Even when the spirit illuminated the cave, the reptile and Ryan switched their torches on because they didn’t trust the spirit enough in case it suddenly decided to leave them. Fighting in the dark, while Jackson could do it, would only cause problems.
Heading deeper into the cave in search of their illegal magic user, though to them it was odd. Ryan could tell the place was abandoned, or at least not inhabited by anyone anymore, yet the magical signatures were coming from the cave.
Trying to not think of the worst-case scenario, he turned to the reptile. ‘You know what is interesting about me?’ Ryan waited for the reptile to reply, but he kept quiet. ‘I am the fabric version of Midas. Everything I touch becomes felt.’ Ryan chuckled to himself, proud of his joke. Yet stopped to see the reptile hadn’t paid attention or cared in the slightest. He turned to the spirit to see if it laughed, but it just smiled at Ryan. ‘None of you are fun.’
‘Focus.’ The reptile replied with a monotone tone.
As they journey deeper into the cave, Ryan tried his hardest to get the spirit to talk. Asking questions about who or what it was, why it decided to follow them, and anything to get Ryan to understand it. Yet it was fruitless, the spirit just smiled back. Ryan groaned, frustrated that his two companions were not the talking types. But he felt happy that one was smiling at him, even if that smile felt off in some way.
Jackson halted the group, took a knee, and aimed his weapon at the end of the tunnel. Ryan covered their rear, though he admitted that his rifle was not suited for close-quarters combat but after facing the bunyip he liked to have something that could pack a punch. While the two were ready for combat, the spirit stood between them, unbothered by what they were doing.
Bored, and seeing that no one was approaching them, Ryan broke their silence. ‘You seem to know this cave well. Why is that?’
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‘I used to play in this cave when I was a kid?’ Jackson coldly replied.
Ryan couldn’t believe the reptile, he stopped himself from laughing out loud. ‘I find it hard to believe that you were ever a kid. Everything on you is when you are well… fully grown I suppose.’
The reptile didn’t reply; he gestured for the group to stand after they realised nothing was there. ‘Something’s here.’ Jackson stated.
‘Really, must be the witch that Dogma was talking about.’
Jackson shook his head, ‘no, something else. Doesn’t smell human.’ The reptile eyed the spirit that smiled at his sceptical gaze. ‘It has something to do with it.’
Ryan chuckled, ‘how can you be so sure? This thing so far is just a lamp made to light our way.’
‘Or here for the same reason.’
‘I doubt it, buddy looks as useless as they come. Maybe the spirit is just one of those useless types that hang around and just likes to socialise without doing anything. Like those shadow people, the only thing they do is just stand there and maybe make you shit your pants.’ The reptile glared at Ryan for his use of vulgarity which made the young agent raise his hands to say he was sorry.
Jackson gestured to continue down the cave, not saying anything else to Ryan. Ah yes, let us keep going deeper into the cave, nothing could go wrong. Ryan thought to himself, displeased that he had to go deeper into claustrophobic tunnels of rock and stone. Eventually, they arrived at the edge of a steep drop, Jackson was the first to jump down and scan the area.
‘Yippee, I fucking love this job.’ Ryan mumbled in frustration as he followed the reptile deeper into the caves. Holding his hat down as he leapt down.