Darkness. Blacker than any pitch created by man. A beam of light, followed by a softer orb, pierced the cavern. All the fissures and crevices were brought to sight, creating even darker shadows. Trickling water could be heard somewhere in the near distance.
The whole effect has the hair, on the back of Lina's neck, standing on end. Of course, on the exterior she was cool and refined...but she was screaming bloody murder inside. Taking a glance around, she could see that the others all looked unworried. Drawing from her mask of confidence the confidence they needed to take the next step.
Strange. If they could see her true feelings on the matter, there might be a small, paniced flight. But they couldn't see it, so no one left.
Lina sighed. Every fiber of her being wanted to turn and run and hide. Like a little child. But she wasn't a child. Wasn't that the reason she started out in the first place? To prove she could make it on her own?
As she and the others moved on, her as leader, her nervousness grew and grew. A premonition perhaps? Why did she do this anyways? She needed no more proof of her independance. Suddenly, there was a rumbling beneath her. The bottom of the cave opened up and Lina couldn't do anything to halt her plummet. Boulders and other assorted rocks fell along side her as she silently fell down the long, jagged crevice.
Falling backwards, she could see all the startled faces looking down at her. Her voice could not find her, and her scream caught in her throat where it stayed.
In those crucial seconds, she could see every detail. Her senses were intesified as time seemed to slow: Gourry, not looking as dense, but more horrified, his blond gair flinging out of the way as he kneels down next to the cavern's edge; Amelia, screaming and tears coming to her large blue eyes; Zelgadis, looking as horrified as Gourry, if no more so. New details about each flittered through her mind. The way their cloaks and other assorted clothing fell across shoulders and the like. Idiocies like that.
As they drifted farther and farther from view, her attention was drawn to the ever decreasing cavern around her. It's rock edges were turning more crystallin; the scent of fresh air faded further and further as well. Somewhere along her descent, she had let her grasp loose on the enchanted dagger and soonher sight was overcome by darkness.
Falling further and further into the deep chasm, she was vaguely aware of the air getting chiller. A sudden realization dawns on her. An ice cave...not crystal. Bits of rocks and debree struck her mid-air, indicating the falling area was becoming smaller and smaller.
Finally her back contacted a cold, hard surface and then individual streaks of pain lightning shot through her as the boulders and other ice crystals came crashing down as she did.
Not once did Lina, through the whole barrage of new sensations, ever think to use her magic to save her. In fact, she welcomed the weariness now overtaking her. She was tired...and she deserved the rest she was about to receive. Closing her eyes against the red and blackness, she surrendered to the cold and pressure...and fell eternally asleep.
Somewhere above, silence fell and none would ever forget what had taken place here. Ever. A silent vow was also cast, that this place would be revisited....and two would leave where only one entered.