The dawn of a new day filters through the open maw of the cave, signaling their imminent return to the surface.

Noonday feels fatigue settling deeper into his bones now that the promise of leaving the buried kingdom is ahead of him, a sort of ache that makes his legs feel like they're growing one with the aging stone under his feet and like he may never make it to the surface again. But it's right there in front of him, and despite the desire to stop, if even for a brief moment, he trudges on without complaint. Gremory, floundering behind him, does not stay silent.

"Sir," the cat starts, "do you hear that?"

The Courser's ears swivel backwards towards his companion, whose voice is but a hushed whisper. Gremory is nervous, Noonday can tell, unsettled by the sing-song of chattering bats high above their heads.

"They're just painted bats, Gremory," Noonday replies. "They're harmless - nothing to worry about."

Gremory fixes his eyes up towards the bats, who stare back at him with curious blood-red eyes. The cat's hair prickles.

"How can you be sure?" he asks, leaping after his companion once he's noticed a great gap has separated them. Noonday can only sigh, growing more and more irritated by the second, but he does not stop to wait for Gremory to follow. The surface is right there...

"Because if they were dracula bats, we wouldn't be having this conversation."