Philippa sighed, tail swishing in agitation. After her traumatic experience, she couldn't help but feel unprepared for what was to come next. Without Crispin by her side, she never would have made it through the ordeal. Up here, she felt at home amongst the soggy rocks and stagnant pools. Down below was the pit of hell. It had really shaken her nerves, knocking the confidence from within her. She wasn't ready.

She began her usual outing, roaming the cavernous halls. Each seemed to stretch on forever, curling around and splitting into two, three, four different paths. No matter how much she walked, there seemed to be no end to the depths of the dungeon. But, the twist was, everything looked the same! Had she travelled this path before? Honestly, she had no idea. They were all riddled with rodents and creepy crawlies, they were all dripping wet and smelt musty, they were all littered with an array of boulders and moss-covered objects that had been left behind and long forgotten. Sometimes, Pippa found little gems nestled among them. Sometimes, she came up short and only found shattered artifacts and fractures of the past. It was still interesting to see, though, what used to be here and what no longer remained. Her brain was wild with ideas sometimes, creating scenarios of how her ancestors lived. What would they think of her if they could see her now? Probably ashamed of her fears and anxiety.

The mind was good at wandering if one did not keep its focus. Thoughts consumed her in times of quiet, confirming to her that she will never make it as a diver. Head hung low, she sullenly stomped around, fighting the urge to collapse and cry. That wouldn't help the situation in the slightest.

With her focus concentrated elsewhere, her body had gone into auto-pilot. Her legs were plodding along, following the path to nowhere. It wasn't until she almost fell down a HUGE crack that her brain was jerked back into reality. Quickly, she shuffled backwards, merely escaping a fall to her death. The path in front of her had splintered, an endless cravice zigzagging along the floor. The rock was still crumbling along the edges, showing its freshness. This was new. Despite its sudden appearance, a handy bridge had already been erected to allow her safe passage across. Perhaps it wasn't as recent as she had thought. Tentatively, Pip stepped up on the bridge, admiring the quality of the build. It was a glossy black, shimmering in the dancing light of the tunnels. Underhoof, it felt smooth - not to the point where it was slippery but enough to make her cautious. What material was this made from? This wasn't your typical wood or stone. Another step forward placed all four hooves on the bridge and, for a moment, she paused in doubt. Something about this just wasn't adding up...

Her uncertainty had led to an irritation to the bridge as it began to writh beneath her, squirming in protest at the feel of an intruder. This thing wasn't a bridge - it was alive!! Philippa could either freeze with fear and risk the endless drop below. It could be 5 feet. It could be 50. Did she take that chance? Her other option was to run. Run as fast as she could. Run as hard as her legs could carry her, not looking back.

It was a quick decision. Philippa barrelled into a gallop, bolting as quick as she could across the back of the writhing monster. In the corner of her eye, she could see legs fighting for grip on the disintegrating ledge. Hundreds of legs, all scrambling to action stations. She wanted to close her eyes but the situation was too volatile to allow her that privilege. Instead, she just muttered words of affimation to herself, praying she would be safe soon.

Up and down. Left and right. The 'bridge' swayed under her. By some miracle, Pippa was still standing, fighting her her life to the other side. The closer she got, the more she could taste the victory and freedom. Suddenly, the millipede lurched sideways, throwing its gigantic body into the cave wall. Without warning, she was left with no safety net. In a desperate attempt to survive this lunacy, she lunged forward, throwing her whole body forward. Legs stretched as far forward as they could go, would this be enough? By the skin of her teeth, her front hooves hit the solid ground. They wrestled the rest of her body down to the ground and she crashed, skidding along the stone. Philippa lay there, wheezing, winded from the fall. Her side was burning with pain, she couldn't see straight, her knees felt like jelly. Had she done it? Was she alive?!

Slowly but surely, her breathing began to regulate as the panic within subsided. With a grunt, she pushed herself up to her feet, shaking the dust from her neck. Droplets of blood ran down her shoulder and hindquarter, oozing from the scratches down her body but this was relatively unscathed compared to how it could have gone. She faced the opening in disbelief, staring at the empty hole where the beast had laid. It had gone now, dove deeper underground to be away from any more distrubances. Hopefully, in Philippa's case, that's where it chose to stay.