As Starling stepped through the threshold and entered the cave proper they were greeted by a waft of cold wet air. It stuck to their hair and clothes, instantly making them damp. The smell was different from outside, gone was the almost heady scent of spice and antisceptic and replacing it quickly was the smell of turned earth, there was a strong smell that made Starling’s nose run, like horseradish or wasabi. It smelled fresh but sharp, and it mingled with the earthiness in a way that wasn’t totally unpleasant.

If it’s too dark I won’t be able to go very far inside, but if this is anything like the forest…

Just as the thoughts were going through Starling’s mind their eyes adjusted the gloom, picking up the faint radiance of the bioluminescent moss that grew along the walls and roof, dripping and heavy with condensed water out of the air.

Perfect, now for a little boost.

Starling channeled their [Environmental Awareness] only to receive a shock.

[Warning: Skill not attuned to current Environment]

[Skill attunement required for optimum performance]

[Unattuned skills incur a 200% increased Resource cost]

Starling dropped [Environmental Awareness] like it was burning them from the inside. They gasped for breath.

Damn! That was awful, I could feel my Stamina flowing out of me like I was cut open. I guess I can’t just rely on these skills all the time if I am somewhere unfamiliar. Let’s do this the old fashioned way.

Losing access to the skill like that was a blow, Starling had been relying on it heavily ever since they had discovered it, but it was a reminder that they were not helpless without them. Drawing on their accumulated knowledge and traditional skills from many nights in the wild. Starling slowed their breathing and closed their eyes. Keeping them closed while they listened carefully.

The drip of water onto mud, rock and plant. The howl of a wind running through space. Trickles of water splashing against the banks of a small stream. The earthy smell, the sharp smell and.. Something sweet and sticky smelling, like honey, deeper in.

The smell of the sweet sticky something made their stomach growl. Tubers would be good but a source of sugar would be very very useful indeed.

What sort of creature would make honey in a place like this though? Maybe some sort of cute little Bee-mouse if I am lucky.

Starling opened their eyes and was happy that the memory had been correct. Their vision had adapted faster and now they could make out enough in the gloom to continue on for now.

I haven’t had to do anything like this since… that night. Damn was it really that long ago?

It takes a little out of Starling to acknowledge that. The memories of trying to rush through the dark woods, previously banished, almost replaced, by their run to Jeff that morning came back in a flood. The dark tunnels ahead of them, the roots pressing in on the sides reminded them even more of that desperate, futile sprint. Starling took a second to hug themselves tightly, hunched over a little in the low space.

You are not that person anymore. Look at how you have grown! Look at where you are! You can do this Starling.

With a little more confidence they stepped deeper into the cave, crouching down carefully and checking each step before putting their weight on it. It was hard to keep their head low, everytime they forgot they bumped it on a low hanging root or scraped it on the soil above, causing it to shower down into their hair and face. It wasn’t long before they were coughing in a cloud of dirt.

They forged deeper into the darkness, and it became steadily somehow more humid and colder, until there was a gentle mist wafting around their ankles, blocking their view of the floor. Starling shivered, trying to shake off the chill, causing the mist to eddy and swirl around them in the gloom. The tunnel continued on for a while, Starling’s Foundation Aspect giving them a decent idea of how far they were traveling by using the knowledge of where their camp was as a reference point.

Starling moved cautiously, relying on their hearing to warn them of danger. There were strange echoes and sounds in the distance. Rock scraping on rock, the tap of something hard on something harder. Wet organic noises sometimes emerged only to fade into nothingness. Starling became more and more concerned about the curve of the tunnel blocking their view ahead, worried they might come around a bend and find a crevice, or worse.

The tunnel walls pressed in around them, in a way that couldn’t help but remind them of the views from their new hillside camp, or from the windows of the fire watch tower before the disaster. There was something important about being able to see for miles in every direction. Down here... Starling fought back a shiver as another clump of dirt fell from the ceiling. Down here they could barely see three feet ahead.

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As Starling continued, brushing past hanging curtains of luminescent moss and carefully stepping over knotted roots they found something peculiar. The tunnel continued ahead, but the mist at their feet was flowing to the side, the dim light reflecting off it in a way that made it quite visible. Crouching down to investigate, Starling could see a hole in the lower wall of the tunnel, under a large thick root, there was a large open space on the other side, but it was much darker. Closing their eyes again and inhaling slowly through their nose, Starling could tell the honey smell was stronger here.

I have come this far, it seems pretty quiet down here. Either I am very lucky, or I am bigger than everything down here…

For a second Starling imagined facing down a crab in this tunnel, its thick armoured hulk filling the tunnel in front of them, but then they saw how ridiculous that would be.

No room to use its claws! It would be helpless.

Getting down on their belly, ignoring the filth of the tunnel floor, Starling crawled over to the gap and pushed their head and shoulders into the new space. The first thing that hit them was the heat, unlike the tunnel behind them - which felt almost too cold - this room was warm enough to make Starling’s temple itch with sweat. The mist streamed around them through the gap and fell to the floor, showing Starling that it wasn’t a long way down. They could climb back up here pretty easily, using the roots to pull up - they wouldn’t even need [Natural Climbing] if it also didn’t work down here.

It took a bit of awkward shifting and balancing, but eventually Starling pulled their legs through the gap, and lowered themself to the floor. The very stable, flat, clear floor.

Starling moved their feet around in the mist, feeling for roots or stones to catch them as they moved.

Nothing.

The floor was flat and clear of debris, apart from a little dirt and mud around the area Starling had come in from.

Unlike above, there was no soft green light from moss and lichen, but as Starling stood in the darkness, a very faint blue light pulsed softly. It gave just enough to reveal the edges of the room, the straight walls and perfect corners, and in the middle some sort of plinth.

This is not a natural space. The stones back at camp hinted that someone had been here before… but this confirms it. I bet if I could see them, these walls would have a pattern on them just like the ones at my camp…

Starling reached out with their hand to touch the wall, running their fingers over the surface, feeling out the geometric pattern they knew would be there. The wall reacted to their touch, the blue pulse spreading from their fingertips with more intensity than it was before. The room seemed to throb with potential at their touch. Starling felt a heady rush, something was being tapped inside them, but there was no status message, and Health and Stamina seemed fine.

Trailing their fingers, they walked the perimeter of the room, noticing a section on the far wall that did not pulse, that was dark and ominous. It seemed to be a huge crack, leading into a deeper section of the underground. That honey smell was much stronger in that direction, as was the heat rising from it.

Starling was torn for a second, the idea of something warm and sweet to eat was very very tempting, but it wasn’t going anywhere.

Starling turned, too curious about the room for now. They took their hand from the wall and the space plunged back into darkness, but their memory of the space was good, and it only took a couple of steps to approach the center of the room and stand next to the plinth.

Well, let’s see what happens now.

Starling lifted their hand and placed it gently on the plinth.

There was a rush of power, something flowed - no poured from Starling into the plinth. There was a powerful backwash of bluelight and pressure pushing away from it. The mist flew to the corners of the room and out through the rent in the wall. Starling cried out, but like the tree they touched in the morning their hand felt stuck to the plinth. Hair and clothes flapping in the pressure they focussed on what the system was desperately trying to tell them in numerous alerts.

[WARNING! This Foundation is unlinked and severely damaged!]

[Leyline link not found! Foundation power is Offline]

[Last Update from Central Foundation: Unknown]

[Foundation Network Status: Offline]

[Structural Integrity: 32%]

[Foundation Breach Detected!]

[Attempting to establish local Resonance...]

[Error: Foundation Aspect insufficient for full restoration]

[This Convergence Point is unsuitable for Resonance!]

With that last line of information, there was a loud crack - a flash of white-blue light and stunning shock up Starling’s arm that flung them hard across the room. With a cry of surprise Starling smashed into the far wall with enough force to drive the air from their lungs, and feel a hard crack deep in their chest.

[Warning: Physical Trauma Detected]

[Health Status: Very Low!]

[Movement Impaired: Chest Injury]

With a gasp they struggled to regain their breath. Before them blue light swirled around the plinth in a vortex of light that pulled in the mist from the corners of the room. Every breath was agony and Starling felt tears of pain and frustration running tracks through the dirt on the face.

They reached uselessly for the plinth, out of reach and sheathed in the crackling vortex.

No! What does it mean! What does it all mean!

The light built to a blinding brightness, throbbing with power before collapsing in on itself with a loud crack. The light vanished instantly, leaving a blue afterglow floating in the room.

The plinth was gone, all that remained was rubble.

[Foundation Node: Destroyed]

[Local Network Connection: Failed]

[Warning: Foundation Resonance in Local Area no longer in effect]

[Possible Destabilisation]