Nathan thought about transforming to get his wings, but doubted he'd change fast enough. He was falling too fast. Jack's floating ball of light up the dark recesses of the tunnel, allowing everyone to see the giant spiders creeping along the walls. Some rushing down the wall to follow their decent. Looking down, Nathan spotted what looked and smelled like water in the faint glow of the light. Jerking his head up, he yelled to the others seconds before they crashed into the murky water. "Hold your breath!" Nathan kept his legs as straight as he could when he hit the water, sinking deep below the surface. They had been lucky. The pool below was more than deep enough to absorb their fall. Nate's night vision couldn't see through the murky water well, but it was enough to see light. So, he swam toward it. Breaking the surface, he snorted water from his nose and called out over the thick misty surface of the water. "GUYS?!" Serena broke the surface somewhere, coughing water from her lungs and straining out. "Nate?! Escher?!" Pushing off the wall, Nate swam to her and answered promptly. "Over here!" The mist kept her shrouded until he was almost right on top of her.

Turning into his arms, she panted out in a shaken voice. "Nate! Where are the others?" Nathan shrugged, then heard the others breaching the surface over the sounds of dripping and rushing water. Escher cursed, calling out to him as he sputtered water. Mark's panicked voice called out for Jack. Their splashing adding to the noise. Nathan pulled Serena over to Escher. He wanted everyone to gather up in a group. Only as he found Escher, Jack's straggled voice cried out a bit muffled over the surface before more splashing followed. "MARK!" Mark screamed Jack's name, then yelled out as he splashed around in the thick mist. "NATE! I CAN'T SEE HIM!" Nathan held his breath, dipping under the surface in the hops of seeing any signs of struggle. When he couldn't see anything, he closed his eyes and let out a sharp muffled screech underwater. The sound rippled through the water like a bat's echolocation. Bouncing off walls and the people around him, highlighting them in ripples of white sound. That's when he saw him. Jack was thrashing under the water with the Frostbite spider that had fallen with them. The spider had a good grip on Jack and was trying to wrap him up in webbing to keep him from fighting.

Jack clawed and kicked to try and break free, but it was clear he was running out of air quickly and probably couldn't see what he was fighting. Swimming over to him, Nathan let out another screech. Watching the spider flinch and pause briefly in its work. Removing his dagger, Nathan stabbed the spider in the side while he could still see it. The spider let out a screech of its own, thrashing and rolling around in the water to change targets. It's venomous pinchers snapping at him as it curled up defensively on itself to reach him. Using his speed, Nathan stabbed the spider fast and hard to hit anything vulnerable. Its blood leaked into the murky water more and more, until it finally stopped moving. Watching its dead body start to float up to the surface, Nathan dived deeper to find Jack. He was sinking fast and unable to get his legs free of the webbing. His actions were slowing down. Reaching him, Nathan put a hand on Jack's face and uttered the spell for water breathing. Since he didn't have to breathe, the spell wasn't an issue for him to say under water. Jack's body swirled with blue light, then he gasped loudly and began to cough.

Nate smiled in relief, setting to work to cut the webbing from his legs. The moment Jack had regained himself, he helped cut the last few strands and began to swim to the surface on his own. Nathan followed behind him, just incase he needed to help him again. This time when they reached the surface, it was chaos. Mark and Escher were swinging their sword at the walls. While Serena was firing ice spikes all around. Dead Frostbite spiders splashed into the pool, but more were scuttling down the walls or leaping out to try and tackle them. Jack coughed water from his lungs, telling Nate hopefully. "We've got to get out! Quickly!" Mark punched a spider away from Escher, then called out. "Jack! Clear the mist!" Jack inhaled deep, then belted out a powerful Shout that shook the tunnel. "LOK VAH KOOR!" Nathan winced from the power but grinned as the thick mist thinned and vanished. All around them, the spiders jerked and fled a little ways from them. The shout had scared them enough to halt their attack. Not knowing how long the shout would last, Nathan glanced around until he saw where he'd seen the light coming from.

There was a small half flooded tunnel in the wall, where glowing mushrooms were illuminating the entrance. Swatting Jack's arm, he pointed and told him loudly. "This way! Hurry!" Without waiting, Nathan headed into the tunnel to lead the way. Sinking in the water until only his head was above the surface, he used his hands to guide him through the narrow space. While Jack called out to the others and followed behind him. Nate followed the glowing mushrooms in the wall, until the sounds of water grew so loud that panic hit him. The realization hit him one second too late. Stepping abruptly off a ledge beneath the surface that he couldn't see, he cursed as he fell, and a strong current snatched him. Jack screamed his name, trying to reach for him, only to step off the ledge himself and get swept into the strong current. Nathan clawed at the walls, trying to slow himself, but ended up screaming as the tunnel ended off a waterfall into another larger and deeper tunnel. This tunnel was lit up with the dim light of glowing mushrooms, revealing the walls with more spiders that jerked with surprise at seeing them.

As Nathan fell, he couldn't help belting out. "OH SHIT!" Behind him, Jack screamed out as he went over the waterfall. "FUCK ME!" They heard the others scream as they went over, and the last thing Nate heard was Mark snapping out. "FUCKING SPIDERS!" Splashing hard into the water, Nathan fought the strong current that began to pull him into another small tunnel. He only managed to reach the surface right at the entrance, when a spider dropped onto him. Sinking under the surface with it, Nathan clawed at it as the current pulled them into the narrow tunnel. Punching the spider off of him, he watched it screech as the current pulled it over another smaller waterfall into a river cavern. Going over the side, Nathan yelped out. "Not again!" From somewhere back in the tunnel, Nate heard Serena squeal out. "Oh my god! It's in the water! Kill it! KILL IT!" The waterfall was so short this time, that Nathan hit the wet rocks at the bottom and staggered to his knees on all fours. The spider that he'd fought, rolled onto its legs beside him and hissed at him. Nate raised a hand to protect himself from the venom that the spider was going to spew... but it never got the chance.

Jack fell over the waterfall and collided with Nate, sending them both tumbling over the wet ground. While just behind Jack, Serena fell from the waterfall and landed directly onto the spider's back. The spider's back broke from the way she landed on it, but even if it hadn't... Serena belted out a scream and went into a raged panic. Kicking and clawing at the spider and shrieking out. "AHH! GET AWAY! GET AWAY! IT'S TOUCHING ME! GUYS?!" Escher fell over the waterfall landing chest first across the stones with a huff. Right behind Escher, a dead frostbite spider tumbled over the side, hitting Escher before its curled-up body rolled off him. Escher staggered to his feet, shaking himself as he shuttered out. "Ah! Creepy fucking son of a bitches! YUCK!" Nathan couldn't help letting out a short hearty laugh, only to wince as Mark slammed into Escher, knocking them both to the ground in a huff. Jack eased up off him, apologizing and helping Nate up. Nate just patted his arm, asking him with a smile. "You alright?" Jack nodded, but Serena dashed away from the falls and the spider body, snapping out. "NO! I'M FUCKING NOT! Ugh, I can still feel the little hairs on me! AH!"

She swatted and rubbed her arms and legs with a shiver. While Mark brushed the wet hair from his eyes and quickly approached Jack. Embracing him in a tight hug, Mark lovingly whispered to him with worry. "Are you hurt?" Jack shook his head, enjoying the hug and smirking as Mark pulled strands of cobweb from his green bangs. Escher glanced at Mark, then moved closer to hug Nate. Nate rubbed his back with a comforting hand, teasing out to everyone. "Well... that was fun. Wanna go again?" The others groaned, while Escher's hand went to cup Nathan's crotch in warning. Jerking back from him, Nate chuckled out. "I was kidding! Relax." Turning around, Nathan saw the water continuing onward and added seriously. "Jack, you'll want your light back and stay alert. There could be more ahead." Serena moaned, grumbling out. "Nate... don't say that. I've had all the creepy crawlies that I can take..." Smirking, Nathan trudged on through the ankle deep water, retorting calmly. "Just stay together. I'll keep a lookout for them." Following the water through the winding tunnel, Nate slowed and lifted his arms to signal the others to stay back. There were ledges ahead lined with large egg sacks. Far bigger than the smaller once would be able to make.

Listening carefully, Nate crept silently through the water to peek at a large nook where no egg sacks rested. The nook was lined in thick webbing, and he could see the tops of large legs. Pointing up at it, he started to prepare himself for a fight. He stopped prepping though, when Jack stormed out from the group toward the ledge. The giant spider tensed inside the nook, rising onto its legs to move out, but Jack wasted no time. Storming up the ledge, Jack raised both his hands and casted a powerful flame spell. Engulfing the giant spider and forcing it to retreat into the nook where it had no escape. Searing it down to nothing, Jack set fire to the egg sacks, then calmed down enough to tell everyone's shocked faces. "What? I needed that..." Nate shrugged, turning to move on as Mark chuckled and caught Jack as he jumped down from the ledge. Walking to the edge of the tunnel, Nathan found a brazier and snapped his fingers to lit it. Turning to look back at the others, he told them coolly. "Seems someone made it down here and set up for light... Keep your eyes open." Escher touched the rusted brazier, stating aloud. "It's old... Not of Nord design... We're getting close."

Moving along the dark straight tunnel, Nathan lit every torch on the wall. Coming up to a small open end, Nate swallowed as the smell of fresh blood filled his nose. Igniting the campfire, Nate moved to the body of a Breton maiden. Kneeling, he carefully turned her onto her back to see the large slashes across her front and her broken in chest. Jack recoiled a bit when he saw her, leaning against the wall as he asked grimly. "What happened to her? Spiders?" Nathan searched her pockets, answering distantly to the rest as they filed in. "Not unless spiders have claws and are punching now... This had strength. Broke every bone in her chest... and recently. Her blood still smells fresh." Mark moved closer, taking a knee to look her over himself, before telling them confidently. "Troll. I recognize the smell. Poor girl... Looks like it slashed her and then ran her down. It was not a quick death." Serena bowed her head, mumbling to herself. "How brutal... What was she doing down here?" Escher nudged the trunks and two bedrolls, adding with just as much curiosity. "Two of them. Brought a trunk with belongings... Seems strange."

Mark rose to his feet, seriously telling them. "The war has been hard on a lot of people. Add that to dragons burning farms and towns to the ground... people start looking for places to hide." Jack huffed lightly; his voice filled with sorrow when he said. "The bridge was intact... you think they just fell in here by accident?" Mark shrugged. Removing a bloodstained letter from her pocket, Nathan carefully unfolded it and read aloud. "Sister, I know that you'll come find me, but it will be too late. If you find this letter, get out of this forsaken cave as soon as possible. We were fools to think we could live so close to such creatures and live peacefully. I should've headed back to camp with you after we placed the torches down here. I thought these trolls would be different. That they would somehow understand that we didn't want to hurt them. I am now cornered and it's only a matter of time before one of the trolls decides to finish me off. I hope it is a quick death... Farewell, my dear sister." Folding the letter, Nathan shook his head grimly. Serena sighed to herself, saying aloud. "These people were... Why would they think they could set up a life down here?"

Jack shuffled his feet, answering softly. "Maybe they thought that beasts would treat them better than people nowadays..." Escher changed the subject by pointing to two tunnel and asking curiously. "Which way should we go?" Nathan stuffed the letter back on the woman, his eyes following Mark. Mark sniffed the air at both tunnels, then pointed to a tunnel leading down as he said. "That way. It smells of troll and her. The other smells like a way back up to the surface. Fresher air." Nathan raised an eyebrow a little impressed. Jack patted Mark's back, chuckling down to Nate. "Aren't you glad you brought us now?" Smirking, Nate got up and lead the way down. Lighting more of the torches along the way, Nathan slowed as he came to a knocked over brazier that was still smoldering. Mark sniffed the air, then whispered to the rest. "They came through here. A mated pair. The female will be territorial, and the male will be hostile. Don't get too close. They'll smell you coming..." Jack tapped Nathan's shoulder, then conjured a bow as he whispered to him. "We'll sneak ahead and deal with them." Nathan casted his own magical bow, nodding to Jack in agreement. They'd make this quick. To Be Continued...