A couple of low fires crackled close to one wall of the rather large but oddly shaped cavern. The smell of smoke wafted through the air, however did not interfere with the visitors due to the high ceilings being able to carry it up out of breathing range, for now. The stone was slick with damp moisture and various moss like growths which carpeted some surfaces which caused the occasional slip. The storm outside which caused the troupe to find their shelter inside this cavern had not let up for the past two days, trapping them all inside.

Torook's grumbles, accompanied by the sound of his nails clicking roughly against his communication device, were a constant droning which most of the troupe had managed to block out - most, but not all. Nadir and Nutmeg were chatting to one another, sharing stories from their own lands, when Torook let out an angry cry, causing Kran'dok to growl deeply.
"I have had quite enough of your constant complaints."
A number of those present, including Lantana, Voltaire and Villie, groaned - here we go again.
"I am trying to get a signal out but this blasted thing wont work in here!" Torook snapped back, now having a new direction to aim his anger at. Lantana quickly rushed to his side, begging him to quiet down and not create angst among the troupe. However he was not backing down. Kran'dok growled deeply, a reverb which seemed to bounce off the stone and amplify itself. Phasma quickly leapt to her side and herself began to plead with the larger Basielus.
"Please, Kran'dok, he is not worth it." she pleaded.

Standing up from his place near the fire, having finally gotten Villie warmed in a pile of donated attires by the fire, Voltaire clicked his beak to gain attention from those around him.
"We are all tired, and we are all hungry..." he began, however was promptly cut off much to his annoyance.
"I cannot believe we are all stuck here! No food, no way out." Torook lamented, removing his stare from Kran'dok to instead lean into Lantana's side as exhaustion started to wash over him.
"Well" Gideon interjected, having just arrived back from a brief exploration through some of the tunnels adjoining the cavern. "How about we set out to look for food? Or anything else. Get our minds off of it." He smiled, fully aware of the tension in the room but merely choosing to ignore it for now.
Torook was about to protest, but before the first word made it out of his maw, Voltaire cut him off "Yes that is a great idea. How is the temperature down there?"
"Cool, but not frigid like outside. I think your friend will be fine to come with us." Gideon nodded towards Villie, who looked around with wide eyes - still not quite used to the significantly larger dragons around her - and certainly not a fan of all this noise.
Voltaire nudged her softly with a feathered wing. "Would that be alright with you?" earning him an apprehensive nod from his small mate, and a knowing smile across the room from Lantana.
"Alright, that settles it then." Gideon beamed, clicking his nails against the stone excitedly. "Take only what is necessary and leave the rest."
Nutmeg and Nadir barely stopped their chatter as they helped pack up some meager supplies. Nutmeg's excitement was barely contained - however whether that excitement was directed at the impending exploration or at the sense of having a new friend in Nadir, was unclear to even her.

Voltaire and Villie followed Gideon through the network of tunnels, having chosen a path which Gideon had not taken before as per his suggestion. Nutmeg followed Nadir, chatting softly to one another as they had been complained to many times already, causing Voltaire to nearly demand that the pair find their own path yet he managed to keep his cool with the help of Villie, who seemed very excited to explore the caves. Villie's smaller size meant she was able to fit into smaller gaps and scout out areas for the group, a fact which helped her spirits lift; much to Voltaire's joy.

Torook's voice could be heard echoing throughout the tunnels as he was finding something to be angry about whilst Lantana struggled to keep her own cool with her friend. Kran'dok kept her distance, though did not hide her displeasure at being stuck near Torook. Suddenly, a cry came out through the tunnels, sending an adrenaline fueled panic through the bodies of everyone present.
"Phasma! Are you oaky!?" the echo came, the voice sounding like Lantana's.
"Yes, just slipped." came the reply a few heart-wrenching moments later. The tunnels were dark enough that Lantana and Torook could not see the dark dragon down the slippery tunnel she had fallen.
"Wait there, we will see if we can help you!" Nutmeg called down, lifting herself off the ground with her strange type of flight and snaked her way down the tunnel.
"I am alright, I promise." Phasma replied, however she could not hide the relief from her voice - knowing that at least someone could keep her company. "The ground here is quite stable, and there seems to be more tunnels ahead."
Nadir called out down the tunnels, cupping her paws over her mouth as if that would help direct the echoes straight to the ears of her mates group "Gideon! Can you lead the others towards us? Might be safer if we stick together from now on."
Gideon called back a confirmation as he led Voltaire and Villie back towards Nadir's voice.

"Everyone! There is something down here." Nutmeg's voice resonated, an excitement beaming through loud and clear.
"Well, spit it out! What is it?" Torook grouched back, rather annoyed at the set back as he furiously tapped as his communicator again as if being deeper in the tunnels would grant him signal to send a message out.
"It.. it looks like gems!"
Suddenly interested, a clatter of excitement greeted Voltaire and the rest as they approached the larger group. Kran'dok was standing towards the back, silent, whereas Lantana seemed a bit worried by everyone elses excitement.
"Excuse me, everyone?" Lantana spoke up meekly "But we cannot eat gems... we need something to eat if we are to be here until the storm passes."