I woke up in a merry mood, fully convinced that the events of yesterday had been an enjoyable if somewhat strange dream.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a ginormous insect-like pale face staring down at me.

I shuddered, gasped and attempted to get some distance by crawling backwards, however, the realization that this was my friend and pal Clay hit hard and quick.

Oh, Clay! Don’t you know it’s rude to stare at people?!

He must have understood my attitude, since he quickly took a step back to give me some space to breathe, which was really nice.

Where are we anyways?...

I don’t feel much slimy, so I’m pretty sure we’re not underwater…

Looking around, I tried to see if I could recognize the near-stereotypical cave environment we were in.

Nope, no idea where we are.

Hmm.

Sniff sniff sniff.

I knew it!

Somewhere around here, in that general direction… something smells pretty good. Like… like cinnamon, and honey, kind of like a newly baked drizzled cinnamon bun…

God, I can’t stay around here with such a delicious smell intoxicating me! Clay, let’s go check it out!

With agility not unlike a monkey, I quickly hopped up on Clay’s now stalagmite-less back and pointed in the direction of the smell with a squeal.

Onwards, my steed!

Clay, despite seeming somewhat reluctant to be moving so much so soon, went in the direction of my pointing with slow and steady steps. When out walking, you should always walk as fast as your slowest walker to make sure nobody gets tired unnecessarily or left behind. That’s what mama always told me, atleast, and I think Clay appreciates the slow pace.

It took a bit longer that I hoped, but we eventually reached what I believed to be the source, or atleast, we came very close. Sitting on top of Clay was actually pretty fun, since you could get a real tour of the place. It was dank and dreary and every shadow my lure cast looked like some great unsightly beast, however, I got used to this after a little while. That’s just how caves look, no matter what world you’re in.

Before us stood a wall made of solid stone, and as far as I could see, there was no way around it. The only way to get ahead would be to do as I always do. Eat.

A crude method, but nevertheless effective.

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I got to chewing.

The rocks tasted, as usual, pretty much nothing. But I wasn’t here for the rocks.

I made the passage large enough for Clay to pass through and didn't think much of it.

The wall wasn’t too thick, so it was easy to pass through.

And then I saw it, glittering over there in the wall.

Absolutely delighted, I dashed over, leaving Clay behind by the entrance so I could munch on some rocks, which turned out to be a grave mistake.

I heard a great crash from behind me and snapped my head around.

The little passage I had gnawed open had collapsed, a great big gash forming above it. Clay stood right in front of this gash, petrified.

The gash, or rather, the crack, quickly spread, like a snake made of cobwebs, and everywhere it went, a cloud of dust fell, suggesting the destruction that was to come.

I looked at Clay. Clay looked at me.

“CLAY!!!”

I shouted, flinging myself at him, however, it was too late. The ceiling collapsed, rocks ten, twenty times my size hailing down from above like meteors of death. I tried to call out to Clay, but whatever meek, shrill noise I could possibly make was quickly drowned out by the cascading thundering doom from above.

In sheer panic, I attempted to run towards Clay’s disappearing figure in the distance, dodging or enforcing my will upon any rocks or boulders heading my way. I could instinctively feel that no matter how hard I tried, I could not lift all, or even a few, of the boulders falling upon us. Only one or two could be halted, and that was all I could work with to survive.

And in the back of my head, in the midst of all this chaos, I knew this was my fault, I was rash and I was too focused on getting to those damn metals that I didn’t even realize something like this was bound to happen. I had been stupid, and this was the payment.

I could finally see clay, standing closely to the collapsed entrance, yet not moving. And then I noticed why.

His left claw, monstrous and powerful, which he had used to save my life only hours before, had been completely and utterly crushed under a boulder twice his size.

C-, Clay..!!

D-, Don’t worry! I’ll-, I’ll move it for you!!

I may have said that, but deep down I knew that I could barely lift Clay himself. And yet, I had to try.

My entire being, the whole of my will, focused entirely on the rock about ten times my size, my lure, previously slumped over, straightened out by the tension, and started shining brightly, brighter than any star, illuminating the whole of the devastation. The rock in front of me was enveloped by said light, shining like a lightbulb and quaking like a frog preparing to leap.

However, it did not move.

It did not lift even one centimeter from the ground. All it did was move nervously from left to right.

And when my mind started to go blank and I could feel my pulse reach new highs and I could think of nothing else, I simply had to let it go. I fell to the floor, unable to move, my fists and jaws clenched in frustration and shame.

Not only did I cause this whole mess, but to top if off, I can’t even save Clay from it. I’m pathetic!

But this was no time for self-pity, and Clay knew that. I could only barely hear the clicking of his his right claw tapping the floor in an attempt to grab my attention. Looking up, meekly and weak, I noticed what he was trying to say.

Pointing to himself, he made an up-and-down movement with his right claw, and I immediately knew what it meant.

N-, no! I can’t! If I do, you’ll lose your claw!!

But despite my objections, he continued with his movements.

Sometimes in life, you have to do things you really don’t want to for the sake of those you love, and this… this was one of those times.

Swallowing my tears and ignoring the constant falling debris, I focused on Clay.

Biting my lip, I tried to imagine Clay as an inanimate object, unable to feel what he was most definitely feeling. My lure shone once more, and so did Clay. He was lighter than the rock, and yet he was still oh so heavy. Almost too heavy. Almost.

Squinting with one eye, I could just barely make out how Clay lifted from the earth, his limbs flailing in either surprise or pain, his body acting with surprising little resistance as a whole. When I felt his body start to show resistance and his left arm creak, I closed my eyes, not in focus, but in pain.

There was a great tension for a moment, and then something gave way, and I could feel a great shudder spread through Clay like electricity. The second this happened I quickly put him down and ran to his side. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, yet I knew this was not the time. There was only one way to hide from this, and that was down.

Chewing as I had never done before, I chewed straight down, creating a hole for us to hide in. Clay entered, falling a little bit until he was entirely inside the small cavity. Using my will, I forced a rock to cover us somewhat so that we atleast wouldn’t die.

In the light of my lure, I could see how Clay was bleeding a strange liquid from his partially dismembered left arm. I felt guilty, but he didn’t seem to blame me.

I felt guilty.

Shameful.

And I could smell something delicious.