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You peek out the doorway and see Earl loitering: he's motionless in the center of the carnage, except for his head, which swivels smoothly back and forth. His nostrils flare. Can he <span class="mu-i">smell</span> things? Is that part of the whole package, enhanced senses? You'll have to ask later. For now, he seems appropriately non-murderous, so you take a few steps toward him—
And he swivels his whole bulk around to see you, and <span class="mu-i">lights up,</span> you mean completely and fully lights up, like a dog at the sound of a door: he bears down upon you and would've scooped you up if your frenzied waving hadn't scared him off. "KID!" he says.
"...That's me!"
"WOKE UP!"
"Yup! I— I woke up— I'm safe— you're bloody." Really bloody. His face and hands and arms and all down his front. You're beginning to wonder if there's multiple reasons Earl took off his shirt. "You killed people?"
"PRO—" He registers the finger over your lips. "Pro...tect... from..."
Ah. You did tell him to protect you. "Er, yes. Good job!" (He beams: half his face is tooth.) "I was protected, I guess." They probably wouldn't have hurt you, even. Just ask you some questions and kick you out. "Just, next time— less kill? Less blood? Blood, um, messy?"
You're not sure he comprehends: he's still just beaming, and his chest is bucking like he's holding laughter in. You sigh and direct him to follow you.
Before the skimmers arrived, the two of you had made it to the approximate floor of the dig-out— the big excavated square of the ancient city. Underneath here is more city, but most of it's still encased in mud, with only a handful of natural crevices and unnatural mineshafts allowing access. Wayne is certainly down there. Felicia could be anywhere, but if she hasn't been attracted by the (presumable) screaming, she's probably been repelled by it. And the legendary "seal"— well, things are always down, aren't they? They're buried. If it were lying around in a random mud hut, Wayne could've got it all by himself.
Trouble is, you're looking down one of these mineshaft-type things, and it's pretty much a straight shot down. Way down. It was carved with more prayer than shovels, you're guessing, it's that deep and that square. You are ropeless, and Earl is (if it has to be said) ropeless.
What to do?
(Choices next.)
