#oren tag

[raisin-caves-muds]

Feeling his chest heave with the effort of keeping up, Oren slowed his pace to catch his breath. "When I find you, you guys aren't gunna be able to get away from me again!" He huffed as a lighthearted chuckle made it apparent that his threat was a playful facade.

"You'll have to catch us first you big lump!" His brother's voice sounded from deeper within the woods.

"He won't! Oren's as slow as a sleeping sleech!" Another voice teased from somewhere above him in the trees.

"Am not!" The young grey mudokon snapped back. Looking around in the tree tops above, he squinted his eyes as he struggled to discern the shape of his friend through the sunlight and greenery. As the leaves swayed, he could barely make out the faint outline of Fern's long feathers. I've got you now! He thought to himself as he quietly leaped for the lowest branch and began climbing up the trunk after her. Her nimble frame was just above him now, no more than an elums' length away. "We'll see who's slow now!" He grunted as he bounded upto the branch where she was standing.

"Oh no! What ever shall I do?" She said with friendly sarcasm as she backed closer to the edge of the tree limb, her brown eyes shone with a mischievous smirk as she was well aware of Oren's dislike of heights.

Oren held in a gasp as the nimble mudokon before him outstreched her arms, and had seemingly free fallen from the tree. When he was able to sum up the courage to look down below, he was thankful to discover Fern had landed on her feet.

"C'mon Oren, you'll never tag me at this rate!" She teased before disappearing into the forest below. The thrill of the chase ebbed away any fear he had of falling as Oren climbed down and followed the sound of Ferns footsteps. Knowing that they weren't allowed to roam much further from their cavernous home.

Making it to the border of their territory, the dark grey mudokon didn't have to look very hard to spot his brother. After all, being bright red in a lush green forest was a dead give away. Deciding to abandon the chase with Fern, Oren would settle for giving his brother a good scare by sneaking up on him from the far side of the boulder he was poorly hiding behind. Tensing his muscles, he crouched to remain more hidden, and watched his footsteps, avoiding the loud crunching of leaves.

Being close enough to hear his brothers breathing from behind the stone, Oren scaled it, momentarily looking down at his older brother before he leaped and landed ontop of him. Surprise was clear as day on the young red mudokons face as he flailed about, trying to shake off Orens weight. "Gotcha this time Ferris!" He yelled in triumph, sitting atop his brothers back.

"Yeah yeah, you win- now get off of me before you break my spine!" He laughed after the shock wore off, being replaced by a good humored grin. Sliding off to the side, the two boys couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the outcome of their game of chase. The brothers had almost always managed to catch eachother while their friend Fern had outwited or out paced the pair of them.

"You two slogs want to try catching me again?" She yelled from within a nearby spooce bush. It had taken a moment for Oren to spot her, as her dark green skin blended in flawlessly with the surrounding plants. Making her way over to them, she waited for an answer.

Ferris considered it for a moment, but deep down he knew he'd have to decline. "Nah, I better not," he finally spoke up. "It's almost time for me to-" As if the mention of his training had summoned him, all three children could hear their shamans voice echoing between the trees. "Ferris! It's nearly sundown, you need to practice your fighting techniques!" And with that, their day of fun was coming to a close.

"You guys can keep playing if you want, but I don't want to keep dad waiting, or he might have me get up early for morning patrol again." The scrab colored mudokon grinned at them both. "It was a good game tho!" Ferris smiled at his friends before obediently heading back home, leaving the pair of them behind.

While Oren didn't like the fact that Ferris had to spend so much of his days training to become the new chief, he had to admit that the thought of being alone with Fern made his heartbeat quicken. Though seeing the look of disappointment on her face made his pulse slow down again. "You okay?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah, It's just..." she started, "Do you ever feel like... Ferris is getting far away from us?" Fern asked, a blend of sadness and pride reflecting in her eyes as she watched her friend dissappear into the brush.

Oren was releaved to know that his own worries seemed to echo in her mind as well. The two of them knew that his eventual role in the tribe was a heavy burden, one that took quite a bit of his time away from his closest friends. "I worry about that all the time." The dark grey mudokon admitted. "But then I remember that..." His voice trailed off, would he dare to say it? "I'm not alone..." He ventured, unable to hide a flush of red on his cheeks.

Fern blinked in surprise, then smiled with what looked like relief and agreement reflecting back at him. "That's true." She responded with a peace in her voice that he had never heard before. "And I'm not going anywhere." She concluded with certainty.

Oren was used to Fern always being the bold one, taking the lead, and getting the group into mischief. But having his feelings for her out in the open, made him feel at ease, even if Fern didn't know his comforting statement meant more than what she understood. I know Ferris will be a good leader one day... and as long as Fern's here beside me, everything will be okay. Oren reasoned to himself, shaking off the last of his doubts. "We better be going too. We're not supposed to be out here after dark."

Taking that as a challenge, Fern got up and raced ahead of him. "One last game of tag on the way home?" She prompted playfully.

"If you think you can getta way from me a second time today you're wrong!" He taunted as he caught up to her, passing through the trees as fast as his his legs would carry him, the entrance to the raisin caves and the setting sun in full view.

[mabel-the-mudokon]

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The covey of mudokons crept their way further into the depths below the brewery, whistles and machinery could be heard echoing through the cave ceiling. As they all got closer to the factory center, an acrid smell hit their noses. Ferris' lip curled upwards in disgust at the scent of the booze being made overhead. Looking over at Ferris, Mabel couldn't agree more. The strange odor made Mabel herself feel sick to her stomach.

Something about it doesn't smell right to me... how do people even drink that stuff? She wondered to herself.

An unfamiliar voice was barely audible up ahead, followed by what sounded like a clanking noise. "Wait, what was that?" One of the Raisin Caves guards asked in a whisper. "You heard that too?" Someone else responded. The Elum riders all haulted, along with Mabel and Beetle. Oren immediately got down off of his blue-tinted Elum and grabbed his weapon from his saddle, looking to his brother for approval. Ferris nodded to Oren, preparing to lead the investigation with him. The rattling sound they had all heard had gotten louder, along with the distant chattering.

Oren walked past Beetle and Mabel, making eye contact with the blue feathered mudokon that advised her to stay where she was, before pointing the stone edge of his spear towards the unknown noises. Ferris and his brother rounded the corner to see who or what would be blocking their pathway out of the catacombs. To their surprise, they saw two mudokon workers. Both of them had no feathers, wore branded work uniforms, and from the looks of it they were plastered out of their minds. The buzzed mudokons had been drinking an unnaturally green colored liquid in mass quantities.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" The first worker encouraged his friend as he downed another bottle, lazily letting it roll onto the cave floor before grabbing him another brew from one of the many crates they had stashed away.

"These idiots aren't a threat in their condition." Ferris pointed out to Oren. At his brothers order, the grey drone lowered his spear, looking almost disappointed that there wasn't going to be a fight. "So how are we going to get passed without the risk of them notifying the slig patrols?" Oren asked his flame colored sibling.

Taking a moment to think it through, Ferris took another peek at the two muds who had been binging, then smiled at his sibling. "Looks like they're taking care of that problem for us, Look." He whispered back, pointing to the two strangers now slumped over in an alcohol induced slumber. Completely oblivious to their surroundings. Oren rolled his eyes at the drunkards and mumbled something under his breath. "...A pair of damn fools."

Oren gave the group an all clear signal, and Mabel breathed out a sigh of relief, tapping her slegs' side with her foot to signal him to start walking again. The remaining mudokons followed suit and kept close to Beetle's side before the grey drone approached them. "Is everything okay?" She asked Oren in a hushed tone, taking notice of the duo of mudokons who had passed out drunk on the cave floor.

"Yeah, those two morons won't be waking up anytime soon," Oren started, "But I have a favor to ask of you and Beetle." He said, pointing out the cases of brew behind him. "Do you think Beetle could handle pulling a few of those crates?" Gestureing to the tumbril attached to her pet sleg, "Your cart is the only one big enough to carry them."

Mabel thought about his request in stunned silence. "Why on oddworld would you want to take those with us?" She asked with concern. "Especially when it does that to you if you drink it?" Gazing over at the two oblivious factory workers, Mabel shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Oren looked annoyed at the smaller mud. "Listen, it only made them pass out because they decided to drink too much of it. And I don't know know about you, but I'm not going to pass up free resources because you "have a bad feeling" about it." He huffed. "Besides, if it were really that dangerous, they'd be dead after drinking that much at one time." He pointed out to her with an aggravated whisper.

Despite Mabel's better judgement, she gave Oren a nod of approval before petting Beetle's side to thank him for carrying the extra weight. "Make it fast Oren, I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be-" Mabel realized that by the time she had looked back over at him, he had already gone to put a crate of brew onto the wagon her steed had been pulling, his troop of gaurds assisting him in the process. To her dismay, the Almighty Raisin worshipers had taken most of the crates that the Soulstorm employed Muds had stashed away, making the tumbril nearly half full with the acrid smelling green beverages.

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[mabel-the-mudokon]

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The next morning Mabel had been the first to wake among their group. Remembering that Adair's bed had been made of soft mosses, Mabel took it upon herself to gather as much grassy mosses as she could find. Aiming to make beds within the freshly dug out shelter Ferris and the others had finished yesterday.

Being alone in the woods, her ears were tuned in to her surroundings, ready to bolt if necessary for her survival. The small queen half expected to be hunted by paramites every time she was by herself. However, the only sounds the grey mudokon could make out were the morning chirps of birds within the trees. Taking handfuls of moss at a time and placing them in the bag that Adair had given to her, Mabel made her way back to camp without an issue.

Patting the moss flat onto the dirt floor, Mabel then tested out the bed she had planted into the ground. The soft porous moss was surprisingly plush, and the earthy smell was somehow comforting to her. Satisfied with her handiwork, the blue feathered mudokon layed out more of the moss to make the bed big enough for the others to use, when a noise outside peeked her interest. Mabel poked her head out of the open archway into the burrow and could see that the others were starting to stir from their sleep.

Ferris was the first of them to get to work after his morning stretching. Feeling energized from his restful sleep, the blue painted mudokon walked passed Mabel and grabbed a shovel. "Want to help us do some digging today?" He asked her.

Mabels' ears flicked, unsure if she had heard him right. "Me? Digging?" She took a moment to consider it. "Sure I'll give it a shot!" Following his lead, the grey mudokon grabbed a stone-carved shovel and looked excited to be included on the construction process.

"Why don't you pick where we dig today." Ferris offered after seeing the happy expression on her face.

The decision sounded easy at face value, but because it was her choice, Mabel wanted to choose carefully. Taking a good look around, she noticed that the first burrow they had made was close to the fire pit. Picking a hillside a bit closer to the river, she pointed to it. "That one looks sturdy. Maybe we can use it to store food and water?" She suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Ferris nodded in agreement. "Being close to the river will also make storing water and the fish we catch a breeze." The taller mudokon commented. "I'll get everyone rounded up, why don't you get us started?"

Taking her shovel in her hands proudly, the short queen made her way down to the side of the creek, trying to think of the best place to put an entrance. Her head tilted to the side a bit in thought, trying to imagine the most convenient build for the structure. A side entrance and a front one would make acess easier from all sides of the camp... But would an open design like that be structurally sound? She wondered to herself. We'll definitely need as much open space for supplies as possible...

Being lost in thought Mabel didn't even hear Ferris and the others approaching. "What's the hold up?" Orens' deep voice startled her out of her inner monolog.

"Do you think we could safely have two entrances to this hillside?" Mabel asked as she looked up at the dark grey drone.

Oren blinked in bewilderment, surprised that she'd want his opinion before his brothers. "Yeah, we can manage that just fine." He shrugged. "The tunnels back home had plenty of different exits. As long as we put in enough support beams, it'll hold."

"Alright then, let's get started! This burrow won't dig itself!" Ferris said in a cheerful tone, splitting up the group into two teams. One to cut down and bring back lumber, the other to start shoveling. "Oren, you and Birch are the strongest out of all of us, do you two want to get some logs ready?"

"Finally admitting your "little brother" is stronger than you? I'm honored chief." Oren teased playfully before being shooed away by Ferris. "Yeah yeah, I'm going." He chuckled. "You better have those tunnels good and ready when Birch and I get back."

Ferris rolled his eyes at his show-off of a brother, then got his team together to start shoveling. Mabel decided to be front and center to avoid getting dirt clouds tossed back at her. While she couldn't reach as high as Ferris could, he'd give her a warning before digging above where she could reach. It was a surprisingly fluent system, and it certainly made the task that much easier. With everyone working together, we'll have this place up and running in no time! Clinging to that thought, Mabel kept digging all throughout the day.

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[mabel-the-mudokon]

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Weary eyed, the settlers finally reached the river as the sun was about to set over the hillside. "This spot will do." Ferris said to his group, sounding a little worn down from their trip. Being at the back of the pack, Mabel and Beetle arrived last, nearly dragging their tired feet the last few yards to their destination. Without taking a good look at her surroundings first, Mabel sleepily unlatched Beetle's tumbril and removed his saddle to make him more comfortable. Plopping over onto the ground with an audible THUD, the forest colored sleg panted as he finally got to rest his feet.

Mabel herself yawned loudly, her small fangs showing as her mouth was open wide releasing her exasperated breath. Attempting to rub the tiredness from her eyes, she finally looked around at her environment, perking up almost immediately, Mabel's feathers stood on end as an indescribable sensation replaced her exhaustion.

The setting before her was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. High hills and scattered trees were before her, along with an assortment of plants that she had never seen before, all blossoming in a wide variety of colors. On the horizon she could see the ripples of the river ahead, reflecting the orange and pink evening clouds. To her right lay valleys, and many mountainous cliffs in the far distance.

Something about this place just feels right. The small grey queen thought to herself as her heart skipped a beat. This... feels like Home. Mabel had never thought she'd find a place like this, even if she had a million lifetimes to do so. All of the miles of aching feet and anxiety of being underground finally felt worth the effort.

When Mabel had finally snapped back to reality, she noticed the other five mudokons had all started a fire a little ways away, chattering, and sharing the various foods from their stow of supplies. One of the native mudokons had brought with him some sort of dried meat that she had never seen before. Just the smell of it made her mouth water, even from a distance. Suddenly she remembered that Adair had given her some rations for their journey as well. Going back over to the tumbril, she hopped onto the back of it and found the bag that had been provided for her. Inside the pouches were some ripe fruit, various nuts and seeds, and a few pre-cooked fish wrapped in large leaves to keep them fresh.

As much as Mabel had been craving meat on their trip, she felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of keeping it all to herself. Taking the bundle of leaves with her, Mabel sat by Beetle's side and shared her meal with him as she always did. Making sure to give him the lions share of what she had to offer. While the sleg was exhausted beyond belief, he perked right up at the first sniff of food. "You did most of the work today," She soothed while passing him a few of the roasted fish. "You deserve a good meal and a long nights rest."

Without a moments hesitation, the large beast woofed down what had been given to him, as his owner pet the top of his head affectionately, then began to eat her portion of the food. Ferris took note of the two of them off in the distance eating by themselves, and he debated something in his mind before calling out to them. "Hey, its going to get pretty cold out tonight, do you want to join us by the fire?"

Mabel looked at the group of muds infront of her and slowly nodded, not knowing what to say. For the first time in her life, she truly felt accepted. Seeing the once hostile native muds now inviting her into their inner circle nearly brought tears to her eyes. Trying not to let her emotions get the best of her, she wiped her eyes and nudged Beetle to follow her as they got closer to the warm glow of the flames. The two of them got comfortable in the company of their new friends, finally allowing themselves to sleep, knowing that tomorrow was going to start the construction of their new home.

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[mabel-the-mudokon]

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A week had gone by since the six mudokons made their way to the riverside, and what once was an open valley of hills and scattered trees had become a small primitive settlement. The fire pit that had been constructed kept them warm, the group shelter filled with beds of moss kept them out of the rain or harsh sunlight of the day. The new storage area had been completely dug out, and filled with the excess supplies that had been carried by wagon. Log walls now circled the outer perimeter of the camp, along with the group currently digging out another area for sheltering mudokons.

Working up a sweat, the large drone grunted as he wedged a large log between the tunnel roof and the ground. Using his full strength to push it into place. Although he was worn out, Oren refused to let it show. Making his way back into the woods, he had arrived just in time to see Birch chop down another tree for them to use back at camp. Without hesitation, Oren cut the trunk to size, and carried the logs back himself, Wanting to give the Elums and Mabels' pet a rest from working.

Ferris meanwhile had been shoveling dirt and clay from the tunnel they had been digging out. Helping Mabel when she needed it, and making an effort to not let her over exert herself. Though she was resilient enough to refuse a break unless everyone else had one as well. If that stubbornness had come from his brother Oren, it would've annoyed him, but because it came from such a gentle mudokon, Ferris didn't insist.

All of them had been working tirelessly to build this place for Mabel's friends and family, and Mabel herself wasn't going to just sit back and watch as the more experienced muds did all of the hard work. While she wasn't strong enough to lift a log on her own, she was more than capable of digging, fishing, and making the dens more comfortable and inviting. Heaving a scoop of clay from the earthy wall infront of her, she tossed it into a separate pile from the dirt to make it easier for another worker to gather it and turn it into bricks.

Mabel could tell that everyone was tired, even Ferris who had lead them here without a single complaint, now looked worse for wear. And the guards he had brought with them for protection seemed out of their element doing construction work. Though as Oren passed by with his usual scowling expression, it made Mabel second guess everyone's energy levels. If Oren and Ferris can keep going,then so can I! The small mudokon told herself silently, continuing to work through the fatigue.

»» ──────ஓ๑ ✧ ๑ஓ ────── ««

By the time night had fallen upon the settlement, there was a quiet silence between the covey of mudokons within the burrow. One not made out of spite or tension, but sheer exhaustion. Wanting to venture for conversion, Mabel spoke up. "Hey Ferris, remember when I first got to the Raisin Caves?"

The scarlet colored mudokon looked as if he was unprepared to hear a voice at all for the rest of the night, but he humored her anyway. "Yeah?"

"How exactly did you all manage to get Beetle and I inside the caverns without us waking up?" Mabel didn't know why this question couldn't wait until morning, but the curious part of her brain wanted to fill in the gaps.

Before Ferris could respond, Oren chimed in. "Slumbershroom powder." The drones voice was monotone and unreadable. "Now get some sleep."

Mabel looked puzzled, they sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it until she thought of the glowing fungi that Adair had shared with her to induce dreaming. "Do you mean those blue glowing mushrooms growing inside the Raisin caves' chambers?" She asked.

"Yup those were Slumbershrooms. You have to have quite a few dry ones to make into a powder, but its powerful stuff." Ferris informed her from across the room on his bed of moss.

Mabel was about to open her mouth to ask him another herb related question, when Oren butted in. "Get. Some. Sleep." He repeated, more sternly this time out of desperation to rest. The small queen almost opened her mouth to protest, but let it go for the night. I can always ask him more about it tomorrow... Mabel thought to herself as she drifted in and out of consciousness, before finally allowing sleep to wash over her like the effects of a Slumbershroom.

[mabel-the-mudokon]

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Ferris wiped away the sweat from his brow as he worked. Using a shovel made of carved stone, he and three other mudokons had been digging into one of the hillsides, burrowing within them to create shelter. Mabel didn't quite understand it, but she assumed that living within cave tunnels was what made them feel the safest, so it only made sense that they'd want to make homes within the hills.

Using freshly chopped logs as support beams, Oren placed one between the dirt ceiling and the ground to make it more stable. While Mabel desperately wanted to help, she had to admit that what they were doing was beyond her realm of strength. Though she had made herself useful by bringing them some supplies that she could handle, and water when necessary. Carrying over her canteen that she had just filled at the river, she passed it around between the working muds.

"Thanks Mabel," Ferris said between gulps. "We should be done with this area soon. Then we'll all have a place to rest incase it rains." Handing her canteen back, the red mudokon bore his shovel into the hillside once again, throwing dirt behind him for the line of muds to shovel out. The dust he had kicked up made Mabel cough a bit, though she knew he hadn't done it on purpose.

Leaving the burrow-like home they were working on, Mabel went back to her other tasks. One of the Raisin Caves guards had been teaching her to fish using a spear, and while she was nowhere near as good at it as he is, she proudly brought back 5 decent sized fish to contribute to the pile of food.

»» ──────ஓ๑ ✧ ๑ஓ ────── ««

As the night crept over the horizon, the group of settlers gathered around the large fire pit. After a hard day's work, they began roasting their catch of the day, and passing around berries and seeds. The new tribe of mudokons had done well for themselves despite their lack of experience being on their own, and each of them looked pleased with their progress.

As Mabel enjoyed her meal with her pet, she rewarded him for his work of carrying the tumbril full of lumber earlier. Passing him his favorite treat of yellow spooce berries and lovingly petting the fur on the top of his head. Everyone around the fire looked thoroughly exhausted, but in a good way. Their work was for a good cause, and one day this place would be a home for anyone who needed it, including Mabel's friends and sisters still trapped within the feather plantation.

Each day that passed, Mabel longed to see her sister again. She missed her company despite Ava being over protective of her. She wanted Ava to live the way Mabel herself was living now; under the stars, surrounded by friends, and working towards better times ahead. Laying her head against Beetle's sleeping belly, Mabels' eyelids flittered to a close, her last thoughts before drifting off consisting of meeting the mudokon prophesied to help her on her quest; Juno. A slight smile appeared on her face as she remembered the vision she had seen.

The plantation walls will fall. We'll all make it out of this alive... We can make it. Her thoughts trailed off as exhaustion finally swept over her body and brought her into a deep sleep.

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[mabel-the-mudokon]

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With the troop of mudokons packed and ready to go, Mabel hopped onto Beetle's back, making sure the tumbril was firmly attached to the saddle. Once the latch was secure, she waited for the others to signal that they were ready to set out. The elderly shaman approached the large sleg's side and gave him a pat on his flank. "You take good care of my sons, you hear?" Adair's question was directed at Mabel with a smile.

"I will, we'll stick together to stay safe." She responded. Following Ferris' lead out of the tunnels. Looking back at the masked shaman, he waved in her general direction blindly before turning around and disappearing from view further down the cavern. Some part of Mabel was sad to leave him behind, but she could tell that a journey this rough would be too much for a mud his age.

"You have the map Ferris?" Oren questioned with doubt.

"Yup," The cobalt painted mudokon traced their route on the map with his finger before shouting back to his brother further down the line. "We'll take the tunnels for a few miles, and exit out of the mines under the Brewery."

"The Brewery?" The blue feathered mudokon repeated with concern. "Isn't it dangerous to get that close to a glukkon factory?" Mabel asked, not looking forward to the possibility of running into patrolling sligs and slogs.

Ferris slowed his Elum down so that Mabel and him were now traveling side by side. "Its only dangerous if we're not careful. When we get closer to Soulstorm Brewery we'll need to be as quiet as possible to avoid being detected." The red mudokon explained to his smaller friend. "Think you can handle that big guy?" Ferris directed his voice towards his brother.

"Miles of nothing but silence? Sounds like a plan. Honestly, a break from your yapping would be heavenly." The dark grey drone teased back, though his joking tone didn't last long as he went back to being stern when he thought of something else to say. "But if anything goes wrong we need to stick together. Mudokons have strength in numbers." He added to the conversation.

Feeling more at ease, Mabel relaxed her grip on Beetle's antennae, not realizing that she had tensed up until now. "Sorry about that boy." She whispered to her brown and green sleg, petting his ears apologetically. The slobbering beast wagged his tail as he pulled the cart further down the cave tunnels, passing several stationed guards on their way through. The native warriors sealed the passage behind their group with a large boulder, making Oren flinch a bit.

The grey queen noticed Oren's discomfort as they had gotten further away from his familiar network of caves, though he tried to hide it by scowling back at her. You're not the only one who's scared of the unknown. Dispite Oren's outwardly angry demeanor, she smiled at him. You're not alone, we'll all be okay. She told him in her head, hoping that the silent message was conveyed to him from through an understanding nod and eye contact.

Oren's gaze softened a bit, but he looked away, hoping no one had seen their voiceless exchange. The group of guards that followed behind him were talking back and forth, Mabel couldn't make out what they had been saying, but she was glad they seemed more accepting of her presence now.

»» ──────ஓ๑ ✧ ๑ஓ ────── ««

Many long hours had passed by with off and on friendly banter guided by feint torchlight. When the caves had grown eerily quiet Ferris signaled the group to slow down, his hand suddenly up in the air. The five other traveling mudokons and their mounts all skidded to a hault obediently, as a low rumble could be heard above them.

"Slig patrol," The red mudokon clarified, when the echoing of mechanical footsteps sounded more distinct. "Move slowly, and stay together." He commanded with a strict whisper to the crowd. The previously jesting watchman they had been traveling with took up defensive positions around their small covey. Spears at the ready, in case they needed to defend their future chief and his party of wayfaring mudokons.

The collective peddlers slowed their pace to make sure the wheels of their tumbrils were as quiet as possible, the tension in the air was thick as the cave walls around her seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. The sound of talking sligs overhead making all of her feathers stand on end. Wanting to soothe her own anxiety, she pet the side of Beetle's face, watching Ferris carefully incase he signaled them to bolt for it. But that command never came, and as the sound of mechanical trouble above them dissipated, the mudokons all did a collective sigh.

Looking at the map he had put away earlier, Ferris nodded to himself. "We're right underneath a brew vat, we need to stay low for a bit. Keep the chatter to a minumum." He said in a muffled whisper. No one disputed his command, and only the faint footsteps of their steeds could be heard.

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[raisin-caves-muds]

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Thought I’d put together a few voice clips to give a basic example of what I imagine Oren to sound like. Enjoy!