“Work until the geode cracks.”

-Silicarite expression meaning “Your efforts will make you beautiful.”

Battus groaned, clutching his right arm tightly. He looked up at the hole they fell in from, definitely too far to climb back up to. The open mouth of the cave was at least fifty feet above his head.

“Gods damn it… will we ever catch a break?” He examined his arm. It was bruised, and bleeding, but otherwise intact. Damn, it hurt though. He wished he'd saved that emergency potion for himself, even if this wasn't a lethal injury.

“Mercury?” Battus grimaced, attempting to locate the fallen Silicarite in the dark, his eyes still adjusting to the dim environment. He sighed in relief again when a nearby boulder, glowing softly red, lifted itself from the cave floor. It lit up even more with subtle flashes, the translator responding in that robotic tone that had been keeping him company.

“Present. Various regions of my external structure have acquired several dozen microfractures, but it is merely cosmetic damage. I am functional.”

“I'm sure the Silicarite ladies love a couple battle scars. Heh.”

Tintin flipped itself over and wheeled towards them, giving Battus and Mercury a brief inspection, then turned and scanned the surrounding cave. That was a hardy little robot, Battus had to give it credit.

“Hey Mercury, when we were running from that thing, did you hear a little…?”

Up here!

“Uh… that!” Battus looked up, and noticed a tiny point of red light glowing softly, dropping in through the entrance they fell through. He squinted, trying to get a better look past the bright sunlight streaming in from above. It was almost lighting up the cave as it approached, descending in lazy spirals. The floating little ball of light made a little loop-de-loop before settling in the middle of all of them. Tintin began scanning it, but Battus and Mercury held perfectly still, gazing in wonder as they were bathed in soft pink radiance.

Welcome, I am glad you made it in one piece! I’m so excited to meet you! You can call me Crystal.

Words formed in Battus’ mind, the message clearly emanating from this… red, nearly pink-ish light source.

“What are you, some kind of fairy? Or have I finally snapped, and I'm seeing things?” Battus rubbed his eyes.

I assure you, I am real. That much I do know. Although I am not a fairy, or a pixie, or a sprite, or any kind of creature like that, Crystal spoke with a light, feminine, almost ethereal voice. Or was that even her voice? This was confusing. Although somehow Battus could sense it was definitely a “her”.

“If you are not any of the creatures you listed, then what are you?” Mercury asked. Crystal seemed to respond even before Mercury’s translator finished speaking.

All in due time. But for now, just know that I'm a friend. And that we’re looking for the same thing. The Crystalline Heart, right? I think I know where it is! Crystal’s “voice” was accentuated by a pulsing glow, fading a little as the message ended. Battus looked towards Mercury, the Silicarite also turning towards him, and he could feel the silent exchange. Do we trust her?

You can trust me, I swear! Why would I guide you up top in the jungle if I didn't want to help? Besides, look! Crystal flew quickly through the air, and bounced harmlessly off Battus’ chest one, twice, and three times, and he felt nothing more than an odd tickle. I couldn't hurt you even if I wanted to!

Battus rubbed the spot where Crystal made contact, an unfamiliar tingle left behind and slowly dissipating.

“Well, clearly she can read our minds anyways. And since we’re all looking for the same thing, can't hurt, right?” Battus shrugged, looking to Mercury for its opinion. Mercury paused, seeming to consider the situation.

Tintin rolled closer, then began making small circles underneath Crystal, and Battus sensed a burst of ethereal laughter. Crystal began chasing Tintin around the cave floor, bouncing up and down in an erratic flight pattern. Mercury watched in silence for a moment, then finally spoke.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“...Tintin does not seem to detect anything dangerous about this creature. Very well, Crystal may accompany us for the time being.”

You won’t regret this, Mercury! Let's go this way!

Before even waiting for a response, Crystal zipped ahead through the dank cave air, into the depths of the earth.

***

An hour passed, the four trudging through the wide, branching cave of stone and dirt. Like the topside, the tunnels were also littered with pastel pink and purple foliage, now mostly mushrooms of various shapes and sizes. Some of them were tiny, others towered over even Mercury’s imposing figure. Crystal lit up the cavern almost as bright as sunlight, giving the strange overgrowth a harsh pink and reddish tone. She occasionally gave directions, like Go left, turn right here, under this, keep going that way.

Battus found himself slipping into a daydream, lounging in piles of treasure, ill-gotten gains plundered from the depths of a magical cavern such as this. He shook his head, clearing the fantastical thoughts of his wandering mind. This wasn't about the gold now, not really. It was survival. The circumstances had changed, and they were all in it together, for better or for worse. But Battus was determined to stick things out.

But even more than just being a job that had gone off the deep end, it was… purpose. Whimsy and adventure. Being more than just a lousy paid-by-the-hour tour guide, doing something that mattered. Even if he still wasn't sure what exactly the quest was for.

“Hey, Mercury.”

“Yes, Battus?”

“You still never told me what’s so unique about the Crystalline Heart.”

Mercury nodded, holding silent for a moment as they stepped down a particularly steep incline, Mercury at the front, Tintin in the middle, Battus at the back, and Crystal floating in playful patterns around and between all three. As the path leveled out again, the red Silicarite began to explain through its translator.

“Propagite can be found all over the galaxy, certainly. However, the Silicarite home planet, Quartzhome, was abundant with it. Many Silicarites were formed there. I was not among them, but I have seen the planet myself. Where there once were accounts of overflowing propagite, now was a world full of holes from Silicarite formation, completely devoid of resources. Many stayed, as it was the only world they had ever known, but many of us had long since ventured beyond our star system in search of other planets. Propagite was much rarer, but it could still be found beyond our horizon. Quartzhome was eventually mined to its very core, utilizing every molecule that could be feasibly gathered. At the very center of the planet, though, they found a unique mineral structure. The Crystalline Heart, so named for the geode’s initial position.”

“If it was already discovered, then how did it get here?”

“Unknown. The Heart was extracted, then exchanged between many individuals, collectors, and non-Silicarite traders. The finer details of its position were not cataloged, and eventually, the object itself was lost entirely. This was many hundreds of cycles before I was formed, so I have only our documented history to recount. But the signal here was unmistakable; such a large and densely compacted deposit of propagite with origins tracing back to Quartzhome can only be one thing.”

Battus almost audibly heard a soft ethereal sigh of disappointment.

You don’t know any more about how the Heart got here…?

“Apologies, I do not. It was an extremely fortunate set of circumstances that I happened to detect this signal at all, if the Crystalline Heart is indeed this deep within the crust of this planet.”

The group fell silent for a long time, continuing to shuffle along the dusty path. They turned a bend in the cave, the left side of their path opening up to a large, yawning chasm with sheer steep slopes. On the opposite end of the pit, another path traveled along the wall.

Suddenly, Crystal stopped right in midair, frozen in place, causing Battus to almost lose his balance trying to prevent his face from colliding with her. Mercury also stood in place, turning back to face the group.

Oh no. It’s here.

The little ball of light quickly shot inside Battus’ jacket, peeking out just a little, as if she were an animal taking shelter from a predator. Her once bright light dimmed to the brightness of a foggy lantern, obscured even further by the fabric of the coat.

“What’s here, Crystal?” Battus looked around, confused. There wasn't anything else in the cave as far as he could tell, especially in the now dim light. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any signs of life besides themselves since he washed up on the beach, not even chirping birds or bugs buzzing around his face like he'd expect from a jungle.

A large thud resonating through the underground walls snapped Battus from his thoughts. Across the cavern, a wall burst open with a loud “crack!”, tumbling rocks and clouds of dust obscuring the opposite side for a few moments. Once they cleared, a large clear crystal, glowing softly blue, was visible through the opening. Much to Battus’ surprise though, it moved, climbing through the newly created tunnel, shifting and stepping forward to the edge of the chasm. Another Silicarite, here?

That’s what.