Jonas didn't know what to expect as he and Elmo started moving through the passage that he'd found. There wasn't any light for them to work with in this passage, but it had a clear upward slope to it. Which meant that they were at least heading upward. Not that they could really tell how deep underground they were.
They could be a good distance underground while they could easily be just below the level the river had been at. Regardless of which, heading in an direction that included 'up' seemed like it would be a good direction to go.
However, while Jonas was satisfied with the direction they were heading, he couldn't help but feel that he needed to talk with Elmo. He could tell that Elmo was getting ready to leave. How he knew this, he couldn't say. Just like when he'd realized it back when they had just closed the goblin portal. He was just able to tell, even though he really didn't know how he knew.
Despite that, he couldn't think of what to say. He'd never been good at this sort of thing and really didn't know where to start. The first time he'd said what felt right, but now he couldn't even remember what that had been. Even if it felt like it was coming across as repetitive, he'd at least feel better with having something to say.
As it is, he felt like he was losing something important and he couldn't even say what that was. If whatever it was passed him by like a ship in the night, he wouldn't worry about it, since he couldn't miss what he never knew about. Yet, at the same time, it felt like this wasn't something that he could just blow off with that reasoning. Like he would miss it even though he hadn't a clue as to what it was in the first place.
Jonas glanced in the direction he knew Elmo was, but it was too dark to see anything, that is without his ability Shadow Sight. However, even then for some reason it didn't seem to be working very well. He didn't know what it was about, just that he wasn't able to make out much about Elmo right then. While he could see more than just Elmo's outline that would otherwise have been just barely visible without his Shadow Sight ability, solely from the light that trickled in from the cavern they had just been in. Where the sleeping giant bears were. Bears that Jonas really hoped to not have to see again, let alone deal with.
As they walked along, the air felt like it was getting harder to move through because of the darkness, even though Jonas knew that darkness shouldn't have such a tangible feeling to it. It was even affecting his ability to see the twists and turns of the passage they'd been moving through. Like he was somehow losing his Shadow Sight ability.
Jonas didn't say anything, but started stepping more carefully and lightly holding his hand along the wall to his right. He wasn't sure what he'd do if his skill failed him completely. He hadn't even realized how reliant he'd become to it.
"Something wrong?" Elmo asked, concern evident in his voice.
Just great, Jonas thought to himself. His difficulties were showing to the point that even Elmo was able to pick up on them.
"Nothing I can't handle," Jonas answered out loud. While he was confident he'd be able to handle it, he couldn't be as sure as he'd like to be.
"Okay, it's just that you're moving slower than before," Elmo commented.
How would you know!? Jonas raged in his mind. While he could handle Elmo picking up on his difficulties, he didn't like to hear about some of the effects his difficulties were having on himself. If nothing else, his pride wasn't happy with that.
Shaking his head to try and clear the angry thoughts flowing through his head, Jonas continued to push on. He wasn't sure what to expect ahead of them, but he still preferred that to what he knew was behind them.
No matter how much they walked, the passage didn't seem to end. It twisted and turned without any sign of ending. They continued to go upwards, even though it was barely discernable at times.
They had to stop and rest periodically and Jonas couldn't help but wonder how much time was passing. Inside the caves, it wasn't like they could say just how many hours, or even days, were passing by as they continued to travel… wherever this cave was leading them.
"Are you okay?" Elmo asked after a certain amount of time that hardly felt like it had existed at all.
"Yeah, I'm…" Jonas trailed off as a wave of vertigo struck him. What that was about, he couldn't say. Just that not only did the darkness around him seem to spin, even as his hand remained steady against the stone wall next to him. "…fine."
"Maybe we should take a break," Elmo suggested. "We might need it."
Jonas wanted to argue, but his mind remained empty on how to go about it. He wasn't sure what even what Elmo had said a moment later. As he thought about it, he suddenly wondered what they were doing in the first place.
Were they walking somewhere? Jonas wasn't sure anymore. Just that it felt like he should know. Looking around, he couldn't see, but he could hear someone next to him. Did he know who they were?
"Jonas, why'd we stop?" a voice came through the darkness, "What's wrong?"
Was Jonas his name? he couldn't help but wonder. He wasn't sure as he thought he was a minute ago. He wasn't sure if he should respond. Especially with how heavy his eyes were. Taking a rest seemed much better to him at the moment.
"Aren't you going to say something?" the person asked, a note of desperation in their voice.
Is he talking to me? Jonas wondered as he knelt down before taking a seat along the floor and wall, not sure why anyone would be talking to him in the first place. Was he someone others looked to?
A sigh came from the person next to him a moment before they called out, "View Stats."
Jonas hadn't a clue as to what that was supposed to mean, but it didn't really matter to him. He was fine as he was, but he still closed his eyes anyway. A nap sounded good, no matter how good he was doing right then.
"We need to keep moving. You're not doing well," the voice said and Jonas suddenly felt someone, or something, tugging on his arm. Like they or it wanted him to go with them. However, he didn't see the need. He was comfortable where he was and would be able to rest. Besides, the darkness was just getting too thick for him to move through. It was just too tiring to continue on for the moment.
He heard the person by him grumbling about something, but didn't pay him any mind. All he was worried about right then was to just rest. He didn't care about what someone he didn't even know did.
He felt so comfortable resting that at times it felt like the ground beneath him was floating. Like he was still moving without having to even try. It certainly felt relaxing.
One thing that started to trouble him during one of those weightless moments where the world seemed to merely float around him while he dozed was why he was walking in the first place. He was sure there was a reason, but he just couldn't think what that was. Like he had popped into existence walking along here.
He heard a grunting sound and opened his eyes. That was when he became aware that the person who had been with him was lifting him up and dragging him a little at a time. While that explained the weightless periods, he couldn't understand why this person was doing that. It wasn't like they knew each other… did they?
Jonas felt like his head was going to split open. A serious headache was coming onto him, like it was getting ready to open up on it's own just from the pressure. As his head throbbed, he suddenly realized he didn't care if this person carried him or not. Somehow the movement helped him feel a little better even though he knew that if he moved himself, he'd just feel that much worse.
Whether it was a good thing or not, he couldn't say. Many things seemed to have lost any meaning for him. He was just happy to be how he was at this moment. Or at least happy as he could be with a head that felt like someone was pounding a hammer on from the inside.
"I think there might be something ahead," the person said suddenly. "Maybe there's some water I can bring to you."