After spending several weeks down in the dungeon, her nerves had somewhat soothed. It didn't mean that she didn't jump at every strange noise or spook at every odd-looking rock. Her body was a little more relaxed, however, and she was no longer a sweaty mess. Honestly, after being on high alert for so long, her body ached from the tension.

Trixie started her adventure, eyes watching every crevice, ears listening for every sound. She wandered with no real destination, using this time to become a little more comfortable with her surroundings. There was no way in hell she'd ever make herself at home but she could maybe become accustomed to living down here. Truthfully, did she have any other choice?

Without warning, a bat flew overhead. It scared Trixie, tucking her tail tightly between her legs as she skittered forward quickly. The sudden movement set off more of them, creating a screeching frenzy above her head. Despite the high ceilings, she ducked her head down and bolted, galloping down the long dark corridor. She turned a corner as the noise of the bats died down, taking their nuisance elsewhere in the cave. Trixie slowed, jogging slightly on the spot as she was trying to calm herself down. 'Breathe...breathe...' Snorting heavily and so wound up, it was easy to miss the soft whimpers coming from behind a jumble of junk. Old crates, dusty cloth and unrecognisable relics laid to waste by those before her, many would have walked past, not paying it any attention. It was only because she'd stopped to catch her breathe that she noticed the quiet cry of an injured creature in need. Any other day, she would've walked past, scared of what she may uncover but there was a tiny voice inside her head telling her not to ignore this. Cautiously, she began to have a dig around, carefully moving the fragile objects out of the way. Dust stirred in the air, filling her nostrils and irritating her eyes but she continued, shifting a large wooden box to the side. There, hidden behind it, sat a tiny green drake with one very limp wing twisted at a funny angle. The poor thing! At the sight of her, it hissed, sticking out its long forked tongue at her in defiance. It tried to spit fire at her but choked as it did so, coughing and spluttering. In response, it shuffled backwards, curling into itself to get away.

"Come here, little one. I can help you."

To seem less threatening, she flopped herself on the floor, sticking her nose into the gap she'd created. Close enough to cause a little discomfort but far enough away to not seem a danger. Exposure therapy was usually a great way to gain a little trust. For the longest moment, they sat together, staring at one another with a wave of wariness between them. The little drake nudged its wing, wincing at the pain. Slowly, it began to give up, creeping forward with its front claws dragging itself to bridge the gap. Maybe this new entity would be able to help gain flight again. They came nose to nose and Trixie didn't move a muscle, letting it make the move. It paused before it stretched out its neck, booping Trixie's nose. Her ears pricked forward. Success.

She scooted backwards, sitting up and allowing the drake to make its way out from its hiding spot. With a little more confidence, it took no time for it to step up and walk towards her. She lowered her neck, allowing the mini dragon to grasp onto her mane and climb its way up onto her back. Once comfortable, she stepped up and walked on down the path. She moved slow, not wanting to jolt her new friend. They were in enough pain without her. But now she had a challenge at hand - keep her cool. There was no panicking. No running. No being her scared little self. This was going to be the hardest test she ever faced.

As she turned the next corner, a steep incline faced her. At first, she thought about turning round and going back but she didn't. Carefully, she stepped up, using the rocky formation for stability. She chose her path with care, each step calculated. If she tripped or slipped, she was most definitely injure herself let alone her little rescue who was perched upon her wither, grasping a chunk of mane between their claws.

Beneath her hooves, the ground started to rumble and shake. At first, she thought it was an earthquake. She planted her feet, stiffening her legs as the floor continued to shift. She'd only just noticed there were splits in between each rock form. There were six slabs in front of her and, beyond that, the floor seemed stable; unmoving. That was the goal. To reach solid ground once more. She began to move again, eager to reach her goal but she was stopped in her tracks as the stone in front of her rolled over, exposing two blinking eyes and a bulbous nose. It yawned and a large rocky hand reached up to rub the sleep out of their eye. It looked at her expressionless, still half asleep.

"Hello."

It took a moment for the being to react.

"Ullo."

"May I come past?"

"Nolloh?"

Urg, they didn't speak the same language.

"Um...forward? Me. Go."

"Oooooh...Fuulo."

"Yes, fuulo." She hoped that meant what she wanted it to mean.

"Jollob," it spoke louder, awakening the others.

They all stopped moving and the one she'd been speaking to rolled back over. Now she had a stable bridge to walk across to safety. Trixie didn't hesitate, moving quickly to lessen the irritation she was causing. Once she'd passed over, the six heads all rolled over.

"Hollah!" They wished her a happy journey in their own way and she nodded her thanks before turning to continue her journey.