It looked to be around three in the afternoon before Lazarus and his companion, Ensign Frost, were to arrive at the location that he had circled on the map. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of the slick stone crevice nestled naturally into the island's verdant greenery. It had been about two and a half hours since he and Frost had embarked, as it had been a particularly tricky task to rouse the doctor before noon, in addition to making the necessary preparations for the trip. "The thing looked closer on the map" Lazarus lamented, although he would not complain out loud in the presence of his new crew mate. Still, it was hard not to, especially with how humid the day had been, the slick sheen of sweat on his skin a testament to the fact.

"If my information is accurate, and my assumptions are correct... and with some luck on our side, we should be able to find a specimen of Nirnroot within that underground cavern"

He said this for the benefit of Ensign Frost, but reaffirming it out loud helped to abate some of his previous weariness. Now would be able to retrieve and study this mysterious plant, unlocking and utilizing any latent natural qualities, medicinal or otherwise.

"There's even still some water flowing down in there. That should push the odds in our favor a bit, as my research suggests that the thing grows in and around naturally forming cave pools. I've theorized that perhaps the water within these caverns has a particular mineral composition that is picked up from the erosion of the surrounding earth, and that the Nirnroot thrives on this combination of minerals."

The doctor was mostly musing to himself at this point, as he doubted his crew mate cared much for the theoretical specifics of subterranean plant life. He took a long swig of water from the canteen strapped to his leg, partly to sate his thirst, and partly to fill the silence. It had felt particularly hard to strike up a conversation with blonde marine, as even still his conversational skills were a bit lacking, and he had a feeling she may have had a similar problem. He wished that was something that would alleviate itself in time.

I suppose we should get to it then. Ladies first."

Contrary to the Ensign's learned opinion, he was at the center of rapt attention. Frost had spent much of the ride there watching the man and listening to him without ever adding much to the conversation. The truth of the matter was that she simply didn't know him very well, and as a fellow crewmate this was a person she was going to be working with for a great period of time. What she had found so far had more or less matched her initial impression of the man.

Very intelligent, highly analytical, polite and naturally awkward. In saying this, she wasn't a social butterfly herself, a fact that had only exasperated any attempts at an amicable conversation. Fortunately, Lazarus seemed to have picked up a habit of voicing his internal monologue of discoveries and she had been all too willing to play the student.

She slipped into the crevice and proceeded only a bit into the cave, her eyes on a swivel. A thought suddenly occurred to her. She had no idea what the plant looked like.

"Ensign Lestrange, what does the Nirnroot look like? "

As she said the name, it became evidently clear that she would have to find something shorter to call him.

Lazarus followed Ensign Frost into the mouth of the cavern, attempting to peer further in so as to get a better idea of what exactly he would be delving into. From what he could see, the opening sloped gently downwards for about twenty feet, dark green moss creeping down along the worn stone walls. At the far end of the opening it looked as if the incline of the slope changed more drastically, but the astute marine could tell it wasn't a complete drop off by the curvature of the cavern ceiling. If anything it would most likely have been more akin to a water slide, if only what flowed into it now was anything more than a trickle. There was only one way to find out. Lazarus had began to make his way towards the back of the cave when his companion queried him for details on what exactly they were looking for.

"That's actually a good question. From what I've read it should have dark, broad leaves, almost with a waxy texture to them. The roots are typically exposed, clinging to any nooks and crannies it can get into, and are a stark white and share similarities with certain tubers in terms of looks. What's a little incredulous though is that I've heard that Nirnroot is actually phosphorescent, and some even claim it emits a sort of low hum."

A broad smile painted the doctor's face at the thought of finding something of the sort. Perhaps he might try and grow a specimen for himself, although he'd need to try and recreate its natural environment for growth, which could prove a little tricky. Still, the prospect of having a glowing, humming plant of his own delighted Lazarus. An errant thought came to mind and he decided to take a chance on becoming a little more familiar with his crew mate.

Oh, and, there really isn't much cause for formalities out in the middle of the wilderness. You can just call me Lazarus if you would prefer. Less of a mouthful."

With that, Lazarus made his way to the back of the cavern, explaining his reasoning aloud.

"It looks like there's a steeper slope at the end there. I'll check it out first, see where it goes, and I let you know if everything looks ok."

As he had suspected, the water that once flowed here had formed something of a slide out of the smooth, slick stone. The ceiling was now closer to the floor, so Lazarus sat at the edge of the precipice and scooted himself over. It took a little push at first, but eventually gravity took over and the doctor slid down into the murkiness below.

Lazarus reached the bottom with a jarring thud as the cavern floor leveled out, and it took a few seconds before his eyes could adjust to the sudden dimness. He touched a hand to the closest wall. The cool, damp smoothness felt good against his palm. It seemed the slide had dumped him into a sort of tunnel formation, which looked to open up ahead. No phosphorescent plants yet, but the smell of stagnant water permeated throughout. A promising sign indeed. "It's all good down here" the doctor called back up.

Frost listened to Lazarus' description with great interest. She had never once heard of a plant that made sound before. If she was being honest with herself she would have to have admitted that she was enjoying this trip quite a bit. It was notably refreshing the idea of not having someone trying to kill you ever few paces. Naturally this line of thinking brought her back to her previous escapade with Scholar Blackstar and how enjoyable that had been. Though upon thinking about it, something had also tried to kill her then. Her eyes naturally began to search the area around, wondering if this trip would also end in a similar fashion.

She was distracted for a moment by the man mentioning that she could just use his first name. An eyebrow shot up. Had he known what she was thinking, or perhaps this was a very frequent occurrence with the man. Still, with nothing spotted, she decided to try out the name.

"Very well,.. Lazarus."

It sounded like a very dignified name, perhaps the man was a noble-born of sorts? Much more dignified than her own name to be sure but it was still quite long. She took a moment to entertain the motion while the man tested out what looked rather much to be a slide.

Sure enough, Lazarus called up to give the all okay. This however didn't change the growing regret she was facing as she setup to slide down after him. Why did I wear a skirt today? She slid down after the man, landing with heavy thump of her boots. Pleased that the man was looking away when she landed she readjusted her outfit with remarkable alacrity. Eager to get her mind off of the most recent hardship, and to return to the earlier problem she posed a question.

"What exactly is it that you do, Lazarus?"

Lazarus was continuing to examine the walls around him when he heard the clack of boots on stone behind him, signaling his companion's descent into the depths with him. While running his hands over the earthen surroundings he could periodically feel openings in the rock. The doctor tentatively felt the inside of one of these openings and found it to be smooth, and somewhat spherical. It reminded him of the bubbles in bread made by yeast as it rises, but this was solid stone. "The geological processes that went into the formation of this cavern must have been fascinating," thought Lazarus, once again appreciating all that the natural world had to offer. It was the sound of another inquiry from Ensign Frost that brought his attention back to the forefront.

"Oh, well, I work primarily as a doctor and researcher for the Marines. Either I'm holed up in a lab somewhere experimenting with various concoctions, or I'm making sure our men are in tip top condition."

"Although, more recently they've been assigning me to various ships as their resident physician, which is what I had assumed I was in for when I was told to report to Commodore Zepplin. I mean, that probably still is the case. She had said that we all had expertise in fields other than combat, and I'm not much fond of combat to begin with. That's how people end up in my care in the first place." The doctor chuckled softly. It was hard to make out the distinct features of his companion in the wan lighting, but after having just remembered the Commodore's comment, Lazarus noticed the blade hanging at the other marine's waist. He decided to make an inquiry of his own.

"What field do you have a particular knack for, other than fighting?"

Lazarus let the question hang in the air as he continued to advance through the murky tunnel, keeping one hand on the side wall as he felt his way along. As he reached the end, he could begin to see the cavern open up into a sort of large antechamber. An ambient light seemed to suffuse the air of the chamber, but the source could not be determined. It was then that Lazarus' hand felt something other than the familiar smooth stone. Something wet, but a sort of viscous wetness. He looked to where his hand was, and in the low light he could see the thing's glistening hide, and it's eyes which caught what little light there was in the cave. The creature gave a piercing shriek and Lazarus was immediately gripped by panic. He gave an audible yelp of surprise that carried throughout the cavern, and jerked his hand away as he felt the muscles engaging beneath its skin. He held a hand out in front of him instinctively for protection, with an index finger pointing as if accusing the creature of frightening him. As it leaped from its place in the wall, one could see a sudden bright flash followed by the sound of a gunshot, resonating a few seconds afterwards through the underground. The doctor's index finger glinted grey in the faint light, having taken the form of a pistol barrel.

"What in the world..." Lazarus murmured, swiveling around to look at Ensign Frost, hoping he in turn hadn't startled his crew mate. It wasn't long before he heard a similar screeching, this time coming from all around them, and in the dimness he could see forms crawling out of the various nooks in the walls, all intent on inflicting some degree of harm upon those that would enter their home. Lazarus inched backwards towards Frost. They would both need to have the others back. He was going to need more bullets. The hand that Lazarus used to shoot the previous creature had now become a fully loaded revolver, and he would keep his eyes peeled for any that came too close.

A doctor and researcher. She could see it quite easily as the man examined the walls that enclosed them with a ceaseless curiosity. A small smile graced her lips, it was always nice to be in the presence of learned people. They had a way of only focusing in on what was important rather than the unfounded notions of emotions. She knew, without further need to think about it, that this Doctor would operate in logical method that her mind could follow with relative ease and the thought was comforting. Of course that also had it's unpleasantness.

She almost coughed at the man's question. It had occupied much of her mind after that meeting had ended, and all through most of the night. How the hell did the commodore find out. It's not like she had pranced through the hallways singing it to the world. It was something too close to her heart to merely share it with everyone she met. She hadn't even made anything for anyone since she became a marine. All she had ever done was to make herself meals each and every day by sneaking into the kitchen at night and leaving it far cleaner than she had found it. There was simply no proof. Satisfied with her reasoning she once again turned to the question at hand.

She couldn't lie to the man, that wouldn't be a very good way of starting off a relationship between crew members. A relationship that might last several years if she knew most marine crews. She sighed, there was no way around it.

"I suppose I can cook somewhat."

It was the least confident sentence she had ever said. Sure, she believed she could cook, but would the people holding the fork agree with her? Wordlessly she carried on.

She followed the man into the amphitheater with more than a bit of wonder. It was a beautiful place, but the sound of a shriek turned her head. A creature lunged out of the darkness towards the Doctor as he backed away from it. She drew her sword and was about to close the gap when a gunshot rang out. She blinked. Once, twice. The man's hand had become a gun. More precisely, his finger had become a gun barrel. She mirrored the man's sentiments of 'what in the world' but for an entirely different reason.

Swiftly her mind caught up. This was clearly unnatural, so it must be devil fruit work. She spun, trusting the Doctor to keep her back safe while she handled this side. A slithering sound alerted her and she didn't hesitate to stab at the eyes in the dark. A sliding wet noise was her reward as she skewed the creature and pulled her blade back.

"What are these things?"

She asked to see if the Doctor had come up with any info on the beasts. All she knew so far is that their hides were strong, but still quite soft and vulnerable. Another creature lunged at them, aiming for Lazarus' back and she swatted it down with brutal efficiency, following the slash up with another stab to finish it.

The dim forms were now surrounding the two of them, hissing indignantly as they slowly advanced with increasing confidence in their numbers. The Doctor could discern five of these creatures in his line of vision, and dared not take his eyes off of them to see how many more there were. From behind him Frost asked the same question he had been pondering while simultaneously trying to stay on high alert.

"I... I don't know. It's hard to tell in here without a good look at them."

From what Lazarus could ascertain, from the sound he guessed that the creatures were some sort of reptile. Remembering the unnerving feeling of touching its hide, he thought it a safe assumption that it was also an amphibian. It seemed to have a powerful leg strength to be able to propel itself like it had.

Lazarus searched his memory for any information on subterranean amphibians, but was interrupted as one of them managed the courage to leap at him from his right. As he turned to point and shoot at his assailant, he heard another of them leaping at him from his left with a screech. The Doctor made sure to line up his shot with the target on his right first to make sure he hit it before he turned his attention away. The satisfaction of hitting his mark gave way when he felt the pain and weight hanging on his left arm. Lazarus once again called on the powers of his devil fruit, this time his entire left arm becoming amorphous and silvery before assuming the form of a three foot long, cleaver-like blade. He swung the blade against the ground, the creature still hanging on to what was once a flesh and blood arm and meeting its end as a result.

Lazarus returned his gaze to the remaining three, slinking slowly now to surround all sides of him once more. Holding his blade arm out in front of him, he felt confidant that the size and length of it would be enough to fell any that neared him, as long as he could see it coming. The Doctor decided to take his chances, trying to shoot all of them first. He hit the first target, but the sound of bullets hitting stone told him the others had missed. The center-most launched itself upon him, meeting only the steel of his arm as he swung diagonally downwards, decapitating the creature once it hit the ground. He looked to his left, having lost track of the third reptile. Not seeing it he looked down to see it nearly upon him. Crossing his right arm under his left, Lazarus shot the thing in the skull before it could do any harm.

He had used four bullets now, and had two left in the chamber. Ammunition wasn't much of an issue, but he had felt how using these weapons caused a strain on his energy, akin to working a muscle. Lazarus hadn't much occasion to use these tools and so was not used it, but the spark of adrenaline provided him more energy than normal, and so wasn't as much of a bother. Without additional reinforcements, the Doctor could afford to take a look at his companion's situation. The creatures all looked to have been dispatched with ease, which was to be expected. After all, Frost was the one who had been sent to accompany him for muscle, and now that he thought of it, these creatures hadn't seemed very dangerous.

"Well that was... unfortunate."

It felt a little silly to say after having been attacked, but it was true. Aside from a small bite on his arm the two of them seemed relatively unscathed. With things settled, Lazarus bent down next to one of the creatures he'd shot to examine it in closer detail, reluctantly manipulating it's appendages so he could see it spread out. It had two inch claws, with additional spiny protrusions jutting from its forelimbs and skull. The tail was not the same moist as the rest of its hide, possessing a rougher texture and a decent weight. He imagined the creature must probably have used it as a club.

"Well, I'm still not quite sure what it is, but I have a hunch that these were only younglings. Which would mean that, somewhere, the adults are lurking." While what he was saying was true, he didn't exactly like hearing it out loud. "At least, if I see the adults maybe I'll be able to figure out what these things are." he added, trying to sound more optimistic than he felt. It was then the Doctor posed a legitimate question. "Shall we continue?

Frost left the Doctor to his devices as the sounds of cutting and fire filled the space behind her back. Dispatching the creatures before her was easy enough, but they were quite curious. She thrust at another set of eyes only to feel an unusual pulling sensation. The creature had bit down on her blade and was trying to wrench it from her grasp. For such a small creature the beast had some immense jaw strength and was not letting go of the blade. She was loathe to try and put her boot on the beast to wrench it away since she could barely see it. That's when she spotted the second pair of eyes.

It didn't take a tactician to figure out how this was going to end. She put considerably more effort into trying to wrench the weapon from the lizard as the red eyes got closer and closer. At last the red eyes leaped towards her, and yet still the weapon would not come free. She roared, a sound that echoed off of the cavern walls and lifted both sword and lizard attached into a swatting arc that smote the red eyes with a sickening crunch. The collision with it's comrade forced the lizard to relinquish it's grip on the blade and allowed her to begin an onslaught that was slightly more vicious than necessary. Swiftly the two creatures fell before her flurry of strikes.

With no more red eyes in her immediate vicinity she turned to make sure the Doctor was doing okay. Predictably he was fine, he had many more weapons at his disposal than her she assumed. Still, the customary question was required.

"Are you alright?"

She swung her blade swiftly, letting the blood fly off of it by virtue of the speed of striking. The man had an interesting point now that she could approach and examine one of the creatures. They did seem only like babies and that suggested that something much bigger was ahead. Suffice to say, it would be absolutely livid with them for their intrusion and the blood on their hands. Though, who's to say how much damage these creatures could do if they decided to attack the locals? Deciding it to be a route of thinking for a later time she mentally shelved it and focused on the Doctor's question.

"Of course we continue, we haven't completed our objective yet."

Her confidence was completely unshakable, there was only to complete the job before her.

Lazarus didn't know how he had expected the Marine to respond, but felt relieved when she assured him that she was still willing to proceed. The certainty with which she had replied spoke to him of a degree of confidence in her own abilities that the Doctor seemed to lack. Lazarus was normally most at ease when he could account for all variables, which was why he preferred working in the lab or an infirmary. Controlled environments where he could utilize the full scope of his knowledge with limited additional stressors. Enough time to mull over all possibilities before committing to a course of action. As such, Lazarus was not fond of split second decision making. However, when it came to fight or flight, the Doctor was surprised to learn he was prone to the former. All in all, he was happy to have Frost with him, and he felt as if her confidence might be starting to rub off on him.

"Excellent. I appreciate your willingness to get the job done. A rather admirable trait."

Something about the wording felt off to him. As if it did not truly convey his relief at not having to go it alone. Or for the appreciation he felt for her willingness to help indulge what was essentially a hobby for him. He imagined it would suffice though. At least until he could manage to fashion those feelings into words. For now the two Marines still had an objective to complete, and that would involve getting down into the rest of the chamber.

Lazarus had begun to notice a trend in how the cavern was formed, as the tunnel that the two had come from led to a ledge about six meters across. The Doctor looked carefully over the edge and determined there would be no sliding down this. Waiting for them at the bottom would be a number of jagged stalagmites. Above them he could spy numerous, needle-like stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It gave Lazarus the impression of an enormous, yawning mouth; ready to close at any second and drag the two Marines into the Earth's bottomless gullet. An enormous stone column obscured much of the cavern ahead of them but helped give him a reference for the size of the chamber. By his estimation the cavern's height from top to bottom must have been about thirty meters. Scanning for a means to get to the bottom safely, Lazarus noticed a shelf of stone past the central column. His eyes followed it from ground level as it spiraled along the breadth of the cave, tapering off to just a few inches to the ledge they were stuck on at the moment. The Doctor indicated the shelf to Frost.

"Looks like that's our way down. Unless you happen to have any better ideas."

It wasn't preferable, as a fall from that height would most likely result in a few broken bones. Nothing he couldn't easily treat, but if there were fully grown creatures living down in the depths it would be best if the two Marines could defend themselves to the fullest. With that, Lazarus began the arduous task of inching slowly, carefully along the thin strip of earth with Frost just behind.

The whole thing became easier once Lazarus could fit an entire foot on the ledge. And then two. It wasn't long afterwards that they were able to reach the bottom unscathed. The Doctor was not prepared for the sight he would see however. Pools of ghostly light lay scattered about the cavern floor painting everything with their ethereal glow. Lazarus ran like an excitable child to inspect one of these pools, the sound of his footsteps echoing faintly off the walls. There, at the bottom of the pool grew three Nirnroot plants, broad leaves shining.

"Frost! Frost you have to take a look at this. Their absolutely bea-"

Lazarus paused as soon as he heard it. The familiar hissing from before, louder, and more menacing. The Doctor swung around, right arm outstretched and ready to shoot. He would not be caught off guard this time. His eyes darted around rapidly, searching for the new threat. Small grottos flooded partially lined the walls. The far end of the cavern resembled an amphitheater, multiple tiers of stone with their own small tunnels leading to who knows where. Out of one of them he watched as one of the presumed adults began to slink in his direction. He could however hear even more hissing, and hoped Frost would be able to keep a few of them busy as he handled the rest.

There was something.. off about the way the Doctor replied, but she decided to let it go and take it as a compliment. They had to stay focused after all, and this mission was getting more interesting by the minute. Would they find the plant, or would they find more of the creatures? She was, honestly, somewhat excited. Her mind had decided however to curb that excitement by noting that once again things were actively trying to kill her. The end result left her features a poker mask.

As they came upon what looked like a cliff face, she could feel a bit of concern. There was no easy way to get down, and in their preparations she had neglected rope. She could jump down maybe... a glance over the edge told her that if she survived it would only be due to the province of luck. Or, perhaps she could do that sword sliding thing the captain had mentioned, though she knew that would damage or destroy her sword and she only had one on hand. Not a good idea to fight those things without a very sharpened weapon. She was about to turn back when the Doctor pointed out a small ledge that seemed to span the entire drop.

This was perfect. She wasn't looking forward to the idea of having to call the trip just because the terrain had been uncooperative. That enthusiasm died a swift death as she tried to fit her rather large boots on the inches of terrain. The only answer that would keep her alive was to cling to the side of the wall with every ounce of effort she possessed. This lead naturally to more than a few cuts and scrapes on her legs. This settled it, next time she would wear pants.

Eventually they had managed to make their way down and she was glad for it. She saw the Doctor run off into the dimly lit area and wanted to make some attempt to tell him to be careful, but the words wouldn't come. Their new surroundings were incredible, and the man's enthusiasm was contagious. She started to slowly make her way towards him when she heard the hissing. She drew her sabre with a flourish.

"I think we found the adults."

She could make out their bodies thanks to the dim light in the area. Big, leather hides, tough jaws, strong tails; these creatures didn't lose very often. She heard a scuffling sound to her left and moved to engage it. Clearly not all the creatures preferred to announce their presence. One of the lizards slid out of a large hole in the wall and pounded its way towards her with purpose. She didn't hesitate, closing the gap and slashing the creature about the mouth. The effect was not like she wanted, there was barely a scratch on the beast. She knew it, the lizard knew it, and he pressed his attack with fervor. She was being pushed back from the creatures bites and claw slashes.

She rallied, deflecting the slashes and closing with the tip of her blade. If slashes weren't going to work, then she was going to get nasty. She slashed the creature hard on the nose to stun it and then ruthlessly stabbed the beast in the eye. It's death howl filled the cavern for a moment. Frost withdrew her blade from the beasts eye trying not to take note of the brain fluid on it.

She took a moment to try and see how the Doctor was doing when something heavy knocked her to the floor. Another lizard had managed to sneak up on her and was now doing it's best to try and eat her face. She was managing to hold it back by using her sword as a bar and keeping it's maw away from her face but it's weight was beginning to have a toll upon her body. It was too close to make an accurate strike on it's eye, but perhaps there was another way. It's underbelly looked much softer than the hide that covered every other aspect of it. She swiftly removed the blade from it's mouth and stabbed upwards through the creatures body, using it's weight to help her thrust. All at once the creature fell limp upon her and she gave a not so optional sigh of relief.

She grabbed the creature and tried to move it off of her, only to notice that the beast was too heavy for her to move. She cursed under her breath.

"Lazarus, when you get a minute, that would be great."

Another sigh, these things did not smell good.