Character: Shadey Lin, Crispin, Phoebe
Prompt:
In the caverns, the growling of stomachs makes an echo. What do you do when you (and/or your party) get hungry?

Word count: 572 words

Several hours in the dungeon later and the trio still hadn’t found a trace of the exit. They were tired, their hooves were sore, and the overall mood was dropped in the mud. Phoebe walked up front, still a hundred percent sure that the exit must be somewhere around him. Then came Shadey, ears hanging low and drooping his lips. The courser was done adventuring for quite some time after this event. Last strode Crispin, keeping an eye on the back to make sure they wouldn’t be getting jumped.

‘’Are you sure it’s around here? I think we’ve already passed this particular torch- ‘’

Phoebe hushed him. She had no time for Shadey’s whining, as she was getting more and more frustrated to find the exit. How was it possible she still hadn’t found it?

Crispin nickered softly.

‘’Phoebe, let’s stop here for a moment and regather.’’

Shadey didn’t have to let him be told twice. With a grunt he plopped down on his backside. Phoebe, out ruled by her two party members, stopped as well.

‘’We must be missing a turn somewhere, it’s got to be.’’

Shadey’s stomach rumbled loudly, followed by Phoebe’s. The two dungeoneers looked at each other, then at Crispin.

‘’Don’t look at me, all the snacks have been eaten hours ago. I got nothing left in my satchel.’’

Shadey threw his head back in a long, disappointed groan. To him, this was the end of the world. No food, no exit, stuck underground and with no one to come rescue them. He wanted a juicy apple tart, with extra whipped cream, and now that wasn’t possible anymore. They’d be stuck forever forced to eat the worms in the dirt.

‘’Oh, quit sulking you dramaticus. You won’t starve if you don’t eat a five-star meal once. Let’s walk back, I saw some more cavern plantation a few chambers back, we can snack on that.’’

Cavern plantation, can you believe it. Cavern plantation. His digestive system would be crying for mercy. But the two walked on so Shadey had no choice but to follow them down the several looted chambers.

Where Phoebe had led them poured a tiny water fall out of the cracks of the wall. The water must be coming from high up the mountains, having found its way all the way down here through the tiniest cracks and ridges. It was fresh, cold and bittersweet after hours of walking around fighting monsters for loot crates.

In the water, Shadey saw the green tints of underwater plants. With a sigh and a deep breath he dug his nose into the water, grabbing at the stems and leaves with bared teeth as to not make them touch his lips. He chewed on them with open mouth, the taste leaving disgustingly cheap flavours on his tongue. He went to grab another bite, as his stomach was still aggressively rumbling, but stalled with his jaws parted above the water when something orange covered the green plants.

Before Shadey could take a good look at it, the crab snipped his claws into Shadey’s lips. The courser shrieked loud, stumbling back and rearing up. Phoebe and Crispin looked up from their disturbed meals, taking in the rodeo show that was Shadey jumping around with a flying crab on his mouth.

‘’You know, if you cook that, you can eat it.’’

Crispin chuckled at Phoebe’s words.

‘’At least he’ll have his five-star meal.’’