"There is something unnatural about this cave," Saint notes, gazing around at the endless tunnels and caverns, "I don't mean in terms of being artificial and an old can, I mean truely unnatural. I can sense it. Can you?"
Sliver grunts in response, pushing her shoulder against a boulder, shifting it out of the way. "Trust me, Saint," she reassures the slugcat, "There is nothing amiss here. We're just retrieving a rarefraction cell and then we're leaving. Even if the cell doesn't work, it's better to rule this place out from any further searching."
Saint takes the first few steps forward round the corner, her robe flowing slightly in the wind.
"Remind me sliver. Why are we exploring these caves, for a rarefraction cell that your sensors picked up, that is likely nothing par the remains of an old long "dead" iterator".
Sliver responds, in a slightly artificial but not unnatural sounding voice. "Well, you know what those old ancients used to say. Fortune favors the brave.", she states, her whirring mechanical lizard like body turning the corner at a manageable pace, "In any case, it's not like there's much else to do, huh?"
"There is something unnatural about this cave," Saint notes, gazing around at the endless tunnels and caverns, "I don't mean in terms of being artificial and an old can, I mean truely unnatural. I can sense it. Can you?"
Sliver grunts in response, pushing her shoulder against a boulder, shifting it out of the way. "Trust me, Saint," she reassures the slugcat, "There is nothing amiss here. We're just retrieving a rarefraction cell and then we're leaving. Even if the cell doesn't work, it's better to rule this place out from any further searching.", Sliver continues digging through the stones to clear a path. "Besides, I doubt there's much around here that can threaten the two of us. Nothing we can't handle..."
"Very well" , saint says, as the pair continue to walk down into the darkness, and soon, Saint and Sliver emerged upon the core of the structure, their path lit by the soft glow of luminescent flora.
Sliver, in her mechanical body, motioned towards the entrance to the chamber. "See," she said, "we've made it. Would you be so kind as to retrieve the cell for me? I regret to admit that this body lacks arms, a rather glaring oversight on my part."
As Saint approached the rarefaction cell, it was unexpectedly raised into the air by a pair of dark purple phantom arms. Confused, they turned to see Enot, a colossal shadow-like slug cat, coiling out of the darkness, taking up the space in the room.
"Well, well, well," Enot taunted, a mischievous grin on their face, "if it isn't my old pal Saint! Aren't you just thrilled to see me, your dear *friend*."
Saint's frustration was palpable. "No, Enot. I'm not happy to see you."
Enot grins wider, if possible. "Ah, but you should be, Saint! After all, it's been a while since we've had a proper catch-up." They pause for effect. "You can't tell me you don't miss me at all, can you?"
Saint clenches their fists, their patience fraying, but swiftly relaxes them. "Miss you? You're nothing but a troublemaker, Enot. All you do is cause chaos and destruction wherever you go."