King and the Spirits

(Using liquid time, this takes place between 2 weeks to a month before Pnuma meets Circe)

The young man walked deep within the cave, darkness smothering him like a childless mother. He did not expect the caves to go down this far. He was just looking for some shelter from the rain. He had gone deep enough that stalagmites rose from the ground, towering above him like the teeth of a hungry wolf. It unnerved him and the spirits, they whispered anxious thoughts, asking him to turn around or to listen closer.

He took careful steps, his eyesight worsened in the dark. Every patter of droplets hitting the ground caused his head to twist towards the sound. He obeyed every command a spirit told him, looking behind him or stopping suddenly.

Normally, any wolf seeling anxiety about a place would just leave. However, Pnuma came upon a problem. He was very, very lost. Every stalagmite and stalactite looked the same. Very puddle and underground stream looked the same. No cave wall had distinctive markings or holes that he could keep track of. He had no way of knowing which way was a dead end or the tunnel out. The spirits knew as well and didn't hesitate to belittle him for it.

He was lost and had no way out.