Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Despite their misgivings and the fading of the lit-up streambed, Envy had finally allowed anxiety to draw them back towards the small wall-crack where they liked to sleep. It was partially from possessiveness of their glowing river pebble however, since hardly anyone would be able to reach a paw in far enough to steal it from them, let alone enter themselves.

It was as they stretched out their forepaws, blissfully relaxing in their temporary state of strength that a surge of power swept through them, sending a shudder from nose to tail. In their mind they suddenly heard voices, and pawed at their face in shock. But the words were not threatening or aggressive in any way. And the jumble of images and words came with a task, leading Envy to believe that the message was delivered by some kind of a god.

Pledge your alliance. Collect red stones.

Envy salavated at the thought, catching snippets also of this god’s power from the surge that had swept through them. If they helped, the god would simply have to grant them a share, right?

Envy stood, stretching out each leg in turn and bounding towards the rushing river.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy peered into the water’s shallows, remembering the origins of their glowing river pebble. Surely a fancy red one could be found here, too? Envy searched and searched through the ripple of the water’s current, but no matter how hard they searched, the weasel couldn’t finda trace of colour. The pebbles were round and smooth and small enough to carry, but all possessed sull grey or brown tones.

The weasel child fidgeted in frustration and darted upstream to search further, keeping an eye on the water as they moved for any trace of a red flash.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy kept on running, searching until they were panting, leaving their den and the glowing pebble far behind them. That was when they realized how stupid they’d been; in their impulsiveness and eagerness to leave, Envy had left behind their glowing river pebble! The only source of light they had. Without it the caves were dark and colour was hard to perceive. True, Envy thought, they wouldn’t be able to carry the glowing stone and a red one, but they felt like they didn’t have time to stop and cast.

They might have to at this rate.

The weasel gritted their teeth in frustration as they considered what to do, apparrently the first difficult decision of their life.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy turned back towards their den, beginning to trudge back along the long path they'd come. Again they cast an eye to the river, although they realized now that the pebble would have to be the brightest red in the world for them to see it.

Their paws skittered on stone for a long time, but they saw nothing. Finally, they re-entered their alcove and returned batting along the river pebble with their paws. they turned the other way, and began yet another long walk up the bank.

They wanted their promised gift. Needed it.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy's search continued for quite some time, the weasel padding along until their paws ached and their throat burned for water. But they couldn't stop now. The little one approached the water's edge, filling their mouth with water as they tried to swallow, and peering at the pebbles just beneath the surface. They managed to swallow that mouthful, their belly churning with the freezing water.

Somewhere along the line though, the weasel leaned slightly too far, and suddenly they were plunging face-first into the icy depths. Envy gasped as the current tugged them, and they scrabbled at the bank, spying their glowing pebble beginning to roll towards the drop.

Envy saved it just in time, clutching the object in between their shivering paws. Their mood was noticeably soured, their entire form shaking. They lowered their head in a sulk and whimpered. They needed warmth. Envy began the long, slow, dripping plod towards the crack they'd claimed in the wall.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Their steps slow and shaky, it took Envy far longer than it should have to get home, plodding dejectedly as they were. Their gaze occasionally lingered on the stream for a moment as the glowing pebble rolled away ahead of them, but other than that their search had been mostly abandoned.

When they looked up, the little weasel could hardly recognize this part of the stream bank, and knew that they still had quite a long way to go. They sighed with another long shiver, and kept moving.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy wandered for another long while, and finally they neared their hole in the wall. As their pebble skittered away ahead of them, the glow illuminated a section of crumbled wall that they'd never passed before. A glint of red light caught their eye, and they turned to see a small, smooth red stone at the base of the wall.

The little one caught a sharp breath and bounded over, seething with pride. they picked up the red stone and loomed over it jealously, hair on end as they picked it up in their jaws. They'd only be able to carry one at a time, but that was okay. Surely this would be enough. Head high, Envy pattered their glowing pebble away down the corridor, and followed with a newfound spring in their step.

They entered their little alcove and curled up, wondering where it was that they would have to go. But either way, it felt close.

For now, they needed warmth, and rest after their long and fruitless search. Their hide still trembling, they drifted off into sleep.

-Exit Envy-

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."