if you were out of it, I may as well brute-force things," Blackbird explained, and then leapt across a large pit of lava. He put Edwin down, moments before his crystalline armor disintegrated. An imposing cavernous hole lay before them.

"We're almost at the gateway," Blackbird continued. "This should be the final hallway. But be warned - it's going to be the worst. And you may not be ready for it, considering you didn't see what I had to deal with to get here."

Edwin stared at the hole, and turned to the mercenary.

"I will do what I must," he said, though there was a hint of nervousness in his voice. "I owe Alicia no less."

Blackbird smiled.

"Glad to hear it," he said. "Now, let's go see what the cave has in store for us, shall we?"

They stepped through the hole, and Edwin gasped in shock as he saw the path that lay before them.

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SpoilerWhat will Edwin and Blackbird have to go through to reach the gateway?

The walls of the cavern ahead were lined with corpses - most of them skeletons, but a few still covered in gruesome rotting flesh. Worse yet, the bodies were moving, and the skulls clattered their teeth, as if they were clamoring to escape their stone prison.

It was a disturbing sight, and it was only enhanced by the presence of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of giant slugs crawling all over the walls of the lengthy hallway. In the middle of the floor, at the bottom of a slope, an enormous moth sat still, laying out gigantic eggs every few minutes which soon hatched into the monstrous gastropods.

"This won't be easy," Blackbird muttered quietly. "If we disturb any of the slugs, the mother will turn her attention to us."
Edwin looked at the ever-growing numbers of slugs crawling out of the nest.
"That looks to be an awful lot of slugs to potentially disturb."
"And a lot of slime. Frankly, getting you past this is going to be tough. If it were just me, I could probably handle it, but I'm not the one who has to reach the gateway."
The duo looked on at the monstrosity below, lost in thought.
"But you said the cave always gives its prisoners a chance," Edwin said. "There must be some solution. We just need to think of it."
"Well, if you have any ideas, I'm all ears," Blackbird said. "But you'd better come up with them fast - that moth queen won't lay eggs forever, and when she stops, she's going to be very hungry."
Edwin racked his brains for a plan.

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SpoilerThat's as far as the adventure has gotten. Suggestion time now!