[Mirkitsune]

It had been a last minute decision, to leave the safety of his home and venture out into the cold unknown, to try and find what awaited him. Though it was severely unlike him, it seemed to be appropriate to go out into town and attempt to purchase the food that needed to be purchased, especially when no one else was around to do it for him.

So out Álmos had gone, into the vastness of Barakka, trying to get simply from his small home to the nearest town... and he'd found himself completely lost into one of the man-made caverns of Craiss, which was, if he could recall, far from any place he'd ever gone.

Shyly, he grabbed onto the hand of his precious Monsieur Chat, peeking around the various corners and passageways, hoping to find his way out of this dark place soon, so that he could return to the safety of his bed.

[Froma75689]

Swix had never been this cold in his entire life. He had wandered from the quiet, warmth of his owner's pen and into a cave in search of excitement and an adventure. Something he had been having little of recently. All day he would sit in the pen waiting for something to happen, but now he had grown tired of waiting. He had set off for exciting adventure in the vast, exciting unknown! Now, here he was trekking through the cold, dark, damp, windy cave. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. Well,Swix thoughtat least this can't get any worse.  Suddenly, the floor started to crumble and shiver beneath him.  Uh oh. That can't be good, Swix said to no one in particular.

[Mirkitsune]

Feeling the floor begin to quake under his feet, Álmos clung tightly to his toy and began to shiver. It was a bad idea to go out on his own, he knew that it was! He just didn't think that it was this bad!

"Help!" He cried out, whimpering and trying to cover his head from any falling debris. "Somebody help me!"

Hopefully, he'd be found before anything too terrible happened, and he could make his way back into his warm, cozy bed with his brand-new quilt. Yes, that would be lovely, as opposed to a satin-lined box.

[Froma75689]

Swix ran blindly along the passage in hope of finding the exit. Ears perked for a noise, eyes concentrating in an attempt to glimpse a flash of nonexistant light, Swix was remaining calm under this extreme pressure. Mostly.

All of a sudden, he heard a noise off somewhere. Hello?Swix calledIs somebody out there? He hoped it was something friendly and not some large, vicious monster. Please be something friendly! Swix thought again.

[Mirkitsune]

"Y-yes! I'm here!" Álmos cried out, clinging tightly once more to Monsieur Chat. Honestly, he was surprised that his little button eyes or stuffing innards hadn't popped out from how hard he was squeezing the toy, but he was glad all the same, for it meant that he would never be alone.

"Please, help me!" He practically screamed, managing to dive out of the way of a rock that had fallen from higher up, one of many that was threatening to block off the entrance to the small side cavern that Álmos had gotten himself caught up in.

[Froma75689]

Swix ran towards the frightened voice, dodging falling boulders and crumbling ground as he went.  This way! Run this way! Swix ordered as he came up to the side of the frightened Lucain and started to lightly nudge him in a direction he hoped was safe. My name is Swix. Swix said Do you have any idea of how to get out of this disaster area? He had no idea, but he hoped that the other Lucain did.

[Mirkitsune]

"M-my name is Álmos," He responded shakily, pulling himself alongside the Lucain that was helping him. "And I c-came from the North, so if we go North, there might be a way out? I don't know!" He admitted, hoping that the other didn't think he was idiotic or anything of the sort.

All he knew was that Swix's voice was calming, and he was finding himself able to breathe a little more easily with help like that around.

[Froma75689]

Okay. North. That's where we'll go. Swix decided. Nice to meet you Almos! What way is North? Swix thought. Thoughts, questions, unvoiced fears, and lightning fast decisions were running through his brain. There had to be a solution to this problem somwhere! A secret passage, perhaps? Or a magic Staples"That was easy!"button? It would sure be helpful to have a compass or a flashlight right about now. We need to just stay calm. There has to be a safety tunnel around here somewhere. Swix said, trying to comfort and reassure himself as much as the Lucain next to him.

[Mirkitsune]

"It's hard to stay calm w-with all of this going on!" He whined, clinging to his stuffed toy and pressing himself to Swix's side. He could tell that the other Lucain was just as scared as he was, but he pretended that he wasn't. No, this blue Lucain seemed brave and strong. Not frightened and meek like him.

"Th-there!" He pointed out a flicker of light towards the end of a long passageway. "I see light there!"

[Froma75689]

Swix was so relieved! He let out a breath of relief and smiled. We're so close! Swix said. Once I get out of here, Swix thought I am not going to leave the warmth and light of my pen ever again. All of a sudden, when he had finally though he had reached safety, he felt the floor drop beneath him, and his paws lost purchase on solid ground. Oh no! Help me! Swix cried, his paws barely slowing his descent into the unknown.

[Mirkitsune]

Turning back quickly, Álmos grabbed onto Swix's front paws, abandoning Monsieur Chat for a rare second. "Stop squirming," He grunted, pulling him back up onto a solid part of the cavern floor. He was grateful that he wasn't in his Lucain form at that time, knowing that having thumbs had just meant the difference between life and death for the blue Lucain.

"You're okay, aren't you?" He gasped for air, grabbing his toy up again and clutching it close to his heaving chest, as if it were an air supply.

[Froma75689]

Swix was grateful to the other Lucain. If he had continued to fall, he could have been lost forever. Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks for helping me! I would have been toast if you hadn't caught me! Swix said. We should probably get to safety now before anything else happens Swix ran for the light with increasing joy as the light grew bigger and the outside view became clearer and clearer. We're almost there! It's so close! He ran until he thought his lungs felt like they would burst and then...he was bathed in bright light.

[Mirkitsune]

Álmos ran out into the light as well, stumbling off into the grass. What a relief! The caverns had been bigger than he'd thought, and going from one end to the other, he'd ended up in familiar territory.

"Look at that," he said, dusting himself off and gripping his toy against his chest. "I can get home from here, now. Thank you, and I hope you have good dreams."

With that, Álmos just seemed to disappear. Perhaps it had all just been a terrible nightmare for Swix, who knew? Either way, the red-headed child was gone now, with no trace of him but the memory of their time in Craiss Caverns.