Armen coughs, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Uhh, you guys can go check that out. I'll stick here and watch the cave entrance." He says, laughing nervously.
Grayson raises an eyebrow, smiling. "Are- Are you scared, Armen?"
The thought was quite funny to the three, Drake trying to hide his grin and Mia just giggling.

The young boy turns to his blonde friend, face turning red.
"N-No!! Just, Just go already you three!! I'm going to keep look out!" He exclaims, storming off closer to the cave entrance.
Armen leans on the rocky cave wall and pouts, crossing his arms. His face is still pink from the slight embarassment.

Grysson scoffed playfully and turned back to the elf and the mage.
"Well, I guess we should check out what that...thing, is." Drake says, gesturing for the two to follow him.
The trio continue forward to investigate the strange, suddenly active portal.
Of the three of them though, Drake seems to feel a bigger connection to it. Was it because of its magical properties? Or was there a bigger meaning to this?
One things for certain though is that the buggest question on their minds is...

How did it activate and where does it lead to?
------
"You know, of all the colors this portal could have illuminatied, why'd it have to be neon green?" Mia questions, placing a finger on her chin as she inspects the portal.
"I think we should worry less about colors and more about where this portal leads." Drake replies, getting a closer look at the edges of the brittle portal.
He traces a finger over the vine-covered arch, seeing and feeling some strange ruins and symbols.
"Can you understand those ruins, Drake?" Grayson asks.
"No, they're....unusual. Even for me." The mage continues to run his hands through the symbols. "Wait, is–is this a sheep?"

"A sheep? Who would carve a sheep as their symbol?" Mia laughs slightly.
"Hmmm, maybe i'm mistaken?" He replies, backing away from the portal.

Drake returns to his friends' sides, thinking to himself.
For a moment, it was eerily quiet.
Mia looks between her friends and back at the portal. "Soo-"
"What should we do now?" Grayson cuts her off accidentally.
He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as the elf huffs. "Rude, dude."
"Hehe, sorry. Didn't expect anyone else to talk so..."
Thus, the two bicker and talk and laugh, almost like siblings.

Drake chuckles slightly, but then a decision dawns on him. "Maybe..Maybe we should get Armen and jump in."
Mia stops her quarrel with Grayson and turns to face the ender hybrid. "What?? Drake, that's really really REALLY, dangerous! Who knows what could be in there?"
"I know, but it wouldn't hurt to just, I don't know, hop in for a few and see what it's like on the other side of this thing!" He replies back, a hint of both urgency and curiousity lining his words.

"You're right about something, Mia. Who knows what could be in there," Grayson adds in to the conversation, crossing his arms."But maybe something in that portal could be of use to us. We'd never know unless we make this decision now."

"Thanks for your input, Grayson." Drake says, smiling slightly.
Mia looks at her two friends worriedly, before sighing in defeat. "Alright, I guess we'll go through the portal."
------
Grayson nods in response. "I should go first-"
"No, Grayson." Drake immediately stops his friend from getting any closer. "The last time you and I saw a portal and you went first, a whole year passed. If anything, i'll volunteer to go first."

"What? Drake, that was so long ago! I know to be cautious with this stuff now." Grayson exclaims, moving past the mage.
Quicker than the blonde thought, Drake steps in front of him. "I'm going in first."

"Dude, no. I am."

"Over my dead body."

The two continue to argue over who goes in first with Drake continuously blocking Grayson.

Mia, figuring the two dorks forgot she was still there, just watched, slightly amused but also concerned. If things accidentally get rough, she'll be ready to stop from the punches from swinging.

The blonde was starting to feel really annoyed.

"Okay Drake this is starting to get tedious, move!" Grayson growls.

"No, Grayson. I'm not going to potentially let that happen again!! I-"

Before Drake could finish his protest or even realize what he was about to confess, the portal shook.

Suddenly, four figures jump out of the portal. The three adventurers shrieked and backed even farther from it.
"Oh my god." Mia whispers, hands over her mouth.
"What the hell..?" Drake just stares at the sudden appearance of new company.

The four on the ground groaned in pain. One of the four, a dark-haired man wearing glasses and a hoodie embroidered with a red question mark, got up and held his head.
"Holy hell, that hurt like a-"

He cut his sentence short, noticing the presence of the three as well as the others under him exclaiming at him to get off. The stranger just stares at the three in front of him, mouth shut and eyes widened.
"Ughhhhhh.."
"God Rage, get your fatass off of us."
"Yeah mate, you weigh as much as an obese hippopotamus."

After realizing the neither of the adventurers had spoken to their new company, Grayson coughs.

"Uh, hello."