He was sure he had been through this tunnel already...
Ever since his battle (beatdown, more accurately) at the Shrine of Porunga, Chime's power had been growing. It was still nothing compared to the warrior who had kicked him into the dirt, but it was the strongest he'd ever been. It felt as if there had been some sort of corked bottle within him, sealing his power away, and that fight had shaken the bottle up and knocked the cork loose. Without that spiritual block, it felt like his power was bubbling up and overflowing. Growing stronger as well and good, but it meant nothing if you couldn't control it.
Which had brought him here. The Whistling Caves were well known as a training spot for the Warrior Clan, and Chime figured they would know best when it came to fighting. The crystals here were said to resonate with a person's ki in a certain way that was beneficial to training... but Chime had never actually been here before, and he didn't know anything more specific than that.
Though he'd come down here to train, Chime had quickly gotten distracted by the beauty of the caves. The glowing crystals lining the walls were mesmerizing, and the little Namekian found himself wandering the caverns in awe. Soon, he realized he didn't know how long he'd been walking for, or even where he was. The Whistling Caves were a sprawling network of tunnels, and he hadn't kept track of all the turns he'd taken. What had begun as a training trip had ended up getting him hopelessly lost.
Thread Power Level: 101,000 | [UT] Ki Control in effect! Sensed PL: 5,000
"You lost, little lamb?"
The words echoed between the crystals, sound dancing between them like the lights. Rather than his usual, spooky self speaking these words, however, Erebos uttered them with a curiosity and concern befitting one of the sages in the far-off villages. He appeared from one of the corner alcoves, leaning against the cavern wall with a raised brow.
"Normally I'd peel myself off the wall, all imposing and scary and such." He shrugged. "I'm trying to be a little less off-putting lately though. Hopefully it's working."
Rather than being adorned in dark and foreboding armor, Erebos wore the Gi of his new master. Ramen was a rather potent fighter, and as such, he took it upon himself to fashion clothing that made it seem like he was part of her dojo. The colors were perfect, though, if one looked close enough, they'd be able to tell the kanji that made up the emblem was crooked.
"I'm Erebos. Erebos Herosbane, to be exact. I know the family name's a bit harrowing, but I didn't choose who spat me out or whatever, and I don't believe in the power of government so I can't get it changed."
Erebos moved around the edge of the room, poking free a loose crystal from one of the walls, allowing it to fall a ways before leaning over and catching it between two fingers. "They say this place is good for training. Hones the mind. Did you come here for that, or just one of those sightseeing folk?"
Chime outright yelped when he heard the voice. He had been so focused on escaping the caves that he hadn't noticed anyone else there. A bit of blue ki sparked in his hand as he turned to face whoever had startled him, and it continued to waver erratically as he held it there. Little lamb. A lamb was an earth animal... wasn't it? Chime had no idea what one looked like, or if it was a good or bad thing to be, but it certainly wasn't a compliment, judging by the stranger's tone.
If this -- scaring a lost wanderer in the middle of a cave -- was supposed to be less off-putting, Chime would've hated to see him before. He frowned up at the stranger as he introduced himself. Erebos. Each thing he said was more confusing than the last.
"What does the government have to do with your name? If you don't like it, just call yourself something else. Nobody can stop you." The little Namekian adjusted his stance slightly, sparking ki still in hand, but it didn't help him look any more intimidating. "I'm Chime. I did come here to train, yeah, but I... might've gotten a little distracted." Or a lot distracted.
There was something... off about Erebos. Chime couldn't put his finger on it yet, but his energy had a strange feeling to it, modest in power as it was. It was dark, that was the only way he could describe it. He wasn't going to let his guard down just yet.