"Back up the way we came down or further in?" Azure asked with clear hesitation on the latter half of her question but her gaze was fixed directly on Ivory. As such a new member of the team she didn't know about the experience of the others and only looked to the one designated as leader. That resonated with her emotionally for some reason even if she didn't understand why. As for their quarry well it was beginning to seem like chasing a f'shryn in her home sphere. Wily little things that they are, one could spend infinity trying to catch one in the Nowtsphere and while she possibly had that kind of time Azure was vaguely aware that her teammates did not.
Ivory seemed surprised by her question, then looked around frantically and unknowingly. It took a few seconds, but he soon noticed the hidden entrances and tunnels all around the group. He almost jumped with the revelation, then kept looking around, flinching each time he saw a new tunnel entrance.
"This is not a good place to stand in. Too many blindspots." Red agreed as he gripped his axe, his helmet's eyeless gaze scanning the tunnels. "But the wyrm has passed here, without a doubt. We could follow and finish it. We have the greater numbers. Overwhelm it, rip and tear it apart..."
He spoke with a low growl as if anticipating a fight. The great silver axe that Red carried shone a wicked silver gleam as if sensing its master's killing intent. But then he paused, and the growl was gone and the axelight dulled.
"What do you think we should do, Ivory?" he asked, turning towards the little spider.
"Um. Shoot." He adjusted his legs and stood in a more regal, thoughtful pose. His right claw reached to stroke his chin, but met the scarf and mask he was wearing, then stroked anyway. His other claw formed a loose; alien fist that he allowed his elbow to rest on. He thought like this for a moment before answering, his brow furrowing.
"Ah," he said, his brow raising and his right hand raising to point a single claw towards the ceiling of the Carnesphere, "we should try to see if these are related! Yep, makes sense."
He produced a small, glass orb with a little pin rotating in it. It was a metamagical compass specifically designed and calibrated for Rift navigation. Each of the members of the group had one tucked away somewhere, though some used them much more than others. Ivory puzzled over navigation for a brief few seconds while the Black Knight put in their two cents.
"The seolforwyrm has the advantage down here. Clearly, it knows these tunnels. We do not. And we do not know which tunnels lead to another exit," the Black Knight explained. But after some thinking, he added "Although... this is not the usual work of a seolforwyrm. A tunnel system like this is uncharacteristic of one."
After, he pointed with his unused claw towards a fleshy wall. It clearly had another hidden entrance behind it, although it was a little better and more rigorously hidden than each of the others, curtained with flab over flab of flesh and skin.
"The crossover should be that way from here. So..." he looked at it, a smile visible in the corners of his eyes, which quickly released their muscles as he frowned. "O shoot."
He scratched his head. "I think there might be a tunnel in the direction of the crossover. I do not think we can ignore this!"
Anxiety touched his voice and he walked towards it, then dramatically peeled back the layers of flesh and held his head with both claws nervously. Behind, the tunnel kept going straight for some distance, disappearing into blood-mist and darkness.
