An unremarkable rock sat near the cave wall. Unless one was adept at discerning magic, it would surprise them that anything was within it at all, that there was a gembound trying to escape. The rock wiggled ever so slightly at the creature’s flails, but nothing happened. The wiggling stopped. Perhaps it had grown tired, for now.

After a breath of absence, the anyolite shuddered again. A small, lithe form was barely visible through the crystal, shaking back and forth, shaking the crystal back and forth. The creature could hear small sucking noises a bit like the cracking of ice. Not that it would know what ice was, or that ice could break. It barely knew anything at all. It grew tired again. The shuddering stopped.

While the gem-encrusted rock did not stir, the creature inside still did. It was determined, driven by pure instinct. Every forceful move cued adrenaline to surge through its veins. In the creature’s tomb the only sound was its light breath. The only sight was dark patches of reds and greens in an earthy, endless landscape. The creature only stopped when it felt that it could take no more, and the thought of movement made it faintheaded. It had stopped long enough, now. It took a deep breath and writhed within its container as hard as it could. Every scratch counter its scales birthed pain, but in its frenzy the bruises were ignored.

Suddenly light. From above. The rock had exploded, and a cleavage of red crystal had flown off with the pressure. The hole was small, but luckily it was too. Like a pitcher overflowing, a small snake dripped out of the rock’s top, flicking its forked tongue rapidly. Large eyes surveyed the land, and the snake emptied itself out of the rock, cooling next to it on a spot of soft soil. It was free, and happy.

The snake kept itself breathing, enjoying the taste of the air. It gazed up at the ceiling and grew calm.

“I am Honek.“ It said softly. Honek didn’t know how it knew it’s name, nor did it question it. Honek was its entire being in a word. It felt that so. “I am Honek,” it repeated, “I am Honek.”