It was a miracle he had survived. Quite frankly, he was sure he would be doomed to the cold darkness of the abyss. Never before had mortality seemed so real to him. Chaitivel had remained oddly quiet since they’d all managed to make their way across- perhaps a mix of shame towards his lack of experience, and shock from their encounter was to blame. But, beneath it all, there was the slightest sense of pride.

He’d done it.

It wasn’t a feat of grand heroism, sure, but he had survived something that would have likely claimed many others. Maybe he wasn’t the same Courser who had fled his home, maybe he’d actually hardened and learned. Finally, he speaks up again.

“That was… well.” Awkward pause. “I dare say we didn’t do half bad, considering the circumstances.”

He makes an attempt at a grin, even if it is a bit shaky. He’ll be fine, surely. Though not soon after he speaks, he jolts, whipping around to face a spot of muck that now ran its way down his white flank. Ah. Ah. That seems to snap him out of his weird state as he immediately attempts to clean it off, a look of utter horror on his face.

“Oh- come on! Why!?” He whines, especially harrowed by this of all things. Chaitivel fails to watch where he’s going properly as he desperately tries to wipe at the spot, only to become even more inconsolable when further drops of muck fall from the ceiling. “Can- can we go faster? Surely we can go faster.”

Levi could feel the dank, heavy air clinging to his coat as he slid down the slick passage. The torch he held, usually his companion in these dark depths, now sputtered and hissed against the moist haze that choked the tunnel. His footing had failed him only a moment ago, sending him careening into the blackness with no clear sense of where he was headed. The walls were a blur of shadow and glistening muck, the slope beneath him steepening with each second. Somewhere up ahead, Chaitivel’s voice echoed, fraught with a blend of pride and distress.

Levi's mind raced even as his body hurtled forward. Panic was an easy trap, one that would cloud judgment and seal his fate in this treacherous dungeon. He needed to focus, to adapt quickly if he was going to guide himself and the others through this chaos. As Chaitivel’s voice trailed into frantic whining about the muck sullying his flank, Levi felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. The dungeon had its surprises, and if they were to survive, they needed to meet every challenge head-on.

“Steady now, Chaitivel,” Levi called out, his voice a low rumble that cut through the din of sliding and sloshing. His words were measured, a stark contrast to the torrent of emotions around him. “Worry about cleaning yourself once we’re on solid ground again. Terence, can you see a way to slow us down?”

Terence, always the analytical one, was a few yards behind Levi. Unlike the others, Terence had a knack for staying composed under pressure. His eyes darted around, scanning the shifting shadows and glistening walls, seeking any advantage they could use to regain control. He braced his legs, trying to adjust his center of gravity, and glanced back at Levi.

“I think there’s a curve ahead!” Terence shouted over the roaring of their descent. “If we time it right, we might be able to bank off it and slow our speed. But it’s risky!”
Levi had already seen what Terence meant. The tunnel veered sharply to the right, a section where the wall seemed to protrude outward. It was a gamble—if they hit it wrong, they could slam into the wall instead of using it to redirect their momentum. But Levi knew hesitation was their enemy. They had to act, and they had to act fast.

“Everyone, prepare yourselves!” Levi commanded, his voice steady. He could hear Chaitivel muttering curses under his breath as he continued his futile attempts to clean his coat, but Levi knew the younger Courser would follow the lead if given clear direction. “When I give the signal, shift your weight left and brace yourselves. We’re going to ride the curve and use it to our advantage!”

The tunnel’s slippery floor continued to pull them forward, the air rushing past in a damp, chilling stream. Levi felt the moment approaching, his muscles tensing as they neared the turn. Timing would be everything. Too soon and they would lose control. Too late and they would crash.

“Now!” Levi bellowed.

With practiced precision, Levi shifted his weight, his hooves scrabbling for purchase against the slick surface. Terence followed suit, his movements fluid and calculated.

Pancake was at the back of the group, ears pinned back, listening for anything that may catch them off guard. After the party’s experience with the very ground opening beneath them, Pancake preferred for them to not be caught off guard.

Hmph–? Chaitivel’s cry hit his ears, then he lost his footing, his rump hitting a slick floor before him and his entire party began sliding down into nothingness. The previous stagnant, damp air became clear to Pancake now that wind was flowing through her mane. A bit of jovialness overtook their senses despite the sudden dire circumstances.

She leaned forward, as if in response to Chaitivel’s question, and went faster! “WOOOO!” Pancake squealed, though their fun was promptly cut upon bumping into the pale Courser with an Oomf–!

Pancake shook their head and huffed, trying to throw off the excitement that had overtaken him. Time to be serious! The problem was apparent to the others and they quickly workshopped a solution, spotting a curve at the end of the tunnel which could prove to be their demise if they could not slow themselves down. Terrance and Levi began to throw out orders.

Let’s hope this works!

With shaky legs–not from fear, but from Pancake’s own inexperience of deadly slides–Pancake tensed up, shifting her body mass towards the curve, her hooves desperate to find a bit of resistance against the slimy slope.

With Chaitivel’s distracted whining, he hadn’t heeded the warning before he too lost his footing and fell alongside his companions, letting out the most terrified scream he’d ever done. Once more his mind raced, but now with some added confidence from his previous mishap he’s quick to break himself out of his own brain-induced stunlock and listen to those directions.

“THIS BETTER WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORK!”

The terror in his voice cracks it just a bit as he follows Levi’s instructions, bracing himself as he violently slid down alongside the party.