Pollen wanted a dog. Okay, wait- Pollen knew the whole thing with Emuh, where he tested you and unlocked more magic and stuff. There would be no chance she'd get a dog- Aethril was special, anyways, and she was just a little green thing. Well, then- maybe she'd get good at plant magic, then.

Besides, she liked being in Polaris. It was a long trek, but she got to pass by the Ursa tunnel again, give it a second cursory glance. She doubted she could find some hidden chrysalis without Aethril's help. Polaris, on the other hand? While it took some time to get there, it was an excellent practicing place, where the magic flowed freely from the Spire.

Plus, it's where Emuh lived.

It wasn't too hard to pinpoint his little hole-in-the-wall given Aethril's directions. The muta had been trotting along the walls, searching for it, her pelt tense with excitement. What would it be like? Would she succeed? What would happen if she failed?

She paused in front of the dark hole. There was a moment of reconsideration- Aethril knew where she was going, but was she ready herself? Pollen's jaw worked before she stood up at her towering height of approximately four feet. She might as well get it over with, right?

"Emuh!" She called out, cupping her mouth with both front paws. "I wanna take a trial! I know the um- risks!" Was that step one: knowing what she was facing? She'd already aced that, she thought. At least, she hoped.

Even with warning, Emuh was still a lot to take in. Her whole body wanted to flinch, but she tried her best to stand strong, only trembling a little. "I do!" she protested, her hands balling up as she stood a little taller. Emuh knew the one- and who was he, to reject a trial? She wanted this!

And then, she was alone.

As the cave twisted and came alive, Pollen waited for it, adjusting her bandana like one would adjust their hat. She would be ready- she had her bead, her whips. She could take on anything. Except- maybe that. A grimace took over her face at the pulsating flesh that took over the walls, disgusted as recognition took over her. She hadn't seen flesh like normal carnivores would- her diet consisted of good salads and Nedies-cooked meat.

So when she saw the living cave, illness washed over her. There was a moment of just trying to keep her lunch, a feeling quickly stuffed down for her to focus.

Her head shot up at the grinding. The next noise was the growth, and she jumped, a little yelp escaping her. Yeah, she expected hardship, but flesh caves? "What the FUCK!" Panic rolled through her mind as she backpedalled, her hands clenching in front of her chest. There was soil beneath her, saplings barely piercing through it. There- would trees be enough to hold up the ceiling?

It had to be. Reaching out with her magic, Pollen shot it through the cave without focus- and, perhaps that panic flared back at her. Without warning, pain flared through her chest as the roots of her plants turned on her, curling into her own skin and driving her to double down onto the ground.

That was not good.

It would be a miracle if Pollen ever got the stench out of her nose. Not just that- even with her mouth closed, it was hitting the scent organs at the roof of her mouth and made her want to gag even more, even through the pain across her body. One hand flew to her face and held her jaw shut as she wobbled back onto two feet, staring up to the waterfall of Oily blood.

Plants couldn't grow in that. If she didn't stop that soon enough, she'd be drowned out in it, swallowed by its corruption like Aethril's magic.

There weren't any plants on the ceiling she could use to charm it shut. There were only the poor saplings- and she wouldn't have a lot of time to use them, it seemed. With one paw still clamped over her mouth, she reached out with the other one to direct all of her being into the nearest young tree, aiming to get it to stretch towards the wound.