Petrichor's statement seems to outline that there is only one pair that needs to get a move on, and it would be Thaumiel and...did he say Saccharine? He can't really see her at this angle, but he can hear the stuttering breaths she takes as she realizes what he is saying. It wasn't like he felt great about making them go backward into the darkness, but there truly wasn't any other option. Going back would just be pointless for the duo who had survived something seemingly impossible.

He hoped the couple, wherever they are, are okay.

Thaumiel seems to sigh in resignation but after a few brushes of his tail to the anxiety-ridden mare behind him, she relents and begins to back up. As she does, Saccharine keeps the weight of Thaumiel's tail as a point of safety. As long as he's close, then nothing could go wrong. Besides, they'd already been back there. There was no danger before, so why would there be now?

With that reassurance, Saccharine's pace increases, and the group slides out of the claustrophobic corridor in a matter of minutes.

The open space ends up being far more comfortable than the corridor even if they had to have walked backwards a good few paces. Trusting the people herding him backward was a test in and of itself. Thaumiel hadn't known them. The one that introduced himself as Petrichor seemed pleasant enough, but the one behind barely seemed present whatsoever -- a lofty smile that graced his features and made him feel like the other was always staring at something that wasn't there.

Thaumiel breathes heavily as he regains himself in the chamber they'd once passed. Saccharine -- the kind companion -- seems equally if not more shaken than himself. In a way, he feels terrible about it. 

"Perhaps it is worth ... returning." Thaumiel nods to himself as he speaks, watching as the tension in Saccharine's form dissipates slowly at the words. She looked to be shaking.

The others, however, both sour in a way. It surprises the heraldic courser. Moreso how adamant Petrichor seems to be as he reaffirms, "I'll be continuing on, but if you want to, you're very free--"

"Now, now, it's silly to think you'll be safe running off on your lonesome." Arcturus weaves around his new 'best' of friends Petrichor, tail gently brushing against his flank and earning a scorched look from the other. It's soon that he moves past and enters Thaumiel's space to continue his speech. Thaumiel frowns at the sugar-sweet tone he's taking on. "Stick around. Maybe you'll find what you came looking for."

"..." Thaumiel feels his ears pin back before he can stop himself -- just an instinctual reaction to the arrogance of the other courser. He can't argue that it would be safer with a larger party, even if it would test every bit of patience bestowed upon him. "Very well. I will be happy to aid for the time being, and--"

A stiff gust of wind causes Thaumiel to brace and nearly sends Saccharine sprawling. The anxious horse is quick to right herself and draw closer to the group, finding Petrichor searching around with the only light remaining after such a blow. The little wisp is flying around, but its pulses of light are muted and serene. 

"What--?" Petrichor lifts his voice first, and then the draft begins to drift from below. His words are cut off by the shifting of stone beneath him. Riot's actions only serve to unnerve him. It meant true danger was near if the last time indicated anything.

Thaumiel stiffens as he quickly has to decide between one platform or the other, his hooves caught between the both. As he does so, the star-pelted Arcturus joins him all the same. He looks to him with an incredulous stare -- he's smiling, how can he be smiling at this? He almost asks him as such until Arcturus tilts his head and whispers to the other.

"Don't wanna get separated, now, do we?"

Thaumiel frowns. His gaze flicks back to the others as the platforms separate further. Chunks of stone pull away from one another and are sent cascading to the chasm below. He can't hear a clatter of them hitting the ground.

Saccharine presses close to Petrichor -- at least they'd stuck together -- but the leopard-spotted courser calls out in a mixture of fear and frustration. "Your platform! You need to jump!"

"Will you?" The whisper is barely audible over the whirling wind. Arcturus has made no move to join the others. Does he plan on staying, and letting the pillar crumble beneath them? He doesn't have time to ponder such a thing before he has to turn and decide as the platforms separate further.

He first braces on a piece that slips, nearly costing him his footing as a part of the platform crumbles to dust. With a whine, Thaumiel finally leaps -- only processing barely that the other courser beside him seems enthralled with his choice. Like he'd just spun the wheel of chance and was curious whether he'd land on red or black. By the time Thaumiel makes it to solid ground and just barely avoids knocking Saccharine backward, he breathes out heavily and quickly turns to find Arcturus--

"Jump--!"

Right behind him. He makes room for himself on the smaller platform and immediately returns his attention to Petrichor. Thaumiel stands slack-jawed and stunned as he's ignored.

"This won't hold forever," Arcturus says, tossing the mane out of his face and putting on a smile. "Where will we go, friend? What will you have us do?"

Petrichor examines the rapidly declining spaces to land with a furrowed brow. Pretty soon the entire floor would give way. There's a way out, there has to be...and there is. Anywhere away from here was far safer than the alternative of staying close and falling in. He wasn't so sure this time that they would survive it if they fell as much as Arcturus's dopey grin suggested otherwise. He'd pay a lot of coins to watch it get wiped off his face.

The rock below them was set to fall, so in a moment of quick thinking, he calls over his shoulder, "This way! C'mon!" And leaps.

Landing on the next platform with a hard click of his hooves, it is almost painful how his muscles try to make up for the weight of the fall. He suspects adrenaline is the only thing keeping him from falling into the void below. Turning back around, he watches as Thaumiel is quick to join him. Whatever shock he had been feeling was pushed to the side to keep up.

Arcturus, seemingly thrilled at all the excitement, followed suit without much of a fuss, landing not so eloquently beside them both, but he seemed to be far better off than Petrichor. Then, there was just one problem left to solve...

"Saccharine -- You must jump!" Thaumiel's voice rings out. Her trust in him was stronger than it was the other's but her fear was nearly suffocating. 

"I-I can't." Her voice is so small from where she shakes on the rapidly crumbling platform. Time was running out for the roan courser. She keeps looking down into the void and back up at them. Her fear would be the end of her...and they'd have to watch it happen.

"Look at me, okay? Not down there. At me." The heraldic courser kept his voice even as he called out to her. She looks back at him, her eyes are glistening with unshed tears. "You'll make it. You just need to jump."

Maybe it was his confidence or maybe it had been the way he had been a comfort to her this entire terrifying time. She wasn't quite sure, but what she did know was that staying here and doing nothing meant she'd never see the sunlight again. Her family was at home waiting for her. Worrying for her.

Saccharine steels herself and looks out at the three, two of them looking increasingly more concerned as seconds pass. One breath in. One breath out. She takes a running start.

'Petrichor,' The hairs on his back rise as a whisper only he can hear sounds out. Her voice, which had been silent for so long, had returned and it sounded different. 'Don't you see?'

Saccharine leaps, the gaping maw between her and them seemed insurmountable.

'Paths with them, lead back to me.'