Nightlight

Yara came quickly and noticed the light too. Good at least Ignita knew she wasn't hallucinating. Before the Consort could suggest anything more Yara was eager to investigate. Ignita nodded and started also pulling at the rock but was winded by a few stones. They should probably check in with Bas before digging into the warrens but the energy Yara displayed was distracting Ignita from such thoughts. She had to know more about that blue glow overhead!

She let Yara take on the brunt of the work, simply because Ignita was feeling dizzy. She would have otherwise gladly helped.

As each stone was shifted away Ignita's golden gaze was locked on the glow. As the songbird stepped back and revealed the entrance, exclaiming the need to explore, Ignita was already two paws in and looking up before his sharp voice and growl made her jump back, slinking to the floor before him.

She suddenly also remembered the last time she went spelunking. Her eyes went down and locked on his claws as he came forward to inspect their work. Forgetting for a moment her title was equal to his now, an old habit.

"It's not like I can fit this time." She replied coyly, daring to glance up at his eyes. The angle brought to her attention the object of her curiosity just beyond him in the upper reaches of the alcove.

"Are these--?" Her voice dropped off as a familiar scene opened up before her. "Glow worms! I haven't seen a colony since I was a pup!" She said, bringing herself into the new slender opening. She pushed up onto her rears and looked closely at the slowly shifting bright glowing blue worm. A strand of mucous slowly dripped down to a pool below. A glimmer beyond the passageway spoke of more. "There will be more through there! At the oasis, there was a huge colony of these guys! Some of the patrons and guests would try and make silly drinks and even some of them thought that eating them would make them glow too." She was on a roll, "I can't believe there are some here! They're actually worms! And this mucous is their excrement! It's the larval stage of a bug typically, I'm surprised they're growing here in the cold!" Her tail was wagging swiftly back and forth until a pang in her swollen belly brought her back down to all fours.

With a grunt, she grimaced. Her head getting woozy again. She slowly brought herself back out of the opening and leaned against Bas, her body breaking out in a sweat. She grunted again and clutched her stomach. It's too early! She didn't know about the phenomenon of false early contractions.

They might have to continue exploring without her.




1136 / 1500

"Ignita"