Quite the uneventful trip into the caverns today, Balerion mulled. No gold to carry back to the surface, nothing shiny he could collect. Perhaps another Courser had come through this cave before and plundered everything else before he could get his hooves down there. Would've been just his luck. Displeased at the thought, Balerion heaved a snort and shook his head. The loud sound bounced off the cavern walls, echoing into the opening that lay just ahead to his left. Something shifted inside. Something large. The stallion stood at attention, ears pricked forward at the shuffling sounds. What creature was disturbed by his presence? Or better yet, what if another Courser with loot to steal was hiding there?

His lips twitched up in a sly grin. Maybe this trip wasn't a lost cause after all.

The putrid smell of ammonia should have been the first hint to turn the fuck around as he entered. His nostrils immediately wrinkled at the stench, but the Courser had smelled worse. Balerion squinted as he surveyed the cavern, noticing the thick gray lining of silk covering the walls. His eyes traveled up further until he caught sight of the large objects hanging from the ceiling. For a moment he believed they were just stalagmites covered in the thick shit, until the light shining through was interrupted by a leg. Multiple legs. Bile turned in the stallion's gut, every muscle in his face clenching in disgust. His gaze shot towards each of the pillars as light peeked into the room, showing off each and every inhabitant in slumber. Wings and legs and antennae and everything that made his skin crawl. Even now, his withers itched, imagining the prickle of a thousand legs touching his skin.

Bugs. It just had to be bugs.

"Fuckin' a," he growled under his breath, refusing to speak louder in case another sudden noise would wake the damned things up. I'd rather throw myself into a fuckin' spike pit at this rate. 

He couldn't take his eyes off the cocoons, refused to peel his gaze away for just one second. If one of those hell spawns hatched while he wasn't looking, surely he'd die. Balerion was not going to meet his doom today. Backing up one step at a time, he kept his eyes on the ceiling until the rocky ceiling of the previous hall blocked his view. It was only then did he finally twist on his heels, setting off at a brisk trot to find his way back out. Nope, not doing that today.