Moonlark Turned Evil

Inktober Special: Drip

FINTHEN FLUFFFFF

This scene is from a part of the book i've been looking forward to so. much. because FINTHEN- um anyway it takes place somewhere between chapter 80 and chapter 85, just for general frame of reference. The timeline'll make sense once you read them

I swear i love writing from Fintan's POV, it flows so easily for some reason

Final note before i release you to fluff-land: i do not remember how the Eventide River was described and i honestly dont want to go back and find a description when i can just ✨change it✨ so um... if it's not accurate... that's why

The underground passageway was colder than Gethen's heart when Fintan begged him for something.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Fintan shivered, wrapping his coat tighter around himself. "It's completely deserted. And cold. It's very cold."

"You're a Pyrokinetic," Gethen muttered from in front of him, exasperated.

The four of them were walking single file, because of how narrow the passageway was.

"Ro~" Fintan whined. "Gethen's acting so much like a chunk of ice, I'm worried he's frozen over with how cold it is here!"

"Shut. Up. Or. I. Will. Freeze. You." Ro ground out violently from where she was leading them.

"I'm already frozen, though?"

Up ahead, one of the stalagmites toppled over, cracked cleanly through the center. Ro growled something unintelligible in the ogreish tongue.

"Fintan, I think it's better to just stay quiet," Bo advised.

Fintan pouted, and considered his options. He was bored and cold, and it wasn't like he had self preservation skills to begin with. He opened his mouth to keep antagonizing Ro when a sudden noise echoed through the tunnel with enough force to send him stumbling into Gethen's broad back.

The Telepath didn't budge, even as he crashed face first into him.

"Gethen is an ice wall," Fintan grumbled, rubbing his nose as he separated himself from his companion. "Ro, what happened?"

There was no answer.

"Bo?" Fintan tried. He peered around Gethen, and a curse word bubbled up from his throat and slipped out rather loudly.

In the place of the two ogres was a stone wall. The tunnel, which had been moving steadily forwards, was now twisting off towards the right.

Fintan murmured, "I don't like this."

"Neither do I." Gethen closed his eyes, no doubt slipping into the telepathic link. He seemed to give up after a few minutes passed, however.

"Too far underground?" Fintan guessed.

Gethen nodded.

"I suppose we should continue, then." Fintan overtook Gethen. He'd barely stepped twice into the path before that same echoing dripping noise slammed into them.

They both reacted at the same time, Fintan jumping backwards and Gethen moving forwards. Their fingers met, and Gethen yanked him away as the stone walls moved. Fintan found himself pressed firmly against the Telepath as the ground around them shifted alarmingly, new paths being created and then sealing themselves off only seconds later.

The echo of that single drip faded, and the tunnel stopped shifting with it.

"What on earth . . ." Fintan whispered.