Dorian grits his teeth as the Bull struggles to turn. In such a small space, even something as simple as reorienting seems an impossibly large task. Dorian could manage it with some mild discomfort, he thinks, but the Bull is considerably wider and, more to the point, injured.
But is it the best option, going back the way they came? They know there were darkspawn wandering about, and even if those beasts have wandered off from where the Bull and Dorian had been, there's no guarantee they wandered far. And there's no telling how many of the things might be there.
From the blockage, Dorian feels the slightest breeze slipping through the gaps in the masonry. The Deep Roads have been unnaturally still, in all fairness, but the wide, open spaces and the fissures in the earth above have admitted something akin to wind. There's space on the other side, then.
So – they could return to a location where they know darkspawn will be.
Or—
The Bull's horns scrape against the ceiling again, and Dorian grimaces – both from the sharpness of the noise and in sympathy. When the Bull stops, when his breaths deepen and roughen, Dorian makes his decision. Perhaps it will prove to be a poor one. Or maybe it won't.
He reaches out, placing a hand on the Bull's shoulder to stop his progress. Dorian shuffles further into what space is left before the blockage, just to give himself room to move. He pushes himself up to kneel, one knee lifted to lend more stability to his stance. Taking a deep breath, he moves his arms, folding the Veil. The energy he draws from the Fade wreathes around him, winding around his arms, before flowing out to the slabs of stone blocking their way. Dorian raises both arms with effort, gritting his teeth, and the masonry shifts. A cloud of dust puffs out as the slabs grate against one another, and Dorian flattens both palms, pushing against an invisible wall. Slowly (and more loudly than Dorian cares to admit), the slabs slide outward, falling into the empty space beyond the blockage.
It's not exactly fresh air that flows into the crawlspace – it's a bit saltier, a bit colder than Dorian likes – but it's far better than the stale stuff lingering within the ruins.
(ooc: hope this is cool! lmk if you need more to work with.)
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But is it the best option, going back the way they came? They know there were darkspawn wandering about, and even if those beasts have wandered off from where the Bull and Dorian had been, there's no guarantee they wandered far. And there's no telling how many of the things might be there.
From the blockage, Dorian feels the slightest breeze slipping through the gaps in the masonry. The Deep Roads have been unnaturally still, in all fairness, but the wide, open spaces and the fissures in the earth above have admitted something akin to wind. There's space on the other side, then.
So – they could return to a location where they know darkspawn will be.
Or—
The Bull's horns scrape against the ceiling again, and Dorian grimaces – both from the sharpness of the noise and in sympathy. When the Bull stops, when his breaths deepen and roughen, Dorian makes his decision. Perhaps it will prove to be a poor one. Or maybe it won't.
He reaches out, placing a hand on the Bull's shoulder to stop his progress. Dorian shuffles further into what space is left before the blockage, just to give himself room to move. He pushes himself up to kneel, one knee lifted to lend more stability to his stance. Taking a deep breath, he moves his arms, folding the Veil. The energy he draws from the Fade wreathes around him, winding around his arms, before flowing out to the slabs of stone blocking their way. Dorian raises both arms with effort, gritting his teeth, and the masonry shifts. A cloud of dust puffs out as the slabs grate against one another, and Dorian flattens both palms, pushing against an invisible wall. Slowly (and more loudly than Dorian cares to admit), the slabs slide outward, falling into the empty space beyond the blockage.
It's not exactly fresh air that flows into the crawlspace – it's a bit saltier, a bit colder than Dorian likes – but it's far better than the stale stuff lingering within the ruins.
(ooc: hope this is cool! lmk if you need more to work with.)