Sleep came easy, for once. The cage was warm, dry, and most importantly, still. My body ached from the endless jostles of the road, but the pain rapidly faded as my eyes fell and I plunged into unconsciousness. The blackness was a looming, heavy thing, so deep even the nightmares failed to find me.
The harsh clang of metal rolled through my slumber, drawing me from the dark depths and back to the waking world. The source of the noise was the large iron door at the top of the stairwell leading to the ground-level floor. Light sprung from the crystals as the figure descended, carrying a large box. Two tufted ears stuck out above the load, and a gray wolf tail dragged behind him.
