It stays standing strong, so silent that it almost casts silence AROUND it.

>>>

".. It looks cool, doesn't it?" Howler jabs a thumb in its direction as she looks back to the others.

>>>

"Howler did that, she thinks. Big little thing.."

>>>

Atyava's eyes light up. "YOU made that? How????"

>>>

"Weird orb-thing." She says, vaguely. "Sacrificed a shield of hers, her best one? Thenn... This thing came out."

>>>

...

>>>

"Okay! Um. Okay." Howler scratches her face, walking back over to the pipe edge, looking out into the Cliffs..

>>>

"So.. We're in a big pipe. At least it is not.. too far removed from home, is it? Howler would like to make.. maybe a little bit of a bigger wall here. Feels very exposed.."

>>>

"So... what now?"

>>>

"...Did you, like... see anything else that Devana did?"

>>>

"Well, Devana.. Fought stuff, then she went to bed. Howler thinks that there are things to collect now, for.. our home, as she knows that there is a bigger catalogue of items with.. currently-ambiguous resources."

>>>

"Maybe she should work on something like that.. For Corvus to place?"

>>>

"...Could also explore this pipe deeper in. See where it leads out the back-way."

>>>

"I don't necessarily trust that fucking pipe. As for fighting things, what and how?"

>>>

Howler shrugs. "Whatever comes up. Howler isn't looking to get, well, hurt, but she also does not want to.. stagnate?"

>>>

"Triera, Atyava, do you have any thoughts?"

>>>

Drifez pauses, and looks around. "...Triera?"

>>>

They're gone.

>>>

Howler's head snaps around, when did she.. when did they run off? She didn't notice!

>>>

"Maybe.. the knight scared them off..?"

>>>

As you turn around, you hear a snap, then Drifez's muffled yelling.

>>>

Her head snaps back-- Fuck! What the hell was happening?

>>>

You watch as a little black ferret creature swings down from the cave entrance you're still standing by, grabs Drifez by the head, and yanks them out of the hive.

>>>

It starts quickly sliding down the rope it came in on, into the unseen depths below.

>>>

Before you can give chase, a purple cruiser starship comes up from the canyon, the other side of the rope already inside, and takes the pair within, shooting off into the pitch-black sky.

Dart to the edge.