Source: Permafreeze on dA | Date: 3.29.25
Cali panted and pushed the crystal she had been pulling into the pile with the others the group had moved today, she padded off to the side of the work area to take a breath when she noticed the caretakers mumbling amongst themselves near where the Matriarchs head was. They looked concerned and mildly panicked, they glanced at her watching them and one beckoned her over.
“Greetings Cali.” One said while giving a half smile.
“What seems to be bothering you guys?” She said genuinely.
The caretakers went on to explain that the Matriarch was becoming increasingly aggravated and upset with the crystal removable process, which while was completely understandable considering what she is going through. Her comforting pets that normally attend to her mental wellbeing had retreated deeper into the caverns, the caretakers surmised that all the new faces and noise had frightened them. They had tried to calm her themselves but her spiked little friends did a much better job at this then they could even dream of.
Cali volunteered to go and see if she could locate the little critters, she could use a break from hauling the tyr sized crystals around, could be a nice chance to see some more of the caves as well.
The cavern branched off into a few different tunnels within the Matriarchs main chamber, Cali would have to follow clues and subtle signs in order to track down the adorable spiny Nyxthorns. She had been seeing shed quills near the great females head, like a pet shedding its fur onto ur furniture but ten times more painful to step on, they seemed to lose them quite often so this was the first clue she would be looking for, the Caretakers had also informed her of their favorite foods which Cali had packed a satchel full just in case she needed to lure them out of wherever they were holding up at.
The Crystals continued even in the back corners of the cave system, paths twisted up and down the walls and in and out of crevasses. The stones here were not worn smooth from use like those that were in the main area, she had to watch her footing to ensure she didn’t slice her paws on a jagged crystal or stone.
She wandered for what must have been a few hours, exploring the tunnels of the innermost sanctum of the Haedians, some paths covered with a thin layer of brightly colored, glittering dust, a by product of the construction happening with the Matriarchs liberation. She didn’t see many signs of the small creatures but slowly she became more accustomed to the back passage ways and the signs that they had left behind while fleeing the noise. Cali heard the distant rumble and occasional loud boom coming from the main excavation area, no wonder the little ones had fled, poor things had to be terrified. She noticed then that there was a sweeter smell in this part of the caves, examining the floor she could see small foot prints and quills scattered in this area in a greater density than she had seen before.
Using a combination of her sense of smell and shed quill she followed a ledge back behind a large cluster of cyan crystals, smaller green ones dotted the walls near a small opening in the rock face.
Bending down to glance inside the hole she could see smaller shapes moving against the light of the crystals, she had found them, but now convincing them to come out would be the hard part. She noticed near the opening of their small hideout there was scraps of leather and fruit cores, they must be sneaking food from the camps to keep themselves fed, too scared to venture out fully they still braved the noise out of pure hunger. She had heard from the caretakers that they were very timid but also quite intelligent.
Unpacking a couple of the snacks she had brought she settled down in front of their home, she heard some rustle and small squeaks coming from the opening. Cali laid down, both to rest her wary muscles and to see if she could establish some trust with the pokey little fellas. She placed most of the food around near her back, a few pieces near her head and even rolled a piece of fruit into the opening of their little cave. She always found the best way to make friends, especially with tiny timid creatures was patience and food.
She plopped down in the pile of baked goods and fruit to take a nap and see if the Nyx will come out and explore on their own to investigate the smells. She slowly drifted off into sleep, she had planned to just close her eyes and pretend to sleep but the days of hauling massive crystals took a toll on her. She faded into slumber listening to the sounds of soft squeaking and scrapping quills.
CP Counter
Group Event + 3 (Event Proof) 829 words + 8 Total = 11