I-, I can’t!

Not after I’ve already gotten Clay in trouble twice, I can’t just run off and leave him behind, not again!

In the uncertain light of my shimmering lure, I could faintly see Clay’s eyes, black, unyielding, strained. I had crippled him, I can’t just go running off the moment I smell profits over yonder! What kind of friend would I be if I did such a irreproachable thing?

“An alive one.”

I could hear the slithery hissing voice reply.

My whole body tensed up, and shivers ran through me.

N-, no, I can’t just leave Clay, not when he’s hurt!

“If you don’t, you may both perish.”

It hissed to me, from the darkest reaches of the deepest corners of my mind.

“Are you truly so desperate for company as to attempt to ‘befriend’ a crustacean?”

I could barely reply.

Clay was no simple crayfish, was he? He had saved me, back then in the waters!

“How are you so sure that that is what he was doing?”

I-...

It must have been!

Now you-, you shut up!

You’re wrong!

“I’m not stating opinions, child. The earth is howling in pain around you, and you believe yourself to be safe?”

And somehow, I knew he was right. Even now, well underground, I could hear boulders falling and crashing. Small cracks could be seen everywhere, even in this little chamber I made. It would not last.

But… I couldn’t leave Clay behind!

“You’d risk your life for a crayfish?”

I-...

Yes. I would.

Clay!

The beady-eyes crayfish replied with a stare.

There is only one way we can go to get out of here, and that is down!

Clay seemed to heavily doubt that, but…

This wasn’t the time to test a bunch of different hypotheses!

We have to go!

I scrambled in between Clay’s numerous legs in order to get into position.

Once I was almost directly underneath Clay, I got to digging.

Somehow, from the reverberations through the rocks, I could feel that there was a large empty space beneath us, if I could just dig us down there. Easier said than done.

Have you ever tried to gorge yourself on an all-you-can-eat buffet, despite already being full? That’s how this felt. Every few seconds I had to pause to take just a tiny little breather. Clay was right behind me, squeezing himself head-first down the narrow tunnel I was spending so much time and energy on creating.

Suddenly, I could hear a loud crash from above, and small rocks and dust started pelting the two of us. It would seem that our little chamber had been unceremoniously crushed.

Luckily, we weren’t there, but it was only a matter of time before the same fate befell this tunnel.

With newfound strength, I continued digging, which was actually more like biting and swallowing without even chewing, which would have been quite rude, had this not been a life-and-death situation.

I could feel it. We were getting close.

The rocks had started getting harder and more compact.

Every now and then, I heard that all-too-familiar slithering voice ring out “Size +1”, but, much like everything else that know-it-all said, I ignored it completely.

It was hard to see through all the dust that was attempting to settle, and I could feel how my usually-slick skin was caked over with dust and gravel, a thoroughly enjoyable sensation.

God, I want a bath.

And then, suddenly, I’m struck by something.

A sensation, to be clear.

The smells I had smelled before, were right in front of me.

So sweet yet so aromatic.

For only a moment or so I paused, almost unable to understand my mis/fortune. It was too good to be true.

And the second I did this, I could feel exactly how dire our situation was.

I had been able to stave off a lot of the damage by simply eating any and all pebbles that had fallen along with the rock of the cave itself, but the second I didn’t do this, it just piled on. In but a second, I was almost entirely buried.

Oh shi-,

I immediately got to chewing, ores or no ores, I had to do something!

And after only three or four bites, I hit the ores. I knew it immediately.

It was silky smooth and delicious and sweet and tasted like honey.

And then I hit upon another ore, that smelled faintly of cinnamon, yet tasted like crist and clear water on a hot summer's day.

Together, the flavours formed a perfect pair, complementing and contrasting each other at the same time, like warm milk with honey before bedtime. It was exquisite.

But I had no time!

I knew there was more, much more, than the size of the tunnel itself, but the important thing here was not for me to enjoy myself, but for Clay and I to escape!

With tearful eyes, I chewed hastily through the delicious ores, despite knowing how much of it I was missing out on.

And after just a little while…

“Quickness +1”

Uhuhuh, I don’t care!

And then, with one more bite,

“Royalty +1”

I could feel the floor give way and we fell.

I had fallen like this before, and I had been fine.

But I wasn’t sure about Clay.

I could barely see what was below me, much less what was beneath me, and yet I searched out, my will desperately attempting to make a difference between rubble, ore and Clay.

I’m not sure how, but I found him.

I hadn’t used my will though.

No, I had never thought about it before, but Clay smelled an awful lot like bubblegum. Or, rather, silver.

So, when I found him, making him float was just a matter of, well, will.

But I could smell something else, too.

Something that had been dislodged from it’s place when I chewed through it.

It smelled like the ocean.

And although I could feel that I shouldn’t have been able to lift both Clay and whatever this was, somehow…

I could.

I hit the ground hard only moment later, and I could feel something break.

This fall was just a bit to high.

But despite my sudden pangs of pain, I still enforced my will upon Clay, allowing him and whatever that other thing was to float slowly, gently, to the ground.

Only a moment later, a hail of pebbles and debris pummeled the ground. This only lasted a moment or so, but I felt as though my heart was going to pop right out of my chest!

C-, Clay!

Ignoring the other thing I caught entirely, I ran to Clay’s side to make sure he was alright. Not counting his missing left claw, the only damage to him was a small crack along his back, which would be alright in due time, right?

Now, where are we?...

This place was by far bigger than any I had seen before. The light from my lure couldn’t even reach the very walls of the passage, a detail that should attest to just how wide this place was.

Ah! The ocean thing!

Sniffing briefly, I found the thing to be right over by a large piece of rubble. It was dark blue and shimmered brilliantly in the light of my lure.

It was a gem.

A sapphire, I think.

I simply couldn’t stop myself, and within only a second, the sapphire had already disappeared down my throat.

I had barely gotten a taste of what it actually tasted like, but… it was good.

Suddenly, my back felt so… hot.

Like a little bonfire going on between my scapula!

And then, as strange as it seems, I felt something emerge.

Little arms, I think.

Trembling, hoping I didn’t just go all Lucy in here, I turned around to look at my back, which was quite a feat, considering Looking at your own back is quite hard despite being bipedal.

I must be hallucinating.

On both sides of my upper back, two rows, each consisting of four, I could see what seemed to be, uh… extra lungs? Like the external lungs on my head, but larger and four instead of three.

Did this mean I could hold my breath longer or something?...

Compared to the lure and being able to breathe on land and also telekinesis, this is actually pretty disappointing…

Can I move them at least?

Hrm…

They wiggled a little when I attempted to move them so maybe…

Maybe that’s not the right way?

Maybe I should use my will on it?...

Like on Clay, but myself?

Well, it’s with a try.

Enforcing some of my will into the strange tree-like limbs, I could feel something strange happen. I got… lighter.

If I put in just a little more strength, well…

Lo and behold!

Flight!!

My mouth lit up into a grin.

This was just about as good as it could get!

The more will I put in, the higher I flew, and if I tried really hard, I could move just a little forward.

Not exactly optimal, but hey! Flight!!

And just as my excitement regarding finding out I could now fly was at its peak I heard something.

“OH GOD, OH LORD, SOMEONE!! ROBERT, JOHANNA!!! ANYONE, HELP!!!!”