The next day, while they were still wondering quite what to do about Spellsword, Creature made it worse.

Shield and Litany had been talking, Spellsword in a foal shaped puddle on the ground between them seeming rather comfortable. Shield had heard a rustle, and glanced up - Creature shambling back into view from the rocky terrain beyond the camp. That was all 'normal', if you didn't consider that it involved Creature.

There was a wobbly, scant, uncertain little shape moving after it though.

Shield's eyes narrowed.

"Litany, ask your Creature what the fuck it's got following it, because it'd better not be what I think it's turning out to be."

"Oh- Creature, what's-"

Creature walked up to them, and sniffed them, as if by way of greeting. Then it circled back behind it's 'guest' - taking hold of it and hauling it into the air. It went perfectly limp, and Shield watched with growing concern as Creature wandered up.

It had four hooves, a... horse like enough head, and a tail.

Was this a foal?

It yawned far too wide, revealing many sharp teeth not unlike those Creature had. Creature promptly deposited it half over Spellsword, and the frail looking blue... thing began sniffing, then settled in apparent tired baby comfort, and was nigh immediately asleep.

"...Teeth... Lit, he's gone and reproduced-"

"Well, can't really blame him can you, you did the same thing the other day."

Shield opened his mouth to reply, then closed it.

-----------------------------------------

They had to move camp that evening. The ground was growing increasingly hot, and Shield worried that if they slept there, they'd awaken to everything being swallowed by lava or not at all.

Shield was at the head of the pack, and Litany and Creature at the rear - the two foals (though Shield would hesitate to call Creature's spawn exactly that) in the middle, and Wall, the obsidian Golem that had followed Shield back, walking next to them, holding the cold brazier. Best to keep the vulnerables safely nestled in the middle, with the cool air.

They crossed over a bridging of rock Shield had judged not to be too narrow now, slow and steady, to make doubly sure no one (particularly not the children) fell off into the lively jumping lava below.

There was an ... Unusual sound from down below, none of the usual crackling.

Shield tried to force himself not to look, lest he see some unfortunate creature that had stumbled into the lava to it's swift demise.

Unfortunately, several minutes later, the source of the sound decided to look at him instead.

A dripping, glowing hot head, with a diamond's shape, rose up from below the stone bridge, and leaned to stare at Shield as he walked.

He froze, and slowly turned its head. There were waves of new head radiating from the thing - who for all the work looked like a gigantic serpent made of molten lava. It's white-hot eyes seemed to bore into him.

"... Shit."

"Shield- it's not attacking us, so maybe don't... attack it back. Or before it attacks back." Said Litany, a rather at this moment irritatingly obvious suggestion.

"Wasn't planning on it, Lit." Shield muttered back through gritted teeth.

Slowly, the blindingly bright white eyes blinked. Then, as quickly as it had come, the snake dipped back out of sight.