10-20-2021, 12:58 PM
His odd flat feet are much quieter on the hard-packed earth beneath him than his own familiar hooves would have been despite their awkward ungainliness. And since Saffron has no clue what might come out of this cave, he would accept his blessings where he could find them.
He nearly leaps from his skin when a soft glow flares to life around him. He hadn’t seen the fungus clinging to the walls before, but now it pulses with light. Exhaling on a relieved sigh, Saffron edges forward to inspect an odd-looking mushroom. Despite the temptation, he doesn’t reach out to touch it.
Only a short time ago he had been tired of always being the responsible one. Now though, in light of the horrors chasing him, he’s beginning to think maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. But this is hardly the right time to dwell on it. Maybe later, after he figures out how to get the hell out of here. And back into his own body.
Then, to Saffron’s horrified chagrin, something begins detaching itself from the wall next to him. With a yelp, he leaps backwards, staring wide-eyed at the crystal-covered monster emerging from stone. It doesn’t seem to like him either, for the minute he makes a noise, it’s featureless head turns towards him, violet blue crystals vibrating agitatedly. And the minute it’s free, it fumbles in his direction, forcing him to scramble backwards.
The only saving grace is that it seems rather clumsy.
Saffron sucks in a breath when he realizes there are more creatures detaching themselves from the walls all along the cave. Luckily, only the one that had emerged from the wall next to him seems intent on reaching him at the moment. It’s faceted appendages swing in an ungainly arch towards him, forcing him to dart away once more, pressing him farther into the cave.
Moving around a large stalagmite, Saffron crouches behind the formation as the creature chasing him stumbles past. He is barely allowed a moment of relief however, before the ghostly voice is echoing around him once more, chanting a new refrain.
Leaning back against the damp stone, he squeezes his eyes closed as he listens closely. He had made a mistake by not paying attention last time. He would not make the same mistake again.
A test of stealth then. Opening his eyes, Saffron eyes the bumbling creatures warily. They are kind of pretty, after a fashion. Amethyst juts from their misshapen bodies like armor, giving them a faintly ethereal glimmer in the light of the fungi despite their uneven limbs and shuffling movements. Some walk on four limbs, others two. He even spies one shuffling by on three.
They don’t seem to mind him crouching here in silence, but he knows he can’t stay. The voice said Saffron had to find them - whoever they are - in the red desert. Which is, presumably, on the other side of this cave.
So, slowly, carefully, Saffron rises. He’s getting more used to walking on two limbs instead of four, but he remains slightly unsteady. With exaggerated care, he moves forward. The monsters don’t seem to notice him picking his way along the edges of the cave, lips pressed tightly together, eyes darting constantly between the beasts and his way forward.
When he accidentally kicks a rock however, the sound it makes skittering and bouncing causes the creatures nearest him to turn abruptly in his direction. Keeping his curses behind clamped lips, Saffron leaps forward as the crystalline beasts bumble after him far more quickly than he’d anticipated. He tries to put on the same speed he had outside, but finds whatever boost he’d been granted before has abandoned him.
Crap!
Eyes roving wildly around him, Saffron tries to quiet the slap of his feet on stone as he looks for a way out. His gaze lands on a large stone shelf ahead, and, with a grimace, he angles towards it. It takes him several tries to scramble up the uneven rock onto it, and by the time he does, he barely has enough time to scoot as far back as he can before the monsters reach him.
Their angular limbs scrabble at the edge, but to his immense relief, they don’t climb immediately after him. Instead they mill around as though confused. Breathing as shallowly as possible, Saffron waits, hoping they will give up and leave. When, after a few agonizing minutes, they don’t, he glances quickly around, searching for a way out.
Nothing. There’s nothing. Behind him is solid stone and before him are angry monsters.
Then his gaze lands on the debris that had sloughed off the cave walls behind him over the years. There are several large chunks of stone, and as Saffron eyes them, an idea begins to form. Slowly, careful not to make a sound, he picks one up with the strange, flexible appendages he’d been given in place of hooves. Eyes rising to survey the cave past the creatures, Saffron weighs the stone in his hand for a moment before lifting his arm and tossing it as far as he can.
His first attempt is rather pitiful, much to his dismay. It flies only a few feet to the other side of the milling beasts before clattering along the stone floor. On the bright side, it works perfectly at drawing their attention away from him. Picking a second stone, he tries again, heaving as hard as he can. The stone travels much farther this time, and the annoyed monsters stumble after it as it skitters across the cave.
Carefully, Saffron climbs down from the safety of the stone shelf. He makes even more effort not to kick anything else as he picks his way quietly through the cave. He barely dares to breathe every time he is forced to sneak past yet another of the shuffling creatures. Until finally, finally, a dim outline begins to take the ragged shape of an exit from this hellish underbelly.
He nearly whoops for joy when he stumbles out into the night.
The urge disappears entirely the moment he begins to survey his surroundings however. The night is dark, fog lingering heavily over the land. The black earth beneath his feet shifts to dry red dust as he moves cautiously forward, and Saffron swallows thickly. He has made it to the red desert, but how in the heck is he supposed to find anybody in this thick, soupy mess?
He nearly leaps from his skin when a soft glow flares to life around him. He hadn’t seen the fungus clinging to the walls before, but now it pulses with light. Exhaling on a relieved sigh, Saffron edges forward to inspect an odd-looking mushroom. Despite the temptation, he doesn’t reach out to touch it.
Only a short time ago he had been tired of always being the responsible one. Now though, in light of the horrors chasing him, he’s beginning to think maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. But this is hardly the right time to dwell on it. Maybe later, after he figures out how to get the hell out of here. And back into his own body.
Then, to Saffron’s horrified chagrin, something begins detaching itself from the wall next to him. With a yelp, he leaps backwards, staring wide-eyed at the crystal-covered monster emerging from stone. It doesn’t seem to like him either, for the minute he makes a noise, it’s featureless head turns towards him, violet blue crystals vibrating agitatedly. And the minute it’s free, it fumbles in his direction, forcing him to scramble backwards.
The only saving grace is that it seems rather clumsy.
Saffron sucks in a breath when he realizes there are more creatures detaching themselves from the walls all along the cave. Luckily, only the one that had emerged from the wall next to him seems intent on reaching him at the moment. It’s faceted appendages swing in an ungainly arch towards him, forcing him to dart away once more, pressing him farther into the cave.
Moving around a large stalagmite, Saffron crouches behind the formation as the creature chasing him stumbles past. He is barely allowed a moment of relief however, before the ghostly voice is echoing around him once more, chanting a new refrain.
Leaning back against the damp stone, he squeezes his eyes closed as he listens closely. He had made a mistake by not paying attention last time. He would not make the same mistake again.
A test of stealth then. Opening his eyes, Saffron eyes the bumbling creatures warily. They are kind of pretty, after a fashion. Amethyst juts from their misshapen bodies like armor, giving them a faintly ethereal glimmer in the light of the fungi despite their uneven limbs and shuffling movements. Some walk on four limbs, others two. He even spies one shuffling by on three.
They don’t seem to mind him crouching here in silence, but he knows he can’t stay. The voice said Saffron had to find them - whoever they are - in the red desert. Which is, presumably, on the other side of this cave.
So, slowly, carefully, Saffron rises. He’s getting more used to walking on two limbs instead of four, but he remains slightly unsteady. With exaggerated care, he moves forward. The monsters don’t seem to notice him picking his way along the edges of the cave, lips pressed tightly together, eyes darting constantly between the beasts and his way forward.
When he accidentally kicks a rock however, the sound it makes skittering and bouncing causes the creatures nearest him to turn abruptly in his direction. Keeping his curses behind clamped lips, Saffron leaps forward as the crystalline beasts bumble after him far more quickly than he’d anticipated. He tries to put on the same speed he had outside, but finds whatever boost he’d been granted before has abandoned him.
Crap!
Eyes roving wildly around him, Saffron tries to quiet the slap of his feet on stone as he looks for a way out. His gaze lands on a large stone shelf ahead, and, with a grimace, he angles towards it. It takes him several tries to scramble up the uneven rock onto it, and by the time he does, he barely has enough time to scoot as far back as he can before the monsters reach him.
Their angular limbs scrabble at the edge, but to his immense relief, they don’t climb immediately after him. Instead they mill around as though confused. Breathing as shallowly as possible, Saffron waits, hoping they will give up and leave. When, after a few agonizing minutes, they don’t, he glances quickly around, searching for a way out.
Nothing. There’s nothing. Behind him is solid stone and before him are angry monsters.
Then his gaze lands on the debris that had sloughed off the cave walls behind him over the years. There are several large chunks of stone, and as Saffron eyes them, an idea begins to form. Slowly, careful not to make a sound, he picks one up with the strange, flexible appendages he’d been given in place of hooves. Eyes rising to survey the cave past the creatures, Saffron weighs the stone in his hand for a moment before lifting his arm and tossing it as far as he can.
His first attempt is rather pitiful, much to his dismay. It flies only a few feet to the other side of the milling beasts before clattering along the stone floor. On the bright side, it works perfectly at drawing their attention away from him. Picking a second stone, he tries again, heaving as hard as he can. The stone travels much farther this time, and the annoyed monsters stumble after it as it skitters across the cave.
Carefully, Saffron climbs down from the safety of the stone shelf. He makes even more effort not to kick anything else as he picks his way quietly through the cave. He barely dares to breathe every time he is forced to sneak past yet another of the shuffling creatures. Until finally, finally, a dim outline begins to take the ragged shape of an exit from this hellish underbelly.
He nearly whoops for joy when he stumbles out into the night.
The urge disappears entirely the moment he begins to survey his surroundings however. The night is dark, fog lingering heavily over the land. The black earth beneath his feet shifts to dry red dust as he moves cautiously forward, and Saffron swallows thickly. He has made it to the red desert, but how in the heck is he supposed to find anybody in this thick, soupy mess?
Saffron