beneath the steppe

Hattori hesitated as he stood beside the Stone Steppe, ears flicked forward as he took in the sounds of muffled footsteps below ground. There was something down there, an entryway he hadn't noticed before, and from the sounds of it all sorts of creatures had found their way inside. The smell of rotting wood lingered heavy in his nose as Hattori raised a paw to creak open the cellar hatch. He hooked his talons around the edge, testing the weight of it before pushing it open wide enough for him to slip inside. If he wished.

He wrinkled his nose at the waft of must that spilled out, only to give way to the myriad of other scents he was unable to put a name too. Whatever was stored in there came from days long since passed and though he was not much of an explorer he did have an interest in old things...

"Speech"