[u][b]Oao[/b][/u]

Stealth is key.

Such is the life of the ods. The pale claws of an od grip his hand-hold well, hoisting him upwards despite the great weight of his back satchel and weapon. Strung to his back with a spider silk cloth strap was a long pole, the grip to the small cannon head which hung from what was basically a belt tied around the hip. Upon his back sat a bag slung parallel to it's weapon grip, half full with alchemical supplies. Despite his small size he carried himself nimbly up the rock face, quietly creeping up so as to not draw any unwanted attention.

This particular od was on a trip to gather some materials for alchemy among other things. His current bounty was a particular type of root which reached deep, deep enough that it even reached as far as their distant little slice of the world. These roots were sought after as a delicacy of their people, something which adds flavor to their otherwise bland diet of moss and bat meat.

As he reached the top, the tunnel leveling out horizontally, he proceeded with caution, his frame low to avoid the notice of predators which may potentially be hanging overhead. Though they dined on bats for the occasional feast more often than not it was the bats which dined well for these winged mammals had a taste for the warm blood of the ods and the size enough to carry a fully grown human off in it's grip, let alone an od. Luckily for this one there were none down this particular junction.

_
The prize was in sight. Climbing up the side of the tunnel to reach at the roof the od clung tight, holding himself steady as he produced a long tool with a sharp scissor-like end for clipping the roots which poked out from above. Just as he was about to clip off a single portion of the root a piercing scream rang out from deep within the tunnel. This scream though similar in tone to the squeaky language of the ods possessed an unnatural reverberation, distinctly distinguishing it as the sound of something that was distinctly non-od.

As the scream carried the od did flee, leaping from the wall to the floor and bolting down the way it came, taking only enough time to avoid tripping over the tail of it's distinctly sapphire blue spider silk coat. He stalled before the deep descending downward tunnel, clambering over the edge and scurrying down the side of the winding hole.

_
Oao sat upon the cold damp stone, it's scream still echoing distantly. It did not need air but it's chest did heave, it's heart beating with the rapidity of a rabbit's own. It's eyes as dark as the void were wide with fear, darting quickly around to confirm reality. It was alone, this now was made certain.

"A-a-a-a lady!? A vision? No, a dream! A dream? I-i-i-i don't dream!? No sleep! I don't sleep, I haven't slept since I-uh-i-i- um."

It looked down at it's bony little fingers, counting on them until it realized it's fingers don't count past four.

"Mu-mu-more than I can count... Why did I doze? How did I doze? And who was that!? A person, a lady figure... Lady figure... Who... I don't know. I don't know. I cannot trust, I- I cannot trust them. Not until... Not until I know."

_
It gripped it's head, it's fingers scrunching up it's surprisingly smooth and silky hair as it clutched it's skull, the small thing rocking back and forth until a gentle pair of hands gently set themselves upon it's shoulders. It knew the owner of these thin ink black hands for it was a dark form, living darkness given shape by Oao's own will. The form of darkness gently held Oao in it's arms, softly petting it's long black hair.

"Now now Oao... You are safe. No one knows you are here. You are safe."

The faint, whispery voice was Oao's own. It was extending it's voice through the dark form to speak to itself, to usher words of comfort from the closest thing to a friend it could trust. When it was finally coaxed into a state of relaxation it finally released the mass, the darkness returning from whence it came. Oao now stood, Reaching out to scan the many tunnels and caverns that comprise it's lands through small nodules of darkness. It's vision split into a compound state through which it was able to see through each and every available nodule simultaneously. The echoes of thousands upon thousands of caverns filled it's rather elfin ears. The variety of airs left sensations of touch upon it's snow white skin, each nodule but a point upon it's body which it could feel through. Their smells, their tastes, all sensations were split upon the many small blobs of darkness it had left about to serve as it's eyes, ears and more across it's vast subterranian realm.

Little could enter the underground without it's knowing.