The doe in the valley was released and Xurek was ready to head back to the knolls. Tired from not just one, but several predator attacks, he had had enough exploring for the day. As the sky grew darker, he walked with Uruk back east in the most direct path that he could navigate them in. Not long into their journey back, dark clouds, nearly black in color, rolled in from the north. With it, came sheets of rain that pummeled their backs and made it near impossible to see. "We must take cover," Xurek suggests though it is more of an order. If they wished to see the next morning alive and avoid flash flooding, they would have to find somewhere dry to camp.

Through the downpour, Xurek can see a faint glow around a large, dark opening. Grunting to gather Uruk's attention, he leads the other stallion into the entrance of the cavern. Stopping just inside, where the wind wouldn't blow even more rain onto them, he shakes off before taking a look around. At first, it is almost too dark to see, but slowly his eyes adjust. He notices how his hooves don't make a clacking noise, but instead were softly muffled by thick beds of moss. Again, he notices a glow toward the back, a captivating gentle blue that draws him farther into the cavern. "Perhaps there are edible plants in here," he mentions to Uruk.

A few more feet in, he is forced to stop, head rising and ears twisting forward. From his right, he hears a loud hiss followed by the sound of scales slithering along stone. Another predator? His mind grumbles with exhaustion as he lets out a loud snort, stomping his hoof to try and deter the massive snake from attempting to attack them. It doesn't seem to move away, but only slide closer...

Xurek Namorn

table coding by bunni ♥

1/3 explore new land - glowshroom cavern
1/3 fight large predator - anaconda

Uruk followed Xurek into the cavern, his muscles tense as the walls seemed to close in around him. The sound of rain pounding against the earth outside was quickly muffled by the heavy silence of the underground, and his discomfort grew with every step. The tight, confining space pressed down on him, his breath growing shallow as the air felt thicker and the darkness more suffocating.

As the eerie glow from the phosphorescent mushrooms began to illuminate the cavern, Uruk forced himself to focus on the light, trying to push aside the gnawing anxiety clawing at his mind. Xurek's voice echoed in the enclosed space, but Uruk barely heard him, his senses honed in on the oppressive closeness of the walls and the feeling of being trapped.

The sudden hiss from the darkness snapped Uruk back to the present, his ears pinning back as he glared toward the sound. The glow cast long, flickering shadows, and the sight of a massive snake slithering closer made his skin crawl. Claustrophobia and exhaustion mixed with rising anger; Uruk slammed his front hooves on the ground, his instincts getting the better of him as he challenged this snake. "Nothing to eat, nowhere to move, only more threats!" he complained, clearly over these caverns already.

With a deep breath, Uruk shifted his weight, preparing to charge as he lowered his head and readied his horn to strike. "Let's deal with this quickly, and get out of here as soon as the rain lets up," he growled, eager to leave these walls already.

[ 1/3 Explore new land (Glowshroom Cavern) ]
[ 1/3 Fought a large opponent (Anaconda) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN