Falling Prey
The near complete darkness drove the hunter to try and “see” with his other senses more. Feeling the ground beneath his feet as he walked made the steps louder than they would have been. The noise of it echoed throughout the cave for what seemed to be miles as he heard it fade into a distance. The bioluminescent moss thinned without completely vanishing, allowing its faint green glow to continue to radiate upon the Misty Fox, making it Zach’s beacon of navigation. The little creature stayed a few human paces of the hunter and seemed undisturbed by the utter darkness it led them into.
Time’s passage was difficult to measure without resorting to performing a mental count. Yet for over thirty chimes the odd pairing ventured through the cave. The path had moments of deviation, weaving to the left or right yet always the slight decline continued. Until at last there was something up head that could be seen. A cyan light illuminated the caver floor at the end of their path where it opened to a massive chamber. Before Zach reached the opening, he would hear what sounded like a waterfall in the distance.
The cavern was spherical in shape with a large pool of water resting at the bottom. The bioluminescent moss was in abundance along the cave walls. An opening in the ceiling allowed for an inlet of water to fall until it turned more into a mist before touching the pool’s surface. A trace amount of light came in with the waterfall and reflected off the pool. The Misty Fox kept on forward and lapped its tongue at the water for a considerable drink. Should Zach also move forward he would be able to note the floor’s change in coloration as he approached the water’s edge. The stone surfaces were even smoother in the last three paces to the pool than the rest of the cavern.
When the fox was done it perked it’s head up and gazed around the area. With the additional light there were at least two passages visible from their position. The furry being studied both for a chime each, ears shifting all the while. When it finally moved again, it seemed to have chosen the path on the left. Without a glance to its companion, it moved along after climbing back up to a more level surface of the cavern. Their path went through spaces between pillars of rock that connected the floor to the ceiling that were wider around than any tree Zach had ever witnessed.
The weight of his arm on his dislocated shoulder was painful. Even with careful movements to not stimulate the injury, the unusual pull on the ligaments would cause discomfort. Not enough to be debilitating, but even a young healthy hunter had their limits on pain tolerance. There was more light than before to see and even a few standalone surfaces he could grip to assist in a second attempt at relocating his shoulder.
At the mouth of the passage the fox had chosen the light began to dim again. At the base a small stream of water only inches wide trickled down from the passage before making its way to join the larger body of water. The fox paused and its ears and head both rose as it looked further into the darkness a head of them. Short, high pitched squeaks emanated from its throat as it abruptly turned around and back tracked on their path. The Misty Fox was attempting to run but stumbled when muscle memory tried to utilize the fourth leg it no longer had. It cried out in pain which echoed over the sound of falling water.
A deep guttural growl came from the passage just ahead of them. If the hunter were to strain his hearing, the sound of heavy footfalls would be heard. And they would be approaching.
Time’s passage was difficult to measure without resorting to performing a mental count. Yet for over thirty chimes the odd pairing ventured through the cave. The path had moments of deviation, weaving to the left or right yet always the slight decline continued. Until at last there was something up head that could be seen. A cyan light illuminated the caver floor at the end of their path where it opened to a massive chamber. Before Zach reached the opening, he would hear what sounded like a waterfall in the distance.
The cavern was spherical in shape with a large pool of water resting at the bottom. The bioluminescent moss was in abundance along the cave walls. An opening in the ceiling allowed for an inlet of water to fall until it turned more into a mist before touching the pool’s surface. A trace amount of light came in with the waterfall and reflected off the pool. The Misty Fox kept on forward and lapped its tongue at the water for a considerable drink. Should Zach also move forward he would be able to note the floor’s change in coloration as he approached the water’s edge. The stone surfaces were even smoother in the last three paces to the pool than the rest of the cavern.
When the fox was done it perked it’s head up and gazed around the area. With the additional light there were at least two passages visible from their position. The furry being studied both for a chime each, ears shifting all the while. When it finally moved again, it seemed to have chosen the path on the left. Without a glance to its companion, it moved along after climbing back up to a more level surface of the cavern. Their path went through spaces between pillars of rock that connected the floor to the ceiling that were wider around than any tree Zach had ever witnessed.
The weight of his arm on his dislocated shoulder was painful. Even with careful movements to not stimulate the injury, the unusual pull on the ligaments would cause discomfort. Not enough to be debilitating, but even a young healthy hunter had their limits on pain tolerance. There was more light than before to see and even a few standalone surfaces he could grip to assist in a second attempt at relocating his shoulder.
At the mouth of the passage the fox had chosen the light began to dim again. At the base a small stream of water only inches wide trickled down from the passage before making its way to join the larger body of water. The fox paused and its ears and head both rose as it looked further into the darkness a head of them. Short, high pitched squeaks emanated from its throat as it abruptly turned around and back tracked on their path. The Misty Fox was attempting to run but stumbled when muscle memory tried to utilize the fourth leg it no longer had. It cried out in pain which echoed over the sound of falling water.
A deep guttural growl came from the passage just ahead of them. If the hunter were to strain his hearing, the sound of heavy footfalls would be heard. And they would be approaching.
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