The dark down in the caverns felt like a beast that would grow too overwhelming if Thunderstepper would let the animal panic sink in properly. The gray Courser took a deep breath in and picked up the pace instead. He lifted his lantern even though he knew it would only do so much to banish the terror creeping in. It often made the dark worse for him. But in a dungeon, the light was the most precious resource in the caverns and the thought of feeling around in the pitch black was worse.

As he walked, the light of Thunderstepper’s lantern shone eerily down the darkness of the cavern corner. Alone in the dark, as his hooves kicked up stones and dust, he could feel a tension creeping into his body. There was nothing but the dark and the light of his lantern- he was far too high up to run into any monsters. Yet it felt like he had to stay on guard, danger settling in his mind. His memories said it was just like the shack and that urged him to take off into a gallop back to the surface. His muscles coiled to leap as the dark pressed in on all sides of his head like a suffocating blanket of terror.

It was a nice, cool darkness if you compared it to the heat of the lower levels. That said, he had to admit it sucked to be terrified of the dark in this place. He had not always been afraid of the dark. Only after his father started to use the shack as a form of punishment when he was a colt had the fear reared it’s head. Wild animals, predators, often made those shacks their territory. Not that he told his friends or family that. As far as they knew, he has always been terrified of it. Was ashamed to admit he had grown afraid of it.

“Are you alright?” A voice said, and he turned to Reaper. His cousin was here. He was safe. While he could not clearly see his nod, he felt the black Courser push at his side. In the dark in the lantern’s light his pale, white face was the only thing visible. A mask of sorts, at least.

“Paranoid.” Thunderstepper said, but he stepped back too. “We’ve stayed on the higher levels, at least with some light before. I didn’t think it’d feel this bad.”

“If you need to go back, let me know.”

“Worry about yourself.” He snapped back on instincts. Reaper meant well, but he made Thunderstepper feel like biting his mane and tail off. He is not a foal. He is not a toy. He is a guard and dungeon diver. In this, Roule and he are alike. “Please, don’t pity me.”

“Alright.” Reaper nodded. He nudged his side and they went on. “Just tell me if you need to head back. There is no shame in that.”

Nickering, Thunderstepper fell into step, and shoved it all down as they walked into the dungeon. He would never be another one’s burden. Never again.