The stench had faded only slightly.
Kai wrinkled his nose as they stepped beyond the safe circle of rancid smells Seyren had prepared. The lingering scent of the crushed insect, root, and powdered crystal clung to the damp air like a curse, but it was necessary, until now.
Now, they had to continue.
Vepice stretched out her limbs and tried to wave the scent away from her cloak. "Disgusting," she muttered.
"It worked," Seyren shrugged, leading the way into the deeper cavern system.
They moved cautiously. Bioluminescent mushrooms pulsed with a slow, eerie rhythm along the walls, casting dancing shadows over the uneven stone. Chittering sounds echoed from every direction, above, below, within cracks too narrow to see.
Sometimes, something skittered just beyond the range of their vision. Long limbs. Twitching antennae. Shells that glinted faintly with colors not meant for the surface world.
