He kept on moving after her, and to pass the time, Eira looked back at the entrance. It was closer now! She could see it loomed above them, so big. But perhaps it was because of their incredibly small size. Eira didn't think about that though, for all she knew she could be an enormous and formidable beast that struck fear into the hearts of-...

There she went again.

Kimen caught up, and she looked at him skeptically. "How do you know?" She asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Did someone tell you? Who told you? How d'ya know?"

The wind was picking up, and she planted her paws apart and stood firmly rooted to the ground. As he gave her a look of bewilderment, the last traces of water soaked into her fur or were thrown off into the wind in little droplets. In moments, she was completely dry. Seeing as he'd caught up and seeing as they were close by, she began to push on, driving herself on through the formidable wind. ever closer, until it loomed around her.

But... she hung back, looked back, waiting for her companion to enter ahead of her.

"Can't you feel it? Nature is everywhere. You don't have to be told to know if it's nature, you just know. I think if somebody was following us, we'd know by now." Kimen responded to the otter, sure of himself and that what he knew was true. He didn't really know how he knew about nature, he just did, and felt like there was a fine difference between the natural and the artificial.
Nobody is following us. He reassured himself once more, limping as fast as his small legs would allow in the harsh winds that blew against him.

Just as the winds blew harshly once more, Kimen reached the tunnel they had been walking towards. Out of the winds way he could finally rest. Or for a short while at least. He wanted to put a good distance between himself and the winds. Perhaps he could learn how to walk along the way?

It occurred to him that he didn't even know who his companion was, they had both been so occupied with escaping the wind that they never had the chance to introduce themselves.

"I'm Kimen," He started, choosing to omit mentioning his deity, who gave him his name, "Who are you?"


-exit Kimen-

Eira shrugged. She didn't like the 'I know all' tone he seemed to have assumed. "What if I do know? What if you just haven't noticed it yet." Eira looked away for a moment. Someday, she knew, she would return to that room, and she would bring down the beat within it. Thoughts of the valiant battle and her heroic return, being proved right lingered in her mind and prickled in her chest, heart pounding with excitement.

Not wanting to be left behind, she hurried after him into the shelter of the tunnel entrance just as another powerful gust of wind dragged at her tail. She paid attention to the panda... Kimen, as he'd just said, and tipped her head in response to his question. She laughed a little, because he knew already, right? After all, it was him who'd called it first. "Have you forgotten already?" she laughed, but responded anyway. "Eira. I think.

She looked down the tunnel, which was lit by bright lanterns hanging from the ceiling. "Let's go."

It was a given to her that they'd continue on together. They'd made it this far hadn't they?

Without another moment of hesitation she bounded on, eager to see the world in all its glory.

-Exit Eira-