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((Triple Saturday -- Page 1 of 3))
Hector put the rags on anyway. Evangelina Stroud probably wouldn’t be very pleased if she saw what had become of her gifts, but oh well. At least they covered his balls. And his cooling-variant armor would cover the rest of him.

The first chamber that they found themselves in was an expectedly dark one. They still had their lamplights from before, but Hector discovered that his had broken during the fall. So had Manuel’s, apparently, though Diego’s and Zeff’s lights were both fine.

Ah. They’d probably strengthened theirs with their souls, Hector figured. He wished he would’ve thought to at least try that with his own lamp, even if his soul wasn’t yet strong enough to have actually protected it. Would’ve made for a good test, at least.

Oh well. He didn’t even need it anymore, now that he had the Scarf. When he concentrated, he could sense the exact shape of the pitch black room they were in. It was bulbous, though also a bit lumpy and uneven in places. There were only two ways out. One was a large corridor to Hector’s right, and the other was the hole above everyone’s head--the Warrenhole, as it were.

He still wasn’t sure how he felt about that name.

The group made their way to the right and continued onward. They tried to maintain a brisk pace, but Hector could see the hesitation in everyone’s movements, too. The footing here was rocky, and their last adventure in the Undercrust was likely still fresh enough in everyone’s mind to cause them due concern for what they might encounter next.

As they moved, the corridor began to widen and grow taller, until it was nearly as spacious as a basketball stadium. Eventually, however, they came upon an equally enormous blockage. Truck-sized boulders filled the entirety of the passageway, and it was so dense and deep that Hector couldn’t sense any air flowing through it.

“Well, this is quite the setback,” said Diego, rapping his knuckles against one of the largest rocks. “How long’s it gonna take to get through here, do you think?”

Hector could already see Zeff stretching his arms.

‘It won’t do to be reckless here,’ said Garovel aloud. ‘Cave-ins like this are a frequent occurrence in the Undercrust for a reason. If we’re not careful, we could end up causing another one, which would only serve to prolong things even more.’

“I am aware,” said the Lord Elroy. He looked over at Hector, then at Diego and Manuel. “Hector and I will take care of this. You two give us some space to work.”

Diego’s brow rose. “I can help.”

“Get some rest,” Zeff said. “You look like you could use it.”

“I look like I could use it?” said Diego. “You haven’t looked in a mirror lately, have you?”

“I feel fine,” said Zeff, firmer now. “Rest. Or meditate, if you prefer. But keep your distance.”

Deigo shrugged. “Alright, whatever you say. Let’s go, Mannie.”

“Please do not call me that,” said Manuel.

And they and their reapers ventured off.