Lost in more ways than one

The ground began to give way beneath her in a suspiciously familiar way. What had initially separated her from her family was an ill-timed cave in during a deep, deep spelunking expedition. By the time she'd come up to the surface again, she was leagues away from where she'd started and she had figured it was a blessing in disguise. It wasn't like Azure would come looking for, he had been disgusted by her physical short-comings... and Hana had politely lost interest in her well-being as she'd grown older. Makara had always wanted to explore, and it that cave in had just become a convenient excuse.

But it didn't mean she had liked it or that it hadn't been one of the most singularly terrifying experiences of her life.

She saw Gloom go down first, which alarmed her. The woman was old, if not a little frail seeming, but her concern was short lived as Makara quickly tumbled after her through the open air until she landed hard on her right side. It knocked the wind clean out of her and jostled her goggles hard against her skull, the metal digging in painfully. A cut opened up above her right eye and she felt the blood, warm and fresh, slide beneath her head gear. She laid still for a long time, making sure all of her limbs were in working order. Once she'd deemed they were, Mak slowly stood and stumbled in the dark towards Gloom's fallen body. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. It was more than she could handle. Memories of months spent alone, eating strange pale bugs and sightless moles to survive danced in her head. At least maybe this time she'd have company.

"Miss, miss? Are you okay?" Makara rasped, coughing to clear the dirt from her lungs. Her throat began to itch, a mild allergic reaction. Fear prickled up her spine. She needed every clear breath down here she could get. Shame followed in short order, as she realized she'd been so caught up in the thrill of this expedition that she hadn't even asked her companion's name. "I'm right by your side, and my name is Makara," she added in what she hoped was a soothing tone, stepping closer to the small stranger. It wasn't often that she had to tend to the feelings of others, but she knew what it was like to be alone underground, and she wouldn't wish that panic on anyone. At least they had each other.

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