He was hungry, and he needed to do his dailies. So, though he didn't want to leave the altar, he did, hurrying as he did so, wanting to return Home as fast as he could.

Tunnel K... well, he should have been more scared of the Altar than the Tunnel, but the Altar was Home and the Tunnel wasn't, the Tunnel was spooky and still and misty, and he shivered as he did his business, shaking himself (he was starting to shed, his fur getting long and it itched as he scented the air,

and then, whether by luck or just a particularly stupid cave mouse, one ran right in front of him, and he lunged, killing it quickly, he dropped it, after a moment, tilting his head and staring, staring, staring, until, some time later, it turned into goop, which he proceeded to gulp down, though he retched at the taste.

Fed, watered, and abluted, he hurried back to his Home.

Max trotted out of The Hole reluctantly, not wanting to leave his Home. Things danced at the edge of his vision, though what they were he couldn't say. He was hungry, and thirsty, and intended to hurry, to lay before the Altar and Listen and See.

He tilted his nose to the air, looking for something to eat, but couldn't find anything nearby and so lapped at a nearby puddle, before flopping down in it and rolling around on his back, scratching his itches and washing his fur, before standing and shaking water everywhere.

Washed, Max sneezed, and trotted from his puddle, looking around with a sniff of his nose--where were the Lessers today? He whimpered, shaking his head again, wanting to go Home, but he was hungry, stomach grumbling, and so he lapped at his puddle before trotting further down the tunnel, hoping to find a Lesser further down there, any Lesser, so long as it was edible.

Trotting, he stuck his nose in the air, catching the scent of a Cave Mouse before it bolted in front of him, lunging to catch it. It sank its sharp teeth into his sensitive nose, leaving him squealing, and he shook his head, sending it flying. It skidded across the floor, and he darted after it, sinking his teeth in and flailing it until it stopped shrieking.

Flopping down on his side, he whimpered and stared until, finally, it turned to goop that he lapped up, gagging, and bolted back to his Home.

Another day, another bath.

He shook himself as he stood, sneezing to get the water out of his nose (perhaps a brighter dog would have been better at keeping the water out of his nose, but Max was not a brighter dog), before dipping his head to drink, lapping up the water. The puddle was reaching its end, so he'd have to find another, but thankfully the barren rock of the tunnel tended to collect the mist enough that he would have plenty to drink.

A meal, though...

He trotted along, wet-dog-smell chasing away any Lessers, until a particularly stupid Cave Mouse ran right into his paws. He yipped, jumped back, tripped over his paws, turned a cartwheel, and managed to catch it in his teeth, shaking it until it stopped squealing, then dropped it and waited for it to liquify before feasting.

'Yuck!'

Another day, another b-a-t-h.

Max grumbled as he clambered to his paws, shaking his fur out, splattering it everywhere. He didn't like baths, but he liked clean fur. Mostly. He just didn't like being itchy and he got itchy if it wasn't clean so b-a-t-h-s were a necessary evil.

That still didn't mean he had to like them.

He lapped at the water, quenching his thirst, then retched as he got a mouthful of fur. Maybe drinking then bathing would be better?

The dog trotted down the tunnel, sniffing the air while zoning out, listening to the nonsensical whispers in his ears, watching the black flickers that danced at the edge of his vision. What they were, he didn't know, but they were fascinating and part of Home and so he loved them.

Something moved, something real, and so he leaped forward, darting after the Cave Mouse. It almost escaped, zagged and zigged, but he was a hunting hound though he didn't seem like it and managed to catch it, shook it to death before plopping it down and staring at it until it goopified, then gulped down the goop as fast he could to keep from tasting it.